Tokyo: Oreimo

"Is Saturday okay?"

"Sure..." Shizuka Hayakawa said, holding her phone and typing a text message.

She was lying face down on the bed, with Hayakawa Rumi already asleep next to her.

The girl buried her face in the pillow, her cheeks slightly flushed from the warmth of the room. After hesitating for a moment, she added a sentence to the end of her reply text message.

"Sure, also, the song that Takashiro wrote for me is finished. Would you like to listen to it? The company has arranged for me to participate in a stage performance, and we'll be rehearsing internally beforehand."

After clicking the send button, Hayakawa Shizuka curled up in a ball on the bed.

Since their last parting, she has spent a great deal of effort rearranging and recording the song "No, Thank You" that Ryosuke gave her, and the final result was quite pleasing.

After sending the audio demo to the company, I quickly received positive feedback from the manager.

In short, I was able to continue my music career, all thanks to Ryosuke.

"Was sending it like this a bit too frivolous?"

Hayakawa Shizuka felt a little regretful. She knew the other person had something important to ask her, but she still took up the other person's time.

"He must be quite busy, right?"

She was somewhat uneasy, yet at the same time eagerly awaiting Ryosuke's response.

Soon, the phone screen lit up with the notification light of a received text message.

The girl nervously clicked to view the information.

“No problem, I thought this song would suit you perfectly, and I’d like to hear it.”

Shizuka Hayakawa lightly swung her fist in bed, a look of excitement on her face.

She wanted to continue the conversation with Ryosuke about this topic, but the noise she made unexpectedly startled Hayakawa Rumi, who was sleeping soundly next to her.

The older sister turned around and saw her younger sister hugging her phone and grinning foolishly.

"Shizuka, you can't stay up this late. If you want to play, wait until tomorrow morning... Give me your phone."

"Wait! Sister!"

Hayakawa Shizuka let out a wail, but received no sympathy from her sister and had her phone ruthlessly taken away.

Ryosuke waited for a while and, finding that the other party had not replied to the message, placed his phone on the bedside table.

I guess she's asleep?

He glanced at the clock; it was almost midnight.

Lately, I've been staying up late frequently, which has disrupted my biological clock. Even though it's time to sleep, Ryosuke still can't feel sleepy.

But he still chose to lie down on the bed and force himself to fall asleep.

......

Early the next morning, Hayakawa Shizuka went out with her sister, parted ways at the station, and went to the company alone.

The entertainment company she works for mainly focuses on the animation industry, and its idols are mostly developed within the ACG (Anime, Comics, and Games) cultural circle. It is called Tokyo Stardust Promotion Co., Ltd., or SP for short.

The company was small and located in Shibuya, Tokyo. When Shizuka Hayakawa pushed open the door, the receptionist at the front desk seemed quite surprised.

Because I need to compose music for Ryosuke, I specifically asked my manager for a period of leave. If there are no unexpected events, she should report back on the weekend.

"I discussed it with Uncle Ito, but it was about something else."

After a brief conversation with the receptionist, Hayakawa Shizuka entered the company premises, passing by the training room, where she could see many girls training through the glass.

Soon, she stepped into the office of her agent, Shinpei Ito.

"You're here quite early, Shizuka."

Sitting in the office chair was a middle-aged man with a full beard, a freshly lit cigarette dangling from his hand.

"It's quite surprising that our own artists would recommend business to the company."

"It's a favor from a friend, so I'll have to trouble Uncle Ito. They've only specified the cheapest newcomers."

For companies, the most profitable ones are naturally those deep-pocketed enterprises that hire famous voice actors, and their affiliated agencies can also get a higher commission.

As for newcomers, most of them are novices, so their fees are quite low. Even if the commission exceeds 50%, the profit is still less than a fraction of that of established voice actors.

"That's not a big deal."

Ito waved his hand, and the cigarette butt fell off his cigarette and landed on the table.

Instead of saying such polite things, why don't you sing some decent songs, something like the one you sang for me before?

Ito glanced meaningfully at Hayakawa Shizuka.

As one of his artists, he had previously caused quite a stir on commercial performance stages, resulting in a lot of trouble for the company.

Even though he argued his case, he couldn't save her and could only watch as the girl was sidelined by the company.

Unexpectedly, this little girl proved herself capable and somehow managed to find someone to tailor-make a song just for her.

