"Third day of the fourth month since becoming a voice actress.
Warm.
Today feels like one of those days where it seems like I did something, yet also feels like I did nothing at all... That's probably the best way to describe it."
...
Several lines of neat, elegant handwriting were left on the thin diary page.
The tip of the mechanical pencil paused briefly. Like a butterfly dancing among flowers, it spun gracefully between its owner's slender fingers before being caught once more. The dizzying pen-spinning technique was probably at a level worthy of international competition.
Absentmindedly playing with the pencil in her hand, Amamiya Kae thought for a moment before adding another line at the end of the entry:
"It seems the company arranged a temporary voice-acting audition for me. The industry really is cruel. Birds that don't work don't get worms, and birds that can't find worms don't get worms either. Conclusion: surviving in this cruel society requires more than hard work alone—it also requires a little luck. Ah la la~ It seems this lost bird has finally caught the attention of the Goddess of Fortune, if only for a moment. Thank you! Thank you very much. The warmth bestowed upon me at this moment will surely be worth remembering for the rest of my life."
"Finally finished. Since I have the audition tomorrow, I'd better get some proper rest tonight."
Amamiya Kae stretched lazily. After carefully placing a bookmark in the notebook, she put it into the diary cabinet, arranged neatly in front of her desk.
The shelves before her were large enough to hold more than a dozen dictionary-thick volumes, and every shelf was filled with notebooks.
Judging from the labels, some contained reflections on literary works, some were reviews of films and television dramas, some were ordinary life journals, and others recorded the flavors of everything she ate each day.
Looking at the bedroom as a whole, it felt excessively simple.
Everything was arranged neatly and occupied the position where it belonged, serving the purpose it was meant to serve.
Perhaps that description was too vague. Just as objects could be divided into everyday items and works of art, this room seemed filled with the art of "simplicity."
The result was an inexplicable sense of incongruity.
Did anyone really live in a bedroom like this?
"Most people would probably think that. But keeping things tidy is easy enough. It's not something worth bragging about. If you can keep things organized, why wouldn't you?"
Amamiya Kae glanced around the room. Sitting on the bed, she played with a lock of her light-pink hair and smiled softly to herself.
Amamiya Kae.
An ordinary twenty-year-old woman.
Her current main occupation was, more or less, a voice actress.
Her side job was a waitress at a Chinese restaurant.
Her life motto was:
"Live in the present. Memories of the past belong in notebooks. Nobody knows what the future holds, so there's no need to worry about it. Only the present matters!"
...
"Ding-dong~"
"Good morning!"
The moment the elevator doors opened at the company, Amamiya Kae was startled by the scene before her.
More than a dozen young people stood on both sides of the company's entrance, smiling. There were more women than men. Upon seeing Amamiya Kae, every single one of them bowed respectfully and greeted her.
Anyone unaware of the situation might have thought they were welcoming the company president.
—I see. It's that time of the month again.
Maintaining a somewhat forced smile, Amamiya Kae nodded at them before heading straight inside.
These people were neither company employees nor official voice actors.
They were the lowest tier in the voice-acting industry—trainee voice actors who hadn't signed with any agency.
Completely unknown and lacking any reputation, all they could do was come to the company to make themselves familiar faces while taking the opportunity to meet veteran staff members and famous voice actors.
—Poor little lambs. I sincerely wish you the best. Whether you get work or not is one thing, but first of all, try to endure.
What's so great about the voice-acting industry anyway?
Why do young people keep throwing themselves into it without hesitation?
Is it because of those idol voice actors constantly featured on television?
Japanese society is already harsh enough. The voice-acting industry is simply the animal kingdom without any attempt to hide it. The law of the jungle is the only rule here.
Conclusion: we're trapped in an endlessly frustrating cycle. Even so-called civilized society is merely a more advanced version of the animal kingdom.
—In this world where the strong prey upon the weak, the first obstacle you'll encounter is that cruel gray wolf.
It possesses a strong, healthy body. Its fur remains sleek and glossy no matter the season.
Proud?
Elegant?
No, those words are far too shallow.
Its true nature is reflected in its eyes.
Sharper than an eagle's.
Fiercer than a tiger's.
It is the queen of predators.
Anyone chosen by it has only one fate:
To stand still and be eaten.
*Smack!*
Amamiya Kae's head was struck hard by a black folder.
Standing before her was a stern, sharp-featured middle-aged career woman. Her height rivaled that of most men, giving her an imposing presence among women.
The woman looked down at Amamiya Kae and said displeasedly,
"What disrespectful thing are you imagining this time? Go wait in my office. I need to explain a few things to the newcomers first."
"Ouch!"
Amamiya Kae pitifully rubbed her forehead with both hands.
Watching the career woman walk toward the trainee voice actors, she sighed. After offering the trainees another warm smile, she obediently headed to the office to await her work assignment.
—That's right. Calling them little lambs isn't meant as ridicule.
Because not long ago, I had only just shed my own wool.
Even now, I still need this big gray wolf to feed me if I want to barely survive.
How wonderful~ How wonderful~.
...
Inside the office, the lights were off despite it being daytime, and the curtains were drawn shut.
The dim lighting created an oddly subtle atmosphere.
The imposing middle-aged woman sat in her office chair and asked in a serious tone:
"Do you know 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica'?"
"A magical-girl series? Such a genre is full of innocence and dreams!
Sitting upright with perfect posture, Amamiya Kae deliberately answered in a cheerful tone.
The woman glanced at her and sighed while pressing a hand to her forehead, as though she had expected exactly this response.
"So that means you don't know it. I really don't understand you. You don't even like anime, and you've never been involved in related industries. Why did you choose voice acting in the first place?"
—I could ask you the same thing.
—Why did you choose someone with no experience and no interest in anime to become a voice actress?
—Why did I choose this industry?
Probably because of all those television specials about voice actors.
I thought being a voice actor seemed like an easy and well-paying job, almost like being a housewife.
Wouldn't a profession like that naturally be appealing to women?
I'm an ordinary woman, too, so I held a tiny bit of hope for this industry.
Unfortunately, that hope was devoured together with a pudding not long after I became a voice actress.
This must be what people call society's lies.
A warm smile remained on Amamiya Kae's face.
Her calm and elegant demeanor made her look exactly like a refined young lady from a prestigious family.
"Can't be helped."
The middle-aged woman stood up.
"I'll take you over there myself. Even within the company, several well-known voice actors are trying to secure this role."
"However, the audition won't choose voice actors based on fame. Several members of the anime's main cast are newcomers just like you who have only been voice acting for a few years."
"Whether you pass the audition or not will depend entirely on your own ability, Amamiya."