"Next up, our final question," Hidaka Rina announced. "As performers, how do you view the relationship between the knight and the princess?"
"Alfredo and Penelope? Clearly a lord-and-vassal dynamic," Takizawa said, arms crossed.
"Right, Alfredo's so dedicated. Facing an unbeatable foe, he didn't hesitate to use that brutal self-destruct move," Hidaka said regretfully.
Though it barely scratched the enemy, Takizawa added silently.
"But it's not just duty, is it? Beyond loyalty, I think Alfredo harbors deep admiration and love for the princess," Hidaka mused. "Bound by class, he can only watch from afar… a touch of tragic romance."
"Forbidden love only brings pain," Takizawa sighed.
"Whoa, Takizawa-kun, that jaded, love-weary look—speaking from experience?" The high schooler teased, her gossip radar pinging.
"Just reflecting," He said. "Alfredo's dying words were all duty and comfort. If only he'd confessed his feelings. He gave his life without a second thought—yet if the princess saw only loyalty, not love, isn't that a bit tragic?"
Gotta stick up for his first role, after all.
"True. Partings and meetings can happen in an instant, leaving regrets," Hidaka nodded.
"So that's the Q&A segment! Got questions or interests? Send them for next time," She said.
A light BGM played through their earphones as they sipped water to clear their throats.
"Ding ding ding! Next, the Dark Voice Actor Mini-Theater! Here, your host and guest will play assigned roles in a short skit," Hidaka said, flipping the script page.
"Assigned roles?" Takizawa asked, curious. "Not our actual characters?"
"Exactly. The host and guest draw random character names from a box," Hidaka explained, reading the rules. "Each comes with a brief description, and we improv based on that."
"Make up our own lines?" Takizawa scratched his head, sensing disaster.
"Yup, no script for us," Hidaka pouted, playfully glaring at the staff outside.
"It's the big first episode. A mess now could tank the rest. Won't seasoned pros take over as guests later?" Takizawa said, sitting up straight, practical.
"How about I skip this round and let the next guest bring the laughs?"
"So, you're saying…?" Hidaka asked, eyeing him oddly.
"Ditch this segment!" Takizawa puffed out his chest, channeling Alfredo. "Hidaka-san, forget me! Move forward with the real star, like Penelope!"
The producer outside held up a sign scrawled with "Pay Cut" in marker.
"Sorry, I didn't mean it, Hidaka-san! Don't abandon me—let's face this challenge together and seize victory!" Takizawa bowed.
"A knight can't flee the battlefield," She said, enjoying his quick turnaround, encouraging him despite her own nerves.
They rummaged through the black box, each pulling a slip of paper.
"All-around athlete, simple-minded, handsome soccer club senpai?" Hidaka blinked.
"Cookie-baking, clumsy, literature-loving second-year junior high girl?!" Takizawa gaped.
"Wait, these aren't show characters?" Hidaka shot a questioning look at the staff.
After getting cheerful confirmation, they stared at each other.
"So… we perform with these? But I got a girl, Hidaka-san. Wanna swap?" Takizawa offered, proposing a trade.
"No way, that's against the rules," The ponytail girl said, dodging his gaze, rejecting the swap.
"?"
"Forget that—focus on what we're acting," She said.
"Hold on, this lit girl's totally you, right?"
"I don't even like books," She countered.
"You make cookies! You gave me some when we first met," Takizawa grinned. "I'm no soccer star, but I'm simple and decent-looking. We clearly got these backward."
"True, in the break room, you tried my homemade cookies, and you gave me hot coffee in return," She recalled.
"Yup."
"But that's got nothing to do with this job," She said, tilting her head.
"?"
"We're voice actors. No backing down from any role—you agree, right?" Hidaka clenched her fist.
"But this clumsy junior high lit girl…" Takizawa, ever the client-pleaser, showed rare reluctance.
The producer scribbled "Time's Up, Start!" And raised the sign.
Before he could react, a ding ding chimed through the earphones, like an old theater cue.
Soft, everyday music began to play.
"Practice was solid today," Hidaka said, slipping into role, her voice lowered but still soft and clingy.
"With the tournament days away, I gotta ramp up training. Oh, hey, kouhai, you're watching practice again?"
"…" Silence from across the table.
"What's up? You're extra quiet today."
"…" More silence.
"Feeling sick?"
"Sen…" Takizawa managed a syllable, struggling.
"Hm?" Hidaka leaned closer, listening.
He opened his eyes, resolve flashing. Taking a deep breath, he channeled the embarrassment of playing "mom" in childhood games, summoning every ounce of skill to speak in a delicate, shy whisper.
"Senpai… you're as handsome as ever today."
The voice was soft.
The emotion, spot-on.
But the gender gap wasn't so easily bridged, even as he twirled his fingers like a nervous girl.
The words painted a vivid scene.
In a lazy after-school campus, white clouds framed a warm sunset, light spilling along a tree-lined path to the library.
A petite girl clutched books, her oversized uniform sleeves past her fingertips, standing shyly, cheeks flushed with twilight's glow.
She ducked her face behind her books, bashful.
When she spoke, everything shifted.
To some listeners, the scene flipped from a dreamy Japanese campus to something else entirely—like a grand, crimson-walled palace. The kouhai shed her charm, donning a dark robe, transforming into a menacing figure ready to obliterate.
The athletic, simple soccer captain froze at the shift. Hidaka, hands over her mouth, leaned on her child-actor training to maintain composure.
The staff outside erupted in laughter.
Takizawa, past hesitation, went all-in, embracing the chaos.
He let out a pitch-perfect, teary whimper, feigning hurt.
"Senpai, why're you laughing? I… I got all dressed up to see you today."
"Y-Yeah, Taki-chan's way cuter than usual," Hidaka said, barely looking at the boy poking his cheek coyly, forcing herself to respond.
"Really? Am I cute?"
"Yup!"
"Then… don't look away. Keep your eyes on me. I want to be in senpai's gaze."
"Pfft—"
"Hey, senpai, where're you applying for college?"
"Haven't decided yet."
"Oh? I wanna know when you do. Please tell me."
"Why?"
"'Cause I wanna stay in the same city as senpai."
"Taki-chan, you're only in eighth grade. College is a ways off."
"It's not about age!"
"Huh?"
"Liking someone, wanting to be with them—it's got nothing to do with age. That's how it is. Senpai, I love seeing your bright, sunny smile."
"Oh, uh, I just decided—I'm aiming for University of Tokyo ."
"Tokyo U? Got it. Before that, I have one thing—no, a selfish request."
"What's that?"
"A lifelong plea. Senpai… will you go out with me?"
"Sure—pfft! Hahaha!" Hidaka broke, trembling with laughter.
Dong dong dong. A bell chimed in their earphones.
"And that's the mini-theater!" Takizawa snapped back to his normal, robust voice, coolly wrapping up.
***
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