Do I really have a thing for female voice actors?

Tokyo in June isn't exactly hot, the sun is quite bright, but young girls still need to take some precautions.

Wearing a sun hat and a mask, Hina Aoki, dressed in a deep blue dress and her familiar platform shoes, walked side by side with Toru Tazaki towards the station.

Swipe your card to enter the station and wait for the tram.

Not long after, the train pulled into the station, and Aoki Hina stepped inside without saying a word.

As the tram started moving, watching the scenery slowly receding through the window, Toru Tazaki finally couldn't help but ask, "Miss Aoki, where are we going?"

"Huh? I didn't tell you that?" The girl immediately looked surprised.

“If I hadn’t been abducted by aliens who secretly studied my brain and damaged my hippocampus and cerebral cortex, I don’t think you would have said that.”

Aoki Hina immediately covered her mouth and chuckled: "You could just answer with 'I didn't say that,' but Tazaki-kun always likes to add useless words."

I'm very sorry.

"Honestly, I didn't say I hated it. I love hearing Tazaki-kun say things like that. You can say it more often next time."

"Uh……"

Tazaki Toru didn't know how to react, and finally managed to utter a simple "okay".

As the tram stopped at stations, the once empty carriage gradually became crowded, and Tazaki Toru tried his best to keep his distance from Aoki Hina.

The tram swayed and wobbled along, requiring one transfer before finally arriving at a certain station.

As far as I can remember, this was Tazaki Toru's first time visiting Ikebukuro.

Walking on the streets of Ikebukuro, Toru Tazaki felt a special sense of familiarity with the streets, as many of the passersby were not speaking Japanese.

The girl beside him had her hands behind her back, deftly controlling her platform shoes. Several times, Tazaki Toru couldn't help but worry that she would step on her pretty blue dress and trip over him.

Fortunately, Hina Aoki is a clever girl.

She was probably the most intelligent person he had ever met.

"aquarium?"

Tazaki Toru looked up at the facility in front of him.

"I've wanted to come here for a long time, but it would be boring to come alone. Rin-chan is a homebody who doesn't like to go out, so I've finally found a companion today."

When buying tickets, Hina Aoki paid for two tickets, and the ticket seller gave her a look that seemed to say, "As expected, handsome people don't need to pay."

Tazaki Toru observed the passersby around him, most of whom were families with children and young men and women. As far as he was concerned, he seemed to be the only one who was getting women to pay.

However, Tazaki Toru didn't care about any of that. After getting the tickets, the two of them went into the museum together.

An endless expanse of blue greets you, a free-spirited blue that easily evokes the image of the girl beside you.

Hina Aoki is probably just that kind of free-spirited girl.

……

……

Wandering around the aquarium, all you see is water and fish.

Tazaki Toru doesn't dislike such places, but to say that he's particularly interested in them would be a complete lie.

Aoki Hina occasionally looked up to observe Tazaki Toru's expression. Just then, she caught a glimpse of a slightly familiar figure out of the corner of her eye.

Quite coincidentally, the figure seemed to have noticed Aoki Hina as well, and cheerfully waved to her.

Helpless, Hina Aoki could only quietly raise her hand as a response.

After pondering for a moment, she looked at Toru Tazaki, who was staring intently at the garden eel, and said softly:

"Tazaki-kun, I'm a little thirsty. Could you please go to the vending machine near the entrance and buy me a bottle of water?"

Tazaki Toru nodded: "I understand."

After Tazaki Toru left, Aoki Hina let out a slight breath and then looked at the figure.

As expected, she was walking towards him.

"Ah~ It really is Hina-chan~ What a coincidence~"

It was that hourglass-like sound again.

It was as if he had bumped into a high school girl on the weekend. She waved her hand happily. Did she want him to face her palm?

And it seems we're not close enough for you to call me by my first name, are we?

"Hello, Ms. Yang Gong."

Hina Aoki is indeed a clever and intelligent girl, able to so clearly distinguish between what she thinks and what she says.

"Huh? I saw someone else with you earlier, I thought you came with someone else."

