[Vol 1] A Romantic Comedy About Flirting and Getting Married to a Popular Voice Actress Chapter 2
After becoming partners with Aizaki Yuka──or rather, Ai-chan, my daily life became much busier. Right after that, Ai-chan immediately decided to move in with me, and at the same time, I began learning various duties and manager work under Maya-san’s guidance. I was doing everything I could to study hard so I could support Ai-chan properly.
And then, on an afternoon a few weeks after we first met… dragging my exhausted body after another hectic day, I headed to the Anime Research Clubroom to eat lunch.
When I opened the clubroom door──
“Oh? Senpai, you’re here too?”
There was already someone inside. Of course, it was Rion, one of the club members.
“Oh. You’re eating here too, Rion?”
“Yes! Eating while watching anime here is the most relaxing for me. Senpai, let’s eat together!”
“Yeah, I’ll join you. ──Oh, today’s anime is 『Boku to sekai no hyakunensensou』(Me and the Hundred-Year War of the World). That one’s good… the animation quality is amazing.”
“Yes! Ai-chan, your favorite, appears in it too. She plays 『Girl C!』”
“Alright. Skip ahead to that scene.”
I sat next to her and opened the lunchbox I’d packed with rice and frozen food. The two of us happily ate while talking about our favorite scenes from 『Boku to sekai no hyakunensensou』.
“Aah… Ai-chan really does have such a good voice… This cute tone is addictive…”
“Senpai, you really love Ai-chan, don’t you… I mean, I agree she has a nice voice, but you should pay attention to other voice actors too.”
“Of course I do. But, you know… your oshi is always special.”
“Ah, I get that! Before you know it, your ears are just chasing after your oshi’s voice, right?”
Yep. As expected of my kouhai. She has great empathy.
[TLN: kouhai means junior]
Man… this is really relaxing. Spending the lunch break watching anime with someone who shares the same interests…
But at the same time, a small concern started forming in my mind.
Come to think of it, Rion almost always eats lunch here. Which means, inevitably…
“Hey, Rion… Could it be that you… don’t have any friends…?”
“Hweeeh!? W–wh–what are you suddenly saying!?”
Rion jolted in shock at my sudden question.
“Ah, sorry… I’m not making fun of you or anything. I just got a little worried…”
She’s always here during lunch, and I’ve never seen her talking with other friends. And she’s not the type who likes being alone, because she always clings to me. It’s natural to worry a little.
“I-I mean, I do think it’d be nice to have one or two friends…”
…So you don’t have any, then. Yep, this girl is definitely the same type as me.
“If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be better if you tried spending time with your classmates instead of coming here every day…? If you’re not careful, you’ll end up even more isolated…”
Well, I’m the same type too, so I can’t exactly preach. But that’s why I worry about my cute kouhai.
“N-no! I’m fine! Because… this is where I belong!”
She said that with absolute certainty.
“When I entered the school two months ago… honestly, I was in despair. There was no one around me who shared my otaku hobbies… But then, Senpai invited me to this club.”
Her words made me recall that moment. I think I talked to her because I happened to see her reading one of my favorite light novels in the library. That’s when I invited her to the anime club.
“I was so happy when you invited me back then…! I was all alone, and someone actually talked to me…! Senpai, you gave someone like me a place to belong!”
It felt a bit exaggerated… but her eyes were completely serious. For Rion, that moment must have meant a lot. And honestly, I’m glad I spoke to her that day.
“That’s why I’m staying here as much as I can! Someday, Senpai will graduate and we won’t be able to stay together forever… but I’ll try my best to make other friends when that time comes! So──until then, please let me stay here… okay…?”
Rion looked up anxiously, like an abandoned kitten. With an expression like that, there’s no way I could refuse.
“Of course. If you want to stay, then stay. And let’s keep watching lots of anime together.”
“S-Senpai…! Thank you so much!”
Rion grinned brightly, her voice full of joy.
Seeing that smile made me happy too. At the same time… a little guilt crept into my chest.
“Um, Rion… I know this is bad timing after what you said, but… I don’t think I’ll be able to come to club activities for a while…”
“Ehh!? What!? What do you mean!? Why all of a sudden!?”
Rion leaned in close. For someone who’s the same type as me, she’s really cute…
“Well, um… the truth is, my parents’ allowance has stopped coming in… so I suddenly had to start working part-time. Because of that, I don’t think I’ll have much free time anymore…”
From now on, I plan to dedicate every spare moment to my work as a manager. On top of that, there are various clerical tasks at the agency too. I probably won’t have time for club activities… or even to watch much anime.
“Uu… no waaay… So that means I won’t get to see Senpai for a while…?”
“W-well… not after school, yeah… If I have time during lunch, I’ll drop by like this, though.”
By the way, I had no intention of telling Rion that I’d become Ai-chan’s manager. I didn’t think something like that was something I should casually talk about.
