[Vol 1] A Romantic Comedy About Flirting and Getting Married to a Popular Voice Actress Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - The Voice Actresses Visit the Sacred Sites

 

August, 2022.

『……!　……, ……』

One Sunday morning, just before dawn. I woke up around four o’clock.

Because a familiar voice had reached my ears.

“Mm… nngh…?”

『……?　…… …………!』

The voice was coming from the living room downstairs. Wondering what was going on, I slowly raised my sluggish body. Leaving my room, I headed down the stairs.

Then, from the hallway, I quietly peeked into the living room.

『Senpai, that’s not okay! You’re going too far! You won’t be able to get married like that!』

In the living room stood Ai-chan, holding a stack of papers and raising her voice.

“Ai-chan…? What are you doing…?”

“Ah, sorry, Kanata. Did I wake you up?”

Ai-chan turned toward me at the sound of my voice and walked over.

“No, that’s fine, but… what are you doing this early in the morning…?”

“Just like you see—practice for my next recording session!”

“Practice…? You don’t have to do it at this hour. If you force yourself to wake up too early, it’s not good for your health either, right?”

“It’s fine! Actually, I was so excited to practice that I woke right up. I mean, it’s been a long time since I’ve gotten a proper role, ever since 『Magi☆Mari』! Since they’re calling me in for every recording, I can’t afford to cause trouble for everyone next time!”

“Ai-chan…”

From her lively smile, I couldn’t sense any sign of her pushing herself too hard.

She genuinely enjoyed her work as a voice actress, rejoicing in having a role, and putting in her best effort—this early in the morning, no less…

“And besides… this might be my last role…”

“……!”

That’s right… There was only about one month left until her contract ended… We’d been excited about her getting a new role, but when you thought about it, time was running out.

On top of that, ever since the 『Momoiro LIPS』 incident, no new auditions had come her way. If she didn’t land a lead-level role soon, we’d be fired…

“Of course, I haven’t given up yet, okay? Your job is on the line too, Kanata. …Kanata, your parents’ allowance has already stopped, right? If you get fired, you’ll have to drop out of high school, won’t you…?”

“Y-Yeah… I think that’s probably what’ll happen…”

That was something I was worried about too. Of course Ai-chan was risking everything—but I was, quite literally, staking my life on her success as well. I believed in my oshi, but the price of failure was terrifying.

If we got fired, we wouldn’t be able to pay for food, let alone tuition. If that happened, I wouldn’t even know how to survive on my own. Just thinking about it was frightening.

“It’ll be okay… I won’t let you end up like that, Kanata. That’s why I won’t give up until the very end. But… I don’t think it’s wrong to work with everything I have, prepared for this to be the last time.”

Saying that, Ai-chan smiled a little self-deprecatingly.

At her words and expression, something swelled up inside me—the desire to help her.

“Got it… Then I’ll help you practice too.”

“Really!? Thank you, that helps so much! Then listen to my lines, okay? If you have any opinions, tell me everything afterward!”

And she began reading her lines again from where she’d left off.

『Then you senpai should go first! Please show us a proper example!』

“……”

As I listened, I kept thinking about one thing.

I didn’t want her to quit being a voice actress.

Over the past two months, through daily practice, auditions, and actual recording sessions, I’d watched Ai-chan work harder than anyone else. But if she got fired, all of it would be for nothing. I couldn’t accept that.

Up until now, in a way, I’d been doing this for myself. Because I didn’t want my oshi to disappear. Because I wanted to protect my own job. That’s why I’d worked as her manager.

But now, I wanted more people to know about her ability and her effort. I wanted to support her and help her soar. Those feelings were growing stronger inside me.

That’s right… The people I needed to convey my love for Ai-chan to weren’t just Ai-chan herself.

It was everyone around her. If I truly wanted to support her, I had to tell others about the charm I saw in her. And I had to create opportunities for her to break through.

That was the difference between being just a fan—and being her manager.

“As her manager, I’ll make sure Ai-chan can spread her wings…!”

If things continued like this, once the role of Rika ended, Ai-chan’s contract would be terminated. But simply waiting wouldn’t get us out of this crisis.

I had to give it everything I had and save her. That was my duty as her manager.

 

※

 

Having reaffirmed my resolve, I immediately began taking action from that very day.

For example, I started pestering my seniors at work…

“Ma- Maya-san, Maya-san! Are there any audition offers!? Mainly for lead roles or heroines!”

“I’m sorry. There’s nothing right now. Or rather, I believe I told you the same thing five minutes ago?”

“But something might have come in right after that…! And if someone else takes it before us—!”

“Please stop being so persistent… If something comes up, I’ll inform you right away, Kanata-san…”

“I-I understand…! Then I’ll limit myself to asking once every hour!”

“Please stop. Is this harassment? I will fire you immediately, you know?”

 

I also went around asking voice actors I knew if they had any information…

“Hey, Rinrin! You haven’t heard of any good auditions!?”

“Good auditions?”

“Yeah! Ones where you can aim for the lead or main heroine, with low competition and not too high difficulty!”

“Ahaha. There’s no way something like that exists. If it did, I’d want to audition myself.”

“Then can’t you make an audition like that happen somehow? Using your authority, Rinrin.”

“That’s impossible!? Don’t expect connections from a total rookie voice actress!”

 

On top of that, I went directly to various recording studios to pitch her to directors in person…

“I am the manager of Aizaki Yuka! My name is Shidou Kanata!”

“Aizaki Yuka…? Don’t recognize the name. Is she still a newcomer?”

“Yes! She’s Aizaki Yuka, known for her sweet voice and a cute face that could even pass as an idol voice actress! If you ever get the chance, please—please give our Aizaki Yuka some honest work!”

“Alright, alright. I’ll think about it. Yuka-chan from 『Light Road』, right?”

“Thank you! Thank you very much! Aizaki Yuka! Please take good care of Aizaki Yuka!”

“Why does this feel like an election campaign? Is that just how your company works?”

 

I did everything I could to make sure the directors remembered Ai-chan’s voice and name, sending out voice samples and continuing my relentless pitching.

But results didn’t come easily. Five days passed. Then ten. Still, no one brought us any audition offers.

The exhaustion piled up, both mentally and physically. Even so, I kept visiting every studio I knew, and kept begging people at the office, starting with Maya-san. Clinging to even the faintest thread of hope.

“Good morning, Maya-san! Any audition news!?”

“Good morning, Kanata-san. That’s all you ever ask these days. Are you an RPG village NPC?”

Maya-san frowned at me the moment she opened her mouth.

“Honestly… you’ve been far too persistent lately, Kanata-san. You always come all the way to this desk… Are you in love with me? I’ll sue you for stalking, you know?”

“That’s way too cruel to say to a subordinate! And our desks are right next to each other!”

