"Isn't voice acting just reading lines from a script with emotion? I've never tried it, but it's fine, I'm sure I can manage," Eriri said proudly, lifting her chin. The game she had poured so much effort into was almost ready, and this was the ultimate proof of her skills.
But ten minutes later...
Sitting in the chair, Eriri stared at the script Yusei had prepared, her face completely red.
"W-what are these?!"
"They're the lines. Just the adult version," Yusei replied with a laugh.
Eriri immediately shook her head, 'How could I possibly read these lines out loud? It was too embarrassing!'
If her twin tails were still tied up, they'd be swinging like pendulums.
Yusei shrugged, "It's fine by me. I asked you before if you wanted to do the voice acting, and you said yes. If you're not willing, I'll just hire professionals in a few days."
Truthfully, Yusei had considered that the special sound effects might be better handled by pros. Asuna and Kaguya were his girlfriends, so asking them to do R-18 voice work felt wrong.
Seeing Yusei about to leave, Eriri felt a pang of hesitation.
Suddenly, she called out to him.
"Wait! I... I'll do it. The special sounds are out, but I can do the normal dialogue. That should still help speed things up, right?"
"That works. Thanks for your help." With Yui's assistance, Eriri didn't need to be a pro… clear pronunciation was enough, while emotion was secondary.
After all, Yui could fill in the gaps.
Soon, only Eriri's voice filled the quiet recording booth.
The entire afternoon was spent there. The awkward part was that some lines, while not explicit, still had a certain suggestive tone.
Blushing fiercely, Eriri managed to get through her parts. Finishing felt like a liberation.
"So the high school rumors were true after all," Eriri muttered, shooting a glare at Yusei as she packed up.
"What rumors?" Yusei asked.
"You know, the 'playboy' ones. That Kasumigaoka girl, and the transfer student Yuuki Asuna... they're both your girlfriends, right?" Eriri glanced at him, 'This guy was handsome, talented… his art skills were great. Starting a business so young, plus being last year's national Kendo Champion... he definitely offered a sense of security.'
All these qualities made Yusei prime dating material. But Eriri was still deeply curious and confused.
'How did Kasumigaoka Utaha land him?'
'And he already has a kid!'
Asuna went to the same university. Although they're in different departments, news traveled fast.
The whole school knew Asuna had brought a child to campus soon after term started.
It wasn't illegal to be married before university, so while people were surprised, there wasn't much backlash.
Eriri knew Yusei and Asuna had been dating since high school.
So the child was obviously theirs.
'Having a child surely meant parental approval, right? Marriage licenses required that.'
'They're married! And you, Kasumigaoka Utaha, were the school belle, now a campus belle at Tokyo University. Why are you chasing a married man?'
Even recognizing Yusei's qualities, Eriri couldn't understand the appeal, 'What magic did he possess to make that proud Kasumigaoka Utaha pursue him so actively?'
'He's married with a child! Throwing herself at him... isn't that just asking to be the 'other woman'?'
Eriri found it completely baffling.
"What does them being my girlfriends have to do with today's voice work?" Yusei looked puzzled.
"Uh, nothing." Eriri realized the topics were unrelated, 'Why had I brought it up? Did I think he'd hit on me?'
Her face flushed, 'Was I being conceited?'
Of course, Eriri didn't doubt her own charm.
Yusei was lost. Part of him wanted to tell her it wasn't just Utaha and Asuna.
There was also Kaguya, the heir to a massive Shinomiya Zaibatsu, and Athena, the former chief goddess of Greek Mythology.
But he felt it's best not to boast.
"Let's get dinner. My treat," Yusei offered.
Eriri considered it. Her parents were at a banquet, so home was empty. Eating out sounded good.
She nodded, "Alright. But I suffered today. The Boss should treat me to something nice, right?"
"Of course."
In Tokyo, good restaurants often required reservations. Cheaper places would be packed.
So they picked a place that was nice, not too crowded, and didn't need a reservation.
It was on the pricier side, chosen by Eriri.
She knew Tokyo's food scene better than Yusei, who rarely ate out and had been away.
The restaurant was spacious, with plenty of empty seats.
They found a quiet corner and ordered.
Eriri took charge.
Yusei didn't mind. It was Western food, which he rarely ate after his transmigration, so her expertise was welcome.
Eriri's fair skin and slight mixed-race features, combined with her golden hair, made her quite striking.
She ordered with practiced ease, a flurry of selections, then handed the menu back, satisfied.
Yusei propped his chin on his hand, glanced at the marked items, and looked at Eriri wryly.
"Can you finish all that?"
"Of course I can!" Eriri declared.
Perhaps doubting herself, she added,
"If I can't, you're here to help, aren't you?"