“Hmph… So work is more important to Senpai than me, huh…”
“No, don’t pout like some kind of neglected wife… Okay? I’m sorry, so please forgive me.”
“Tsuun. I’ll never forgive you. A Senpai who throws me aside should get trapped in a black company for thirty years and turn into a living corpse.”
“Don’t say something that harsh so realistically! It’s fine, really! Even if I’m not here, you can still hang out in the club by yourself!”
“There’s no point if I’m alone, you idiot! I don’t want it unless Senpai is here!”
Well… she’s not wrong. Watching anime alone isn’t as fun as watching with someone and sharing thoughts.
“But I can’t help it, right? I need to work to live. And I have responsibilities to the people I work with…”
“I know that! I do understand…! But… uuugh! Senpai, you heartless meanie──!”
Unable to hold back her anger, Rion suddenly jumped up from her chair. She hurriedly grabbed her things and dashed out of the clubroom.
“Seriously… I didn’t think she’d get that mad…”
That’s how important this club must be to her. I feel kind of bad now…
“Guess I have no choice… I’ll go apologize after school…”
With that decided, I started cleaning up the rest of my lunch.
※
Going straight to work right after school… that was practically a black-company schedule.
But this was all to pay for living expenses and tuition. If I didn’t want to drop out of high school, I had no choice but to work hard.
With that in mind, I forced my exhausted body to keep moving and finally arrived at the agency. While heading toward my desk, I passed by Ai-chan in the hallway. It seemed she had been waiting for me.
“Ah… Kanata… good morning…”
“Ah, yeah… good morning.”
By the way, in this industry, it’s 'good morning' no matter what time it is.
But that didn’t matter right now…
“What’s wrong…? You seem totally out of it.”
I asked her, noticing her unusually downcast expression.
After these past few days, I’d gotten used to speaking casually with her. Being able to talk normally with my favorite voice actress… I was so happy I could almost die.
But Ai-chan looked like she was the one about to die.
“I just… got the results… The audition… I didn’t make it…”
“Ah…”
Right—earlier Maya-san had emailed me, saying, 『It looks like that audition went to another girl.』 Ai-chan must have heard the result before meeting me.
I had been wondering how to break the news to her, but since she already knew, at least that part was easier. Still… I didn’t know what words could comfort her.
“Maybe… I really am no good… Maybe I’m not cut out to be a voice actress…”
“N-no, you don’t need to get that depressed! I’m sure the role just didn’t match you this time! Don’t give up—try again for the next one!”
“Maybe if I got hit by a truck I could reincarnate and become super overpowered… Oh. Or becoming a villainess could be fun too…”
She wasn’t listening. The shock must have been huge because she was completely escaping into fantasy. If I didn’t boost her motivation somehow, it might affect her from here on out…
Just as I was trying to think of something to say, someone familiar appeared at the end of the hallway.
“Yo, Kanata-chaaaan! ’Sup ’sup~!”
“Ah… Kisaragi-san…!”
Wearing his usual mocking grin, he walked toward us.
“How’s Ai-chan doing~? Heard she failed the audition~?”
“Ugh…”
Of course he went straight for the sore spot. It was obvious he came here just to rub salt in the wound.
“I mean, really~ you should just give up sooner rather than later, y’know? If you keep failing like this, it’ll mess with your head. You should quit today. It’s not like you’re gonna get any roles anyway.”
“…………!”
Ai-chan lowered her head, frustration written all over her face.
“You should give up too, Kanata. If you apologize now, I’ll let you keep your job.”
“Wh—! I’m not apologizing! I’ll trust Ai-chan until the very end!”
“Oh, really? Well, whatever. Don’t come crying to me later.”
He glanced at us with a sneer before swaggering away.
But I was more worried about Ai-chan than about him. Hearing something like that when she was already depressed… she might actually quit. Worried, I looked toward her.
And Ai-chan was—
“Heh… hehe… ahahaha…!”
She was laughing. For some reason, laughing.
“Interesting… he’s interesting…! That worthless manager—I won’t forgive him──!”
Forget the fact that we were indoors—Ai-chan’s voice echoed loudly through the agency.
“A-Ai-chan…? Are you okay…?”
“I’m fine! Actually, I’m fired up now! If it’s come to this, I’ll do it out of pure spite! I’ll win the next audition no matter what! I’ll show him my talent and make Kisaragi grovel at my feet!”
“A-Ai-chan…!”
Her voice and expression had completely changed from just a moment ago.
“Three months from now, I’m definitely going to win together with Kanata!”
…Apparently, that guy’s annoying comments had fired her up instead.
Good… I didn’t want to admit it was thanks to Kisaragi, but at least she’d managed to switch her mindset.
