Chapter 332
332 – [OVA] Cosplay Kim Yu-Seong
“Ryu-chan! This way! This way!”
As I was waiting in front of the broadcasting station building, I raised my head when I heard a familiar voice.
Far away, at the entrance of the broadcasting station, Nao, now a national actor, and Rika, who had worked as Nao’s stylist after graduating from university, were walking towards us, waving their hands happily.
Seeing Rika’s always cheerful appearance regardless of where she was, I smiled happily and put the smartphone she was holding in her hand into the back pocket of her pants.
Then he walked up to Rika, lifted the luggage that she was carrying with both hands, and asked.
“Is this the end of today’s schedule?”
Then it was Nao who answered, not Rika.
“Yes! I just finished filming the drama, I don’t really have any entertainment filming, and I’m completely free until I go to Hawaii on location next week!”
“Yeah, really?”
I was pushed back by Nao’s force, which was burdensome, and he pushed me in from the face.
Either way, Nao, whose mind was already elsewhere, made a bold request.
“So, let’s go have fun this weekend! Senpai! Specifically, to a hotel with a beach or a swimming pool!”
“Uh… I want to do that too… “
I looked at Rika standing next to Nao, trailing off her words.
“Unfortunately, I already had a prior contract three months ago.”
Specifically, it could be said that there are summer specialties that cannot be seen except during this time of summer.
“Eh! I’ve already prepared a swimsuit!”
“I’m sorry, I’m calling you a substitute, but any time is fine as long as it’s not this weekend.”
When I said that and cast the Apple with both hands together, which can be said to be the final secret move in the Rubco world, Nao also said, “Then there’s nothing we can do about it,” And let it go.
“So what is this promise that you have to go to after rejecting the invitation of a beautiful woman like me?”
Then, the person who answered instead of me was Rika, who looked relaxed and let down her hair as soon as she sat in the backseat of the car with the air conditioner running.
“That’s Comiket!”
“… Ha?”
“Ryu-chan decided to go to Natsukomi with me!”
While saying that, Rika drew her V-shape with her finger.
***
After graduating from Kyoto University, Rika and I moved back to Tokyo.
At the graduation party where all eight of my wives gathered, my future dream was to become a professional cosplayer.
In fact, the reason I started dreaming of becoming a cosplayer was entirely because of Rika’s mother, Maria. Since participating in the first Natsukomi, Maria has encouraged me to cosplay, and thanks to her, I was able to enjoy the fun of dressing up as my favorite character her her her her. After graduating, I started cosplaying as a semi-hobby.
However, perhaps because of my unique visuals and mask, I quickly rose to the ranks of named cosplayers like Maria, and I ended up taking most of the pie of cosplaying large, muscular characters requested by companies.
At this point, it could no longer be called a hobby, so I decided to create a professional cosplay team called ‘MARI見’ with Maria.
For reference, Rika, who dreamed of becoming a fashion designer since high school, became the costume maker for Team Marimite.
It can be said that she is sincere about her virtues, to the point where she dresses up in cosplay herself when she has the opportunity.
From what I heard, it looks like they are planning to raise money to create an online shopping mall that specializes in cosplay costumes.
Do you want to make it easy for anyone to cosplay their favorite character?
It could be said to be a truly Rika-like ambition.
***
Three days later, I drove early in the morning and headed to Rika’s parents’ house in Seijo.
Last night, Rika said she had to prepare something in advance because of the costume, so she stayed at her parents’ house, so she’s on her own now.
As I was listening to the radio and humming an old song on the way, I received a text message.
[Ryu-chan! You can come a little slower!]
The reason for coming slowly was not written, but it wasn’t that difficult to guess the reason.
“Looks like I overslept again.”
I’m usually weak in the morning, but I guess I can’t help it since I stayed up all night last night.
I bitterly smiled, then noticed that the signal had changed and stepped on the car’s accelerator.
Buuung!
***
It took about 30 minutes by car to arrive at Rika’s house.
I parked the car on the side of the road and entered the yard, where her mother-in-law, Maria, was already waiting outside the door.
“Am I a little late?”
“No, I came just in time.”
As Maria said that, she pointed to Rika, who was checking her hair in the mirror in front of her entrance.
Perhaps because he prepared in a hurry, his clothes were somewhat sloppy compared to usual.
