Do I really have a thing for female voice actors?

The girl's voice continued, strong and energetic.

"You have the right to refuse us, and no one can control you."

"When you encounter something you don't like or are unwilling to do, you should say 'no' loudly."

"Because this is your own life, you can do more... according to your own wishes."

That's all I wanted to tell you.

595. Even your gentleness was part of my calculations.

After that night, Tazaki Toru never left his house again.

He spends all his time in the recording studio at home.

But he neither composed music nor wrote lyrics; he simply stayed quietly in the recording studio.

He would occasionally recall what Mika Kohinata had said on the phone, and he could only express his inner emotions by playing the piano.

He is not withdrawing himself, nor is he trying to seal away his inner self.

On the contrary, Toru Tazaki was simply thinking in his own way.

Reflecting on these intertwined emotions, contemplating their future.

And just like that, July arrived quietly.

There are two days left until MyGO's debut.

……

……

Friday, October 1th.

After washing up and having a quick breakfast, Tazaki Toru left home for the station.

This was the first time he had gone out in days.

As for the destination, it was naturally Bushido's recording studio.

Despite his inner turmoil, Toru Tazaki had no choice but to make an appearance on the eve of MyGO's concert.

More importantly, Tazaki Toru knew that if he continued to be alone, he would probably never find the answer.

He didn't want to hide any longer; he wanted to face those girls directly.

Arriving at the recording studio after a long absence, Tazaki Toru greeted the receptionist and then walked into the floor where MyGO was located.

In the days leading up to the performance, MyGO is fully immersed in practice, spending all his time in the recording studio from morning till night.

Tazaki Toru went straight to the sound room, where Mr. Fujita, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, smiled and said he thought Tazaki wasn't planning on coming.

Tazaki Toru, of course, couldn't tell the truth and had no choice but to apologize.

The speakers hanging indoors, along with the recording studio, emitted Miss Aries' signature voice.

To Tazaki Toru's surprise, both the singing and the instruments were perfectly in sync.

He was initially worried that the girls' romantic relationships might cause discord within the team.

However, music doesn't lie.

Instead of falling apart because of his presence, the girls' playing became even more harmonious.

She can't sing either.

Today, Yang Gongfei's timidity in her singing has completely disappeared. She fully utilizes the characteristics of her voice, and her rich emotions are integrated into the lyrics and music, creating a seamless whole.

To put it dramatically, he has a bit of the air of a recording studio god of war.

Of course, this is only in comparison to her past self.

However, it is undeniable that during this period, Hina Ayamichi's skill level improved by leaps and bounds, which made Toru Tazaki quite gratified.

But when Tazaki Toru looked at the monitor in the room, he couldn't help but frown and asked in confusion, "The one playing the drums is... Ms. MIKA?"

Where is Miss Kobayashi?

The drummer sitting in front of the drum kit in the picture is not Kobayashi Koko, but Ms. Mika, whom Tazaki Toru had met before.

The drum part of the song "Black Birthday," which I wrote for Riko Sasaki, was recorded by her.

Tazaki Toru vividly remembers her technique.

In terms of technique alone, Ms. MIKA is far superior to Kobayashi Koko. Considering Kobayashi Koko's technical skill, the drum score she played was a simplified version by Tazaki Toru.

This drum score, however, seemed far too easy for Ms. MIKA, making the difference obvious.

Mr. Fujita sighed: "Miss Kobayashi suddenly fainted during practice a few days ago. After being taken to the hospital for examination, the doctor said that she had a severe case of the flu. Today is her second day of absence."

Tazaki Toru's heart tightened: "The live performance the day after tomorrow..."

Mr. Fujita shook his head helplessly: "Given the current situation, it's probably very difficult to make it in time."

"........."

Tazaki Toru had no idea about such an important matter.

The girls kept it a secret and none of them told him.

The reason for this is not hard to guess; it's probably to avoid worrying Toru Tazaki.

Tazaki Toru stared at the girls on the screen, remaining silent.

