Master of the Machete Style Manga

Chapter 158 Who Successfully Stole the Food?! (6000 words)
While Sakamoto Ken was looking at his phone, Mikazuki Haruna also picked up her phone and looked at it.

However, she opened Natsume Mio's chat interface.

The latest messages were from Natsume Mio, which she hadn't replied to yet, but had checked repeatedly.

Natsume Mio: "I made Ken's bento again! We just finished eating together~ /Happy"

Mio Natsume: "Ken said it's delicious and wants me to make it with him every day~"

He sent her those two messages out of the blue, completely out of the blue.

The first sentence was about bento boxes, and the next sentence was something like "I make them with him every day." What do they make?!

It couldn't possibly be sex, could it?

In fact, Haruna Mikazuki is more inclined to believe that Mio Natsume was deliberately showing off her relationship with Ken Sakamoto.

Actually, that's impossible... right?

Thinking about this, even Mikazuki Haruna herself wasn't sure.

Just as I was thinking this, Ken Sakamoto said, "President Mikazuki, I have something to tell you about the anime."

Mikazuki Haruna was slightly taken aback, somewhat surprised by Sakamoto Ken's sudden change of topic, and even deliberately used the title "President Mikazuki".

However, now that he's brought the topic back to animation, it's his territory now.

"Oh? What else? Go ahead and say it," Mikazuki Haruna said, adopting the air of a company president. "As for the animation, I'm the sole investor. If you have any requirements for the content, I can directly mention them to Director Mizushima."

She specifically emphasized "exclusive investment" to remind Ken Sakamoto that she was the one who held the power.

Ken Sakamoto nodded and said, "Then let Mio be the voice actress for Makima."

"Huh?" Mikazuki Haruna was stunned for several seconds.

She never expected that Ken Sakamoto would directly ask her here to let Mio Natsume be a voice actress!

Haruna Mikazuki's smile froze instantly: "You... what did you say?"

Is having Mio Natsume voice Makima a way of letting her make the arrangements?

Mikazuki Haruna was well aware that Natsume Mio had been preparing for this all along.

She not only specially dyed her hair a striking reddish-pink color and got the same hairstyle as Machima, but also landed the voice-over job for the promotional video and was always hanging around in front of A-Jian.

Haruna clearly remembers Natsume Mio's smug look back at the studio.

Undeniably, in terms of effect, the voice that Natsume Mio imitated in that short film did have a bit of the Machima vibe, and it was very close to her imagination of the character Machima.

but!

Could we let her be the voice actress for this role?

Haruna Mikazuki secured the animation project for "Chainsaw Man".

One of the objectives was to at least exclude that guy.

Haruna Mikazuki felt she knew exactly what Mio Natsume was thinking.

She wasn't after the voice acting job at all; her real purpose was to use the job to get close to A-Jian and gradually, more deeply, infiltrate his life.

She must have been thinking that if this happened, Ken Sakamoto would fall in love with her.

Haruna Mikazuki could even imagine that if she really succeeded, that guy would probably use excuses like "rehearsing lines," "studying characters," and "analyzing emotions" to openly go to the studio to find Ken and even ask him out!

But now...

Ken Sakamoto actually took the initiative to make this request to her.

What does this mean?
Haruna Mikazuki's heart sank.

The two messages from Natsume Mio resurfaced in her mind.

"He wants me to do it with him every day~"

Is it...

That guy, he already succeeded in stealing the food?!

That's why Ken is now so infatuated with Natsume Mio, even going so far as to fight for such an important role for her right in front of him.
Mikazuki Haruna opened her mouth, completely unsure how to respond to Sakamoto Ken's words.

Ken Sakamoto had been observing her expression discreetly and had long anticipated Haruna's reaction.

He pressed on, saying, "You've heard Mio's voice acting, haven't you?"

He spoke calmly, as if discussing a perfectly normal job: "The promotional video was very effective, and her voice perfectly matched the image of Machima."

Then, leaning slightly forward, he looked directly into Mikazuki Haruna's eyes across the large executive desk, as if he were the boss: "I think no other voice actor can compare to her understanding of this character."

Ken Sakamoto got up, walked around the desk, came to Haruna Mikazuki, and plopped down on the sofa next to her.

The distance between the two instantly closed, especially when Sakamoto Ken sat down heavily, the whole sofa shook.

It also brought a breeze, and you could smell a refreshing scent that made you feel somewhat at ease.

Even though the office air conditioning was on full blast, she felt her cheeks burning.

