Do I really have a thing for female voice actors?

……

The second floor.

Tazaki Toru sat in front of his computer, working on the lyrics for his new song.

There are still many parts of the lyrics to "The Starry Night" that he is dissatisfied with. The words recorded in his notes cannot be used as lyrics 100% of the time and need to be polished and adapted.

Otherwise, it will only present a bunch of dark, withdrawn texts, completely devoid of sunshine and redemption.

This goes against the "sparkling and heart-pounding" philosophy upheld by the girl band.

Suddenly, the phone next to me vibrated, and a name popped up on the screen.

Just seeing this name gave Tazaki Toru a strange sense of comfort and a touch of rustic charm.

Even Tazaki Toru himself didn't realize that the corners of his mouth were slightly turned up.

"Hey, Mika."

"Hmm... Toru-kun?"

"Hmm, what's wrong?"

"Yes, I'd like to hear your voice."

The girl's voice had an unsettling quality to it, which Tazaki Toru keenly noticed, but he didn't point it out.

After a long while, Mika Takagi could be heard taking a soft breath through the receiver.

Even through the screen, I could almost see her adorable, self-motivating smile.

"Actually, I have a very important audition to attend tomorrow."

"It was probably the most important audition of my life."

"I……

I want to see you so much.

71. Night at Asukayama (Part 1)

Inside the living room, Tachibana Rin and Aoki Hina were curled up on the sofa, watching a mindless variety show.

Tazaki Toru came down from the second floor and went straight to the entrance hall.

Out of the corner of her eye, Hina Aoki glanced at Toru Tazaki and couldn't help but ask, "Huh? Tazaki-kun, are you going out now? It's almost dinner time, and Rin-chan ordered sushi and pizza to be delivered."

"Isn't this a bit of a mishmash?" Toru Tazaki couldn't help but complain.

"Rin-chan wants to eat it."

"Huh? It was clearly Japanese girl who said she wanted pizza, but your face looks even rounder now, waaaaah..."

While covering Tachibana Rin's mouth tightly, Aoki Hina smiled and said to Tazaki Toru, "Are you coming back for dinner?"

Tazaki Toru thought for a moment and said, "I'll take care of it outside."

"I see."

"Ah."

Rin Tachibana broke free from Hina Aoki's grasp and blurted out, "I know, you're not coming home again tonight!"

"Rin-chan."

Although Aoki Hina made a reproachful expression, her eyes lingered on Tazaki Toru out of the corner of her eye, without saying a word.

"If I can catch the tram, I will come back."

"Eh~~~ Does that mean I have to fight my way back to Bronze rank all by myself tonight?" Tachibana's fake crying started again.

Whether it's Hina Aoki or Toru Tazaki.

Nobody paid any attention to her.

"Then be careful on your way," Hina Aoki said with a smile.

"Okay, I'm going out."

……

……

While Tsukishima is a livable place, it is still too far from trendy areas like Shinjuku and Ikebukuro, and most of the time is spent traveling by train.

After taking the Hibiya Line to Minowa Station, Tazaki Toru hesitated for a long time before boarding the tram according to the navigation.

This tram has only one carriage, with many BanG Dream characters printed on the outside. It runs openly on the road and looks no different from an ordinary bus at first glance.

No, it's much slower.

For Toru Tazaki, who has a very sensitive ear, the only advantage is that it makes an exceptionally pleasant sound when it starts up.

Apart from the driver, only Toru Tazaki was in the carriage, sitting alone by the window.

Outside the car window, the twilight sky had long since disappeared, replaced by the deep darkness of night.

"Next stop, Asukayama."

"Next stop, Asukayama."

Listening to the voice announcements inside the carriage, and after navigating a large bend in the road, Toru Tazaki finally got off the train.

Crossing the road, Toru Tazaki arrived at a nearby park. The streetlights were bright, and bare cherry blossom trees and uneven stones could be seen everywhere.

Although this place wasn't exactly close to Kamiigusa, it wasn't so far that it was inaccessible either. It was much closer than Tsukishima, which made Tazaki Toru have some strange fantasies.

Did the cherry blossom petals that I saw fluttering in the air in front of that small rented house originate from here?

Unfortunately, he had no way of verifying it.

"Toru-kun."

Upon hearing his name, Toru Tazaki turned around and looked in the direction of the sound. He saw the girl in front of a bench.

Approaching the girl, she raised her smiling face and stared intently at Tazaki Toru.

"You've arrived."

"Ah."

"Sorry to call you out so late, please sit down first."

Tazaki Toru sat down beside her and glanced at the black violin case leaning against the bench.

Noticing Tazaki Toru's gaze, Takagi Mika gave a faint smile, but the smile looked somewhat listless.

"I went to a nearby recording studio to practice today. You see, the audition is tomorrow, so I wanted to find a place where I could concentrate on practicing."

"This area is relatively remote, so the fees are much cheaper."

"Recently, I've been a bit rusty with bass because of performing rakugo."

"Hahaha, I seem to have been like this since my student days. My brain doesn't work well, and I can't handle two things at the same time. When it comes to the crucial moment, I think of cramming at the last minute."

"During high school, some senior members of the club invited me to form a band, but the pieces they played were all very impressive, and I was worried that I wouldn't be able to keep up. Even though I really wanted to join, I still declined their offer."

"So I stayed home alone and secretly practiced Poppin'Party's songs. Do you remember which band Poppin'Party is?"

"The bass I'm using now was a gift from that senior."

"As a result, by the time my seniors graduated, I was still unable to play with them."

Tazaki Toru seemed to realize that she wanted to confide in someone, and he didn't interrupt her at all.

"...Toru-kun."

"I'm listening."

A faint smile appeared on the girl's face. As the smile faded, she revealed a calm and composed demeanor, tilted her head back to look at the starry sky above, and spoke softly.

"I seem to be a little scared."

"I'm afraid that if I lose again, what will I do in the future?"

"Although Toru often praises me as if I were someone who knows nothing about setbacks, I know that only you would see me that way."

"I was both delighted and annoyed by this, and it almost made me overestimate my abilities."

"If everyone were like Toru, I would have been able to climb the Tokyo Dome all by myself long ago."

"Sometimes I really want to open your head and let me see what kind of amazing girl you really are, the Takagi Mika you know."

Upon hearing this, Tazaki Toru couldn't help but smile: "Do you know what I'm most confident about?"

Mika Takagi stared at him, looking him up and down: "Face? Ears? Composing talent?"

"It's eyes."

The girl couldn't help but lean closer and stare into Tazaki Toru's eyes for a long time.

"She is indeed very beautiful, but I never expected that Toru would have such a narcissistic side."

Tazaki Toru slowly shook his head: "Making music certainly requires a pair of ears that know how to listen to beauty, but equally indispensable is a pair of eyes that can discover beauty."

"One day, I will prove to those who gave you trials and setbacks..."

"My eyes are right."

The girl in front of him didn't know what kind of expression he should make.

But after hearing his words, tears involuntarily streamed down her face.

"Why are you crying again?"

"...Who told you to always say things that make me cry?"

Tazaki Toru took out a tissue and handed it to her, and she silently sniffed.

After a long while, she raised her reddened eyes and said, "Let me tell you, if you always indulge me, I might become more and more timid and a more and more troublesome girl. Then you'll be the one who suffers."

"it is good."

Just as she had imagined, he agreed so readily.

"When I left my hometown and Nanfangzong, I had already decided that I would become a strong girl."