[Vol 2] A Romantic Comedy About Flirting and Getting Married to a Popular Voice Actress Chapter 4
“Kanata-kun! Thank you so much! Thanks to you, everything worked out!”
When I stopped by Tsubasa Bookstore for the first time in a while, Nene-chan greeted me with a bright smile as she shared the news. It seemed she had successfully won the role in that audition for 『Himemiya Shino』.
“Seriously!? Congratulations!”
“It’s because you were there. Without your advice, I’m sure I wouldn’t have gotten such a good result.”
“N-No! This is all because of Nene-chan’s hard work! I said the same thing back when it was Ai-chan, too.”
But really, I’m glad it worked out. I can’t wait to see Nene-chan’s performance in the anime.
“Fufu. I’ll make sure to thank you properly another time. …Ah, speaking of which…… Is Ai-chan doing okay……?”
With a worried look, Nene-chan asked.
What she was referring to was what happened at the end of our date.
That moment when Nene-chan kissed me—only for Ai-chan, who happened to be passing by, to witness it by sheer coincidence.
Nene-chan was worried that Ai-chan might have gotten angry over that.
“I’m sorry…… I forgot we were outside and went too far……”
“N-No! Nene-chan didn’t do anything wrong! Well, I was surprised, sure……”
Thinking about it calmly, she had probably gotten excited after finally seeing a clear direction for her acting. In that heightened state, she must have kissed me on impulse, the same way she usually teases me in an erotic way…… It was just bad timing.
Who could’ve guessed that Ai-chan would see it……
“So…… how is Ai-chan? She’s not angry or anything……?”
“Ah, yeah. It’s fine. She’s not angry. Ai-chan understands that it was just a kind of joke.”
“I-Is that so……? That’s a relief. ……Though personally, I wouldn’t mind if it wasn’t a joke.”
“That’s exactly why I’m asking you to stop teasing me……”
I replied with a slightly exasperated sigh as Nene-chan gave me a faint, knowing smile.
Still…… I’m glad it seems like I managed to smooth things over.
Because what I just told her…… was actually a complete lie.
※
"Ai-chan, I’m home! I’m back!"
"…………"
After getting home, I called out to Ai-chan, who was sitting in the living room reading her script. But…
"……(hmph)"
She puffed out her cheeks cutely and didn’t reply at all.
Ever since she saw me kissed by Nene-chan, Ai-chan had been openly sulky, avoiding me completely. It had already been about a week since then, yet she still wouldn’t talk to me.
She was probably super, ultra mad at me for getting along with another voice actress while she herself was worrying about her radio program.
I did explain that I was with Nene-chan to help her with work at the time, but—well, it’s understandable that she’d be angry.
Still, we can’t let things stay like this forever. Ai-chan’s radio broadcast is only three days away now. If I don’t help her sort things out, she might struggle during the actual show. Either way, I need to keep talking to her.
"Um… about the voice actress radio show in three days! I’ve been thinking about it a lot, in my own way!"
"…………"
"After all, the charm of a voice actress radio show is the fun, witty banter between voice actors, and those amusing, precious interactions! If you keep that in mind while talking with Mai-san, I think the listeners will really enjoy it!"
"…………"
No good… No matter what I say, Ai-chan just ignores me with a cold attitude. She slightly puffs out her cheeks and turns her face away with a sharp 'hmph'. It’s a reaction I’d never expect from the Ai-chan who usually affirms everything I do and spoils me. Even if this is my fault, it still hurts a little…
But… seeing my oshi make this kind of expression is cute in its own way too, right? Hehehe…
—No, this is not the time to be enjoying myself! I need to do something and get her to forgive me!
"Damn it… if it’s come to this, I’ve got no choice…!"
I mutter quietly so she won’t hear. At this point, I’ll have to use that secret weapon… The trump card I prepared to get Ai-chan to forgive me. I don’t like bribing her with things, but this isn’t the time to be picky!
"By the way, Ai-chan. I actually bought some cake you like as a souvenir… what do you say?"
"……!"
Ai-chan’s shoulders twitched. Oh, nice. That’s the first reaction I’ve gotten today.
"You know, that cake shop on the way to school. I think you like it, right? They still had some left today, so I bought a bunch of different kinds."
"…………"
Pretending to be uninterested, Ai-chan sneaks glances at me. Wow, you’re so obvious. I feel like I’m just one step away from getting a good reaction.
"You can eat all the ones you like. Just take a look at what I got first. See—shortcake, chocolate cake, cheesecake, and there’s more too~"
I take the cakes out of the box and line them up on the table. Ai-chan stares at them with a restless look.
Alright… now that it’s come to this, it’s time for the finishing blow. I pull out the cake I saved for last.
"And then~… Ai-chan’s favorite, Mont Blanc."