“Since that’s settled, let’s move forward right away! Hey, Kanata! Has the next audition been decided yet? I was waiting to hear about it!”
“Ah, um… sorry. Nothing new has come in yet…”
“Hmm… I see… it really is tough… So I’m on standby for now?”
“Yeah… For the moment, focus on basic training so you’ll be ready when something comes up.”
I’d love to give her a job immediately, but it just didn’t work like that.
“I’ll try to get you more work and audition opportunities! So I’m sorry, but… can you wait just a little longer?”
“Yeah… I understand. I’m okay! I’ll work hard on what I can do and wait!”
“Thank you… In return, I’ll do my best too! I’ll bring you a good opportunity as soon as I can!”
“Ehehe… just hearing you say that makes me really happy, you know? I’ll do my best to meet the expectations of my fans!”
With that, Ai-chan trotted off toward the underground training studio. If she was acting like that, she definitely wasn’t depressed anymore.
Alright… If Ai-chan is working that hard, then I have to work even harder to prepare something for her…!
Just as I strengthened my resolve, my phone buzzed. It was a message from Maya-san. She wanted me to come to the meeting room as soon as I arrived.
These days, Maya-san had been helping me with both my clerical work and my work as Ai-chan’s manager. Maybe she wanted to talk about Ai-chan.
I replied that I understood and immediately headed for the meeting room.
※
“Huh!? An audition offer!?”
“Yes. I received the proposal yesterday. They’re hoping Ai-chan will take the role.”
Maya-san, seated across from me, slid a stack of documents toward me. It included the basic info about the project as well as the script for the audition.
“The title is 『Momoiro LIPS』. The original work is a four-panel manga published in a yuri magazine. The story goes: 『Three girls in an all-girls school’s literature club—each of them extremely curious about anything sexual—start practicing romance and intimate 'simulation training' with each other so they’ll be ready for when they get real boyfriends.』 That kind of content."
“Ah! I actually know that one! I even own all the latest comic volumes!”
“That makes this easier, then. The role we’d like Ai-chan to audition for is the protagonist’s junior, 『Akiyama Rika』. I’m sorry it isn’t the lead role, but… would that be acceptable?”
“Y-yes! Of course! Please let her audition!”
Even if it isn’t the lead, just receiving an audition offer will make her happy. And if this leads to other opportunities, it’ll all be worth it. We absolutely can’t let this chance slip by!
“Thank you. Please talk to Ai-chan about it as soon as possible. However… there may be one issue.”
“Eh…? An issue…?”
“Since you’ve read the manga, I’m sure you know—it’s quite a bold story. Up to now, Ai-chan has mostly played pure, innocent characters. This might be a bit of a leap for her.”
True, Momoiro LIPS is pretty erotic. The heavy girl-on-girl intimacy is part of its charm.
Considering the pure, adorable Kana from 『Maji☆Mari』 that Ai-chan voiced before, the difference in tone is definitely big. But—
“No! It’s fine! Ai-chan is overflowing with motivation right now! If it’s something that could become a real chance for her, she’ll take on any role with enthusiasm!”
“…I see. That’s reassuring. Then I’ll leave this matter to the two of you. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask me.”
“Yes…! Thank you so much!”
Great…! We’ve already secured her next audition.
Maya-san is really looking out for us. I’m sure she gave us this audition because she believes the role suits Ai-chan, but I can also tell she’s cheering for her.
To respond to that kindness, I’ve got to handle all my other tasks properly…! Once I finish everything, I’ll go straight to tell Ai-chan the good news! She’ll definitely be happy!
※
“Ehhhhhh!? There’s no way I can do that!”
After dinner, when I told Ai-chan about the audition, she shook her head with everything she had.
“What!? Why not!? It’s a rare audition offer! Sure, it’s not a lead role, but as a voice actress, shouldn’t this be something to celebrate!?”
“B-But this series is super erotic, right!?”
Ai-chan stared at the script on the table. Her cheeks were red—probably from embarrassment.
“I’ve only ever played pure, gentle, innocent characters until now…! Something like this is way too embarrassing! I can’t say lewd lines!”
“Well… yeah, it’s definitely a role you haven’t done before. But speaking as a fan—your sweet voice would actually fit this kind of sexy role perfectly! I think you should try it!”
“Even so, this is too erotic! Look! These audition lines are already insane!”
She shouted and pointed at the script. Written there were—
『Senpai, good morning. What shall we play today? Are we doing another practice run for sex?』
『M-Mio-senpai… more… please… Give me more of your kisses… Show me more of the things that feel good… teach me…』
『Ahh! My fruit punch! Kanon-senpai, that’s so mean! If you do that again… I won’t let you touch my BOOBS anymore, you know?』
“Why are all the lines obscene!? Isn’t this basically an erotic manga!? And what even is 『practice run for sex』 supposed to mean!?”