MyGO is a whole, and they would probably be unhappy if any one of them were missing.

Despite this, they were still able to play music that Toru Tazaki appreciated.

They were far from perfect, with too many flaws and cracks, yet Toru Tazaki found it hard to take his eyes off them.

……

……

During the lunch break, Toru Tazaki went to the MyGO lounge.

With Kobayashi Koko absent, the four girls in the room seemed rather quiet. Even Tachibana Rin stopped watching short videos and sat quietly in the corner memorizing sheet music.

A solemn atmosphere permeated the air.

When the door to the lounge was knocked on, the girls saw Tazaki Toru push the door open and enter, each with a different expression.

"Tazaki-sensei, what brings you here?"

The usually slow-witted Himeko was the first to react, staring in surprise at the sudden appearance of Toru Tazaki.

But as soon as she finished speaking, her face flushed red again, and her eyes darted around in a panic.

She had already heard from Hina Aoki that Toru Tazaki seemed very angry about what they had done, so she timidly lowered her head, not daring to look Toru Tazaki in the eye.

"How is Miss Kobayashi's health?"

Tazaki Toru didn't talk about matters of the heart, but instead inquired about Kobayashi Koko's health.

At this critical juncture, when a member falls ill, even if Toru Tazaki has a lot on his mind, he can't bring himself to speak.

"Everyone went to visit Coco yesterday. The doctor said she needs to rest for a while longer, so..."

It was Hina Aoki who spoke.

Unlike Hina's fleeting gaze, she showed no fear when facing Toru Tazaki, though her face also betrayed a hint of disappointment because of Kobayashi Koko's illness.

MyGO had been secretly practicing for a year in preparation for this performance, but the drummer was absent due to illness.

Everyone is very sad, and no one can accept this outcome.

As the eldest among them, Hina Aoki naturally had to take on the responsibility of comforting her teammates.

Even if you have to force a smile, you can't show weakness in front of your teammates.

Faced with this unexpected situation, the only thing Tazaki Toru could do was to check on the mental state of the other members.

Fortunately, based on their previous performances, Toru Tazaki wasn't too worried about their performance, although it did affect their morale to some extent.

"Practice is important, but you also need to be careful not to overwork yourself. If you feel unwell, don't try to push yourself; get some rest."

"Yes, we understand."

"Well... I'll be leaving now."

"Wait a minute, Tazaki-kun."

Aoki Hina's voice made Tazaki Toru pause, but she didn't say anything more, just silently looked at Tazaki Toru.

The next moment, Mika Kohinata suddenly stood up slowly and walked out of the house without saying a word.

As she passed by Toru Tazaki, she couldn't help but glance at his profile again.

With Mika Kohinata setting an example, Hina Hiyomiya and Rin Tachibana exchanged glances and then, without saying a word, slipped away from the lounge, as if afraid that Toru Tazaki would call them back.

Soon, only Toru Tazaki and Hina Aoki remained in the lounge.

Hina Aoki stood up and walked slowly towards Toru Tazaki.

Tazaki Toru stood still, motionless.

When she came to stand in front of Tazaki Toru, Aoki Hina raised her face. Her face had lost some of its former liveliness and had gained a hint of imperceptible haggardness.

Upon closer inspection, faint dark circles can be seen under the eyelids.

"I thought you would never talk to me again and that you would hate me from now on."

Her gaze was as alluring as ever, fixed intently on Tazaki Toru's face, as if trying to see right through the man before her.

Tazaki Toru gently turned his face to the side, paused for a moment, and spoke softly:

"...I'm sorry, my attitude that day was also problematic; I shouldn't have left without saying a word."

Hina Aoki lowered her eyelids slightly, her beautiful eyelashes trembling gently.

"You're always like this, even when it's not your fault, you always end up comforting me."

"If you had been a little more ruthless and said a few more hurtful things to make me give up my unrealistic fantasies, I probably wouldn't be so stubborn."

"Maybe... but I can't do that kind of thing."