Chapter 22: A Tactical Escapism

"Their eyes trailed along the fonts and soaked up its content meticulously. Honestly, Mura did not even require the brochure to convince them because they were already entangled to voice acting, and acknowledging a club harmonizing with their interest was always blissful." - Narrator.

The boys were sitting in a circle, confronting each other in order to figure out the next method Aki and Tori should be doing. After a few hours of interrogation and discussion, Mura, the voice actor on hiatus, agreed to teach them more about voice acting, almost illegally but voluntarily. They had to deal with Mura’s schedule arranged by Fuyu-san because he was still in monitor of his agency. His contract was still going on, reassuring his position as one of the required voice actors in anime and video games.

Staggeringly, the three of them were in truth students of Bushida Academy. Aki and Tori could not help but to squint at Mura, imploring for further explanation regarding his denial. Mura refused to concur to Aki and Tori at first, but reconsidering them as his housemates, he thought it would not hurt to tell them.

“The media and reporters are waiting for opportunity to get me in their grasp,” Mura started his story with dramatic confession, “Since the day I released an official announcement about my indefinite hiatus, they keep on following me around, seeking more information for their articles and publishing materials. I know I’m a public figure; I’m fully aware of that fact. But that doesn’t mean they could intrude my property just to dive into my life.”

Aki and Tori lowered their eyes, evading from meeting gazes with Mura. Mura paused to take a glimpse of their expression and secretly grinned to himself.

“The day before my departure to Niigata was the day they gathered in front of my house until they blocked the road, which basically harassed me as one of the residents here. I disliked the impoliteness they acted upon my coziness, so I threw tantrum by running away. Uh, it wasn’t absconding. I’ve already intended to go there.”

“Actually, Mura-san,” Tori intertwined his fingers in cogitation, “How did my mother contact you in the first place?”

Mura crossed his arms to his chest, displaying the solemnity he was about to disclose to those two. “Madam Yukiko, as you’ve already heard of, is one of the largest funder in our agency. She has just enlisted in the company around two years ago, and I must say that I doubted her real motive in participating.”

The period was still new, and Tori was shocked even more to be divulged about Yukiko’s allying with Mura’s agency. Their family ran a construction factories, which disorientated both Aki and Tori over the matter. Why did Yukiko deliver a fund to Mura’s agency? Was she practicing bribery?”

“Please, don’t misunderstand Madam Yukiko,” As if he could read through their mind, Mura calmly notified, “I heard the director of our company wants to construct a new building somewhere in Shinjuku, merely a second outlet of the company. You do know that Madam Yukiko’s company has enlarged until Tokyo, right? At the same time, she heard about me.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t know any of these,” Tori slumped into guilt. “I may be too busy with studies and school that I overlooked this.”

Aki squeezed Tori’s hand, lending him some courage so that he would not feel disappointed.

“Back to reality,” Mura cleared his throat and proceeded, “In order to avoid more nuisance by the reporters, I have proposed the company to appoint a few housemates. By then, I could use them as baits. I wanted them to pretend as me whenever I go somewhere, so that the reporters will take the bait instead of me.”

The revelation was somehow hard to believe, yet it was Mura-san who made the exposure. Thus, Aki and Tori had no other reason to disbelieve him. Furthermore, they were going to live together with that voice actor for three years and attend the same high school with him. Everything Mura did was just to run away from the mass media, indirectly rescuing himself from his own insecurity and self-harm.

It must be arduous to be a public figure like Mura-san and Fuku-san. As celebrities, it would be normal for commoners like Aki and Tori to have the urge of adoring and comprehending them as idols. Every single deeds were noticeable and observable, which kicked off the (undeniably) troublesome deliberation paid by everyone. Having fans was practically irresistible, but it would not be that gripping once one realized he or she had to consider variety of aspects whatever they wished to execute.

“Then, Mura-san. How much will you cost us? I mean, for the rent,” Aki hesitantly butted in, maybe he was afraid of getting yelled at.

Mura puckered his lips, acting all innocent and winsome. He unexpectedly implied his girl voice. “I don’t know. I’m not good at this thing. Just take it as my gift for you guys, as long as you agree to collaborate with me.”

“Do you ever need to entice us by applying Yumi’s voice?” Tori groaned in displeasure. Aki at his side gaped in amazement over Mura’s ability to switch his gender reference instantly. “Don’t get too hyped up, Aki!” Tori gave Aki a light hit on the forearm.

“But it couldn’t be helped! I was already charmed by Mura-san’s childish voice, and he adds more reason to be uniquely magnificent by acting for two gender!”

A laughter erupted from Mura as he was entertained by Aki’s frankness. As someone he has just met for the first time, he never hoped to be that friendly towards Aki and Tori, however this Aki boy did not seem like a bad person. Despite introducing themselves as fans of voice actors, Mura never thought they would supply themselves with lessons for voice acting. They were extremely inspired to be a part of the seiyuu family, which flickered the spirit in Mura.

“I like you guys!” Mura exclaimed, clapping his hands and welcoming them in his house thus his life. “I’m glad that I agreed to take you in. Tomorrow will be our orientation day, right? Have you planned on participating in which club for extracurricular?”

The topic has unpredictably overturned from the life of Mura to high school stuffs. Aki and Tori shook their heads in unison.

“Then, let’s join The Seiyuu Club!”

“The Seiyuu Club?”

As if they were kids who were offered lollipops, their glittering eyes shone and blinded the dulled Mura. Mura groaned witnessing such expression by Aki and Tori, yet he still was grateful for getting to know these boys instead of other random people out there. Ishi really did not lie back then.