“Unfortunately, it’s still technically for general audiences… These days even non–R18 works can be really erotic…”
The character she’d audition for—Akiyama Rika—is the protagonist’s junior, a quiet girl. But even so, the role has plenty of erotic scenes.
“This role is way too H… There’s no way I can say lines like this!”
Ai-chan trembled, shoulders shaking. It was clear she had a strong resistance to this kind of role.
“And besides, being erotic isn’t good! It’s not wholesome! I’m against erotic stuff!”
“Yeah, but… we don’t really have the luxury to refuse work right now, do we? You haven’t gotten any roles lately, and you just failed an audition. You can’t afford to be picky…”
“Uu… well, that’s true but…”
“And if you act too selfish, Maya-san might stop giving you jobs. Worst case, three months could pass just like that, and your retirement would be confirmed…”
“Uuuuuh… That… might be true…”
Groaning, Ai-chan stared at the script hard enough to burn a hole through it. She stayed frozen like that, clearly torn—throw away a chance because of embarrassment, or swallow her shame and take the challenge.
Then, after a long moment, she suddenly yelled, face bright red, “Auuuugh─!”
“Fine! I get it! I’ve made up my mind! I’ll take the audition!”
“Oh…! That’s great! Thank you, Ai-chan!”
“I want to seize my chances too! And if I refuse and Maya-san stops giving me auditions, I’ll cause trouble for you too, Kanata…”
“Ah…”
She’s right—if that happened, I’d definitely lose my job. No income, no way to pay tuition… and if I dropped out of high school, it’d be a massive handicap.
Of course, I support Ai-chan because I genuinely love her work as a voice actress, but… from a practical standpoint, it’s a huge relief that she decided to accept it.
“Alright! Then I need to check the original manga right away! Kanata, you have it, right?”
“Yeah! I’ll bring it now!”
I dashed to my room and returned with the full set of 『Momoiro LIPS』.
※
“Wh-what is this… what’s… going on…!?”
While reading 『Momoiro LIPS』, which I had brought from my room, Ai-chan’s hands trembled.
The page she had open was from the first half of Volume 1. It was the scene where the protagonist, Mikusa Kanon, and her friend, Segawa Mio, tried to strip the clothes off their underclassman, Akiyama Rika.
“Well… it is a yuri series, after all… So, you really don’t like auditioning for it…?”
“I’ve already prepared myself for that part, but… this series is way too intense! W-wait… on the next page they even go this far…!”
Muttering under her breath, Ai-chan stared at the page. She fidgeted, her body squirming slightly as she slowly digested the content.
“Uwaaa… this is so lewd… they really go this far… haa… haa…”
She grew more and more excited—like a middle schooler reading an erotic book for the first time—her breathing gradually turning heavier.
Huh…? Despite everything she said, she’s totally into this, isn’t she…?
Wait… could it be? Ai-chan is actually the quiet-pervy type…? I never thought I’d discover this unexpected side of my oshi in a moment like this…
After taking plenty of time to finish reading the entire volume, she closed the book once and spoke with an embarrassed look.
“Fuu… A-anyway… now I understand what kind of story it is… So, for now, let’s try acting out one of the scenes…”
It seemed she wanted to read through one of the manga scenes first to get a feel for the character before practicing for the audition.
“Kanata, will you practice with me…?”
“Eh…? P-practice? What should I do…?”
“I’ll play Akiyama Rika, so I want you to read Kanon’s lines. We’ll do the scene on this page—these two characters appear in it.”
Ah, I see. If that’s all, I can manage. Fortunately, I know this manga by heart, and I already have a pretty clear idea of what Rika’s character is like. I might even be able to give her some good advice.
“Alright, Kanata. Come over here. Let’s start practicing right away!”
She patted the spot next to her on the sofa—pon, pon. Huh…? Don’t tell me…
“You want me to sit next to you…?”
“Of course. We can’t read together if you don’t come closer. Hurry up, come on.”
“Th-thank you for this honor…!”
Even if it’s just for practice, getting to sit close to my oshi is so joyful it might actually stop my heart.
I quickly moved next to her and looked down at the manga.
And at that moment—Ai-chan leaned her body toward me so I could read it more easily.
“Kanata, are you okay? Can you see the lines clearly?”
“Ah… y-yeah…! I-I’m fine…!”
No, I’m NOT fine! Ai-chan’s shoulder is touching my arm! Ai-chan is sitting right here, next to me…! W-wait… this is… this is just like lovers…!
“Okay, listen carefully, okay? Tell me any opinion you have—don’t hold back!”
“G-got it…! Do your best…!”
To think I’d get to hear my oshi’s acting while sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with her… I could die tomorrow with no regrets!
