Do I really have a thing for female voice actors?

"I understand. It's because Tazaki-kun is a kind person that everyone gathers around you. No one can live without you."

"I'm sorry, even your gentleness was part of my calculations."

"Aoki Hina is such a cunning girl; she won't let go of anything that can be used."

"Having seen my true self, can Tazaki-kun still say he likes me now?"

"Even now, Ms. Hina still makes my heart flutter."

"why?

"Why can you still say such things now?"

"I already told you that if I said some hurtful and cruel things, I might be able to make up my mind to leave you."

"I think that's why."

"...Huh?"

"It is precisely because I can foresee what you will do that I cannot say it."

Ultimately, there is no difference between you and me.

"We are far from being as innocent as each other imagines; we both have unspeakable selfishness."

"You are like that, and I am even more so."

"So... you're planning to accept my proposal?"

Tazaki Toru's expression froze as he felt the girl's affectionate gaze, which seemed to ignite a fire deep within his pupils.

Quietly yet turbulently, it scorched the defenses he had held firm until now.

"I'm sorry... I can't answer you right now."

"I'm afraid that I might make a hasty decision and cause you harm."

"It's okay, it's okay..."

The girl stepped forward, took the initiative to pass through the transparent barrier in front of them, and threw her petite body into his arms.

Tazaki Toru did not push her away.

"I'm willing to wait, and so are we."

Sensing the familiar and pleasant scent emanating from the girl, Tazaki Toru's lips parted slightly: "How long will you wait for me?"

"If I said a lifetime, would Tazaki-kun think I'm too heavy?"

The girl's smile remained sweet, but Toru Tazaki couldn't respond with a smile in return.

Before Tazaki Toru could reply, Aoki Hina's words came first.

"I will wait until you make your choice."

"I think everyone feels the same way."

596. Toru Tazaki is a selfish and liar man.

After leaving the lounge, Toru Tazaki saw the other three girls in the public rest area.

They all looked at Tazaki Toru without prior arrangement, clearly paying close attention to the situation.

If it were just Tachibana Rin alone, she would most likely be eavesdropping at the door.

Tazaki Toru paused for a moment, then walked towards them.

Upon seeing this, Tachibana Rin and Hinami Hina both panicked, but Kohinata Mika remained with a faint smile on her face.

To be honest, Tazaki Toru still didn't know how to face them, but asking him to leave without saying a word felt too cruel to them.

Fortunately, it's just before the concert, so we can shift our focus to each other.

"There should be more practice sessions ahead. I have some things to do this afternoon, so I won't stay any longer."

"Huh? Tazaki-kun, are you leaving already?"

"Yes, I have an appointment."

As soon as Tazaki Toru uttered those words, Tachibana Rin's eyebrows shot up, and she blurted out instinctively, "A date? With whom?"

After asking the question, he immediately looked away guiltily as soon as he met Tazaki Toru's gaze.

"In short, she's not a female voice actress."

Tazaki Toru said this.

Rin Tachibana immediately clicked her tongue: "Which female voice actress you go on a date with is none of our business."

Even so, the girl still breathed a slight sigh of relief.

This is where Tazaki Toru's honesty is evident; whatever he says, they immediately believe, saving them the trouble of trying to explain.

Only after Tazaki Toru left did Tachibana Rin and Hinami Hina let out a long sigh of relief. After looking at each other, they found that their faces were both flushed.

This is something that can't be helped.

It was Aoki Hina who betrayed them all by telling Tazaki Toru about their agreement.

This inevitably caused them to feel flustered.

After leaving the recording studio, Toru Tazaki took a train to Chiyoda.

He wasn't just making things up; today was the day he was supposed to meet with Yuriko Tazaki.

After buying some high-end Japanese sweets in front of the station, Tazaki Toru returned to his mansion in Chiyoda.

Since moving to the new house, Tazaki Toru has not yet formally paid a visit to express his gratitude.

Although they are mother and son by blood, it is not in Tazaki Toru's style to accept the gift without a care in the world.

However, due to matters of the heart, Tazaki Toru has neglected this aspect recently.

After arriving at the Tazaki family home, I rang the doorbell. Soon after, the nanny who took care of Tazaki Yuriko's daily life came to open the door.

"Young Master, you're back. Madam went to the company this morning and should be back soon."

"Well, I see."

Upon entering the spacious reception room, Toru Tazaki did not linger and went straight upstairs to the music room.

Large floor-to-ceiling windows, a wall covered with guitars, and a grand piano placed in the center.

Tazaki Toru sat down at the piano, opened the key cover, and looked at the black and white keys, feeling a pang of envy.

If his chaotic feelings for so many girls could be as clearly defined as the piano keys in front of him, he wouldn't be so heartbroken.

With a soft sigh, her fingers touched the piano keys, and the music echoed, expressing the pent-up frustration and melancholy in her heart.

After a long while, the music ended, and Tazaki Toru exhaled a breath of stale air, his melancholy undiminished.

"Is something on your mind?"

A voice suddenly came from behind.

Tazaki Toru turned around and saw Tazaki Yuriko, who had just arrived home, standing at the door.

Tazaki Toru stood up: "You're back."

"Yes, I'm back."

Yuriko Tazaki moved her unsteady legs slightly and sat down on a chair not far from Toru Tazaki.

"Having something unpleasant happen lately?"

"...It's not that I'm unhappy, so why do you ask?"

"The music you just heard was completely different from anything I've heard before. It was the first time I've felt such unease and bewilderment in your music."

Tazaki Toru was speechless.

He is always true to himself, and music is the most important quality of Tazaki Toru, so it is only natural that his emotions would be mixed into the music.

Tazaki Toru simply hadn't expected that Tazaki Yuriko would be so perceptive of his changes.

Was it because of his piano playing?

Or is it because they are mother and child?

"Mom knows she has no right to interfere in your life, but as a mother, she will always care about everything about you."

"This feeling of loss and rediscovery, unique to parents, is not something I can easily suppress."

Seeing your dejection, I couldn't help but want to do something for you.

Ever since recognizing Toru Tazaki, Yuriko Tazaki has been in this state of mind, cautiously approaching Toru Tazaki, wanting to get closer, yet only daring to stand at a distance.

I desperately want to give and give, yet I fear he cannot bear it.

She wasn't sure if her actions stemmed from maternal love or a desire to compensate for what she felt she owed.

Please don't say such things.

“I’m really just an ordinary person. I can’t do everything perfectly, nor can I make everyone understand what I do.”

"It is only natural to encounter lows or setbacks, and to make mistakes unconsciously, or even do things that hurt others."

"And when I am about to make a mistake, you are the most critical person in the world who will lecture me."

"So please stop saying things like 'I'm not qualified'."

"I will feel sad."

This was probably the first time that Toru Tazaki had so proactively tried to get closer to Yuriko Tazaki.

When people are vulnerable, they will subconsciously seek out those close to them, and Tazaki Toru is no exception.

The woman before him was his blood relative, a fact that could never be erased.

It was his words that gave Yuriko Tazaki courage and motivation.

Looking at Toru Tazaki in front of her, she couldn't help but sigh in her heart once again at his kindness and gentleness.

"...Yes, thank you."

"Can you tell me what's on your mind? Mom may not be able to share your burdens, but at least I can understand you."