Do I really have a thing for female voice actors?

Has someone finally come forward to complain?

This was the first thought that came to Mika Kohinata's mind.

The girl immediately dismissed the idea from the conversation of those people.

"That's why I said I don't know this guy named Tazaki."

Eh?

Tazaki?

Mika Kohinata was suddenly taken aback and couldn't help but prick up her ears carefully.

"He must have lived here before."

"That's why I said I haven't been here long. If you want to know, just ask the landlord."

The person talking to the neighbor was a middle-aged woman dressed very elegantly and dignifiedly, accompanied by two young men and women in suits and sunglasses, a scene that seemed to be only seen in TV dramas.

They don't look like the kind of people you want to mess with.

Mika Kohinata subconsciously took a step back, but when she thought of the "Tasaki" they had mentioned in their conversation, she couldn't suppress her curiosity and didn't take another step back.

"Ah... Mika-chan, you're back."

The neighbor, who was looking impatient, instinctively greeted Mika Kohinata when she saw her.

"Hmm, who are these people?"

Mika Kohinata responded, her gaze still fixed on the strangers in the corridor.

The middle-aged woman standing in the middle had an exceptionally gentle demeanor, exuding an air of knowledge and refinement.

For some reason, it reminded her of a familiar face.

"Excuse me, are you also a resident here?"

The middle-aged woman looked at the girl.

Mika Takagi nodded timidly.

"I apologize for bothering you, but do you know a young man named Tazaki Toru who used to live here?"

"Eh?"

Mika Kohinata was taken aback: "I... have indeed lived here for a long time."

Seemingly noticing something amiss with Mika Kohinata's reaction, the middle-aged woman handed her a faded, old photograph. The photograph showed a child of a few years old, squatting alone in a corner.

Do you recognize the child in the photo?

"This photo is from seventeen years ago, probably around the time you..."

“My name is Takagi,” Mika Kohinata replied softly.

"Oh, it's Ms. Takagi. The child in the photo should be around your age now. He should still be living here until last year. Do you remember him?"

The middle-aged woman spoke with great politeness, and her behavior demonstrated excellent manners.

“Madam, I don’t think you’ll get any useful information from a photo from seventeen years ago,” the neighbor said at that moment.

"Aren't there any more recent photos?"

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged woman's eyes dimmed slightly.

"This photo is the most recent one."

Seemingly realizing the close relationship between the middle-aged woman before her and the child in the photo, a thought suddenly arose in Takagi Mika's mind.

"Excuse me, may I ask, what is your relationship with this child...?"

The middle-aged woman in front of me gently brushed a strand of hair from her side, revealing that she was a stunning beauty in her youth. The gentle smile she wore now concealed some of the weariness on her face.

She gestured to the young man beside her, who then handed Takagi Mika a simple business card.

"Sorry, I haven't introduced myself yet. My surname is Tazaki, and I'm the child in the photo..."

"Mother."

409. Perhaps, Mika Takagi is an arrogant girl.

Mika Takagi took the business card that was handed to her. It had a company name on it, but the girl didn't look at it closely; her attention was completely drawn to the name of the person on it.

Yuriko Tazaki.

The surname Tazaki is not common; at least among Mika Takagi's circle, only Toru Tazaki is known to have it.

The other party also clearly stated that she was looking for a young man named "Tazaki Toru".

It was obvious that the middle-aged woman in front of him was probably Tazaki Toru's biological mother.

The mother who abandoned Tazaki Toru at the orphanage more than ten years ago.

For a moment, Mika Takagi's mind went blank, and she was unable to recover from the sudden shock.

Seeing the girl in front of her suddenly fall silent, Yuriko Tazaki couldn't help but feel a spark of hope ignite in her heart, and looked at Mika Takagi with anticipation.

Mika Takagi finally came to her senses and was about to speak when the image of Toru Tazaki standing alone in the cemetery suddenly flashed into her mind.

The girl's eyes darted away slightly, and she forced out a voice:

"I'm sorry, I don't know the person in the photo."

Mika Takagi is not good at lying.

She just remembered Tazaki Toru's lonely figure and suddenly felt a little angry. This anger made her lie.

This caused the seemingly gentle and refined middle-aged woman in front of Takagi Mika to appear ugly and repulsive.

He clearly didn't need to experience that kind of pain.

Upon hearing this, a look of disappointment instantly appeared on Yuriko Tazaki's face.

Although she had probably anticipated this outcome before coming, a sliver of unrealistic fantasy still lingered deep within her heart.

“I told this lady, if you’re looking for someone, I suggest you call the police; it will get there much faster.”

My neighbor crossed her arms; she had a date with her boyfriend tonight and didn't have time to waste on something like this.

Mika Takagi's eyes flickered as she stood quietly to the side, as if she were an outsider.

The neighbor said a few more things like "go report it as a missing person," then closed the door and stopped getting involved.

"Sorry to bother you."

Yuriko Tazaki forced a slightly stiff, polite smile and had no choice but to take her leave.

She led the two young people beside her toward the outdoor stairs.

Mika Takagi thought that this was probably the first time she had ever been to such an old apartment building, where she, a wealthy person who always had to bring entourages and bodyguards when she went out.

It must have been really tough on her.

Mika Takagi had never before harbored such malice in her speculations about a stranger.

She would always accept Toru Tazaki's praise with a pure and innocent smile, saying that she was like the rising sun at eight in the morning.

But when Mika Takagi turned around, she saw the middle-aged woman, supported by someone beside her, slowly moving down the stairs, holding onto the cold, rusty metal handrail.

Suddenly I felt sorry for her, sorry that she had nothing.

This feeling of compassion that arose from the bottom of her heart made the girl feel somewhat uncomfortable.

She knew in her heart that she had no right to forgive anything on behalf of Tazaki Toru.

Mika Takagi had absolutely no such arrogant thoughts.

If she had to describe her feelings at that moment, she would say she was determined to stand by Tazaki Toru's side and share his hatred of the enemy.

However, she still thinks about it.

I recall that dream that I once kept secret from Toru Tazaki.

She hoped that Tazaki Toru could find a place that truly belonged to him.

Now, this dream seems to be appearing before her in an unexpected form.

She suddenly remembered that night when she first met Tazaki Toru; his body was thin and cold, his hair was disheveled, and his face was obscured.

Her delicate features, timidly hidden behind her hair, are a far cry from her current confident and gentle image.

The more she recalled it, the angrier she became.

I feel indignant about his tragic experiences over the past ten years, and I deeply resent those who abandoned him.

I ignored him when he was a child, and even abandoned him. Why pretend to have a change of heart now?

Those people treat children solely as their possessions.

[It's probably because he's done too many bad things and wants to make himself feel better.]

Suddenly, the words that Ms. Nakamura had once said to her came to mind.

He finally left the past behind and ushered in a brand new life.

Why did I have to run into this? Am I supposed to do something that will hurt Toru-kun?

Do I, a girl like him, really have the right to make choices for him?

but……

She really hoped so.

I hope he won't have to continue wandering alone, and that someone will be there to say "I'm back" and "Welcome home" to him.

There are hot meals, a bathtub where you can stretch your legs, and someone to say "goodnight" to him.

A place where he, who has been single all his life, can experience some warmth and family affection.

These things probably apply to both Mika Kohinata and Mika Takagi.

None of that could be given to him.

More importantly, this remains an unresolved knot in Tazaki Toru's heart.

If this knot cannot be untied now, it may take root in his heart for the rest of his life.