Please, talk to me. [Joyabe & Z3N]

[Z3N]

 

 

Name:

Ryo Masumura

 

Age:

26

 

Gender:

Male

 

Occupation:

Voice actor

 

Extra:

> Starred in several animes:

- Haikyuu [Tetsuro Kuroo]

- Aoharu x Kikanju [Toru Yukimura]

- Gangsta [Worick Arcangelo]

- Tokyo Ghoul [Kaneki Ken]

- Ryo Kurokiba [shokugeki no Soma]

- etc.

 

> Starred in games:

- Ardyn Izunia [Final Fantasy XV]

 

> Sometimes models for a fashion magazine [Men’s Non-no]

 

Voice:

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The alarm clock resounded throughout the room, the windows letting the rays of sun through, lighting everything up. As the warmth gently caressed his cheeks despite the disturbing sound of the alarm, Ryo was able to wake up without too much struggling. Light bags under his eyes were visible because of one reason only: work. His schedule had been hectic up until only three hours ago. Filled with the last recording of an anime, a fan sign event for the Tokyo Ghoul anime season 3 and even a photoshoot with some of his colleagues as they were going to star in a geek magazine. He didn’t think it would be this hectic when he started this career, it was definitely shocking about how much work they could receive once it would go well. Ryo considered himself to be one of the lucky few who made it out there and made a name for themselves. Well, he did put his all into it since the beginning when he was only seventeen years old. He didn’t plan on going to college since it wasn’t his cup of tea and decided to just try out for a job he really wanted to do. It was only two years later that he actually received a role where he had some lines in them. It wasn’t much but it indicated the start of his fame.

 

Walking towards the bathroom after shutting down the irritating noise where he took a shower and cleaned himself. Not bothering to use the hair dryer as he preferred to let it dry naturally, maybe because he was lazy too but he wouldn’t admit to that so easily. Yawning as he shuffled to the kitchen. Barely having managed to dress himself during the hot weather which was just way too much. He could even bake some bacon on top of a car if he wanted to. Wearing nothing more than a sleeveless black jacket and white shirt, black shorts and white sneakers. Not to forget his glasses since his vision wasn’t exactly the best. He could still see but he would need to put a lot of focus in what was in front of him. Before he even mistook his manager for his boss and talked casually, luckily the man knew about it and didn’t mind that much. Though he did get warned to not do it another time or he would get his butt kicked.

 

Letting the coffee run while taking out the stuff he needed for breakfast which was yogurt with a banana sliced into it and a mandarin on the side. Making sure to have a full nice bowl so he wouldn’t be too hungry later on. A few seconds later the coffee was ready as well, taking everything to the table where he ate his breakfast at ease. Not liking to hurry himself up but sometimes it just couldn’t be that way, it was one of the downsides of this kind of work. It wasn’t unlikely for him to practically go around without eating for a longer period of time. His record was three days before he finally found the time to get some food inside his stomach. He wouldn’t have lasted much longer. Luckily at that time it wasn’t particularly stressful it was just the fact that he had to go to several venues in a short time span, he couldn’t take it easy.

 

Rubbing the back of his neck as he read some random magazine he received from his manager. Some of the latest geek news could be found in it. Mainly going about Harajuku, Akihabara and whatever the hell those districts were called. Just when he had the last scoop in his mouth, the bell rang which made him roll his eyes as he knew that it was his manager as it kept on ringing like the shitty person he could be. Opening the door with a swing and glaring at the other only to be met with a satisfied smile. “Good morning, Ryo. Are you ready to go? There’s already a lot of traffic because there’s an event going on so we’ll have to hurry up.” The manager said which made Ryo sigh and put his stuff in the dishwasher before getting his wallet and keys, going out with the other afterwards. Half listening to the rambling as he didn’t feel like it. Not when he only had about three hours of sleep.

 

The moment they got on the bigger streets, the traffic was indeed quite spectacular. Letting himself close his eyes for a while until they reached the building where they had to be. Only when the car came to a halt, he opened them again, seeing that they were parked underground so they could easily go up without too many interruptions. They didn’t have a lot of time left so they hurried their steps slightly. Definitely not wanting to be scolded despite it not being exactly their fault that the traffic was this bad. But then again, it was already 1pm so it was to be expected in a sense.

