Do I really have a thing for female voice actors?

But in the end, she couldn't bring herself to say it.

In Mika Kohinata's opinion, such words were too inhumane.

It's wrong to make Tazaki Toru bear the burden of her negative emotions when the problem clearly lies with her.

……

……

The next day.

After finishing her MyGO practice, Mika Kohinata took the train home alone, went to a nearby convenience store, and then met Toru Tazaki, who was waiting for her at the apartment entrance.

Now that we're entering early summer, the evening breeze in June feels sticky and bothersome.

The way Toru Tazaki stands in the wind is like a freshly opened can of lemon soda; just looking at it makes you feel refreshed, even by the wind itself.

The frail and broken feeling that she first met Tazaki Toru is nowhere to be seen in him now. Kohinata Mika stood still, gazing at his figure from afar, and suddenly had the illusion that it was impossible to get close to him.

It's like there's an invisible barrier between us.

As for where this barrier came from and when it appeared, that remains to be seen.

She couldn't explain it.

Tazaki Toru seemed to sense the gaze upon him, noticed Kohinata Mika in the distance, and smiled faintly, waving to her.

Thus, Mika Kohinata had no choice but to walk towards the barrier.

Tazaki Toru reached out his hand, and Kohinata Mika was slightly taken aback before handing him the convenience store plastic bag she was carrying.

Tazaki Toru quietly took it, and the two of them stepped up the stairs together. Neither of them spoke first, and only the creaking of the metal stairs tirelessly rushed past them.

Upon entering the house, Tazaki Toru noticed the cardboard boxes haphazardly piled up in the living room and couldn't help but ask, "What are these?"

"Hmm... my lease here is about to expire, so I'd like to find a place closer to the recording studio."

“I’ve been getting more work lately, so life isn’t so tight. Instead of spending time commuting, I’d rather live closer to home so I can have more time to practice.”

"I see."

"Ah."

Mika Kohinata agreed in a very soft voice. She picked up the convenience store shopping bag, squatted in front of the small refrigerator, and mechanically repeated the action of putting the contents into the refrigerator, as if she was deliberately prolonging the time.

"Um, Mika..."

"By the way, Tou-kun, what happened yesterday when you said you wanted to move out? Ah...did you have a fight? That won't do. You're a boy, after all, you have to be more considerate of them."

She seemed to deliberately change the subject, saying things she hadn't been able to say yesterday, thus interrupting Tazaki Toru's words.

"Rin-chan is indeed a bit troublesome, but living with someone she knows means they can look out for each other."

"You also said that her house is very spacious, so it shouldn't be as cramped and crowded as mine. There's no need to worry about causing embarrassment."

The girl chuckled and scratched her hair, which had been neatly styled before, but now it was all messed up.

"Does Meijia feel awkward when she lives with me?"

Mika Kohinata's expression immediately froze.

Tazaki Toru's quiet gaze settled steadily on Kohinata Mika's cheek.

He took in her momentary daze, panic, and unease.

Tazaki Toru is always mindful of her and notices any changes in her.

What kind of braided hairstyle is it today? What kind of patterned T-shirt is it wearing under loose overalls? Does that sparkling youthful energy play its due role?

However, Tazaki Toru hadn't felt her vibrant energy for a long time. The eight o'clock morning sun was now obscured by continuous dark clouds, unable to photosynthesize for him as it used to.

Tazaki Toru doesn't dislike cloudy days.

It's just that it's not suitable for Mika Kohinata.

"I have never forgotten those days spent with you; they were the most pleasant time of my life."

"It's like building a sunroom on flat ground with completely transparent glass, bathing in sunlight every day. Even on rainy days, your smile can always heal me."

From the first moment he saw Mika Kohinata, this ordinary and unremarkable girl always gave him a sense of familiarity.

Regardless of her appearance or voice, whenever Tazaki Toru sees her smile, he unconsciously recalls a childhood afternoon playing the piano in the sunroom.

The light was gentle and approachable, just like her smile.

I should have told you this before, I...