“Alright, here I go—『Good work today, Kanon-senpai』”
Then Ai-chan began her performance. The scene was Chapter 7 of Volume 2, the chapter focusing on Akiyama Rika. She comes to the Literature Club as usual, where her senpai and the protagonist, Mikusa Kanon, is already present. Then Rika asks Kanon for lover practice. This is a scene the two of us can easily act out.
『Oh, good work, Rika. You’re early today.』
Following her line, I read the next one.
『Um… is Mio-senpai not here today…?』
『Nope. She said she had to go home early for family stuff. So it’s just the two of us!』
『I-I see… Just the two… of us…』
Hearing that, Rika lowers her gaze for some reason.
『What’s wrong? You seem kind of off today…』
『U-um… Kanon-senpai…』
Her voice trembled as Ai-chan read Rika’s line. My own delivery was stiff, but her tense, emotional reading created a clear atmosphere for the scene.
Then, after taking a brief pause, she continued.
『Please practice being lovers with me, just the two of us!』
『Eh…!? W-what are you talking about, Rika-chan!? That’s always something the three of us—』
『I know… But today, I just can’t hold it back anymore… Besides, if we’re practicing for when we have lovers in the future, shouldn’t it be done just between the two of us…?』
『W-well… I mean…』
Kanon’s reply was weak—being alone together made her nervous.
But Rika kept pressing forward, persistent and earnest, until Kanon finally gave in.
『O-okay… Then… let’s try sticking close together…? Like, Rika-chan, you can cling to my arm…』
『Understood… So I should cling to you, right… Senpai…?』
Blushing, Rika made up her mind.
『H-here I go!』
With a cute little cry, she hugged Kanon’s arm.
And at that moment—something touched my arm as well.
“Eh…!?”
『K-Kanon-senpai, you’re warm…』
Rika—or rather, Ai-chan—wrapped her arms tightly around mine.
『L-like this…? Kanon-senpai…? Is this okay…?』
Uhhh—huh!? Huuuhhhh!?
Still staring at the manga, Ai-chan continued reading Rika’s lines.
And as if reenacting the scene perfectly, she intertwined her fingers with mine.
『Or… should I do something even bolder…?』
Then she pressed herself even closer. Her chest squished firmly against my arm.
Hold on! You’re going this far!? Even for practice, copying the actions too!? Is this Ai-chan’s way of getting into character…!?
『Ehehe… like this, it really feels like lovers, right…? Senpai…!』
“…!”
Looking closely, I noticed Ai-chan’s face was also red—just like Rika’s. Between lines, I could hear her soft, heated breaths—“haa… haa…”—as if she were genuinely excited. Even her tone carried a hint of sensuality.
This was a side of her I could never imagine from her usual pure personality.
『N-no, this is… this is definitely too much…!』
By coincidence, Kanon’s next line matched exactly what I was thinking.
『No… it isn’t too much… haa… haa…! If we’re doing this anyway, we should do more lewd, pervy things… right…? For example… like this…』
“Eh—wait!?”
Suddenly, Ai-chan leaned her body onto mine, pushing me down with surprising force. With one hand still holding the manga, she smoothly climbed on top of me.
H-huh…? Seriously…? Am I… in danger…?
If this goes according to the manga… I’m about to get attacked…!
『Hey, Senpai… I want to do more real lover practice—embarrassing things… So please… make me lose myself completely…♪』
Saying that, she placed a hand on her shirt—just like in the manga—and began to pull it open.
N-no…! I have to stop this! This is seriously bad—!
“No, wait! Time out! Let’s stop practice for a moment!”
『Don’t say that, Senpai… I’m already prepared, you know…! I don’t mind if you see my boobs or my butt… everything… In fact, I want you to touch me…! Please, embarrass me lots…!』
Moaning seductively, Ai-chan twisted her body—『Aahn… nooo…!』
“No, this girl is hopeless! She can’t tell reality from acting anymore!”
『If this were the real thing, I’d have to take everything off, right…? But since we’re at school… maybe just underwear is the limit…?』
“Underwear is also not okay!! Please, come back to this world!”
This is bad—really bad! She’s completely in runaway mode!
She continued reading the lines smoothly, unbuttoning over half of her shirt.
W-wait, her boobs are about to show! They’re seriously about to show!
『Haa… haa… my body feels so hot…! I’m getting so excited my hips won’t stop tingling…!』
As if craving something forbidden, she began to move her hips in an indecent rhythm. Each motion made her nearly-exposed chest bounce right in front of my eyes.
『Noo… don’t look at my boobs… It’s embarrassing… Is this what love is…?』
“No, absolutely not! This is just being a pervert!”
『Then… how about we do it…? The thing we always do… that kiss…』
“No, please listen to me!?”
『Mmm…』
She ignored me completely and slowly leaned forward.
W-wait… seriously!? She’s… she’s actually going to kiss me!?
“N-no, Ai-chan! We can’t actually kiss, not for practice—!”
