"Shiro this is the twentieth time you're asking me for that!" Reo half whispered half screamed into mobile device.
His eyebrows had been furrowed for hours on end ever since he picked up the call. Reo took a deep breath and exhaled slwoly, taking three steps backwards to get out if the middle of the manga aisle. "I'm not going to turn my manga into a show."
'why not? your manga had been ranked 'number 1' for 6 consecutive months! The profit you get from the manga will increase the moment you turn it into a show!' Shiro, the manager-slash-old college friend showed visible—or rather audible distress.
'We're not understaffed and we aren't competing with other studios since this is your work and you have your own animation studio—so what's the problem?! Team? resources?'
It was neither all of those. The manga 'Reluxion', had reached it's golden peak in the entertainment industry. To be turned into a show, it must meet the watcher's expectations and standards. Animation and design wise—everything is well done in his own studio however the problem was something else, namely:
Voice actor.
Take note: voice actor. A single person. why only one person? because no one in the voice acting industry, Not even the best of the best professionals, are able to embody the voice of the villain.
to refuse a big opportunity because of a minor detail is a fool's doing but as a person who has been in the entertainment industry for years, Reo understands that if a minor detail unsatisfies the mass, everything can topple down in a blink of an eye.
anime and manga watchers may seem docile but they're as vicious as an apex predator.
"Like I said, I don't wany to turn it into a—" Making way for the bunch of girls passing by, tbe man on the phone had took another three steps backwards, eyes focused hazily on the book shelf across from him. His first two steps had been without a flaw, the girls passing by with ease. Reo was quite sure that it was another 3 steps back before he hits the bookshelf but he questioned it the moment his back came into contact with a solid surface—
'Defenitely not a bookshelf.' Reo processed.
His back pressed aagainst someone's back, and the contact had made the two individual flinch in unison, the other guy snapping out of his reading zone and suddenly closing the manga at an alarming speed. The both of them lurched forward in unison upon the sensation and spun around to see what was going on.
'Reo? you there?'
the big stranger holding a book had looked like a deer caught by a car's headlights. his shoulders were hunched and what was left for him to do was to cower into a ball like an armadillo which was unusual for a man his size.
"Yeah —no. Shiro, I'm not turning that manga into a show. I have to go, I'll meet you tomorrw."
'Hah? Oi! Reo—' Fhe call had been cut short and in a metter of secknds, Reo's phone was shoved in his pockets.
The said big man had ever so slowly pivoted his torso to look at whoever who had bumped him. Silently, the big guy slightly prayed that it wasn't a collegue from his agency. The light from his glasses fractured and he tilted his head down to see a long silver haired man with round eyes looking at him like he was something interesting.
"Ah—" Reo parted his lips to speak, a bit relieved upon the sight.
'A stranger is better than a collegue' The big guy thought.
Reo had initially thought that the big guy had a scary face but the thick rimmed glasses and the lousy hairstyle says otherwise. Bottom line is—It was just another office worker. He was plain and looked like any other person working in society.
Though it was like Reo was being told that there was something special about this guy.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to bump into you." Reo bowed slightly and got to peek at the manga the stranger held, eyes lighting up at the familiar red, black and white cover.
The worry and nervousness from Reo had disipitatated to oblivion when he saw his manga, 'Reluxion' being grasped by the stranger. Admittedly, the big office guy looked out of place in the manga section. He seemed to be the type you can find in the bussiness area or reading the daily news paper.
The man parted his lips to speak. "It's fine." He said in an irregular deep voice causing Reo to go rigid. he looked at the man in yhe eye and stared at him, voice resonating inaide of his head as if the stranger had shouted in an spacious room causing it to echo.
Deep, Villainous and powerful.
It was perfect. This stranger's voice was perfect! His voice is deeply mellow than average, soothing to the ears and perfect for the character voice for his manga.
"Ah, are you a fan of 'Reluxion' too?" Finding a way to hear the man speak once more, Reo had slipped to the office worker's side, pulling out a volume of his own work off the shelf and opening it to a random page.
"Ah...Yes." The man slightly pulled away, unconfortable by the out of nowhere pulled conversation.
"Me too. I've been looking forward to the next volume when Arsalith finally kills Dion!" Reo smiled, reacalling what he did for the latest volume. The latest, volume 23 had ended abruptly between a side boss and the M.C's climactic battle, and the next volume was yet to be relaeased until next week. "It was just rumors but, I heard Arsalith was going to be killed in the next volume."
'he really wasn't though—' Reo smiled to himself inside, knowing all too well that the had spoken false ideas. The character Arsalith wasn't going to die but knowing that the stranger doesn't know the contents of the upcoming volume he might just react.
Maybe just a little bit.
"HAH?!" The man's voice boomed in the aisle, causing the rest of the customers to flinch in their places and gawk at the big guy.
Ok, maybe 'a little bit' was an understatement.
"No way! Arsalith isn't going to die!" He gripped on the manga all to tightly and moved slightly closer, realizing that his voice had been two volumes too loud. "He's a main character, He can't die." He whispered shouted, The man shook his head side to side in disbelief, eyeglasses flying parachuting down to the marble floor.
"That's what my sister said. My sister works for that studio." Reo lied, bending down to pick the thick rimmed glasses up, noticing that the glasses didn't even have a grade in them. they were like glasses for show as if to hide his eyes.
The silver haired man titled his head up to meet the big guy's eyes. only to be entranced. His eyes were beautiful. they were narrow but beautiful.
"No way." He mumbled. "no way, no way, no way," He chanted like a mantra, his soul practically flowing out of his lips into a goop of fluids onto the marble floor. He squat down to the floor the manga now wrinkled in his big palm. He was mumbling something, body visibly trembling while he stares at the ground.
