novelraw Page 106
Page 106
Go to sleep. Once you're asleep, you won't have to think about anything.
……
The disappointment that follows hope is often the most devastating to a person's will.
Aoyama Nanami is currently on the verge of collapse.
In a simulated dubbing class at a voice acting school, today's assignment is to dub a princess character from a fantasy anime.
That was a character who spoke eloquently and used the most standard aristocratic language.
This is a huge challenge for Nanami.
She took a deep breath and walked to the microphone.
Perhaps the teacher's criticism had an effect; she was unusually nervous and cautious today.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, brave hero who has traveled from afar. I am the princess of my kingdom..."
She tried hard to control her pronunciation and intonation, speaking each word with unusual force.
However, the more nervous you are, the more likely you are to make mistakes.
At the end of a long sentence, without her noticing, that familiar Kansai accent slipped out quietly.
"...Please do us a favor (nanoyo)."
That tiny sentence-final particle sounded particularly jarring in the quiet recording studio.
"Pfft-"
I don't know who it was, but the first person couldn't help but laugh.
Immediately afterwards, laughter, as if contagious, rose and fell throughout the classroom.
"Oh? Is Your Highness from Osaka?"
"Haha, even the bravest would have to carry a train and run away overnight if they heard that!"
"Hey, you should try it too, 'Hero, how about a box of takoyaki?' Hahaha!"
One boy even imitated her Kansai accent perfectly, causing the whole class to burst into laughter.
The laughter made Nanami's face turn deathly pale, and his body began to tremble uncontrollably.
She wanted to argue, to shout at them, "No laughing!"
But when she opened her mouth, she couldn't utter a single word.
Shame, anger, grievance... a mix of emotions choked her up.
"Quiet!"
The teacher slammed his hand on the table, abruptly stopping the laughter.
Everyone shut up.
Nanami raised her head and cast a pleading look at her teacher.
She hoped the teacher could say something for her, even if it was just a simple "Don't laugh at your classmates."
However, the teacher just looked at her coldly, with no sympathy in her eyes, only deep disappointment and severity.
"Aoyama and the Seven Seas!"
"What did I tell you last time? Your accent isn't your unique feature, it's your fatal flaw!"
"Look at yourself! You're befitting a princess, not a comedian!"
"What you're doing is a blasphemy against the character! It's an insult to our profession!"
"I'm even starting to doubt whether you have even the slightest bit of talent! If not, then don't waste everyone's time here, and stop wasting your parents' money!"
The teacher's words of criticism struck her heart like a hammer blow.
talent……
Does she lack talent?
What she has always been proud of is her sensitivity to sound and her ability to imitate it.
But now, in the teacher's eyes, she has become someone who is "completely talentless" and "wasting time".
The whole world seemed to have fallen silent.
She could only hear the sound of her own heart breaking.
Tears welled up in her eyes, but she stubbornly tilted her head back and forced them back.
She can't cry.
Crying here will only attract more ridicule and pity.
She said nothing, but silently walked off the stage, returned to her seat, and straightened her back.
That feigned strength made her look so fragile, and so heartbreaking.
She didn't listen to a single word for the rest of that class.
……
After school, Nanami didn't go to work, but instead walked home alone like a lost soul.
The sky was overcast, just like her mood.
The laughter of her classmates and the scolding of her teacher still echoed in her mind.
She felt as if she had been stripped naked and thrown out onto a busy street, left to be pointed at and humiliated.
An unprecedented sense of frustration and humiliation overwhelmed her completely.
She began to doubt herself.
Am I really not suited to be a voice actor?
Should I really give up on this impossible dream?
Back in her empty apartment, she didn't even bother turning on the lights. She just curled up in the darkness, hugged her knees, and buried her head deep inside.
"Woo..."
……
……
After several days of wallowing in darkness, Aoyama Nanami was almost ready to give up.
She didn't go to school, didn't go to work, and even took leave from voice acting school.
She was like a wounded hedgehog, curling up in her small apartment and refusing any contact with the outside world.
She received several messages of concern from friends on her phone, but she didn't reply to any of them.
She didn't know what to say.
Are you going to tell them that you were ridiculed by your classmates and scolded by your teacher because of your accent, and that you don't want to work anymore?
So shameful.
She preferred that everyone think she was sick.
That evening, as she was holding Torajiro and staring blankly at the ceiling, the doorbell suddenly rang.
"Ding-dong-"
Nanami was startled.
Who could it be so late?
She didn't move, thinking that as long as she didn't open the door, the other person would leave soon.
"Ding-dong-ding-dong-"
However, the doorbell kept ringing.
Nanami felt a surge of irritation.
She tiptoed to the door and looked out through the peephole.
The corridor was deserted.
strangeness……
She hesitated for a moment, then opened the door a crack.
On the ground by the door, there was a cardboard box that was neither too big nor too small.
There was no sender information on the package, only a recipient – “To Ms. Aoyama Nanami”.
The address is hers, that's right.
Who sent it?
Nanami was filled with doubt.
She looked around warily, and after confirming that no one was around, she quickly carried the box inside and immediately closed the door.
She put the box on the ground and examined it for a long time.
...Is it "Mr. X"?
This thought uncontrollably popped into my head.
Besides him, Nanami couldn't think of anyone else who would send her things in such an anonymous way.
Her heart started racing for no apparent reason.
She found some scissors and carefully cut open the tape on the box.
The moment she opened the box, she was completely stunned.
On top of the box were several books that looked very professional.
"Muscle Memory Method for Standard Pronunciation", "Core Skills of Broadcasting and Hosting", and "Practice of Pronunciation Correction for Kansai Dialect".
These books, just by looking at their titles, are completely different from the mass-produced books on the market.
She randomly picked up a book, and found its contents to be professional, detailed, and to the point.
This...this is practically tailor-made for her!
She suppressed her excitement and continued reading.
Beneath the book was a beautifully packaged box.
Upon opening the box, a delicately designed instrument was found inside.
There was also an instruction manual next to it – [Professional-grade vocal cord muscle assist and pronunciation corrector].
"!!!"
Nanami couldn't help but gasp.
She had only ever seen this kind of thing described in professional voice actor magazines.
It is said to be very expensive and is a professional device used only by top voice actors and announcers.
And now, it lies quietly in front of me.
However, what shocked her the most was a document at the very bottom of the box.
It was a thick stack of printed copies, bound together with a binder.
On the cover, a line of text is written in beautiful font: "[Aoyama Nanami's Exclusive Standard Language Practice Course]".
With trembling hands, she turned to the first page.
The above provides a detailed analysis of the pronunciation characteristics and intonation habits of the Kansai dialect, even down to the tongue position and mouth shape changes of each vowel and consonant.
Then, in response to her problem, a set of progressive and highly targeted practice methods were designed.
From the most basic breathing control to complex tongue twisters, each exercise is marked with key points and precautions.
This handwritten lesson is incredibly detailed and meticulously crafted.
It was as if the person who wrote this course knew her weaknesses better than she did herself.
"Clap."