Do I really have a thing for female voice actors?

"No matter how many times I fall, I'm certain I can always get back up on my own."

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

Mika Takagi stared blankly at Toru Tazaki's profile, a strange and turbulent feeling welling up inside her, causing her to hurriedly lower her head.

Her slender fingers frantically clutched the fabric of her clothes, then suddenly gripped the hem of her garment before abruptly releasing it. She gathered the braid hanging in front of her chest into her palm and aimlessly twirled it around her fingers, round and round.

She turned around, her back to Tazaki Toru.

Then, she gave a very soft "hmm".

Ahh...

not good.

I think I'm about to cry again.

25. Mika Kohinata is the kind of woman who could be my mother (lol).

After taking a shower, Toru Tazaki went to the living room.

Mika Takagi remained seated in front of the television, engrossed in watching late-night anime, with paper and pen in hand, jotting down key points as she went.

After spending this time together, Toru Tazaki roughly understood Mika Takagi's habits: she would record her favorite anime and spend her spare time repeatedly studying the techniques shown by the voice actors in them.

This method is somewhat clumsy, but for Mika Takagi, it is an important way for her to work hard.

After waiting quietly for her to finish watching the anime, Toru Tazaki sat down next to her, took out a notebook, and handed it to Mika Takagi.

"I've finished writing the bass song we agreed on last time."

"Wow! That's fast! That's amazing!"

"It didn't take much effort, just accept it."

Mika Takagi took the notebook, eagerly flipping through it, then beamed with excitement: "Thank you, I'll definitely practice hard."

If it weren't for Toru Tazaki stopping her, she would have picked up her bass right now and practiced all night long.

"By the way, Tazaki-san, how's the house search going?"

Tazaki Toru was slightly taken aback, not expecting Takagi Mika to bring up this matter on her own initiative.

After thinking for a while, Toru Tazaki told the truth: "Actually, I went to see a place today. It was recommended by an acquaintance at the shop. The house was quite nice, and the rent was cheap."

The main reason was that Tazaki Toru really liked that piano.

Actually, that piano wasn't particularly expensive. He had a similar one when he was a child; it was a birthday gift from his mother.

Later, my mother passed away.

The girl blinked a few times: "So, we're getting ready to move to a new house? That's great!"

Very good?

Tazaki Toru looked at Takagi Mika beside him. Because she had tried so hard to persuade him to stay and refused to let him move out, Tazaki Toru thought that she would look disappointed when she learned that he had found a suitable house.

However, at this moment, the girl's face was incredibly radiant.

"Ah! Could it be that Tazaki-san thought I would feel lonely and lost?"

The girl stared at him with excited eyes, as if she had discovered a new continent.

Tazaki Toru did not respond.

To be honest, he did think that way a little.

"Well... I do feel lonely, of course, since I rarely get along with people like this."

"However, I know that Tazaki-san must also have his own things to do. He spends all day crammed into this small room with me, living in constant fear that he might run into me changing clothes or going to the bathroom, which would make things awkward for both of us. He must not get enough rest on weekdays."

"So, if I find a suitable place to live, I naturally hope that Tazaki Toru can live a comfortable life."

"Moreover, I'm quite certain that Tazaki-san can be perfectly fine on his own right now."

She thought for a while, then deliberately spoke in a high-pitched voice, imitating Toru Tazaki's tone, saying, "I'm certain."

After saying that, he laughed to himself.

Tazaki Toru thought that he was indeed a bit too self-conscious.

It was Takagi Mika's words that prompted him to make up his mind.

……

……

The next day.

After careful consideration, Tazaki Toru sent a reply to Aoki Hina indicating his intention to check in.

Given his current lifestyle, this is almost the best option.

Almost instantly, Hina Aoki sent a long string of joyful emojis. Through the phone screen, he could almost imagine her jumping high in the air.

In this way, the housing problem that had been troubling Tazaki Toru for some time was finally resolved.

Hina Aoki was incredibly efficient; she proactively arranged a moving vehicle for Toru Tazaki, and she reimbursed all the expenses.

They are truly incredibly capable.

The only remaining unresolved issue is the submission of songs for the Sky Cup.

