Do I really have a thing for female voice actors?

However, Tachibana Rin knew perfectly well that these words were all just excuses.

Whether it was resentment in her heart or deliberately ordering Tazaki Toru around, it was all simply because she was a girl who was afraid of being alone.

Tazaki Toru reached out and gently pressed around the girl's neck, sometimes pressing harder with his fingers, which would make her hiss sharply.

"Tasaki, have I been pushing myself too hard? Maybe it's because I've been practicing guitar for too long," she said with a pained expression.

Tazaki Toru's expression remained unchanged as he kneaded her smooth neck with his fingers: "I think it might also be because you sat for long periods of time while playing games."

"Okay, don't say things that are detrimental to my growth next time."

"Ok."

Tazaki Toru is alright in every way, except for his outspokenness, which Rin doesn't like.

Once Tachibana Rin stopped talking, the atmosphere became somewhat dull.

Suddenly, Tazaki Toru's voice rang out from behind him.

"Since Miss Aoki has been busy with work on 'Revue Starlight,' Miss Tachibana seems very lonely."

Rin Tachibana pursed her lips slightly and hummed softly:

"Hmph! I don't care about her, let her have her fun."

Anyone could tell that this was a lie.

Over the years, Tachibana Rin has left her hometown alone to study in Tokyo.

Even if you come from a wealthy family and have no worries about food and drink, there is one thing that is extremely difficult to obtain.

Rin Tachibana, who is naturally shy and not good at socializing, did not make any friends after arriving in Tokyo.

She did try, but she just couldn't do it, and each time it ended in failure.

Gradually, I stopped expecting it.

And so, quietly, my incredibly lonely college life came to an end.

It wasn't until she auditioned, was selected for the Hibiki Club, and met Hina Aoki, who had also come to Tokyo alone, that she finally found a companion and a mouthpiece.

However, between Aoki Hina, a social butterfly, and Tachibana Rin, a socially awkward homebody, there is a contrast between them.

One is shrewd and worldly-wise, the other is straightforward but clumsy with words.

They are like completely opposite individuals, two sides of a mirror, each reflecting a different version of themselves.

It is precisely because each of them has something they lack that they can become one and be so intimate.

Rin Tachibana originally thought that this kind of life would continue indefinitely.

But Aoki Hina has changed.

Since meeting Tazaki Toru, her perfect cat-like facade has gradually begun to crumble, slowly peeling away to reveal her true, honest nature.

It's like discovering an unpolished spot on a mirror that has been flawless until now.

“Ah… Tazaki.”

"Ok?"

"Even if Hina takes you away someday, you can't abandon me."

Rin Tachibana, standing in front of him, let out a rather forlorn voice.

Even the usual irritating sharpness had disappeared.

135. A dressing room for only female voice actors.

Nakano Sakaue.

Bushido Headquarters.

Tazaki Toru, as usual, attends the song meeting, where Ayana-sensei, who is in charge of the script, once again clashes with the director.

It is quite difficult to turn the emotions they want to express into a melody each time.

Despite their incredibly heated discussions at the meeting—talking on and on about the characters' emotions, the song's expression, and so on—in the end, all the decision-making fell to Tazaki Toru.

Therefore, writing songs for this type of commercial project is really not an easy task.

In these situations, it's usually Mr. Fujita who steps in to mediate.

This experience allowed Tazaki Toru to witness the diversity of life, and he resolved that he would never become that kind of adult in the future.

Mr. Fujita wasn't too surprised that Toru Tazaki had previously declined the job offer from Morfonica, considering that Tazaki already held several positions.

After all, besides the bands MyGO and Mujica, Mr. Fujita had also introduced Tazaki Toru to a job at Love Live Nijigasaki Academy through personal connections.

A composer's inspiration is certainly not limitless.

Last time, it was because the person in charge at Morfonica insisted on asking him for help that Mr. Fujita had no choice but to introduce Tazaki Toru to them.

Of course, his statement was merely an introduction.

From Fujita's personal perspective, he still hopes that Tazaki Toru can focus his work on his own projects.

After the meeting, Toru Tazaki did not leave the Bushido Building, but took the elevator to the upper-level photography studio.

Today, Hina Aoki and Rin Tachibana are coming to participate in the recording of a program featuring their senior colleagues. Toru Tazaki was told he could stay and watch.

