Do I really have a thing for female voice actors?

"Rin-chan lives here too. She's from Osaka. Her family bought this apartment a few years ago. Apparently, the original owner was a senior in our industry who gave her a friendly price. I only moved in recently."

“The agency gave us two days off, so she took a plane back to Osaka early this morning, and now I’m all alone.”

No, you're sharing an apartment with the landlord?

In other words, it's not a case of one man and one woman, but rather one man and two women.

Tazaki Toru was already thinking about going back. He helplessly held his head, looking like he didn't know what to do.

"Oh, by the way, let me show you your room."

The girl jumped up from the sofa, one of her slippers flying off somewhere, stomping on the floor with a "tap-tap, pat-pat" sound.

They actually said "your" room.

Even so, Toru Tazaki followed along. That bedroom alone was comparable to the house Toru Tazaki had lived in before.

The furniture was also very complete, and it was clear that everything was brand new, suggesting that after purchasing the items, everything else was replaced with new ones.

"Are you satisfied, Tazaki-kun?"

To be honest, there's absolutely nothing wrong with Toru Tazaki.

Back in the living room, Tazaki Toru's gaze inevitably returned to the piano.

"This koto, does it belong to Miss Aoki?" Tazaki Toru finally couldn't help but ask.

"Oh, it's Rin-chan's, but I'm the only one who plays it occasionally."

"Rin-chan... is that the landlord you were talking about?"

"Yes, we were colleagues at the same firm."

"I see."

Tazaki Toru doesn't care about girls' interpersonal relationships.

"Tazaki-kun, would you like to try playing it?" Aoki Hina looked at Tazaki Toru with expectant eyes.

"No need."

"Is that so? What a pity. I thought I would be able to see Tazaki-kun's true skills."

"........."

Even so, after a long silence, Tazaki Toru couldn't help but step forward, lift the keycap, and run his fingers over it.

The sound of a piano began, drifting through the open French windows towards the vibrant arrival of spring outside.

Standing beside Tazaki Toru, Aoki Hina stared blankly up at the familiar musical notes, as if she had sprouted wings of freedom and was flying towards the top of this world, a place she had never experienced before.

24. In my heart, you are that kind of girl.

As the last note faded away, Tazaki Toru closed his eyes and remained silent for a long while before finally letting out a long, comfortable breath.

He hadn't touched the piano keys for a while, so his touch wasn't what it used to be, but that didn't diminish his immense joy at the moment.

Hina Aoki claims to be a weirdo who would die without music, and so does Toru Tazaki. In the end, they may just be birds of a feather on this path.

Tazaki Toru closed the keycap and looked at Aoki Hina standing to the side.

For some reason, Miss Aoki's eyes were shining brightly at this moment, like a lone wolf that had been starving for three days and three nights and finally spotted a litter of snow-white rabbits.

That look inevitably made Tazaki Toru feel a little uneasy.

It wasn't until he coughed lightly, as if to appear nonchalant, that Hina Aoki snapped out of her daze.

"Tazaki-kun, how long have you been learning piano?" she couldn't help but ask.

"I don't remember."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "I've been playing it since before I could remember."

"He's even better than my classical music teacher in college, no, he's on a completely different level."

Hina Aoki blinked her bright eyes, as if she wanted to shoot lasers with her gaze and carve a big hole in Toru Tazaki's body before she would stop.

Tazaki Tooru was noncommittal.

When he was 13 years old and had just entered the school, he passed the highest level of the diploma examination set by the Royal Academy of Music in the UK, FRSM level.

FRSM is a master's degree in the Royal Academy of Sciences exams, but because he dropped out of school, Toru Tazaki never got to see what the certificate looked like.

It doesn't matter anyway, he only has a junior high school diploma, so he's suited for rock music.

"By the way, Tazaki-kun, I haven't asked you yet, how's the music for the Sky Cup coming along?"

"It's already April, it seems like the submission deadline is approaching."

The mention of this caused a shadow to gradually fall over Tazaki Toru's previously cheerful mood.

“I have no inspiration,” he sighed.

"Could it be because I haven't been playing the piano?"

Tazaki Toru glanced at her silently.