 

Luckily they arrived in time to get his make-up done which mainly consisted of concealing the dark bags under his eyes, his hair they didn’t even touch since the messy look was actually quite good on him. Thanking the make-up artist for doing a good job in concealing what was necessary before going back to his manager, looking at the host of the show who was still talking with one of the boy bands called Smash!. They were pretty good and even listened to them from time to time, they recently gained more attention as they changed their sense. Being more modern and knowing what the public wanted, they definitely gained more popularity along the way of their progress. Forgetting that he wasn’t going to be the only one on the show this time but his co-star for the newest BL anime was going to join as well. Perhaps it was because he didn’t want to remember it since they weren’t exactly on good terms with each other due to the competition in this field of work and since they had about the same amount of fans it could clash.

 

Some lucky people managed to get some seats for the live streaming, the show was quite popular called Show On. It was popular with both young and old. Eventually the segment ended and the host seemed to lighten up even more than she already did. “And now the moment we’ve all waited for ! The main actors for the BL anime My Friend, My Love ! Here are Shinobu Yamazaki and Ryo Masumura~” The woman called out, indicating that it was their time to get on stage. The audience started clapping enthusiastically, some even shouted out of excitement. Smiling lightly as Ryo got on stage and sat down on the red sofa with way too many colourful pillows in it.

 

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[Joyabe]

 

 

 

Name:

Shinobu Yamazaki

 

Age:

26

 

Gender:

Male

 

Occupation:

Voice actor

 

Extra:

-Has been in the voice acting field ever since he was five (with a small break when his voice was changing).

 

-Did too many projects to keep count

 

-Dreams of also making music one day, but right now this is something he works on privately.

 

-Is completely useless in the studio (or in front of any text really) without his glasses.

 

 

 

Shinobu Yamazaki's favorite place on earth was his bed. It was even more loved on days like this. Burying his face in the soft pillows, wrapped in his blanket like a cocoon Shinobu sent a silent prayer that maybe today somehow would be canceled. He spent most of the night restlessly turning and tossing, only managing to fall asleep properly at around 6 am. It wasn't that he was nervous about the interview- he had done tens, maybe even hundreds of them throughout the years. True, this was his first time ever voicing a BL, but according to his agency, as well as what he saw online, his fans supportive. In fact, they were more than supportive.

 

On any other occasion Shinobu would be ecstatic with that thought- he cared about his fans deeply, and he really did mind what they were thinking. However this time, the source of their excitement also happened to be his source of anxiety.

 

Ryo Masumura.

 

God, of all people, why, just why did it have to be him? Shinobu met Ryo a few years back, and their paths crossed a few times, although never under such big projects. Shinobu was very much pleased with this arrangement. For some reason, unknown to him, Ryo Masamura seemed to hate his guts.

 

So, true, they did have quite a similar audience, so one could say they were competing over fans and sometimes even jobs, but none of his other colleagues seemed to despise him the way Ryo did. And he wasn't sure what brought this hatred upon him, but it was hard to ignore. In fact, it was so bad he almost gave up on that role when he heard he would be co-starring with Ryo. But, well, the agency insisted and his manager begged, and one thing led to the other and Shinobu found himself backed into a corner there was absolutely no fucking way he could get out of.

 

Still, there was this small part of him that still hoped maybe they would somehow just miraculously forget about that.

 

But of course, the universe wouldn't be this kind.

 

Hearing the sound of a key turning in his apartment's lock, he buried himself deeper under the pillow. "Come on Shinobu, wake up" his manager Kumiko barged in, wasting no time on trivial things like knocking. Although, she probably had the right idea in mind when she made sure to have a copy of his key. Growling, Shinobu tried hiding deeper in his bed only for Kumiko to snatch the blanket off of him, exposing Shinobu who desperately clinged onto his pillow. "Do I have to?" he whined, only to have a towel thrown on him. "Yes" Kumiko didn't gave him much of a choice. After so long together, Shinobu knew that she is someone to be feared, that he should never, ever cross.

