Do I really have a thing for female voice actors?

After the hot spring incident, he subconsciously avoided Tazaki Toru.

If Tachibana Rin accidentally makes eye contact with Tazaki Toru, she will feel extremely awkward and will look away first.

As soon as Tazaki Toru shows any sign of wanting to get closer to her, Tachibana-san will quickly move around to Aoki Hina's side, not giving Tazaki Toru any chance.

Therefore, Tazaki Toru had no choice but to put the matter out of his mind for the time being.

Aoki Hina saw all of this.

Mika Kohinata, being naturally oblivious, did not notice the unusual relationship between Toru Tazaki and Rin Tachibana.

No matter what she does, she always seems to be a step behind others, which is quite similar to Miss Yang in the band.

By this time, he had completely accepted the situation and was eager to take everyone sightseeing, leading them around the remote village.

This optimistic attitude is her most important quality.

Since you've come all the way to Minamiboso, there's one place you absolutely can't miss.

Koya Shrine is said to be the only shrine in the country that enshrines the god of cooking.

The main deity worshipped here is Iwaro Rokugan-no-Mikoto, who is revered as the god of high merit.

According to legend, during the Heian period, Emperor Keiko visited Minamiboso, which was then known as Awa Province. His retainer, Iwaka Rokugan, ordered him to be served local seafood dishes. The emperor appreciated the dishes and granted Awa Province to him, appointing him to be in charge of the imperial family's food for generations to come.

Centuries later, Takagi Kichiemon discovered a wooden statue and a sacred mirror engraved with the name of Iwate Rokugan no Mikoto, and built the Takagi Family Shrine there to enshrine the ancestral deity of cooking.

It has a history of more than 400 years.

The "Taka" in Taka-ke Shrine naturally refers to "Takagi," which is Mika Kohinata's original surname.

The Taka family shrine holds a significant position in the Minamibosou and is revered by everyone.

In other words, Mika Kohinata was not a poor girl from the countryside, but rather a wealthy shrine maiden born with a silver spoon in her mouth.

Of course, Minamiboso is a remote and economically underdeveloped area, and cannot be compared with a true Osaka heiress like Tachibana Rin.

Once in Tokyo, this identity became completely useless.

As the daughter of a shrine family, Mika Kohinata was a terrible cook before she met Toru Tazaki, and she was afraid to even turn on the gas valve.

It was during the time she lived with Toru Tazaki that she learned to cook some simple dishes under Toru Tazaki's influence.

Besides that, she survives on pineapple buns and half-price bento boxes from convenience stores every day.

As the year draws to a close, there are quite a few people visiting the Takaya Shrine.

Surprisingly, many of them were young female students who still looked quite naive.

Before the road leading to the shrine, there is a sign that reads, "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach."

It turned out to be the case.

This was the first time Tazaki Toru had ever seen a shrine with such an unconventional slogan.

This shows that Mika Kohinata must not have had a crush on any boys during her school years, otherwise, how could she still be in her twenties and not know how to start a fire?

"Huh? Could this be the shrine run by Mika-chan's family?" Aoki Hina asked in surprise.

"Yes! That's right, I'll take you to see it!" Mika Kohinata said with a hint of pride.

During the conversation, Hina Aoki intentionally or unintentionally stood next to Mika Kohinata.

Guided by Hina Aoki, Mika Kohinata unconsciously quickened her pace.

Seeing Aoki Hina walk away with Kohinata Mika without saying a word, Tachibana Rin cursed Aoki Hina in her heart for being disloyal.

How could she be so heartless as to leave herself next to Tazaki Toru?

Just as Tachibana Rin was inwardly complaining.

The soft voice of Toru Tazaki beside her made her frail body tremble violently.

"Miss Tachibana, would you like to walk with me for a while?"

242. Oshima Haruna, declare war on Kohinata Mika!

Takaya Shrine.

The wind chimes hanging on both sides of the road swayed and sang in the cold December wind.

The piles of ema (votive plaques) are dazzling and, like most shrines, they are all messages about praying for good health or improving cooking skills.

The two girls strolled around, stopping frequently. Mika Kohinata, who had grown up in this shrine since childhood, enthusiastically introduced everything about the surroundings to Hina Aoki beside her.

"Look inside, there's still a ema (votive plaque) written by Miss Tokui herself many years ago."

"And those bamboo lanterns from earlier, they were all made by the neighbors, they look so beautiful at night."