However, composition is something that cannot be forced. Toru Tazaki did not intend to do it perfunctorily. Even if he missed this competition, he could not convince himself to produce a shoddy work.

"Tazaki-san, do you have an electric kettle at your new place? Do you want to bring mine with you? Oh, and I have a nail clipper set too, I have extras!"

The young voice actress, like a worried mother to her child who is about to embark on a long journey, patiently and repeatedly gave instructions.

It even gave Tazaki Toru a slightly absurd thought: that she was a woman who could become his mother.

After packing the clothes from the closet into cardboard boxes, the two sat on the living room floor, drinking iced barley tea and smiling at each other.

When will the moving truck arrive?

"It should be soon."

"Oh, and don't forget what's in that box."

Upon hearing this, Tazaki Toru looked towards a corner of the living room, where a cardboard box contained many notebooks and torn pieces of paper.

When he first came into this world, these papers were scattered around his body.

Another memory begins to surface.

He picked up a notebook, opened it casually, and found the writing crooked and illegible; perhaps only he in the world could understand it.

With a weary heart and trembling eyes, I am all alone in this world. In this ever-fading spring, I feel only coldness every year. Walking alone in the darkness, I can only write words hastily. Knowing that my expectations are nothing but emptiness, I still seek redemption.

This is his cry, imprisoned in a silent world, he can only vent his emotions in this way.

He erased himself in the worst possible way.

These things remain as proof that he truly existed.

Tazaki Toru felt as if the paper in his hand was a thin razor blade, shining with a cold, white light, yet he could also feel a surge of red heat.

Something seemed to be taking shape in his mind.

The surrounding area is filled with broken musical notes; if they could be combined into a new melody...

A melody that is neither cold nor dark, but full of springtime, overflowing with the refreshing sounds of birdsong and the fragrance of flowers, making one want to embrace the beauty of spring.

In that case...

"Tazaki-san, the car is here."

Mika Takagi's voice pulled Toru Tazaki back to reality. The musical notes floating around him immediately disappeared. Toru Tazaki put the notebook back in the cardboard box and carried it downstairs.

The metal staircase emitted a familiar, grating sound. Tazaki Toru turned around and saw Takagi Mika standing at the edge of the stairs, a broad smile on her face.

Golden sunlight streamed through her beautiful brown hair, piercing straight down and making Toru Toki squint.

The gentle spring breeze of April caressed her cheeks, blowing her messy hair so that it clung to her lips. She awkwardly smoothed her wildly flying hair for a while before finally managing to tame it.

Mika Takagi looked downstairs and saw Toru Tazaki staring intently at her, which made her smile awkwardly.

The girl waved her arms at Tazaki Toru and shouted, "Tazaki-san, remember to contact me often!"

A very strange feeling quietly spread through Tazaki Toru's heart.

Looking up at the azure sky above them, Toru Tazaki seemed to realize it only now.

So, it's already spring.

26. A bright white... forehead.

Standing in front of the "Kubo" house, Toru Tazaki pressed the doorbell.

Less than thirty seconds later, a series of hurried footsteps came from inside the house, and then the door opened, revealing a petite and lovely figure.

"Tazaki-kun! Welcome! I've been waiting for you for so long!"

Aoki Hina rushed excitedly to the door, and Tazaki Toru greeted her politely.

The moving company lad unloaded a few cardboard boxes from the truck, and Aoki Hina then adopted the air of a lady of the house, directing them into the first-floor living room.

Before long, only Toru Tazaki and Hina Aoki remained at home.

The two stared at each other for a long time before Aoki Hina finally couldn't hold back any longer, collapsing onto the sofa and letting out a joyful laugh.

"Tazaki-kun, I've finally got you."

Your statement is somewhat dangerous.

"What I mean is, you now have to teach me everything you know."

The way she looked at Toru Tazaki wasn't like she was looking at a living person; rather, it was as if she were admiring a music textbook that could be flipped through at any time and had an automatic explanation function.

For Hina Aoki, this was exactly what she wanted.

"Oh, right, I'll take you upstairs to have a look later."

"Isn't that your bedroom upstairs?" Tazaki Toru asked warily.