Let Me Pass Away

“These lessons are really boring…”

Kazakami Ritsu stared at the teaching content playing on the laptop screen on the table, her thoughts having long flown to some unknown place.

Ever since being rejected from the last audition, Kazakami Ritsu had returned to a state of diligently searching for various materials, trying hard to improve herself.

However, that skill capable of moving people’s hearts was a bit too mysterious, giving Kazakami Ritsu the illusion that she had mastered the divine art and was only one step away from success.

But how exactly could she take this final step?

Thinking of this, Kazakami Ritsu felt somewhat dejected.

The alarm clock set on her phone rang, signaling that she needed to get ready to go out and start her work for the day.

Although she had asked Big Sister Koconoe not to take on new jobs for her, she still had a lead role job on hand to complete.

After closing the laptop, Kazakami Ritsu got up from the tatami mat, picked up her keys, phone, script, and other items from the table, and walked toward the entrance.

When she arrived at the recording studio, she saw Teraoin Hane wearing her school uniform in the waiting room.

“Good morning, Teraoin-san.”

“Ah, Kazakami-san, good morning to you too…”

Teraoin Hane looked up at Kazakami Ritsu in casual clothes, then covered her face with the script in her hand.

Seeing that the recording equipment didn’t seem to be fully debugged yet, Kazakami Ritsu sat next to Teraoin Hane and also opened her script to ponder her lines word by word.

Shu, the protagonist’s ideal self, a product of consciousness.

There were a total of four highlight scenes, excluding the scene where the two first met and evaded danger.

The other three scenes seemed suitable for attempting the method mentioned by Sound Director Hasegawa.

However, there was still one problem to solve: how to invest emotions to the point of empathy?

Before Kazakami Ritsu had time to think, Sound Director Arashima’s voice pulled her back to reality.

“Equipment debugging is done! Let’s start recording the first act!”

Kazakami Ritsu stood up together with Teraoin Hane. After exchanging a glance, the two walked one after another toward the recording booth.

“Teraoin-san, I’m counting on you for what comes next.”

“Eh, eh? Counting on me for what?”

Before Teraoin Hane could ask, the door to the recording booth slowly opened in front of them.

Walking into the recording booth, the expression on Kazakami Ritsu’s face appeared exceptionally solemn.

This was her first lead role, so she absolutely had to bring out one hundred percent of her strength…

Thinking this, she slowly walked under the microphone.

The screen displaying the demo animation suddenly lit up, and the appearance of the time code slowly calmed Kazakami Ritsu’s mood.

Sound Director Arashima yawned and issued the command to start recording in a relaxed tone.

Accompanied by the sound of special effects, Teraoin Hane’s voice slowly rang out.

The scene from the audition was quickly recorded, but Kazakami Ritsu did not relax in the slightest.

Next was the part she needed to pay attention to.

When the demo footage for the second act began to play, the protagonist voiced by Teraoin Hane questioned her ideal self before her.

“You say you are my ideal self, but why do you look so ordinary?”

Just as Kazakami Ritsu intended to speak, their recording was stopped by Sound Director Arashima.

“Wait a moment. Teraoin, your tone for this sentence needs to be heavier; show that feeling of interrogation.”

Saying this, Sound Director Arashima issued the command to re-record this segment.

Kazakami Ritsu, interrupted mid-cast, almost couldn’t catch her breath. She looked with somewhat resentful eyes at Teraoin Hane, who was constantly apologizing to her and the Sound Director for the mistake.

Teraoin Hane’s eyes were firm as she mobilized her emotions.

“You say you are my ideal self? But why do you look so ordinary?”

Kazakami Ritsu’s brain spun rapidly, contemplating what kind of emotions Shu, as the protagonist’s self-will, would generate when facing this question.

Finally, combining identity and scene, she made a bold attempt.

“Who knows? Instead of asking me, you might as well ask yourself what exactly is in your heart.”

A lazy voice, seemingly indifferent to everything, came from Kazakami Ritsu’s mouth.

Teraoin Hane, who had intended to pick up the next line, was stunned, and even Sound Director Arashima was taken aback.

But Sound Director Arashima only raised an eyebrow slightly and did not stop their performance.

Thus, Teraoin Hane quickly picked up the next line, and the entire first act was recorded very smoothly.

After the entire first act ended, Sound Director Arashima finally questioned Kazakami Ritsu.

“Kazakami, can you explain why you chose to respond with that tone just now?”

Actually, he already had some guesses in his heart.

Immersive acting. Although currently, it seemed like just a budding sign, that should be correct.

Kazakami Ritsu looked calm, appearing not the least bit nervous about talking to the Sound Director.

“I’m trying a new method. If you think it’s not good, Sound Director Arashima, I can switch back to the original method.”

She had to find an opportunity to apply it in practice; otherwise, relying solely on theoretical knowledge and self-exploration, she wouldn’t know when she’d finish practicing.

Hearing her answer, Sound Director Arashima revealed an expression that said “as expected.”

He waved his hand and responded in his usual relaxed tone.

“It’s fine, just use this method. Teraoin, prepare to enter the second act next.”

Teraoin Hane listened to their conversation in confusion; she completely failed to understand what Kazakami Ritsu and the Sound Director were talking about.

It wasn’t until the end of the second act that Sound Director Arashima cheerfully issued the command for a temporary break.

Back in the waiting room, Kazakami Ritsu went straight to the vending machine and bought two cans of juice.

After handing one to Teraoin Hane, she pulled the tab and tilted her head back, chugging it down.

Why did no one tell her that the so-called character immersion method would be so mentally draining?!

Even though she had only been recording for less than two hours, Kazakami Ritsu had the illusion that she was about to burn out.

Teraoin Hane held the juice Kazakami Ritsu handed her, looking worriedly at her partner who was playing dead on the sofa.

“Kazakami-san… are you okay?”

Hearing her partner’s inquiry, Kazakami Ritsu, like a salted fish, used Splash (turned over).

“I’m actually fine… just feeling a little bit tired.”

Before she could finish speaking, Sound Director Arashima’s voice came from the direction of the waiting room door.

“That’s only natural. No one uses this method for non-important plot points, so…”

Sound Director Arashima had a gloating smile on his face, but he quickly restrained it.

“Let’s end it here for today. Kazakami, there’s no need for you to use this method for ordinary plot points.”

“You have to learn to use different methods of performance according to the situation; otherwise, it will be very tiring.”