Mika Kohinata seems to have completely forgotten that these words were meant to be spoken to Toru Tazaki alone.

Walking alone with Toru Tazaki in the land that raised her for twenty years, that scene would surely fill her with joy from the bottom of her heart.

Incredibly, Mika Kohinata wasn't particularly negative about the trip that was originally planned for the two of them, even after an outsider intruded.

That's why people say she's simple-minded, naive, and easily fooled.

This is enough to show that in Mika Kohinata's heart, her bandmates also hold a significant place.

Perhaps they haven't been together long, haven't met often, and don't know each other very well, but Mika Kohinata cherishes this band immensely.

When the dream she cherished in her heart became a reality, the band itself became the embodiment of that dream.

Walking beside Mika Kohinata, Hina Aoki was lost in thought, glancing at her profile from time to time.

From any angle, it was an ordinary face, far less attractive than her own or Tachibana Rin's, and her figure was not outstanding either.

It's the type that would be easily lost if thrown into a crowd.

If one had to find any redeeming quality in her, it would be her smile.

Whenever she smiles, it brings joy to others.

It's as if you're lying under a cherry blossom tree in April, surrounded by the fragrant cherry blossom scent, with the warm spring sunshine dappling your cheeks.

Aoki Hina was slightly dazzled.

In this sudden daze, Hina Aoki involuntarily thought of "Spring Shadows".

Hina Aoki reached out and, as if brushing a strand of hair, brushed it across the pile of ema (wooden plaques) in front of her, the wooden ema making a clattering sound.

She began her "probing".

"Mika-chan, do you ever feel guilty towards Rin-chan and me?"

"Eh?"

Aoki Hina glanced sideways, taking in the bewilderment on Kohinata Mika's face.

Due to her personality, Hina Aoki always speaks in a roundabout way.

If you want to get the answer to question A, you will first ask questions B and C, going around in circles.

In contrast, Mika Kohinata was much simpler and was easily fooled.

"Rin and I came uninvited, which is really impolite of us, and we have disturbed you without asking."

"No, no, no... I wouldn't have bothered you! There's absolutely nothing like that!" Mika Kohinata hurriedly waved her hands.

She blushed slightly, gently stroking her cheek with her fingers, and murmured, "Actually, I'm very happy."

"Delighted?" Hina Aoki looked puzzled.

"Yes!" Mika Kohinata nodded emphatically.

"I was always alone. After going to Beijing, I almost never encountered anything good and suffered repeated setbacks."

"Thanks to... Tou-kun."

"He made my dream come true, allowing me to meet MyGO and all of you."

"If it weren't for MyGO, I might have returned here alone long ago, picked up a broom, and swept this land day after day."

"Therefore, I feel joy from the bottom of my heart."

"When I auditioned for MyGO, wasn't there a line in the script that said that?"

"The girl band is a community bound by fate in performing music, and I finally..."

"I've met my kindred spirit."

"........."

The bright afternoon sun in winter made her cheeks sparkle, and the warmth emanating from her smile seemed to melt away the cold wind.

Despite being in winter, Hina Aoki felt the warmth of spring.

Hina Aoki is not incapable of understanding such feelings.

However, there is a decisive difference between her and Mika Kohinata: Mika Kohinata is sunny, tolerant, and knows how to be modest.

Hina Aoki is a greedy cat.

She will secretly compete with Hinata Himiya and Mika Kohinata.

Treating them as enemies invading their territory without permission, and not hesitating to unleash cat punches to prevent their precious treasures from being stolen.

Even on a meticulously planned Christmas Eve, she deliberately sent away her close friend, Tachibana Rin, so as not to be disturbed.

Compared to Mika Kohinata in front of her, Hina Aoki's approach can hardly be described as gentle.

At first, Hina Aoki didn't think there was anything wrong with what she was doing.

However, it wasn't until she witnessed firsthand how Tazaki Toru treated Kohinata Mika that Aoki Hina was able to sense it, even though Tazaki Toru never explicitly said it.

This girl is different.

Perhaps what I lack is this warmth and straightforwardness, like the sun, shining equally on everyone.

"Ah~ Ah~~ I wish that one day, Yang-chan and Coco-chan could come together too." Mika Kohinata sighed beside her.

Hina Aoki turned her gaze to the backs of Toru Tazaki and Rin Tachibana in the distance.

"Mika-chan," she said softly.

"Mika-chan, do you like Tazaki-kun?"