“I know. I’m joking.”

She said that, but I couldn’t relax. If I actually made her angry, that would be bad. Very bad. Especially those boobs.

“Well… sometimes that kind of persistence does bear fruit.”

“Eh…?”

Maya-san handed me a small memo. A phone number was written on it.

“Call this number. Director Yamaguchi wants to speak with you.”

“Director… Yamaguchi?”

He was one of the directors I’d been constantly pitching Ai-chan to at the studios.

With a surge of hope, I immediately dialed the number on the spot.

And the call was about──

“R-Really!? Is Yuka really okay!?”

『Yeah, it’s fine. Though, to be clear, I’m just inviting her to audition.』

As expected, it was an audition invitation. Exactly the result I’d been hoping for…! And for a main heroine role, no less!

『You kept chanting Yuka-chan’s name every single day, you know. It stuck in my head. I got curious what kind of girl she was, so I thought I’d like to see her acting.』

“Y-Yes! Please take good care of us!”

『Alright, about the details… for now, I’d like to hand over the materials directly.』

“Understood! I’ll head over right away!”

I thanked him again and ended the call. When I looked up, Maya-san was watching me.

“Sounds like good news. I hope it works out. If only so you’ll stop clinging to me.”

“Yes! Thank you very much!”

I bowed deeply to Maya-san, then immediately headed for the studio where the director was waiting.

 

※

 

“I’m home, Ai-chan! I’m back!”

After hearing about that matter at the studio and finishing up miscellaneous work at the office, I came home late at night.

Meanwhile, Ai-chan was sitting on the sofa, deeply focused on reading the script for her next recording.

“Ah, welcome back, Kanata. What’s up? You look really happy for some reason?”

“Ai-chan, Ai-chan. Guess what this is?”

“Eh, what could it be…? Some kind of printout? Don’t tell me—it’s an audition script?”

“Oh, correct! I actually got the script! For a main heroine audition!”

“Oh, I see—main heroine auditi—Whaaaaaat!?”

Ai-chan, who had almost brushed it off casually, froze mid-sentence and then reacted with a delayed explosion of shock.

“W-Wait, really!? An audition script!? And for a main heroine!?”

“Yeah. I was lucky enough to get the offer today.”

“No way… I can’t believe it! Getting such an amazing offer… I was honestly half ready to give up already… I thought a newbie like me wouldn’t even get a chance at main heroine auditions…”

“Don’t put yourself down like that. For now, just take a look at the script. I’ll explain the details properly.”

“O-Okay! Please!”

For some reason, she received the script while sitting formally on her knees. Then, I began explaining.

“The audition is for the anime 『Kimi to Mita Sora (The sky I saw with you)』. It’s a romantic comedy series published in a shounen magazine.”

Kimi to Mita Sora—commonly known as Kimizora.

The story is a slow-life romantic comedy about boys and girls living in a rural town on the verge of being shut down. Amid the relaxed, countryside atmosphere, the daily life of the male protagonist and the heroines is depicted with a comedic touch. Incidentally, it was already adapted into an anime once before, and this new version is a remake with a completely refreshed cast. I’d read the original manga and watched the previous anime, so I was really looking forward to seeing what kind of work this remake would become.

Since it’s a male-oriented series, I assumed Ai-chan probably didn’t know it, and was about to explain further—but—

“Eh!? It’s 『Kimizora』 audition!?”

She suddenly raised her voice.

“W-What’s wrong…? You know it…?”

“Know it!? This is the work that made me want to become a voice actress in the first place!”

Apparently, she had watched the original anime as well. She admired the performance of 『Aizawa Riko』, who was a top-tier voice actress at the time and played the role of 『Shinonome Mikoto』. That admiration was what led her into this industry. Incidentally, Aizawa Riko left the voice acting world several years ago.

“I used to have a complex about my voice… People always teased me for having such a high, anime-like voice… But when I heard Riko-san’s acting in that anime, I realized how amazing voice work could be. I thought—maybe I could do that too with my voice. Instead of hating it, I wanted to make proper use of it. That’s why this work means so much to me…”

“I see… That’s quite the coincidence…”

To think we’d randomly land an audition for a work like that…

“Wait a second…? And if it’s a main heroine audition… don’t tell me—it’s for Shinonome Mikoto!?”

“Ah, yeah… that’s right. It’s the audition for Shinonome Mikoto.”

Shinonome Mikoto—the main heroine of this harem-style shounen manga. She’s the protagonist’s gentle, quiet childhood friend, with a soft and calm way of speaking. But she also has a surprisingly strong core.

She naturally loves the protagonist, Ichinose Katsuya, but she rarely pushes herself into the heroine race, instead watching over him from a step back—a character like that.

“No way… No way!? This feels like a dream! That I might get to play the character I’ve always admired!”

Ai-chan, who clearly adored the character, hopped around in place with excitement.

“Well, the role isn’t decided yet, okay? It’s just an audition for now…”

“I know! Even so, I’m happy! I got invited to audition for a character I’ve admired for so long! Ahh, man! I kinda want to brag to everyone!”

Looking delighted, Ai-chan sent messages to Rinrin and Nene-chan, whom she’d recently become friends with.

Honestly… I was just as excited.

After all, 『Kimi to Mita Sora』 is a hugely popular series.

It’s been running for years, with total manga circulation surpassing 15 million copies. On top of that, the popularity of the characters—especially the main heroine Mikoto—is among the highest even when compared to other romcom manga. I love the series too.

If Ai-chan managed to land this role, her visibility would skyrocket. And from there, becoming a popular voice actress wouldn’t just be a dream.

“…I mean, I’m definitely going to pass! It’s already a role I love more than anything—and if I fail here, we’re fired anyway…!”

Ai-chan said it as if she were talking to herself.

The audition is in two weeks. And our contract ends in three.

With no other audition invitations at this point, if we don’t succeed here, just like she said, getting fired is inevitable.

“It’ll be fine… You’ll definitely pass. You absolutely will, Ai-chan.”

“Thanks… Yeah… I’ll stay confident and give it my all!”

Luckily, she’s brimming with motivation. She doesn’t seem crushed by the pressure.

If that’s the case, she’ll surely be able to give her best performance.

“Alright, let’s check the script we got. No, before that… should we reread the original? I’ve got all the volumes in my room.”

“It’s fine! I know most of the story already! More importantly, I want to see the audition lines!”

“Got it. Then—this is the script.”

I handed her the script the director gave me. It contained the lines to be read at the audition, brief situation descriptions, and character information.

“I see. There are five lines… and there’s a pretty long one too… As expected of a main heroine, the difficulty’s higher than usual… But that makes it more rewarding!”

“What do you want to do? Wanna try reading it once for now?”

“Of course! I’ll read the first three, so please give me proper advice, okay?”