 

Shuffling to the bathroom, he quickly washed his face before changing his clothes- a classic medium washed jeans, graphic T-shirt and his favorite Converse, although those were still theoretical and would only be worn right before he would leave his house. When he got out of the bathroom looking as ready for the day as he could, his manager rewarded him with a rare satisfied smile before handing him his backpack and a big cup of iced coffee. She knew how nervous he was about today, and when Shinobu was nervous not even the devil himself could make him eat. Coffee was a necessity though- kinda like oxygen.

 

The drive to the TV studios and the whole getting ready process was kind of a blur, during which he couldn't help but be grateful he hadn't meet Ryo, and yet nervous about the outcome when they finally and inevitably would. Would he do something to embarrass him on live TV? Would their less than friendly relationship be transparent? He couldn't possibly let that happen. After all, they were there to promote the new anime, and what worse PR could there be than the two main characters, the love interests of each other, hating each other so obviously?

 

No, no, there was no way Ryo would be that unprofessional, right?

 

Soon enough, however, he had no other choice but to find out for himself. Sitting in front of their bright host and under the bright lights, Shinobu found himself smiling and waving the enthusiastic audience. And there, right next to him, was that person who hated him so much, that he was supposed to pretend to love. Or, well, he would have to, in the recording. But even right now they had to keep it at least friendly. It was show time.

 

"Thank you for having us" Shinobu smiled at the host, who seemed to take it as enough of a sign to jump right into the questions. "I believe this is the first time Masumura-san and Yamazaki-san are acting the two lead roles as co-stars, but you two must have met in the past. How are you feeling going into this project together, especially since this is a BL anime?".

 

How was he feeling? Terrified, that's how. His reputation could be so easily ruined by this man, who seemed like he would have no problem whatsoever doing so. Of course, that was not a TV appropriate answer.

 

"This is a very exciting opportunity" Shinobu smiled widely "I'm excited to finally be able to work with Masumura-kun. I believe this project is going to be a successful one and I hope our fans will support us" he answered, only to receive an ear deafening cheer from the audience. Waiting for the noise to die, the host then turned to Ryo "and what about you Masumura-san? How do you feel about taking a lead role in a BL drama alongside the famous Yamazaki-san?"

[Z3N]

Despite this anxious feeling residing inside of him when he was sitting next to Shinobu, he didn’t show it on his face. Despite only being a voice actor, he managed his expressions really well, having learned to do so over the years, especially in the last five as it went up by a lot after having starred in the more famous animes. The most influential one was his role as Kaneki Ken in Tokyo Ghoul. It did better than they had expected and since he could adapt his voice pretty well to the character which went through a lot of mental changes, he was the one they were looking after. He had thought that Shinobu had wanted to do this one but it didn’t seem to be true or had he overlooked the guy in the building which was extremely unlikely. Yet despite even having voiced a complicated persona, he was still completely nervous next to this guy. Punching himself in the face for feeling the way he did, without an actual answer as to why it was. Not being sure about it himself and afraid to look deeper into it.

 

Though as he had mentally prepared himself for this show, he could bare it without a sweat. As if his personality took a turn for the better, he sat up straight a gentle smile decorating his lips as he looked at the host and the audience whose eyes were focused on the two of them. It was pretty interesting how one person could capture this many hearts just with their passion and voice. Chocolate brown eyes eventually went back to Shinobu as he started talking. It was a soothing voice, nice to the ear, probably due to the training voice actors had to go through in order to improve themselves. He even lost his voice once due to the several characters he tried to do in one sitting, having talked for hours without a break and eventually it came with a cost. It was only normal for him to have ended up that way.

 

As if he was being brought back to the present by the host’s question, he chuckled in return. “Well, it is also my first time being in a BL anime so it will definitely be a new experience for me. But since Shinobu-san is here as well, I shouldn’t be too afraid about what is to come. I’ve seen his work before and I couldn’t point out many faults which as a colleague could be annoying at times.” He joked around, letting the audience laugh together with him, merely by the way he showed that he wasn’t being too serious about what he was saying. Even the host seemed to be amusing herself in a more natural way right now since the tension slowly went away.

 

“I’ve heard that is has an interesting plot, can you tell us a short summary of it?” The host asked. “Hmmm… So the student that I’m playing just came back to school after a year of hiatus, meaning that he needs to repeat a year to make up for it. During the time that he was away however, he had been in a coma due to a serious car accident. However one thing that people forgot to tell to the students was that he doesn’t remember anything that happened during his years in high school, not even his best friend who is in love with him.” Ryo explained as short as possible. “So it will be a dramatic anime?” “Yes, but there will also be aspects of comedy in it to lighten up the mood or it will get too heavy otherwise. At least that’s what I think.” He confirmed with a small nod. It was very handy for having looked through the script before going onto the show. Lucky.

