Do I really have a thing for female voice actors?

……

The tram swayed and rattled as it ran. There were more people in the carriage than expected, and Toru Tazaki had to brace himself against the carriage wall with his arms to keep his body from touching hers.

But it didn't work.

I'll still post it.

Whenever their eyes met, Mika Takagi would always look away first, without saying a word.

After arriving at the station, the two finally managed to squeeze out of the carriage. Takagi Mika accidentally stumbled, but fortunately Tazaki Toru caught her in time to prevent her from falling. However, some other things fell out.

Not long after they made contact, they simultaneously let go of each other's hands. Takagi Mika quickly turned to the side, intentionally or unintentionally playing with her hair, so that Tazaki Toru wouldn't see her expression at that moment.

Tazaki Toru bent down to pick up her dropped wallet, glanced at it, and then handed it back to her.

After exiting the station, we walked together on familiar streets, exchanging brief conversations, mostly about the stage play we had seen earlier.

Tazaki Toru is not the talkative type. When talking to people, he usually listens attentively and then responds in kind, which makes it very easy for young girls like Takagi Mika to start talking.

Although Mika Takagi always lacks self-confidence, Toru Tazaki thinks her voice is very beautiful. As for whether she can voice older sister characters, that's outside his area of ​​expertise, so he can't comment.

They returned to their rented apartment together, and the two of them stepped onto the metal stairs one after the other, the creaking sound echoing as if by unspoken agreement.

"Tazaki-san, come to my house for dinner."

"it is good."

It seems to have become a habit, like subconsciously responding "I'm home" after being told "Welcome home".

So, quite naturally, Tazaki Toru went to the voice actress's house again.

If this were to get out, people would gossip and say things like "dining with the voice actress every night" or "the voice actress's homemade dishes," which sound like something to be envied.

Tazaki Toru would certainly refute that.

It's not so much that Mika Takagi's cooking skills are lacking; rather, the dishes she's served so far are simple to prepare and don't require much cooking.

Instant noodles, hot pot.

But as someone who's just freeloading, Tazaki Toru wouldn't make any demands.

But today seemed different. Dinner was pork chop rice. The rice was freshly cooked, and the pork chops were store-bought and only needed to be heated up. It was served with shredded cabbage, which was a rare feast for them.

"What a wonderful day it is today! A big meal!"

"Don't make fun of me, you know I'm not a good cook."

"How could that be? I'm telling the truth."

Just as I was about to start, my phone, which was on the coffee table, vibrated. The caller ID showed the words "Agent".

Mika Takagi put down her chopsticks: "Sorry, Tazaki-san, I'm going inside to take this call."

After saying that, she went into the bedroom.

About five minutes later, the girl came out of the room. It was hard to tell her mood from her face alone, but Tazaki Toru keenly sensed something was amiss.

Even if Mika Takagi herself is unwilling to admit it, she is indeed very easily influenced by her emotions.

The most obvious manifestation is...

She was crying again.

She knelt before the coffee table, initially quite calm, but then her lips trembled slightly and pursed, tears falling silently into the porcelain bowl before her, soaking the rice.

"Are you okay?"

Upon hearing Tazaki Toru's voice, Takagi Mika feigned surprise at having someone beside her, quickly wiping her eyes and instinctively forcing a defensive smile.

"Ah, it's perfectly fine, umm... huh?"

She kept wiping the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand, but her eyes were like an old, broken faucet, unable to spew out a torrent of water or close completely.

It could only lie there, half-dead, dripping water droplets in a steady stream.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."

Who exactly is she apologizing to?

Tazaki Toru remained silent, but simply stuffed a tissue into her hand, accidentally touching her fingers.

Her left fingertips were very hard, as Tazaki Toru could tell with a touch. She practiced every day without ever letting up.

"The agent said that the audition had passed two rounds of review, but it stopped before the final selection."

"Oh dear~ I failed to be selected again." She said with a helpless smile.

Upon seeing that smile, Tazaki Toru inexplicably recalled Aoki Hina shining brightly on stage tonight, and the audience members responding to her with all their might during the live performance.