Reo bent down a tinge of guilt pricking the back of his chest like needles. "Hey...are you alright?" He asked, hand about to pat the stanger's back when all of a sudden—
"That't cant be!" The stranger grabbed two of Reo's hand and encased it in the both of his own, Reo's slender palms now sandwiched in between The other guy's big, yet cold palms. "Plot armor!" He insisted.
Though that statement sounded lacking, the energy in his tone was exhilarating, making Reo's round eyes go eveb wider than the moon's. The seriousness in the man's face was incomparable to anything Reo had seen and it made him tumble backwards to fall on his behind.
He chuckled while his hand was still in the guy's grasp. The guy's hand were big—yes but they were soft and gentle when they touched his.
"Good point." Reo grinned. Though the stranger didn't explain his reasoning further, his words alone had justified it enough. Simply put, it was an unspoken rule to never kill off a shounen character if he hasn't met his goal. The statement 'plot armor' is a secret weapon to keep that rule intact.
"What's your name sir?" Reo smiled seizing the opportunity. It was uncommon to see a man express so much for his works which made him slightly happier than seeing feedbacks online.
"Ah?" The office guy's eyes traveled down to their hands and suddenly, he released them, falling back on his behind too. "AH! sorry! I got caught up with my feelings! I didn't mean to touch you."
"It's fine it's fine!" the smaller guy had stood up and dusted his pants, hand sticking out for the stranger in the process. "It's rare to see a fan openly enthusiastic about it. I only know a few apart from myself."
The stranger took his hand, eased by comforting atmosphere and smile the silver haired guy. They had only met a few minutes ago but Reo managed to crack the stranger's introverted personality.
'goal achieved' Reo smiled.
"Taira Fujiwara. nice to meet you."
"Reo Hamasaki, nice to meet you too." They shook hands once more and the mangaka artist had a triumphant smile inside his mind.
○○○
"Eh?! the author didn't want to turn it into a show?" Taita stuffed his mouth with the Wcdonalds burger. Reo on the other hand stuffed some salty fries in his mouth, looking out the window as the sky was painted darker by the minute.
it had been 4 days since the pair had met and in those three days, they spent nothing but talk about films and shows. the routine consisted of Reo 'accidentally' bumping into Taira's when he was about to leave his agency. Of course, 'accidentally' was a minor lie however that little lie always ended up in them eating dinner together. hence more tome to hear Taira talk with his pacific deep voice.
"Why? the manga had been in top 1 for months now and it isn't going to step down soon. If he made that to a show, then a lot of people would get into it." The dissappointment was evident on Taira's face due to his thick furrowed eyebrows now exposed.
The officeman was wearing a plain shirt and some jeans, his bangs tied up by a rubberband. Not to mention he also had a stubble.
bottom line is: he looked to ordinary for Reo's liking.
"I know right?" Reo lied through his teeth. "My sister said it was because of some voice actor problems. The author had problems with the voice actor for the big villain, Ruxoris."
'by sister, I mean me.'
"What's the problem for that guy (Ruxoris)?"
"Apparently, no one had passed for the voice acting auditions. The voice needed there was far too deep even well known voice actors can't match up to it."
'That's a lie. I hadn't even conducted an audition yet.' Reo told himself inwardly, the susbsiding guilt now fully smothering itself onto his back. 'I don't plan on conducting an audition in the first place.'
"If anything, I think your voice fits the character," The long haired man claimed, stuffing his mouth with another round of fries. "Do a voice impression of Ruxoris. I bet you'd do good." It was a request on a whim so the silver haired man wouldn't be so surprised of Taira denies it.
Taira pulled out a goofy grin and wiped his mouth with a tissue before putting up a stern face to embody the mood of the scene he was picturing.
"Arsalith—" He called slowly. The low voice of Taira reverberated and sent a chill down all the other costumer's spines. Like a villain anticipating the entrance of the hero, he looked off at the distance, a smirk on his face.
"What a fool you are to believe Roem is your ally—" He deeply chuckled, efortlessly carrying the voice with such power that the occupants around them had to sneak a glance as to who owned that voice. "But it is what it is." He placidly smiled like a villain. "I pity you, you poor human."
the artist sat there for a good few seconds, calming his nerves and waiting for his hair to fall back down after experiencing that seems to be the hundredth chill for the whole 4 days—needless to say, all those chills had been caused by Taira.
"Say, You work at a call center right? You know you could enter the voice acting industry."
"I wish I could—believe me I do, but I'm not really that fit to be in the spotlight. I'm not good with people and I don't know anyone in that world." Taira sighed. "I mean the social awkwardness of mine can be fixed but the second thing is what gets me the most."
"So you're saying—" Reo edged on his seat, biting his lip down in excitement. "—if you know someone there, you'll agree to go to the entertainment world? you'll go to an audition?"
"Probably—yeah." Taira lightheartedly agreed accompanying his words with an unsure but definitive shrug that Reo found as a 'go' signal.
That ticklish, adrenaline rush had been enough to snap Reo out of his acting facade and from his pocket, he pulled out a bussiness card which had a very elegany design of many colors.
'Reo Hamasaki'
'Moon Clip Studio owner'
contact no; XXX-XXX-XXX
Taira blinked while he chewed on some fries, taking the calling card into account and processing it through his head. The man's chewing began to slow down and the calling card had slipped from his fingers, mouth hanging agape.
Taira laughed, swallowing the bit and settling his burger down, pullin closer to observe Reo's face. He glanced back at the fallen card. To say he was confused is an understatement.
"Yes. I am the owner of Moon Clip Studio and I want to cast you as a voice actor for my show. What do you say?"
The answer was pretty obvious by the look on Taira's face.
or so Reo thought.