[Joyabe]

Keeping a small smile plastered on his lips, Shinobu turned to look at Ryo when he gave his answer. Ha, the wonders of being fresh in the industry. Well, fresh in comparison to himself. He was actually just the tiniest bit jealous of Ryo's ability to converse so easily and with that natural charm with the host. For Shinobu, almost two decades of interviews honed some kind of an automatic response, a certain mode if you will, he went into whenever he had to do such things. It was like there was this filter between his authentic self and the interviewer, and while he knew how to answer properly and be likable, he was still lacking this extra something Ryo seemed to have. Good thing his acting was as good as it was.

 

He was also just the tiniest bit jealous of Ryo's voice. He listened quietly as he talked, his ears trained to detect the smallest nuances and layers in the other's voice. Shinobu had a naturally softer voice, one that could convey an array of emotions, yet never had that certain resonating depth to it. That was why he was always cast to play younger, more soft-spoken characters. He could never reach that penetrating, echoing bass. That was that elusive quality that allowed a person's voice to reach the audience's gut, to make them feel intense emotion even when keeping the acting to a minimum. How he wished he was blessed with such a natural asset, and wondered if Ryo ever stopped to appreciate his gift?

 

Of course, he also couldn't ignore what this voice was saying. He almost chuckled bitterly at the compliment the other paid him. Somehow he had the feeling those weren't his true sentiments, although a small part of him wished that they were. He doesn't know why on earth he cares though. The 'annoying' part seemed to be the only part in that answer that seemed to have some kind of a connection to reality. But Ryo couldn't possibly be petty to the point of hating him for being good at his job, could he?

 

Ah, right the plot. Not only would he have to act out being in love with Ryo (well, Ryo's character) without him knowing in the first place, but he had to act out his friend that was forgotten. So, basically a person completely smitten with the other on every level, and not having any of those feelings reciprocated. Towards Ryo. Of course he could act that out, he's a professional after all, but it would definitely be... interesting. That would certainly be an interesting state of mind to try and get into.

 

Surprisingly, the interview flew by quickly. The questions were predictable, they seemed to be able to answer them easily and in corporation, and by it's end the interviewer seemed to send them off with genuine interest in the series and a lot of noise from the audience. All in all, a very well done job.

 

As soon as he was backstage, Shinobu let out a loud exhale, letting his shoulders slump a little and the exhaustion wash over him. He could really feel the lack of sleep now hitting him like a truck on the fucking highway. All he wanted was to go back home and get some sleep. Oh, but how wrong would he be to think he would be dismissed at that. "Good job" his manager told him "we should use the chance the both of you are here and go greet them" she said, receiving a very deep scowl from Shinobu. "Don't give me that attitude. Go" she glared at him before physically pushing him in Ryo's direction.

 

He didn't want to. He so didn't want to. He didn't really have a choice though really. "Masumura-kan" he smiled at Ryo reluctantly "I'm Shinobu Yamazaki. Nice to meet you. I'm looking forward to work with you". Did he really? Well, from a professional point of view sure he did. After all Ryo was good, and he wanted to work with the best. But from a personal stand point, well... "It's actually quite a surprise the two of you haven't had the chance to work together yet" his manager interfered, trying to push the conversation forward. He didn't really care. Shinobu really just wanted to sleep.

 

In a very unfortunate timing, his stomach made a loud growling noise, deciding to remind him and the rest of the room he had not eaten anything yet that day. Fine, so he wanted to eat something and then sleep. "How about we treat you to lunch so you two could get to know each other before the recording starts?" Kumiko smirked at the sound, now talking to Ryo and his manager. Shinobu was very much against this idea. Very, very much. she didn't seem to care all that much. Clearly, she was determined to seize every opportunity to develop his connections. That was probably a part of what made her so good at her job.

