Outside the recording booth, a staff member behind the glass gave them a silent thumbs-up.
All systems go. Everyone in position.
A burst of thrilling music surged through the headphones. After a high-energy, unmistakable climax of a TV anime opening, Rina Hidaka raised her script and kicked things off with a bright, lively voice.
"Hello to all our listeners across the country! You're tuned in to the drama radio show *Dark Reincarnation Fantasy: Phantom Dreams*—based on the currently airing smash-hit anime! And this is our very first episode, a moment worth celebrating! Yay, yay!"
She clapped cheerfully.
"I'm Rina Hidaka, the voice of Panis in the anime. I hope you'll keep supporting the show—and the broadcast—as we go forward! Episode one just aired and the response has been amazing. People everywhere are talking about it! If you want more details, check the official website. And if you'd like to send us a message, just fill out the form online. We'd love to hear from you!"
"Oh, and the series' tabletop game, *Dark Gate of Forgetting*, is now on its third edition—available in toy stores everywhere. Starting next episode, we'll be selecting lucky fans from the messages we receive to receive exclusive prize packs, so keep those letters coming!"
She paused.
"Now then, I'll be your host for today—let's have a great 20 minutes together!"
"Princess, I vow to follow you for the rest of my days," a deep, dramatic voice rang out.
"Did I just hear something really important? Might've been my imagination," the girl whispered to herself.
"Your knight is here, Your Highness!" someone bellowed.
"That unshakable loyalty... Could it be you?!" she exclaimed in shock.
"Yes! The Oathbound Knight! Sword King of the Twin Nations—Eldrador is here!" the voice rose in pitch, brimming with gallant fervor.
"Exactly right! Let's all welcome our first guest!" Rina clapped once again, hyping up the moment.
"Hi everyone, I'm Satoru Takizawa, voice of Eldrador. It's my first time doing radio, so if I make any blunders, please be kind," Yin Ze said with a polite tone, clapping as he transitioned from his performance voice to his usual, more grounded self.
"Same here, actually! This is my first time doing something like this—and it's a regular gig, too! I've been nervous from the start," Rina admitted with a small smile.
"No worries. You've been really composed, Rina-san. You may be young, but you're incredibly mature. A little radio work is no big deal for someone like you," Yin Ze reassured her.
"Aw, if you say so, I feel a little more confident."
They exchanged a glance—wordless confirmation that their banter was flowing well.
Yep. The rhythm was good. Nothing awkward so far.
"By the way, *Dark Reincarnation* is your debut role, right?" Rina asked.
"Yeah. It was my very first audition and the first role I landed. Thanks to it, this is also my first radio appearance—so in a way, it's all kind of fated. Definitely something I'll always remember," he replied honestly.
"But you're not that old, right?"
"Of course not. I'm 20, just started university recently."
"Then isn't calling you 'Takizawa-san' a bit too formal?" Rina hesitated.
"'Takizawa-kun' is fine. And Rina-san, you're still in middle school, right? So we're both still students—no need to stress about formality."
"Still feels weird having a college student use honorifics for me."
"Well, you're a seasoned pro! In a work setting, it's only right."
"Fair enough. Okay, let's jump into our next segment: fan letters! We didn't have any submissions for the first episode, so the staff prepped some questions. Let me see..."
Rina opened a prepared envelope with mock ceremony, pulling out a printed sheet.
"First question: Any personal worries lately?"
"Huh, nothing about the show? That's a surprise," Yin Ze muttered.
"Wait—Takizawa-kun, do you actually know anything about *Dark Reincarnation Fantasy*?" she asked, playing along.
"Absolutely nothing!" he declared without hesitation.
"..."
"Okay then. What about your worries?"
"None, really. Every day's got its little frustrations—like getting crushed on a jam-packed train full of sweaty dudes—but if we're talking serious worries... probably money. I've always got this low-key anxiety about my savings."
"You're already worried about finances? Isn't that a little early?" Rina blinked. Then, noticing how faded his clothes looked, her eyes lingered for a moment.
"Just being practical. How about you—anything bothering you?"
"Hmm... probably time. I always feel like I don't have enough of it. There's just so much I want to do."
"Oh, right—balancing school and work. Middle school's still an important stage. Since this is audio-only, the audience might not realize it, but Rina-san actually came here in her school uniform today. You must be super busy."
"You didn't have to say that!"
"Well, we're taking a photo afterward anyway. People will see it." Yin Ze shrugged.
"Eh?! No one told me that!"
Outside the glass, the producer gave a knowing smile.
"By the way, Rina-san, how are your grades?" Yin Ze tossed out a casual question, keeping the mood light.
"They're... okay."
"If they were great, you'd have said 'great.' People who say 'okay' usually..." He trailed off with a teasing grin.
"What about you, Takizawa-kun?" she shot back quickly. "Didn't you take your college entrance exams in January?"
"Yeah, I did. But I never really calculated my deviation score." He scratched his head.
"Aha!" Rina grinned triumphantly. "If you had aced it, you'd be bragging. People who do badly tend not to look at scores."
"Well, I really didn't calculate it..."
"Come on! You're a grown-up now, no more dodging. Fine then, just tell me your entrance scores—we'll figure it out on the spot."
She smiled sweetly, but there was a definite edge to it.
"Main exam score was 825. Secondary exam was 351. Final converted score: 451." Yin Ze replied, doing the math in his head.
"...What?"
The easy flow of the broadcast hit a momentary snag.
Rina blinked.
"Sorry, how much?"
"Eight twenty-five," he repeated.
"What's the secondary exam?"
"University of Tokyo's individual assessment. I got accepted this year into Humanities Track 3."
Rina froze. The stoic producer outside widened their eyes.
"Eh?! You got into Todai?! Are you serious?!"
She shouted in disbelief—exactly the reaction you'd expect from a high schooler crushed by exam stress.
"Seriously?!"
"Just Humanities Track 3. Not like I got into the science track," Yin Ze replied casually. To him, it wasn't a big deal—it was brute force memorization that got him through. The 400+ other people who passed with him deserved way more respect. The science-track folks? Different league altogether.
But to others, his nonchalant tone carried a kind of aloof genius vibe.
"Wait... really?" Rina leaned closer.
"Really."
"Wow! That's amazing! Congrats, congrats! Your friends and family must be so proud!" Rina clapped sincerely this time—so hard her palms turned red. Even the staff outside joined in.
"Thank you." Yin Ze bowed slightly. "By the way, Rina-san—you're the second coworker to congratulate me."
"Oh? Who was the first?"
"One of my peers at IM Agency. His name's Yoshitsugu Matsuoka. Really talented actor. Friendly, hardworking guy." Yin Ze rattled off the details.
"He sounds like a good friend! Maybe I'll run into him at the studio sometime," Rina replied, quickly composing herself again. "Right—onto the next question! If you got transported to a fantasy world, what would you wish for?"
"Obviously... to go home."
"Yeah, same here. I mean, those places are probably dangerous and full of language barriers. Someone like me wouldn't survive. Though maybe a god would grant me some amazing weapon or a superpower or something..."
"...Can't argue with that."