"Mont Blanc!?"
She finally gives in. Ai-chan raises her voice and looks at me with sparkling eyes. It’s like her anger was completely blown away by her excitement as she suddenly turns toward me.
"Ah—! It’s true! Mont Blanc! I love Mont Blanc so much! As expected of Kanata, you really know everything about me! Amazing, amazing! I’m really happy! ──A."
Halfway through, Ai-chan realizes something. She probably remembered that she was supposed to be angry.
"…Hmph."
She turns her face away again, then flops down face-first onto the sofa as if to reject me completely.
"Um, Ai-chan? You can eat the Mont Blanc, you know? Of course, all the other cakes too—"
"I-I don’t need them. Cakes just make you gain weight anyway…!"
After saying only that, she goes back to reading her script. Damn it, I thought I was so close…!
In that case, I’ll switch to another approach immediately. I can’t let Ai-chan stay in a bad mood any longer.
"Hey, Ai-chan! Is there anything you want me to do for you!? I’ll do anything, you know? I said 『anything』, okay!?"
"Hmph."
You’re literally 'hmph' out loud now. Please just talk to me normally.
"Um… then what should I do…? Ah, right! Ai-chan, you said before that your legs get tired easily lately, right? In that case, I’ll give you a massage!"
"Hmph."
She doesn’t show much of a reaction. If it’s come to this, I’ll just have to win her gratitude through a massage and get her forgiveness that way!
Thinking that, I reach my hands toward her legs as she lies there.
"Nn…!"
Ai-chan lets out a ticklish-sounding voice. But perhaps remembering what just happened earlier, she doesn’t seem like she’ll talk so easily.
Then I start pressing firmly into the soles of her feet with my fingers.
"Wha—!? Ku…!"
She cries out again, but Ai-chan endures it. Desperate to be forgiven, I keep massaging and loosening her feet.
"Nn… ku… uuuuu…!"
She desperately suppresses her voice. But if I keep this up, it should start to feel good eventually. I’ve seen something like this on TV before.
I continue my amateur massage without worrying about her reactions.
"Nn… ahh… Kanata… hey, stop…!"
"Okaaay, just endure it a bit more~ It’ll start to feel good soon~"
"N-No, really… this is… ahn… stop…!"
"It’s fine, it’s fine… This should be hitting the pressure points properly…"
I knead the soles of her feet over and over. Each time, she desperately holds back her voice.
But I’m so focused on getting her to forgive me that I keep up the pressure without stopping.
As a result, Ai-chan explodes.
"I-I told you… it tickles, so stop already—!"
"Bweh!?"
Ai-chan suddenly moves her leg and lightly kicks me. Her foot lands squarely in my stomach with a dull thud. It doesn’t hurt, but I cry out in surprise.
"Honestly! I’ve been telling you to stop this whole time, haven’t I!? Listen to what I’m saying!"
"S-Sorry…! I guess I got too desperate myself…"
"First of all, you can’t just touch a girl’s body all over without permission! That kind of thing counts as sexual harassment, you know!?"
"Yes… I sincerely apologize…"
I sit in seiza, completely dejected. I was trying to get her to forgive me, but I only ended up making her feel worse.
"I’m really, truly sorry… I didn’t mean to make you angry… I just didn’t know what else to do…"
"Jeez… Kanata, you really are hopeless… But you know, I wasn’t actually angry in the first place…"
"Huh…?"
Her unexpected words leave me frozen as I stare at her. Ai-chan hesitates as she continues speaking.
"It wouldn’t make sense for me to get angry just because you went out with Nene-chan instead of me. You have your own private time too. And I understand that you were with her to help her out."
"T-Then… why haven’t you talked to me lately, Ai-chan…?"
"That’s because… well… I felt lonely."
Ai-chan puffs out her cheeks again.
"Because… you’re my manager, Kanata… And yet, when I was worrying, you went to help another girl… It felt like my manager was being taken away, and that made me lonely!"
Half in tears, Ai-chan pours out the feelings she’d been keeping inside. To me, they sound strangely sweet.
"You’re a special manager to me, Kanata…! You’re my one and only fan…! I want you to always stay my fan, and mine alone!"
My heart warms. Knowing that I’m needed this much fills me with a deep sense of contentment.
"I’m sorry… Kanata… I know this is selfish of me… But no matter what, I just couldn’t shake this uneasy feeling…"
"No… Ai-chan, I’m the one who should be sorry! I really made you feel lonely…!"
To make my oshi feel like this… I really am an unfit manager.
"I should’ve respected your feelings more on a daily basis, Ai-chan… From now on, I’ll be more aware of my role as your manager, and I’ll prioritize you above anyone else. So please… just forgive me this once…"
"Yeah… thank you, Kanata. Just hearing you say that makes me feel relieved."
