pertwk Page 108
Page 108
Everyone has seen her hard work.
Those classmates who used to laugh at her now instinctively avoid her when they see her.
Because they knew that this girl was no longer on the same level as them.
……
Game day.
In the preparation room backstage.
Some contestants were quietly memorizing their lines, some were constantly drinking water to relieve their tension, and others were pacing back and forth, restless.
Nanami sat in the corner, eyes closed, adjusting her breathing.
It would be a lie to say I wasn't nervous.
This was, after all, her first real competition.
But whenever she thought of that mysterious "Mr. X", a strange power welled up inside her.
She felt that he was somewhere, watching her.
She couldn't let him down.
"Next up, number 32, Aoyama Nanami, please get ready to go on stage."
The staff member's voice came through.
Nanami suddenly opened her eyes, her gaze resolute.
She stood up, straightened her clothes, and walked steadily toward the stage.
The moment the spotlight shone on her, a small commotion arose from the audience.
"It's her, that freak rookie with the corrected accent."
"I heard she's been training like crazy lately, I wonder how good she really is."
"Just wait and see, they're sure to give us a surprise."
Nanami ignored the discussions below the stage, simply stood quietly in front of the microphone, and bowed deeply to the judges' panel.
On the judging panel sat several senior professors from the school, as well as a middle-aged man with a serious expression.
He is Mr. Iida, the sound director for this animation.
A ruthless character in the industry known for his pickiness and sharp tongue.
Nanami's assigned task was to voice a tsundere magical girl.
This character appears strong on the outside but is very soft on the inside, requiring a very high level of emotional control.
Nanami took a deep breath, and the image of the character appeared in her mind.
When she spoke again, she was completely immersed in the world of the character.
"Hmph, don't... don't misunderstand! I didn't use magic to help you! I just... just couldn't stand what those guys were doing!"
Her voice, with just the right amount of arrogance and awkwardness, perfectly showcased the girl's haughty and proud nature.
The audience was instantly drawn into the story.
"Damn it! Why...why is my magic out of control...No, I'm not crying! It's just...just water droplets formed from magical energy in my eyes!"
From initially being stubborn, to panicking after realizing her mistake, to stubbornly refusing to admit her grievances while maintaining her pride.
With just a few lines of dialogue, Nanami portrayed the character's emotional changes with distinct layers and vivid expression.
Her voice was sometimes clear and crisp, sometimes tearful and aggrieved, full of tension.
In particular, her impeccable pronunciation and profound understanding of the character's emotions drew approving expressions from the judges.
Even Mr. Iida, the sound supervisor who always had a stern face, subconsciously sat up straight, a look of surprise flashing in his eyes.
The show is over.
After a few seconds of silence, thunderous applause erupted.
"so amazing!"
"Is this really at a student level? It's practically professional voice acting!"
“I’m getting goosebumps!”
Nanami stood in the center of the stage, listening to the cheers and applause around her, her heart filled with mixed emotions.
She did it.
She captivated everyone present with her voice.
……
The outcome of the match was a foregone conclusion.
When the host announced loudly that the winner of this competition was "Aoyama Nanami", she was so excited that tears welled up in her eyes.
She succeeded.
She got the chance she had always dreamed of: to do voice acting for an animated film.
This is the first substantial achievement on her path to becoming a voice actress.
She stood on the podium, holding the small trophy, with only one thought in her mind.
I won!
Thank you, Mr. X.
……
Volume 1: Chapter 118: Where Dreams Begin
Winning the school competition was like a shot of adrenaline, igniting a fire within Aoyama Nanami.
She wiped the small trophy until it was spotless and placed it neatly in the most conspicuous position in the room.
This is the first time she has been recognized on the path of Sheng Yingqi 6 million Shan (II) 侕镹陾~, You.
As a result, she became more confident and more self-disciplined.
Those classmates who used to whisper behind her back no longer dare to speak ill of her to her face, and her teachers have made her a key student for training, often giving her extra guidance.
Everything is moving in the best possible direction.
The reward for winning the competition, namely the voice actor audition, is about to begin.
It was a highly anticipated theatrical anime film, produced by the top-tier Asuka Pictures, with renowned figures as the director and sound director.
In order to find a key supporting role—a girl with a mysterious background, a complex personality, and both innocence and cruelty—they decided to hold a public voice actor audition.