Saying that, Ai-chan held the script and steadied her breathing.

Just being able to hear her new acting already made my heart race uncontrollably.

Alright—show me, Ai-chan! Your wonderful acting!

『Hey, Kacchan. Come on, wake up already, will you? We’ve got a test today—you’re gonna be late!』

The first line is Mikoto trying to wake up her childhood friend, Katsuya. Ai-chan delivered it with a slightly troubled tone.

『I know better than anyone how great you are, Kacchan. So please don’t feel so down, okay?』

Next is the scene where Mikoto gently comforts Katsuya after he confesses to his beloved teacher and gets completely rejected. Speaking in her usual gentle and calm tone, Mikoto tries to cheer him up.

『Kyaaah!? Don’t look, Kacchan! My panties today aren’t cute!』

The final scene is where Katsuya accidentally sees her underwear. A moment where her usually laid-back self panics. Ai-chan breathes life into Mikoto with an embarrassed, adorable voice.

A new girl portrayed by Ai-chan. A wonderful voice actress combined with an immensely popular character—together creating an acting performance I’d never seen before.

Watching it up close, my honest reaction was…

“Hmm…?”

I was struck by a strange sensation.

How should I put it… It’s not bad… It’s not bad at all. Ai-chan’s voice is as cute as ever, and her reading isn’t clumsy.

But… something feels off. I can’t quite pinpoint what it is, but… I can’t praise it wholeheartedly like I usually do…

“Hey, Kanata. How was it? My acting. Were there any good points? Things I should fix?”

“Ah, um… well… how should I say this…”

Being asked directly, I hesitated.

I could tell there was something off, but without understanding what it was, I didn’t know what to say.

She must have sensed it from my reaction, because she asked anxiously.

“What is it…? Was something wrong? The way I read it? Or the voice itself?”

“No… it’s not clearly wrong, but… it feels like there’s some kind of discomfort…”

I said it honestly, but there was no way she’d be satisfied with that.

“Discomfort…? Specifically, what felt off?”

“That is… I can’t really put it into words…”

“Ehh!? What do you mean!? Then I don’t know how to fix it!”

That’s a perfectly valid complaint. I’d feel the same in her place.

“Hmm… what should we do then…? Okay, I’ll read it one more time the same way. While listening, can you try figuring out what feels wrong?”

“O-Okay…! I’ll do my best to think it through…!”

I steeled myself, sharpening my senses and preparing to carefully judge her acting.

Ai-chan took a deep breath, then started reading the lines again—

Ping-pong

—Right before that, the doorbell rang.

“Eh… who could that be…? At this hour…”

Hardly anyone ever comes to this house. I don’t have close friends, and I didn’t order anything online. And someone coming this late at night—

『Ai-chaaaan? It’s me Saeki Nene~』

『Hellooo! Rion’s here too~!』

“Huaah!?”

W-What!? Nene-chan and Rinrin!? Why are those two at my house!? I shouldn’t have told them where I live!

No, wait…? They weren’t calling for me—they were calling for Ai-chan. Which means…

“Um… Ai-chan… did you maybe tell them where you live…?”

“Ah, yeah… I told them on LINE before, maybe?”

Are you serious!? She told them my house like it was her own!? Well, I guess it kind of is her home now—but still! Telling them about the place we’re living together!?

“This is bad! At this rate, they’ll find out we’re living together!”

If they found out we were living together, it could lead to misunderstandings.

For her, too, it would be bad if coworkers found out and weird rumors started spreading in the industry. Well, those two probably wouldn’t spread malicious gossip… but they could still let something slip.

“Eh…? But couldn’t we just say 『we were having a meeting about the next job』?”

“No… being alone together at home this late already looks suspicious…”

From what I’ve seen of how managers work at the agency, they don’t usually go to a talent’s home this late. Since those two are voice actresses, they’d know that too…

“Ehh!? Then we have to escape quickly! Ah—but this is technically my house now… Sorry, Kanata! Can you go out for a bit!”

“You can’t just say that all of a sudden!”

While we were arguing so casually—

“Oh. Nene-san, the door’s unlocked. That’s dangerous for a girl…”

“Shall we go inside? It’d be bad if something happened…”

Uwaaa this is bad! They’re coming in!

I could hear Nene-chan and the others walking down the hallway, approaching the living room. This is bad! To escape to another room, I’d have to go into the hallway first—meaning there’s no escape!

“No way! What do we do…? Kanata, is there somewhere you can hide!?”

“Hide!? Where!?”

There’s no closet or anything in this room. There’s nowhere to hide.

This is really it—game over. At this rate, it’ll definitely lead to misunderstandings…!

That’s when Ai-chan spoke in a determined voice.

“If it’s come to this… there’s only one option…! Kanata! Can you crouch down for a second?”

“Huh? Why all of a sudden—”

“Just do it, hurry! There’s no time!”

Her desperate tone left no room for argument. I hurriedly crouched down, not knowing what she was about to do.

Then, in the next instant, Ai-chan moved. Right in front of me, she boldly lifted her long skirt up in one swift motion.

“Nnnn※＠＃％＊!?”

A meaningless sound escaped my mouth in sheer confusion. Her plump, soft thighs and the pink panties she was wearing filled my vision.

Immediately after that, she used her long skirt to completely cover my crouched body. She pulled me into her skirt, hiding me perfectly.

“What are you doing!? Seriously, what are you doing!?”

“There’s nowhere else to hide! Just stay here, Kanata!”

Even so, isn’t this way too bold!? A girl inviting a guy under her skirt on her own!

“B-But you absolutely can’t look at my panties, okay!? Don’t look, no matter what!”

I already did, though…

『Ah! I heard Ai-chan’s voice from over there!』

I could hear Rinrin and Nene-chan jogging down the hallway.

“N-No… they’re already coming! Kanata, stay right there!”

Seriously…! Is this really the only way…!?

Needless to say, being invited under a girl’s skirt was a first for me. Sensations I’d never experienced before assaulted me all at once. Ai-chan’s comforting body heat, the sweet scent of a girl, and in the dim view—her pink panties.

“Guh…!”

Even though I’d already seen it once, I felt it would be wrong to keep staring, so I closed my eyes.

Ahh…… but I’m really inside Ai-chan’s skirt right now……! Right in front of me is the raw panties of my oshi voice actress, something I’ve dreamed about……! This is bad…… I really, really want to look……!

“Ai-chan, good evening!”

“Sorry for coming in so suddenly. The door was unlocked, so we got worried.”

“N-no! Don’t worry about it! I’m the one who should apologize! I didn’t notice……”

Sounds like Rinrin and the others have arrived. From how close their voices are, I can tell they’re right next to Ai-chan.

“For now, why don’t you both sit down……? You can use the sofa over there……”

“Thank you!”

