Outside the glass door, a staff member silently flashed an OK sign.
Everything was set, everyone in place.
A fiery tune burst through Takizawa's earphones, followed by the unmistakable climax of the Dark Rebirth Fantasy anime OP. Hidaka Rina raised her script, kicking off with a crisp, lively tone.
"Good evening, listeners across the country! Welcome to Dark Dream Talk, the radio show for the wildly popular anime Dark Rebirth Fantasy! This is our monumental first episode—cause for celebration!"
She clapped enthusiastically.
"I'm Hidaka Rina, voice of Princess Penelope. I'll be your host for this show and, of course, the anime—please support both! The first episode aired to rave reviews, buzzing everywhere. Fans can find more info on the official website, and if you want to connect with us, just send your messages there. We're excited for your letters!"
"Also, the tabletop game Dark Forgotten Gate, third edition, is available at major toy stores. Starting next episode, we'll draw lucky listeners for special prize packs, so send in those letters!"
Hidaka paused briefly.
"Now, I'll guide you through a fun twenty minutes."
"Your Highness, I'll follow you forever," A rich, dramatic voice intoned.
"Did I hear something grand? Must be my imagination," Hidaka muttered.
"Your knight stands before you!" A bold shout rang out.
"Such unyielding devotion, unshaken by storms or mountains—could it be you?!" Hidaka exclaimed, feigning shock.
"Indeed! Sworn Knight, Sword King of Night, Alfredo, reporting swiftly!" Takizawa's voice soared, sharp as a drawn blade.
"That's right! Let's welcome our first guest!" Hidaka clapped again, rallying the mood.
"Hey, everyone. I'm Takizawa Satoru, voice of Alfredo. It's my first radio gig, so please forgive any blunders," Takizawa said, joining the applause, slipping back to his natural, polite tone.
"I'm new to this too, and as the regular host, I've been a bit nervous since we started," Hidaka said with a smile.
"No worries. You're super reliable, Hidaka-san. Young but mature—you've got this radio thing in the bag," Takizawa encouraged.
"Thanks, Takizawa-san. That gives me a little confidence."
They exchanged a glance, confirming the rhythm.
Nice, this back-and-forth is smooth. No disasters yet.
"So, Dark Rebirth Fantasy is your debut, right?" Hidaka asked.
"Yup. First audition, first role, and now my first radio show. Pretty fateful and memorable," Takizawa answered honestly.
"But you're not that old, are you?"
"Nah, I'm twenty, a college freshman, just past orientation."
"Calling you 'Takizawa-san' feels a bit formal," Hidaka hesitated.
"Just 'Takizawa-kun' works," He said easily. "You're in high school, right? We're both students, so no need for stiff social rules."
"A college student using honorifics for me feels weird."
"Well, you're a big-time veteran in the industry, so it's only right."
"Hmm, let's get to it then. First up, the listener Q&A segment. Since it's our debut, no letters yet, so the staff prepared some questions," Hidaka said, ceremoniously opening an envelope and pulling out a sheet.
"First question: any recent life troubles?"
"Not about the show? That's unexpected," Takizawa said, surprised.
"Don't you have any special insights on Dark Rebirth Fantasy?" Hidaka teased, rolling with it.
"Nope!" He declared, firm and final.
"…" Hidaka paused for two seconds before recovering. "Troubles, then?"
"Not really. Little annoyances happen daily—like packed trains full of guys—but real troubles? Maybe not enough savings, so I'm always a bit on edge," Takizawa said, thinking.
"Worried about money already? Isn't that early?" Hidaka asked, surprised, noticing his slightly faded clothes.
"Average, I guess. What about you?" He countered.
"Hmm, not enough time. So much to do," She said.
"Right, balancing school and work. High school's a big deal. Listeners can't see, but Hidaka-san's in her school uniform today—must be swamped."
"You didn't need to mention that," She said.
"They'll see it anyway in the post-show photo," He shrugged.
"Photo? Nobody told me!" Hidaka gasped.
The producer outside the glass grinned.
"By the way, how are your grades, Hidaka-san?" Takizawa asked, keeping the vibe light.
"Decent, I guess," She said briefly.
"'Decent' or 'okay' usually means…" He trailed off, smirking mischievously.
"What about you, Takizawa-kun?" She fired back. "What's your deviation score? You took the entrance exams in January, right?"
"Me? I took them, but I never calculated my deviation score," He said, scratching his head.
"See?" Hidaka hummed triumphantly. "If it was good, you'd brag. Bad grades, you don't check rankings."
"I really didn't calculate it…"
"Come on, you're an adult—don't dodge. Tell us your exam scores. We'll crunch the numbers live," She said with a sweet smile, though a hint of mischief flickered.
"National exam: 825. Secondary test: 351. Total adjusted: 451," Takizawa recalled casually.
"?"
The lively broadcast hit a brief lag.
Hidaka froze, blinking.
"Huh? How much?"
"825," He repeated.
"And the secondary test?" She asked instinctively.
"University of Tokyo 's entrance exam," He clarified. "I passed for Arts III this year."
She clutching her script, went silent. Even the cool-headed producer widened his eyes.
"No way!" The high schooler, tormented daily by studies, shrieked. "You got into Tokyo U?! For real?"
"Arts III, not Sciences III," Takizawa said, shrugging. He didn't think it was brag-worthy—Life Corridor's brute-force memorization did the heavy lifting.
The 400-plus Arts III peers deserved respect, and Sciences III even more.
He couldn't beat them even with open-book help.
But his calm words sounded like the lonely sigh of a master to others.
"Really, Takizawa-kun?" Hidaka leaned forward, double-checking.
"Yup."
"Wow, that's amazing! Congrats! Your family and friends must be thrilled!" She clapped again, hands red, joined by the staff outside.
"Thanks," Takizawa returned the gesture, then added, "You're the second colleague to congratulate me, actually."
"Oh? Who was first?"
"A rookie from I'm Enterprise, Matsuoka. Great actor, warm guy, super hardworking," Takizawa said quickly.
"Sounds like a good friend. You might cross paths on set someday," Hidaka said, steadying herself. "We gotta move to the next question. If you were isekai'd to another world, what would you wish for?"
"To go home," Takizawa said.
"Same, probably. Isekai worlds can be dangerous, with language barriers. I'd never survive," She said. "But maybe a god would grant me a cool weapon or superpower."
"Can't argue with that."
***
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