[Z3N]

The show went on smoothly, no really tricky questions were asked neither did the audience want to see some of this so-called skinship. They weren’t even to be seen on the screen, only their voices could be heard. But at the sight of good looking people, they didn’t care about that at all and just drove their will through until the people would give in. Peer pressure was what it was called. Honestly, he had done it before already and it exploded on the internet. It was a little scary about how these fans could react to the silliest things they would even witness. If it was the actual case though that they had to hug it out in front of the camera, he didn’t know how he would even react to it. His heart thumping lightly as he actually thought about it.

 

Once they were excused as the show ended, letting out a relieved sigh as he got away from there. Despite not looking like it, he was a nervous wreck in the other’s presence. He even thought that he could smell the other’s shampoo. Clean and fresh if he was right about it. He wouldn’t just sniff the guy out in public. Stretching out his arms before going back to his manager who thought it was amusing to see the change in Ryo. When he was in front of the camera, he became more like a gentleman as if he was the perfect boyfriend. Unlike in reality he was blunt and didn’t really like being around huge crowds as they were suffocating, especially when they got too close to him.

 

“Hiroshi-saaaan~” He whined dramatically, wrapping his arms around the male who only laughed in return and patted his back. “Do I have something else on my schedule or am I free to go?” “Hmmm, we have the recording in an hour which is actually in the building on the opposite side of the street so you can take it easy for now.” “Finally.” Ryo groaned in return as he finally could take a breather, meaning that he would probably try to sleep somewhere in silence but he doubted that it would go as he planned. Especially since this building had a lot of people around today, probably because a number of shows were airing today that weren’t pre-recorded. One of the downsides of live television.

 

Just as he was about to get out of there, he was stopped by a voice calling out to him. The voice that he didn’t want to hear anymore today as it got his mind in a mess easily. It wasn’t going to be easy to do the anime with Shinobu at all. The forced smile on the other’s face said it all, being forced by the manager. “Ah, yes.” Ryo responded hesitantly. Smiling in complete awkwardness as he didn’t really know what to say about the fact that they hadn’t worked together. It being due to Ryo finding out about who was auditioning for that anime and who wasn’t. He didn’t do this all the time, just to those he wasn’t really excited about. It only happened twice that Shinobu was there so it was an easy way out for him. Just making an excuse up for his boss to believe and searching for another role that suited him more.

 

Blinking rapidly as the guy’s manager said that she would treat them on lunch so they would get to know each other better. Hiroshi seemed to be all in for it as well, as he practically locked Ryo in his grip with no actual way out. “Let’s go shall we.” Hiroshi commented with a bright face, dragging Ryo to the cafeteria of the building. It was embarrassing to be moved around without his consent but it wasn’t unusual as Ryo was lazy and stubborn about a lot of things except when it came to work. Some called him a work addict as he didn’t do anything else. He did have a social life, he just wasn’t so open about it as he didn’t want for the whole world to know what he was up to.

 

Eventually they reached the place and Ryo sat down at an empty table. More like almost thrown onto it. “I’ll go grab the food so you just wait here together with Shinobu. Be nice to each other as we’ll be working together from now on.” The male said with a smug face.

[Joyabe]

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, Shinobu tried convincing himself as he was following the others to the cafeteria, feeling his manager's eyes on his back and knowing he had no possible way to escape. At least Ryo didn't seem to be so bad today- hell, he even smiled at him. It wasn't a very convincing smile, but still. Maybe he decided to put whatever it was that made him hate Shinobu aside and focus on their job instead. It wouldn't be so bad if he could do that. It wasn't like he was expecting them to become best friends, not like they needed to in order to be able to work successfully with each other. But a minimal level of politeness would sure make things a hell lot easier.

 

Hesitantly sitting in the chair across from Ryo, Shinobu turned his eyes to look at his manager as he spoke. "I'll come help you" Kumiko added with a smile, that turned incredibly scary as she turned it to Shinobu next "you just wait here and chat". Ah, that was code for 'if you dare thinking of running away you're dead'. Although Shinobu had no such intentions as he had already decided to try and play nice, that little comment sealed the deal. The only person he wouldn't dare defy was Kumiko.

 

Looking after their back as they were leaving and until they disappeared, Shinobu found himself facing a new problem. What the hell was he supposed to talk with Ryo about? He didn't really know him, and he was still a little nervous about saying the wrong thing and finding out he really did hate him. He wasn't sure why it bothered him so much, but it did. This was a delicate situation, and he really, really didn't want to ruin things with his co-star before they even started recording.

