"And now, our final question," Rina Hidaka said cheerfully. "As performers, how do the two of you interpret the relationship between the knight and the princess in the story?"
"Between Elredo and Panys? Well, it's obviously a master-servant dynamic to start with," Yin Ze replied with his arms crossed.
"Right? Elredo was such a dedicated knight! The moment he realized he couldn't win, he didn't hesitate at all and used that brutal, self-sacrificing move," Rina added, with a tone of regret.
Even though it didn't really hurt the enemies much, Yin Ze added mentally.
"But it's not just about loyalty, is it? I think there's a deep admiration and affection Elredo has for the princess too," Rina continued thoughtfully. "Because of the unbridgeable class divide, he can only watch over her from afar... it's kind of a sad romance."
"Unrequited love like that only leads to heartbreak," Yin Ze sighed.
"Whoa there, Takizawa-kun. That look just now—like a veteran who's been through the wringer—was that personal experience talking?" the high school girl teased.
"Just a passing thought," Yin Ze said, shrugging. "It's a shame, though. Elredo's final words were all responsibility and reassurance. I kind of wish he'd actually confessed how he felt. He was willing to give up his life for her—if all she ever saw was loyalty, not love, wouldn't that be a little tragic?"
It was, after all, his first character. He had to say something in the guy's defense.
"True. Meetings and farewells can come in the blink of an eye. It's all too easy to end up with regrets," Rina agreed with a nod.
"That wraps up the Q\&A section! If anyone has more questions or curiosities, feel free to write in next time!"
The interlude music started playing in their headsets, light and cheerful. They both took a sip of water to clear their throats.
"Thump-thump! Next up, it's the *Midnight Voice Actor Skit Theater*! Here, I, the host, and today's guest will perform an impromptu short play, each playing a randomly selected character!" Rina flipped the page in her script.
"Random characters? So not necessarily our original roles?" Yin Ze asked, intrigued.
"Exactly! We'll draw names from this box—each one has a brief character description—and we'll have to improvise from there." Rina explained, scanning her script.
"So... we're making up the lines ourselves?" Yin Ze scratched his head nervously. This had disaster written all over it.
"Yep! Would've been nice if someone had prepared a script," Rina puffed her cheeks and mock-complained to the staff.
"I mean, it's the first episode, right? If we mess it up, it might leave a bad impression. Aren't more seasoned, professional guests coming in for future episodes?"
Yin Ze straightened up and made a rational proposal.
"In that case, maybe I should forfeit this performance and leave the fun and joy to the next guest instead."
"So... what are you saying?" Rina asked suspiciously.
"Let's skip this segment!" Yin Ze puffed out his chest, doing his best impression of Elredo. "Hidaka-san, forget me. Like Panys, march forward with the *real* protagonist!"
From outside, the producer silently raised a whiteboard scrawled with *PAY WILL BE DEDUCTED* in bold black marker.
"I retract my statement. Hidaka-san, please don't leave me behind! Let me stand beside you and take on this challenge together!" Yin Ze quickly bowed his head.
"A knight must never retreat from battle," Rina said with a grin, enjoying the up-close transformation. She was just as nervous, but she gave him a boost of encouragement anyway.
They each reached into the black box and drew a slip of paper.
"A sporty, good-natured, all-rounder senior from the soccer club?" Rina blinked.
"A clumsy-but-adorable second-year literature girl whose special skill is baking cookies?!" Yin Ze looked horrified.
"Wait, aren't these not even characters from the actual show?" Rina shot a questioning look toward the staff.
The smile she received in return was all the confirmation she needed.
They exchanged a helpless glance.
"So we're really going with these? But I drew a girl... Hidaka-san, wanna trade?" Yin Ze tried to negotiate.
"That's against the rules," Rina deflected, averting her gaze.
"What?"
"More importantly, we should be figuring out how to act this out."
"Wait wait wait—this character is way more your style!"