She subconsciously brought her legs together, her knees, covered in black stockings, rubbed against each other, sending a slight shiver through her.

Ken Sakamoto continued, "President Haruna must also hope that the Chainsaw Man animation project will be more successful, after all, this project is burning through your money."

Haruna Mikazuki crossed her arms and looked at Ken Sakamoto with some displeasure, saying, "Did she say something to you that made you do this?"

Ken Sakamoto shook his head slightly and said, "I just wanted to make my work more successful."

Haruna looked at Ken Sakamoto, who had a very serious expression on his face, as if he were recommending a talented person.

This matter-of-fact tone...

“Heh…” Mikazuki Haruna let out a cold laugh. She put on the airs of a company president, leaned back in her chair, and said, “I know she wants to be the voice actress for Makima, but, Sakamoto-sensei, this is an S-class investment, aiming for the current season’s top spot.”

“In projects like this,” Haruna Mikazuki continued, “the lead voice actors do more than just voice the characters; they also have to handle a lot of promotional work and even sing the theme song.”

"Natsume Mio? Even if she can voice Makima, can she sing? And even if she can sing, she has absolutely no fame. Why don't I use a famous voice actress who already has a fan base?"

Sakamoto Ken smiled slightly and said, "Isn't this your independent investment? Since you are an independent investor, you should have the final say on the selection of the entire production team."

"That won't do. The director and screenwriter are both industry leaders, and they have clear standards for choosing voice actors. Even I can't just throw people in." Mikazuki Haruna pouted and looked to the other side.

He muttered to himself: But it's okay to arbitrarily exclude people.

“Oh? The standard?” Sakamoto Ken asked.

"Did you think I was just brushing you off earlier?"

Haruna Mikazuki got up. She had originally intended to put on the high heels that were placed next to the sofa, but finding it too troublesome, she simply walked to the desk. She opened a drawer and took out a folder.

“See for yourself, there are meeting minutes here,” Mikazuki Haruna said.

“These things weren’t mentioned in the last meeting,” Kenjiro Sakamoto said.

Haruna Mikazuki said, "You only attended one meeting. Of course, they had already held many meetings and discussed this before."

Then Mikazuki Haruna looked at the meeting minutes and said, "First and foremost, of course, is professional ability. You have to participate in auditions and compete with all the voice actors who are auditioning."

"In addition, we will give priority to voice actors with influence and fans, and we are already in contact with several voice actor agencies."

"But the most important thing is that the main voice actor will sing the theme song later, so vocal ability is an important criterion. If Natsume Mio can only voice Makima, she definitely won't be selected."

Ken Sakamoto picked up the folder, opened it, and looked at it carefully. There really was a record of the selection criteria inside, just as she had said.

Ken Sakamoto put down the meeting minutes and said to Haruna Mikazuki, "How about this, let Mio compete fairly for the voice acting role, and you shouldn't let personal grudges affect the selection of the role."

Haruna Mikazuki muttered to herself, "You really want her involved that much?"

Ken Sakamoto said, "I did promise her, and since I made a promise, I can't go back on my word, right?"

She said with great certainty, "But she definitely won't be selected. You've seen the standards. We've contacted well-known voice acting agencies. She's just a newcomer, what makes her stand out from the competition?"

Ken Sakamoto calmly asked, "How long until the voice actors are selected?"

“Take a look through the folder,” Mikazuki Haruna said, pointing to the folder. “The meeting minutes contain a rough timetable.”

Sakamoto Kenji flipped to the back as instructed and found a project schedule.

"Three months later..."

Ken Sakamoto estimated that three months might not seem like a long time, but it was actually enough.

Consider that his Chainsaw Man has only been around for two months. Now that we live in the age of internet communication, it doesn't even need three months. You can become famous in just three weeks.

“Then it’s settled,” Sakamoto Ken said. “Don’t try to make it impossible for her to pass.”

"Are you really that confident in her?" Mikazuki Haruna felt a little insecure because of his confident demeanor. "She only studied the character of Makima for a long time because of you, so her voice acting felt particularly fitting for Makima's image."

"She's a complete newcomer. She's never done voice acting for an animation project before, and she doesn't have any music or fans. Even if I didn't participate at all, she definitely wouldn't pass the final audition."

Sakamoto Ken simply stared quietly at the girl in front of him. Feeling his direct gaze, Mikazuki Haruna felt itchy all over, as if this guy was touching her entire body with his eyes.

She turned her head slightly and said, "I agree. If she passes the interview, I have no objections."

