Then she went straight to the clerk to ask what books Uesugi Yuichi had bought.
Uesugi Yuichi had no idea that the clerk was a close friend of Yuzuki Sasaki's. She had only come to the bookstore to wait for the clerk to finish work so they could go shopping together.
Episode 10: The Great Demon King Inoue Shuya
In this shot, Yuzuki Sasaki's little face was flushed red. Fighting her embarrassment, she had already prepared herself to accept Uesugi Yuichi's hobby.
However, the moment she heard what kind of book it was, Yuzuki Sasaki's face turned deathly pale.
Then came a close-up.
Yuzuki Sasaki froze in shock. Tears glimmered in her eyes, and her lips parted and closed again, but she couldn't say a word.
Hanazawa Sakura held the script in one hand and blurted out, "Eh—?"
Everyone shuddered.
It was only one word, but Hanazawa Sakura's trembling, crystal-clear voice held an impassioned emotion that struck straight to the heart, like the moment before a volcano erupted.
The moment a girl's hopes and dreams of love were shattered.
A moment that was both sweet and bitter.
Yuzuki Sasaki clenched her fist in disbelief, then loosened it.
She pinched her skirt with her left hand and gripped the front of her shirt with her right. Her expression was utterly lost, as if she were about to suffocate.
"Uesugi-sensei, he..."
Hanazawa Sakura fought back a sob, her voice filled with heartbreak.
Her world was crumbling.
Yuzuki Sasaki watched Uesugi Yuichi's retreating figure as he walked away in disarray, tears slipping down her cheeks.
"He already... has a child—?"
Her voice broke with a raw, heart-wrenching sob.
The second episode ended. If this had been the actual broadcast, this would have been the perfect moment for the ending theme to kick in.
Shuya could barely breathe. He gripped his chair tightly. It was the first time he'd heard his own mother give it everything she had in a voice-over.
Were voice actors really monsters?
Shuya couldn't help remembering the phrase he'd heard in his previous life.
Just listening to Hanazawa Sakura's voice had already made him feel the emotions so strongly that he wanted to cry.
What soul-stirring acting.
It was incredible.
The young voice actresses sitting in the recording studio jumped to their feet and excitedly crowded around Hanazawa Sakura, practically fawning over her.
Strictly speaking, none of them had debuted yet. They were only aspiring voice actresses, so they didn't have much experience performing in front of an audience, let alone witnessing such breathtaking acting firsthand.
The young women called her "Hanazawa-senpai" over and over, asking her how they could perform like that.
Hanazawa Sakura wasn't the least bit haughty. She answered them warmly.
She smiled. "Apart from talent, acting takes diligent practice. If I had to put it into words, I'd say it's about immersing yourself in the role."
"Maybe a lot of people think animation is just a fictional work created by people, but I don't see it that way. To the people in the story, it's still the life they're giving everything they have to live. Each one of those worlds is real."
Hanazawa Sakura sighed. "We should always approach our work with humility and reverence. No matter the circumstances, we should give it our all and do our best to portray each person's life. That's the only way we can do them justice. Maybe that mindset is what makes our acting better."
The young women's eyes sparkled with admiration.
Hanazawa Sakura smiled.
"Actually, those were my dad's words. I'll pass them on to you now... Oh, I still have something to take care of, so please excuse me."
Ignoring the young women's excitement, she finished speaking and pulled Shuya outside. It was almost time for their appointment.
The young women had to go to their part-time jobs, too. Voice actors in this world did earn more than before, but since none of them had even debuted, they couldn't make much money.
Hanazawa Sakura exchanged a few words with Shuya and Inoue Hikoo, then heard the receptionist announce that the representative from the children's clothing company had arrived in the meeting room.
Hanazawa Sakura hurriedly took Shuya there.
As they walked, Shuya silently thought over what he knew about the company.
That morning, while they were riding in Inoue Hikoo's car to the company, Hanazawa Sakura had told Shuya about it.