At last, Ai-chan calmly looked straight at my face. It seems we’ve finally made up.
Thank goodness… Staying on bad terms with Ai-chan is a pain that’s practically torture. My number-one oshi is, without question, Ai-chan.
"I’m really sorry, okay? Ai-chan. From now on, I’ll think properly about you."
"No… I’m sorry too… Normally, I wouldn’t get this angry over something like this… Maybe my emotions were just unstable… There’s also something I’ve been feeling anxious about…"
"I see… That makes sense…"
I don’t even need to ask what she’s anxious about—it has to be the radio recording in a few days. Judging by her expression, she still seems unsure about what she should talk about.
"After all… I’m not good at jobs where I have to be in front of people, aside from acting… The closer the actual broadcast gets, the more anxious I feel… And I don’t really know what kind of things I should say to make the listeners enjoy it…"
"Ai-chan…"
Mai-san’s words—『Let’s work together and entertain the listeners』—seem to be weighing heavily on Ai-chan. As a guest, she’s probably already under pressure, thinking she can’t cause trouble on Mai-san’s program. Being asked to do something so demanding on top of that, it’s only natural she’d feel down.
"What should I do…? What kind of things should I talk about to make the listeners happy…?"
Ai-chan lowers her head, lost deep in thought.
I rack my brain as well, trying to figure out how I can help her—how to free her from this pressure. I think about what she should keep in mind when she speaks on the radio.
And then—suddenly, a voice echoes in my head.
『But I always think about it. As a voice actress, I want to make everyone smile with my voice, anytime.』
"…………!"
Those were Nene-chan’s words. Words that expressed her feelings as a voice actress.
Remembering them, an idea flashes through my mind. Without hesitation, I ask Ai-chan.
"Hey, Ai-chan… What do you want to deliver to your fans?"
"Huh…?"
"With your voice, what do you want your fans to feel?"
It’s a question about Ai-chan’s way of being as a voice actress. A question about her mission.
"What I want to deliver to my fans… When you put it like that, it’s kind of hard to answer…"
Unable to respond right away, Ai-chan falls silent. I continue speaking to her.
"I was thinking… Maybe you need a clear conviction as a voice actress too, Ai-chan."
"A clear conviction…?"
"Like what kind of voice you want to deliver to people as a voice actress. Or what you want fans to feel through your voice—how you want to make them feel. If you have that kind of feeling, I think it can become a guideline for you."
It might not be something people usually think about. But I feel it’s something incredibly important.
"If you have that guideline, then even when you’re doing magazine interviews or radio recordings, you won’t lose track of what you should say, or get so nervous that your mind goes blank."
In fact, that was exactly how Nene-chan was. Even when she saw a lost girl on the verge of tears, she didn’t panic—she calmly used her voice to soothe her. That was because she had that core belief inside her.
"For example, something like 『I want to make everyone smile with my voice,』 or 『I want people to feel happy.』 Even something simple like that is fine…"
"I see…! That makes sense… You’re right, I think I really did forget about that… When I first started aiming to become a voice actress, I was always conscious of it…"
Ai-chan seems to have had a realization. I ask her what kind of feelings she originally had.
"Well… it’s embarrassing to say, but… 『I want to cheer everyone up with my cuteness』… I guess?"
Ai-chan says it with her face bright red. It must be extremely embarrassing for her to say it out loud.
"Cheering everyone up with cuteness, huh. By the way, why did you feel that way?"
"That’s because… when I was younger, I admired Riko-san’s voice…"
Riko-san was a hugely popular female voice actress some time ago. She was the person who inspired Ai-chan to admire voice acting in the first place, and the character Mikoto from 『Kimizora』 that Ai-chan now plays was originally voiced by her.
"I started aiming to become a voice actress because I admired Riko-san’s cute voice and acting. Even on days when something bad happened, just hearing Riko-san’s voice in an anime would instantly cheer me up. She taught me how amazing a cute voice can be."
I completely understand that feeling. Just hearing a cute voice can make you feel happy. Even when your heart is a little worn out, you can bounce back instantly. That’s how much power ‘cuteness’ has.
"So I want to be like Riko-san too. I want people who listen to my voice to think I’m cute. I want to give everyone energy through cuteness! That’s my conviction as a voice actress."
"I see… So you really had thought this through."
As expected of my number-one oshi. She truly held sincere feelings toward her fans.
"But… maybe that’s still weird…? Saying things like 『I want to deliver cuteness』 myself—it honestly feels arrogant…"
"No. I think it’s really great. And first of all, I’m always getting energized by your cuteness, Ai-chan!"
I declare it loudly.
"R-Really…? Thank you…"
Ai-chan’s face turns bright red in earnest. But really—you should be confident about that.
