Do I really have a thing for female voice actors?

……

"Tazaki-san, Tazaki-san."

Mika Takagi returned to the vicinity of the park and went straight to the bench where Toru Tazaki was, eagerly beginning to tell her story.

"I just ran into a girl who seemed to be an idol, or maybe a model? Anyway, she's so cute~~ Is it true that only those who look like that can become idols? Wow!"

Mika Takagi wasn't paying attention to her footing and almost tripped over Toru Tazaki again, but thankfully Toru Tazaki was already used to her clumsiness.

The can of cola in his hand almost flew out, but luckily it was caught by Toru Tazaki.

Tazaki Toru didn't care much about such things; he was only concerned about whether the girl in front of him was injured or had sprained her ankle.

Her face flushed slightly, and she patted her head with a sheepish smile, saying it was nothing.

"Oh, right, that cute girl from earlier."

She started talking excitedly again, but Toru Tazaki had no interest in such things and could only agree with her.

However, the moment the can of cola was broken open, there was a "pfft" sound.

A gushing, brown, icy liquid spurted out, soaking Tazaki Toru completely.

Seeing this, Mika Takagi was stunned for two or three seconds, then hurriedly took out a handkerchief and wiped all over Toru Tazaki's speechless body.

Not far away, the sound of a van door slamming shut could be heard.

After the break, the photography resumed.

39. Holding hands. (Seeking monthly votes)

"Hina~Hina~"

Rin Tachibana maintained her fake smile in front of others, her voice strained, and her hands hanging by her sides frantically tugged at Hina Aoki's sleeve, constantly giving her hints.

"What's wrong? You're still working."

Hina Aoki glanced at her, only to see Rin Tachibana with a serious expression: "Shh... look over there."

Following the direction that Tachibana Rin quietly pointed out, Aoki Hina saw a familiar figure.

“That person, it should be Tazaki, no, it absolutely is,” she said with certainty.

Hina Aoki tilted her head slightly and didn't reply, but she clearly agreed with Rin Tachibana's statement, believing that it couldn't possibly be anyone other than Toru Tazaki.

The chances of bumping into an acquaintance on the streets of Tokyo are actually not low, so it's not something that Tachibana Rin would be surprised about.

The key point is that there seems to be a girl that Tazaki Toru doesn't recognize next to her.

Furthermore, the two appeared to be behaving very intimately, with parts of their bodies pressed together, clearly indicating an unusual relationship.

However, they were too far away from Tazaki Toru and were blocked by Tazaki Toru's figure, so they couldn't see the girl's figure and appearance.

“Yes, it’s Tazaki-kun,” Hina Aoki nodded.

"Huh? Is that all you can do?" Tachibana Rin stared at Aoki Hina in disbelief.

Hina Aoki looked completely puzzled.

"That Tazaki is actually going on a date with a girl in broad daylight."

Hina Aoki gave her a questioning look, as if to say, "Is there a problem?"

Rin Tachibana is just Toru Tazaki's landlady, probably not even a close friend, at most a teammate in the same game, so it's a bit too much for her to be meddling.

"Huh? You can accept... that kind of play?" Tachibana Rin's eyes widened immediately.

"Although I don't know what you're talking about, I'll still ask you one question: why did it turn out that way?"

"because……"

Just as Tachibana Rin was about to speak, she suddenly realized that they weren't at home, and she couldn't just say anything in front of so many people.

So Rin Tachibana could only give Hina Aoki meaningful glances, hoping she would understand.

Aoki Hina understood perfectly, and a sense of helplessness rose within her.

To be fair, Hina Aoki wasn't particularly interested in Toru Tazaki's private life or interpersonal relationships.

Who Tazaki Toru usually goes out with, who he is on good terms with, and even whether he has a boyfriend or girlfriend.

If she had a partner, whether it was a girlfriend or a boyfriend, these were not within Aoki Hina's scope of dilemma.

Hina Aoki didn't see anything wrong with it.

The only thing she sought in Toru Tazaki was his musicality.

Aside from that, Aoki Hina didn't care about any other trivial matters at all.

As for the "romance" and "affection" that Tachibana Rin fantasized about, she was completely baffled.

She considered herself a very rational girl, capable of fully understanding her own emotions.

What he felt for Tazaki Toru was admiration and longing, and a tiny bit of jealousy, but it had nothing to do with liking or loving him.

The only slightly awkward thing was that she had just said some ambiguous things to Tachibana Rin yesterday, and today she seemed to have been slapped in the face, so Aoki Hina's face was also burning at this moment.

