"Tohsaka Rin."
Upon hearing this name from Homura's mouth, Rin and Hanayo instantly breathed a sigh of relief, knowing they weren't quite the right fit for the role.
"Nanami... it's yours."
Nanami's voice was indeed a perfect match for Tohsaka Rin.
Homura had been pondering the comparisons between Nanami and Tohsaka Rin in their serious, excited, or usual states. As long as Nanami didn't suddenly switch to her Kansai accent, her voice was the most suitable with just a little finesse.
"Yeah, I got it, Homura-kun! I won't let you down!" Nanami nodded firmly.
"Umu, I've seen your dedication and hard work, so I know you won't disappoint me." Homura nodded with a smile.
Nanami was moved by his words.
She felt that since he had invited her into Another Dimension, she had received a lot of care from him, being the primary source. Otherwise, she might still be working multiple part-time jobs to pay for her tuition, and who knew if she would have even collapsed from exhaustion by now?
Upon hearing Homura's announcement, the girls paused for a moment, without displaying any signs of surprise.
In fact, they also felt that Nanami was an excellent choice since she had practiced imitating Tohsaka Rin before.
"As for Matou Sakura... I haven't quite decided yet..." Homura suddenly said, surprising everyone.
"Homura-kun... you haven't decided?" Kotori couldn't help but ask.
"Yeah, there are actually three people who could fit..." Homura shrugged. "Each of them has a slightly different focus, and when you consider them together, they're all okay. However... the problem is that each of them falls short in some aspect."
"Homura-kun, didn't you assign me to Matou Sakura before?" Megumi asked curiously.
Homura shook his head and began to explain.
"Well, Sakura's usually pretty submissive, always gentle and a little insecure, but once you provoke her, she can go, you know, dark. In short, the complexity in Sakura's speech is something you don't really have."
"As for the performance when Sakura is provoked, Hanayo's expression doesn't quite cut it."
"What? Me?" Hanayo was surprised.
She never thought she would be voicing an important character of any sort.
"Yeah..." Homura nodded. "And lastly, there's Kotori. Kotori, your voice is gentle, and you handle Sakura's dark side well, but the presence in your voice is a bit too assertive, which doesn't quite capture Sakura's insecurity."
"What? Even me?" Kotori mirrored Hanayo's expression.
"All three of you are actually very suitable because each has a slight difference, which is why I haven't decided yet." Homura scratched his head.
Listening to his explanation, the girls also understood his dilemma and started thinking.
"Homura-kun, I think I'll step back..." Megumi suddenly spoke up. "I find it somewhat challenging to overcome the emotional nuances in Sakura's speech. Since the time is limited, so I'll just stick with Leysritt."
Homura thought for a moment and then agreed.
Whether Megumi genuinely felt that way or it was due to her own uncertainty, it was her honest decision. However, it couldn't be denied that she had become increasingly important in his heart.
"Then I will..."
"No, Kayo-chin!"
Rin interrupted Hanayo.
"Are you having second thoughts again? Didn't you say you loved everything about being an idol? If it helps you grow as an idol, then why not go for it!"
Rin's tone carried a hint of anger as she spoke these words, and she even forgot her 'nyaa' catchphrase.
"Rin-chan..."
Even though she was scolded, Hanayo smiled.
Seeing this, the other girls looked at the two of them with comforting smiles, appreciating the support they had provided each other in critical moments.
Having friends like this was truly a blessing!
"Rin-chan's right, Hanayo-chan! Don't give up!" Kotori chimed in. "I won't either! Even though I started out just following Honoka-chan, I've grown to love all of this. I want to improve myself too! So let's both give it our all for the role of Sakura!"
"Kotori-chan..."
Hanayo's eyes glistened with determination as she nodded firmly.
"Um! Let's do it together!"
"Ahem... By the way, Kotori would actually suit Illya quite well..."
Homura coughed and chimed in.
Kotori: "..."
Hanayo: "..."
Girls: "..."
Kotori's voice was absolutely cute, and when she acted as Illyasviel, calling Shiro 'Onii-chan', it would definitely send shivers down people's spines!
"...Why didn't you say that earlier?!" Kotori exclaimed in frustration.
"Well, earlier it was about the heroines, while Illya is more of a supporting character..." Homura shrugged casually.
'Okay, fair point...' Kotori sighed and relented.
"So, the role of the heroine... who's going to give it up?" Homura chuckled. "Well, just think of my question as a casual thing since no one's going to give it up anyway."
