Sunday.
At four o'clock in the morning, Haruto was jolted awake by his phone. He had been asleep for barely five hours. He fumbled for the device and pressed it to his ear, his mind a thick fog.
"Time to get up."
Yukino's voice came through the receiver, clear and melodic like a silver bell.
Honestly, Haruto had never experienced the luxury, or the annoyance of someone calling to wake him up before. His brain felt like it was spinning in circles.
"Who... who is this? Did I fall into another one of Shiori... Shiori Takahashi's memories?" he muttered to himself, still half-drifting in sleep.
"Shiori Takahashi? Who's that? Are you talking about your pen name, Shiori Takahashi?" Yukino's sharp response snapped him into instant lucidity. He performed a frantic roll across the mattress and sat bolt upright.
"It's only four in the morning!" he croaked, glancing at the clock.
"And your point is? How late were you planning to sleep? Wash up and get over to my place immediately or we're going to be late."
After hanging up, Haruto stared out the window.
The city of Minamijo was never truly silent; even at this hour, he could see groups of night owls wandering the streets. He sighed, shook his head to clear the cobwebs, and climbed out of bed.
An hour later, a taxi dropped him off at Yukino's apartment complex. Her front door was left slightly ajar. He pushed it open and stepped inside.
"Reina, you look incredible! You're a natural cosplayer. This outfit is absolutely stunning on you."
The first thing Haruto saw was Reina Fujimoto dressed in a silk, silver-toned mage's robe. The garment was cinched tightly at her waist, accentuating her slender curves. Her legs were encased in white thigh-high stockings that vanished into a pair of matching silver boots. Her dark hair had been styled into delicate, intricate braids, and she held a staff that shimmered with the blue of flowing water.
Small prosthetic appliances had been used to give her ears the elegant, pointed silhouette of an elf. With the addition of light, professional makeup, her already striking features were elevated to an ethereal level. She looked exactly like a high-elf princess stepped straight out of a medieval fantasy epic.
Yukino's transformation was even more jaw-dropping. Her hair cascaded down her shoulders, and she wore a suit of vibrant red leather armor. The fit was intentionally snug, creating a noticeable push-up effect at the bust. She wore a matching scarlet leather miniskirt that barely reached her hips, paired with black translucent stockings that made her legs seem to go on forever. Her eyes were accented with alluring, bold makeup that gave her a dangerous, mature edge.
Haruto recognized the characters immediately. They were from the smash-hit isekai anime My Life in Another World: The Demon King and the Hero Both Fell for Me at First Sight! Reina Fujimoto was the Elven Hero, and Yukino was the Seductress Demon King. While the show's title was pure power-fantasy bait, the execution was undeniably addictive, and its popularity was currently through the roof.
To be perfectly honest, their costumes weren't 100% faithful to the source material's designs. However, Haruto was certain that the moment these two stepped onto the convention floor, they would become the center of the universe. When cosplayers are this attractive, no one cares about "accuracy" or "canon temperament."
"You're late. We've been waiting for you," Yukino said, a flicker of feigned annoyance crossing her face.
"How are you both ready already? Between the outfits and the makeup, this must have taken hours," Haruto stammered, still dazed.
"That's because Reina stayed over last night. We finished the heavy lifting hours ago," Yukino replied with a shrug.
Haruto didn't press for details; he didn't need a play-by-play of their sleepover.
"Alright, it's almost five. Hurry up, Haruto!" Yukino grabbed him by the shoulder and shoved him toward a spare room.
Haruto caught a glimpse of Yukino's personal stash: three rows of high-end cosplay racks, beds covered in discarded skirts, stockings, and a mountain of makeup kits. This woman was a hardcore otaku. Beyond the anime merchandise, her walls were adorned with traditional Japanese garments, medieval Western plate armor, and even functional-looking bows, crossbows, shields, and katanas.
Yukino pushed him down in front of her vanity mirror. "Sit still and don't look around. I need to focus," she warned.
If Haruto were a man in his late twenties, Yukino might have been more guarded. But to her, a sixteen-year-old high school boy was essentially a younger brother, so she didn't bother with much modesty.
"Makeup? Really?" Haruto had never had anything more than sunscreen on his face.
"Of course! Cosplay is fifty percent natural looks and fifty percent professional makeup. The protagonist of My Life in Another World is calm, handsome, and highly intelligent. You have the right vibe, but you look a bit too young. I'm going to use some eyeshadow and contouring to sharpen your nose and jawline. Then we'll put on the blonde wig and those silver-rimmed glasses. With your bone structure, the result should be top-tier."
Yukino talked as she worked, her hands moving with practiced speed. She applied various liquids and creams to his face that Haruto couldn't even name. Since he had agreed to do this, he didn't resist, though he found the process a bit tedious. He decided to strike up a conversation to pass the time.
"Does Reina... not mind doing this?"
