Do I really have a thing for female voice actors?

Tazaki Toru didn't know much about rakugo, while Takagi Mika, as an industry insider, could clearly see that she came with the intention of learning.

His upright posture made him look just like the honest, model student that elementary school teachers love most.

After the event, she chattered excitedly, wanting to discuss it with Toru Tazaki. Her face was full of excitement, and her eyes seemed to be burning with fire.

Stepping out of the theater, the world outside was already dark, but the lights were still bright.

The city was bathed in dazzling neon lights, and from their vantage point, they seemed to be able to see the stars tonight.

They walked together toward the nearby station. The girl's steps were slow, whereas she had come here with a much faster pace.

The journey from the theater to the station, which took only five minutes to get there, took a full twenty minutes to walk back.

It must be that, without their knowledge, this city called Tokyo has secretly tilted, which is why walking here takes so long.

Mika Takagi cheerfully recounted her recent experiences: her increasing workload and the fact that auditions were no longer a recurring cycle of rejection.

Suddenly, Tazaki Toru stopped in his tracks.

Mika Takagi turned around and looked at Toru Tazaki with a puzzled expression.

"We've arrived at the station."

"Huh?" Mika Takagi was suddenly taken aback.

"Really? We're here so fast? We arrived this quickly too?" the girl asked in surprise.

Tazaki gave a faint smile: "I must have walked a little too fast."

Mika Takagi scratched her head, revealing a very silly smile, then pressed her hands tightly against her thighs and bowed straight to Toru Tazaki.

"Tazaki-san, thank you again for coming out to keep me company today."

"Seeing you like this now, I feel much more at ease."

"It's all thanks to you that I can do what I love now."

"No, that's not true. Tazaki-san, you always try to pin the credit on me. I don't remember doing anything that amazing."

That's probably what she really thinks deep down.

But for Toru Tazaki, Mika Takagi was truly an unusual girl.

She often says that she is ordinary and unremarkable.

But for Tazaki Toru, it wasn't like that at all.

Tazaki Toru was confident that she could list ten of her shining qualities in one breath.

"I'm very happy today, thank you for inviting me to the show." Toru Tazaki conveyed his feelings simply and clearly.

"Hehe~ Please don't be shy."

She put her hands behind her back, and where Tazaki Toru couldn't see, her slender fingers intertwined and finally hooked together. She raised her dark eyes, as if she wanted to trap Tazaki Toru inside them.

"Will I be able to ask you out like this again in the future?"

"Go ahead and make an appointment, I will definitely come to your cabin as a guest, every day."

Mika Takagi was instantly amused.

“Every day won’t do. I’d have to clean the room every day to avoid you seeing how messy it is. Cleaning the room is a very tiring thing.”

"I've already seen it."

Tazaki Toru suddenly remembered the voice actress's underwear, which was haphazardly piled on the bed.

"That won't do either. I'm a girl who cares about my image, and I don't want to leave you with a sloppy impression."

"I see."

Seeing Tazaki Toru's slightly disappointed expression, the girl suddenly seemed to be struck by some force.

The spring evening breeze she inhaled swirled around in her chest, disoriented, making her feel a tightness in her chest, as if she had something to say.

After a long while, she moved her hands in front of her and gripped the shoulder strap of the bag that was slung across her body, as if doing so would reassure her and give her some courage.

"Why would Tazaki-san be so... um..."

"Will you come with me when I go out?"

She chose a word that wasn't so ambiguous.

"And my home, my little wooden house."

"There is neither the sweetest honey, nor the fattest fish, nor friends in the forest."

"I've come to bring you honey."

"Huh? Ah! Could it be that honey means beer?"

"You're really smart."

Mika Takagi burst out laughing.

"Tazaki-san's tastes are really a bit strange, and I'm not bragging, but it's probably the loneliest place in all of Tokyo."

"but……"

She blinked, her eyes gradually softening as she looked at Tazaki Toru, her lipstick-covered lips moving slightly.

"Sure."

"Once my little cabin isn't so messy anymore, Tazaki-san can come anytime. Remember to bring your honey."

"must."

Having received an affirmative answer from Toru Tazaki, Mika Takagi relaxed her grip on the shoulder strap of her handbag.

She opened her arms, her head involuntarily turning towards the sky, and made a sound of extreme ease.

Ahh~~

"I always feel that everything has gotten better for me since I met you."

Tazaki Toru opened his mouth slightly, as if he wanted to say something like, "That's your own effort," but he didn't say it.

He felt that what Mika Takagi wanted to hear was definitely not this kind of orthodox argument.

“Me too,” Toru Tazaki said.

It seems that these simple words are what please her the most.

"If we follow Tazaki-san's strange logic, then to me, you are also..."

"What is it?"

She clenched her fists and made ears above her head: "Of course it's a bear! Tazaki-san is my little bear too, woof~~"

Tazaki Toru was completely stunned, unsure of how to react.

"Your indifference makes me look stupid."

"Sorry, this is the first time I've ever seen someone 'howl' in real life."

"Ku~~~!"

Mika Takagi's face instantly turned red.

But this time, surprisingly, she didn't look away. Instead, she seriously raised her head and looked directly into Tazaki Toru's eyes.

His appearance was far too handsome, but Mika Takagi knew that the least outstanding thing about Toru Tazaki was his face.

If she were asked to name ten of Tazaki Toru's good qualities, she could probably list them all in one go.

The girl thought to herself.

"Hey, Tazaki-san, you mustn't laugh at what I'm about to say."

Tazaki Toru watched her quietly.

"Thank you for not refusing my care at that time."

Thank you for still being alive and well.

"It was Tazaki-san who made me realize that even with only a little power, I seem to be able to help someone."

"This city once felt very cold and impersonal to me."

"Now that things have come to this, it seems he's finally smiling at me."

41. Don't call her Rin-cha! (Please read on!)

After saying goodbye to Mika Takagi, Toru Tazaki returned to Tsukishima alone. He was resting tonight and didn't need to work part-time at the live house.

The living room was brightly lit, and as soon as I entered, I could hear the sound of a television playing.

An unknown variety show was playing on TV, and Tachibana Rin was sitting cross-legged on a single sofa eating potato chips.

Aoki Hina, wearing a face mask, came out of the bathroom and saw Tazaki Toru. Because of the face mask, she kept her lips still and said "Welcome home." Her pronunciation was slightly unclear, but it sounded cute.

"Yes, I'm back."

Rin Tachibana glanced back at Toru Tazaki, immediately put down her potato chips, turned around, hid half her head behind the sofa back, revealing a pair of sharp eyes, and scrutinized Toru Tazaki with a very piercing gaze.

Feeling Tachibana Rin's gaze, Tazaki Toru felt a little strange, but couldn't quite put his finger on what was wrong.

Heading to the kitchen, while waiting for the tap water to boil, Toru Tazaki suddenly realized where this sense of unease came from.

Rin Tachibana.

She didn't even go back to her room to play games.

This should be considered an extremely rare case; in a game, it would require triggering a hidden quest.

However, Toru Tazaki was unwilling to provoke this rich young lady.

He was like a novice player who had accidentally wandered into a high-level wilderness map, carefully carrying the electric kettle back to the house, being extremely cautious, for fear of arousing the hatred of high-level monsters in the forest.

I went back to my room, got my clothes, and then went into the bathroom to take a shower.

As I opened the sliding door to the bathroom, steam rose inside, and the air was filled with the scent of shower gel.

Clearly, the two had already taken a bath before he got home, as the water in the bathtub was still crystal clear.

After washing himself, Tazaki Toru didn't want to waste time taking a bath, so he dried his hair and left the bathroom.