Do I really have a thing for female voice actors?

"Have you decided what to give Rin-chan?"

"I have absolutely no clue," Tazaki Toru answered truthfully.

Miss Aoki blinked her bright eyes and glanced sideways: "Does Tazaki-kun have no friends celebrating their birthdays before?"

"some."

"Did you send a gift?"

Tazaki Toru thought for a moment and said, "It's not really a gift."

"Oh?"

"I've played some pieces."

"You wrote it yourself?"

"I wrote it myself."

"That's wonderful," Miss Aoki exclaimed enviously.

She wisely refrained from asking her friend's gender, believing that such a question was only asked by troublesome girls.

Sometimes, the answers we painstakingly seek are better left vague.

Tazaki Toru admits that he is not good at understanding girls' thoughts. He is neither humorous nor witty, and choosing gifts is a troublesome matter. Whether he chooses something too good or too bad, it is easy to cause unnecessary chaos.

It would be most appropriate to leave the choice to Aoki Hina, who is also a girl.

In the end, Hina Aoki bought an Elite controller at a store. The price was reasonable, and she and Toru Tazaki each paid half.

Tazaki Toru couldn't help but sigh that girls' thoughts were indeed hard to fathom.

She had previously said she would give a gift unrelated to the game so that Tachibana Rin wouldn't neglect her practice, but in the end, she still chose something that would make Tachibana Rin the happiest.

"Rin-chan, I complained before that the current controller feedback is a bit unreliable."

"Perhaps it was an operational error on her part, but she blamed the equipment instead."

Upon hearing this, Hina Aoki was immediately stunned and blurted out, "How come I didn't think of that?"

Then, they both laughed.

……

……

At night, Hina Aoki and Toru Tazaki walked into the house together.

"Rin-chan, we're back."

Rin Tachibana, who was watching TV in the living room, immediately peeked out.

"Is your secret rendezvous with Tazaki?"

"What do you mean by a rendezvous? That sounds so awful. I met Tazaki-kun in front of the station."

Miss Aoki is a master of lies; she can lie without batting an eye.

Tazaki Toru, who was standing to the side, remained silent, but in his heart he did not think that this level of lie was unforgivable.

Tazaki Toru wasn't that rigid, otherwise his life would have been incredibly boring.

He carried the paper bag containing the Elite Handle and went straight back to his room.

When they came out again, the two voice actresses were already sitting on the sofa, leaning on each other's shoulders. Tachibana Rin looked at them with distrust in her eyes.

Suddenly, Tachibana Rin immediately forgot about the matter and excitedly said to the two of them, "Hey! Do you know what day it is in a few days?!"

Hina Aoki and Toru Tazaki exchanged a glance.

"It's a fireworks display!"

"Fireworks festival?"

"Yes! Let's go see it together!" Tachibana Rin said excitedly.

That shrill voice was like the first clap of thunder in the rainy season.

She tossed the flyer in her hand and then placed it on the table.

Speaking of summer, there are always events like fireworks displays and summer festivals.

No wonder Tachibana Rin is a girl born in July; it perfectly matches Tazaki Toru's impression of her.

Hina Aoki picked up a flyer, which contained information about the fireworks festival, not far from Tsukishima.

As for the date, it happened to be the night of Tachibana Rin's birthday.

Hina Aoki's eyes darted around, and she looked up at Toru Tazaki.

What do you think, Tazaki-kun?

"Me? I don't care."

Tazaki Toru wasn't one to join in the fun, but he didn't want to spoil Tachibana Rin's mood either. Since it was a rare birthday, it wouldn't be a big deal to go along with her a little.

Upon seeing Tazaki Toru agree, Tachibana Rin's eyes lit up. She then looked at Aoki Hina, as if as long as Aoki Hina nodded in agreement, the matter would be settled.

She has worked really hard lately, so it's only natural that she gets a reward.

Sensing the hopeful look in Tachibana Rin's eyes, Aoki Hina responded:

"In any case, let's confirm the schedule for that day with the agent first."

"If there are no problems, let's go see the fireworks together."

"The three of us."

