Female protagonists from various anime/manga crossovers? They'll all regret it for the rest of

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"Oh dear, how have you been lately? Do you have enough money? Have you been eating well? It's getting cold in Tokyo, you should wear more clothes..." Her mother's concerned voice brought tears to Nanami's eyes.

The mother and daughter chatted for a while before Nanami nervously asked, "Um... Mom, is Dad home?"

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, then the mother's low voice came through: "I'm here, watching TV, wait a minute."

Then came a rustling sound, and the mother's voice urging, "It's rare for the child to call home, can't you just talk to him nicely..."

Then, a familiar male voice, tinged with impatience, came through the receiver: "Hello! What is it?"

My father's attitude remained the same as before.

If it were the old Nanami, her stubbornness might have flared up immediately.

But now, she simply gripped her phone tightly and said in as calm a tone as possible, "Dad, it's me."

"I know it's you. So, you're broke again? I've told you so many times, that voice actor..."

“No,” Nanami interrupted him. “I’m not here for money. I… I got a job.”

The voice on the other end of the phone suddenly stopped.

Nanami could imagine her father's furrowed brow at that moment.

Without waiting for him to ask a question, she continued talking to herself.

“It’s a voice acting job for an animation. Although it’s just a minor role with only three lines, the production company is a very famous and large company.” She said in a calm tone.

“I went to record, and it was my first time in a real recording studio. I was very nervous. The supervision was very strict. I was asked to re-record my first line twice. At that time, I really thought I was going to be kicked out…” She even jokingly talked about her embarrassment at the time.

"However, I finally finished it. Today, I received their payment, although it was only five thousand yen."

She paused for a moment, then continued, "But Dad, this is the first money I've earned as a voice actor. I... I just wanted to tell you."

After she finished speaking, she waited quietly.

She was prepared to face another round of scolding from her father, or perhaps a disdainful snort.

However, there was a long silence on the other end of the phone.

The silence continued until Nanami thought the signal had been lost.

"...Hello? Dad? Are you still listening?"

"……Yeah."

After a long while, the father's voice rang out again.

The voice was somewhat hoarse, as if something was blocking the throat.

"Only five thousand yen... What's so great about that kind of job?" His tone was still stern, but his usual anger had vanished without a trace. "Don't get carried away just because you've earned so little. Tokyo is a place where expenses are high, so you need to be careful with your money."

"Ok, I know."

"Also, don't stay up late all the time, it's bad for your health. Eat three meals a day on time, don't go hungry just to save money, do you hear me?"

“…Hmm.” Nanami’s nose tingled, and tears welled up unexpectedly.

These were the first words her father had spoken to her since she left home, words filled with concern.

"...That's all then, I'm hanging up." The father seemed to realize the change in his tone and, feeling somewhat uncomfortable, hurriedly tried to end the call.

"Dad!" Nanami called out to him quickly.

"…What else?"

"You...you also need to take care of yourself, don't overwork yourself."

There was another silence on the other end of the phone, and finally, only a barely audible "hmm" was heard before the call was disconnected.

Holding her phone, which was already dialing "busy," Nanami squatted down, buried her face in her knees, and let her tears fall silently.

This time it's not sadness.

……

In Osaka, thousands of miles away.

A middle-aged man sat on the sofa in the living room, staring blankly at the black screen of his phone.

His wife, standing beside him, carefully handed him a cup of hot tea.

"The father of my child, Nanami..."

The man didn't speak, he just waved his hand.

He picked up the teacup, wanting to take a sip, but found his hand trembling slightly.

He put down his teacup, raised his rough palm, and vigorously wiped his face.

When he looked up, his eyes were already red.

He recalled his daughter's calm and mature tone on the phone, the seriousness with which she talked about her work, and her clumsy expression of concern at the end.

His daughter seems to have really grown up.

She is no longer the little girl who only talked back and cried, saying, "Dad doesn't understand me."

She is trying her best to live in that faraway city in her own way.

He was never against her dreams; he was just afraid.

I'm afraid she'll get hurt, afraid she'll fail, afraid she'll suffer alone out there.

His anger and roaring were simply a father's most helpless way of protecting his daughter.

But now, it seems he... should learn to let go.

……

A week later, her voice acting school teacher called her aside after class.

"Aoyama, there's a small industry networking event this Friday evening at a hotel in Ebisu." The teacher handed her a beautifully printed invitation.

"It's organized by my former students. They'll be inviting people from production companies, sound directors, and some veteran voice actors. There aren't many spots for newcomers, but I managed to get one for you."

Nanami accepted the invitation, feeling somewhat bewildered. It sounded like the kind of occasion she had only ever seen in magazines and on television, the kind reserved for "professionals."

"Am I...is it appropriate for me to go?" she asked hesitantly.

"What's inappropriate?" The teacher's expression remained as serious as ever. "You're no longer just a student who only daydreams in the classroom. You're a professional voice actor in training, with works to your name and payment to your name."

"Go and see, go and listen, go and meet some people. Remember, in the voice acting industry, it's not enough to just bury yourself in practice; connections and information are equally important."

The teacher's words dispelled Nanami's hesitation, and she nodded vigorously: "Yes, I understand!"

However, new problems soon arose.

When she returned to her apartment and stood in front of her small closet, she realized a harsh reality—she didn't have a single outfit suitable for that occasion.

Besides the school uniform, the wardrobe contained only a few T-shirts and jeans suitable for part-time work.

She racked her brains for a long time, and finally could only squeeze out a portion of her already meager living expenses to carefully select a simple and elegant beige dress from a budget clothing store in Shinjuku.

Although the price wasn't high, it was already the limit she could afford.