"Hey, Ai-chan. If you have that conviction as a voice actress, then as long as you keep it in mind, I think you’ll be fine. You should be able to handle the radio show too!"
"Y-You think so…? I do feel like I can picture more clearly what I should talk about on the radio now… But… acting aside, I’m not sure if just my normal talking voice would really make people think I’m cute…"
Ai-chan still fidgets uneasily, lacking confidence. I give her a firm push.
"Ai-chan. Isn’t it about time you recognized your own ability? This is something I want to say both as a fan and as your manager… You’re cute even when you’re not acting!"
"…………!"
"I’m the one who listens to your everyday voice more than anyone else. That voice is undeniably cute, and the smile you always show next to me is insanely cute too! Even that sulky expression you had earlier was, honestly, ridiculously cute! I guarantee your cuteness! So have more confidence! If you don’t, you won’t be able to deliver that cuteness to everyone!"
"A-Auu…"
Ai-chan turns even redder than before, steam practically rising from her head. Still, after hearing all that, she seems to understand a little.
"Y-Yeah… you’re right… Everything you say is true, Kanata…!"
Her cheeks flushed, Ai-chan looks like she’s made up her mind.
"I need to have a little more confidence…! If I keep thinking I’m not cute, the listeners will probably sense that too!"
"Yeah, exactly! So you don’t need to put yourself down, Ai-chan. Instead, let’s think together about how to make sure your cuteness properly reaches the listeners!"
"Yeah…! I’ll do my best this time! I won’t repeat the same mistakes I made during the interview! I’ll definitely increase my fans!"
With her resolve firmly strengthened, Ai-chan steels herself. This time, I swear to support her without leaving her side until the day of the broadcast.
※
The day of the radio recording had finally arrived.
We made our way to the designated studio.
"It’s finally the real thing… Ai-chan."
"Yeah… Now that we’re here, there’s no running away anymore…!"
After entering the studio, we chatted in the lobby while waiting for Mai-san.
The time was just before 9 p.m. The broadcast would start at 10 and run for 30 minutes. In other words, in a little over an hour, Ai-chan’s voice would be transmitted nationwide.
"Ai-chan, are you holding up with the nerves? Your heart rate isn’t doing anything crazy, is it?"
"I’m managing for now…! Kanata and I worked out all kinds of countermeasures together, after all…!"
Over the past few days, Ai-chan and I had gone over things thoroughly—how to handle the main purpose of the appearance, promoting 『Kimizora』, and how she should respond when Mai-san threw questions her way.
Of course, since it was a radio show, things wouldn’t always go exactly as planned. We had no idea how the conversation with Mai-san would develop. There was technically a script written by the broadcast writer, but it didn’t contain specific dialogue.
Even so, compared to the earlier interview, we had prepared much more carefully together. That preparation should have turned into confidence.
"And… thanks to you, Kanata, I figured out what kind of mindset I should have when I talk. Even if I get nervous, I think I’ll be okay…!"
"Yeah… If it’s you, Ai-chan, you’ll definitely be fine."
As we were talking—
"Ah—! Ai-chan! Long time no see—!"
Mai-san came running toward us, waving her hand. As always, she had that energetic, loud voice you’d expect from a voice actress.
"Ah, Mai-san! Thank you for having me today!"
"Same here! Let’s liven up the show together!"
Mai-san spoke cheerfully. Somehow, it felt like she’d naturally pull Ai-chan along with that high energy.
"Alright then, I’ll wait in the control room. Ai-chan, I’ll be cheering you on."
"Y-Yeah! Kanata, I’ll do my best!"
"And—Mai-san, please take good care of Ai-chan."
"Leave it to me! Manager-san! We’ll go have some fun together!"
After bowing to Mai-san as well, I moved to the control room where the audio equipment was set up. Inside were the mixers adjusting the sound and the director giving instructions. I joined them, watching the studio through the glass partition.
Inside the studio, Ai-chan, Mai-san, and the broadcast writer were going over their final checks.
"Looks like it’s almost time for the show to start…"
Somehow, I was starting to feel nervous myself. Since it was a live broadcast, there would be no taking anything back if something went wrong. I couldn’t help but seriously worry whether Ai-chan might get hurt even more than she did during the interview.
But then—
"Okay, I’ll start by steering the conversation, and then you can do your announcement after that, Ai-chan."
"Yes! I understand. Please take care of me!"
"Okay! Nice response! —Oh, right! About that topic we talked about before, something to entertain the listeners. Did you come up with anything?"
"Y-Yes! I’m ready! As long as I can create the flow of the conversation—"
Their voices drifted out through the open door, left ajar before the broadcast.
Ai-chan’s face as she talked with Mai-san looked completely calm. Her voice wasn’t shaking, and there didn’t seem to be any problems.
