"Uhm,"
"What are you two doing?" Wataru-san suddenly appeared behind Hino-san and somehow I was saved from the intense ambiance that covered in the waiting room
"Sorry, I need to go" I bowed down and hurriedly ran out of the room. It was nerve-wrecking! His voice was scary.
"(F/N)!" I looked behind me and there my sister with her manager "We're going home" her tone, she was not in the mood. She seemed irritated
I followed them and the two of them were not saying anything. Compare to before, sis' wasn't pleased
"Is there something wrong?" I asked in low voice but they remained silence. Once we arrived in our house, Asako-nee grumpily sat down on the sofa and just sighed loudly "Neesan?"
"Sorry, I am just pissed with the director"
"Why?"
"He kept on saying things that are irritating to my ears!"
"Neesan, why did you accept that job? You know very well that your voice is not that good"
"Shut up!" neesan glared at me "Being a seiyuu is different than just being a model or a regular singer! I will become more popular. Well, someone like you will never understand"
"I will never understand on why you want to be popular, but I at least understand that you are putting yourself in more difficult situation"
"Shut up! I am older than you so don't talk back, (F/N)!"
Probably, that was the first time I talked back to my sis. But she was right, I would never understand on people why they wanted to be popular. So if you want to become popular, you need to become a seiyuu?
After that day, I still accompany neesan but we didn't talk. Every time she looked at me, there was a disgust and hatred from her stare. I felt like I was unwanted anymore. Added to that, on the recording studio I was being stared at with different reason, probably.
And again, I was being stared at.
"(F/N)" I moved back as Hino-san was trying to approach me
"Sorry, Hino-san, I need to go"
"I'm being ignored" Hino-san's voice was scary enough that I wanted to run away from him "I wonder why?"
"Hino-san's voice is scary!" I retorted as I moved back, it was then he laughed "Eh?!"
"Seiyuu is amazing, right?" his voice changed and somehow I calmed down
"I don't know. I will never understand why you wanted to become popular" just hearing that, sis' words kept on popping on my mind. I would never understand
"To become popular? Hmmmm?" Hino-san folded his arm and shook his head "I don't know, do you think that being a seiyuu is to be popular?"
"It is, right?"
"I don't think so. Being a seiyuu is to give life to the character we are voicing. We are not trying to become popular since the one popular is the character we are voicing. Besides, we are seiyuu because we are having fun on our job. We are not trying to be popular, we are trying to make the listeners, the viewers satisfied to the character they like. We are having fun in our work"
Eh?
Just now, I finally understand how a real seiyuu works. Sis, your thinking is different to them.
"Ah, you two, do you want to come and watch the recording?" Wataru-san suddenly popped out behind us
"Recording?"
"Your sis, she will sing." My eyes widened to what he said so I hurriedly went to the recording studio. There were too many seiyuu present and even directors were there, but sis couldn't sing.
"Are you sick, (L/N)-san?" the director said through the microphone. Her manager was so troubled that she couldn't say the truth
"Sorry, my throat is not okay today"
"We will be behind in schedule if we don't record today"
"Then" I jolted in surprised when I realized that Hino-san was standing beside me "Why don't we let her sister sing? You will be surprise to her voice"
"W-wait, H-Hino-san!" I tried to complain but he patted my head, smiled and whispered to my ear "Hino-san?"
"Why don't use your voice to make everyone here happy? Not as your sister but you yourself"
"But to make her sing so suddenly" the director sighed
"You'll be surprised, director" Hino-san was having fun in this situation
"Hmmmm" the director was looking at me. He was surely thinking a plain looking like me would sing "What do you think?" he was asking me "I will not force you to do it"
I looked at my sis and she was shaking her head and even her manager.
"Please let me do it" I said in low voice but I was obviously shaking. I was so nervous
They let me listen to the song first as they continued recording the other scenes.
"Calm down, just have fun when you are singing. Oh and the character is a fierce person, so have that image while singing" Hino-san advised me. I knew that I had recording before but in front of them, I couldn't help but feel trouble "He will stop you if you need adjustment"
"Okay, (L/N) (F/N)-san" the director called me and let me stood in front of the microphone "Let's run one for now"
I nodded and the music started. I remembered Hino-san's advised and sang on the image of the character. Surprisingly he didn't stop me
Once I finished, in low voice I asked "I-is it okay?" I noticed their eyes widened and nodded
"Can you say that one more time? That 'is it okay', but this time make your voice a little louder and can you move closer to the microphone?" I was curious to what he meant but I just followed what he said
"I-is it okay?" I shyly repeated and not just the director but everyone nodded and smiled
"One second, can you read this one part with that kind of voice?"
"Eh?"
"Hino-san can you say your lines?"
"I understand" Hino-san stood beside me and smiled.
We run through the lines and it seemed it was a new character and they still didn't know who to voice. I followed their orders, like changing the tone of my voice, the loudness, and they let me image specific personality of that character. But I honestly didn't know what just happened. The other seiyuu smiled and they congratulated me.
