"Tohsaka Rin."
Upon hearing this name from Homura's mouth, Rin and Hanayo instantly breathed a sigh of relief, knowing they weren't quite the right fit for the role.
"Nanami... it's yours."
Nanami's voice was indeed a perfect match for Tohsaka Rin.
Homura had been pondering the comparisons between Nanami and Tohsaka Rin in their serious, excited, or usual states. As long as Nanami didn't suddenly switch to her Kansai accent, her voice was the most suitable with just a little finesse.
"Yeah, I got it, Homura-kun! I won't let you down!" Nanami nodded firmly.
"Umu, I've seen your dedication and hard work, so I know you won't disappoint me." Homura nodded with a smile.
Nanami was moved by his words.
She felt that since he had invited her into Another Dimension, she had received a lot of care from him, being the primary source. Otherwise, she might still be working multiple part-time jobs to pay for her tuition, and who knew if she would have even collapsed from exhaustion by now?
Upon hearing Homura's announcement, the girls paused for a moment, without displaying any signs of surprise.
In fact, they also felt that Nanami was an excellent choice since she had practiced imitating Tohsaka Rin before.
"As for Matou Sakura... I haven't quite decided yet..." Homura suddenly said, surprising everyone.
"Homura-kun... you haven't decided?" Kotori couldn't help but ask.
"Yeah, there are actually three people who could fit..." Homura shrugged. "Each of them has a slightly different focus, and when you consider them together, they're all okay. However... the problem is that each of them falls short in some aspect."
"Homura-kun, didn't you assign me to Matou Sakura before?" Megumi asked curiously.
Homura shook his head and began to explain.
"Well, Sakura's usually pretty submissive, always gentle and a little insecure, but once you provoke her, she can go, you know, dark. In short, the complexity in Sakura's speech is something you don't really have."
"As for the performance when Sakura is provoked, Hanayo's expression doesn't quite cut it."
"What? Me?" Hanayo was surprised.
She never thought she would be voicing an important character of any sort.
"Yeah..." Homura nodded. "And lastly, there's Kotori. Kotori, your voice is gentle, and you handle Sakura's dark side well, but the presence in your voice is a bit too assertive, which doesn't quite capture Sakura's insecurity."
"What? Even me?" Kotori mirrored Hanayo's expression.
"All three of you are actually very suitable because each has a slight difference, which is why I haven't decided yet." Homura scratched his head.
Listening to his explanation, the girls also understood his dilemma and started thinking.
"Homura-kun, I think I'll step back..." Megumi suddenly spoke up. "I find it somewhat challenging to overcome the emotional nuances in Sakura's speech. Since the time is limited, so I'll just stick with Leysritt."
Homura thought for a moment and then agreed.
Whether Megumi genuinely felt that way or it was due to her own uncertainty, it was her honest decision. However, it couldn't be denied that she had become increasingly important in his heart.
"Then I will..."
"No, Kayo-chin!"
Rin interrupted Hanayo.
"Are you having second thoughts again? Didn't you say you loved everything about being an idol? If it helps you grow as an idol, then why not go for it!"
Rin's tone carried a hint of anger as she spoke these words, and she even forgot her 'nyaa' catchphrase.
"Rin-chan..."
Even though she was scolded, Hanayo smiled.
Seeing this, the other girls looked at the two of them with comforting smiles, appreciating the support they had provided each other in critical moments.
Having friends like this was truly a blessing!
"Rin-chan's right, Hanayo-chan! Don't give up!" Kotori chimed in. "I won't either! Even though I started out just following Honoka-chan, I've grown to love all of this. I want to improve myself too! So let's both give it our all for the role of Sakura!"
"Kotori-chan..."
Hanayo's eyes glistened with determination as she nodded firmly.
"Um! Let's do it together!"
"Ahem... By the way, Kotori would actually suit Illya quite well..."
Homura coughed and chimed in.
Kotori: "..."
Hanayo: "..."
Girls: "..."
Kotori's voice was absolutely cute, and when she acted as Illyasviel, calling Shiro 'Onii-chan', it would definitely send shivers down people's spines!
"...Why didn't you say that earlier?!" Kotori exclaimed in frustration.
"Well, earlier it was about the heroines, while Illya is more of a supporting character..." Homura shrugged casually.
'Okay, fair point...' Kotori sighed and relented.
"So, the role of the heroine... who's going to give it up?" Homura chuckled. "Well, just think of my question as a casual thing since no one's going to give it up anyway."
"It sounds reasonable..." Nozomi furrowed her brow. "But isn't there a better way? Your training is all about getting everyone to embody their characters as much as possible, right? If Hanayo and Kotori both stick with the same character, won't that be a bit…"
Homura understood what she meant.
If one of them failed to get the role, the unsuccessful one would voice supporting characters. However, the problem was that there wouldn't be enough time to learn how to voice the new character.
"What's your suggestion, Nozomi-senpai?"
Homura asked Nozomi as she seemed to have some ideas in mind.
"How about performing in front of everyone in Another Dimension?" Nozomi suggested with a smile. "So far, we've only practiced in front of this small group. Since that's the case, why not ask everyone for their opinions? Elf-chan and the others are in charge of the script, so they probably have their own thoughts about the characters' voices."
"So, something like an internal voice acting audition?" Homura mused.
"That's right!" Honoka exclaimed cheerfully. "Let's gather everyone's opinions and determine who's closest to their character right now. They'll be the ones to undergo Homura-kun's training!"
"But... Homura's decisions are the most appropriate ones, right?" Nico asked.
"Why not just try to have a discussion and consider everyone's opinions on this first?" Maki suggested, twirling a strand of her hair around her finger in a nonchalant way.
"...Not a bad idea."
Homura nodded after a moment of contemplation.
"I'll first mention those who I'm sure about, and for the roles with multiple candidates, we'll have everyone vote. What do you two think?"
Homura looked at the Kotori and Hanayo to see what they thought.
Kotori and Hanayo exchanged glances before Kotori spoke up.
"I agree. It's better to consider everyone's input since we all have some level of expertise. I think the collective opinion is often better than just forcing our own choices."
"Um, I also agree. They know the script better than we do and will know who suits each role best," Hanayo nodded.
"Okay, let's do that then."
With that, Homura led everyone out of the temporary classroom.