What a lucky guy.

Shinpei Ito, after thinking it over, told Shizuka Hayakawa about his plans.

“I plan to arrange for you to debut together with three other trainees from the same cohort, and use your song as the title track.”

"Hey, weren't you telling me to sing by myself?"

Hayakawa Shizuka was somewhat embarrassed.

After all, she didn't write the lyrics or compose the music herself. Although Ryosuke Takashiro said she could use it freely, she still didn't want to share the song with anyone else.

“Groups are popular now, much more so than solo careers. You’ll be the lead singer, I can assure you of that.”

Ito offered gentle words of comfort.

It's not easy to debut with just one song, "No, Thank you," but it's different if you're part of a group.

In that way, Shinpei Ito, as the agent, could use this to demand more resources from the company.

Using this song as the title track, giving the group a slightly different image, and establishing an idol persona of pursuing dreams together is the perfect opportunity for their debut.

This is the safest solution.

"All right...."

Hayakawa Shizuka had no choice but to agree.

As a bridge between artists and their companies, the manager's opinion is very important, and based on our previous interactions, Shinpei Ito in front of me is a very responsible person.

Besides, I still need their help right now.

Ito got the answer he wanted, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

"Very good. As for the voice actor, I will contact the agency for you. Just leave your contact information. Also, you should hurry up and come back to training. The next stage performance will be your debut performance. I hope you won't make the same mistake again."

"I will try my best!"

Shizuka Hayakawa nodded earnestly.

She would not be careless about this and would train hard. At the same time, she was secretly looking forward to the weekend so that she could sing that song in front of Ryosuke.

"By the way, is the person who wrote the song for you before the same person who's getting voice actors for this project?"

Shinpei Ito suddenly asked, expressing his considerable interest in the author of "No, Thank You," and even suggesting that Shizuka Hayakawa introduce him if possible.

Hayakawa Shizuka hesitated, unsure whether she should reveal the matter before obtaining Takagi Ryosuke's consent.

Shinpei Ito sensed her concerns and didn't press her for answers.

.....

After watching Shizuka Hayakawa leave, Shinpei Ito made a phone call.

“It’s me, Ito.”

"A guest named Ryosuke Takashiro will be visiting on Saturday. He's hiring voice actors, so please take care of him and assign him a rookie from Group A."

"Also, please let me know once you've picked up the person."

Chapter 50 Discount

Saturday, a voice actor agency under SP Company.

Located in the same building as the main company, dozens of new voice actors are lining up outside the recording studio.

Looking through the glass window, Kujou Sumika saw that she had so many competitors, and she felt quite nervous.

"Kujou, consider this my way of returning the favor. I've already informed you about the people in Group B. Whether you can seize the opportunity is up to you."

The receptionist leaned closer to her and whispered something.

SP Company has a clear classification of voice actor levels. Not to mention those mature voice actors, even newcomers have to go through a preliminary screening.

The newcomers present today are all artists who have signed short-term contracts with the company and enjoy a fixed monthly minimum income, but at the same time, they are obligated to be available whenever needed.

Getting an A visa means these newcomers have potential, are mostly quite young, have versatile voices, and are quite talented.

However, among those eliminated in this round, some who are unwilling to give up will choose to sign a B contract with the company, which is the so-called Group B.

Kujou Sumika was one of these people.

You don't have to be responsible to the company, but you can still participate in the company's casting process. The commission rate is even higher than that of newcomers with an A-level contract. You're lucky if you can get 300 yen out of every 1,000 yen you earn.

Furthermore, SPs prioritize investing resources in A-level newcomers, which is also a way to discourage them from applying.

For example, today, even though the guests came to cast actors, the company didn't notify anyone in Group B.

Thank you.

"Stop with the polite talk, keep it up."

The receptionist smiled at her and urged her to go into the waiting area.

Kujou Sumika took a deep breath and blended into the crowd.

She is 27 years old this year and has been working in the construction industry since graduation. The bursting of the economic bubble caused her to lose her job, and with little savings to begin with, she had no choice but to try to find new ways to make a living.

She heard about becoming a voice actress from a friend and decided to give it a try.

At this age, one's voice has basically solidified, and emotional expression is also a weakness. Although one practices diligently in private, the range of suitable roles is much narrower compared to those of younger people.