 

But, well, sitting there in complete silence wasn't exactly helping either. Finally turning his grey eyes to look at Ryo, he considered for a moment what would be the best thing to say. He couldn't find it, so instead he settled on something stupid and predictable. "Thanks for doing this. I'm sure you're really busy with everything you're doing right now, but Kumiko really wanted us to do that" the honorifics between him and his manager were dropped long ago. "Oh, but I'm also glad we got to do this" he added quickly "Your work is great. I'm excited about working together" this time the smile he sent in the other's direction was genuine, even if a little embarrassed. He really did think Ryo was a good voice actor, and he really was glad they got the chance to work together. As long as they'll be able to get along, that is.

 

"Hey, did you get a chance to look at the artwork for this one?" Shinobu asked, trying to find conversation topics. Although he got to reading the script he wasn't sent the final artwork for the characters yet. The writing for this one seemed to be good, Shinobu never accepted a script if he thought otherwise, but he felt like he couldn't fully connect to it until he saw the characters design. Although he could come up with a voice based on the character description and the director's notes, it was like the art was the last piece that tied everything together for him. He was only really able to come up with a voice for the character he was confident in when he saw it.

[Z3N]

The first thing he thought about the manager from Shinobu was that she was honestly scary. Only those who had a death wish would dare to defy her. And here he thought that his manager was bad. The memories of how he was that stubborn with the guy, especially when he started to gain some fame, he didn’t want to know what the woman would do to him. Wondering if he would still be alive by now as he could be a pain in the ass. He knew that about himself and didn’t mind admitting to it, though it depended on the person and the situation. Especially at the time when there was about a rumour to be spread around about him being together with some unknown woman. Well, he was but they weren’t in that kind of relationship at all.

 

When Shinobu started talking after the small moment of silence, Ryo let his eyes go up to the latter again. Strangely feeling attracted to the guy, perhaps because he was good looking. It didn’t hurt to the eyes no matter what. “Mhm, I could say the same.” Ryo answered dryly. He didn’t know why but he always sounded so distant whenever he talked to Shinobu as if something was stopping him to act like normal. Why did he even have a bit of stress in the first place like this? It wasn’t like he was being examined or interviewed or something. Those events were stressful, so he was being utterly confused as to why it happened now.

 

Rubbing the back of his neck as he nodded, having indeed looked at the artwork for the anime. “I got to know that there was a manga before it got transformed into an anime. The fanart is quite… intense.” Struggling with how to even call it as he wasn’t used to seeing stuff like that. Well, for work that was so he didn’t know how he should explain this to a colleague. “Hiroshi printed the most popular art. I’m warning you however that it can be a shock.” He commented before ruffling into his bag and taking out an envelope. Scraping his throat as he placed it on the table and moved it towards Shinobu’s direction.

 

Feeling a little on edge since he didn’t know how the other would react to the pictures, mainly because he didn’t mind it himself. Being fine with men and women alike, it all looked quite erotic to him without even the slightest bit of disgust. Thinking that all bodies were beautiful in their own way, the only thing that he had to like was their personality, their entire being before he could start to like them completely. So the thing that confused him was why he was feeling like the beginning of that kind of feeling when he was with this guy. They barely talked to each other and if he did, he unconsciously became cold as if it was some kind of trigger the other pulled.

 

Soon after, Hiroshi arrived with two bowls of ramen which was the best to eat when it was lunch time. It reminded Ryo of home where his mother would make it occasionally when there was nothing else to eat. However the way she made it was so good that it was almost impossible to find any that was better than hers. Placing the bowl of Tonkotsu ramen in front of him which already smelled amazing. A rich and milky textured pork based broth with smooth-thin noodles and topped with sliced pork, green onion, and spicy red sauce which create a good balance of the taste.

 

 

 

 

[Joyabe]

What the actual hell. Yes this situation wasn't the most convenient one, and yes it was kind of forced upon them by their managers, but couldn't Ryo at least make an effort? Sure, he wasn't in the entertainment business as long as Shinobu, but he must have known how to be polite. Why was he sitting there, talking to him as if he was the most boring person in the world while Shinobu was trying his best to play nice? Maybe he can convince the producers to switch Ryo for another voice actor. It wasn't unlikely to think he had this much power... no, no but he wouldn't let just a little bit of rudeness drag him down to that level. He was better than that. He was a professional for crying out loud. Unlike somebody else, he is going to be a prime example of professionalism. He's going to keep face. He's going to be polite. Maybe even nice.