"You've already tried your best, there's no need to be so hard on yourself."

"I've tried my best... Yes, I know that. I've really tried my best."

Everyone says that hard work will not let you down, but why is that?

"My efforts always seem to let me down."

Tazaki Toru could not answer this question, or rather, his answer was too cruel.

Diligent people always have to endure hardship, and one day they will taste the bitterness of "admitting that they have no talent".

The clock on the wall has its minute and hour hands aligned, resting at the "12" position.

Dates may change, but people's feelings cannot be so easily reset.

Tazaki Toru didn't say anything, silently got up and left Takagi Mika's house, returning to his own room.

Less than a minute later, Tazaki Toru returned with a guitar.

Gently plucking the strings, which hadn't been replaced in who knows how long, produced a less-than-pleasant sound.

Neither Toru Tazaki nor Mika Takagi paid any attention.

The melodious sound of the piano filled the rented room. Accompanied by Toru Tazaki's soft humming, the girl gradually stopped crying and looked at him in surprise as he played the piano, gradually becoming drawn into the music.

When the song ended, Toru Tazaki put down his guitar, looked at the girl who was staring at him in a daze, and gave her a light and warm smile.

"I can enjoy hot meals and play my favorite music like this now, all thanks to Ms. Takagi."

You once said that there are many unsatisfactory things in life.

"We will always cry, but some smiles are only more precious when they are stained with tears."

"So, I won't tell you to stop crying."

"At least after crying, I still want to see your smile. I still prefer you when you're smiling."

Also, happy birthday.

"Miss Hinata."

He plucked the strings again and softly sang a birthday song that was somewhat lonely yet warm.

16. Sweating buckets, bro. (Seeking monthly votes)

inside the room.

At some point, Mika Takagi seemed to have forgotten how to cry. Her eyes were filled with disbelief as she looked at Toru Tazaki and couldn't help but ask softly:

"Tazaki-san, how did you know it was my birthday today?"

Tazaki Toru smoothed the strings: "Hmm... what do you think?"

The man in front of her did not give a direct answer, which made the girl wonder if he had secretly searched her name online.

Mika Takagi blushed instantly and stammered, "Huh? Did you specifically... specifically search for me...?"

Although Mika Takagi is a new voice actress and has no fame yet, her personal information is listed on the agency's official website.

Seeing Takagi Mika's surprised and shy expression, Tazaki Toru chuckled and said, "Actually, I saw your driver's license in your wallet at the station."

She breathed a sigh of relief, the panic on her face gradually fading, wondering how she should react if he suddenly said something embarrassing.

"Tazaki-san, you're teasing me again."

"I'm sorry, I just really want to see you smile."

She wiped away her dried tears with a tissue, and upon hearing Tazaki Toru's words, she blushed slightly and revealed a cute smile.

Speaking of which, didn't he say before that he liked the way he smiled?

like?

No, don't overthink it. It doesn't imply that. It's just a social nicety, like asking if someone prefers iced coffee or hot coffee.

A normal person would choose to smile rather than cry; it's that simple.

The girl finally calmed down: "Hmm, after listening to your music, I feel much better. Thank you."

"Actually, I'm used to it. As long as I get a good night's sleep, I'm guaranteed to be full of energy the next day."

"Then I did something unnecessary."

"No, thank you so much. Hey, what piece did you play just now? The very first one."

"I wrote it myself."

Her moist eyes brightened instantly, and she exclaimed sincerely, "So amazing! Could you play it for me again?"

"As long as you stop crying, you can play it as many times as you want."

Upon hearing this, the girl immediately lowered her head in embarrassment, then muttered defiantly, "I...I rarely cry."

When Tazaki Toru finished playing it again, Takagi Mika was comfortably hugging her legs, resting her cheek on her knees, with a faint smile on her lips.

"Tazaki-san, you may become a very talented composer in the future."

How do we determine this?

"Can't I have my own wish?" she asked bluntly.

Tazaki Toru nodded in realization, seemingly agreeing with Takagi Mika's statement.

"Then I also believe that Ms. Takagi will definitely be able to step onto a grand stage worthy of you in the future."

"Eh?"