Cartoonists and their assistants

The three-day cultural festival passed quickly.

Eriri and Machi, who are caught up in it, may find it a bit agonizing and boring.

However, Aoi Makina rediscovered some of her old-fashioned joy and happiness in it.

So on the last day, she waited outside the school until the two of them left after school.

"Yo~ Mizuki~ Sawamura~"

A familiar, weak voice came from inside.

"Shouldn't Miss Aoi have gone home earlier?"

Eriri tilted her head and looked at it, puzzled.

"They deliberately waited for us, could it be...?"

What was the boy thinking?

"Hehe, that's right~ My energy bar is almost full! So starting tomorrow, I'll be diving into work, so I won't be bothering you two for a while... Don't miss me too much~"

Aoi Makina said with a smile.

"I won't miss you at all!"

The two childhood sweethearts complained in unison.

"Damn it, they didn't even give me a kind look before leaving!"

Miss Aoi puffed out her cheeks in grievance.

"What about the audition next week?"

Guan Yuezhen coldly and ruthlessly pressed on with his question.

"No problem, I'll make time to spend with you."

"Actually, it doesn't matter whether you come or not."

"I told you, I would come!"

Miss Aoi shouted loudly.

"See you next week... Masashi, let's go."

Eriri flicked her twin tails.

"How rude!"

The two walked past her, and Miss Aoi turned around and muttered a few complaints under her breath.

......

A few days later, around nine o'clock in the morning.

Eriri and Machi Mizuki meet at the secret base.

There was no painting work scheduled for today, so neither of the two assistants came.

However, the editor quickly drove up to the door in her car.

"boarding."

After getting into the car, Minamoto Matsumura casually told the two about the popularity rankings for this season of "Anohana".

No longer in that familiar position, but having made a difficult move forward by one place—fourth!

"Something that should be a happy occasion now feels rather dull."

Eriri's lips twitched slightly, looking bored.

"Has your threshold increased? You'll be unhappy if your ranking really drops."

"I am a witty remark," said Guan Yuezhenzhi.

"That's not what I meant. I was talking about today's audition. I'm more curious about something else... I've never been to a place like that before, let alone as a manga artist. To personally decide which voice actor will play the character I'm creating—that feeling is just too wonderful!"

As the girl spoke, her expression became increasingly engrossed.

This feeling is a kind of happiness that I could never experience as Eri Kashiwagi.

After all, doujinshi artists never had the status they have today.

She once again believed that her decision to go ashore was correct and prescient.

"The feeling of watching the comic come to life step by step is truly captivating."

"I think about it for a moment and say."

Even though he had already seen it once, he couldn't help but feel an urgent desire to see it appear before his eyes again, even if it wasn't the familiar version.

"Relax, this is your first time, but it won't be the last."

Minamoto said it very calmly.

"of course!"

They both smiled.

"By the way, this time there should be some familiar voice actors, right?"

Eriri showed another kind of expectation.

"There should be quite a few, but most of them are unknown in the industry, or are newcomers who haven't debuted yet."

Minamoto Matsumura quickly replied.

"The voice acting industry is also very brutal."

Eriri couldn't help but sigh.

Mizuki Machi wasn't listening to their conversation; she was looking out the window, lost in thought.

Should I choose a 'familiar' voice or a voice that I feel is more 'suitable'?

this is a problem.

105. A very powerful dubbing performance.

"Hello, teachers, and Ms. Minano~"

After we came out of the parking lot, Aoi Makina came to greet us.

"Good morning."

After exchanging greetings, she led the three of them into the office building.

Outside the dubbing studio, there was a sign that read—

『A2P Co., Ltd. 』

We still don't know the name of the flower we saw that day.

"Sound audition."

10:00~22:00.

"They keep doing auditions until so late."

Eriri stopped in her tracks, looking surprised.

"This is how adults work; after all, many voice actors have different schedules than the average person."

Aoi Makina answered.

"How many people are coming today?"

Kanzuki Machi then asked.

"Around 30 in the morning and around 60 in the afternoon."

She gave a rough number.

"Are there really so many? How am I supposed to choose?"

The girl blushed slightly.

"A large number of people doesn't guarantee you'll hear the voice you like; we should prioritize quality over quantity."

"I am wise enough to remind you," said Guan Yuezhenzhi.

"Of course I know!"

The girl frowned, seemingly resentful at being looked down upon.

"Alright, alright, let's go meet the others first."

Aoi Makina clapped her hands and led the way.

......

Inside the soundproof room of the recording studio.

"I've already met the editor before, so there's no need for introductions. These two are the original creators of 'Anohana,' the duo known as Yuriko Tsukishika~"

Aoi Makina smiled and gestured to introduce them.

"It's our first meeting. I'm Touko Akasaka, and I currently work as a producer."

"...Amamiya Shizue is currently a director."

"...I am the sound director, Hayato Amano."

The three women and one man each had a distinct style: one was a beautiful woman dressed as a man with short black hair and sharp eyes; another was a young woman dressed simply, wearing reflective glasses and squinting eyes; and the last one was a thin middle-aged man.

"When we first met, I was Yuexia."

"I am Yuriko."

The two quickly gave brief self-introductions, without revealing any further information.

The other three, seeing their disguised attire, understood their concerns.

Becoming famous at a young age can easily lead to being burdened by fame.

If my identity is exposed, it will definitely cause a lot of unnecessary trouble at school.

"We'll decide who gets the voice actors!"

Aoi Makina opened her arms wide.

The three seemed to know her quite well, and chose to ignore her strange behavior.

"Teacher Yuexia, I've heard so much about you, but I never imagined we'd actually meet. You're all so young... truly amazing!"

Hayato Amano walked right over and started trying to strike up a conversation.

"Uh, thank you for the compliment."

Mizuki Machi paused for a moment, then reached out and shook hands with the other person.

This kind of work-related socializing really touched on his blind spot.

"This is not a compliment, but a fact. The name Yuriko Tsukishita is well-known among those in the industry. No one would have thought that such a young manga artist would emerge."

Hayato Amano's face was full of smiles as he continued to flatter him.

From his perspective, it's essential to cultivate a good relationship with such a promising genius, as there might be a time when this connection will be useful in the future.

As a middle-aged man who has been working in the industry for a long time, he has long since learned to be tactful.

the other side.

The other two women also started chatting with Eriri.

"Hello, Ms. Yuriko. We have adopted your previous comments on the character designs for the animation, and the animators are working hard to revise them."

Touko Akasaka said in a slightly low voice.

"Okay, just watch how it's done."

Eriri smiled slightly.

"I will have someone revise it until the teacher is satisfied."

"Isn't that a bit of an exaggeration?"