Anime rating game

Akiyama Mio, clutching her skirt tightly, couldn't help but cry out, while looking at the five bodyguards in front of and behind her in a panic.

"If it's really safe, why bring so many people?"

"The president is being too cautious. This is the first time I've ever seen someone come here with bodyguards." Saito sighed helplessly. "Oh dear... Mrs. Hudson will definitely laugh at us today."

"I believe that security should always be the top priority," Masamune said without hesitation.

Just like when Musashino Animation Studios moved, Masamune immediately recruited retired soldiers to establish a security department with more than a dozen security guards.

Although many employees thought this was making a mountain out of a molehill and would be very inconvenient to get in and out of.

However, from Masamune's perspective, this action was necessary and could reduce a lot of trouble.

Many of the world's most famous animation studios are located in Tokyo, and there isn't a single animation studio called Kyoto Animation in Kyoto.

However, if Musashino continues to produce excellent anime and maintains a pace of two seasons per year, it's hard to say that it won't take over Kyoto Animation's misfortune.

"Haven't you been here before, President Hayase?" Ritsu Tainaka asked in surprise. "If that's the case, then why did you choose this place?"

"In order to toughen up Akiyama Mio, I think... if a person wants to move forward, he has to do things he wouldn't normally do and go to places he wouldn't normally go."

"Then why bring so many people?"

"We're all too good-looking, so we get stared at wherever we go. Better safe than sorry."

Ritsu Tainaka was speechless. If Masamune had been referring to "you," she would have certainly offered a few words of modesty. However, he was referring to "us."

Moreover, in terms of one's own appearance, this "we" may not even include oneself.

No, it should be said that there is an extremely high probability that I am not myself.

To avoid hearing an annoying answer, Ritsu Tainaka changed the subject and said:

"Could you please stop calling us by our full names? It sounds so awkward. Can't you just choose between our surnames or our given names?"

“Alright, I’ll call you Ritsu and Mio, and you can call me Masamune.”

"You really don't stand on ceremony at all, Masamune-kun."

After walking through the winding alleys along the roadside, the road became narrower and narrower as they descended, and soon they arrived at the door of a shop called Pipe Cat.

Saito stopped two subordinates who were about to knock on the door, sighed silently, and slowly stepped forward, pushing the door open and entering.

Seriously, what sins did I commit to end up like this, bringing my boss and a whole bunch of young girls to Kabukicho?

Moreover, none of these four subordinates had ever been to Kabukicho before, and they were extremely vigilant the whole way, as if they regarded this place as a den of dragons and tigers.

"Mrs. Hudson, I'm here again. It's been a long time."

"Isn't this MaDao? It's been a while! Have you finally found a job?"

"Haha... The boss has a keen eye and recognized my talent at a glance. Now, I'm the deputy head of the security department at a large animation company."

"Congratulations! The animation industry has been booming for the past six months, and its prospects are excellent."

"Oh, no, no, let me introduce you. This is our company's president, Masamune Hayase..."

The person introduced by Saito was a middle-aged man wearing high heels, black pantyhose, a black tight-fitting skirt, pink wavy hair, and a curvy figure.

The voice actress has a sweet voice and exudes the aura of a mature woman.

Although she was called Mrs. Hudson, she was a man with an unshaven beard, which made Akiyama Mio and the others feel uncomfortable.

Out of politeness, they were too embarrassed to ask the reason for their attire in person.

"Welcome! I see that you all seem to be of a relatively young age. Would you like some wine or milk?"

"Could you please give us a drink each? Coke, Sprite, or orange juice are all fine."

After Masamune finished speaking, he subconsciously glanced at Saito.

When he met this deputy minister at the company before, he felt that he was very familiar with him, but he couldn't remember where he had seen him before.

Looking back now, the aura of a useless person emanating from him, along with the nickname MaDao, is exactly the same as Hasegawa from Gintama.

Of course, this world has the manga Gintama, which has already ended.

Therefore, this Saito is probably just a similar person with some similarities in personality, experience, and appearance.

On the sofa in the store, Saito stared intently at the milk in front of him and couldn't help but burst into laughter.

When I couldn't find a job before, I shamelessly came here to freeload and drank a few cheap drinks, but this is the first time I've had milk.

Even so, it's work after all, so it's not appropriate to drink alone.

After filling everyone's drinks and milk, Mrs. Hudson asked curiously:

"I wonder what brings the president here today? Is he looking for someone or trying something new?"