“Then we’ll take you up on that.”

The two of them sit down on the sofa a short distance away. At that moment, I hear Ai-chan’s small, trembling voice.

“Please…… really, please don’t look at my panties……”

A voice shaking with embarrassment…… I can easily imagine her face, bright red.

Feeling genuinely bad, I quietly whisper, “Okay……”

Right after that, she turns her attention back to the two of them.

“Um…… so, what brings you here tonight? And this late, too……”

“That’s what we wanted to talk about! Ai-chan, you’re also auditioning for 『Kimi to Mita Sora』, right? I saw the notification earlier!”

“Actually, we’re auditioning too. I’m going for the sub-heroine role, 『Kayama Chitose』. And Rinrin is auditioning for 『Suzuki Hinako』.”

“Eh, really!? You two are participating as well!?”

I never imagined these two would also be auditioning…… Kayama Chitose is the protagonist’s senior and an older-sister-type character, while Suzuki Hinako is the annoying junior type. Still, it’s a relief none of the roles overlap……

“So we thought, why not practice together today? There’s no recording tomorrow, and if possible, we figured we could do a read-through together.”

Practicing together with three voice actresses……? I see. That does sound tempting.

But…… no. Not now.

If they stay too long for group practice, this situation will be exposed.

Honestly, it’s already pretty bad as it is…… Being forced to crouch in such a cramped space is putting insane strain on my legs. I can’t help but squirm a little.

“I see, that sounds nice…… ah, ngh, hahn……!”

Because of my movement, Ai-chan lets out a suggestive-sounding voice. Of course, the two of them react immediately.

“Ai-chan, is something wrong? You look kind of strange……”

“N-no, it’s nothing—ngh, haaah!”

“W-what is it!? Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”

I hear Rinrin stand up with a clatter. No, this is bad, bad! Don’t come closer! If they approach her now, I’m done for!

“I-it’s not that……! Um, that was…… vocal training!”

“Vocal training……? That moaning sound just now?”

“Y-yeah! Apparently, moaning can be good practice! I think someone said that once!”

“Oh really……? You know a lot, Ai-chan. Maybe I should try it too. Haaahn!”

“I-I guess I will too…… nnghaaahn!”

Thanks to Ai-chan’s bizarre excuse, a completely incomprehensible situation where the girls start moaning at each other is born.

Still…… it seems we managed to fool them somehow. But if this keeps up, my instability will end up causing trouble for Ai-chan again……!

Left with no choice, I wrap both arms around her legs and use them for support. But inevitably…… her panties, her groin, end up right in front of my eyes.

“……!”

I shut my eyes again. But once an image is burned into your mind, it doesn’t disappear so easily. Her panties float vividly in my head, and on top of that, what I’m holding onto are her soft, thick thighs.

This is bad! No matter what I think about, my thoughts keep drifting in a sexual direction……! My breathing starts to grow rough!

And then, that breath brushes against her thigh……

“Nngh, ah…… uuh…… your breath…… nghaah…… it’s hitting a weird spot……!”

“Um…… Ai-chan? Are you okay? Your face looks really red……”

“N-no……! I’m fine—hyaaaahn!?”

“No, you really don’t look fine…… Are you sure you’re not feeling sick……?”

Saying that, Rinrin approaches again.

This is bad bad bad bad! I’m going to be found out, found out, found out!

“S-stop…… ahn! Don’t come closer…… aaahn! I’m, um…… in training right now!”

“Training……? What kind?”

“L-leg strength! While doing vocal practice, I thought I’d train my legs too, so I’ve been standing for four hours straight!”

“F-four hours!? You’ve been standing there the whole time!?”

“I see. During recording sessions, there might be times you have to stand for long periods.”

“I-is that so……? So for voice actresses, leg strength is important too……”

Perhaps her desperation gave her words a strange sense of credibility, because the two of them accept it without question.

“A-anyway! I’m in the middle of my own special training right now! Sorry, but I can’t practice together today! I really appreciate the invitation, though!”

“I see…… understood. Sorry for bothering you.”

“We did come suddenly, after all. We happened to be at the same studio for another job.”

I see…… So they came together because they were already at the same place. Then, after hearing from Ai-chan, they thought about practicing together……

“So, could you head home for today……? I’ll make it up to you another time.”

“Alright. But I’d love to practice together next time. I want us to discuss our characters together too.”

“These characters are a bit tricky for us. Since they all live in the countryside, their love for their hometown is really strong.”

Rinrin’s right. 『Kimizora』 is a story about romance among people living in the countryside. Since Rinrin is from Tokyo, it might be hard for her to empathize with those feelings, which could affect her acting.

“All the characters really cherish their town, don’t they? They have so much fun when they hang out, and when the town is about to be shut down due to depopulation, they band together to protect it. We have to properly express that love for their hometown.”

“That’s true. In that case, maybe we should actually go to the countryside and do some research.”

Rinrin and Nene-chan start discussing things enthusiastically. This is bad…… if this goes on, my presence will eventually be discovered. And if I’m found out now, I’ll be exposed as a complete pervert hiding under a girl’s skirt.

……Honestly, it feels like it would have been a million times better to just explain the situation upfront. But it’s too late for that now. At this point, we have to see it through.

I can feel Ai-chan’s anxiety too. Her legs are trembling in small motions, and somehow, it feels like the panties right in front of me are damp…… probably from sweat.

And then, driven by that anxiety…… Ai-chan makes a proposal to the two of them.

“Then why don’t we all go on a research trip together! To the countryside where this story is set!”

『Eh……?』

The two of them voice their confusion at the sudden suggestion.

“This series is modeled after a rural town called 『Yamakawa Town』! So if we go there, I think we’ll really get a feel for the countryside atmosphere and its charm! My hometown isn’t that rural either, so I don’t totally understand that deep hometown love myself. That’s why I thought it’d be great if we all went together! And if we practice there too, I feel like we’d really grasp the mood of the story!”

Ai-chan rattles all of that off rapidly. Rather than letting them linger here, she’s clearly trying to wrap things up quickly and send them home. And it works.

“Oh! That sounds great! Practicing while doing a pilgrimage to the real-life location!”

“We could build our characters while soaking in the atmosphere of the story! Let’s all go together next time!”

“Then it’s settled! Let’s call it a day for now, okay? I’ll contact you soon once we decide the details!”

“Got it! I’ll mention it to my manager too, just in case!”

“I’m really looking forward to it, Ai-chan!”

Just like that, everything is decided and they immediately move to leave. Rinrin and Nene-chan exit the room, and after I hear the front door close──

──Ai-chan screams in a voice on the verge of tears.

“K-Kanata────! You moved way too much inside my skirt────! Pervert────!”

After that, I crawled out from under her skirt and got scolded by Ai-chan for quite a while.

