Chapter 36: Do You Like Ken?

“Since we’ve chosen the lines, of course we’ll hire voice actors,” Kaji Keiko said without hesitation. “But I also have to make it clear to Sakamoto-sensei in advance. After all, it’s just a short video for promotional purposes, not a real anime adaptation, so the company won’t invest too many resources.”

“I understand,” Sakamoto Ken said, expressing his understanding.

“Yes, so we will definitely hire voice actors, but they won’t be well-known ones,” Kaji Keiko said. “The production side will assign the task to a voice actor agency. In the agency, this kind of work is usually given to newcomers to practice.”

“Will this be announced in advance?” Sakamoto Ken asked.

“By ‘announced,’ Sakamoto-sensei means…”

“Announcing to the readers that my manga is going to be made into a video, hiring voice actors, and so on.”

“Of course not,” Kaji Keiko waved her hand and said. “The entire plan is in a small-scale experimental state within our company. Saying this might lower Sakamoto-sensei’s expectations, but if this attempt doesn’t work out well, we might not do it again later. This kind of uncertain matter will not be publicly promoted.”

“That’s good…” Sakamoto Ken breathed a sigh of relief.

He was afraid that Shueisha would hold a similar fan work collection event and advertise for voice actors on the serialization page.

In that case, Natsume Mio, who was following his manga, would probably be the first to apply…

No matter what, it was a risk of more contact.

In this life, Sakamoto Ken’s primary goal was safety. Everything else had to be done on the premise of safety.

Therefore, he was particularly cautious about this kind of “relationship advancement” opportunity.

Sakamoto Ken continued Kaji Keiko’s words, “It’s best that it’s experimental. When it’s officially animated in the future, it won’t be too late to hire the top voice actors to dub it.”

Hearing this, Kaji Keiko couldn’t help but smile. “Sakamoto-sensei is very ambitious.”

Sakamoto Ken crossed his arms and said as if it were a matter of course, “If it can’t become popular, why draw manga?”

Kaji Keiko nodded in approval. She appreciated this kind of confident author.

“Alright, the most important things have been discussed.” She closed her notebook. “Then… shall we talk about the subsequent ideas for the manga? Sakamoto-sensei has plenty of manuscripts now, so you can think carefully about the next plot and character development.”

“I have all of that in mind.” Sakamoto Ken was about to continue.

Suddenly, a “buzzing” sound came from the direction of the entrance.

He looked back in confusion.

“What’s that sound?” Kaji Keiko also asked curiously.

…

“Buzz, buzz, buzz!”

Outside the door, Natsume Mio covered her backpack as if she had been electrocuted.

She fumbled to take out her still-vibrating phone.

On the phone screen, the caller ID showed two words – Manager.

She glanced at the time on her phone, and her heart suddenly sank. She cursed inwardly, I’m done for.

She was already ten minutes late for work!

She didn’t dare to answer immediately. Instead, she held her breath and carefully retreated towards the stairwell.

Downstairs, she pushed the door open. It wasn’t until she had left the apartment building that she sprinted towards the corner of the street ahead at a hundred-meter dash speed.

Hiding behind the wall, she took a few heavy breaths before she finally swiped the answer key.

As soon as the call connected, she immediately apologized, “Sorry! Sorry, sorry, Manager-san! Today I… um… I, I was delayed by something on the way, I’m… I’m late…”

On the other end of the phone, the old manager’s voice was as gentle as ever. “It’s fine, it’s fine. As long as you’re okay, Mio. Can you still come to the store today?”

“Yes! Two minutes! Right away!”

Natsume Mio had already started running towards the convenience store.

…

The automatic door of the convenience store opened, and the welcome music played.

Natsume Mio panted heavily, her fair cheeks flushed with a thin layer of red from the strenuous exercise.

“Manager-san, I’m here…”

The old manager was slowly wiping the cash register. Seeing her like this, she put down the rag, and a look of concern appeared on her face. “Oh my, Mio-chan, you don’t have to run so fast. Be careful on the road.”

“I’m sorry! Manager-san, I’m really sorry!” Natsume Mio gave the manager a standard ninety-degree bow.

“Alright, alright, go change into your uniform.” The manager waved her hand, her smile still kind.

“Yes!”

Natsume Mio replied and fled into the changing room in the back.

“Click.”

The door of the changing room was closed, isolating the outside world.

In the small space, only her own heavy breathing could be heard.

She leaned her back against the cold door panel, her body slowly sliding down to the floor, and buried her face in her knees.

It wasn’t a long run from Sakamoto Ken’s apartment to the store.

Her stamina was very good. She had even tried a half-marathon. This little distance was not a burden on her body at all.

But the frantic run just now made her feel a little suffocated.

It was mainly the regret and self-blame in her heart.

She slowly raised her head and looked at the full-length mirror on the wall.

The girl in the mirror had the same hairstyle as the female protagonist in Ken’s manga, but her expression was completely different. She didn’t have Makima’s ever-present aura of a strong person.

There were even tears in the corners of her eyes.

What did I hear outside Ken’s apartment just now?

I heard Ken and that woman discussing the content and promotion of the manga. It was all work.

There wasn’t a single bit of the scene I had imagined in my mind…

That mature woman I treated as a love rival wasn’t some rich woman who was keeping Ken… she was just Ken’s editor.

And what about me?

I’m like a pervert.

Secretly following behind, hiding at the door and eavesdropping.

And in my heart, I was even making up all sorts of dirty stories about Ken…

Mio, oh Mio, how could you think that?

Ken… his life is not easy. He has no parents, lives alone in such a dilapidated apartment, and works desperately every day to draw, finally getting the opportunity to debut at Shueisha.

He works so hard, and I… I had such terrible suspicions about him.

Mio, oh Mio, you’re so bad…

In that dream, Ken did end up having an affair with other women, but that was just a dream after all!

That’s right, that was just my own dark imagination. I was the one who arbitrarily imagined Ken as such a scumbag.

Natsume Mio felt ashamed. She looked at herself in the mirror and apologized in a voice that only she could hear.

“I’m sorry, Ken…”

“Ken… you can ask me to do anything…”

She wiped away her tears with the back of her hand, took a deep breath, and forced herself to calm down.

She was still at the store, and the old manager was still waiting.

Natsume Mio stood up, carefully wiped the tear stains from her face, and changed into her convenience store uniform.

It wasn’t until she thought she had composed herself that Natsume Mio pushed open the door of the changing room, her face already wearing a business-like smile.

Just as she was organizing the shelves, the old manager walked over from behind the cash register with her hands behind her back, a meaningful smile on her face.

“Manager-san,” Natsume Mio stopped what she was doing and asked in confusion, “Are there any instructions?”

The old manager chuckled. She glanced at the store entrance to make sure no customers were coming in, then turned her gaze back to the girl in front of her.

She asked in a very casual tone,
“Mio, do you like Ken?”

(End of Chapter)