"No, we're here to help Mio build up her courage and thicken her skin."

Following Masamune's gaze, Mrs. Hudson quickly noticed Akiyama Mio, who was staring at the table with an embarrassed expression.

"Isn't that Mio Akiyama from K-On!? My son really loves your anime; I even queued up this morning to buy your album. The blue and white bowl scene in episode six was so much fun! Good job!"

"No……"

Akiyama Mio blushed instantly, covered her face, buried her head under the table, and dared not look up at all.

Seeing this, Masamune smiled and shook his head:

"That's right. As one of the band's lead singers, she's going to perform at the Budokan next month, but she's very shy and blushes easily, even over the smallest things."

"So, we brought her here to toughen her up and build her courage."

Mrs. Hudson nodded repeatedly to show that she understood.

"Then you've come to the right place. Any introverted person who stays with us for a while will have their personality changed."

"By the way, some things are hard to convey just by saying them, so why don't you listen to my song?"

Chapter Sixty-Seven: Taking a Small Step Forward

The next moment, a beautiful and captivating song rang out in the store.

From the outside, he is clearly a perverted middle-aged man dressed in women's clothes, but if you ignore his appearance and figure, he gives off the charm of a mature woman.

"Amazing……"

Akiyama Mio snapped out of her daze and stared blankly at Mrs. Hudson, who was swaying back and forth behind the microphone in the distance.

In terms of popularity, appearance, figure, and singing voice, she is undoubtedly better than the other person, but for some reason, she feels that she is completely inferior to the other person.

It's not a direct, obvious difference, but a difference in other aspects.

Although I don't quite understand it, I feel that words like "infectious" or "open-minded" don't quite capture it.

"Ms. Mio, how was my performance?"

As the music ended, amidst thunderous applause, Mrs. Hudson walked over, sat down opposite Akiyama Mio, and asked with a smile.

"It's amazing! I don't understand what's so amazing about it, but it has an indescribable charm."

"Thank you so much, Ms. Mio. I can brag about this to my son for ages when I get home. Please be sure to give me an autograph when you leave."

"no problem."

After hesitating for a few seconds, Akiyama Mio asked tentatively:

"Excuse me, how can I sing as well as you?"

"In terms of singing skills, I am still far behind a genius like Ms. Mio. I think the reason why you feel this way is mainly due to the difference in self-confidence."

"Confidence?"

Akiyama Mio was speechless; this was indeed what she lacked most.

Rather, it's more accurate to say that even in another ten years or so, it's unlikely to happen.

"That's right! It's confidence. Only when you have strong confidence and are unwavering in your commitment can you move others."

"That's right."

This is a truth that everyone knows, but knowing and doing are two completely different things.

Just like Wei, whose singing skills are actually not as good as mine, but when she sings with full confidence, it is also very touching.

"Miss Mio, would you like to sing a song?"

Noticing the microphone Mrs. Hudson handed her, Akiyama Mio shook her head repeatedly.

"Our band's lead singer is Wei, always has been."

"I can sing anytime," Hirasawa Yui said with a grin. "However, today is Mio's show, and I've already told everyone that I absolutely won't steal your thunder."

Why is he so perceptive at times like this, when he is usually clumsy yet enthusiastic?

Mio Akiyama, preoccupied with thoughts of escaping, failed to notice the encouraging looks that had been lingering around her for a long time.

"Mr. President, could you leave Ms. Mio with me for a few tens of minutes?"

"No problem." Masamune smiled and gestured for him to proceed.

Mrs. Hudson and the other three whispered for a while, then Ritsu Tainaka stood up to give up his seat and sat down next to Mio Akiyama.

Then, speaking in a voice that could only be heard by a few people around him, he began to recount his experiences over the years.

Years ago, he was a somewhat shy young man, but he was penniless and by chance entered this industry.

After that, she gradually became more outgoing and genuinely came to see herself as a woman.

Of course, since he did not undergo gender reassignment surgery, he still appears as a male.

"...Every time I go to a parent-teacher meeting, it's a huge problem."

"I really want to wear a suit and dress like a man so that my son won't be bullied at school."

"But after being a woman for too long, it's hard to change back to the way you behave and use words."

"People like us are always the ones who are discriminated against from a worldly perspective."

"Once you leave Kabukicho, it's difficult to make a living, let alone survive."

"But even so, we have our own principles."

"Perhaps I joined this industry out of a desire to make a living, but now I have come to love it from the bottom of my heart."