Hina Aoki shook her head slightly: "No, I came alone."

She herself couldn't explain why she had to tell such a trivial lie.

"Then you're the same as me, hehe~~"

This woman is the type who can visit an aquarium all by herself.

Hina Aoki thought to herself.

"Oh right, I'm going to see the penguins next. Hina-chan, do you want to come along? The penguins here swim on people's heads!"

Ms. Hitomiya seems to have a poor grasp of social boundaries, while Hina Aoki is quite adept at responding to such situations.

"Actually, I just came from Penguin. I was just looking for a place to rest when the agency called and I had to go back."

"Oh, I see."

Yang Gongfei Na showed a regretful expression.

Seeing Aoki Hina glance at her watch again, she suddenly realized something: "Then I think it's better if I don't bother you. I'm sorry to take up your time at a time like this."

"It's alright, I'm the one who's apologizing. Please be sure to invite me again if there's a chance in the future."

"Really? Okay, I'll be going now."

……

……

After taking the tea drink from the vending machine, Toru Tazaki weighed it in his hand a couple of times before heading back the way he came.

A girl with long, flowing hair walked towards us, wearing a pure white two-piece dress that made a rustling sound as she walked.

She walked hurriedly, head down, as if she could only see the tips of her shoes. If she walked straight ahead like that, she would probably bump into Tazaki Toru.

Tazaki Toru stepped aside, and the girl brushed past him, a muttered monologue drifting into his ear.

"...Cai-chan, you're definitely lying, right? There was definitely a guy next to her just now. Did I stumble upon a voice actress's date? What an idiot, let's go, let's go!"

Tazaki Toru suddenly froze on the spot. He couldn't make out what she was saying, but he felt that the girl's voice was really...

He didn't know how to describe it; it was as if it had suddenly pulled him back to spring two months ago.

I couldn't help but think of the sound of the spring breeze or the sound of cherry blossoms falling.

That's the sound it should have.

He couldn't help but want to look back.

however.

"Tazaki-kun".

Before he knew it, Hina Aoki was standing in front of him, slowly extending her hand.

Tazaki Toru stiffened, instinctively handing over the tea drink he had just bought. The girl gave him a lovely smile: "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

After he finished speaking, when Tazaki Toru turned around to look again...

The girl was nowhere to be seen.

67. You mean, you want me to like you? (Seeking monthly votes)

Inside the aquarium's enormous viewing tank, swarms of unidentifiable fish swam back and forth, while a female diver was surrounded by them, occasionally waving to the other side of the glass.

Such performances are most likely to attract the children in the museum.

Tazaki Toru and Aoki Hina were standing on the outermost edge of the viewing tank. The girl leaned forward, her arm resting on the handrail in front of her, watching intently. Tazaki Toru could even see the shadows of the fish swimming around in her pupils.

She wore her hair in a ponytail today, her snow-white neck exposed to the air. The air from the central air conditioning in the venue kept ruffling the strands of hair at the back of her neck that weren't fully tied up.

"Tazaki-kun".

She suddenly spoke, calling out Tazaki Toru's name.

The girl turned her head slightly to the side: "We came to see the fish today, so why are you staring at me?"

The voice carried a faint smile, and there was no hint of blame.

"Feel sorry."

Hina Aoki chuckled: "I was just kidding. You can watch whatever you want, I won't stop you."

Tazaki Toru nodded: "Then I'll watch the fish instead."

Aoki Hina's eyes widened in surprise. After a long silence, she finally couldn't help but smile and ask, "You don't always use these tricks on girls, do you?"

A mischievous glint appeared in the girl's eyes as she softly asked, "Hey, Tazaki-kun."

"Do you know what Rin-chan said about you in front of me?"

"Miss Tachibana?"

Tazaki Toru pondered for a moment: "Could it be that they're going to raise the rent?"

"Who's talking about that kind of thing?"

"She said you'll be able to outwit eight female voice actresses at the same time in the future."

Upon hearing this, Tazaki Toru immediately showed a look of astonishment.

"I may never encounter so many female voice actors in my entire life."