Do I really have a thing for female voice actors?

I hurriedly left home, took the tram, and rushed to school.

Fortunately, the school was deserted, and I became the first student to arrive.

Having lived for nineteen years, this is the first time I have received such an honor, yet I feel no sense of accomplishment whatsoever.

I asked the guard and found out that school was closed today.

The other person's face, which was full of suppressed laughter, looked as if they were looking at a lonely, comically shaped statue standing in the snow.

"It's better to confirm with classmates or friends next time."

I'm so sorry, I'm all alone and have no friends at school.

Not to mention in schools, even if you searched all over Tokyo, there was no one who deserved that title.

Don't think that just anyone can be friends with Miss Kubo.

Empowering a guy or an empowering girl is something we could consider.

I boarded the tram home and sat alone in the corner of the carriage, grumbling to myself, wondering how there could be a school in this world that didn't even notify its students about the holiday.

Seriously, what's the point of giving us a holiday?

Why not just make it mandatory for students to report to school 365 days a year?

This is blatantly telling others that I, Kubo Akiyuu, am not only an idiot, but also an idiot who can't make friends.

Sitting opposite me, a few boys and girls dressed in a flashy manner were talking loudly and recklessly inside the tram, oblivious to everyone else.

Please, this is a public place. Didn't you see the signs prohibiting loud noise?

In that instant, I really wanted to stand up and teach them a lesson, then separate them completely, so that each of them could be alone in a separate carriage, only then would I feel relieved.

Unfortunately, Kubo Akiyuu didn't have that kind of courage.

I'm not envious at all, not even a little bit.

I dragged my tired body home, and my sister, who was watching TV in the living room, seemed surprised by my sudden appearance.

"Mingyou, why are you back so soon?"

School is closed today.

"Uh……"

He threw his schoolbag on the sofa, went upstairs to his room alone, and collapsed weakly onto his bed.

I felt no joy at the holiday. Even though I could play games without restraint, I felt listless and unable to muster the energy to do anything.

It's not that I feel wronged, it's just that sometimes I wonder why there's no one around me.

Tokyo is not interesting at all. I should have stayed in Osaka. At least I wouldn't be in this predicament today.

How exactly did everyone meet?

You'll meet friends you get along with, and you'll meet someone of the opposite sex who makes your heart flutter.

I'm already putting in all my effort just to be myself and talk to people, so how can I possibly have a good mood or a pleasant expression to deal with people around me who try to strike up a conversation?

Until graduation day, I hadn't made any friends at school that I could really talk to.

And so, my university years came to an end.

I don't feel lonely at all, not at all.

Only occasionally...

It really is just occasionally; I imagine if I could have a friend by my side.

He can pull me out of bed every morning, he can laugh and talk to me on the tram, or even just sit quietly beside me.

I might fall a little bit in love with this city.

And so, without any warning.

She was like a nimble black cat, lying on the roof basking in the sun, its paws outstretched and its slender waist stretched out, before leaping down.

They just stared straight ahead, easily and blatantly ignoring my high walls.

It entered my life.

……

……

Beep beep beep—

Beep beep beep—

The alarm clock struck as scheduled in the early morning. As always, I turned off my phone, thinking to myself that I would sleep for another five minutes.

These brief five minutes are my most important source of motivation every day.

In short, those five minutes were equivalent to several hours of my previous sleep.

If I'm not allowed to get these last five minutes of sleep, given my personality, I might throw a tantrum for no reason and give anyone a hard time.

dong dong dong-

"Rin-chan! Wake up! Time to report to the agency!"

Outside, Hina's voice was really annoying, like a cat scratching at my bedroom door.

I didn't get to savor those last five minutes of comfort, and opened the door with a stern face.

But when I saw her bright and sweet smile, and she said "Good morning" to me...

The pent-up grumpiness I felt upon waking seemed to escape from my body all at once, without me even noticing.

What a lovely yet infuriating woman.

If this continues, won't I be completely tamed by this woman?

Since my sister returned to Osaka, I have started living with Hina.

I know perfectly well that my sister couldn't make a name for herself in the voice acting industry, which is why she had to come home.

If nothing changes, I think I'll end up like my sister.

I have already accepted this in my heart.

He plays games day after day and never practices the piano on his own initiative.

Even at the agency, he just followed behind Hina, becoming her cat's tail.

Unlike Japanese cuisine, which is characterized by its versatility and ability to chat with almost anyone, Japanese cuisine is different.

I know I'm not good at talking, and no matter what happens, I always think about pushing her out the door as soon as possible.

And somewhere deep inside, that is exactly what I crave.

Rebellious and vengeful, I never dared to tell anyone I had no friends again.

She is my mouthpiece.

She propelled my stagnant life forward, dragging me into the sunlight during moments of loneliness and isolation.

I felt as if I were sitting shoulder to shoulder with her on the rooftop, basking in the warm sunlight—this was the woman that Kubo Akira had longed for but could never have.

This is enough for me; I don't expect to go any further.

But I know she wasn't satisfied with that.

I don't know when it started, but I've found it increasingly difficult to speak out.

I became increasingly compliant with her, placing our friendship first.

That's why she let that man move into her house without her permission.

Even if I'm unwilling a thousand times in my heart.

I ultimately remained silent, acquiescing to his presence.

If at that time I had stuck to my own opinion and refused his stay.

From the very beginning, I removed Toru Tazaki from my life.

Am I exempt from experiencing this distress?

……

……

Beep beep beep—

Beep beep beep—

The alarm clock rang as scheduled.

There was no band practice today, but I forgot to turn off my alarm, and this mistake left me feeling completely listless.

My head was spinning, and I didn't even have the strength to reach for my phone.

After finally turning off the alarm, a surge of pain from my lungs made me cough violently a few times.

The trembling of the vocal cords was unsettling, like grit rubbing against glass.

I wanted to get out of bed and drink water, but I felt weak all over, and even propping myself up was extremely difficult.

Looking back on what has happened these past few days, a feeling of frustration fills my heart.

"Miss Tachibana..."

I heard his shouts from outside, calling my name repeatedly.

I buried my face in the pillow and desperately covered my ears.

Don't come in.

Don't come into my heart.

But his voice had a magical quality, a gentle quality, like cotton candy threads wrapped around me, binding me tightly and preventing me from moving.

I could only repeatedly remind myself of this in my heart.

Just like before.

I don't want to see him at all, not even a little bit.