This might actually go well…! My anxiety gradually turned into anticipation.
And then, after a short while—the broadcast began.
※
『Natori Mai no〜 Kirikiri Mai──!』
With Mai-san’s loud and cheerful title call, the radio program begins.
『Whew— it’s started again today! During this time slot, Natori Mai will make your ears blissfully happy! Everyone, enjoy yourselves until your eardrums melt away~!』
Mai-san casually says something terrifying, as usual. She starts off by running the program on her own. Since Ai-chan is the guest, it will be a while before she gets a chance to speak.
『Hey, listen, listen~! Everyone! On my last day off, I went back to my parents’ house for the first time in a while, and—』
As the opening talk, Mai-san shares a personal story. She talks humorously about having dinner with her family after going home, and about how constantly eating out had made her completely forget how to cook.
After that, she moves the program along smoothly—reading letters sent in by listeners, then doing a segment where she reads and responds to submitted worries.
Even though she’s alone, Mai-san never lets the conversation run dry, continuing to talk at high energy. The topics are all about her everyday life, the kind of content fans would love. She’s clearly talking while thinking about how to keep the listeners fully entertained.
And then, once the program has progressed a fair bit, with 15 minutes remaining—
『Alright, let’s move on to the next segment~! It’s time for “Mai-chan’s Next Big Anime”!』
At last, Mai-san brings it up.
『The anime we’re introducing today is the upcoming seasonal anime "Kimizora"! And today, we have as our guest the girl playing the heroine, Shinonome Mikoto—!』
Finally, it’s Ai-chan’s turn.
『So then, please introduce yourself! Ai-chan!』
Most likely following the flow of the script, Mai-san throws the cue to Ai-chan.
I look toward Ai-chan. Worried she might be as nervous as she was during the interview, I watch her closely.
And then—her eyes were closed. As if she were focusing her mind, she quietly shut her mouth and eyes. For a brief moment, I panicked, wondering if she’d somehow fallen asleep during the live broadcast.
But that worry was unnecessary.
Ai-chan suddenly opens her eyes, and then loudly declares—
『E-Everyone──! Ai-chan, I love you────!?』
Facing the microphone, Ai-chan shouts her signature greeting. With energy rivaling Mai-san’s, she fires off her very first line.
『…Pff—!』
Confronted with such an unusual greeting out of nowhere, Mai-san bursts out laughing on the other side.
『Huh—!? U-Um…? Why are you laughing!?』
『Well, I mean… if someone suddenly does that greeting right in front of you, of course I’d laugh! I’d be like, “Huh? What? Is something wrong with your head?”』
『A-Ah… I’m sorry…! Um… well… I worked really hard thinking of it yesterday, so… I really wanted to show it off first thing…!』
『Y-You’re totally tripping over your words! Ai-chan, are you okay〜? Aren’t you way too nervous〜?』
『H-hawawa…… s-s-sorry……!』
Ai-chan’s body and voice tremble as she speaks. As expected, it’s impossible for her to talk without being nervous right from the start, huh…… But it’s only just begun……!
『You don’t have to be that nervous〜. If anything, wanna try some self-suggestion? Come on, repeat after me? Recording isn’t scary at all. I’m not nervous whatsoever』
『R-recording isn’t scary…… I’m not nervous whatsoever……』
『Ai-chan is a strong girl. Ai-chan won’t lose to nervousness』
『Ai-chan is a strong girl. Ai-chan won’t lose to nervousness……』
『Ai-chan loves Natori Mai. She pledges her eternal loyalty』
『A-Ai-chan loves Natori Mai so mu── hey, what are you trying to make me say!? Please don’t try to brainwash me!』
『Ahahahaha! If you can talk that much, you’ll be fine〜. Looks like you’ve finally warmed up, huh?』
『Ah…… you’re right……!』
Just like Mai-san said, thanks to her support, Ai-chan’s trembling settled down. At this rate, she should be able to talk properly!
『Alright then, let’s do it properly this time— please introduce yourself! Ai-chan!』
『Y-yes……! Um…… I’ve been kindly introduced, my name is Aizaki Yuka! I’m called Ai-chan! Today, I’ve come here to promote Kimizora!』
『Ohhh! Nice! You’re full of energy! I totally Ai-chan-love you──!』
『Eh…… eeh!? I-Is this a sudden confession……!?』
『No, why are you getting confused, Ai-chanｗ I just matched it with your greeting!』
『Ah…… s-so that’s what it was……! I didn’t expect to get teased right away……!』
Still looking inexperienced, Ai-chan somehow manages to cling to Mai-san’s talk.
But that’s fine. Ai-chan can’t see it, but I nodded to myself in approval.
What I discussed with Ai-chan beforehand was what she should do during radio talk to make listeners think she’s cute. And the answer was…… simply to be herself.
