"Life's but fifty years, a fleeting dream…"
Shimazaki slumped, eyes vacant, his fractured spirit visible through lifeless gazes. His earbuds looped a somber tune.
He mumbled along.
"I dare not hone myself too hard, lest I find I'm no gem…"
Matsuoka, initially forcing cheer, caught the mood, his face settling into despair.
Only Takizawa stayed unfazed, flipping meat on the sizzling grill.
"Yet a spark of hope remains, unwilling to walk with rubble…"
Shimazaki shook his head, snatching a perfectly grilled, marbled slice, dipping it in sauce, and eating before resuming his dirge of futility.
"…Can you not just eat? Help out, your majesty?" Takizawa groaned, losing his sixth piece to the thief.
"Sigh, grill away. Matsuoka, crack an egg," Shimazaki said, eyes drooping.
Matsuoka nodded numbly, tapping an egg on the table. It shattered before hitting the pan, yolk splattering. Without a word, he wiped his hands and cleaned the mess.
Shimazaki gave a world-weary smirk, raising his orange juice like a bandit chugging whiskey, only to choke, coughing wildly, dignity in tatters.
Matsuoka kindly passed him tissues.
"Can't even crack an egg or drink right—basic instincts—what's the point of living?"
Both bowed their heads, radiating shame, as if failing the earth itself.
"…All this over some gamer backlash?" Takizawa said, clinking ice in his beer.
"Why'd it come to this?" Shimazaki's eyes held winter's loneliness.
"We're just collateral damage. Sleep it off, and they'll move on. The company's the real target—practically exiled to Siberia," Takizawa said, downing his beer. "Man, Japan's trends and hot topics are all outrage. Fans have had it with the big corps, and now they're rising up across the regions."
"Maybe it's fate," Shimazaki sighed. "My parents named me Nobunaga, but I knew I couldn't tame the demon king's aura. Now it's biting back. Lone star, doomed to play extras forever."
"Will our group get cut?" Matsuoka asked hesitantly. "It's a mess."
"Depends if Idol King 2 gets scrapped," Takizawa said. "But honestly, it's not our problem. It's a failed experiment—they'll dodge the same pitfalls next time."
"So the promised events, radio, performances—all canceled?"
"Wouldn't be shocked if they cut our story roles too. Damage control," Takizawa said.
"That's that, then. Nothing we can do."
"Weren't you stressed about showing off skills?" Takizawa added.
"True, I'm no good on stage, but I figured with us three, we'd manage. Now there's no chance," Matsuoka said sheepishly. "My character's a dance prodigy, does backflips. I was hung up on it, watching tutorials. Guess I can skip that now."
"You're the immersion type," Shimazaki noted. "Works, but it's exhausting and limited. You can't embody criminals or, say, a woman giving birth."
"Me, voice a girl?" Matsuoka shrugged.
"What about you, Takizawa? What's your style?" Shimazaki asked, curious.
"Whatever works—I'll do anything to nail it."
"That's a recipe for detours and faceplants," Shimazaki said, turning scholar. "Use your voice right to protect it, extend your career. Expand your range, broaden your gigs, pass auditions, become a mainstay. Rely on instinct, and directors will spot flaws. Going all-out in auditions but fumbling recordings makes you a liability…"
"They'll remember you," Takizawa cut in.
"For infamy!" Shimazaki snapped.
"Structured, clear, deep theory, Shimazaki—you must have tons of lead roles, right?" Takizawa asked, genuinely impressed.
Shimazaki flushed, stammering about "youthful potential," "newbie slumps," And "teachers seeing star quality." The table buzzed with lighthearted vibes.
"Takizawa's our batch's top dog. He knows this stuff," Matsuoka grinned. "He's on a roll—big or small roles, his audition pass rate's insane."
"No way," Shimazaki said, skeptical, not from the same training school.
"He's been everywhere these past seasons. Check his wiki page, compare his credits to our peers," Matsuoka said.
"Wait, he's got a wiki?!" Shimazaki gaped.
"What, I've got a wiki?!" Takizawa echoed, stunned.
"You didn't know?" Matsuoka blinked.
"Nope!" Takizawa shook his head, beer in hand.
Shimazaki, quick to act, searched on his phone.
There it was—a profile page.
Sparse, given his debut was barely a year ago.
His works were neatly timeline, from named roles to bit parts like Extra A, Passerby B, or Random C, all meticulously logged.
The bio was concise:
[Takizawa Satoru, male, born June 1, 1990, 172cm, affiliated with I'm Enterprise.
Special skill: drinking soda without burping (from training interview).
Hobbies: illustration, photography (per social media).
Likes: katsu curry (from university entrance TV spot).
Possibly experienced a profound teenage romance and life setback (from Dark Fantasy radio guest spot).
Debuted 2009 as Alfredo in Dark Rebirth Saga, same year as lead Gin in Into the Forest of Fireflies Light film.
Voice clear, vibrant, highly recognizable. Humble, kind, generous—a rising industry star.]
…"Possibly"? This is a wiki! No vague terms! And those weird sources!
There was even an achievements section.
For a short career, what accolades could there be?
Shimazaki looked closer.
[University of Tokyo Hottest Face Contest, 18th Edition, Round 4 Elimination, Top 12 to 6 (live updates).]
"…"
"Told you, detailed," Matsuoka said.
"Why'd you find his wiki before him?!" Shimazaki shot a suspicious, probing look.
"I searched Takizawa's name on a whim," Matsuoka said.
"That's weirder… you google friends in your free time?"
"Yeah, why?" Matsuoka paused, then brushed it off. "It's cool seeing someone you know get a public figure's spot online."
"It's editable, right? Perfect, I'll add: 'Seems like a nice guy, but picks bold, avant-garde underwear, loves open-crotch styles,'" Shimazaki said, rolling up his sleeves.
"That'd get flagged as slander," Matsuoka scratched his head.
"How's it slander? Could be true."
"Takizawa's a boxer-briefs guy."
"…How do you know?"
"He crashed at my place for a bit."
"Brotherly bond, huh? Throwing ultimate bachelor parties without me? What happened to our Tokyo Trio?" Shimazaki looked wounded.
"Next time, for sure."
"But this guy's a '90 baby—why's he feel so seasoned?" Shimazaki mused. "Bet he fudged his age to seem like a fresh-faced kid for extra love."
"I'm a legit twenty-year-old model citizen," Takizawa said, still scrolling, baffled. "Who even made this?"
"So many scraped photos and video stills—it's probably…" Matsuoka trailed off.
"Female fans?!?!" Shimazaki clutched his chest, eyes wide with shock.
***
Hi everyone, I hope you're all doing well. I just wanted to let you know that right now I'm working on a really good and promising fate fanfic. If you're interested in reading it, feel free to give it a try:
[Fate/Max Level Returner]
Synopsis:
What if you took your max-level account and replayed the entire story from the beginning?
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