Do I really have a thing for female voice actors?

"The lines?"

The girl knelt before Tazaki Toru, gently pushed up her glasses, and nodded, saying:

"I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Mika Takagi. I'm a relatively unknown new voice actress. Nice to meet you."

2. You still have to judge people by their appearance.

The next day, early in the morning.

Tazaki Toru was awakened by the doorbell.

Looking around the rental room, which felt both strange and familiar, it was monotonous and cluttered. The only thing that could be called furniture was a square coffee table that was forty centimeters high.

The ground was littered with papers, covered with writing and graffiti, leaving almost no space to step.

Besides that, there was the rather old wooden guitar in the corner, which slightly attracted Tazaki Toru's attention.

After a period of confusion, Toru Tazaki finally accepted the fact that he had been transported to another world.

Upon opening the door, the voice actress who lived next door was standing outside with a worried expression.

She still wore slightly outdated black round-framed glasses, and her braids on both sides were tied into two small buns that hung down naturally. She wore loose denim overalls, which made her look quite childlike.

Only when she saw Tazaki Toru's languid face, as if he had just woken up, did her worries vanish, and she immediately smiled.

To be fair, in this era where looks have replaced acting skills as the key to success, and female voice actors are increasingly becoming idols, Mika Takagi is indeed not considered particularly beautiful.

But the simple and cheerful energy that radiated from her smile was like the sun at eight in the morning, photosynthesizing Tazaki Toru with astonishing force.

Good morning, Mr. Tazaki.

"Uh... good morning."

Mika Takagi remained silent, only staring intently at Toru Tazaki.

Tazaki Toru understood: "Don't worry, I really don't want to die."

She scratched her cheek, her smile radiant, seemingly overjoyed that she had actually saved a life.

"These are loquats sent from my hometown. If Mr. Tazaki doesn't mind, please accept them."

Without a word, she shoved a cardboard box into Tazaki Toru's arms, and before Tazaki Toru could speak, she waved her hand:

"I have to go to work now. Remember to enjoy the loquats! I'll come back later to hear your thoughts. See you then."

She left with remarkable grace. Tazaki Toru looked down into the cardboard box, where the orange fruits were plump and round, pondering the words she had left behind.

Thoughts? Do I have to write a food report?

Back inside, Toru Tazaki closed his eyes and began to plan for his future.

He used to work in a bread factory. After the director passed away, he quit his job and sent all the money he had saved to the orphanage that had raised him. He stayed in his room for a whole week without going out.

The utility bills were not paid, the rent was about to expire, and all he had in his wallet were two coins.

One costs 100 yen.

The other one is also 100 yen.

Having understood his own situation, it became clear what Toru Tazaki needed to do next.

—To make money.

The problem is that he has neither academic qualifications nor relevant skills certificates in this world, so finding a decent-paying job immediately will not be easy.

So, Toru Tazaki tried to summon the system.

For example, there's a proficiency panel where you can become a master chef simply by washing rice and cooking every day, or develop a photographic memory by reading a few novels.

Or perhaps a new special ability is introduced every week.

If all else fails, giving him money for daily check-ins is not unacceptable.

Five minutes later.

Tazaki Toru completely abandoned his fantasy that "he might be the protagonist of a system-based novel" and accepted the harsh reality that his savings were only 200 yen.

My phone vibrated; I received an email.

After reading the email, Toru Tazaki quickly retrieved the corresponding memory from his mind.

I quickly washed up, put on my shoes, locked the door, and went downstairs.

On his way to the station, girls frequently cast enthusiastic glances at him.

Because he was born with a face that easily attracted girls, Toru Tazaki used to be approached by strange girls. But when those girls learned that he couldn't speak and that he wasn't even mentally sharp, they were shocked.

That instant revealed a look in the eyes that seemed to be boiling water poured onto snow.

It was always subtle, yet it pierced his heart.

But the current Toru Tazaki is quite different.

She swept her bangs back, tied them into a small braid at the back of her head, left a few wisps of hair in front of her forehead, revealing her eyebrows and eyes, and displayed a relaxed and confident smile, able to make eye contact with anyone at will.