This selection process does not consider background or origin; it only listens to the voice.
The news sent shockwaves through the entire voice acting industry.
Countless newcomers and even some established voice actors see this opportunity as a stepping stone to success.
As the winner of the school competition, Nanami had already secured her audition spot.
Nanami's teacher personally handed her the application form, her eyes filled with expectation: "Aoyama-kun, with your current abilities, give it a try. This role is very challenging, but it suits your voice perfectly. This might be your chance to make a name for yourself."
Looking into the teacher's trusting gaze, Nanami's heart began to pound uncontrollably.
Bird Cinema... that was the sacred place she had always dreamed of.
Being able to lend her voice to such a work, even as an insignificant passerby, would be enough to keep her awake all night with excitement, let alone such an important role.
"I...can I really do it?" She held the thin registration form, her palms sweating.
“You can do it,” the teacher said firmly. “Have you forgotten how you performed in the last competition? Believe in yourself.”
The teacher's words gave her confidence, and Nanami nodded heavily, her eyes blazing with an unprecedented fire.
She must seize this opportunity! Absolutely!
For this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Nanami entered a state of near-frenzied preparation.
She turned down all her part-time jobs and completely shut herself off.
Daily life was simplified to the extreme: eating, sleeping, and practicing.
She took the script and memorized all the lines of the character. She looked in the mirror and studied the character's expressions and psychology over and over again.
The walls of the room were covered with sticky notes with lines and character analyses written on them.
Her voice became hoarse from over-practice, so she continued to suck on a throat lozenge.
She had lost a lot of weight, and there were persistent dark circles under her eyes, but her eyes were surprisingly bright.
She staked everything on this voice actor audition.
……
On the day of the audition, at the entrance of the sound mixing room, Nanami saw many faces that she had only seen in magazines and on television, including well-known veteran voice actors and rising stars.
To be honest, she was a little nervous facing such a large lineup.
Nanami kept writing the character "人" (person) on her palm and swallowing it whole, as a way of telling herself not to be nervous and to do her best.
The sound check was proceeding smoothly.
"Number 37, Ms. Aoyama Nanami, please come in."
When it was finally Nanami's turn, she walked into the mixing room.
The room was large, with a microphone standing in the center, and a row of serious-looking men sitting behind a long table opposite.
They are the director and producer of this animation, and... the legendary sound director, Shinsuke Takahashi, who is known for his pickiness and sharp tongue.
Shinsuke Takahashi was a man around fifty years old, with some gray hair and wearing black-rimmed glasses.
He merely glanced at Nanami indifferently before looking down at the documents in his hand, offering no further comment.
Nanami felt the invisible pressure, but she did not back down.
She walked to the microphone, bowed deeply, and said, "Hello, judges. I am number 37, Aoyama Nanami."
"Aoyama Nanami, get ready for the audition."
"start."
When doing the actual dubbing, you can look at the screen while dubbing.
However, there are no visuals during the audition; the voice actors have to rely on the script and imagine the dialogue, which undoubtedly puts their professionalism to the test.
But Nanami wasn't worried about that; she was already extremely familiar with the lines and the character.
"Elina, don't you understand yet?..."
"Your naiveté makes me laugh, and it also disgusts me..."
"From today onwards, we go our separate ways. The next time we meet, we will be enemies!"
After the audition ended, Nanami slowly exhaled, withdrawing from the world of the character.
She took off her headphones and bowed.
She saw that Shinsuke Takahashi had written something in a small notebook, and then told her to go back and wait for further notice.
This is the standard procedure for auditions, and it doesn't mean failure. Nanami understands this very well, so she is not discouraged.
She had a feeling that she could succeed this time.
……
Nanami returned to her apartment and, for the first time, didn't practice. Instead, she collapsed onto her bed and fell into a deep sleep.
The audition results won't be announced for three days. In these three days, she doesn't need to worry too much and can relax.
For the next three days, Nanami resumed her part-time job, but she would often find herself drifting off into her own thoughts.
Every time her phone vibrated, her heart would jump.
She began to fantasize about how she would tell her parents if she were actually selected, and how she would report the good news to "Mr. X," who had always supported her.
No, to be honest, she didn't even know how to contact Mr. X; it was always him who contacted her...