Hina Aoki smiled sweetly: "If Tazaki-kun moves in, I'll say hello to Rin-chan. She's very generous and will definitely be willing to let you use it. Maybe you'll get some inspiration for composing while you're playing."

To be honest, although it sounds like it was just a ploy to trick Tazaki Toru into moving in so that he could teach her how to compose music.

Unfortunately, Hina Aoki's statement is correct.

Tazaki Toru ran his fingertips across the keycaps, the black paint surface spotless, and gazed at the floor-to-ceiling window beside him.

The cherry blossom trees in the courtyard are in full bloom, and a few pink petals, carried by the wind, are quietly hiding in the roller tracks of the French windows.

He looked at Hina Aoki, but his expression was extremely serious.

"I will seriously consider it."

Just as Aoki Hina was about to continue trying to persuade him, she saw Tazaki Toru gently stroking the piano in front of him with an incredibly nostalgic gaze.

Huh?

How could Tazaki-kun, who is usually rather taciturn, reveal such a gentle look in his eyes?

This discovery truly surprised Ms. Aoki, so much so that despite having a whole host of reasons to say, she could only manage to say, "Well, you should definitely think about it carefully!"

……

……

As I said goodbye to Hina Aoki and headed to the station alone.

Looking at the cherry blossom trees in full bloom on both sides, Tazaki Toru's mind was filled with thoughts about his future path.

To be honest, Tazaki Toru thinks Tsukishima is a good place to go. It's quiet, not noisy, and the rent is cheap. It would be hard for anyone to refuse.

Most importantly, Hina Aoki was willing to lend him her piano.

Tazaki Toru is proficient in many musical instruments, but the piano is almost beyond the category of "musical instrument" and is a part of his body.

Therefore, it's hard to say that Toru Tazaki wasn't tempted by Hina Aoki's proposal.

Arriving in Shimokitazawa by train, Tazaki Toru spent the entire afternoon in the lounge, but as usual, he couldn't write a single note.

At this point, there was less than a week left until the final submission deadline for the Sky Cup.

After getting off work, Toru Tazaki returned to his apartment. As soon as he entered the house, he heard the voice actress humming a cheerful tune.

"Ah, welcome back."

Tazaki Toru walked over and glanced at her, only to find that she was actually chopping minced meat.

"Um, Ms. Takagi Mika, may I ask where you are...?"

Startled, Toru Tazaki even started using honorifics.

"Huh? Can't you tell? I'm getting ready to make hamburger patties."

Tazaki Toru glanced at the supermarket shopping bag next to the cutting board, which contained a whole bottle of white vinegar and several cans of fish.

If left unchecked and she is allowed to add these things, causing an accident comparable to a gas leak, she will most likely be reported by the neighbors.

"Let me do it," Tazaki Toru quickly said.

"Eh? But you must be tired after get off work, Tazaki-san. Why don't you take a shower first?"

"It's okay, I can do it, leave it to me!"

"Hmm... alright then."

Tazaki Toru finally breathed a sigh of relief after taking the kitchen knife from Takagi Mika.

She took off her apron, thought for a moment, and then put it around Tazaki Toru's neck.

She turned Tazaki Toru around, tied a cute bow at his lower back, and giggled to herself.

Is there anything good happening today?

"Huh? How did you figure it out again?"

It's too obvious.

Mika Takagi was clearly not one to hide her feelings, and when Toru Tazaki asked her that, she excitedly replied, "I got a new job! Guess what it is this time?"

Just as Tazaki Toru was about to make a guess, Takagi Mika couldn't help but reveal the answer: "You're going to perform rakugo!"

This answer was somewhat unexpected by Toru Tazaki: "That's amazing, congratulations."

It's incredible.

Even though Tazaki Toru himself was still trapped in a cage of uninspiredness, he felt genuinely excited and joyful upon hearing the news, as if he were the one who had put in the effort.

"Hehe~~ Thank you, Tazaki-san."

"Thank me?"

"Yes! If you hadn't comforted me back then, I probably wouldn't have persevered, and I wouldn't have known that hard work really does pay off."

Tazaki Toru fell silent, then shook his head: "No."

"Eh?"

"Even without me, Ms. Takagi will never give up on her dreams."