Do I really have a thing for female voice actors?

"But I can't play Kaiju, because I have to pick it."

Ms. Aoki gave him a subtle look that said, "What is this guy talking about?"

30. Unfortunately, someone else sang this song.

For three days in a row, Tazaki Toru stayed in the practice room except for eating, sleeping and going to the toilet.

Aoki Hina only visited him once, on that very first day. After that, in order not to disturb Tazaki Toru, she would even tiptoe upstairs.

During this time, Tazaki Toru asked Yoshimura, the store manager, for leave. Yoshimura understood that Tazaki Toru was working hard for the Sky Cup and approved it very readily.

That evening, Aoki Hina and Tachibana Rin dragged their tired bodies home.

They were both selected for a new band project and have to practice for hours every day. The project is not yet finalized, and only the two of them have been selected so far. The only thing that can be confirmed is their respective positions.

Last month, Hina Aoki frequently visited various live houses in Tokyo, and the reason for this band project was precisely this.

"So tired~ My fingers hurt so much, I want to go back to Osaka, Mom."

"Rin-chan, do you want to take a shower first or should I?"

"I'll shower first, then I need to hurry up and go hunt monsters."

"Didn't your finger hurt?"

"Just bear with it and it will pass."

"If you put the energy you use for playing video games into practicing the piano, you would be able to play the C chord better than me by now."

Completely ignoring Aoki Hina's comment, Tachibana Rin hurried upstairs to get her clothes, then quickly disappeared into the bathroom.

In contrast, Hina Aoki maintained a quiet pace as she went upstairs, and instead of returning to her room, she stood outside the practice room.

If you put your ear to the soundproof door, you can't hear anything.

Just as Aoki Hina was pondering, her phone buzzed. When she opened it, she found it was a LINE message from Tazaki Toru.

[Miss Aoki, are you home?]

How did you know?

[Miss Tachibana's footsteps were cheerful.]

Sorry, did I disturb you?

【How could that be? I'm very grateful that she allowed me to use the practice room】

Of course, we also have to thank Ms. Aoki.

Hehe, it was just a small favor.

There's something I might need Ms. Aoki's help with.

Bang!

The soundproof door to the practice room was immediately pushed open, and Hina Aoki appeared in the doorway.

"What is it!?"

Tazaki Toru was slightly taken aback and asked, "Miss Aoki, were you going to stand at the door the whole time?"

"Um... I was worried about bothering you, so I didn't come in."

Tazaki Toru smiled faintly: "Thank you, but it's alright now."

The girl looked around and walked up to Toru Tazaki.

Tazaki Toru handed him an A4 sheet of paper.

"This is?"

The handwriting on the A4 paper was so neat and beautiful that she couldn't help but praise, "You write Chinese characters so well."

"Lyrics to 'Spring Shadow'".

Aoki Hina exclaimed in surprise, "You finished composing the music?!"

Tazaki Toru nodded: "The lyrics were there from the beginning, and the arrangement and instrumentation are also complete, but there is still one problem now."

"What is it?"

"I'm not a good singer, but then I thought of Ms. Aoki's excellent singing skills, so I wanted to ask if you could sing this song for me. I'd like to hear how it sounds."

Aoki Hina is an artist signed with an agency, and Tazaki Toru doesn't quite understand whether he should pay her a fee when asking her to sing his songs.

However, Toru Tazaki had clearly overcomplicated things. Miss Aoki's attitude had already said it all; she responded loudly without the slightest hesitation:

"I'd love to!"

"Then, I'll play it once and hum it for you."

"it is good!"

So, Miss Aoki stood obediently to the side, her eyes shining with anticipation, her gaze shifting back and forth between the lyrics in her hand and Toru Tazaki in front of her.

Tazaki Toru took a shallow breath, pressed the piano keys, and began to hum a tune.

Hina Aoki listened attentively to the melody, referring to the lyrics as she silently sang along in her mind.

As the last note faded, Aoki Hina's gaze towards Tazaki Toru seemed to hold a different emotion than usual.

"really……"

"Ok?"