“Ah, are you here? Ryu-chan?”
Rika greeted her as calmly as possible and finished her grooming by tying her hair into her trademark side tail.
“Come on! Let’s go!”
While saying that, Maria grabbed Rika from behind as she confidently tried to leave the front door with her bare hands.
“Daughter, haven’t you forgotten anything?”
“Ah! That’s right! A cell phone!”
“No, not that one…”
As Maria looked at her in bewilderment, Rika asked, “Huh? Isn’t this it?” Then she realized too late, “Ah!”
She screamed.
“Ryu-chan, I almost left my clothes behind!”
“If you know, come quickly.”
As Maria shook her head and said that, Rika almost threw herself off, took off her shoes, and ran up to the second floor.
Maria looked at her daughter like that and then said to me.
“I am a daughter who is lacking in many ways, but I will take good care of her.”
I couldn’t help but smile bitterly at her mother’s sincere words.
***
Rika came back to the first floor with my cosplay costume that she had made herself, and we were all ready to leave.
“But where has your father-in-law gone?”
When I glanced inside the house and asked that question, Rika said, “Oh, didn’t I tell you?” And she told me the whereabouts of Mr. Kishimoto.
“This time, I went on a hot spring trip with Karen’s father. I guess the two of you got along surprisingly well.”
“… Really?”
It’s hard to imagine the combination of Japan’s national cartoonist and the Yakuza leader who controls Tokyo.
Maria, who saw my reaction, gave me supplementary explanation.
“The two of you seem to be communicating better than you think. Lately, the two of you have been meeting up for drinks often. My husband says it feels like meeting an old friend from when you were young.”
“Indeed.”
I never thought that my father-in-law would have worked together.
Perhaps we became friends faster because we had one thing in common: daughter-in-law.
“Anyway, let’s leave quickly before it’s too late. Even if we go from now on, it’ll be quite scary considering the time it takes to put on makeup.”
“Oh, yes.”
At Maria’s urging, I hurriedly packed up my luggage and suitcase that were lying on the floor.
After loading all the luggage into the trunk of the Alphard Hybrid parked on the side of the road, the mother and daughter headed to Tokyo Big Sight, the site of today’s battle.
***
Tokyo Big Sight in Odaiba.
The official name is Tokyo International Exhibition Center, and Tokyo Big Sight is the name of the company that operates this convention center, but it is generally called Tokyo Big Sight, which is the company name.
The building, which is shaped like an inverted triangle and looks like an upside-down pyramid, is said to symbolize a city floating on water, but this explanation is probably good.
This, the largest exhibition hall in Japan, is actually considered a sacred place for otaku.
That’s because the doujin event called ‘Comic Market’, held every summer and winter, is held here.
This year too, when I saw the crowd of otakus flocking in like a cloud, I unconsciously became fed up.
I’m also an otaku, but when I see this scene, I feel like I’m going crazy.
“It’s only 8 o’clock in the morning, but it’s amazing that there’s this much of a queue.”
Then Maria said, waving her finger.
“It’s a Comiket that only happens twice a year. Otakus all over Japan look forward to this day, and it’s normal to stay up all night.”
It was a remark befitting a veteran who is an active cosplayer and has participated in Comiket for over 20 years.
“More than that, it looks like it’s going to be sweltering today as well. “The sun is no joke.”
As Rika said that, she looked up at the sky outside her window.
Summer in Japan after the rainy season is nothing short of hell.
A collaboration of sweltering heat and high humidity that makes you feel like you’re floundering in water.
“Ryu-chan, is it okay to cosplay today?”
I couldn’t help but look at Rika with concern.
“You just need to apply sunscreen well. And since you’ll be resting in the shade from time to time, it’s okay.”
After reassuring Rika by saying that, I parked the car in a paid parking lot thanks to her skillful driving skills.
“Then let’s go.”
As I said that and turned off the car, Maria, who was sitting in her back seat, and Rika, who was sitting in her passenger seat, nodded with solemn expressions.
Crash!
“…”
However, such solemn determination had no choice but to melt like ice cream in the face of the sweltering summer heat.
Tak!
“Just 10 minutes, just 10 minutes and then let’s go.”
After all, air conditioners are the greatest invention in the world.
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