In recent years, as anime has surged in popularity, the production teams and voice actors behind the scenes have gradually entered the public eye.
Previously in the entertainment industry, idols, singers, actors, and voice actors may have all been in the same general space, but there were clear distinctions between them.
Now, those boundaries are fading.
"You really went too far with that girl today. Aren't you afraid she'll retaliate?"
In the back seat of the car, Ueguchi Megumi sipped iced Americano in one hand and held a script in the other, reading.
"A girl from Kansai in a place she doesn't know—what's she gonna do, get revenge?" Dōmoku Kai scoffed while driving.
Before joining the production team, he had reviewed everyone's background thoroughly.
He knew who he could and couldn't mess with.
Seeing that Aoyama Nanami came from an average family, was from Kansai, not Tokyo, and had come to Tokyo alone to chase her dreams, Dōmoku Kai had decided to slap her.
Because he knew—outsiders like Nanami who leave home and struggle in an unfamiliar city, even if they get bullied, will only grit their teeth and swallow the pain.
"Besides, I did it for you, didn't I?"
Ueguchi Megumi chuckled lightly.
"Did you really do it for me, or were you just looking for a place to vent? You know the answer."
She'd heard Dōmoku Kai was having problems in his marriage, and work wasn't going well either. He had built-up frustration and no outlet.
Aoyama Nanami had just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
"Does it matter? We're a team, aren't we?" Dōmoku Kai didn't care.
"Besides, what's she going to do to me? Some country bumpkin from outside Tokyo? Call the cops? Ha!"
Ueguchi didn't scold him.
After all, a star and their manager rise and fall together.
Plus, she disliked people like Nanami who came from out of town to take jobs from Tokyo locals.
Competition was already fierce in Tokyo—plenty of locals were unemployed and struggling.
With the domestic job market in decline, even Japan's entertainment industry had taken a hit.
Even someone as big as Kimura Takuya was making less than he used to.
If someone that famous was struggling, then voice actors had it even worse.
One job could have a dozen voice actors competing for it.
Tokyo already had a huge population, and now more and more people like Aoyama Nanami were flooding in to take work.
How could Ueguchi feel anything but disdain?
In her eyes, wouldn't it have been better if Nanami just stayed put in Osaka? Why force herself into Tokyo?
"Just drive."
The pointless conversation ended as naturally as it began.
What happened today was just a piece of gossip to them.
Neither took it seriously.
In this industry, it was pretty common for rookies—especially the unestablished ones—to be bullied or harassed. A slap? That was nothing.
Some even suffered workplace abuse.
Most people made it through by enduring it. No one stood up for the newcomers.
…
Late at night, Dōmoku Kai dropped Ueguchi Megumi off at her home, then drove back by himself.
Just as he was about to turn into the residential area, a black car suddenly swerved into his path with no warning, blocking his way.
Dōmoku Kai slammed the brakes hard. The car screeched to a stop, and he lurched forward violently.
If not for the seatbelt, he might have hit the wheel.
"Asshole!"
He parked, yanked the handbrake, unbuckled, and jumped out of the car in a fury, pounding on the other car's window.
"Get out!"
"Do you even know how to drive? What, was a dog behind the wheel?!"
Dōmoku Kai cursed up a storm.
Screee—
The rear door opened.
Just as he rushed toward the back seat, mouth wide open, ready to unleash more insults, several arms reached out from inside, dragging him in by force.
Bang!
The door slammed shut. The black car roared to life and vanished into the night.
…
In a derelict warehouse somewhere in Tokyo, Takashi sat on a cheap plastic chair, fingers interlaced beneath his chin, silently staring ahead like a statue, waiting.
Soon, a black car pulled up in front of him.
It skidded to a halt near the warehouse. Even before it fully stopped, the rear door flung open, and a person was tossed out, rolling across the floor several times.
Once the car stopped, several men stepped out.
They were all dressed in suits, looking like respectable businessmen—except their bulky builds and fierce expressions made it clear they were anything but.
"Brother Takashi, we brought him."
A scar-faced man walked up and greeted Takashi respectfully, then waved for the others to bring the man forward.
"Mmm! Mmmph!"
Dōmoku Kai struggled desperately, but his resistance was useless.
His mouth was taped shut, and his eyes were blindfolded. He couldn't see, and couldn't make a sound.
The men in black dragged him forward and dumped him at Takashi's feet.
"I ask, you answer," Takashi said coldly, his voice calm but eyes increasingly sharp.
One of the men ripped the tape from Dōmoku Kai's mouth with a loud rip!
Finally able to speak, Dōmoku Kai blurted out quickly, "Boss, let's talk this out. If I did something wrong, just say it—I swear I'll—"
Thud!
Before he could finish speaking, Takashi raised the metal baseball bat in his hand and slammed it down onto Dōmoku Kai's forehead.
Blood splattered—some of it landed on Takashi's pale, glowing skin under the dim light, giving it a strangely bewitching look.
"I ask, you answer." Takashi's eyes showed no emotion as he stared down at Dōmoku Kai writhing on the ground like a maggot. He repeated himself.
This time, Dōmoku Kai understood.
"Did you hit Aoyama Nanami?" Takashi got straight to the point.
Dōmoku Kai's heart went cold.
He knew—this was payback.
'Isn't that country bumpkin just a part-timer? How the hell does she have this kind of friend?'
Dōmoku Kai was filled with regret.
If you had that kind of friend, why didn't you say so earlier?
He wouldn't have dared lay a hand on her.
"Boss, I did it, I'm sorry! Whatever compensation you want, just name it! Treat me like a fart and let me go!"
Despite the blood streaming down his forehead, Dōmoku Kai kowtowed hard against the ground.
"Which hand did you use?" Takashi asked again.
"Boss, I—" Thud!
Takashi didn't want to hear nonsense. He brought the bat down on his head again, hard.
"Which hand did you use?"
"I'm so sor—" Thud!
"Which hand did you use?"
"I was wr—" Thud!
"Which hand did you use?"
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