Haruto's makeup was relatively simple, but the intricate braiding in Reina's hair must have taken at least two hours. He hadn't expected someone as protective of her time as Reina to "waste" so much of it on dress-up.
"Does anyone who aims to be a light novel author actually hate conventions?" Yukino asked, using a highlighting pen on the bridge of his nose. "She spent years playing the role of the perfect, obedient daughter at home. That doesn't mean she actually dislikes this world." Yukino's lips curled into a smirk. "In fact, while I was doing her makeup, I could tell she was genuinely enjoying herself. Just like you."
Yukino looked at him through the reflection of the mirror. "You might be acting all stoic, but you're actually having fun, aren't you?"
Haruto thought about it for a second. "I suppose so. There's a certain sense of excitement building up. Though... that might just be because I haven't had a social outing with friends in over six months."
Yukino's hand, holding a blending brush, brushed against his cheek, carrying a faint, pleasant scent. She laughed softly.
"Don't worry. Cosplay is a slippery slope; once you do it once, you're hooked. I only invited you two because I truly consider you friends. When you eventually become famous cosplayers, don't forget who showed you the ropes."
Once the makeup was done, Haruto changed into the costume Yukino had prepared: an elaborate isekai knight's uniform, complete with a prop sword.
When he stepped back into the living room, Yukino's eyes lit up. With the silver-rimmed glasses, the golden wig, and the polished white armor, he looked like a completely different person.
"Wow! You actually look exactly like the protagonist from the anime!"
While Yukino and Reina relied on their sheer beauty to carry their roles, Haruto's transformation actually captured the specific "cool genius" aura of the character perfectly.
"Come here, both of you! Let's get a group photo first."
Yukino had been to many conventions, but this was the first time she had a full party. She stood to Haruto's left and gestured to Reina. "Come on! What are you standing there for?"
"I... I have to be in the photo too?" Reina hesitated.
"Duh!" Yukino rolled her eyes. "We're cosplaying the two female leads and the male lead. How could we not take a group photo?"
Reina took a deep breath, shed her hesitation, and stepped to Haruto's right side. Yukino set her phone on the TV stand, adjusted the timer, and ran back into frame.
The screen captured the three of them together for the first time: the blonde, bespectacled Haruto, the silver-clad elven Reina, and the red-armored, sultry Yukino.
Click.
The photo was crystal clear. Yukino looked ecstatic, Reina looked a bit shy, and Haruto looked intensely serious, though internally, he was a bit flustered being sandwiched between two beautiful girls.
In the early morning light of Minamijo, a sleek red sports car sped toward the city center. Haruto wasn't much of a car guy, but even he could tell Yukino's ride was worth a fortune. After a quick breakfast near the venue, they parked the car and followed the growing crowd toward the Minamijo Convention Center.
"Look at those three!"
"Holy crap, look at the quality of those cosplayers!"
"Are those girls even real? They're so cute!"
"Wait, they're cosplaying Eri and Yuffie from the Demon King anime, right?"
"Definitely. And the guy with them is spot on as Gaius. Those glasses give him that perfect 'cool prick' vibe from the show."
"In the anime, Gaius is such a show-off that the Hero and the Demon King both fall for him. I can see why."
As they walked toward the entrance, heads turned everywhere. Money can buy high-quality costumes and professional makeup, but it can't buy natural beauty and presence.
Haruto was tall and striking, and when flanked by Reina and Yukino, both of whom possessed top-tier looks and long, elegant legs, the trio became an unstoppable force. Everywhere they went, a small circle of admirers formed.
"Yukino... why is everyone staring at us?" Reina whispered, her face flushing a light pink. The weight of so many eyes made her feel a bit overwhelmed.
In her mind, a convention was just people wearing anime clothes in a public space; she hadn't anticipated this level of intense scrutiny.
"It just means they recognize the quality and they like what they see," Yukino replied easily. She was used to this; usually, she had to deal with this kind of attention all by herself. As they wandered through the hall, Yukino bumped into several acquaintances who waved her down.
"Hey! Good to see you here!"
"You look stunning as always, Yukino. Honestly, stop coming to these shows. You make those of us hired as professional cosplayers look like amateurs."
"Who are the two little ones you brought with you? They're great!"
Haruto remained silent, staying in character as the "cool and aloof" knight. He found that leaning into the role actually made the experience quite fun. Occasionally, fans would approach him for a photo, and he would oblige with a stoic nod.
As for Reina, her initial discomfort began to fade as she became distracted by the sheer variety of otaku culture on display. There were doujinshi stalls, official merchandise, scale figures, posters, and massive gaming booths.
Suddenly, Reina's eyes locked onto a small, brightly decorated booth.
A group of staff members were working hard to pitch a specific series to the passing crowd.
"Star Sea!"
At the front of the booth was a massive promotional poster for the novel. The anime-style illustration of the red-haired, red-eyed heroine was displayed prominently for all to see.
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