One Shot, One Kill

The story wasn't very complicated. It followed Uesugi Yuichi, a disheveled middle-aged painter who ran his own private art class. One evening, after work, he passed through a park and saw what looked like a meteor crash to the ground. Curiosity led him to investigate, only to discover that what had fallen wasn't a meteor at all, but a baby.

Uesugi Yuichi hesitated for a long time in the dark park. In the end, he chose to walk away because he didn't want the trouble. But then a sudden downpour began, and the baby's loud cries tugged at his heartstrings. The sound of sirens drawing closer in the distance made him worry that the baby might be subjected to something horrible, like being dissected.

In his panic, the disheveled middle-aged man took the baby home. Thus began a new chapter in his life: joyful, burdensome, heartwarming, and tearful.

Shuya flipped through the rest of the script, once again impressed by his old man. How could a reckless, rough-around-the-edges guy who lived life at full throttle write such a warm, funny, and moving slice-of-life story?

Hikari-chan was always misusing her superpowers, and Uesugi Yuichi's desperate attempts to cover up the resulting disasters were especially hilarious.

Shuya glanced at Inoue Hikoo. As expected of a seasoned literary type—he was right at home writing this kind of sentimental stuff.

The story wasn't just about raising a child. Another major thread was Uesugi Yuichi's redemption and new beginning.

Uesugi Yuichi had once been a prodigy, a dazzling young talent. But after his childhood sweetheart and wife died of an illness, he fell into a slump and opened a small art class just to get by.

One of his students was a high school girl named Yuzuki Sasaki. She had a secret crush on the handsome, talented, disheveled Uesugi Yuichi. But Uesugi Yuichi had given up on love, so Yuzuki kept her innocent feelings hidden, approaching him under the guise of a hardworking, well-behaved student. She treasured every accidental touch and occasional glance, and each one made her heart flutter.

Then, after watching Uesugi Yuichi day after day, Yuzuki Sasaki discovered Hikari-chan's secret. Using that as an excuse, she offered to help take care of Hikari-chan and began interacting with Uesugi Yuichi more and more often. She even got a key to his house.

The flower of love was beginning to bloom.

Shuya read the delicate portrayal of their feelings. Watching Yuzuki Sasaki struggle to suppress her girlish reserve and shyness, yet throw herself wholeheartedly into love, filled him with a bittersweet feeling. His whole body tingled with excitement, and a line came to mind.

Shuya blurted out:

"Life is short, fall in love, maiden!"

"Hm?"

Inoue Hikoo froze. He thought for a moment, then said hesitantly:

"...The Taisho-era Gondola Song? Shu-chan, you've actually heard a song that old? That's great! It's a little dated, but it's catchy and has a nice feel to it. It fits perfectly. Let's use it in the promotion!"

What the hell!

The fact that you knew where it came from was what shocked me!

Anyway, Shuya only knew the reference. He had no idea where it came from.

Shuya stared at Inoue Hikoo in astonishment. His old man was a little dumb, a little wasteful, and a little reckless... All right, "a little" didn't quite cover it.

But there was no denying his talent!

Shuya finally finished reading the script.

It only went as far as the midpoint. Yuzuki Sasaki had gotten into the art university Uesugi Yuichi had once attended, where she met an elderly professor who had taught him. Excited, she asked about Uesugi Yuichi's past, only to learn unexpectedly that he had once had a wife.

From that point on, the story became heartbreaking.

As Yuzuki Sasaki pursued the truth about the past, she learned about Uesugi Yuichi's glory days, his sweet relationship with his childhood sweetheart, their marriage, and the tragic, romantic story of her death from illness.

Most worth mentioning was how wonderfully Uesugi Yuichi was written. He was irresistibly charismatic.

He had the composure of a middle-aged man and a talent that could make anyone swoon. He was handsome, refined, and gentlemanly.

He had been married before and knew how to be considerate toward women, but since his heart had died along with his love, he kept his distance from them.

He was a handsome, abstinent middle-aged artist with a tragic past.

What impressed Shuya most was how this man, while caring for the adorable Hikari-chan, became flustered and awkward, with a boyish innocence. The contrast was simply perfect.

Shuya thought, Oh my god! How are those young girls and older women supposed to resist a character like this?

His old man, who kept flirting with bankruptcy, was truly... terrifyingly impressive!

Aside from Uesugi Yuichi, the young Yuzuki Sasaki was also written as an adorable character.

Long, straight black hair, an elegant bearing, and a pretty face were just the basics.

She had a wonderful personality, and her devoted, single-minded affection for Uesugi Yuichi was bound to tug at men's hearts. Even her occasional airheadedness was cute.

Last to appear in the story was Uesugi Yuichi's childhood sweetheart, the frail beauty Nakamura Cho.

Her gentle, kind nature, her struggle between life and death, and her deep love for Uesugi Yuichi made for an absolute tearjerker.

The script continued until Uesugi Yuichi confided in Yuzuki Sasaki, letting go of the knot in his heart, and then ended.

Shuya said, still wanting more, "What happens next? It can't be over yet, right?"

"It isn't over."

Inoue Hikoo admitted.

He looked into Shuya's wide eyes and gave a hollow smile. "If the company doesn't go bankrupt, there'll be more to the story..."

Shuya smiled wryly. "That answer just dragged me straight out of my fantasy world."

He shook his head and asked, "Dad, everyone in the recording room is doing bit parts. I don't see the voice actors for the leads, either. Who's going to play them?"

Though this was a slice-of-life anime, the scenes where the characters' emotions burst forth would still be challenging. Newcomers probably wouldn't be able to handle them.

The girls in the recording room were only around ten years old. Shuya knew they weren't even professional voice actors—just trainees.

As for why they were using them, there was no reason other than that they were cheap.

