Tokyo: Oreimo

"Well, it's said that the other main and supporting roles were basically selected after the first thirty newcomers joined, and the rest of the casting is just interviewing the female lead."

"The interviewer was quite strict. They were not satisfied with the many people they interviewed afterward, but that also shows that you, Kujo, are very outstanding."

When Kujou Sumika heard the receptionist's praise, her expression relaxed a little.

Is she excellent? She is well aware of her own level.

In terms of professional skills, they are definitely not as good as those in Group A.

So the only reason a customer would choose you is because of your voice.

It's amazing how someone was rejected because of their voice, but now they've been hired because of it.

This situation can only be described as fortunate.

"The agency will pay part of the fee in advance, so don't forget to treat me to a meal later."

The receptionist winked at her, then turned and picked up the phone to attend to her own business.

Kujou Sumika took one last look at the recording studio before turning and leaving the company.

Next, she just needs to wait for the agency to schedule the appointment and call her.

Chapter 52 Protective Measures

The voice actor agency was bustling with activity; the number of people had increased rather than decreased after Sumika Kujo left.

Ryosuke truly didn't expect that the agency would make an exception for him, offering a 20% discount on the overall hiring price.

This saved him a considerable amount of money. With the remaining million yen, plus a little extra, he could choose suitable voice actors for important supporting roles with fewer lines.

Upon realizing this situation, Ryosuke immediately understood that the manager who had come up to talk to him earlier was behind it.

There's no reason not to accept a benefit that's offered to you.

Ryosuke and Ayano spent a lot of time selecting voice actors, even having lunch in the recording studio.

The selection of roles wasn't completed until 2 PM.

"Wow, this agency has a good eye for talent. Did they predict our game would be a hit?"

Ling Nai was quite satisfied with this treatment; the more complete the voice acting in the game, the better her experience would be when she played the full version.

How can it be?

Ryosuke smiled helplessly.

Good games and voice actors complement each other, that's a valid point.

Once the game is officially released, it will likely boost the popularity of several main characters, but for these voice actors right now, it's just a job with decent pay.

Aside from Saori Hououin, even Ayano hadn't read the script for FSN. They were just hiring voice actors; how could the agency know the quality of their own game?

Ryosuke sensed Shinpei Ito's kindness from this.

"I owe someone another favor."

But he didn't take it too seriously. The favors owed to people who came with needs weren't too difficult to repay.

After signing the contract with the agency and paying the deposit, Ryosuke took out his phone.

Shizuka Hayakawa had previously sent him a message inviting him to attend the rehearsal.

"Well, now that I've finished dealing with things here, would you like to head back first, or come with me to see some friends?"

Ryosuke asked his sister a question.

"Friend? Who? You're not going to see that giantess again, are you?"

Ling Nai's expression changed, and she subconsciously took a step back.

She still had some trouble dealing with Phoenix Inu Saori.

"It's another friend, an idol."

"Idol?"

A figure immediately flashed into Ling Nai's mind: the girl she had seen below the video store building when she was following Ryosuke a while ago.

The blonde girl involuntarily frowned, a wary look appearing on her face.

......

SP Company, Trainee Practice Room.

Four girls, dressed in form-fitting training clothes, are rehearsing their dance moves and positions.

Shizuka Hayakawa was also among them, occupying the absolute center position.

Shinpei Ito sat on a nearby bench, calmly observing the others' performance.

When the music stopped, the girls ceased their vigorous exercise, their chests rising and falling slightly.

"Clap clap clap."

The agent applauded.

"Once you're actually on stage, you need to maintain this attitude. Your first stage performance is extremely important. If the performance is well-received, I can then negotiate with the company for more resources for you."

"Thank you for your help, Ito's manager."

The girls bowed to him.

"Take a ten-minute break now, then we'll begin the formal rehearsal. Go change into your costumes."

Hearing that they could rest, the girls breathed a sigh of relief and went together to the changing room next door.

...

"It's so tight. If you wear this kind of clothing, you'll probably expose yourself if you make even the slightest movement, right?"

The one who spoke was the hottest girl among the four, with a curvaceous figure and a bust size far beyond her years, which contrasted sharply with her youthful face.

Hayakawa Shizuka glanced at her.

Asakura Mirai, if I remember correctly, that's her name.

After being unemployed for a while, some rather young newcomers emerged in the company. Her three teammates were all younger than her, so in that sense, she was considered a senior.

Thinking this, Shizuka spoke up to remind her.

"If you're worried, you can wear safety shorts."

The girl group's outfit is a dark red suspender dress with the hem above the knee. If they move around vigorously, it will definitely be quite clearly visible when viewed from below the stage.

Shizuka Hayakawa had previous exhibition experience and was well-prepared. The first step before putting on the group uniform was to take protective measures.

"Won't that work? Didn't you say that appropriate exposure can increase popularity?"

"Huh, really?"

"Isn't that a bit too bold?"

Senior? Could it be that guy who said 'idols' are just people who can look at you however they want?

Shizuka Hayakawa recalled her experience of being secretly filmed up her skirt, and afterwards a senior who had successfully debuted said something similar.

At that time, she had indeed caused trouble for the company, and even considered acknowledging the other party's actions. It wasn't until she received a song from Ryosuke recently that she became convinced that she hadn't done anything wrong.

Being secretly photographed is something I really can't tolerate, let alone deliberately exposing myself.

In her current view, this is a completely evil path.

As celebrities, if they don't respect themselves and try to get ahead in this way, the fans they gain probably won't respect them much either.

"We debuted based on our songs, we don't need to do that kind of thing."

When Hayakawa Shizuka saw that Asakura Mirai was planning to put on her team uniform without any protective measures and was even encouraging her two teammates, she seemed a little angry.

Are you kidding me? She had arranged for Ryosuke to come watch the rehearsal. What if her teammate accidentally exposed herself...?

Wouldn't that make him have a worse opinion of himself as well?

"If you have this kind of thinking, you might as well go straight into the adult entertainment industry after you grow up. Why bother becoming an idol?"

If it weren't for the fact that they were a group of four, even if Hayakawa Shizuka saw it, she wouldn't try to correct such behavior. After all, individuals are independent, and she wouldn't interfere with other people's paths.

But now they are a collective.

The rather stern tone made Asakura Mirai shrink back, frozen in fear.

The other two teammates were also somewhat embarrassed, unsure which side to help.

"I just...want to become more famous..."

Asakura Mirai muttered something, sounding somewhat aggrieved.

"Then practice hard, practice relentlessly, and show your best on stage, instead of resorting to these crooked methods."

Hayakawa Shizuka's words made the other three people in the locker room hold their breath.

For a moment, the only sound in the room was breathing.

Was that going too far?

Seeing this, Shizuka realized that her tone had been a bit arrogant, just like that senior before, trying to instill some of her own knowledge into her junior.

But suppressing it won't work.

"You've already mastered that song, haven't you?"

Shizuka Hayakawa broke the silence by speaking.

"Is Shizuka-chan talking about 'No, Thank You'? We've been singing it very well for a month now."

Of the two teammates standing next to him, one of them did manage to reply.

“Take a closer look at the lyrics. Don’t forget why you became idols in the first place. Wasn’t it because of your dreams? I don’t want to see DVDs with your nude poses in some weird stores in the future.”

In this era, it's extremely difficult for idols to rise to prominence.

It is a business with a large investment and a very low probability of return. In SP Company alone, hundreds of trainees are eliminated every year.

These eliminated individuals abandoned their studies and had no other means of making a living besides singing and dancing.

Some even incurred huge debts in pursuit of fame and fortune, ultimately leading to their downfall.