Takizawa had thought hard about how to address her in those fleeting seconds. Japan's etiquette was a maze of formalities.
Sakura-kun felt off
Sakura-san didn't fit—he was older.
Sakura-chan was too forward, almost flirty
Sakura-hime, Lady Sakura, or Sakura-shi? Joking titles, even worse.
But there was always a safe bet.
Like calling a streamer "boss" while tossing virtual gifts, or "handsome" At a phone store counter, or the desperate "dad" Shouted in a chat by a gamer after a quad-kill.
For a student, one title worked perfectly:
"Classmate."
Friendly, natural, humble, polite.
"Didn't expect to run into you here. Must be tough, working through a rare winter break instead of hanging with friends," Takizawa said, making small talk.
The girl, sipping her coffee delicately, shed her frail air and shot him a chilling, dangerous look.
Is the coffee that bad? Takizawa scrapped his plan to grab another can.
"So, have you eaten lunch?" He tried again.
"If I haven't, you gonna treat me?" Sakura snapped, sharp-tongued.
"Uh, so… eaten or not?" He asked cautiously.
"Guess."
"…"
Takizawa was stumped. This girl was too cool, a master at shutting down conversation.
"What're you doing here?" Sakura asked, sneaking a glance.
"Agent called me for an audition. You too?"
"Yeah…" She nodded faintly, her mood souring. "But I probably bombed it."
"Got the results already?"
"No, but I can feel it. I was awful," She said, shaking her head.
"Must've been a tough performance," Takizawa said, consoling. "Chin up. You're young and already in an agency, outshining tons of hopefuls. Not many your age can match you."
"Really?" She looked up, skeptical but curious.
Takizawa thought of Hidaka from that morning's session, not much older than Sakura, already a lead. But that didn't stop him from doubling down.
"Absolutely!" He said with conviction.
"Yeah, right. How many voice actors have you even met?" Sakura huffed, though she seemed slightly pleased.
"Speaking of, I don't even know the audition lines yet," Takizawa said, looking around. "Where's the agent and producer?"
"Still in a meeting, I think." Sakura handed him her copy of the project brief. "Take a look."
They sat on hallway chairs, less cozy than the heated lounge, but Sakura, bundled up with her hot drink, didn't mind.
She swung her slender legs idly, pretending to scroll her phone, but her eyes kept drifting to the boy reading the script intently.
His swept-back bangs, calm and clean profile, smooth neck, and the faint outline of his collarbone under his cotton shirt.
Where'd this campus drama heartthrob come from? she grumbled inwardly. His face is unfairly perfect.
The waiter uniform at the restaurant was cheap, wholesale stuff, nothing like a proper butler's suit. But in casual clothes, he was a different person.
"So, it's a short story like this," Takizawa said, finishing the brief.
"Pretty sad and beautiful, right?" Sakura asked, feigning nonchalance.
"Classic warm-and-fuzzy with a gut-punch twist. I get it," He said, shrugging. He'd snuck peeks at teen romance magazines in high school, so he knew a bit about girls' melancholy dreams.
"Hey, what's with that half-hearted reaction? Show some emotion!" Sakura said, annoyed.
"No way. I'm a proud worker who can take client insults, goddess-level rejections, and class reunion mockery without blinking. This stuff doesn't hit me," Takizawa said, gesturing grandly.
"It's so contrived, this 'touch a human and vanish' setup—obviously headed for tragedy. Just wear gloves, problem solved."
"What?! That's so rude!" Sakura crossed her arms. "It's amazing! The fateful encounter, the bittersweet longing, the filled loneliness, the eternal moment—take it seriously!"
"Even if you say that…"
Seeing his helpless head-scratch, Sakura fumed. She'd teared up reading the script, poured her heart into the audition, and now this guy was dismissing it.
Worse, she'd briefly been touched by his smile and hot coffee earlier, which only fueled her irritation.
Of course. He's a smooth-talking jerk who pranks girls he barely knows!
She snatched back the brief, wanting to fire off a sarcastic jab but held back, thanks to her upbringing. Instead, she turned away, giving him the cold shoulder.
Takizawa watched her sulk, hesitating.
"Uh…"
"I don't want to talk to you," She muttered.
"You really love this story, don't you?" He asked.
She didn't reply.
A familiar silence settled between them.
"I was too quick to judge," Takizawa said, pausing, then smiling.
"Everyone's experiences and tastes differ. What they love, what they endure—it's personal. Even the strongest have soft spots others might find trivial. A line of text, a single image, can unlock buried memories and spark sorrow."
Sakura glanced at him, unimpressed.
"You wanted to share it with me, and I nitpicked, letting down your kindness," He said.
"I wasn't trying to share," She shot back.
"Sorry, my bad," He said, clasping his hands sincerely.
"You've got all the good and bad lines covered," Sakura mumbled, helpless against his soft-and-hard approach.
"But this story's mostly about the leads, and it's short. Probably an OVA or theater release," Takizawa mused. "Rare chance. We're from the same agency, though—doubt we'd both get cast."
"I'm not hoping to co-star with you," Sakura muttered, her mood sinking. "Besides, I've got no shot."
"They haven't replied yet."
"I know my own failure."
"Stay positive. Always sighing makes life dull," Takizawa said, clenching a fist, his voice bright and childlike. "Believe in miracles and magic!"
"What, coaxing a kid?" Sakura rolled her eyes.
"You don't believe in that stuff at your age?" He asked, shocked.
"I'm in high school, not elementary!"
As they bickered, their bespectacled agent jogged over, phone in hand.
"Takizawa-kun, you're here! The producer just finalized the female lead. Get ready, your audition's up next."
"Sorry… what about my results?" Sakura asked, bold with Takizawa but timid with adults, her hands twisting nervously.
"Haha, it's you, Sakura-chan! Who else?" Kashiwai said, beaming like a parent whose kid won gold.
"Really?" She froze, eyes wide, disbelieving.
"Really," Kashiwai confirmed.
"See? Miracles happen," Takizawa added, grinning.
"Can't it be my own skill?" She glared, nudging his sneaker with her boot—lightly, her good manners holding back.
***
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