『Nn──……』
The distance between us shrank—millimeter by millimeter—her lips approaching mine.
Uwaaah!! Stop! I mean, kissing my oshi would be heaven, but—!
This is too much! I need to stop her somehow!
“Please, wake up! This is the moment to open your eyes! Snap out of it, Ai-chaaan!”
『Nnn───……』
But she still didn’t return to her senses.
Come on, how are you not hearing me!? We’re RIGHT HERE!
『Kanon-senpai… I love you… Nnー…』
Her face drew closer—just seconds away from a real kiss.
“Uwaaaaah! We can’t kiss just for practice—!”
Panicking, I flailed desperately.
And right before our lips touched—our foreheads collided with a dull thud.
“Gwah!?”
“Kyaaa!?”
Her face jerked away, and both of us groaned in pain. I must’ve knocked into her when I was struggling.
Ugh… that was a strong hit… Is Ai-chan okay…?
“Uu… ouch… Wh-what just happened…!?”
“S-sorry, Ai-chan… Wait, are you back to normal!?”
“Eh…? What do you mean—kyaa!? I'm taking my clothes off!?”
She hurriedly covered her chest. Ah… somehow I feel a bit disappointed…
“A-ahh…! Oh no… I messed up again…!”
Again…? What does she mean, again…?
“S-sometimes I get too absorbed in my role… Only with characters that are easy for me to act as… I kind of lose myself… And I guess I did the same thing this time…”
Her face turned away in embarrassment as she remembered what she did.
So that’s why she didn’t want to take a lewd role…?
“B-but! If you can get into character, doesn’t that mean this role fits you perfectly? That’s actually a good thing! I mean, a sexy role suits you and—”
“Kyaaaaaaaaaaaa!! Stop—!──────Don’t say it──────!!”
“Gyaaaaaaaaaaaa!?”
Whether out of embarrassment or panic, Ai-chan tackled me in a completely different way than earlier. Calming her down took more than an hour.
※
From that day on, Ai-chan kept practicing desperately, staying up late every single night.
She reread the original manga over and over, absorbing the character “Rika” into herself and building a solid foundation for the role. While making sure not to accidentally switch into some strange mindset during practice or the real thing, she kept reading her lines again and again, trying different approaches as she went.
Several days passed like that. And today—at last—it was the actual day of the audition.
I arrived at the studio, which served as the audition venue, together with Ai-chan, and we sat down in the waiting room. Around us were other participants, all looking relaxed as they casually went over their scripts for the final check.
As for Ai-chan herself──
"『Senpai, good morning. What shall we play today? Are we doing another practice run for sex?』『Senpai, good morning. What shall we play today? Are we doing another practice run for sex?』"
…She was trembling beside me and muttering her lines like a broken bot.
"『M-Mio-senpai… more… please… Give me more of your kisses… Show me more of the things that feel good… teach me…』"
“Um… Ai-chaaaan…? You okay…?”
“H-hahii! A-am I g-g-going to be okay!?”
No, I’m the one asking… This girl really has zero composure…
“Um… Ai-chan. You don’t have to tense up that much, you know? That level of stress is way too much…”
“B-but…! Just imagining what will happen if I mess up makes my whole body shake…! And besides, I’m on an eleven-audition losing streak right now…”
“…Huh?”
“Ever since I appeared in 『Maji☆Mari』, I haven’t passed any audition at all… not even supporting roles…”
Now that she mentions it, she really hasn’t been in any anime since 『Maji☆Mari』. So the auditions were the wall stopping her…
“When I think about that, my confidence just… disappears… Auu… What should I do…? Maybe I should just go home…”
“No no, you’re staying. You can’t skip this…”
At times like this, it’s the manager’s job to lift the actor’s spirits. But I honestly didn’t know what words would get her to look forward instead of down…
Just then, my eyes drifted toward the recording booth. Right at that moment, a girl who had just finished her audition came out.
She looked to be about Ai-chan’s age. Holding her script tightly, her head hung low. She practically bolted from the studio as if running away, disappearing from sight.
And for a brief second… I saw it. Tears were falling from her eyes.
“Did that girl… cry…?”
“She messed up… She probably stumbled over a line, or said something wrong, or her voice cracked…”
Ai-chan shuddered at the thought, shrinking into herself. She knew perfectly well that the same thing could happen to her.
“Uu…! Nooo, I’m scared! Am I going to fail too…? Before anything, I should go home and take care of the things I haven’t done yet… And I need to erase the data on my phone just in case…”
“Hey, no, stop. You’re not going home. Also, failing doesn’t kill you.”
But… in this state, she definitely wouldn’t be able to give a good performance. She wouldn’t even be able to bring out one percent of her usual cuteness. She’d end the audition without showing any of her true strength.
That’s… that’s way too much of a waste.