To be honest, although Tazaki Toru wasn't interested in these kinds of female voice actress promotional programs, Aoki Hina and Tachibana Rin seemed to really want him to come, so Tazaki Toru didn't want to spoil their fun and decided to go up and take a look.

Upon arriving at the photography studio, we found staff members setting up the set.

Rin Tachibana was spotted in a lounge. She was wearing full makeup and taking a beautiful selfie on her phone.

When he saw Tazaki Toru enter, he was taken aback at first, then immediately waved to him.

"Tazaki, come here quickly, take a full-body picture of me."

Tazaki Toru was already used to this extremely practiced tone of command.

"Aren't we supposed to be recording a TV show?"

"It's not time yet, Miss Aimee and the others haven't arrived."

"Oh, so you're acting like a diva."

Tazaki Toru responded calmly, took the phone from Tachibana Rin, and began taking pictures of her.

"Tsk! It's not that they're being arrogant! They just finished their last job and had to rush over right on time. Do you think being a voice actor is a relaxed job?"

When Tachibana Rin saw Tazaki Toru slandering her idol, she immediately became unhappy.

I think you're really free.

Tazaki Toru wasn't dealing with Tachibana Rin for the first time. Although he thought this to himself, he wisely refrained from responding and just kept it to himself.

"Where's Miss Aoki? Isn't she also coming?"

"Still getting ready in the dressing room."

I took several photos of Tachibana Rin from different angles, and no matter the angle, her row of neat, white teeth always showed the same curve perfectly.

Tazaki thought that this might be a talent.

As Tazaki Toru was about to turn around after handing the phone back to Tachibana Rin, her voice rang out again.

"Where are you going? Stay here and talk to me. You can leave when Hina comes back."

"Miss Tachibana, are you worried about how you'll handle it if a stranger comes in?"

"........."

Tachibana Rin pouted and looked silently at Tazaki Toru, her eyes clearly blaming him for gossiping.

Clearly, Ms. Tachibana was right.

Tazaki Toru sighed inwardly, thinking that social anxiety was indeed not something that could be cured overnight, so he had no choice but to grant her wish and sit down on the chair next to her.

As soon as she sat down, Tachibana Rin came over and started swiping her fingers across the screen, adding filters to the photos she had just seen, and asking Tazaki Toru which filter looked best.

Tazaki Toru had no idea about this, and no matter how he answered, Tachibana-san would always talk back and criticize him.

Time just slips away little by little.

The doorknob of the lounge was turned from the outside, and Hina Aoki, who had finished her makeup, walked in.

When she saw Tachibana Rin standing next to Tazaki Toru, who was being constantly bothered by a troublesome female voice actress, she was clearly taken aback.

"Tazaki-kun?"

"Oh, Hina, you're here!"

Ignoring the unsettling, shrill voice, Hina Aoki walked toward the two of them.

"What are you doing here, Tazaki-kun?"

"I wandered in by mistake and was kept here by Ms. Tachibana," Tazaki Toru said truthfully.

Aoki Hina's face instantly darkened, and she began lecturing Tachibana Rin:

"This is the female artist's dressing room. What if other staff members misunderstand?"

Rin Tachibana wanted to argue back, but Hina Aoki's words made a lot of sense, so Rin Tachibana lacked confidence and shrank behind Toru Tazaki, silently pouting.

Seeing that she was about to use Tazaki Tooru as a shield, Aoki Hina became even angrier, but she couldn't bring herself to get angry at Tazaki Tooru, and her cheeks were almost swollen.

Fortunately, Toru Tazaki was able to sense the atmosphere and knew that it was best not to stay too long.

As Tazaki Toru pushed open the door, he nearly bumped into two figures coming towards him. The other person was clearly startled and stared at Tazaki Toru in a daze.

He immediately apologized and hurried away.

In the lounge, just as Aoki Hina was about to give a speech, two senior voice actors walked in, and she immediately straightened her small frame.

"Good afternoon, Aimi-san and Ayase-san."

The two new voice actors reacted almost identically, each looking at the other with a hint of admiration and longing.

Who was that just now?

The short-haired female voice actress, wearing a hoodie, pointed to the closed door of the dressing room.

Rin Tachibana was speechless, unsure how to respond.