346 She Is Nishimiya Shouko—She Is Hojou Kyousuke’s Shouko

The manga "Neighbor Neighbor Neighbor" was a slice-of-life comedy centered around a college girl—who seemingly never went to class.

And her daily antics with her elementary school-aged sister, the elementary school girl next door, and two more little girls from across the neighborhood.

Among them were two "cool older-sister" types, a spunky little girl who jumped in through the window every morning, a half-British girl who couldn't speak a word of English.

A precocious mini-adult like Yotsuba, and lastly—an irresistibly adorable, timid little girl who blushed easily.

By all logic, Shouko should have been a perfect fit for the last role—sweet, shy, soft-spoken.

But neither Hojou Kyousuke nor Kako Matsuda thought that was the best choice for her.

"In fact, I already discussed this with Kitani-san," President Matsuda said. "Not just about the casting this time, but about your long-term career path as well."

"Kitani-sensei…?" Shouko blinked.

In Our Voice, the only person worthy of being called Kitani-san by the president was the legendary "Witch of a Hundred Voices" herself.

Career planning? But hadn't Shouko already decided on that from the beginning?

Train hard, become a proper and skilled voice actress, and then join Kyousuke's company to voice every one of his characters.

That was the dream!

Looking confused, she glanced at President Matsuda, who took a sip of water and continued:

"With your looks and personality, Shouko, you could take the idol route with ease. All it takes is one moderately popular role. The agency could back you with a couple of songs, some promo work, and then—"

"I don't want to be an idol!"

Shouko cut in before she could finish.

That was never her goal.

She didn't want to be an idol or chase fame—what she wanted was to work beside Kyousuke-kun.

An idol's schedule would only get in the way!

That sort of thing was better left to someone like Megumi.

At least it would boost her presence—no one could ignore someone under a spotlight, right?

If they still did, it would practically be a supernatural phenomenon.

"Haha~" Matsuda smiled.

"Don't worry, I know. You want to be a pure voice actress."

Of course, Matsuda wasn't saying idol voice actors weren't pure.

The truth was, being popular meant getting more roles and more income. It was a win-win in many cases.

But from the moment she met Hojou Kyousuke, she knew Nishimiya Shouko wouldn't follow that path.

She might become the most acclaimed voice actress in the industry, she might earn countless nicknames from devoted fans, but her most iconic title would always be:

"Hojou Kyousuke's Exclusive Voice Actress."

Whether to envy the genius's whims or the bond between them, even Matsuda herself wasn't sure.

But as a savvy agency president, she knew a gem when she saw one—Shouko's presence could elevate the entire agency.

"So what we discussed," she continued, "was whether to train you into a versatile voice actress like Kitani-san, who can handle a wide range of voices—or to further refine your current strengths: gentle, calm, shy, delicate…"

"..."

Shouko's eyes widened.

She had no idea what half those terms even meant, watching them pour out of Matsuda's mouth like a foreign language.

The president paid no mind to Shouko's dazed expression and continued on, quoting reports from other instructors before suddenly veering into what sounded like a completely unrelated topic:

"You probably didn't know this, but before we signed you, Hojou-san had already spoken to me five times.

First, he brought the editor-in-chief of Weekly Shounen High.

Second, he came with Kaneda, the director from the animation studio BOX.

Third time, he showed up with four lawyers.

Fourth time, with five very intimidating-looking assistants.

And finally, on the fifth visit, he came alone."

Matsuda counted on her fingers as she listed them, her face full of wry amusement.

Honestly, if Hojou hadn't been clear about his intentions from the start, she would've thought he was a hostile takeover threat.

In this industry filled with shady characters and snakes in suits, a move like that wasn't out of place.

He was… either absurdly cautious, or overwhelmingly devoted to Shouko. Maybe both.

"Kyousuke-kun…" Shouko softly murmured his name.

It felt like every breath she took was saturated with his concern.

Warmth filled her from head to toe.

"He never told me any of that…" she said gently, her left hand quietly slipping into her pocket to clutch the key to the Ruyi Dormitory.

"Men tend to show love through silent actions," Matsuda remarked knowingly. "Even geniuses like Hojou-san are no exception."

Shouko blinked.

A "silent hero"?

Was that what he was?

"You've no idea how terrifying those days were," Matsuda went on. "The first two meetings were fine—we knew some of the same people, so the conversation flowed.

But the third time, I had two lawyers circling me with our agency's standard contract like they were hunting for some kind of felony."

She shuddered, half-dramatic, half-serious.

"And the fourth time… oh, I'll never forget that scene.

Hojou-san was sitting calmly on the sofa, dressed in a deep navy suit—very high-end fabric, might've even been infused with precious metals.

Behind him stood five men in black suits who called themselves his assistants.

They didn't even sit. Just stood in a line like they were ready to pull out guns at any second."

Shouko couldn't help it—she let out a small laugh, quickly raising her hand to cover her mouth.

There was no doubt in her mind—Kisaki Tetta must've been one of those "assistants."