Even if he only had 200 yen in his pocket.

I took the tram to Shimokitazawa and turned down several trendy girls carrying violin bags who tried to chat me up.

After turning a few corners, in an inconspicuous corner, there is a staircase leading underground.

The walls on both sides of the staircase are covered with various band posters, and at the end of the staircase hangs a hexagonal black light sign that reads "SHELTER".

SHELTER is a well-known live house in Shimokitazawa.

Since the anime "Lonely Rock" became a huge hit, otaku have been flocking to the site every few days to take photos and check in.

Thanks to this, business has been booming lately, with almost 80 or 90 tickets sold every day.

Before the dean passed away, his predecessor had submitted his resume.

Although it was just a part-time job with an hourly wage of 1380 yen, he hesitated for months just to make up his mind to submit his resume.

For Toru Tazaki, who suffers from an illness that makes it difficult for her to interact with others, this requires a great deal of courage.

Music is his only way of communicating with the outside world; it is the cry of his soul, and it is everything to Toru Tazaki.

And coincidentally, music is everything to Toru Tazaki.

He displayed exceptional musical talent from a young age, and at 13, he was admitted to the composition department of the Royal Academy of Music in the UK. He was one of the few students admitted by the Royal Academy of Music without prior admission, and the youngest student ever admitted.

But after only nine months, he dropped out of school and then traveled all over the world.

Over the course of ten years, he busked on the streets of Rio at night, sharing a loaf of bread with homeless people, and also performed a solo concert at the Golden Hall, where tickets were extremely difficult to obtain.

After returning to China, countless celebrities and big names spent lavishly to commission him to compose music and write lyrics.

Now, however, he has to struggle to find a part-time job that pays 1380 yen per hour.

Life took a sharp turn for the worse.

So exciting.

Stepping inside Live Hopuse, the place was empty. Tazaki Toru called out a few times, and a figure slowly sat up behind the bar.

He was a bearded man wearing a hat, with a pair of oddly shaped star-shaped sunglasses perched on his nose.

"Here for an interview?"

"Yes, my name is Tazaki Toru."

"I am Yicun, the manager of this shop. Please have a seat."

Shouldn't the manager here be a blonde, arrogant older sister with an angelic younger sister?

Animations are indeed all lies.

"Tazaki...Tazaki...Oh, I've got it."

He scrolled the mouse wheel and found Tazaki Toru's name.

"Junior high school graduate?"

"Yes."

"It's great, it's very rock and roll."

"Do you play any instruments? Well... it's okay if you don't. Your main job is to clean the venue, check tickets, and sell drinks and stuff like that."

This morning, an employee from the store sent a message saying that he had broken his arm and had to be hospitalized. As a result, no matter how the shifts were scheduled, there would be a shortage of staff, so they had to temporarily select a few people from the resumes they had received to conduct interviews.

Tazaki Toru nodded and said modestly, "I can play a few."

Upon hearing this, the store manager glanced at Tazaki Toru.

If you can play the piano, you can play the piano; if you can play the guitar, you can play the guitar. What does it mean to be able to play several things?

He stared at Tazaki Toru's face for a few more seconds and slowly said:

"Okay, you're accepted."

There is no other reason.

Tazaki Toru is handsome enough that his face is sure to win over female customers.

As for academic qualifications.

Please, this is a live house.

3. The voice actress who plays bass.

That evening, Tazaki Toru was assigned to work.

My main job is selling tickets, and in practice, it's not much different from working as a cashier at a convenience store.

The live show runs from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. After the show ends, the venue needs to be cleaned up, followed by the bar hours, which continue until 4 a.m.

But that wasn't part of Tazaki Toru's job scope; he wasn't good at bartending, so his actual working hours were four hours, from 5:30 to 9:30.

In short, it's a good thing to be able to find a part-time job right away.

After finishing his part-time job, Toru Tazaki took the train home.

Stepping out of the station, I stared blankly at the original Gundam statue in front of me, a rumbling sound coming from my stomach.