“It’s just a simple club, but the members there are so keen of voice actors like you guys,” Mura handed them a brochure, stating about new recruitment for the club, “Since there’s no limit for a person to join many clubs at once, I would like to suggest you this along with a sport club.”

Aki and Tori shared the brochure. Their eyes trailed along the fonts and soaked up its content meticulously. Honestly, Mura did not even require the brochure to convince them because they were already entangled to voice acting, and acknowledging a club harmonizing with their interest was always blissful. The inexistence of such club in Izumi Junior High School lightened their wish to join an almost similar club during high school, but they did not expect it to be directly related to voice acting.

“I made a mini tour last week, when I was thinking of taking you guys into my house. I was looking for the best school to go to, where I don’t have to get worried of attention by reporters,” Mura grinned ear to ear, “I would like to know how this club is handled. Will it be just about voice actors? Or, will they focus on the back stages of anime, routine of a voice actor, exercises, etc.?”

“So you do want to live as a normal student, Mura-san,” Tori commented and flipped his fringe to his ears, “If you were to avoid the media, what’s your plan for our first day of orientation?”

Early in the morning, they would be prepared the same outfit as Mura including the bags, jackets, shoes, and caps, by Fuyu-san. In 15 minutes interval, each of them would leave the house in three different methods of transportation. Since Mura was a famous person, he would go by car driven by Fuyu-san, while the other two would call a taxi and ride a bicycle respectively. It was not a discrimination – Fuyu-san was a manager employed by Mura’s agency, therefore he would have to perform his job with Mura. Aki and Tori would discuss among them to choose either one of the methods.

They would wear caps and large spectacles once they stepped out of the house to cover their faces though partially, but only Mura remained in spectacles at school. Aki and Tori had to put off all those set-ups before they arrived at Bushida Academy. This was as to let only Mura possessing the identity as a first-year nerd, other than to mask his real face.

A promise was made. They should spend time together during breaks, and they would wait for each other before going home. They would have to put on the set-ups, only to pretend to be Mura and arrive at his resident safely. At this point, the morning time interval was inapplicable, as long as they would not enter the compound simultaneously.

“Phew! What a scheme!” Aki wiped his trickled sweat beads on his forehead. It was their first day of orientation as pupils of Bushida Academy, and the overflowing students at their age somehow caused them uncertainty. They ought to be extra circumspect so that they would not leak the identity of Mura to anyone. “It’s noon, and we’ve done our introductory session. I was still dismayed at the syllabus, but I’m still inspirited to learn about the clubs.”

Mura gave Aki a shoulder pat. “Remember to join two clubs this time, all right? The Seiyuu Club and one sport club.”

Tori scratched the back of his head in bafflement. “I got it that you encourage us to join The Seiyuu Club, but I don’t get it when you reminded us to join a sport club as well.”

“It’s a part of your daily schedule!” Mura clung his arms around their shoulders, head locking them. “You want to learn how to be a voice actor, right?”

“It’s too different from our routine during middle school,” Aki said, his mind busily recalling those mentioned days during his period in Izumi Junior High School. The place where he and Tori resolved to join a media club yet at the same time, he agreed to be Kishi and Ito’s apprentice.

The same divulgence was made by Tori’s mother, Yukiko, to Mura. Therefore, Mura has discovered what these two have undergone in order to hone their pursuit and Aki’s talent. “All those were indirect practice, I must say. Nevertheless, I’m not highlighting my technique is the best.”

Instead of debating about the matter in the classroom, they opted to discuss somewhere away from the students. Hence, the staircase was preferable.

“Did my mother tell you about our middle school too, Mura-san?” Tori equivocally asked.

A confident nod by Mura irked Tori as the son of Madam Yukiko. “Oh, Mother. You pampered me so much.”

“Relax. It wasn’t bad. Matter-of-factly, I was the one asking about it,” Mura coaxed Tori to not get offended by his mother’s endeavor in order to certify her son obtaining the best. “I must know what you guys have done before meeting me and learning on voice acting fervently. Since none of you entered an acting class or such, plus you even joined a media club just because you wanted to use the noiseless microphone, it somehow eases me.”

Aki and Tori watched Mura taking out a piece of paper from his pocket. It contained writings, entirely, which confused them on where to start. Mura took the lead in their meeting right before they dispersed to their chosen clubs.

“These are the sport clubs I happened to find out last time,” Mura kicked off, “Bushida Academy has soccer, baseball, basketball, tennis, volleyball, archery, and table tennis clubs. Despite the numerous number of new students this semester, I bet this school isn’t emphasizing much on sports, hence the choices are limited. Still, each of these clubs has their own captains and seniors, so it helps in building your communication skills as well.”

Tori crossed his arms in thorough analyses. “You are aware that we didn’t join a sport club beforehand, right? Then, why are you asking us this now?”

“Because it’s good to build up your stamina alongside your voice acting skills.”

An unfamiliar voice butted in their discourse out of nowhere. The loudening footsteps remarked his coming, which perturbed Aki and Tori as ones who befriended Mura-san. They subconsciously blocked Mura behind them, yet Mura gently pushed them aside to greet the newcomer in their group.

“Aki, Tori. Let me introduce you to my information source. My strategist,” Mura gestured his hand to the tall boy. Though his voice was unfamiliar, Aki and Tori could see a resemblance of someone they knew long ago. “His name is Ishi.”