Shuya really liked the script and didn't want his old man to cast people who weren't right for the roles.

Unlike in his previous life, voice actors in this world earned decent wages. Even minor voice actors could scrape by without taking on other work.

That made famous voice actors even more expensive.

Given the state of Inoue Hikoo's company, they might not be able to afford them.

Inoue Hikoo thumped his chest. "Don't worry! We've got an all-star voice cast!"

As Shuya stared in disbelief, he pointed proudly at himself. "I, Inoue Hikoo, shall be the voice of Uesugi Yuichi!"

"And your mommy will voice Yuzuki Sasaki and Nakamura Cho!"

Shuya was at a loss for words. "...Can you even do it?"

"Don't panic, son! Your dad once trained in voice acting alongside your mommy under her dad's tutelage!"

"That really is..."

Just as Shuya began to relax, Inoue Hikoo said proudly:

"Though I quit after a month!"

"Damn it."

Shuya said coldly.

"No problem. For a genius director like me, this is a piece of cake."

Inoue Hikoo radiated a mysterious confidence.

"Don't worry, Shu-chan. I'll make sure he gets proper guidance."

Tanaka, the veteran sound director in charge of the session, turned around and smiled.

"Since Uncle Tanaka says so..."

Shuya said, "I'll leave it at that."

He didn't doubt his mother's skill.

His mother had worked as a voice actor for years and used to be a very popular one. It was only a few years ago, when she took over the agency her parents had left behind after they died in a car accident, that she moved behind the scenes and took fewer jobs.

But she was still above average.

Section 4: One Shot, One Kill

Having family members perform the roles meant they didn't have to pay them, which was a huge help.

Shuya's mother was named Hanazawa Sakura. She was twenty-one years old and an incredibly young, beautiful woman.

His parents were quite the unusual pair.

They were childhood friends who had known each other since they were young.

When his mother was sixteen, her parents suddenly died in a car accident. Inoue Hikoo, that oddball, tried to comfort the grieving Hanazawa Sakura by sneaking into her bed one night—and got her pregnant in one shot. They went on to get married, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

After starting their happy little family, the two inherited and worked hard to run their respective family businesses.

Inoue Hikoo inherited the animation company left by his late parents, which was on the verge of bankruptcy.

Hanazawa Sakura inherited a voice acting agency that was also nearly bankrupt.

It was clear that the two were a perfect match.

Hanazawa Sakura had to take care of the family and run the agency, so she didn't have time to take on many jobs. She only accepted small roles to help support the household.

Now Inoue Hikoo had cast her as a lead, their son as a lead, and even himself as a lead. He was probably hoping to drum up publicity.

He had always been a marketing genius like that.

Shuya was reminded of the fear he'd felt five years ago when he was threatened with being weaned.

But Shuya knew that when Inoue Hikoo was on the brink of bankruptcy, he could really pull through. He didn't doubt that this anime would succeed.

There was no way the whole family would go down together.

He loved this story too much.

Some of the little everyday stories were very familiar to Shuya. They had clearly been drawn from their own experiences, truly inspired by real life.

Inoue Hikoo and Uesugi Yuichi also had somewhat similar personalities. And as the original author, Inoue Hikoo understood the character's feelings. Perhaps that was why he was so confident he could voice him well.

Next, Inoue Hikoo explained the story to Shuya and gave him pointers on what to watch out for.

The anime Alien Baby Hikari-chan was planned for twenty-four episodes to start.

But Hikari-chan would remain a baby right up until the final episode, when she would suddenly and mysteriously grow into a five-year-old. That would leave a hook for the sequel.

In other words, Shuya only had to do what he did best: imitate a baby. He was good at that.

But he shouldn't take it too lightly. Giving simple cries the right emotion wasn't easy. Anyone who didn't understand could think of a certain yellow mouse that could generate electricity.

Shuya had been enhanced when he was reborn and had also received voice acting training from his mother. He quickly got the hang of the role.

"Let's get started, son."

Inoue Hikoo led Shuya into the recording room.

"Director!"

"Good to see you, Director."

The young women greeted him with smiles.

Their earlier nervousness had melted away thanks to Inoue Hikoo's silly antics.

Inoue Hikoo smiled, then said with a commanding presence, "Thanks for all your hard work!"

The opening of the first episode of Alien Baby Hikari-chan took place in Uesugi Yuichi's art class, where both he and Yuzuki Sasaki appeared.

The young women present were playing the other students. They would also voice other minor characters later.

The students' opening conversation had already been recorded. The female lead's lines would have to wait until Hanazawa Sakura arrived. For now, they were focusing on Uesugi Yuichi's first appearance.

It was a very important scene, and a difficult one, too.

The actor had to convey Uesugi Yuichi's lazy, disheveled air, a subtle sadness that made people feel for him, and a handsome voice that wasn't off-putting.

In short, his voice had to make listeners imagine that he was a man with "a lot of history."

Shuya looked at his old man anxiously, wondering how much of the confidence he'd shown earlier had been genuine.

"Relax, son. Just watch me. I'll prove that all those grueling training sessions weren't for nothing!"

Inoue Hikoo thought he was incredibly brave.

An hour later.

"IN! OUE! HIKOO!"

Uncle Tanaka, who had been all smiles just moments ago, slapped his thigh furiously and roared, "You damn son of a—are you an idiot?! Can you not understand plain English?! I told you to sound lazy but not lose the sadness! You sound like a pig that's just had its fill—or worse, a fat, castrated hog! Do you want me to butcher you right now?! Huh?! It's just one line—'Good morning'! How much more time are you going to waste?!"

"Damn it! Was a month of grueling training really not enough?!"

Inoue Hikoo collapsed to his knees and struck an ORZ pose.

"If anything, the problem is that you thought a month of training would be enough."