 

The next words out of Ryo's mouth sure made it just a tad easier. His annoyance made way to curiosity. He wanted to see the art. He wanted to see it even more after the way Ryo just described it. He wasn't too worried about being surprised, he thought as he waited impatiently for the other to pull out the papers, feeling a little like a kid waiting to open presents on his birthday or on Christmas morning. First of all, he could imagine more or less what he was getting himself into when he agreed to do a BL anime. Also, Shinobu was very much gay. Not that it was a known fact, but, well... probably nothing there he never saw before. And in real life to boot. Mastering all his willpower to grab the envelop nonchalantly instead of simply snatching it (he was very much determined to keep face in front of the other), Shinobu pulled it closer to him, itching to look at its contents. In fact, he was so eager he almost forgot that in his current state he wouldn't be able to see much. "Ah," he placed the envelop back on the table and turned to his bag that was placed on the floor next to him. Rummaging in it for a few moments he finally found what he was looking for, straightening back up again this time armed with his glasses.

 

Good, now he was ready. Finally he'll be able to look at those intense, as the other described them, illustrations. Now he could finally see the characters he only envisioned in his head so far. He was wondering if his guess was anything close to the mangaka's work. Would his character be short? Tall? What hair color would he have? What his face would look like? Well, there was only one way to find out and...

 

Jumping in his seat as a bowl of hot Tonkotsu was placed in front of him, he lifted his eyes to look at their managers that finally returned. "Well" Kumiko opened as she smiled at him widely as if she was the nicest person in the world "you two eat up and chat. Hiroshi-san and me are going to talk a little business... we'll come pick you up for your schedules. Make sure to eat so you'll have energy to continue your day". Sometimes he thought Kumiko should have gone into acting instead of managing. She sure had the ability to be deceiving. He knew her true character thought- and still loved her. Despite everything they seemed to get along well. Well, more accurately Kumiko was able to control Shinobu and he knew she had his back. But whatever- when it works it works.

 

His eyes dropped down again to look at the extremely difficult dilemma that stared right back- should he eat or look at the illustrations first? He had to admit he was hungry. Actually, he was starving. And the ramen might go soggy. But the curiosity was killing him. And it would be very impolite not to look at the pages Ryo just gave him... Opening the envelop, he carefully flipped through the different pieces. He loved them immediately. His character looked like it would have a spine, feisty. He always preferred those to whiny and submissive characters. It also allowed him a wider range when acting, going softer and more vulnerable in romantic or intimate scenes. Ryo's character looked great as well. Actually, the two seemed to share some kind of... an air. Something mature and maybe a little aloof. He had to admit he was curious as to how Ryo would act out such a character secretly being in love with his childhood friend. "Ne, Masumura..." he absentmindedly said as he continued looking through the illustration "you're really hot".

 

Crap. Freezing almost comically as he realized what he said, Shinobu felt his face hit up. He was sure it was as red as fresh Tuna right now. What the hell did he just say?! "I mean, your character. It's just...eh... I mean it's drawn really well. I think he's going to be very popular" he nervously laughed as he returned Ryo the illustrations. This was bad. Like, really, really bad. Not only did he accidentally call his co-start who hated him hot, he also described another guy as hot. What if Ryo would realize he was gay and use it to blackmail him? Somehow he couldn't put it beneath him to do such a thing. Hate is a strong emotion after all.

[Z3N]

When Kumiko said that she was going to eat somewhere else, he glared intensely towards Hiroshi who only smiled back as if he knew from nothing. “Betrayer.” He mouthed towards his manager who pretended to not have seen anything at all. So agitating that it could kill him on the spot but he didn’t want to lose to his manager who was more like a friend to him than a colleague. Others would think they were cat and dog by the way they behaved sometimes, there were even those that said that they should become a comical duo. Well, it was an option but neither of them were so eager to go that way as it wasn’t where their interests laid.