Rather than showing some manufactured, cutesy persona, she should just say what she wants to do, what she wants to talk about, what she wants to express. That’s what I told Ai-chan.
After all, even if you try some clever tricks during a radio show, the tension and confusion of the real thing would probably make it fall apart anyway. We worked hard together to think up an impactful opening greeting, but aside from that, being normal was fine.
If anything, I judged that it would be safer for her to approach the talk and promotion as her usual “Ai-chan.”
And to begin with, Ai-chan’s voice is cute. Letting her talk excitedly about things she loves with that cute voice──there’s no doubt it would strike the listeners’ hearts. A girl talking passionately about what she loves is cute, after all.
『Alright then, Ai-chan! Let’s move straight on to talking about Kimizora! You seem to really love this work yourself, right?』
『That’s right! I’ve been a huge fan of this series for a long time! I’m just so, so happy that I get to be involved as a voice actress!』
Ai-chan lays bare her preferences and feelings, her sweet voice bouncing with excitement. Seeing that, Mai-san smiles as well.
『I see〜. You really do love Kimizora, huh〜? Then, keep that energy and handle the promotion too!』
『Yes! So first, about Kimizora as a series! It’s a slow-life style romcom about boys and girls living in a quiet rural town, and the interactions between the protagonist and the heroines are really fun!』
With the rapid-fire speech typical of an otaku—yet not hard to understand—Ai-chan talks about the anime’s appeal.
『The original work is a shounen manga, but the romcom depicted within its laid-back atmosphere is really great! There are some slightly lewd scenes too, but the banter itself is genuinely charming! And the occasional serious episodes add just the right accent…… anyway, it’s an incredibly fun story!』
『Yeah yeah! Romcoms really are great〜! But if you like this kind of work…… does that mean Ai-chan likes lewd stuff〜?』
『N-no……! That’s not it at all……! If anything, I’m really bad at lewd acting……』
『Eh, seriously!? But Ai-chan, you’re playing the heroine in this work, right〜? Then you’ve totally gotta be good at it! Come on, try doing some right now〜!』
『Eeh!? I’m supposed to act right here, right now!?』
『Yeah yeah! And it works as promotion too, right? People can get a feel for what the heroine’s like!』
Mai-san threw her a really good pass. She was probably being considerate, helping Ai-chan fulfill her role.
『O-okay…… Then I’ll do a slightly sexy line…… “Kyaaah!? Don't look, Kacchan! My panties today aren't cute!!”』
『Whoa…… so lewd……!』
『H-hey, wait! Don’t get totally turned off like that!』
『No, I’m not turned offｗ I’m notｗ But see? Lewd acting suits you, and it’s cute! Maybe Ai-chan actually has an aptitude for erotic roles〜?』
『Doesn’t that make me sound like some kind of pervert!? But you know, I’ve actually failed really badly at an audition for a lewd role before……』
『Oh? What, what? Is that an interesting story? Come on, tell onee-san about it〜!』
This was something Mai-san had requested beforehand—something that would get the listeners excited. Preparing to tell it, Ai-chan takes a small breath.
『Actually…… I once made a terrible mistake with a line. And it was during an important audition……』
『Oh? What was it? What kind of mistake?』
『Um…… I was supposed to say “Ah! My fruit punch!” but I messed up and said “fruit ch〇npo” instead……』
In that instant, Mai-san bursts out with a “Guhah!?” She probably tried to hold in her laughter, but couldn’t.
『F-fruit ch〇npo…… what even is that……? Pff…… um…… like, bananas and grapes on top……? Nfufu……!』
『Please don’t make people imagine it in detail! Won’t this turn into a broadcast accident!?』
『You’re the one who said it first, Ai-chan!! Man, I never thought a ＪＫ seiyuu would drop dirty jokes…… seriously soaking wet……!』
『M-Mai-san, you’re the one making dirty jokes now! And anyway, I was hoping people would think I was cute from that story…… Getting laughed at isn’t really what I wanted……』
『Seriously!? Huh? How!? Where was the cute part in that!?』
『W-well…… like, “She even messes up lines at auditions, what a cute failure~” kind of……』
『No, that’s a stretch! Fruit ch〇npo is way too much! It’s way too obscene! Hearing something like that come out of a pure, cute ＪＫ seiyuu is just shocking instead!』
『T-that’s not true! Everyone will surely accept it as cute……』
『No no, that won’t work〜! See, everyone agrees, right〜!? Even the staff are giving wry smiles!』
『Eh? I-I’m the weird one here……!? I even made an embarrassing confession and everything……!』
Ai-chan looks utterly shocked. From the surrounding staff, quiet chuckles leak out.
With this reaction, their feelings toward Ai-chan can’t be bad.