I want her to give it everything she’s got. No matter what the result is, she should fight with her full ability and win or lose fair and square.
When that thought crossed my mind, the words naturally came out of my mouth.
“Hey… Ai-chan. I think you can take this a lot easier, you know?”
“Eh…?”
“I mean, isn’t it a waste? You finally get the chance to audition, but you’re sitting here feeling all depressed!”
I shot to my feet with momentum. People around us stared, but I didn’t care and continued talking to her.
“It’s not like just anyone can audition. Only people who are part of a proper agency like you get that chance. So even just being here already makes you lucky, you know?”
“W-well… that’s true, but…”
“Then you should have more fun! An audition isn’t something everyone gets to take… Just being here means you’re amazing, Ai-chan! You should act a little more proud!”
“I-I see…! When you put it like that… it does make sense…!”
“Think of this as a reward. A reward for everything you’ve worked for as a voice actress! So don’t worry about the result. Just enjoy it as much as you can! And besides, thinking that way probably raises your chances of passing too, don’t you think?”
Hearing that, Ai-chan fell silent for a moment, thinking it over. Then, after a little while, she nodded.
“Yeah… you’re right… Okay! I get it now! I really did enjoy auditions when I first started… And when I got the role in 『Maji☆Mari』, I think I felt the same way!”
“So? Do you think you can enjoy it this time?”
“Yes! I’m totally fine now! Today, I’m going to be a whole new me! I’m going to enjoy this audition—and I’m going to win it!”
※
Fortunately, Ai-chan managed to pull herself together, and during the remaining time before the audition began, she calmly went through her script one last time.
Then, maybe twenty minutes later. At last, Ai-chan’s name was called, and she stepped into the recording booth. It was the room where the voice acting would take place, equipped with a microphone and a monitor.
As for me, I was watching her from the control room located behind the booth. This was where the sound director and the rest of the staff sat. The two rooms were separated by a glass partition, so we could clearly see everything happening inside. The anime’s director, episode director, and scriptwriter were also gathered here, quietly observing the audition.
Well then… the audition was finally about to begin, but… here came a new problem.
"…………"
It was the middle-aged man sitting silently in front of the sound console, built like a tank. Judging by his presence, he was probably the sound director—someone in a very high position… but, seriously, this guy was way too scary.
He had the stern face of a full-blown yakuza member and a body that would terrify even a professional rugby player. And that man was sitting right in the front row, glaring at the recording booth.
Uh…? This guy is the one judging the performances…? He’s the one evaluating the audition…? Absolutely not. This is a terrible idea. With that kind of intimidation, every actor here is going to wet themselves.
Wait—Ai-chan… will she be okay…!? With someone like him on the panel—
"Well then, are you ready? Aizaki Yuka-san."
『Hy– hyai!! I-I’m fuh… fine desu!』
Ahhhh, she’s terrified! That director spoke to her and she completely froze! I just hope this fear doesn’t ruin the confidence she’d finally managed to recover…
All I could do now was pray. Pray that she would get through this without falling apart!
"Alright then, begin whenever you’re ready."
The moment the sound director spoke, the CUE lamp lit up red. That was the signal to start.
Ai-chan took a small breath and began her first line.
『Senpai, good morning. What shall we play today? Are we doing another practice run for sex?』
It was Ai-chan’s trademark sweet and adorably cute voice. Thankfully, she was in good form. She was performing exactly like she did during practice.
『M-Mio-senpai… more… please… Give me more of your kisses… Show me more of the things that feel good… teach me…』
Even the slightly erotic lines were no problem for her.
If I told her this she’d probably get embarrassed, but… Ai-chan’s voice really does suit erotic lines. Just like I initially thought.
The director and script staff watching seemed impressed as well, nodding with a satisfied “mm-hmm” at her performance. The scary sound director was just silently staring, but at least the others were clearly acknowledging her.
And then it was finally time for the last line. The final one was: 『Ahh! My fruit punch! Kanon-senpai, that’s so mean! If you do that again… I won’t let you touch my boobs anymore, you know?』
At this pace, she’d be fine. She was clearly giving it her all.
As I thought, I really love this girl’s acting. I really do love her voice.
She might still be inexperienced, but with that unique high-pitched voice she’s worked so hard to refine, she can perfectly portray a cute, slightly erotic girl. That’s why I can proudly support her.
And now she opened her mouth again. To deliver the very last line in her voice—
『Haa… haa…! Nn… aaah…!』
…Huh?
Wait…? Ai-chan sounds… strange? Isn’t her breathing getting weird…?
『Mio-senpaiii… My body feels so strangeee…! My chest has been throbbing so much… So please… please grope my boobs…!』
She started saying lines that weren’t even part of the audition script. Blushing all the way to her ears, wearing a fully indecent expression, she delivered erotic lines with unbelievable realism.
This feeling… I’ve seen this before…!
