Was Tsukinomori-san just after a collaboration? Linking two releases by the same author wasn’t exactly a rarity, so I didn’t see why he was contacting me about it directly instead of just waiting to go through the official channels. There had to be more to this.
“There’s more to this, of course.”
“I can see why you’re in entertainment, but there’s no need to mess me around.”
“I want to create a link between the two IPs on top of their shared writer.”
“Yes?”
“The voice actress for the Alliance. As far as the public is concerned, the voices are provided by a ‘Phantom Voice Troupe.’ But in fact they are all provided by one girl. Did you know that?”
“Oh yes? I had a hunch it was just the one person.”
I was an idol, remember. I had lessons in acting and singing, and I put everything into those skills. Enough for me to realize something was up.
“So, I was thinking of having her play the lead in the anime.”
“You mean the Snow White anime?”
“Yup. First, we have an indie game joining forces with a major company. Then we divulge the identity of the secret voice actress. On top of that, we reveal that she is to take the lead anime role for one of the light novel industry’s up-and-coming stars. Tell me that’s not gonna get people talking—a lot.”
“You’re not wrong. She’s a talented girl, and pairing the anime with the birth of a new star is going to send enthusiasm about the IP skyrocketing. Although there’s no guarantee she’ll be able to handle anime voice acting when she’s only had experience in video games.”
“That’s something she can learn with careful training. But for now, it’s a real help to have you on board with the idea. Means I can start putting the plan into action.”
“Can I ask something else before you do?”
“Yes?”
“Will revealing her identity actually be possible? There has to be a reason Aki-kun is keeping it a secret. Otherwise, the public would have known her name already.”
“Right, about that. I have a theory—something I’ve put together after looking into this and that—and I think I’m onto something here.” Keeping his well-aged features stern, Tsukinomori-san turned his phone’s screen to the PC camera. There was a photograph of a couple on it.
“By ‘looking into this and that,’ did you mean stalking?”
“I’m trying to be serious over here. This is from the recent culture festival, when Akiteru-kun danced with this girl.”
“That’s Aki-kun? No, he’s far too handsome and— Oh!”
All of a sudden, it came rushing back to me: how Aki-kun had come to me for advice on dressing up as a girl. I had handed him over to Tomosaka-san then and left it at that, but I now realized Aki-kun was the girl in this photo.
“So you’re saying the girl he danced with is the voice actress? Oh, but I recognize her...”
“Yes, I wouldn’t be surprised if you’ve made her acquaintance. This is Kohinata Iroha. She lives in the same apartment building as Akiteru-kun and Mashiro.”
“Kohinata Iroha? She’s the voice actress?”
As I recalled, she was a good-looking girl—but she hadn’t left a very strong impression on me as a creative. If I had to describe it, she didn’t seem to have a well-defined sense of self. I remembered her as a good-looking, even charming, girl. But that was it.
“Even I couldn’t send a spy into the school to keep an eye on Akiteru-kun and his little gang. The culture festival was different, because they allowed outsiders onto the school grounds. It was a golden opportunity. Not only did I get feedback on how they were together, but I learned what the other students thought of them too.”
“I’m pretty sure you toed some kind of line there.”
“I’m just looking out for my wife and daughter, who I love dearly.”
“Murder is murder, no matter how justified.”
Once you crossed a certain line, you were a criminal. There were no two ways about it.
“Anyway, my point is, I picked up on something kinda interesting. Apparently, Kohinata Iroha-kun once helped out the drama club, winning them the prefectural fair. Those students who watched her perform say she displayed quite a lot of talent.”
“I see. That definitely sounds like something worth digging into.”
No matter his impressive knack of forming powerful personal connections, Aki-kun was still a teenager. It would make sense to think his voice actress was somebody talented he’d chosen from those around him, rather than someone already established.
“But, say this actress is Kohinata Iroha-kun, that raises a bit of a red flag.”
“And what would that be?”
“Launching a plan to raise Iroha-kun to star status means making an enemy of her mother: Tenchido CEO, Amachi-san.”
“What?” I raised my eyebrows at his sudden mention of Tenchido, and I couldn’t immediately see the connection.
“Amachi is her maiden name. Her legal name is Kohinata Otoha. She’s Iroha-kun’s mom.”
“What? But I thought Amachi-san—”
“I know. As does the entire industry. She dislikes all forms of entertainment. Though she’s happy to collaborate if it makes business sense, she uses everything to her advantage to keep her company at the top. The licenses and assets to the company’s powerhouse IPs. Production. Brand, financial, and legal power. In the entertainment industry as a whole, she has a ton of influence. Do you really think a woman like her would want her daughter launching a career as an actress?”
“I think that’s a pretty easy ‘no.’”
Even I was shuddering in my boots. Our publisher’s had no direct dealings with Tenchido, yet even we heard stories of how they ran things. Your average user didn’t know squat, and it was never reported on in magazines or online. However, step one foot into an industry gathering, and the rumors would already be flying. Even then, for all I knew about Amachi-san, I still had no idea why she held such a grudge.
“You certainly seem to know a lot about her, Tsukinomori-san, unlike me. I’ve never worked with her. Did you have a run-in with her in the past or something?”
He didn’t respond immediately. It seemed to me like he was mulling something over. Even through the screen, I could see the grim tautness of his features, like it was taking a great deal of consideration to answer my question.
After a while, he opened his mouth again, hesitantly.
“Okay... Assuming Iroha-kun is the Alliance’s voice actress, and that’s a path she wants to pursue, I suppose I don’t really have a choice but to talk about this. Especially if we want to develop a plan to make her a star.” There was none of the light, bouncing tone in his voice that he’d been using up until now. Instead, he sounded resigned and reluctant, like this was something he wasn’t enthused about remembering either.
“Let me guess. Amachi-san was also...”
“An aspiring actress, yes,” Tsukinomori-san replied readily. “She was extraordinarily talented. Anybody could see the future held great things for her,” he continued.
And then things changed.
Frustration tightened his jaw.
Guilt colored his features.
Hatred made his fists tremble.
It was like the shadow of his memory was looping a noose around his neck.
“Those adults—they betrayed her. They treated her like trash, then threw her out like garbage.”