 

※

 

A few days after the skirt incident, the promise of a pilgrimage was safely carried out.

Choosing a day that worked for everyone, the four of us visited Yamakawa Town, the setting of 『Kimi to Mita Sora』.

“Mmm〜〜! This place is really wonderful〜! The air feels so clean and refreshing〜!”

Nene-chan stretches comfortably, her ample chest swaying as she does.

This town lies at the foot of the mountains, about two hours by train and one hour by bus from the city. Just as she said, you can really feel how clear the air is.

“It’s nice to come to places like this once in a while!”

“I’ve heard that humans need to immerse themselves in nature sometimes too!”

Probably their first time visiting a rural town, the three high school girls are clearly excited. Still, we didn’t come here to play, and this is only a day trip. We can’t afford to take things too slowly.

“For now, let’s walk around the town once. We can practice after we get a feel for the atmosphere.”

At my words, the three of them nod. Leaving the bus stop behind, we head off together to look around the town.

That said, the town is quite small. We finish walking around it in no time. All it has are a small residential area and some old shops, along with the bare minimum facilities needed for daily life, like the town hall and the post office. On the other hand, it’s rich in nature—fields, rivers, and forests everywhere—making it unmistakably rural.

Still, seeing the town like this really gets Nene-chan and Rinrin fired up. That’s because the scenery is exactly the same as what was depicted in 『Kimizora』.

“Ah! That park over there! It’s the same place where Hinako confessed to Katsuya in volume three!”

“Look, look! There’s a candy store over there! The place where everyone always gathered!”

The two of them excitedly point those places out to me.

Yeah, I get it. If you’re a fan of the manga, stuff like this really gets your heart racing.

But, you see… there’s actually something I want to ask.

“Um… why are you two clinging to me so tightly…?”

For a while now, Nene-chan has been holding onto my right arm, and Rinrin my left, leaving me barely able to move. What exactly is the meaning of this…? Honestly, it’s really embarrassing…

“Well, since we’re doing a pilgrimage to deepen our understanding of the characters, we should act just like the heroines in 『Kimizora』. That means making it feel properly harem-like.”

“Exactly. This is part of character building. So we won’t accept any complaints, okay?”

“Is that so…? Is it really…?”

“I won’t lose to you, Rinrin. I’ll be the one flirting with Kanata-kun more. Of course, as practice for playing the heroine!”

“I won’t lose either, Nene-san! I’ll be the one flirting with senpai! Naturally, as practice for playing the heroine!”

Sparks fly between Nene-chan and Rinrin. They cling even tighter to my arms, and along with that, Nene-chan’s generous chest and Rinrin’s modest one press against me—fwoaahhhhhhh!

W-what is this sensation…!? Being sandwiched from both sides by my oshis… this overwhelming feeling of happiness… Is this what they call being surrounded by flowers…!? Th-this is bad, I’m so happy I might get a nosebleed…!

“Jii〜〜……”

“──Hah!”

Sensing a gaze, I turn to the side. There, I find Ai-chan staring at me with half-lidded, displeased eyes.

“Hmph…… Kanata, you’re grinning……”

T-this is bad…! Ai-chan is clearly in a bad mood.

Honestly, seeing other people being all close like that would make anyone uncomfortable. Some people even say it makes them hate the other person enough to want them to explode… Maybe she’s that type too…

If that’s the case, even if it’s for character building, I should stop this before she gets angry…

“Ah, right! Hey, everyone, how about we take a break at the park!? It’s almost lunchtime anyway—we could eat our bento or something…”

“That sounds great! I’m in favor! I was actually getting hungry!”

“I agree too. Let’s fill our stomachs before we start any serious practice.”

They all go along with my suggestion. Alright—this should put an end to the two of them clinging to me.

 

※

 

…Or so I thought, but nope… it didn’t work.

“Here you go, Kanata-kun. Say aa〜h?”

“A-a〜h…”

Even here, I was being flirted with. As practice for playing the heroine.

As we all sat on a blue picnic sheet and ate our bento, Nene-chan scooted closer to me again.

“So? Is this ginger pork good? I did make it myself, you know…”

“Y-yes… it’s really delicious… The seasoning is perfect…”

“Really? I’m glad. Then I’ll make sure you eat plenty. Aーh~”

“No, uh… 『aーh』 isn’t necessary, you know? I can eat by myself…”

“But it’s practice, after all. If I’m going to play the heroine, I need to learn how to flirt more.”

Saying that, Nene-chan brought the food to my mouth again. I gave in and reluctantly opened my mouth once more.

“Fufu. Such a good boy, I’ll keep feeding you like this… until you can’t live without me…”

“That’s going too far! Please don’t think weird things!”

“But you don’t exactly hate it, do you? A〜h~”

“Ugh… a〜h…”

I let her put a piece of rolled omelet into my mouth. It really was shockingly good…!

“A-a・n・d~♪ You can have this too, you know~?”

“Buh!?”

As she spoke, Nene-chan boldly opened her neckline. Her deep cleavage was fully exposed, and her generous boobs bounced enticingly.

“For dessert, it’s my jiggly pudding. Please don’t hold back♪”

“No way I’m eating that!? Please put it away!”

“Fufu…♪ You’re getting all flustered… so cuuute♪”

Nene-chan smiled mischievously. This woman is totally treating me like a toy again…!?

Meanwhile, on the other side, even Rinrin—

“Senpai, I made sandwiches too! Hurry up and feed me—!”

“No, eat them normally yourself!? You don’t need my help for that, right!?”

“It’s fine, isn’t it! I want to get a feel for flirting too! Besides, Senpai’s letting Nene-san feed him!”

“Ugh…! O-okay, fine… then, aーh…”

“Ehehe… aーh… mm~! So yummy~! Thank you, Senpai~!”

Saying that, Rinrin plopped down onto my lap. Somehow, it turned into me giving her a lap pillow.

“I see, so this is flirting~. Being like this with Senpai isn’t so bad, is it?”

“No, Rinrin, that’s not flirting. You’re just lazing around.”

“That’s fine too, isn’t it? Sticking close and lazing around together feels pretty couple-like.”

Well… that might be true, but…

“Nfufu~… Senpai’s lap pillow feels sooo nice~”

She said that and gently rubbed her cheek against me. Her movements were exactly like an affectionate cat.

“Oh. That kind of thing doesn’t sound bad either. Maybe I should’ve done a lap pillow too?”

Please don’t get jealous, Nene-chan. More importantly, could you help me here?

“Jii〜〜… jii〜〜!”

“H-hyaa…!?”

Once again, I felt Ai-chan’s gaze. Maybe because I was getting way too touchy with the other two, she was clearly more upset than before. I need to get out of this situation for now…!

“S-sorry! I need the restroom for a bit!”