『Let’s have sex… okay…? Let’s mess each other up… just the two of us… haa… haa…』
There it is——!! She really flipped that weird switch again!
Even though we practiced so many times to prevent this! Even though she got used to the erotic lines! Maybe because of the pressure of the real thing, she got completely worked up like she did during rehearsal!
This is bad… really bad…! There’s no way she can perform properly like this. She’s already reading unrelated lines!
"Yuka-san…? You don’t need to read anything that isn’t in the script. Please proceed with the final line."
The sound director gave her instructions. She responded with a sweet "Okaaay…♪".
Alright. Just read the last line. Once that’s done, the audition will be over.
Since I can’t run into the booth to snap her out of it, the only option is to have her finish before she makes a fatal mistake.
Please, Ai-chan! No more weird stuff—just end it cleanly!
Right as I started praying, Ai-chan opened her mouth again. And she unleashed the final line.
『Ahh! My fruit CHINPOOOO!!』
[TLN: Chinpo means Dic*k]
—…Huh?
『Kanon-senpai, that’s so mean! If you do that again… I won’t let you touch my boobs anymore, you know?』
…Wait.
No, wait. Wait. Just wait a second. What… did she just say…?
『I wanted to eat my fruit chinpoo…! Kanon-senpai, you bullyyyy…!』
No wait—STOP!! What are you SAYINGGGG!?
Thanks to that weird switch flipping again, Ai-chan blurted out an absolutely outrageous word. The entire control room fell into silence, swallowed by a catastrophic atmosphere.
…But that silence didn’t last long. Because the sound director suddenly exploded.
"Pff… kuh… ahahahahahahaha!!"
The sound director clutched his stomach and shook.
"What was THAT line!? Was that a slip of the tongue!? Oh man—pfft—gah! My stomach huuurts—!!"
Oh my God—he’s laughing! The scary guy is laughing!!
The guy who looked like a strict yakuza boss was now laughing so hard he was tearing up… And as if the seal had been broken, the other staff members also burst into uncontrollable laughter.
『At least save some for meee… My share of the fruit chinpoo…』
No, stop, Ai-chan!! Calm down!! Don’t make the wound any bigger!
Filled with panic, I made a frantic 『Calm down!』 gesture toward her through the glass. Noticing me, she finally looked my way. And then—
『…………!』
Her expression suddenly snapped back to normal. It looked like she finally returned to her senses.
『W-wait…? Did I… did I just… say something horrible…!?』
The moment she remembered everything she’d said, her face turned bright red, and she began trembling again with teary eyes, overwhelmed by humiliation.
And with that, her turn in the audition came to an end.
※
On the way home, the mood was completely downcast.
"………………"
Ai-chan walked with her head down, shuffling forward without any energy. Compared to the girl who left the venue in tears earlier, she looked even more pitiful now.
Well, I mean… it was chinpo, after all… That slip-up… Honestly, it was a little exciting.
"I want to disappear… I just want to turn into dust and vanish…"
No, this is no time to be remembering that. As her manager, I need to take care of her…
"Uh, um… Ai-chan! Good work today. You really did your best, you know……？"
"…No. I didn’t do my best at all……"
"No, no, you really did great! It just proved again that your voice works perfectly for that kind of role! And you pushed through the pressure and performed in your usual style!"
"Really…? Normally, I wouldn’t say something like 'fruit chinpo' even if my mouth were ripped open…"
"The staff’s reactions were absolutely great too! Everyone looked really satisfied…"
"Yeah… they were laughing their heads off, right……? If only it had been a comedy audition instead…"
Not good. No matter what I say, she’s taking everything negatively… I feel like my heart’s going to break too.
"B-but, you know… things like that happen all the time! So there’s no need to worry about it!"
"Auu…"
"Besides, your acting itself was really good! And it’s not like they’ve decided you failed yet!"
"Auuu… uu…"
"Really, the staff’s reactions weren’t bad at all! There might still be a chance—"
"Uwaaaaaaaa〜〜〜hhh!!"
Suddenly, Ai-chan burst into tears. My body jolted pathetically in surprise.
"Please, stop trying to comfort me～!! Don’t say anything else〜〜〜!!"
With that, Ai-chan suddenly took off running.
"Ah, Ai-chan!? Wait──"
"Uwaaaaaaaa〜〜〜hhh!! Don’t follow me〜〜〜!!」
Crying, she threw those words at me as I tried to chase after her. Then she ran off toward home by herself.
…Damn it. I tried to comfort her, but ended up making the wound deeper instead. Maybe… maybe I shouldn’t have said anything at all…
It felt like it was going to take a long time before she’d be willing to talk to me again.
And in fact, even when I got home, Ai-chan shut herself in her room and didn’t show herself.
Right now, there was only one thing I could do. Just leave her alone… that was all.
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