socalfunplaces Page 140
Page 140
"He...he always does this, using the most unexpected methods to let me find the answers myself."
Her voice carried a hint of probing and a hint of anticipation.
Yuto's heart skipped a beat, but he maintained a calm smile on his face: "Is that so? Then you seem to be a very excellent teacher."
He won't admit it.
He didn't want to have any deep connection with Aoyama Nanami; things were fine as they were.
Seeing Yuto's "completely unaware" expression, the light in Nanami's eyes dimmed.
Yes, how could that be... Mr. X is a character in the simulated world, while Itsuka-sensei is a real person in reality.
I'm probably overthinking it.
“Thank you so much, no matter what!” She bowed again. “Without you, I would definitely be…”
"Alright, stop bowing all the time," Yuto interrupted her. "As the original author, I just want the work to be presented in the best way possible. Your voice acting for Anna is the best way to thank me."
"Go for it, Ms. Aoyama."
After saying that, he waved to her and turned to leave.
Watching Yuto's departing figure, Aoyama Nanami stood still for a long time.
A mixture of disappointment and gratitude welled up inside me.
Although he wasn't Mr. X, the help and gratitude he brought me were just as genuine.
She clenched her fists.
Thank you, Mr. Wuhe.
……
As Yuto stepped out of A-1 Pictures, he saw a familiar figure leaning against the roadside railing, his long black hair swaying gently in the evening breeze.
It's Kasumigaoka Utaha.
She was wearing Toyosaki's school uniform, so she had obviously been waiting here for a long time.
"Senior? What are you doing here?" Yuto asked, somewhat surprised.
"I'll wait for you," Shi Yu replied succinctly.
She straightened up and walked up to him, her beautiful eyes appearing exceptionally deep in the twilight.
"I heard the recording didn't go very smoothly today?" she asked casually.
"You're quite well-informed." Yuto remained noncommittal.
"After all, I'm very interested in a promising talent that a discerning eye has taken notice of." Shi Yu chuckled lightly, but there was little warmth in her smile.
"Then, I heard an even more interesting rumor that our talented original author personally stepped in and used his amazing vocal skills to save the new voice actor and the entire production team."
Her intelligence network is far more powerful than Yuto imagined.
"This doesn't sound like something that can be explained by a professional opinion." Shiyu took a step forward, getting closer to Yuto, tilting her head back, and looking directly into his eyes.
"I did a little research, Itsuka-kun." Her voice was low, but every word was clear.
"Aoyama Nanami, from Osaka, spent two years struggling at a voice actor training school in Tokyo with mediocre results and no connections. Then, she met you."
"First, she was given an important supporting role despite not meeting the usual requirements. Then, when the recording was in dire straits, it was you who, in an unbelievable way, opened up a broad road to success for her alone."
Her gaze was sharp as she looked at Itsuki Yuto.
"This level of help goes beyond appreciation; it's more like... compensation, or rather, fulfilling a certain agreement."
"Tell me, Itsuka Yuto."
"What exactly is your relationship with her? Your selfless help, this unspoken understanding as if you've known each other for years... what's going on?"
Yuto fell silent.
……
Volume 1: Chapter 137: A New Mission
The afterglow of dusk stretched Kasumigaoka Utaha's shadow long, making her gaze toward Itsuka Yuto appear even sharper.
"Compensation? Agreement?" Yuto quickly weighed his options in his mind.
"Senior, your imagination is sometimes even more fascinating than your novels," he replied, avoiding the main point.
"Don't try to fool me, junior." Kasumigaoka Utaha remained unmoved. She took a step forward, and the two were so close that they could almost feel each other's breath.
“I see your behavior pattern very clearly. You never make promises to people lightly, but once you've made up your mind, you'll put in extraordinary effort.”
“You treated Eriri this way, and you treated me... the same way. Now, Aoyama Nanami has been added to this list.”
Her voice was low: "What you did for her wasn't professional judgment, it was paying off a debt. Tell me, what do you owe her?"
Yuto fell silent.
Kasumigaoka Utaha is indeed very perceptive.
He couldn't explain the story of how, in the simulated world, he, as "Mr. X," guided Nanami out of her confusion, only to ultimately pass away from illness at the peak of her career.
That guidance, and the regret of not being able to witness her ultimate success, is indeed a debt.
Seeing Yuto's unusual silence, Kasumigaoka Utaha's suspicion deepened.
However, she did not press the matter further. Instead, she changed the subject, her tone becoming as sharp-tongued and arrogant as ever.
"Forget it, I can probably guess. It's nothing more than some unknown past, a history that no one wants to talk about. You creators always like to play these mystique games." She snorted, as if she had forgotten that she was also a creator.
She took a step back, creating some distance again. "However, junior, I must remind you that your professional judgment should ideally be truly professional."
She turned around, her long black hair drawing a graceful arc in the air.
"Don't let your personal feelings affect the work 'Farming King'."
"Otherwise, as your reader and most loyal critic, I will not hold back."
After saying that, she didn't turn back and walked straight to the station.
Yuto stood there, relieved, but also feeling a sense of powerlessness.