Miss Aoki opened her mouth, but ultimately couldn't suppress this inexplicable feeling: "Tazaki-kun..."

"You really are the same kind of person as me."

Hina Aoki clenched the paper in her hand slightly: "After reading the lyrics written by Tazaki-kun, it seems like I can see something."

"It seems like there's a lonely little person living in Tazaki-kun's heart."

"I'm expressing myself through music with all my might, it's like I'm shouting."

"And it was this shout that moved me deeply."

"Thank you."

She smiled and said, "Thank you for creating this song."

Tazaki Toru couldn't quite describe what this feeling was like.

To date, he has received countless praises and also suffered much slander. He thought he would no longer be affected by anyone's evaluation.

But the smile that Aoki Hina was showing at that moment seemed to have some incredible hallucinogenic ingredient mixed in, making it hard for him to describe what it felt like.

Her flawless face, if you look at it for too long, you might become addicted.

"And also, I can finally relax," Hina Aoki said in a cute yet mischievous tone.

"Safe?"

"Of course, after listening to Tazaki-kun's singing, I realized that although Tazaki-kun is a genius, he is not an all-rounder. At least in terms of singing, I should be a cut above him."

"If Tazaki-kun's singing is even better than mine, I'll really feel ashamed."

Tazaki Toru immediately wore an expression that was both funny and exasperating, unsure whether the girl in front of him was praising him or mocking him.

She cleared her throat and began to sing softly.

Slowly, Tazaki Toru pressed the piano keys, and Aoki Hina, in harmony with the melody, transformed the lyrics on the paper into a real singing voice.

Sing it two or three times without getting tired of it.

As long as her singing continues, Toru Tazaki's fingers will forever echo hers.

"Excellent! These lyrics are absolutely fantastic, Tazaki-kun! And the arrangement is fantastic too!"

Hina Aoki pointed to the chorus section of the handwritten score: "And this chorus section, I also really like the extremely simple melody that repeats the off-key notes of the third verse."

This is a melody that is divided into four groups, but it is actually divided into two groups: downward and upward. The #5 tone can create a sense of elevation in the ear and can significantly enhance the overall emotional resonance.

These tiny details did not escape Aoki Hina's ears at all.

Her musical talent is genuine.

Tazaki Toru realized this matter once again.

She held up the sheet music and lyrics with both hands, and couldn't help but cheer and spin around on the spot: "Ahhh~~ I wish I could play this song on stage someday."

"On stage?"

"Yes! On stage! With the most powerful electric guitar, sing the most touching songs."

The girl clutched the sheet music tightly to her chest, looking at Toru Tazaki with extreme care.

"Thank you, thank you, Tazaki-kun."

"I will practice even harder so that I can be worthy of singing 'Spring Shadow'!"

The girl's smile became the brightest light of the night, deeply imprinted in Toru Tazaki's eyes.

31. His troubles are coming.

After the completion of "Spring Shadows", the follow-up matters proceeded much more smoothly than Tazaki Toru had imagined.

Aoki Hina contributed significantly to this project, even booking a recording studio to personally sing for "Kasuga Kage".

Of course, all of this was done voluntarily and without compensation; it's obvious that Ms. Aoki really loves this song.

Tazaki Toru managed to upload his song to the official website of the Sky Cup on the last day, thus submitting his first song in this world, a work entirely composed and arranged by himself.

Of course, to outsiders, he is also the lyricist.

Tazaki Toru saw Aoki Hina's efforts and was very grateful. At the same time, he was relieved. He had done what he could, and all that was left was to wait for the judges.

Without any background or resources, Toru Tazaki could only rely on this song, "Kasuga Kage," to earn himself a ticket into the professional music scene.

After locking himself in the practice room for three days in a row, Tazaki Toru suddenly felt empty inside and out without the pressure. He still felt that making music was more exciting for him.

That evening, as usual, Toru Tazaki finished get off work at the live house and took the train back to Tsukishima.

Sitting in the train carriage, Toru Tazaki and Mika Takagi were exchanging LINE messages.