"I like the way Mika smiles."

The girl couldn't help but turn her head away, her lips moving as she tried to make a sound, pausing for a long while.

"Why would you say such a thing?"

"Such words?"

She gently closed the refrigerator door, and the refrigerator light that had been shining on her thighs gradually dimmed and disappeared, her head slightly lowered.

"Toru-kun, you said the same thing to Hina-chan and Rin-chan not long ago, didn't you?"

"........."

"I know, there are many things in the world that you love, music, and them."

"And I am, at best, just one of them, not irreplaceable."

Tazaki Toru was speechless, but his gaze remained fixed on the girl in front of him, never wavering for a moment.

Perhaps he felt guilty and a little uneasy, but he never shied away from Mika Kohinata's scrutiny.

People must take responsibility for their actions.

"Yes, that's the kind of person I am."

He said.

Mika Kohinata suddenly laughed: "See? I knew it."

As she laughed, the girl slowly turned her head away.

If he were to see her expression here, she might revert to her original form and become the crybaby Takagi Mika again.

Mika Takagi can lose because she has never won.

But Mika Kohinata couldn't; she had a reason not to shed tears in front of him.

"I... have very few things I dislike, but many things I like."

"A refreshing melody, ice-cold beer, the unchanging bronze statue in front of the station, and the cherry blossoms in Asukayama Park that wither away after the season."

"This shows that I am incredibly greedy and always want to keep the good things around me."

"I think that's why I had to come see you today."

"because……

"Meijia is a hundred times, a thousand times better than the ones I mentioned above."

564. He was simply addicted to female voice actors.

Ever since Toru Tazaki realized that he was a much greedier man than he had imagined, he had been thinking about it.

Think about what you really want to do.

Or rather, what he wanted from these girls.

He also sought answers from others, such as Ms. Minase.

Although that Ms. Minase seemed harmless, she appeared to be quite cunning at heart. Tazaki Toru was really not good at dealing with her, and he couldn't agree with her idea of ​​wantonly hurting people.

Indeed, judging people by their appearance is the most foolish thing to do.

Toru Tazaki believes that there is nothing more foolish in the world than judging a person's character solely by their appearance.

"You are a hundred times, a thousand times better than those I mentioned above."

"So stop saying things like 'I can be replaced'."

Tazaki Toru is particularly fond of a girl's smile, but he has absolutely no resistance to her tears.

"I have always liked you."

"It wasn't just Mika Kohinata, who was a voice actress, but also Mika Takagi, who lent me a helping hand at that time and always healed me with her smile."

I want to know...

"I want to know exactly from you how Meijia views me."

Having spoken so clearly and directly, even she must have had to face herself honestly.

Mika Kohinata stared blankly at Toru Tazaki. Completely unprepared, she looked like a possum that had encountered its natural enemy, standing there motionless as if she would collapse onto the cold floor at any moment.

Tazaki Toru didn't continue speaking, silently watching Kohinata Mika's face turn from white to red.

Her soft, rosy cheeks simultaneously shimmered with a multitude of emotions, ultimately culminating in a blush that defied description and lingered for a long time.

"This time, it was said so bluntly and clearly."

"I'm sorry, perhaps it was the lack of response from you last time that really hurt me."

"I've thought about this for a long time, but I'm not good with words, so I'll just have to be straightforward and clear. I'm worried that you won't understand or will misunderstand me."

"I...I understand, of course. Don't treat me like an idiot at a time like this."

The girl answered hastily, trying her best to calm her breathing; her mind was already a jumbled mess.

Gradually, the atmosphere between them became dull. To everyone's surprise, Mika Kohinata was not overwhelmed by Toru Tazaki's confession. Instead, she asked a question that Toru Tazaki had never expected.

"Is it because of Hina-chan and Rin-chan?"

"........."

Tazaki Toru opened his mouth, but couldn't deny it.

Most of the time, Mika Kohinata always seems quite slow-witted.

Yet she always manages to unexpectedly reveal certain essential truths.