According to her, this children's clothing company was extremely famous, ranking among the top ten in the Earth Federation.
It came from the Great Britain Administrative District and was a brand with a long history.
It was called Children's Dream.
Shuya had heard from his mother that when the company first announced it was looking for brand ambassadors, the talent agencies had nearly torn one another apart.
Who could have guessed the company wouldn't give them the time of day and would simply name Inoue Shuya as its choice?
Their reasons were quite convincing.
Among child stars, Inoue Shuya was undoubtedly the most experienced. He had been in the industry for a full five years.
He could no longer be considered a newcomer. His experience was unmatched not only in the Japan Administrative District but among child stars throughout the Earth Federation.
Then there was his striking appearance. He was the kind of person who could make a living off his looks. But the awards he'd won were proof enough that he could also make a name for himself through his talent.
Popularity was another important consideration, and his popularity among child stars in the Earth Federation was top-tier.
Finally, there was his personal reputation.
Inoue Shuya didn't have a child's temperament at all (because he really wasn't a child). He was humble and polite, never put on airs because of his achievements, and was both witty and pleasant to talk to. He was highly regarded in the industry.
The adults who had worked with him all praised him. His maturity and eloquence beyond his years were major advantages, too.
Children's Dream had decided from the very beginning that Inoue Shuya would be its brand ambassador.
The person in charge of Children's Dream in the Japan Administrative District had openly told every agency that came knocking: headquarters had made it clear from the start that if they were choosing a brand ambassador in the Japan Administrative District, they would consider no one but Inoue Shuya.
Once they put it that way, the talent agencies couldn't object. They had no choice but to accept it.
Inoue Shuya had been called a child prodigy for five years without anyone ever disputing it, so the agencies naturally accepted it, too.
Their own child stars simply weren't on the same level as him.
Even so, the agencies were still fawning over Children's Dream, because this time they weren't just looking for a boy to represent the brand. They needed a girl, too.
That was their opportunity.
There was no girl among the child stars who could rival the Great Demon King Inoue Shuya and crush all the competition, so they still had a chance to compete.
Children's Dream was being quite fair about it, too. They said they would consider Inoue Shuya's opinion before deciding and only asked the agencies to submit their candidates' profiles.
After hearing Hanazawa Sakura explain it all, Shuya agreed that the company was sincere.
And it was especially generous with its money.
Shuya was a little puzzled by how accommodating the company was. After hearing his mother explain that it was run entirely by women, he understood.
They had all fallen under the sway of his little-boy charms.
Inoue Shuya could only say that after carefully cultivating his image for all these years, he was finally seeing things come to fruition... Cough, finally reaping the rewards.
Hanazawa Sakura and Shuya soon arrived at the meeting room.
Two middle-aged women were already waiting inside. One had blond hair and blue eyes, while the other had black hair and dark eyes.
There was no need to guess. The blond woman was from headquarters.
"Sorry to have kept you waiting."
Hanazawa Sakura bowed.
The two women stood up as well, greeting and shaking hands with Hanazawa Sakura in turn.
After the three adults had exchanged greetings, the two women's eyes eagerly turned to Shuya.
Shuya studied them for a moment and could tell they were already excited.
He immediately realized that they were both mothers who adored him.
Shuya was very experienced when it came to dealing with fans like these.
He flashed them a practiced smile that was both cute and handsome, then sweetly said,
"Good afternoon, you two."
I'm dead!
The two women's breathing hitched.
Shuya then addressed the blond woman in English. "Hello. I've always loved Children's Dream's clothes, but unfortunately, they're too expensive! I'm very happy to have the chance to work with you this time."
Shuya delivered his blatant lie with a perfectly serious expression and an utterly sincere look.
But the blond woman didn't respond right away.
She was overcome with joy.
Because...
At long last, someone from the Japan Administrative District had pronounced "Dream" correctly!
Before you continue