She’ll probably be seen as someone natural—cute, but also able to handle a bit of lewdness. An easy-to-accept type……!
『By the way, Ai-chan, are you okay? At this rate, you’re gonna be stuck with a totally lewd image. Wanna try some self-appeal to recover?』
『That’s because of you, Mai-san! But since we’re here, I’ll introduce myself a little more! Um…… what should I talk about……?』
『Ah, then can I ask a question first? Let’s see〜 your favorite food or something?』
『Food? In that case, ramen!』
Taking Mai-san’s pass, Ai-chan answers honestly.
『The kind loaded with vegetables and meat! I love extra-large ramen, and I go out to eat about once a week! Especially on days when I worked extra hard!』
『Ramen!? Huh, that’s kind of unexpected!』
Ai-chan brings out preferences she couldn’t talk about in magazines. Unlike back then, she’s showing her true self now.
『Ai-chan, liking romcom manga and ramen—your tastes are totally like a boy’s!』
『Are they!? But I…… really do like them! So it can’t be helped, right?』
『But the voice and expression you make when talking about what you love are super cute〜! Think the listeners can feel it too? ……Even if your tastes are totally boyish』
『A-are they really that boyish!? Then maybe I should talk about something more girly──』
『Ah, sorry. Time’s up. Alright then, we’ll wrap things up with my new song! “Aishite Koishite Sayounara!”』
『Eeh!? W-wait a second!』
To me, both their voices and their emotional back-and-forth seemed to be bouncing along nicely.
At this rate, Ai-chan’s charm must have reached the listeners at least a little……!
As I quietly make a small fist pump, feeling satisfied, Mai-san’s song starts playing. And just like that, the program ends.
“Good work, Ai-chan! You were really great! Seriously, good job today!”
“N-no, thank you very much…… really, thank you so much!”
Once the broadcast is over, Mai-san praises Ai-chan.
Then Ai-chan turns toward me and waves with a beaming smile. Having finished her job, she looks completely fulfilled.
I respond by sharply raising my thumb toward Ai-chan.
※
The week after the radio recording.
Although they’d been doing a lot of on-camera work lately, Ai-chan and the others were still voice actresses. Today as well, in their usual dubbing studio, they were recording 『Momoiro LIPS』.
『W-wait, senpais……! Are you really going to do something like this……!? Um…… showing our bodies to each other, the three of us……!』
『But if you really want to understand your own body properly, it’s easier if everyone compares together, right?』
『I’m embarrassed too, but…… I agree with that opinion. The more samples, the better』
To the question from Akiyama Rika, the kouhai role played by Ai-chan, Nene-chan and Rinrin—who play Mikusa Kanon and Segawa Mio—respond.
This episode is about three girls who are overly curious about sex closely observing each other’s bodies. Ignoring Rika’s attempts to stop them, Kanon and Mio take off their uniforms.
『Waa……! Mio, your waist is super slim……! You’re so slender, I’m jealous……』
『You’re one to talk—why are your boobs so big……? Are you mocking me or something……?』
The two of them touch each other’s bodies. Hands slide over pale stomachs, fingers press against breasts through underwear. Even in the control room, those images rise vividly in my mind.
『Alright. You’re next, Rika, okay? Hurry up and take off your jacket and show us』
『It’s fine…… If we all undress together, it’s not embarrassing, right?』
『U-uuugh…… F-fine already! I just have to take everything off, right!?』
Giving up in frustration, Rika strips off all her clothes.
At that moment, a loud voice rings out.
“Okay, that’s good! We got the audio! Nice work getting through the part-A!”
With that scene, the part-A—the first half of the anime—finishes recording. That marks a temporary stopping point.
“Alright, please take a short break. After that, we’ll start with a test run of the part-B.”
At the sound director’s instruction, the tension eases. I leave the control room to go thank Ai-chan and the others.
Just then, they’re coming out of the recording booth as well.
“Fufu…… Ai-chan, that last shout was really good, you know? As expected of someone who boosted her popularity on Mai-san’s radio show.”
“N-Nene-chan…… please don’t say that…… It’s embarrassing.”
“But that broadcast was really fun! Thanks to that, I’m sure Kimizora’s viewership will increase too!”
“R-really……? Thank you. If that happens, I’d be really happy…… eheh……”
They were talking about Mai-san’s radio show that Ai-chan appeared on.
Apparently, Nene-chan and Rinrin had listened to it as well. Ever since meeting Ai-chan today, they’d been praising her over and over.
“Actually, there’s been a bit of reaction on ＳＮＳ too, you know? Fans of Mai-san’s radio have been tweeting about Ai-chan as well!”
“Ah, yeah, I saw some of that too. Stuff like 『Didn’t know her before, but her voice is cute—might keep an eye on her』 or 『The gap between her cute voice and her bold tastes is really nice』.”