After the recording, I sighed and it was kind of tiring, but somehow I felt happy doing that.
"(L/N) (F/N)-san" I looked behind me and the director was there. I bowed down and he smiled at me "I was surprised to your voice. Do you have plan on being a seiyuu? You can received lots of good characters if you continue voice acting"
"She will" Hino-san was the one who responded
"Wait, Hino-san!"
"I was the one discovered her" he sounded like he was so victorious "I told you right, director? You will be surprised"
"Yes, yes, then I'll see you both tomorrow. (L/N)-san, here your manuscript"
I bowed down as I accepted the manuscript "Thank you very much" the director left me with Hino-san whose arms were folded and smiling creepily beside me "You really are scary, Hino-san. But thank you for what you did"
"Hmmm? Seiyuu is amazing, you know." Wataru-san suddenly popped out behind Hino-san and he was also smiling creepily "Well then, (F/N), do you-"
"Yes?"
"(F/N)!" I jolted once I heard my sis' voice roaring on the hallway
"I honestly don't like the voice of your sister. I have a voice fetish so when I don't like the voice my ear is turning red"
"Though you were the one who invited us to watch the recording" Hino-san retorted
"The first time I heard (F/N)'s voice, I wasn't sure, but when I heard your sis' voice, I finally realized, you are the voice of your sister"
"(F/N)!" my sis' face was so scary. Her manager was behind her and catching her breath "Let's go home"
"Ah, no she will come with me for a while" Hino-san held my shoulder and smiled at sis and her manager
"Eh, where are we going?"
"Axl-one, the seiyuu agency of Morikawa Toshiyuki-san, the agency I am affiliated. I told him about you and he loves to meet you, and train you"
"Wait, Hino-san, (F/N) is Asako's sister, and I am Asako's manager, it is obvious that I should-"
"I don't think so. You are Asako's manager, but not (F/N). If you are then you will not let a rare talent to gone waste. Then should we ask (F/N) her decision?"
"Me? Eh?"
"The question the director asked, what is your answer?" Hino-san was smiling at me and at the other hand neesan was glaring at me
I looked at neesan and her manager and bowed down "I apologize, from now on, I will decide on what should I do. I want to be a seiyuu, not because of I want to be popular but because I want to do it."
"About your voice, Asako, you should talk to the director and explain yourself. He already know about it, he just wanted to hear explanation from you personally. If you don't tell him the truth, then probably this will be your first and last seiyuu project" Wataru-san told her "And (F/N), better to have confidence. And have fun on being a seiyuu, okay?" he patted my head and then patted Hino-san's shoulder "I'll leave her to you then"
"Well then, we will be going" Hino-san grabbed my hand as we walked out of the building "(F/N) I still need to punish you"
"Eh? Why?!"
"You kept on ignoring me"
"I apologize. You were really scary and the way you stared at me, I was really scared." I honestly told him but he just laughed
"Well, for now, let's go to axl-one."
We headed towards the agency he was talking about and met this Morikawa Toshiyuki that Hino-san kept on saying. I had a run through of some lines and Morikawa-san nodded. I also sang once, well the known song of my sis and he was really impressed. I explained that it was originally me and he told me that it was good thing that I decided to be a seiyuu.
After that meeting with Morikawa-san, he gave me time to think about the contract. But before going home, Hino-san dragged me, yes dragged me to get a contact lens and new pair of eye glass. We also bought new clothes and for unknown reason, he also dragged me to salon and they cut my hair.
"HINO-SAN!" I shouted "What on earth did you do to me?!"
"I am right, see? Just a little change and you are far more beautiful than your sister. You are already beautiful and now you are more beautiful" he folded his arm and he seemed satisfied while looking at me "Now your account is clear now."
"Huh?"
"You kept on ignoring me, right?" Here it goes again, his voice changing.
~
Thanks to Hino-san and Morikawa-san, I got voice acting jobs. Not long after I became seiyuu, I got a main character to voice that became a big break for me. As for my sister, she got side characters and stayed being a model.
Aside from the female seniors in axl-one, Hino-san also became my mentor. As a pro-seiyuu, they taught me lots of things.
"(F/N), thanks for the good work" my spine thrilled and my heart jumped out once I heard Hino-san's voice. "I bought melon bread for you"
"T-Thank you, Hino-san" I didn't know when did it start, but every time Hino-san talked, I felt like my heart would burst.
"(F/N), your face is so red, do you have a fever?" I shook my head vigorously and smiled "You sure?"
"Yeah, but you see, I didn't know when it started, every time Hino-san speaks I couldn't breathe normally. I wonder why? I am happy that you were the one who discovered me, but you were scary. But now, I didn't know why, you are not that scary" I had no other reason when I asked him, I just wanted to know the reason.
But I was surprised that I felt his lips on top of mine.
"H-Hino-san?"
"Now, I already taught you voice acting, I will now teach you things about love. Prepare yourself"
~Discovered by Hino Satoshi Part 2~Fin~
~To be continued~The Lost Ono Yuki Part 1~