The So-Called Formal Recording

‘Oh no, I’ve been entangled by someone difficult to deal with.’

This was the first thought that popped into Kazakami Ritsu’s mind after hearing Sano Nana’s sincere words.

Fortunately, as a voice actor now, she had some understanding of how to handle such tricky lines.

Feigning deep contemplation, Kazakami Ritsu picked up her lemon tea and took a gentle sip.

The sour and astringent liquid entered her mouth; after the initial intense tartness and bitterness, a faint sweetness lingered on the tip of her tongue.

“Actually, I’ve wanted to ask this before, Sano-san. Why did you choose me?”

The girl with the calm expression put down her drink and lowered her crystalline eyes slightly.

“Because I’m not very good at dealing with others, so I’m afraid I might say the wrong thing and upset people.”

‘Ugh! Th-that is just too much foul play!’

Sano Nana looked at Kazakami Ritsu, who had her head bowed and didn’t dare to make eye contact, and felt as if something had struck the depths of her heart.

Blushing, she waved her hands with great speed.

“I-I don’t think there’s anything bad about you, okay? I just want to learn and improve together with you…”

Seeing Sano Nana even more flustered than herself, Kazakami Ritsu felt a bit lost.

‘What’s going on? Why is this person saying such baffling things?’

Kazakami Ritsu glanced at her in confusion, easily seizing control of the conversation.

“Speaking of dubbing, may I ask what kind of character types you prefer, Sano-san?”

Having achieved a tactical victory, Kazakami Ritsu decided to press her advantage and gather some intelligence on her classmate.

Sano Nana, who had seemed a bit cramped, gave an immediate answer upon hearing this question.

“If I had to say, I really like characters that look energetic, because it’s convenient for me to adjust my emotions, and it’s easy to get into character.”

Thinking of the time spent dealing with the blonde girl over the past two days, Kazakami Ritsu nodded in full agreement.

Sano Nana’s personality and natural voice were very similar to Nao Toyama-sensei from another timeline.

So, the fact that she gave such an answer didn’t surprise Kazakami in the slightest.

After responding to this question, Sano Nana blinked and asked a question in return.

“Since we’re on the topic, what type of characters do you like, Ritsu-chan?”

This question caused Kazakami Ritsu to slightly furrow her brows.

‘Do I… have a character type I really like?’

It wasn’t until she finished the drink in her cup that Kazakami Ritsu thought of the answer.

“I think what I like are characters that can leave a deep impression on others.”

Kazakami Ritsu turned her head, looking through the window at the street outside.

The vast majority of literary workers always have some unique pursuits in their hearts.

Whether it is writing excellent works or creating something so deafeningly profound that it is hard to forget, these are all based on the perception of others.

Therefore, voice actors are actually the same.

Watching Kazakami Ritsu’s side profile, which seemed to shimmer with dazzling light under the illumination, Sano Nana’s lips moved slightly, as if she silently said something.

“Hello seniors, I am Kazakami Ritsu from GS Agency, voicing Meihime.”

Inside a recording studio at a certain agency in Tokyo, a girl wearing a white cotton short-sleeved T-shirt bowed slightly, giving a brief self-introduction to the figures in the waiting room.

Indeed, today was the day of the official recording for Tales of the Ten Thousand Blades.

As the currently most popular work in the weekly manga magazine, Kazakami Ritsu naturally mustered 120% of her spirit, firmly memorizing every plot point related to herself.

However, it was still a fringe role that could be summarized in a single sentence.

The girl who had arrived much earlier than her was currently sitting on the sofa, silently reading the script in her hands.

Her side profile, fair as jade, was extremely beautiful; just sitting there quietly, she exuded charm, and her long eyelashes trembled slightly upon hearing Ritsu’s voice.

The girl raised her head, meeting Ritsu’s gaze.

Just as Kazakami Ritsu was hesitating on whether to repeat her self-introduction, the girl spoke.

“We finally meet, my beloved ‘Mother’ adult. I am Umemiya Hiro from Aoni Production, voicing ‘Destiny’.”

With just one sentence, the girl nearly made Kazakami Ritsu lose the smile on her face.

‘No! What the hell is that form of address?’

Seeing Kazakami Ritsu’s expression becoming somewhat cramped, Umemiya Hiro revealed a teasing smile.

‘This rookie is more interesting than I imagined; at least she doesn’t look like the dull, silent type.’

“Good morning. To be honest, I didn’t expect you to arrive so early, Miss Kazakami.”

Umemiya Hiro spoke very casually, her gaze scanning the junior in the industry before her.

Appearance-wise, no faults could be picked; her face looked more like an entertainer’s than a voice actor’s.

Kazakami Ritsu compared the thickness of the scripts in their hands and couldn’t help but lament the gap between people.

‘Look at her. She looks about the same age as me, yet she’s already the lead role in a highly popular work.’

‘Compared to the script in her hand, which is as thick as a small book and covered in various sticky notes, mine is simply…’

“You flatter me, Senior. I am a rookie after all, still in the starting phase. If the slow bird doesn’t fly early, wouldn’t I miss out on many opportunities?”

After responding neither humbly nor arrogantly, Kazakami Ritsu opened her script with a tinge of sadness.

There were less than ten lines in total; she could probably finish everything today…

Umemiya Hiro stood up from the sofa and glimpsed the various horizontal lines covering Ritsu’s script.

‘Not bad, this is also a diligent child.’

Just as she was about to offer a few words of praise, the door to the waiting room was pushed open.

Haneda Tasuku walked in from outside with a group of people, yawning constantly. After scanning the two people in the room, he simply nodded calmly at them.

“Then, the recording for Tales of the Ten Thousand Blades will officially begin once the equipment debugging is complete. You can introduce yourselves to each other.”

After saying this, Haneda Tasuku walked toward the recording booth with the staff.

The remaining few looked at each other in dismay for a while, until a tall male took the lead in breaking the silence.

“Hello everyone, I am Shikano Kaede from Am, voicing the male lead Koukain Ryumei. Please take care of me.”

With the steady and reliable male lead starting things off, the others began to introduce themselves one after another.

Umemiya Hiro, acting as the female lead, revealed an impeccable smile.

“I am Umemiya Hiro from Aoni, voicing Destiny. I am very happy to work with everyone this time. If there are any deficiencies in my work, please point them out.”

After the two leads finished their self-introductions, the crowd of small fry appearing in the first episode began to speak one after another.

Kazakami Ritsu found an opportunity to repeat her self-introduction once more.

Soon, a staff member wearing a badge ran out of the recording area, indicating that recording could begin.