He knew that Kasumigaoka Utaha did not believe his words; she was only temporarily trucing the conflict.
Once the seed of doubt is planted, it will inevitably take root and sprout sooner or later.
He looked up at the darkening sky and gave a wry smile.
Living is a more complicated thing than saving someone in a simulation world.
……
……
In the following weeks, A-1 Pictures' recording studio became the place where Yuto Itsuka spent most of his time, besides school and home.
Just as Kasumigaoka Utaha warned, Yuto completely disguised his behavior under the guise of professionalism.
Ever since Yuto used his ventriloquism to create a battlefield for her that day, Nanami seemed to have her meridians opened up.
Her rate of progress is terrifying.
Although sound director Shinsuke Takahashi still wore that serious expression that kept strangers at bay, he was calling "Cut" less and less often, and the occasional slight smile that escaped from the corner of his mouth was the highest praise he could give to a newcomer.
Soon, everyone on the production team discovered a peculiar phenomenon.
Whenever faced with particularly complex inner monologues or when needing to express highly nuanced emotions, Aoyama Nanami always gets stuck.
She would subconsciously look towards the control room, her gaze passing over the supervisor and the producer, landing precisely on the original author sitting in the corner.
And Director Takahashi, a renowned and unyielding judge in the industry, actually tacitly approved of this process.
He would stop, take off his headphones, and gesture to Yuto with his eyes.
Thus, Yuto's personal instruction became an unspoken rule in the recording studio.
"Next scene: Anna's reaction when she learns that the princess deliberately exposed her location to protect her," Director Takahashi's voice rang out in the control room.
Nanami tried several times but could not accurately express the complex emotions that were a mixture of shock, self-blame, heartache, and determination.
Her voice was either too sad or too angry, always lacking that certain something.
Takahashi didn't criticize her anymore, but looked at Yuto.
Yuto nodded and turned on the walkie-talkie microphone.
He didn't speak, but made a series of soft sounds.
In the recording studio, Aoyama Nanami closed his eyes, his body trembling slightly.
She understood.
That was Anna's inner world.
From the initial calm, to the shock of learning the truth, to the turmoil in her heart, all emotions eventually transformed into a mission that had to be completed. That deathly silence was the awareness before facing death.
"I understand." She opened her eyes, spoke into the microphone, and uttered the line in a voice that seemed to burn with her soul.
"...So that's how it is, Your Highness... You've paved the way to hell for me."
"OK!" Coach Kinoshita slammed his hand on the table excitedly. "Perfect! This is exactly the Anna I wanted!"
In the control room, the way everyone looked at Yuto had evolved from initial awe to a near-reverential dependence.
This young original author seems to possess mind-reading abilities, always able to transform the cold words on the script into a voice that strikes straight to the soul in the most unbelievable ways.
After the recording ended, Nanami would always find an opportunity to ask Yuto for advice.
The conversation gradually shifted from the characters to everyday life.
"Ms. Itsuka, how can I express the feeling of 'eating very spicy curry while pretending it's not spicy'?" she asked earnestly while holding a bottle of water during a break.
“It’s very simple.” Yuto thought for a moment. “Next time you eat spicy food, try inhaling while blinking rapidly. The tone of your voice will rise unconsciously at the end, and you will be unable to resist clearing your throat.”
"I see!" Nanami suddenly realized and immediately took out his notebook to write it down.
Their interactions were natural and frequent. To outsiders, they seemed like a perfectly compatible master and apprentice, one sharing all his knowledge and the other humbly seeking guidance.
This pure, intimate relationship centered around the creative process created a harmonious atmosphere in the recording studio.
However, this harmony was limited to the recording studio.
……
……
Toyonosaki Academy, Art Preparation Room.
"Snapped!"
A brand new HB pencil snapped in Eriri's hand.
Frustrated, she scratched her golden twin ponytails and looked at the monster design draft on the drawing board, which she had revised more than a dozen times. She was still not satisfied with it no matter how she looked at it.
"No, the muscle lines here are too stiff, they lack fluidity!"
"The design of this claw isn't impactful enough, it's not scary enough!"
Since receiving guidance from Akane Kousaka, Eriri has been stuck in an unprecedented creative block.
That top figure in the industry used industrial standards to thoroughly criticize her proud fan art skills.
“Sawamura-kun, your drawing is too craftsman-like, with too much emotion and too little structure.” Akane Akasaka’s voice still seemed to echo in my ears. “Animation is a team project. Your art style must serve the whole, not allow you to vent your personal emotions.”
"Get rid of all your unnecessary details and lighting, give me the most precise lines!"
The pressure was so intense that she could hardly breathe.
What bothered her even more was the rumor about Yuto Itsuka that she had recently heard from Utaha Kasumigaoka.
"I heard that our Yuto-kun is a big star at A-1 now. He not only personally mentors new voice actors, but also conquered the entire production team with his ventriloquism. He and that girl named Aoyama Nanami are practically soulmates."
Kasumigaoka Utaha spoke these words in a casual tone, but every word felt like a needle piercing Eriri's heart.
What is soul resonance?
what about me?
I drew so many illustrations and designed so many characters for his novels, don't we have any common ground?