"It sounds reasonable..." Nozomi furrowed her brow. "But isn't there a better way? Your training is all about getting everyone to embody their characters as much as possible, right? If Hanayo and Kotori both stick with the same character, won't that be a bit…"
Homura understood what she meant.
If one of them failed to get the role, the unsuccessful one would voice supporting characters. However, the problem was that there wouldn't be enough time to learn how to voice the new character.
"What's your suggestion, Nozomi-senpai?"
Homura asked Nozomi as she seemed to have some ideas in mind.
"How about performing in front of everyone in Another Dimension?" Nozomi suggested with a smile. "So far, we've only practiced in front of this small group. Since that's the case, why not ask everyone for their opinions? Elf-chan and the others are in charge of the script, so they probably have their own thoughts about the characters' voices."
"So, something like an internal voice acting audition?" Homura mused.
"That's right!" Honoka exclaimed cheerfully. "Let's gather everyone's opinions and determine who's closest to their character right now. They'll be the ones to undergo Homura-kun's training!"
"But... Homura's decisions are the most appropriate ones, right?" Nico asked.
"Why not just try to have a discussion and consider everyone's opinions on this first?" Maki suggested, twirling a strand of her hair around her finger in a nonchalant way.
"...Not a bad idea."
Homura nodded after a moment of contemplation.
"I'll first mention those who I'm sure about, and for the roles with multiple candidates, we'll have everyone vote. What do you two think?"
Homura looked at the Kotori and Hanayo to see what they thought.
Kotori and Hanayo exchanged glances before Kotori spoke up.
"I agree. It's better to consider everyone's input since we all have some level of expertise. I think the collective opinion is often better than just forcing our own choices."
"Um, I also agree. They know the script better than we do and will know who suits each role best," Hanayo nodded.
"Okay, let's do that then."
With that, Homura led everyone out of the temporary classroom.
Support and read advanced chapters at:
pat*reon.com/VALRRR
Homura arrived at the activity room and explained the situation to all the girls in detail.
"So that's the deal..." Utaha nodded in understanding. "Do you need us to come up with some ideas?"
"Well, well, that sounds like a lot of fun!"
Elf grinned, clearly enjoying the prospect of something interesting. Then again, both she and Muramasa shared a passion for enjoyable experiences, whether in real life or in stories.
"Do we, artists, need to help too?" Izumi waved a pen in her hand.
"Yeah, when you're drawing, you probably have some impressions in mind, right?" Homura nodded.
Izumi nodded her head in agreement.
"Those impressions can serve as valuable reference points." Homura added.
"Then let's go check it out." Eriri stood up, stretched lazily, and suggested.
Everyone gathered in the living room, but there was a difference.
Eriri and her group, who had come from the activity room, took their places on the couch as judges, while the ones who had come from the temporary classroom were the candidates.
"First, let me share who I think is suitable."
Homura spoke to everyone, telling his opinion.
"Artoria Pendragon, Sonoda Umi."
"Tohsaka Rin, Aoyama Nanami."
"Fujimura Taiga, Yazawa Nico."
"Wait a second!" Nico raised her hand to interrupt. "When was I put on the list?"
"Well, it was decided earlier... I just didn't have a chance to tell you." Homura shrugged.
"Alright, I knew what is Taiga doing..." Nico sighed. "So, everyone going to see me as the comic relief now? Hmph, that's not how I see myself."
'Aren't you already one?'
Everyone thought to themselves in unison.
Of course, no one dared to say it out loud, or Nico would have gotten furious.
"Alright, let's continue."
Homura proceeded.
"Mitsuzuri Ayako, Nishikino Maki."
Maki raised an eyebrow but didn't show any surprise.
"Medusa, Ayase Eli."
"Medea, Tojo Nozomi."
"What do you all think at this point?"
Homura turned to Utaha and the rest for their opinions.
Utaha and Nayuta exchanged a glance, opting to let Elf and Muramasa share their thoughts.
Muramasa glanced at the candidates Homura had listed before speaking up.
"Minamiya-kun, I'd like to see them in action."
"Alright, let's have a live demonstration." Homura agreed with a nod.
===
After the candidates had finished their respective performances, Utaha spoke first.
"They did pretty well. It feels a bit awkward, but with Homura-kun around, it shouldn't be a problem in a few days... Although Nozomi's Kansai accent is quite pronounced."
Although everyone noticed this issue, it was Utaha who dared to speak up, as she and Nozomi were both third-year students and found it easier to address such matters.
