After about an hour of playing, everyone was feeling tired, so they decided to turn off Just Dance.
As expected, besides Aoba Suzukaze, Hifumi also ended up with a low score and had to join in on cleaning duties. On the other hand, Kō Yagami and Rin Toyama, who initially seemed shy about playing, scored surprisingly well once they got into the groove.
"Ah! I'm exhausted!"
Kō flopped onto the couch, leaning against Rin and taking a sip of cola. "I don't want to see this game again for at least a month!"
Among everyone, Umiko and Shinoda Hajime seemed to have enjoyed themselves the most.
Taking a sip of juice, Umiko looked at Kō, who appeared utterly drained, and teased, "You're really pathetic, aren't you? Even Aoba did better than you."
Hearing this, Kō turned her head and noticed that Aoba actually looked in better shape than she did. Shocked, she exclaimed, "Aoba, don't tell me you've been secretly working out?"
"Huh?" Aoba blushed, waving her hands in denial. "N-No, nothing like that! I just feel like, after the first couple of rounds, this game was easier than I expected, so it wasn't too bad."
"Is that so?" Kō widened her eyes and stared at Aoba. "I didn't think you'd have a knack for dancing. What a surprise."
Even Sakura Nene looked at her friend in astonishment. "I didn't expect it either! Aoba, you're much better at this than I thought. Honestly, I was expecting you to totally embarrass yourself!"
"You were watching me play with that in mind?!"
"Hehehe~~~"
Seeing that everyone was done playing, Ichin clapped his hands to get their attention. "Perfect timing! I've got something to do next, so you can all take a break. Aoba, you didn't forget what I mentioned earlier, did you?"
"Huh?" Aoba froze, her mouth slowly opening in disbelief. "Ichin-kun, you're not serious, are you?"
"What, does my word as your boss not carry any weight?"
Ichin narrowed his eyes, smiling mischievously as he looked at Aoba. "For the sake of our studio's game promotion, give it your all! Don't worry, I'll include overtime pay and a bonus!"
Sakura Nene, puzzled by their exchange, leaned over to Umiko. "Umiko-senpai, what are they talking about?"
Umiko, with a faint smile, explained, "The major update for Slay the Spire is coming soon, so Ichin made an update-log style video to explain the new content. After recording his own narration, he decided to have Aoba record a female voice version of it."
"Huh? Really?" Sakura's eyes lit up as she grabbed Aoba's arm. "That's great, Aoba! Usually, narration for game releases and updates is done by professional voice actors!"
Aoba blushed, glancing at her friend nervously. "I mean, that's true, but I'm not cut out for this sort of thing!"
Kō Yagami, eager to stir the pot, leaned closer and said with a grin, "Don't worry about it, Aoba. It's just voiceover work. The video won't be that long, and Ichin-kun definitely prepared a script for you. All you have to do is read it."
"Exactly," Ichin chimed in. "Just read the script. You don't even need to match the video's pace perfectly—I can edit it afterward. All you need to focus on is the recording; I'll handle the rest."
After explaining the task to Aoba Suzukaze, Ichin thought for a moment and added, "If you're worried about doing it alone, how about we rotate for future promotional videos? That way, everyone takes a turn."
"Hmm?" Aoba blinked, then glanced around at everyone. Suddenly, a devilish grin spread across her face. "Alright, it's decided! Everyone will take turns doing voiceovers for fairness. After all, we're all part of the studio, aren't we?"
Her mischievous smile sent a chill down the spines of those who had been enjoying the show moments ago.
Following Ichin's lead, everyone moved to the workspace. At the same time, Eriri Spencer Sawamura and Yukinoshita Yukino had just finished a study session and stepped out to take a break.
Eriri, looking slightly annoyed, immediately noticed the group gathered around a computer. She exchanged glances with Yukino, and the two walked over together.
"What's going on here?" Eriri asked.
Rin Toyama glanced at the newcomers and explained with a wry smile, "We're about to record a voiceover for the upcoming update video of Slay the Spire. Aoba's taking today's turn, but future promotional videos will have all of us taking part, so we're familiarizing ourselves with the process."
"Ah, I see," Eriri said, impressed. She looked at Ichin and teased, "You're quite something as a boss, aren't you? Instead of hiring professional voice actors, you're using your own team for this."
"Why not?" Ichin replied as he continued adjusting the video. He looked up briefly and said, "Do you think hiring voice actors is free? We're still a small studio; there's no need to bring in big-name VAs just to make a splash. The funds we save here can be better spent on advertising before the release. Money should be used wisely, you know."
Hazuki chimed in with a nod of approval. "That's true. Ichin isn't stingy, either. These ten work computers alone must've cost a fortune, and they're much better than what we had at Eagle Jump."
"It wasn't too bad," Ichin said modestly. "We got a discount for bulk purchasing. But even now, this space can only accommodate a few more people. If we expand further, we'll need a bigger location, more equipment, and more staff—all of which cost money. Anyway, Aoba, take a look at the script and get familiar with it. Once you're ready, we'll start recording."
Aoba, holding the printed script Ichin handed her, put on the headphones and stared nervously at the microphone. After glancing around at everyone, she hesitantly asked, "Um, could you all, like… step out for a bit?"
Sakura Nene gave her an encouraging thumbs-up. "You've got this, Aoba-chan! Go for it!"
"Ugh..."
Realizing she had no way out, Aoba took a few deep breaths. She then launched the recording software and began reading the script.
At first, her delivery was uneven—stuttering, rushing, or dragging her words. But Ichin was patient, letting her ease into the process.
The others didn't interrupt; they simply watched quietly, though a hint of anxiety lingered among them. After all, Ichin had made it clear that everyone would have their turn eventually.
After a few mistakes, with some phrases read too quickly or too slowly, Aoba finally found her rhythm. The recording session began to progress smoothly.
...