“Eh? Kyaa! Senpai, give me more lap pillow~!”

I forcibly pulled myself away from the two so I wouldn’t make Ai-chan any angrier.

And just as I was about to leave—

“I can’t take it anymore… you idiot, Kanata────!”

Shouting that, Ai-chan jumped straight into my chest.

“Eh…!?”

Not understanding what was happening, I froze on the spot.

“U-um… Ai-chan…? What are you doing…?”

“………………”

Burying her face into my stomach, Ai-chan hugged me tightly. She didn’t say anything for a while and just kept clinging to me like that.

W-wha…? What? Suddenly, what’s going on…? Being hugged by my oshi makes me happy, but it’s so sudden that I’m more confused than anything. And besides, Ai-chan is—

“──Weren’t you… angry?”

“…I am angry. Of course I am…”

Ai-chan answered my question and then looked up at my face.

“Because, Kanata, you ignored me and kept flirting with those two the whole time…”

“Eh…?”

That’s why she was mad…? Not because I was being affectionate in public, but because I was ignoring Ai-chan…? In other words, it’s like jealousy…?

“Hey, Kanata! You’re my fan, right? You said I’m your favorite oshi, didn’t you?”

“Y-yeah… of course…! My favorite oshi is Ai-chan…”

“Then look at me properly too. No… I want you to look only at me…”

Ai-chan grabbed my clothes tightly with both hands.

“I don’t want you getting all soft and smiley with other voice actresses…”

“…………!?”

Ai-chan’s lonely, sulky, tear-filled eyes pierced straight into my heart.

Having my oshi tearfully ask me to look at her more—what could possibly stimulate the heart more than that? At the very least, I don’t know anything that could.

“I-I’m sorry, Ai-chan! I’ll give you even more attention from now on—”

“──Or… do I need to do fan service…? I-if that’s the case… I could show you just a little bit of my chest…”

Blushing bright red, Ai-chan tugged at her collar. There was a beautiful, almost hypnotizing cleavage formed by her chest—

“No, wait, wait! You don’t have to do that!”

“T-then…! If it’s just up to my thighs, I could hike my skirt up a little…”

“Don’t rush into things like that! You don’t have to worry, I’m Ai-chan’s fan!”

Desperately appealing to her while averting my eyes to protect my sanity.

“A-Ai-chan… she seems like quite a formidable opponent…”

“As expected of Kanata-kun’s top oshi… But I won’t lose so easily either…”

“You two, don’t just watch—stop Ai-chan—!”

In the end, it took a considerable amount of effort to calm Ai-chan down.

 

※

 

After the commotion. Once we had gotten a general feel for the town, we finally began our practice.

Originally, the plan was for everyone to train their own audition lines individually, but since we were all together anyway, we decided to start with a group practice.

Luckily, there was a scene that included one audition line for each of us, so we chose that as our starting point.

『Ei—! Ei—! Fufu… Sometimes it’s not so bad to play in the river like this and return to our childlike selves~. It feels like my old blood is stirring again… Ei! Yaa!』

『Kyaa!? P-please stop it, Chitose-san! …Jeez… If you’re going to do this, then I won’t hold back either…! I’ll show you the true strength of Hinako, the mermaid of Yamakawa!』

『W-wait, Hina-chan! If you do that, my panties will—Kyaaah!? Don’t look, Kacchan! Today’s panties aren’t cute at all—!』

“Okay, cut! Let’s stop here for now!”

To help them grasp the feeling more realistically, I stopped the three of them, who had been acting while actually standing in the river and pretending to splash water at each other, just like in the scene.

The scene they were acting out depicted the protagonist and heroines—childhood friends—playing and splashing around in the river while reminiscing about their younger days. From outside the river, I occasionally read the protagonist Katsuya’s lines while watching their performance.

This scene was easy for the three of them to act together, and it included lines that all of them would be reading at the audition. That’s why I chose this scene first… but—

“Senpai… how was my Hinako acting…?”

“What should I do to portray Chitose-chan better, I wonder?”

“My Mikoto still isn’t good enough at all, right…?”

The three of them asked me, since I had been watching their acting.

I thought for a moment, then gave them my honest impression.

“Well… I think it’s basically good, but it might be better if it were a bit more natural.”

“Natural…?”

“Yeah. I want you to really dig into and understand the character’s role and emotions, then express that as it is. If you focus too much on ‘acting well’ or ‘creating a certain mood,’ I think the performance ends up feeling forced.”

At my advice, the three of them stared blankly and went, “Hohh~.”

“Wow…! Kanata, you really are my manager…”

“That’s more solid advice than I expected…”

“Yes. That’s very helpful.”

Well, about half of it was something I picked up from others… I was just drawing on articles about acting tips I’d read online. Studying for Ai-chan really paid off…!

“So in this scene, we should show a more natural, genuinely fun feeling?”

“Yeah. I think that would be ideal.”

Their acting right now felt technically solid. But the sense of truly having fun didn’t quite come through.

“Maybe… instead of worrying about acting or lines, we should all actually play in the river together once. Just like the characters.”

If we wanted to start by getting into the right mindset, maybe we needed to forget about acting first. During a previous recording, when Nene-chan and Rinrin had engaged in some yuri teasing with Ai-chan, the quality of her acting improved. Since we were here, it might be good to recreate that situation and experience it firsthand.

“Ah! That sounds nice! Since we’re here anyway, why don’t we all play a bit? I think returning to our childlike selves would help us understand the characters’ feelings better.”

“But we didn’t bring swimsuits or anything, you know? There’s not much we can do…”

“Yeah… If we really start splashing around, our clothes will get soaked…”

“Don’t worry about it, don’t worry! Let’s just have fun for now!”

Saying that, Nene-chan dipped her hand into the river. Then, without hesitation, she scooped up water and splashed it at the other two.

“Kyaa!? It’s cold!”

“Hey, Nene-san!? What are you doing—!”

“Come on~ there’s plenty more where that came from~?”

Smiling, Nene-chan plunged her hand into the water again. Seeing that, the other two went on guard.

“Jeez! I won’t let you! If it’s come to this, I’ll strike first!”

“I-I won’t lose either! I’ll fight too!”

“Fufufu♪ Can you really beat me?”

That provocation from Nene-chan set things off, and soon the three of them were splashing water at each other.

The sight was exactly like a scene from 『Kimizora』, with the heroines playing in the river. If they could make use of this experience, their acting in this scene would definitely feel more natural.

Watching them with relief—thinking that—when suddenly… the incident happened.

“Tch, take this! Nene-san, you’re tougher than I thought—Kyaaah!?”

As Ai-chan tried to put some distance between herself and Nene-chan, she suddenly cried out and fell.

“No way…!? Ai-chan, are you okay!?”