“R-really……? Really……!?”
It seems Ai-chan’s goal of 『wanting to cheer people up with her cuteness』 has been achieved, at least a little. After all, people other than me have started calling Ai-chan 『cute』.
“Ah, Kanata! Hey, listen, listen! It seems like I got noticed, even if just a little!”
“Yeah……! That’s really great. All your hard work paid off.”
Noticing me, Ai-chan blooms into a smile and hops toward me. I lightly pat her on the head.
I’d also checked the ＳＮＳ reactions related to Mai-san’s radio show. Among listeners, Ai-chan seems to be understood as a 『slightly airheaded, but cute and nice girl who understands what guys like』. It’s pretty much exactly what we were aiming for, so I couldn’t be happier.
But there’s still more good news.
“Oh, and there’s something I want to tell everyone. I was thinking of bringing it up after the recording, but……”
“Eh? What is it? Did something good happen?”
“Is it about work? Did something come up related to Kimizora?”
“Not quite. It’s close, but a bit different. Some impressions of the magazine you three appeared in are starting to come out.”
『!?』
All three of them focus on the smartphone I hold up. It’s about 『Seiyuu Champion』, the magazine they were interviewed for.
Coincidentally, the issue featuring their interview went on sale today. After this, we were planning to visit Nene-chan’s place—which doubles as a bookstore—to read it together, but…… opinions about them were already appearing online.
“Well, it’s just a few voice-actor fans posting their thoughts for now. Since we’re here, want to take a quick look?”
I hand the phone to Ai-chan. All three of them stare at the screen, completely absorbed.
“Wow…… amazing! 『Their dress looks in the poster is cute!』 『Ai-chan’s interview is so panicked it actually makes me want to support her』……! There are positive opinions!”
“They wrote about me too! 『Trying way too hard to be cutesy, lol』 『But you can tell she’s really doing her best, so I like her』—they totally saw through my act!? But…… it seems like they like me anyway……!”
“L-let’s see, mine says…… 『Her fake ojou-sama vibe is kind of funny,』 『Her voice is so sexy I want her to step on me!』 Fufu……♪ I’m glad people took an interest.”
All three of them repeatedly check the positive comments about themselves. Ai-chan in particular seems especially happy, since she had thought she’d failed at that job.
“This magazine probably helped the three of you gain new fans. At the very least, your name recognition has gone up. Use this as motivation and keep doing your best at work from here on out.”
“Yeah! Thanks, Kanata! I’m fired up for the part-B recording now!”
“Alright! Let’s keep it up after this too! Let’s aim for no retakes!”
“For the people who took an interest in us, we need to give them a really good performance.”
Ai-chan and the others are burning with enthusiasm—you can almost see it. Right then, instructions come in.
“Excuse me! Break’s over. Let’s start the parr-B!”
『Haii!』
They reply and head back toward the recording booth.
“Ah—Ai-chan, wait a second.”
Just before that, I quietly call out to Ai-chan alone.
“Huh? Kanata, what’s up?”
“Yeah. Actually, there’s one more thing I want to talk to you about…… do you have any plans after the recording? I’d like you to come to the agency with me.”
“Yeah, that’s fine, but…… could it be a work-related thing……!?”
Ai-chan asks with eyes full of anticipation. I nod firmly.
“Yeah. Actually, you’ve been invited to a new audition. Maybe the effects of the magazine and the radio show are already starting to show.”
Putting today’s magazine aside, at the very least, her radio appearance and the fact that she’s playing the heroine of a popular series should be raising Ai-chan’s value.
“Like you saw earlier, fans other than me are starting to appear. I’m sure your popularity will keep growing from here on out! You’re just a little closer to becoming a top voice actress now!”
“R-really……!? Am I really getting closer……?”
“Yeah. I think there’s still a long road ahead. But you’re definitely moving forward. So I want you to keep at it. I’ll support you even more than before.”
I place my hand on Ai-chan’s shoulder. I swear in my heart that I’ll never let her feel that kind of loneliness again.
“Yeah……! I’ll do my best for you too, Kanata! I’ll work hard to repay you—the one who became my fan first!”
Ai-chan tightly grips my hand.
“Even if, someday, I end up with tons and tons of fans…… Kanata, you’ll always be my one-and-only special fan!”
“Ai-chan……”
“The truly special fan who supported me from the very beginning. The best fan, and the best manager…… I’ll always stay right by your side, Kanata.”
Ai-chan leans her body against mine and looks up at me.
“I…… really love you, Kanata!”
With a bright grin, Ai-chan smiles widely.
Her lively, bouncing voice—colored by that smile—was the cutest voice imaginable.
It was the ultimate voice of my oshi.
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