On Friday evening, Nanami arrived at the hotel in Ebisu half an hour early.

Standing in the magnificent lobby, looking at the well-dressed and elegant men and women, she felt like an ugly duckling who had mistakenly wandered into Swan Lake.

She instinctively clenched her small handbag, her palms sweaty.

She took a deep breath, remembered her teacher's words and Mr. X's encouragement, straightened her back, and walked into the banquet hall.

The banquet hall was dazzling with lights and filled with the fragrance of fine clothes and elegant attire.

The guests gathered in twos and threes, talking in hushed tones and occasionally letting out polite laughter.

Nanami found an inconspicuous corner, picked up a glass of orange juice, and pretended to calmly observe everything around her.

She saw a famous male voice actor whose voice she often heard in late-night anime being surrounded by several young female producers.

She also saw an idol voice actress who frequently appears on the cover of voice actor magazines, smiling sweetly as she talked to someone who looked like a high-ranking executive at a talent agency.

Everything here made her feel a distant, unreal, dizzying sensation.

This is the world of her dreams, but at this moment, it seems as if there is a thick barrier between her and it.

Just as she was about to curl up into a ball, a slightly hesitant voice sounded beside her.

"Um... excuse me, are you also a student at a voice acting school?"

Nanami turned her head and saw a girl who was about the same age as her.

The girl had a cute bob haircut, and her face showed the same nervousness and unease as her.

“Ah, yes.” Nanami seemed to have found a kindred spirit, and her tense nerves relaxed a little. “I am Aoyama Nanami from Tokyo ABC Voice Actor School.”

“Me too! I’m from the Aota Voice Actor Training Agency, my name is Akane Kobayashi.” The girl said with surprise, “That’s great, I thought I was the only newcomer here.”

The two equally uneasy girls quickly found common ground.

They talked about their respective school courses, their recent auditions, and their confusion and expectations about the future.

With companions, Nanami no longer felt so lonely, and she began to have the courage to observe and listen.

She discovered that the topics the veterans discussed went far beyond just voice acting techniques.

They would talk about the internal structure of an animation production committee, discuss the personal style preferences of different sound directors, and even analyze which genres of light novels have the potential to be adapted into anime.

This is information she would never have access to at school.

For the first time, she realized in detail how vast and complex the business system behind the voice acting profession was.

During the self-introduction session arranged by the organizers, the newlyweds were invited one by one to a small stage.

When it was Nanami's turn, she was so nervous that her heart was about to jump out of her chest.

She walked to the microphone, bowed, and began to speak: "Good evening, everyone. My name is Aoyama Nanami, and I'm a student at the Tokyo ABC Voice Actor School. My dream is to become a voice actress who can breathe life into characters with her voice. Please feel free to guide me."

Her attitude was sincere, her voice was clear and bright, and her standard Mandarin pronunciation was impeccable. But if you listened carefully, you could also catch a hint of the clear and refreshing quality of spring water in her mellow tone.

This made her stand out among the sweet or soft voices of other newcomers.

In the audience, a veteran voice actor who looked to be in his forties whispered to his friend, "This child's voice is very pure."

After the self-introductions, Nanami returned to her corner and breathed a sigh of relief when the veteran voice actor walked over with a wine glass in hand.

“Aoyama…Nanami, is that right?” he asked with a smile.

"Ah! Yes! Hello, senior!" Nanami quickly bowed. She recognized this senior as Mr. Nakata, a very famous and talented voice actor in the industry.

"Don't be so nervous." Mr. Nakata's smile was gentle. "I just heard your voice, it's very good, very distinctive."

"Thank you, senior!" Nanami blushed with excitement upon receiving praise from her idol.

"As a newcomer, the most important thing is not how fancy your skills are, but to maintain your sincerity." Mr. Nakata looked at her, as if giving advice to a junior.

"Always be true to your role, true to your script, and true to your audience. Also, show respect to every staff member in the recording studio. Your professionalism and character will take you further than you imagine."

These words, though simple and unadorned, are full of profound wisdom.

Nanami listened intently, nodding vigorously, engraving every word into her heart.

"Nanami, you were amazing just now! You were able to chat with Mr. Nakata for so long!" Akane Kobayashi's eyes were full of envy. "Mr. Nakata is a legendary figure in our training center. It's said that he has extremely high requirements for newcomers."

"I... I was just lucky." Nanami scratched her cheek a little embarrassedly. "Nakata-senpai is a very nice person. He told me..."

Just then, a young man dressed in a well-tailored suit, who looked like an agent or production manager, walked over.

"Excuse me, are you Ms. Nanami Aoyama from the Tokyo ABC Voice Acting School?"

"Ah, yes, that's me." Nanami quickly stood up straight.

"Hello, I'm SKI's production assistant, my name is Yamamoto." The man handed over a business card. "After listening to your self-introduction, I think your voice is very distinctive, very clear, and highly recognizable."

SKI!

This is a company renowned in the industry for its high-quality anime-style mobile games, with several of its games being phenomenal hits.

"Thank you!" Nanami nervously accepted the business card and handed over his own hastily printed one with both hands.

Yamamoto's assistant didn't seem to care. He glanced at the business card, put it in his pocket, and continued, "Well, our company has a new card battle game called 'Echoes of the Oracle' that's about to enter the voice acting stage. There's a character in it that I think might be perfect for you. Would you be interested in auditioning?"

Happiness came too suddenly, and Nanami's mind went blank for a moment.

She nodded vigorously, almost instinctively: "Yes! I'm interested!"

"That's good." Assistant Yamamoto smiled. "We will send you the specific information and invitation letter through your school's teachers next week. We look forward to your performance."