Ken Sakamoto nodded in satisfaction: "Very good, it's a deal."

"Huh?" Mikazuki Haruna was surprised by Sakamoto Ken's confidence. "You're so sure she can win?"

“I just believe in fair competition.” Sakamoto Ken stood up and began tidying up the storyboards on the table. “Since President Mikazuki has promised to give everyone a fair chance, then I have nothing to worry about.”

Haruna Mikazuki immediately seized on the loophole in his words: "Wait! So you want to help her? How do you plan to help her?!"

She quickly went around the table and took a few steps to stand in front of Sakamoto Ken, tilting her small face up to question him.

Ken Sakamoto looked at the girl so close to him; her pouty expression was rather cute, and since she wasn't wearing heels, she suddenly seemed shorter. He deliberately leaned down slightly, closing the distance between them, and whispered in her ear, "Are you worried that if I help her, she'll pass the interview?"

“I…” Mikazuki Haruna felt a tickle on her ear from his hot breath and subconsciously took a half step back, but she couldn’t lose in terms of momentum. “Tch, there are only three months. She can’t possibly take on several anime voice acting jobs now, right? Even if she did, it would be too late. Anime that are only doing voice acting now definitely haven’t aired before the audition.”

She crossed her arms, with an expression that said, "I've seen through everything."

Ken Sakamoto simply shrugged and put the storyboard into his backpack: "I have my own way of doing things."

At the beginning of this cycle, Kenichi Sakamoto was focused on his manga, aiming to create a future bestseller, earn a substantial sum of money, and gain the upper hand in the chaotic situation.

After all, although he had some PTSD when he first met them, he never actually considered giving up on the idea of ​​winning them over.

Now, two months have passed, and I have inevitably come into contact with them.

Ken Sakamoto was certain that they all had very complex and profound feelings for him, but if he had to say who he spent the most time with last week, it would have to be Mio Natsume.

Back when he was at his lowest point, Mio was willing to squeeze into that dilapidated apartment with him.

Sometimes, even when the two went out on dates and booked hotel rooms, Natsume Mio would pay for it with the money she earned from her part-time job...

Now his own manga is on track, and Natsume Mio actually has that potential.

For example... becoming a singer.

Haruna's words reminded him.

The criteria for selecting voice actors include not only dubbing skills but also vocal abilities.

All famous voice actors are also singers.

Mio is a freshman in the vocal music club. This is her major, so her basic skills are not bad, and her voice is very beautiful.

What she lacks is a truly excellent song; after all, it's difficult to gain real recognition simply by covering songs.

Ken Sakamoto's advantage lies in having very detailed memories of the previous timeline; what he stores in his mind is not just the manga.

He remembers many songs that will become popular throughout the country and even the world in the next few years.

Although he doesn't understand music and his singing is only at the level of a 70-point karaoke machine.

But... he remembers the lyrics.

Moreover, he can hum a rough melody.

With Natsume Mio's professional skills, she should be able to perfect the song.

If all else fails, just hire a professional arranger to enrich the melody, and you'll have a complete song!
Three months is enough time.

Let alone three months, in this internet age, if done properly, three weeks is enough for someone to become famous.

Ken Sakamoto wasn't in a rush for quick results; he set his sights on three months.

Right now, Ken Sakamoto already has several phenomenal songs in mind.

Ken Sakamoto checked the time, picked up his backpack, and said to Haruna Mikazuki, "Speaking of which, President Mikazuki, we've already discussed the works, shouldn't you let me go back now?"

When Mikazuki Haruna heard that he was leaving, she immediately panicked and blurted out, "You're going to see her later?!"

Ken Sakamoto shook his head: "I'm back at the studio, I'm busy."

"I'll have Hanabe drive you there!"

"No, I'll go back by myself." Ken Sakamoto looked at the girl blocking his way, shook his head helplessly, and said, "President, I'm not lying to you, I didn't make plans with Mio today at all."

“But just now…” Sakamoto Ken rubbed his temples and said in a perfectly casual tone, “I had a strange dream while I was taking a nap here.”

"A dream?" Mikazuki Haruna's attention was indeed diverted.

“Hmm.” Ken Sakamoto’s gaze became somewhat meaningful. “I dreamt that… someone did something very horrible to me.”

He emphasized the word "person" very much.

"Eh?!"

Mikazuki Haruna was slightly taken aback, and the incredibly realistic dream scene from just now immediately appeared before her eyes!
She instinctively retorted, "What are you talking about! Did you sleep here and... had some weird erotic dream?"