That guy always loved making a scene, like he was desperate to prove Kyousuke-kun was someone special.

"Anyway, back to the point."

Matsuda cleared her throat.

"Over this time, everyone in the agency has gotten to know you, Shouko. We've built a complete profile.

If we assign you a soft, adorable, lovable character like Mari, we know you'd pull it off.

I believe it, and so does Kitani-san."

"But…"

She leaned forward slightly, looking Shouko straight in the eyes.

"Is that really what you want?

Do you want to become the kind of voice actress where, the moment people see a cute and quiet character, they immediately start wondering— 'Wait, is that Nishimiya Shouko's voice?'"

Matsuda Kako stared intently at the girl beside her, locking eyes with her deep brown gaze.

"Of course not!"

Shouko answered without a shred of hesitation.

After all, her dream was to be the voice actress for every character in Kyousuke-kun's works!

Even if that future still felt far off, Mikasa definitely wasn't the type of role that suited her—she wasn't a "cute" character at all.

"I thought so too. And Hojou-san thinks the same," Matsuda Kako said.

"Kyousuke-kun?" Shouko tilted her head, puzzled.

Her ponytail, now long enough to fall past her shoulders, slipped forward onto her chest.

"Shouko is like glass. Clear and transparent—so much so that anyone who looks can see their reflection.

Shouko is my family. She's kind and gentle to a fault, always accepting everything without resistance, just like glass.

I was born in Otaru, so I understand just how pure—and how fragile—glass can be. When you look at her, you see yourself.

I love her kindness and warmth, but I also worry... that she reflects too many of the world's cruelties.

I apologize if I'm being overly cautious, but I believe we need to come to an agreement.

Whatever future Shouko chooses… it should be hers to decide."

Matsuda Kako spoke these words in a rhythmic, poetic tone—as though reciting an ancient epic.

But the voice wasn't her usual contralto. It was a man's voice.

She didn't need to explain. Shouko already knew—those were Kyousuke-kun's words.

Only he could understand her so deeply. Only he stayed by her side and let her grow freely.

But he called her someone who unconditionally accepted everything like glass… wasn't he the same? Wasn't Kyousuke-kun the one who supported her unconditionally all along?

Whether it was the elementary school choir competition, the decision to go to voice acting school, high school, the agency, even the garden back at home…

Her mother tried to make her strong in her own way. Kyousuke-kun encouraged her to become strong.

Shouko said nothing, afraid that if she opened her mouth, the tears would spill.

Her left hand gripped the house key in her pocket, while her right clutched the pendant around her neck—Hojou Kyousuke's button.

"Good thing I haven't lost my old voice acting skills. If I'd forgotten something this touching, that really would've been a shame," Matsuda Kako said after taking a sip of water.

There was one line she didn't say out loud—that heartfelt message had been spoken the day after Hojou Kyousuke visited with an entourage of men.

Even though they no longer wore those ominous black suits that made it seem like they could pull a gun at any moment, the memory lingered.

To this day, Matsuda Kako could still recall exactly how he looked when he said those words.

He sat on the sofa, relaxed, leaning back with both elbows resting on the armrests.

His fingers were steepled together, and the sunlight streaming through the office window split his handsome face into light and shadow.

He didn't look at her—his eyes were fixed on his fingertips.

His voice, so clear and calm, was gentle enough to be a lover's whisper. And his expression matched that sincerity.

Yet his eyes—those pitch-black irises that seemed to devour light—sent a chill down her spine. They radiated the presence of death.

They had already been through four rounds of so-called "friendly" talks, but Kako had the feeling that if she gave even the slightest wrong answer, that man would kill her with just a look.

This was way more terrifying than being threatened with a pencil or something.

The idea of someone killing with a stare? She'd only seen that in sci-fi manga—and even then, the characters had to strike a pose and add sound effects!

"Not interfering with your choices, Shouko—that's the agreement I reached with Hojou-san."

Five rounds of negotiation: showcasing connections, wealth, power, influence in the underworld… a mix of force and finesse, proving strength on all fronts.

No one could refuse a man like that.

They had to come to an agreement.

Because the more deeply Hojou Kyousuke cared for Nishimiya Shouko, the more ruthless he would be toward those who opposed her.

Kako had no illusions about that anymore.

"So, you asked me which role suits you best. Shouko, maybe the one that suits you most… is being someone like 'Shouko'—like glass, who accepts everything."

"Someone like Shouko?" she softly repeated.

"You mean, like Kitani-sensei?"

Male or female, young or old, tsundere or airhead—she could play them all.

"You could say that."

Matsuda Kako nodded.

Of course, if she could reach that level, it would be ideal.

But even if she couldn't, this would still be a good way to test which kinds of roles Shouko was best suited for.

After all, this was about letting Shouko choose her own future.

Ordinary voice actors never get that many chances to try and fail. But she wasn't ordinary.

She was Nishimiya Shouko—Hojou Kyousuke's Shouko.

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