"I don't even like reading."
"But you *can* bake cookies! You gave me some the first time we met. As for me—sure, I don't play soccer, but I'm definitely simple-minded, and you *could* say I have a pretty face. We definitely swapped characters."
"That's true. We met in the break room, I gave you cookies, and you gave me a hot coffee in return, right?"
"Uh-huh."
"Still, that has nothing to do with the current job," Rina tilted her head.
"...?"
"We're voice actors. No matter the role, we don't back down. You think so too, right?" Rina raised her fist.
"But this... clumsy little bookish girl..." Yin Ze grimaced like a man handed a poison chalice.
The producer raised another sign: *WE'RE OUT OF TIME. GET STARTED.*
Before he could process what was happening, a classic chime echoed through his headset.
"That was a great practice session just now, wasn't it?"
Soft, slice-of-life music faded in.
Rina snapped into character instantly. She lowered her voice into a slightly sweet, clingy tone.
"There's only a few days left before the tournament. Gotta push through. Oh? Hey there, junior. Watching us train again today?"
The 'junior' opposite her sat silently, head lowered.
"You're unusually quiet today. Everything okay?"
Still nothing.
"Are you feeling unwell?"
"Sen..."
After a long silence, the boy finally managed a syllable.
"Hmm?" Rina leaned forward to hear better.
Yin Ze opened his eyes, resolute. He inhaled sharply, drawing from his deep childhood trauma of being made to play "Mom" in pretend games, and summoned every ounce of his technique.
His voice, soft and trembling, emerged like a flower in spring:
"Senpai, you're... as handsome as ever today."
It was delicate. It was emotive.
But gender still existed. Even with his fingers absentmindedly twisting like a bashful girl, there were limits.
In listeners' minds, a vivid image bloomed: a petite girl standing by the school's library path, cradling books in oversized sleeves, sunlight catching her cheeks, eyes peeking out from behind a shyly held novel.
That is, until she opened her mouth.
If you were from the Flower Kingdom, your mind might immediately leap from lazy schoolyards to crimson palace walls and golden thrones. That sweet junior would transform into a sharp-tongued, ruthlessly elegant secret agent of the court.
Rina, still playing the soccer ace, was stunned. She clamped her hands over her mouth. Years of child acting had trained her face, but even she was struggling.
Outside, the production staff had completely lost it.
Yin Ze, having crossed the threshold, decided to just roll with it.
He added a sniffly whimper to his voice, forced his throat high, and pouted.
"Senpai, why are you laughing...? I... I even put on makeup for you today..."
"R-right, you're definitely cuter than usual, Taki-chan..." Rina replied, fingers poking her own cheek in disbelief.
"Really? You mean it? I'm really cute today?"
"Yeah!"
"Then... don't look away. Keep your eyes on me, okay? I want to see myself reflected in your gaze..."
"Pfft—"
"Say, senpai... have you decided which university you're applying to yet?"
"Huh? Not really."
"Is that so? Then promise me—when you do decide, you'll tell me right away."
"Why's that?"
"Because I... want to go to the same city as you."
"But you're only in middle school, Taki-chan. Isn't college a bit far off?"
"Age doesn't matter!"
"What?"
"Who you like, who you want to be with—that has nothing to do with age. It really doesn't. Hidaka-senpai, the thing I want most... is to see you smiling."
"I... suddenly remember. I'm applying to Tokyo University."
"I see. Todai, huh? Got it. Before then, I have one more thing. No—one selfish request."
"What is it?"
"It's a once-in-a-lifetime request. Senpai... will you go out with me?"
"Yeah, sure—*pfft! Ahahahaha!*"
Rina finally broke. Her whole body shook with laughter.
*Ding-ding-ding*, the chime signaled the end of the skit.
"Alright! That's the end of the skit corner!" Yin Ze's voice snapped back to normal, full of energy but utterly deadpan.