 

Once they left, he saw Shinobu opening the envelope. The male definitely seemed more composed than he thought he would. Perhaps the guy also did some research about BL which made it easier to consume all of this in one go. Slurping down some of his noodles before hearing the compliment coming out of Shinobu’s mouth. Yes, he heard it clear since the other paused as well while Ryo was nearly choking on his food. He really didn’t expect that at all. Not out of the blue without any cause that led to it. Slapping his chest in order to swallow his food normally. Freaking hell, this was like a drama or something.

 

Feeling himself heat up completely, not even being able to look the other in the eyes for now as he was taken aback. Covering a part of his face with his hand as he tried to cover the redness. It was about the character, Ryo. Don’t be stupid ! He screamed inside of his head, trying to pull himself together again as this was just way too embarrassing to even put into words. Why the hell was he even getting so flustered about all of this?! “Ah, yes. He looks like a popular guy but yours will be just as popular from how I see it. I mean, you’re pretty good at voice acting so I’m sure you’d be able to catch people’s attention.” He commented with a small nod, risking it to take another bite from his noodles as he didn’t want it to become soggy.

 

Luckily he could eat normally now so he let his eyes slowly go back to the person in front of him. His heart beating like crazy from the compliment that wasn’t even directed to him personally. Ah, fucking hell. Slowly coming to realize that this was indeed love. Something he didn’t want to feel anytime soon but here it was. Loud and clear yet Ryo being to dense to even realize it like a normal person until now. Soft brown hair and dark eyes that could stare into someone’s soul, a voice that was soothing to the ear. He wasn’t going to refuse it anymore as he already knew deep down that he felt something for this man. Someone who was going to be his partner in a BL anime for the first time.

 

Taking a few more bites of the food. It wasn’t incredible but it wasn’t amazing either. Normal? “So how did you get into acting? I never managed to ask you about it.” He asked in order to avoid any more awkward moments that he dreaded.

[Joyabe]

Well... Ryo seemed just as surprised as he was by his little slip up. Not that he could blame him- he would probably react the same way if a guy he barely knew suddenly called him hot to his face. It was even more understandable if Ryo was straight, which he had no reason to think he wasn't. He was contemplating whether he should try doing a Heimlich on him. He could already imagine the headlines if Ryo would choke to death due to this stupid careless comment, but fortunately he seemed to finally calm down and breath regularly.

 

Surprisingly though, this reaction and the comment that followed seemed to put Shinobu's mind at ease. While it was more than likely he just nearly embarrassed his co-star to death, Ryo still didn't seem like he was going to use it against him. More like he was trying to put this little incident behind them as soon as possible, something he was very much for.

 

As he was finally able to relax a little, he suddenly remembered just how hungry he was. Turning his attention to the food in front of him, he began eating enthusiastically, happy to get any food in his very empty stomach. The compliment he received from the other surprised him. He was pretty sure it was the closest to a nice thing Ryo had ever told him. As much as he wanted to pretend he was too cool for that, and that the years in the business made him immune, a warm feeling still spread through his chest at the compliment. He liked knowing he was doing a good job. Sometimes he was afraid of starting to get eroded without noticing, that he was in the game for too long to be objective.

 

He was still relishing in the soft feeling of elation, eating his food as he did, when a question addressed in his direction made him lift his eyes to look at the other... only to understand he can't really see him. Oh, he was still wearing his glasses, and while they were useful when he looked at the illustrations, right now they were making Ryo blurry and Shinobu dizzy. Pushing them up so they would sit on his head he thought about the question for a moment before letting out a small chuckle. "Actually, it was kind of an accident. My mom is a TV producer and one day one of her friends that was casting for a kids' Anime came to visit... anyway she heard me talking and had to brilliant idea of actually using a child voice actor instead of an adult. And the rest is kinda history" he laughed again as he pulled his shoulders. While it was true he entered this world completely by accident, he stayed there because he truly enjoyed the job. "What about you? How come it took so long to scout you?" he returned the question, a friendly smile on his face now that it seemed the other was playing nice. Actually now that he was looking at him, Ryo actually was kinda hot. He would imagine that even without hearing his voice he would be scouted as an actor or a model with that face. Not to mention the fact that in the short time the guy was in voice acting he landed jobs other actors that have been in the game way longer could only dream of.