Chapter Text
"Mr. Kageyama, your 8:00 is here, last for the day." A voice echoed over the speaker into the rather quiet office of Mr. Tobio Kageyama, CEO Executive of Voice Actor's and Co, also a very experienced VA and one of the best in the world as said by so many others . It was his job to provide trained Japanese and English VA's to the many cartoons and anime's with Japanese adaptations. He had appointments personally with every prominent VA to discuss their goals and judge what level of training they would be put in, if they even got the job.
"Send him in, Oikawa." Kageyama's smooth velvety voice replied back. Moments later his office doors opened as he stood. He was met with the sight of possibly the shortest VA he'd ever seen. The lock of orange hair that sat atop his head also caught his eyes. The boy had eyes that shone just looking at the view from atop the tower. Kageyama got lost in those eyes for a few moments before shaking his head and clearing away the thoughts that crept upon him.
"Wow." Gasped the boy, staring off into the night life lights. The cars racing back and forth below him, the setting sun. That was until he seemed to remember he came for a meeting. "Ah i'm sorry Mr. Tobio-Sama!" Kageyama noticed how the boy spoke both English and Japanese, incorporating it into one sentence. It was only an honorific whether he learned that from observing, or it was his native language, or something else was to be observed shortly. He put that in the back of his mind with a note attached. The note, were it real would scold the boy for using both in one sentence, instead of one or the other. Whether it was intentional he would have to fix either way. "Hello Mr.."
"Shouyou, Hinata Shouyou."
"Hello Mr. Shouyou." Kageyama eyed him skeptically. "I have to ask, are you at least 18?" His velevety voice rang out again. This was the minimum age for employment and training at this company.
Hinata blushed and at the same time curled his fist up. "Not to be rude, but just because I'm short doesn't mean I didn't read the application guidelines, Mr Tobio." Realizing how tense he was, Hinata instantly uncrurled his hands with a sigh. "Sorry." Kageyama raised an eyebrow at how forthright the boy was.
"Please have a seat then." Kageyama sat as did Hinata and pulled out a few papers. "Mr. Shouyou, Tell me. Why do you want to train at VA and Co, why you think you are qualified for our programs, and what sets you apart from others." Hinata thought for a moment.
"To be honest, this was a last minute decision. It was this or go to yale. My dream has always been to get into the entertainment industry and friends have told me I do good impersonations and have a nice voice. I was looking for a decent job and ended up in front of your office building! Guess it was destiny. Heh." Hinata's eyes lit up as he talked about his dream job. He gave a little laugh and continued. "I want to train here because... hm. Well because I have heard good things about it from my friend Kiyoko!"
Kageyama was a bit surprised, this little thing was friends with his fastest rising star ever? He became more and more interesting by the minute. "What sets you apart then?"
"Hm... Ah it's! Hm no. What about! No not that either. Ah, I really want this! I have wanted to be an entertainer for my whole entire life! Ever since I met kiyoko and we talked about going big together." Hinata's smile streched across his face and his eyes were big. It was like you coudn't say no to the kid. "Ah! I also speak both Japanese and English. Kiyoko told me most people coming in had to be taught one or the other, Japanese being my native language and English being my secondary."
"Hm.. Okay, I want you to read me a line from your favorite anime first in Japanese and then in English." Kageyama told him as he gestured to the booth behind Hinata. He waited a beat and started again. "In your best impersonation."
'Yosh! Okay Mr. Tobio." Hinata liked anime, he knew his favorite anime's lines by heart. He walked into the booth and felt at home. He walked up to the mic which was, of course to tall for him. Kageyama had to come in and lower it for him, as he did it Hinata brushed up against him and he felt a spark, a literal one from the fabric shocking him. "A-t-t-t-tt-t." He whimpered for a moment before straightening up.
Hinata dropped his eyes, breathing and getting into Gon's headspace. He was doing a scene from Hunter x Hunter. Suddenly the lines were in his head, he didn't have to think he did. His lips moved without him trying and the words spilled from his lips. "Then.. then you - you really aren't going to.. heal kite?" The emotions he imagined Gon feeling welled up in side him. "Liar." He whispered. A moment passed as all was silent. "I don't care, if this is the end. I don't care, so.. I'll use everything. I'LL KILL YOU PITOU." Hinata screamed out the last few lines, feeling a mix of how he felt and how he imagined Gon feeling rolled into one. Hinata stayed silent, coming out of his headspace for Gon. He looked up into the eyes of an amazed man.
Kageyama was at a lost for words, he had seen many many experienced, trained VA's who couldn't put so much emotion into that few lines. Many who couldn't do good VA for a character until they had done it many times, many takes learning the character. Hinata came in as if he had been born to do that line. If that was what he was going to deliver every time, Kageyama had no doubt he would be the fastest rising star to ever exist. Kageyama was about to do something he had only done with one person ever before.
"Mr. Shouyou, how would you like to train under me?" Hinata's eyes shone like a Christmas tree. Him? Training under one of the worlds greatest VA's? "When do we start?" Kageyama chuckled deep for a moment. Hinata would be his, no one else could have him. This small boy with such a magnificent voice. "Tomorrow at 6."
"Isn't 6 pm a little booked for others Mr. Tobio?"
"Not 6 pm.. 6 am."
Hinata had never known true fear.