– Please come again next time!
– Hello, older sister!
– Bye-bye!
As I left the orphanage with Ji-yeon, we received warm greetings.
The director seemed taken aback by my desire to anonymously donate, but perhaps calculating how it could fill the orphanage’s limited finances, he accepted the donation without hesitation.
I promised I wouldn’t disappoint him. I said I would keep track of how this money was used and through what means, but I just smiled and hoped he would use it well.
Since he didn’t seem like someone who would pocket the money, that’s why such a donation was possible.
“Goodbye~ Take care and eat well!”
Ji-yeon, waving her hand beside me, looked somewhat pleased.
In fact, it could be quite unpleasant for Ji-yeon. The fact that her older sister invited her to lunch and then suddenly went to the orphanage.
However, it seemed that something had happened inside with the children, as Ji-yeon’s lips were slightly upturned, suggesting it wasn’t such a bad experience for her.
“You’re going to come again next time, right?”
Seeing her ask me this in return.
“Well…”
To be honest, I had no plans to return in the future. Given the director’s attitude, it was clear that whenever I came, I would be met with thanks for the donation and the necessary politeness, which was something I found quite burdensome.
“Why not? You should come again. You can see the kids grow. Hee-eun? She will also miss you a lot.”
That was certainly true. I was curious to see how the children grew day by day.
I was slightly worried about how Hee-eun would live in the future as well. I might not reach out even if I wanted to help her since I wouldn’t want to feel indebted if she didn’t contact me. If Hee-eun had some wounds, it was entirely possible.
But I didn’t expect Ji-yeon would say such things.
I had a slight feeling that my younger sister had a slight possessiveness over me. But for her to suggest visiting the orphanage regularly…
Looking at Ji-yeon with a slightly surprised expression, she brought up something even more surprising.
“I have to see how the kids are living and growing with the money you spent, right?”
“…How did you know?”
“With the director, what else could there be to talk about except the donation? I guessed, but seeing your reaction, I guess I was right.”
As I looked at Ji-yeon, wondering if I would get scolded for wasting money on something unnecessary, the words flowed from her.
“Why? Are you worried I’ll say something like, ‘Why are you giving money to orphans’?”
“Um… I figured that would happen.”
Ji-yeon is a child with a strong sense of economy. Whether it’s due to her education in a wealthy family or not, she never wasted money. There was a certain limit to her spending compared to how much pocket money she received, and most of the time, there was a reason when she spent money.
Although that limit seemed to loosen up when she played dress-up with her sister, generally speaking, she’s quite frugal.
So I thought I would get some nagging if she found out. Something like, ‘The older sister can’t even take care of herself but is donating.’
Contrary to my expectations, Ji-yeon merely shrugged and continued.
“Why would I say such a thing? Spending money on a good cause deserves to be praised.”
“Right? I did well, didn’t I?”
“As long as it’s not a large sum that disrupts your life, donating is a good deed.”
Well, it is a considerable sum… but wouldn’t that much be needed to raise so many children?
The money I donated, I could always earn back. Nowadays, my income is quite… no, it’s more than just quite good.
Indeed, having money is a good thing. I’m really glad I became a broadcaster.
“Considering there are many people who spend money on useless things like gambling or shopping addiction… compared to that, what you spent this time is truly a reasonable expenditure.”
“Really?”
“With that money, you bought the children’s future, right? It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that you’ve taken a share in their lives.”
Buying a future, I thought it was quite a nice expression to ponder when Ji-yeon said:
“So, we have to go see how the kids live and grow often. You have to see how your money is being used.”
She’s saying exactly what the director said. Ji-yeon’s statement made me realize that this young girl of 19 has really grown up, and I affectionately patted her on the head.
Unlike Hee-eun, Ji-yeon didn’t turn red or anything like that; she simply accepted my touch with a sense of satisfaction.
As I gently stroked Ji-yeon’s head while heading home, I suddenly became curious and asked.
“By the way, Ji-yeon, what happened there that made you want to go back in the future?”
Did she become friends with the kids? If so, I should at least know their names. When I asked, Ji-yeon showed a slightly flustered expression.
“Uh, yeah?”
“I’m just curious. The orphanage was something I suddenly brought you to.”
“Um… a kid said something really great.”
As she recalled what happened earlier, Ji-yeon’s lips once again lifted slightly. It seems she heard something that made her feel good.
After all, Ji-yeon was weak to compliments. If I simply said she was pretty, she’d stop what she was doing and smile happily.
In a way, it could be said that she was someone who wasn’t accustomed to compliments. I also had my tendencies, but Ji-yeon was on a different level.
So, Ji-yeon would have been a good playmate for the kids. Every time the pretty older sister praised them, they’d smile. The image made me grin subconsciously.
On that evening, as the sun set, though the day had strayed from the plan, it was still a good day.
Looking at this, I thought I was really far from living a planned life, but then again, who cares? If I feel good in the moment, isn’t that enough?
I forgot about my body, still damp with sweat after jogging and not having washed up yet, and I just smiled.
*
A voice is needed.
A very special voice at that.
With the mobile game nearing its release, the director truly thought this way.
Everything had been completed from smooth gameplay to character modeling. Now it was time to call voice actors or anyone to record dialogue that matched the characters.
While everything was proceeding smoothly, one problem occurred.
A slight dissatisfaction and disappointment. What was the cause of that feeling?
It was that there was no suitable voice for the character, Sena, that the director had meticulously shaped.
Even when reaching out to voice actors he had previously worked with or expanding the search to idols and actors, there was no satisfactory voice within the range he could contact.
The resurrected specter, Sena. A character whose distinct tone conveys a sense of dullness and lethargy, yet curiously contains a yearning for life. Though she doesn’t want to, her unique charm attracts excessive attention from those around her, causing her a burden. Yet she appears completely unaffected by it.
Moreover, she has a slightly eccentric tendency, finding humor in things that no one else finds funny. That concept made her into a character that, at first glance, could seem bizarre.
When the director initially created the character’s setting, the team members reacted in shock, wondering what on earth this was.
However, considering that all of the characters he had worked on until now had gained phenomenal popularity, it was likely that this character, Sena, would also enjoy considerable popularity.
Yet, not being able to find a voice suitable for such a carefully crafted Sena left the director feeling frustrated.
In fact, he could easily ask a voice actor whose voice somewhat matched to record the lines. Voice actors are professionals who can portray what kind of character this is through their voices. Surely they could perform in a manner that embodies the essence of the character the director wanted.
But the director’s peculiar perfectionism hindered him once more. The reason was that he felt there was no compelling sensation. He wanted someone who could embody Sena entirely, that even just the voice would encapsulate Sena herself.
The team members sighed behind him, muttering about how the director was at it again. Some suggested discussing how long this would take and who to bring in as potential candidates.
True to his perfectionistic tendencies, whenever something bothered the director, he would dwell on that one aspect for days, resolving it to a degree where no one could question it.
He always produced results beyond expectations, and this time would certainly be no different.
Hidden experts or aspiring voice actors. Idols, actors, singers, internet broadcasters… even an ordinary person with a good voice might suffice.
In any case, as long as the results were good, that was all that mattered.
This was why no one voiced any complaints about the director’s stubbornness.