Ken Sakamoto did not answer, but slowly lowered his gaze to the girl's feet, which were covered in black stockings.

"?!"

Mikazuki Haruna, as if bitten on the toe by Sakamoto Ken's gaze, quickly took two steps back.

The girl's cheeks flushed bright red instantly, and she stammered, "Why...why are you looking at my feet?!"

Her mind was a complete mess!
How could he know? !

Could it be that she also had a strange dream? And we even dreamed about the same thing...?

Ken Sakamoto chuckled and shook his head: "It's nothing, how could your little feet be so nimble..."

"Huh? Agile...flexible??"

Mikazuki Haruna stared wide-eyed at Sakamoto Ken, but he just looked like he knew everything but wouldn't say anything.

wrong!

If he dreams of me, and even dreams of me stepping on him, then it means that he is the one who is strange.

His dream is his dream, what does it have to do with me?

Mikazuki Haruna convinced herself.

The girl, Haruna Mikazuki, blushed and said, "You...you can go back! I never intended to lock you up here!"

She quickly picked up the internal phone on her desk and dialed a number: "Hanabe, unlock the door."

Less than a minute after she finished speaking, Ken Sakamoto heard a soft "click" from the office door in front of him.

Ken Sakamoto picked up his backpack and waved to Haruna Mikazuki: "Well then, President, see you next time."

He opened the door and walked out without pausing.

Mikazuki Haruna stood there, watching his figure disappear through the doorway. She looked down at her feet and unconsciously curled her toes, feeling a strange sensation lingering beneath them.

She even sat back down on the sofa, put her feet on her knees, and carefully examined the silk fabric to make sure there was nothing on it...

That means it was just a dream...

"Damn it! That guy, he definitely said that on purpose!"

……

Ken Sakamoto walked out of the building.

That struggle just now was much more tiring than drawing storyboards all morning.

However, everything is under control.

Haruna Mikazuki still felt he should go see Mio Natsume again, but what he really wanted to do right now was lie down and rest for a while, catch his breath, and then get up to continue his work.

I've been staying up all night, and I can't even have a peaceful dream when I take a nap in the afternoon. Not only did I get kicked twice by her, but I also bumped my head.

Although he wasn't injured in real life, the crisp cracking sound on the back of his head still sent shivers down his spine.

However, it must have left a deep impression on her again, after all, it had been some time since her dream with him.

Just now, Ken Sakamoto noticed that Haruna was looking at him with a lingering fear, as if she had just seen a monster.

Instead of taking a taxi, Ken Sakamoto walked to the tram stop next to him and boarded the tram.

Arriving at the familiar Akihabara Station, he didn't immediately return to his studio. Instead, he browsed around the bookstores near the platform and discovered that an advertisement for the release of the Chainsaw Man manga had been hung next to the shelf of action-packed manga. It would officially go on sale in a few days.

Half an hour later, he walked back to the residential area where his studio was located.

Sakamoto Ken was in a fairly good mood as he walked through the quiet residential alleyways.

Today's trip was a bit unexpected, for example, the "president" we originally expected turned out to be Mikazuki Haruna.

For example, in the afternoon dream, I didn't see Hoshino Ai. Instead, I entered the scene from the previous week where I was locked in a room by Haruna to finish my manuscript, and then she teased me.

The only slight pity is that this guy was too impatient. When he pounced, he didn't know his own strength and knocked the whole chair over, causing his head to hit the floor and wake him up immediately.

Otherwise, that dream at noon would have left an even deeper impression on her.

Ken Sakamoto hummed a tune from the previous playthrough, and it was very fitting for the occasion.

"梦ならばどれほどよかったでしょう." (It would be great if all this was a dream)
"无だにあなたのことを梦にみる." (I can still meet you in my dreams)
"Forgetting things, taking things back." (Like retrieving forgotten things)
"Ok?"

Sakamoto Ken suddenly stopped in his tracks after singing only the third line of "Lemon".

He happened to walk to the convenience store next to the studio, and his eyes subconsciously swept over the small parking lot next to it.

A familiar black Toyota sedan is quietly parked in the parking space.

Ken Sakamoto's heart skipped a beat.

At that moment, the driver's side window slowly rolled down.

Inside the car, Ai Hoshino rested her chin on her hand, looking at him calmly.

Ken Sakamoto: "..."

Ai Hoshino raised her chin slightly, staring straight at him, and spoke softly without any unnecessary words.

"Come up."

(End of this chapter)