There's a sense of shame, like your little scheme has been exposed.

This is probably what people often refer to as a backstab.

As a result, Aoki Hina silently gazed at the distant pool, and the photographer twice told her, "Please look at the camera."

For a moment, I was somewhat absent-minded.

……

……

Standing by the public pool next to the park, Mika Takagi is using a handkerchief to clean the cola stain off Toru Tazaki's clothes.

Tazaki Toru lowered his head, letting the voice actress in front of him gently pat his shirt with a damp handkerchief. The movements were gentle and careful, like a museum conservator cleaning dust off porcelain shards with a fine brush.

Mika Takagi wasn't very tall, and Toru Tazaki immediately noticed her three-strand braids swaying back and forth. He couldn't help but picture a clumsy female voice actress sitting in front of the mirror in the early morning, slowly braiding her hair.

She was so close that Toru Tazaki could almost smell the scent of Nivea shower gel on her body, and from that scent he could imagine the narrow bathtub and the two plastic bottles filled with water.

Mika Takagi pursed her lips in distress, her lips lightly coated with lipstick. For no reason, Toru Tazaki thought of the artificial respiration he had given her that night and wondered if his lips had also been stained with her lipstick.

Tazaki Toru thought he should be much sturdier than porcelain.

"It's alright, let's leave it at that."

"Hmm..." Takagi Mika hesitated, wanting to say something but stopping herself.

"Why do you look so upset? I didn't realize it myself."

"Why don't you take it off and let me take it home to wash? I'm quite skilled at removing these kinds of stains."

"It sounds like you've gotten yourself into a lot of trouble."

"Really, please don't say such annoying things."

"Huh? Was that something I said that was unpleasant?"

"I'm sorry, I was just kidding. I don't find you annoying at all."

Tazaki Toru suddenly laughed.

In the end, Mika Takagi had no choice but to give up, but then she seemed to have thought of a good idea, clapped her hands and said, "Tazaki-san, this is a rare opportunity, let's go shopping again, we can buy you some clothes."

“I noticed it when I helped you move before; it was all old clothes that you’ve worn for a long time.”

Tazaki Toru wanted to say that it wasn't necessary to go to so much trouble, but Takagi Mika's smile was so bright that he couldn't bear to refuse her kindness, so he nodded in agreement without really understanding what she meant.

As soon as the two left the park, Tazaki Toru felt a stinging gaze from behind, a gaze different from the usual one from the girls who were infatuated with his looks.

That deeper, slightly piercing gaze.

As he crossed the road, he couldn't help but turn back to look.

A car horn sounded in their ears, and Mika Takagi, who was beside them, exclaimed and tightened her grip on his hand.

Tazaki Toru was startled and stood frozen in place, watching the car drive away, thinking that he had missed a great opportunity to go to another world.

"Tazaki-san! That's dangerous! How can you cross the road like that!"

Mika Takagi's face turned a little pale, perhaps because she was recalling the scene when she first saw Toru Tazaki lying under the roof beam, which made her subconsciously clench her hands.

"Sorry, I got distracted."

"I'm so angry at Tazaki-san's behavior. Can't he care about himself a little more?"

“…I’m sorry, but Ms. Takagi.”

"I won't listen to your excuses."

"No, it's your hand."

"Please don't move... um? What hand?"

Mika Takagi looked down and saw that, without her noticing, she was holding Toru Tazaki's hand tightly. Startled, she quickly let go and involuntarily took several steps back.

His face flushed red, and he stammered, unable to utter a single word.

This exaggerated reaction, as if it were a scene from a clichéd romantic drama, made Toru Tazaki burst out laughing.

"Okay, it was my fault just now. Let's go."

"Hmm... Ohh."

The girl lowered her head, ignoring Toru Tazaki, and quickened her pace as if to hide her embarrassment.

Tazaki Toru followed slowly, never looking back.

Until the very end, he still didn't know the source of that gaze.

40. Remember to bring your honey.

In the afternoon, led by Mika Takagi, Toru Tazaki changed into a new outfit at a nearby clothing store. The clothes that were originally stained with cola were put in a shopping bag.

Afterwards, the two went to the musical instrument shop in Ochanomizu. Takagi Mika bought several strings and a box of picks, seemingly indicating that she would practice more diligently during this period in preparation for future auditions.

In the afternoon, they went to the theater where they performed rakugo, and the two took their seats in the audience section.