The public execution of Nanami filled the recording studio with a joyful atmosphere.
But Kaede wouldn't be satisfied with just this.
Ever since Rita arrived, even the 'title' of girlfriend had been 'stolen' by Nanami.
Although Suzu thought anyone was welcome to that 'girlfriend title'—given that the 'green hat' (cuckold hat) associated with it was already poking through the ceiling—Kaede saw things differently.
Even if he messes around outside, I, Kaede Hoshitsuki, must remain his one and only girlfriend!
Hehehe... I have to make Nanami show an even more shameful expression!
Playing the recording publicly was just the beginning of the real execution!
Before Nanami's sense of shame completely exploded, Kaede turned off the recording and emailed it to her.
"I didn't expect you to make such an adorable face, Nanami... Sorry about that. I've sent the recording file to your email."
"I'm not angry, just... just a little embarrassed."
Breathing heavily with the blush still lingering on her cheeks, Nanami truly didn't blame Kaede for playing the recording.
As a voice actress, her job was to record voices for people to listen to. If she got embarrassed by that, how could she ever become a qualified voice actress?
Besides, during actual recording sessions, she wouldn't be doing it alone. There would be a voice director, other staff, and other voice actors—probably more people than there were here now.
And it would likely be in front of strangers.
If she couldn't complete the job due to embarrassment, she couldn't be considered a proper voice actress!
That's what Nanami thought, and that's exactly what Kaede thought too.
...
After having lunch together and dropping Nijika and the others back at Starry, Rin Ito and the group returned home. As soon as she got home, Nanami eagerly sat on the sofa, plugged earphones into her phone, and opened the audio file.
Although the audio quality was limited by the playback device, the sound recorded in the studio was noticeably better than what she recorded with her microphone at home.
But recording studios weren't cheap. She had to practice until she was proficient before going into the booth... Hmm?
Deep in thought, Nanami noticed Kaede approaching and sitting down beside her, so she quickly took off her earphones.
"Mmh? What is it?"
"Nothing, just thought of something and got a little curious," Kaede said smoothly.
"Curious? Ah, do you want to listen?" Nanami offered the earphones to Kaede.
"No... I already heard it through the monitor headphones while you were recording. What I mean is... um, the game you guys are making is an 18+ erotic game, right?" Kaede averted her eyes, pretending to be shy. "Th-Then how are you going to record the erotic voice lines? And all those squelching background noises?"
Under Marin's strong recommendation, Kaede had played Marin's favorite game, Sticky Girl, and knew exactly what an 18+ galgame entailed.
However... she wasn't just 'simply curious'.
"The main game is all-ages, and there's an 18+ DLC. I'm only doing the voice acting for the all-ages part; the DLC won't have voice acting... As for the squelching sounds, there are free asset libraries we can use directly. If the game sells well and makes a decent profit, we'll hire professional adult voice actresses to re-record everything."
Nanami didn't hide anything; these were the details Rin Ito had agreed upon with them in advance.
"I see..." Kaede nodded thoughtfully, a barely noticeable smirk of delight curling her lips. "But... Nanami, don't you want to fully voice your very first work from start to finish?"
"N-No way, th-those 18+ sounds being put into the game for everyone to hear would be too embarrassing!"
Nanami frantically shook her head.
Having her normal voice acting heard already made her want to move to another planet. If she recorded 18+ lines, sold them, and everyone heard them... it would be faster to just end her life right there!
"I'm not saying you should sell it. You could make a personal version just for yourself as a keepsake. It would be very meaningful, wouldn't it?"
Faced with Kaede's step-by-step coaxing, Nanami sensed something was off.
"Kaede, y-you're thinking about those lewd things again, aren't you?"
"Hehe~" Kaede winked mischievously. "But it really would be meaningful, right? To complete the whole thing from start to finish."
"Mmh..."
Nanami considered it briefly. Recording those 18+ sounds was incredibly embarrassing, and Kaede definitely wanted her to record them while having sex with Rin Ito, but... completing her very first work entirely on her own was indeed very tempting.
Besides... Rin Ito had been very busy lately, and Nanami was also a little thirsty.
"Then... alright."
Pursing her lips, her face filled with shyness, Nanami nodded slightly. Seeing Nanami take the bait, Kaede immediately began preparing.
Hehehe... let her record while having sex with Rin Ito?
Nanami is still too naive!
But it would be inconvenient with Rita around. The hotel room owned by Karen's family was currently occupied by Sakiko Toyokawa... and the soundproofing at home wasn't good enough either.
Normal soundproofing was fine, but not if they were using speakers, and without an advance reservation, they couldn't rent the studio Nijika used.
After a brief moment of thought, Kaede had an idea.
...
Evening, at the school gate.
Kaede had brought Rin Ito, Nanami, and Suzu along. Besides them, she had also invited Utaha, Eriri, and Megumi.
They were the main creators of How to Train a Boring Girlfriend, so how could they miss the voice recording session?
"Is there a reason you called us to school so suddenly?"
Utaha Kasumigaoka frowned, scanning the group. Seeing this combination, Utaha had a pretty good idea of what was about to happen. But... why specifically choose the school?
And she even had them change into their school uniforms... Not just them, even Rin Ito was wearing his old uniform.
What kind of play is this going to be?
Not just Utaha, but Eriri and Megumi also implicitly understood, a blush involuntarily creeping up their cheeks.
"There's some equipment here that we don't have at home, so coming to school is more convenient." Kaede's tone was flat, making Utaha and the others slightly suspicious... Are we not here for a party?
Furthermore, the security guards at the school gate were gone. It was only the afternoon on a weekend; there should still be clubs doing activities.
But everyone was gone.
Obviously, Kaede had asked Karen to clear the campus.
But Karen herself was nowhere to be seen.
Strange.
It wasn't just Utaha and the others; even Rin Ito had no idea what kind of play Kaede was planning. And what did 'equipment' mean?
"Voice recording, just voice recording." Kaede waved her hand, pretending to be calm. "Today, Nijika and her band went to record their EP, and we tagged along. Nanami also tried out the recording booth, and the results were much better than recording at home."
"But professional recording studios are too expensive, and we don't have the equipment at home... The school was funded by Karen's family. Although the equipment in the music room can't compare to a professional studio, it's much better than what we have at home. Let's test it out. If the quality is good, we won't need to rent a studio. I had you guys wear your uniforms because I didn't want to draw too much attention, considering you're making an 18+ game."
"So even I have to wear a uniform?" Rin Ito didn't know what expression to make. The excuse was way too flimsy... You already had Karen clear the school, why bother with uniforms?
It was clearly preparation for some specific play.
Though he didn't know exactly what was going to happen, since Kaede had gone to so much trouble to set it up, he would definitely look forward to it.