With a splash, Ai-chan collapsed into the water. Worse, she couldn’t get up right away, flailing painfully as she surfaced and sank again. …Did she fall into a deeper part!?

“Ugh…! Guh… help…!”

Ai-chan desperately moved her arms and legs, but she was steadily being swept away by the current.

Damn it! She’s completely drowning!

This river had spots where it suddenly became deep and the current grew fast. She must have stepped into one of those.

Because it looked like just a small river at first glance, we’d all let our guard down.

“Hold on, Ai-chan! I’ll save you!”

“Nene-san! I’m coming too!”

The two of them hurried after the drowning Ai-chan. But even running through the water, they couldn’t catch up to her as she was swept along. They switched to swimming midway, but still fell just short.

This is bad! If I don’t help, Ai-chan’s life could be in danger!

“Uooooh!”

I took off my jacket and chased after her from the shore.

Then I got ahead of her and jumped into the river.

“Ai-chan! Grab onto me—!”

“Uah… guh…!”

Still drowning as she drifted along, Ai-chan spotted me and desperately reached out her hand. I moved closer and reached out to her as well.

And somehow, I managed to grab her hand!

“Hngh… yaaah!”

“Puhah!”

I pulled her toward me with all my strength and dragged her toward the shallow part. Then I carried her out of the river and onto the ground.

“Hah… hah… I really thought I was going to die…”

Lying on the riverbank, Ai-chan desperately caught her breath.

Thankfully, she could talk normally. She probably swallowed some water, but there didn’t seem to be any serious problem.

Thank goodness… I got her out safely…

“Ai-chan! You weren’t drowning too badly, right!? Are you okay!?”

“You’re conscious, right!? You’re okay!?”

Rinrin and Nene-chan, who had come out of the river afterward, rushed over to us. Seeing how deathly worried they looked, I gave them a thumbs-up.

Both of them let out sighs of relief.

“Thank you, you two, for worrying… and Kanata too… you saved me…”

“Don’t worry about it. That’s only natural, right?”

No, really… thank goodness… That situation could’ve turned out seriously bad… We need to be more careful from now on…

“For now… let’s calm down in the shade… Ai-chan, can you stand on your own?”

“Y-yeah. I think I’m okay…”

Saying that, Ai-chan slowly sat up.

But if she had any injuries, that would be serious. She might have cut herself on rocks in the water.

Thinking that, I looked over her body again.

“Eh…?”

That’s when I noticed something critical. Ai-chan’s clothes were soaked and had become see-through.

“…………!”

She was wearing a simple white shirt. Because it was wet, it turned translucent, clearly revealing her pale pink underwear underneath.

No… it wasn’t just Ai-chan. Looking closely, Rinrin and Nene-chan were the same. They must’ve swum in their clothes to save her.

Rinrin’s camisole had slipped aside, fully exposing her bra, while Nene-chan’s blouse clung tightly to her skin, emphasizing the presence of her large chest.

And right now… I was surrounded by three girls with extremely provocative appearances…

“Kanata…? Why are you frozen like that…?”

Sensing something off about me, Ai-chan looked at me suspiciously.

Then she glanced down at herself—

“W-whaaaaat!? N-no way!? My clothes… see-through… totally see-through!?”

Ai-chan hurriedly covered herself with her hands. Seeing that, the other two noticed as well.

“Kyaaah!? We’re the same too!?”

“Oh my… that’s a little embarrassing…”

Rinrin quickly adjusted her camisole to cover herself, while Nene-chan blushed and smiled shyly.

T-this is bad… I need to look away…! But… it’s impossible not to notice!

“K-Kanata! Don’t sneak looks! I absolutely won’t forgive anything perverted, okay!?”

“Y-yes! I’m very sorry!”

This is bad—she noticed! I got scolded! I really need to rein in my worldly desires…!

“Ugh… what should we do about this…? We can’t exactly stay like this…”

“That’s true… It’s a day trip, so we didn’t bring any spare clothes…”

Yeah… staying like this would be a problem. Luckily it’s not cold, but wearing wet clothes for too long could make us sick. We need to dry them somehow, and fast…

As I was worrying about that—

“Wait a second… maybe this is actually a good opportunity…?”

Nene-chan suddenly spoke up.

“A good opportunity…? For what…?”

“Of course, for practicing the service scene.”

『Eh…?』

Ai-chan and Rinrin looked at Nene-chan with puzzled expressions.

“Because right after this in the original manga, doesn’t it go into a scene where the heroines are soaked from the river and start competing over Katsuya? Normally, it’d be too embarrassing to practice a scene like that properly… but in this situation, isn’t it perfect?”

She wasn’t wrong. After the river scene, the original does move into a service scene where the girls, with their clothes soaked and underwear showing through, press themselves onto Katsuya. This situation was pretty similar.

“And there are sexy lines in the audition material too. If you pass, you’ll be acting out scenes like this many times anyway. So wouldn’t it be better to practice now?”

As she said, the original story has tons of service scenes where the three heroines fight over the protagonist. Even if it’s a little embarrassing, practicing would probably help.

No, but… recreating it here is a bit too much…

“I-I think… it might actually be a good idea… Since we’ve already shown Senpai this embarrassing state anyway… we might as well make good use of the opportunity…”

“W-wait, are you two serious!? That kind of perverted stuff is absolutely not okay! It’s unhealthy! And more than anything, it’s way too embarrassing—I can’t do it…!”

“But don’t you think the ones who make it through auditions are the ones who don’t run away from any kind of practice?”

“…! That… does kind of make sense… I want to do anything it takes to pass too…”

The three of them looked at me. Hey, wait. Don’t tell me this is heading toward—!

“Then Kanata, become Katsuya! We’ll tempt you just like in the original, starting now!”

“No, hold on! That’s not good! Scenes like that are—”

“Senpai, you’re being really difficult at a crucial moment! Supporting practice properly is part of your job!”

My job!? Being seduced by girls!?

『Come on, Katsuya-kun… you can look at my boobs as much as you like, you know…?』

“Hey, Nene-chan!? Don’t tell me you’ve already started!?”

『Wow~ Katsuya-senpai, you’re such a pervert~♪ Are you really that curious about your kouhai’s panties? Then I’ll give you a little treat, okay~?』

『K-Kacchan! Being naughty is bad, you know? But if you really can’t hold back… I’ll show you…』

With Nene-chan’s line as the trigger, the other two jumped into acting as well.

Nene-chan pushed her see-through, massive chest toward me. Rinrin lifted her skirt to show her panties. And Ai-chan hiked up her clothes, boldly shaking the chest wrapped in her wet bra right in front of me.

O-oh… ooohhh…! What a ridiculously luxurious situation…! Being tempted this hard by my oshi voice actresses…!

They slowly approached me with inviting expressions, appealing to me just like in the original.

No… not exactly like the original. One of them was even more extreme than in the source…!