"I'm aware of the issue, but it's a habit, so sometimes I can't control it..." Nozomi nodded and agreed.
It was quite unusual for her to change her accent, but it was her speaking habit, and sometimes the Kansai accent slipped out, making her sound somewhat odd.
"Nozomi... I've always been a bit confused. You're not from Kansai, so why do you speak with a Kansai accent?" Eli asked, looking puzzled.
"Eh?! Nozomi-chan isn't from Kansai?" Honoka was astonished. "I always thought she was!"
"Well... when I was a kid, I switched schools a lot because of family reasons, and, of course, I once moved to Kansai. I don't really know why, but the Kansai accent just stuck with me till now..."
Nozomi didn't provide too many details, and she wasn't quite ready to reveal everything.
"It's alright. You'll get the hang of it with practice." Homura reassured. "Nanami had the same issue before, but now, you rarely hear her Kansai accent, right?"
With Nanami as an example, everyone wasn't too worried about Nozomi overcoming this issue.
"So, what's next?" Elf asked with enthusiasm. "Who's still up for debate?"
"First, there's Matou Sakura. I think Megumi, Hanayo, and Kotori would be suitable, but Megumi decided to withdraw." Homura explained.
"Why did Megumi-nee decide to withdraw?" Izumi asked curiously.
"Because of the emotional expression in my speech. It's lacking and I don't have much time to practice those, so I gave up." Megumi stated calmly.
"I see... that's a shame..." Izumi muttered.
"So, who do we think is the best fit? Let's decide based on practical experience." Eriri suggested.
"Alright, let's begin!" Homura nodded.
===
After Kotori and Hanayo each gave their performances, the rest discussed for a while.
However, this time, it was Eriri who spoke up.
"We think... it should be Kotori."
Eriri spoke calmly and glanced at the somewhat disheartened Hanayo before asking Homura.
"Homura, you mentioned that Kotori couldn't express Sakura's insecurity and inferiority complex... but why did we sense some of it? Did you make a mistake?"
Indeed.
Earlier, Homura had mentioned that Kotori's voice lacked the feeling of insecurity, but now it seemed more appropriate.
Rin, who was about to comfort Hanayo, couldn't help but glance over.
Had Homura really made a mistake?
"Nope, I didn't make a mistake..." Homura shook his head. "It's just that Kotori has grown."
After saying this, he quickly closed his eyes and began to remember something. After all, he had a feeling that Kotori's speech felt familiar.
A moment later, Homura opened his eyes and gazed at Kotori.
"Kotori, do you remember the day of your first performance at school with Umi and Honoka when you were voicing Sakura?"
"Homura-kun... how did you know?" Kotori looked surprised.
"Hmm, that day, after your secret job got exposed, didn't you mention it? You had nothing; you were just following Honoka and Umi." Homura looked up and reminisced. "Back then, you really had a strong sense of insecurity in your speech. You clearly felt inferior to them. I thought that after we all encouraged you, you'd forget that feeling, but I didn't expect you to still remember..."
With his explanation, the others might not have understood, but the members of Muse understood it very well since they had all been there at that time!
"Kotori-chan..." Honoka looked at her with concern.
Not only her, but everyone else was worried.
Such insecurity shouldn't exist in Kotori!
"Don't worry, everyone." Kotori shook her head gently. "I only remembered that feeling after hearing Homura-kun's words. When it comes to insecurity, that's the only part of my past that sticks with me."
Upon hearing this, everyone was shocked.
Kotori had forced herself into the role using her own painful memories!
Hanayo's momentary disappointment from earlier instantly vanished. Even though Homura's remarks about their flaws were true, they were constructive criticism after all.
In light of this, the only one truly reflecting on and changing herself was Kotori, while she was still preoccupied with thoughts like 'Could I really do it?' or 'What if I make mistakes?'.
Kotori had earned everyone's recognition through her own efforts, so there was no reason for her to feel down.
"Kotori-chan..."
Hanayo looked at Kotori, who was also looking at her.
"Go for it! You can do it!"
Kotori was surprised for a moment and then nodded happily.
"Um! Thank you!"
Support and read advanced chapters at:
pat*reon.com/VALRRR
También te puede interesar
Comentario de párrafo
¡La función de comentarios de párrafo ya está en la Web! Mueva el mouse sobre cualquier párrafo y haga clic en el icono para agregar su comentario.
Además, siempre puedes desactivarlo en Ajustes.
ENTIENDO