But Kuroba Akira wasn't analyzing the voice actors behind Stellar Pretty Girls just to show off his otaku credentials or flex his 2D elitism.
The reason he'd chosen this anime from the many airing in the prime-time 8 p.m. slot was simple: its main trio just so happened to perfectly represent the three stages of a voice actress's career.
Newcomer Pink, professional Blue, and veteran Yellow—each one embodied a different level: entry-level rookie, mid-tier pro, and top-tier veteran.
They were the "imaginary rivals" Akira had selected for Shiginomiya.
Fame might take time to build, but voice acting skills could start improving now. The key was raising her performance proficiency early on.
There might be shortcuts to getting into the industry—but if your skills weren't solid, someone better would crush you before long.
And building those skills meant practice. Lots of it. It meant learning how to interpret characters, understand their emotions, and bring them to life with your voice.
Hard work didn't guarantee success. But it never betrayed you, either.
"Shion, here's your first assignment: Fix these three characters. Patch the flaws in their performances."
"Eh? Me? Fix them?"
Shiginomiya pointed to herself, stunned, unsure if she'd heard correctly.
"That's right. Now that you've identified what's wrong with each of their performances, it's your turn to fix them."
Back in the morning, Akira had mentioned starting with breathwork and vocal exercises, so Shiginomiya assumed the early training would be simple drills. She hadn't expected to be thrown straight into correcting the flaws of professional voice actresses.
It was like being told, "Great! You've memorized the hiragana chart—now go win the Akutagawa Prize!"
Even Pink, whose performance Akira had criticized the most, was still a pro. And she—Shiginomiya—wasn't even a trainee. Not even a beginner, really.
But Akira saw her doubt and cut it off with a calm, serious voice.
"No need to feel nervous. And don't assume you're automatically worse than they are. The only difference between you and them is experience. In terms of talent, you far surpass them."
Just that one sentence swept away every shred of doubt in her heart.
She might not believe in herself yet, but she could believe in the person who'd taken her in.
"…Okay! I'll give it my all!"
She clenched her fist to her chest, no trace of inferiority in her eyes now.
That's right. Believe in Akira-kun. He's the one who chose me.
"Great. That's the spirit. Now let's rewatch the episode. This time, I want you to shadow the lines. Pick whichever character you think you can mimic best and start there."
He hadn't just watched the anime earlier—he'd recorded it. In Japan, that was standard. People often recorded shows to rewatch them later.
After all, this world had a strong sense of copyright—no YouTube bingeing or piracy like in his past life.
No free streaming here!
"Just a heads-up: it won't be just one rewatch. We'll keep repeating it until you've nailed all three characters. Ideally, you'll memorize all the lines too."
Then Akira explained why memorizing was so important.
"There'll be times when you're asked to do cold reads or test recordings on the spot. And lots of people screw up just because they didn't prepare properly or couldn't remember their lines. So aside from voice work, we'll also train your memory."
"Got it. I'll start memorizing right away."
"Rewatching the same episode over and over does get boring and repetitive, but since we don't have a ton of resources right now, we have to make do."
"I don't mind. I could watch it a hundred times if needed."
"Okay, first we'll focus on imitation. Once you've got that down, I'll guide you on where to tweak things. But you'll need to find your own rhythm, too."
"Understood."
Knowing that Akira would be right there helping her the whole way made Shiginomiya feel instantly at ease.
As long as I follow what Akira-kun says, I can't go wrong.
"Perfect. Then let's name this plan: The Ten-Mile Slope Seiyuu Training Project!"
"…Ten-Mile Slope?"
The unfamiliar phrase made Shiginomiya tilt her head in confusion.
"Basically, it means: 'Stay quiet while you train, then blow everyone away when you debut.' Rise to the top in one go. My approval isn't enough—you've gotta make everyone acknowledge you."
"…Yes!"
"Lastly, let's set a 'graduation goal.' Imagine you're in an audition, going head-to-head with those three voice actresses. You need to be able to win those roles from them."
Just imagining herself standing alongside those professional veterans in a casting room made Shiginomiya break into a nervous sweat. The pressure was immediate—and real.
"To be blunt, I want you to surpass them. After all, you're the one I chose. You can't be worse than they are."
"Yes! I will surpass them!"
Shiginomiya, who'd never made bold declarations like this before, now shouted it with conviction.
If she could become a professional voice actress and earn a ton of money—then give some of it back to Akira—it would prove that he hadn't been wrong about her.
She'd make him proud for believing in her.
"…But don't worry, I'm not really gonna make you watch the same episode a hundred times. I'll find a way to get us some money so we can rent other anime for you to study. For now, just bear with this setup."
Even if Shiginomiya was a genius, raising a prodigy properly still took time and money.
They'd need to rent CDs, watch various genres of anime, expose her to a wide range of character archetypes—that was how she'd truly tap into her acting and vocal potential.
Akira had been worrying about how to secure the funds to kickstart that plan… but luckily, the Literature Club had just launched its private light novel contest.
If he could beat Shirai Shiori, he could poach Aizono Moe and make her his dedicated illustrator. From there, he could start making money writing light novels.
And speaking of money—
Shiginomiya suddenly remembered the 10,000 yen Akira had given her earlier.
Since the old-school gym bloomers had no pockets, she'd folded the leftover cash and tucked it into her top. As long as she tucked her shirt hem into her shorts, the money wouldn't fall out.
Now she wanted to return what remained, so she reached to pull her shirt loose.
Akira, startled, thought she was about to undress. But instead, all she revealed was a flat stomach, a slim waist, and a cute little bellybutton—nothing more.
That waist is insane… must look amazing when she dances… kinda want to touch it…
Just as the thought crossed his mind, Shiginomiya grabbed his hand—and placed it on her stomach.
Whoa. Smooth… wait, what's that bump?
Looking more closely, Akira realized the slight stiffness under his palm was… three folded bills.
Shiginomiya glanced down, touching her finger to her lips.
"Akira-kun, this is what's left of the 10,000 yen you gave me… after buying everything, I still had some left…"
She'd been hoping to earn some praise for being frugal—maybe something like "You're so responsible" or "Such a thoughtful girl."
That's what her mom had always liked hearing. She wanted Akira to say something like that too.
"Oh? You still had some left?"
Akira had been thinking he should go with her to the convenience store to keep an eye on spending. But clearly, that had been unnecessary.
After buying all the essentials, she still had 3,000 yen left?
She wasn't wasteful at all—she was actually too thrifty.
Akira didn't take the three bills, which still carried the faint scent of the girl who had held them. Instead, he gently pressed them back into her hand.
"But you should spend when you need to. This is still your investment phase—I'm investing in you. So don't worry about saving every yen. That's not your job right now."
Now that he was sure she wasn't some spendthrift rich girl, Akira felt like he'd struck gold.
And really, 3,000 yen wasn't enough to get much anyway. Not when a convenience store bento couldn't even compare to the class rep's homemade lunches.
Shiginomiya didn't get the praise she'd been hoping for, but the fact that Akira wanted her to keep the money still made her happy.
"…Then, can I use it to buy milk?"
"Go ahead. You don't need my permission. You really like milk that much?"
"Mm. It tastes really good."
In truth, Shiginomiya hadn't been a fan of milk at all—until Akira gave her that first bottle. That was the first time she realized milk could be delicious.
But more than that…
That morning, Akira had stared way too intently at Tomita Haruka's "assets."
It had made her feel… off.
She didn't want him looking at other girls.
That thought came suddenly, unbidden.
So I'll drink more milk. I'll grow bigger than Tomita Haruka.
Then… maybe he'll only look at me.