『Kacchaaaan… look only at me, okay…? Hah… hah…!』

“Fwauh!?”

Ai-chan lowered herself in front of me and lazily spread her legs apart. The classic M-shaped pose. Her skirt flipped up, exposing her pink panties to the light of day. And of course, those panties were wet from nearly drowning. That meant her most important—and most embarrassing—place was almost visible…!

『Please, Kacchan… come here… I want to join with you in something naughty…!』

Ai-chan placed her index and middle fingers at her crotch and spread them apart. Her eyes looked so lost in lust that it felt like heart symbols might start floating in them.

She’s awakened again…!

『I want you to make my most embarrassing place feel good… hah… hah…!』

“W-wait, Ai-chan! Don’t rush into this!”

『I’ll give you my boobs, my butt, even that place—everything, Kacchan… So let’s feel good together… okay? Let’s do lots of naughty things…?』

This is totally that switch again. She’s completely immersed in the role.

『Wait, Katsuya-kun. Don’t just look at Mikoto, okay? Pay attention to me too.』

『Ignoring your kouhai like that… you’re such a bad senpai, aren’t you? I guess I’ll just have to make sure you can’t think about anyone but me!』

Inspired by Ai-chan, the other two escalated their approaches.

『Katsuya-kun… Come and taste my body…?』

“Uwaa!?”

Nene-chan grabbed my hand and forcefully made me touch her chest. Firmly grown, perfectly round breasts. That unique sensation of massive boobs—both sinking softness and violent elasticity at the same time—made it impossible not to get excited.

『Ah~ my clothes feel gross now that they’re wet. Let’s just take everything off.』

Meanwhile, Rinrin approached while deliberately stripping. Top off, skirt off—she exposed herself down to her underwear, intentionally swaying her chest and hips to provoke me.

Hey, everyone. Even the original doesn’t go this far…! This is escalating way too much!

But the three of them showed no restraint, openly displaying their affection.

『Katsuya-kun! Will you come to like me…?』

『Hey, Senpai… let’s do something naughty together, okay?』

『I… I’m okay with it, if it’s with you, Kacchan…?』

They pressed even closer, appealing to me with everything they had.

Faced with such an ideal—and passionate—situation, I…!

“Ugh… oh… fuaaah…!”

Overwhelmed by excitement, I collapsed.

“Eh…? Huh!? Kanata!? What’s wrong!?”

“Senpai, please stay with us!”

“Kanata-kun!? Are you okay!?”

Their voices gradually grew more distant. And then, I lost consciousness.

 

※

 

After losing consciousness due to Ai-chan and the others’ temptations.

I somehow managed to regain my senses, and with the help of a nearby resident, I had my soaked clothes dried. The elderly lady, seeing us drenched, even kindly let us use her shower.

The warmth of countryside hospitality, and the blessings of nature that were simple yet surprisingly enjoyable. I was able to truly experience why the characters of 『Kimi to mita sora』 cherished their hometown so deeply.

And after thanking the lady, we finally began our serious practice.

『I won’t run away anymore! No matter how painful it gets, no matter how high a wall stands in my way, I will never give up!』

Ai-chan weaves her lines in the same modest park where we had lunch earlier.

With the remaining time set aside for individual practice, I watched her acting as her manager.

『My dream is something I’ll make come true myself! For that, I’m leaving this town…! Even if everyone tries to stop me!』

Those were the lines she was scheduled to perform at the audition. The scene where 『Mikoto tells the protagonist in the park about her resolve to go to Tokyo for the sake of her dream』.

『But I want Katsuya… I want only Katsuya… to keep supporting me… Even if we’re far apart, I want you to think about me…』

In other words, if this scene didn’t work, there was no way she would pass the audition…

『Because I… I love Ichinose Katsuya!』

After delivering the line, Ai-chan froze in place.

Then, after a brief pause, she turned to look at me and asked,

“Um… how was that one…?”

Having just finished performing the same scene for the 37^th time today, Ai-chan asked with a tired expression.

And my answer was…

“Hmm… it still feels like something’s off. I just can’t shake this sense of discomfort…”

“Discomfort, huh… I really don’t get it at all…”

Hearing the same feedback for the 37^th time today, Ai-chan made a visibly dejected face.

“It’s kind of like… your usual cuteness isn’t really coming through, Ai-chan… Are you really acting like you normally do? Is there anything you’re consciously changing…?”

“Not really. I’m doing it the same as always. If there really is something different, I’d like to know too.”

Hmm… I see. Still, it was something I’d felt even during the group practice earlier… There was definitely some kind of unidentified discomfort in Ai-chan’s acting. It didn’t feel like her usual self.

Ever since I first heard Ai-chan’s portrayal of Mikoto, I’d been thinking about it up until today, but I still couldn’t pinpoint the cause.

“Hey… do you think you’re playing this character well yourself…?”

“Eh… me…?”

The performer’s own perception was important when reexamining acting. That was something I wanted to know.

“I, um… honestly, I don’t really have much confidence… Compared to Riko-san, I feel like I just can’t measure up…”

“Riko-san, huh… She really was known as a strong actress…”

Aizawa Riko-san had retired by now, but she was once a top-tier voice actress. Personally, I preferred Ai-chan’s voice, but when it came to acting ability, there was no contest. I’d had my heart stirred more than once by the confession scenes of the heroines Riko-san portrayed. Naturally, her version of Mikoto had been outstanding.

“I loved Riko-san’s acting and watched the 『Kimizora』 anime so many times, but… I think there’s a decisive gap between the Riko-san in my memories and how I act now… You think so too, right, Kanata?”

“That’s…”

Unable to say it outright, I fell silent—and she understood from my reaction alone. She looked down, crestfallen.

“So honestly, it’s kind of painful… I’m happy I got this role, but I keep thinking, 『How can I ever catch up to Riko-san?』 all the time…”

“It might be a tough opponent to catch up to right away…”

“But at the very least, if I can’t act close to her level, there’s no way I’ll pass this audition, right…? There’s no way the director would want someone who’s clearly worse than Riko-san.”

She wasn’t wrong. Especially since this was the main heroine, a certain level of acting skill was definitely required.

“I really wonder how I can get closer to Riko-san… If I don’t find an answer soon, both you and I will get fired…”

“That may be true, but… panicking too much won’t help either…”

The pressure of 『having to catch up to someone you admire as quickly as possible』 could very well dull Ai-chan’s acting even further…

“Anyway! At this point, all we can do is keep practicing until it works…! Somehow, I have to get even a little closer to Riko-san…!”

“…Yeah. Let’s keep practicing a bit longer.”

Believing that continuing to act would eventually reveal something, we returned to practice once more.

However, unfortunately.

Even by the time it was time to leave the town, her acting had not become any more refined.