89. Summer festival, yukata, takoyaki.

On July 10th, as the voice actress for Chihaya Aine, Tachibana Rin put in even more effort than usual during the band's daily practice.

Regardless of whether she played correctly or made a few mistakes, her attitude is certainly commendable.

If she could put in this kind of effort every day, she would have no trouble playing chords well.

After the afternoon practice, Tachibana Rin and Aoki Hina returned to the agency together and asked the agency's makeup artist to do their styling.

On this rare summer festival, the two girls naturally wanted to dress up nicely, even though they couldn't do their own hairstyles.

The makeup artist gave them exquisite makeup, styled their hair, and adorned them with beautiful hair accessories, making them feel very comfortable.

I even bought a brand new yukata online a few days ago specifically for tonight's fireworks display.

Once home, I couldn't wait to go upstairs and into my room.

Even sitting in the music room, Toru Tazaki could hear the "thump thump thump" of them going upstairs, followed by Rin Tachibana's loud shouts.

As expected, Ms. Tachibana had no idea how to put on a yukata, so she had to ask Hina Aoki for help.

Unfortunately, Aoki Hina only had a superficial understanding of this, so the two of them searched online for the correct way to wear it while tying each other's belts.

Fortunately, the internet is very developed nowadays, and it's easy to find instructional videos.

"Miss Hina, are you confident enough to help me put on my yukata?"

Don't be foolish.

As Aoki Hina spoke, she tightened the thin belt around Tachibana Rin's waist, causing Tachibana to hiss.

After changing into yukatas, the two voice actresses went to the music room.

"Tazaki-kun, it's almost time, we should head out."

Unlike the other two, Tazaki Toru was dressed casually as usual, her slightly long black hair tied in a simple bun. She sat there holding a guitar, exuding an urban youth vibe that was completely different from the two girls at the time.

Tazaki Toru glanced up at them and nodded, saying, "Okay."

"Huh? Only 'good'?"

Rin Tachibana was very dissatisfied, and her two beautiful eyebrows immediately furrowed together.

Aoki Hina stood to the side without saying a word, but the expression on her face clearly indicated that she was agreeing with Tachibana Rin.

The light gray yukata is covered with pink cherry blossom patterns, and the pink sash complements Ms. Tachibana's hair accessories perfectly. Her ten slender toes, exposed and painted with white nail polish, resemble crystal-clear grains of rice, evoking a strange feeling of not wasting food.

Aoki Hina's yukata was not as flashy as Tachibana Rin's; it was mainly navy blue and white, which added a touch of adult maturity to her petite figure.

Tazaki Toru thought for a moment and said, "Yukatas suit you very well."

Rin Tachibana first gave a soft snort, then pouted: "It's like we're forcing you to say it."

Hina Aoki smiled sweetly and said thank you in a graceful manner.

She understood that Toru Tazaki wasn't the kind of person who would tell lies to fool people.

The three of them went out together and headed to the station to take the tram.

Along the way, besides the two girls' laughter and chatter, the sound of wooden clogs clattering on the ground was constant.

Because of the fireworks festival, the train carriages were much more crowded than usual at this time, including many young men and women wearing yukatas.

Aoki Hina stood in front of Tazaki Toru, her body swaying slightly with the movement of the train. Her thick, black hair was piled high, with only a few short strands of hair freed from its restraint.

From Tazaki Toru's angle, by simply lowering her head slightly, one could see her exposed, fair nape.

The girl would occasionally turn her head and give Tazaki Toru a gentle smile.

Tazaki Toru was certain that she absolutely believed in her heart that she was cute.

……

……

After getting off the train, I followed the flow of people out of the station.

Bright red lanterns hung between the streetlights, and the sounds of drums and flutes from a parade drifted from afar, while cheap speakers hanging outside the surrounding shops played Showa-era classic songs.

Looking up at the night sky, you can see fireworks bursting up on the other side of Tokyo, bringing a strong sense of summer.

Suddenly, I felt a cool breeze on my cheek.

Aoki Hina, standing beside him, raised her arm and used the fan in her hand to fan Tazaki Toru, blowing his bangs back.

Tazaki Toru cast a puzzled look at her, and the girl immediately broke into a cheerful smile.