Chapter 56: Day 2 (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 56: Day 2 (5)
Finding the two of them wasn’t difficult.
They both had the kind of looks that naturally drew eyes, after all. I just had to follow the trail of drifting gazes from the male mini-mes in the crowd. It only took a few minutes of walking around.
Eventually, you’d either find a top-tier cosplayer, or...
You’d find these two.
“...”
“...”
When I called out to them, neither replied.
Even their mini-mes froze in shock, their movements coming to a dead halt as bits of static-like noise flickered through them.
“Hey.”
When I raised my voice again, they finally snapped out of it.
““Ah.””
With a simultaneous, sharp gasp, focus returned to their eyes.
“Oh, well... that is...” Lee Sol spoke haltingly, her fingertips fidgeting nervously. “Seung-ah told me about it... and I was curious, so I came...”
She seemed to know exactly what she had done wrong.
“...”
I took a quick look around. Since we were inside the event venue, the place was a chaotic roar of voices and music.
“...Let’s go outside and talk.”
Not only would it be impossible to have a proper conversation here, but the performance was about to start. I needed to get these two out of here before Ji Nuri stepped onto the stage.
“You’re not staying to watch, right?”
The two of them nodded vigorously.
“...”
I led them toward the exit. I pulled up a map app to find a quiet spot nearby; a cafe seemed like the best bet.
While I was debating where to go...
“...Um? Excuse me.”
A cosplayer walked up to us hesitantly.
“Would it be okay if I took a photo with you?” she asked, holding up her phone timidly.
Part of me wanted to say yes, but getting these two away from the stage was the priority. I gave a small, apologetic wave.
“I’m sorry. I’m on a break right now.”
“Oh... no, it’s fine. I understand.” She shook her head, her expression saying it was no big deal.
— “Ugh, seriously? And here I was, working up the courage to ask.”
However, her mini-me clicked its tongue and vented its frustration.
“...”
I ignored her as she turned and walked past. This sort of thing was common enough at these events.
— “...What’s with that woman?”
Lee Sol’s mini-me pouted, looking quite displeased. It wasn’t that she had heard the girl’s inner thoughts; she just seemed flustered by the sudden request. She clearly wasn't used to this culture.
— “Hmm...”
On the other hand, Shin A-young had a different reaction. Her mini-me scanned the surroundings with half-lidded eyes.
— “...I guess this is normal here. It’s an atmosphere where people naturally take photos with cosplayers.”
She was sharp. She had already skillfully grasped the unspoken rules of the event. Soon, her mini-me’s eyes began to sparkle with a subtle sense of anticipation.
— “...Can I take one too? Should I ask later?”
“...”
I felt a bit bad, but I had no intention of letting her. Today was going to be my last time cosplaying. It was fun in its own way, but it wasn't a hobby that suited my tastes. Watching was one thing, but being the center of attention was a bit much.
*
We entered a cafe located a short distance from the venue. It was a quiet space with few customers. I shrugged off my suit jacket and sat down in just my dress shirt, feeling a bit flushed from moving around in the heat.
“What do you want? It’s on me...!”
Shin A-young’s hands moved quickly, tapping away at the kiosk while looking back at me.
I shook my head. “It’s fine. Let’s pay separately.”
“No, no.”
Lee Sol also shook her head. They both showed a firm determination to pay. Was this their way of trying to smooth things over?
I wasn't particularly angry that they had shown up. I was a bit flustered, sure, but even though I was in costume, it wasn't like I was doing anything scandalous.
“Fine, do whatever you want then.”
I nodded. There was no reason to refuse a free drink.
*
Slurp—
— “Whoa. Why is this so good?”
Lee Sol’s mini-me happily sucked on its straw, its cheeks puffing out with every sip.
I took a drink of the cafe mocha I’d ordered. It wasn’t half bad.
“Ahem.” I cleared my throat lightly before speaking. “Have you two just been hanging out together?”
I threw out a casual topic to break the ice.
“Yeah. We did some shopping.” Lee Sol gave a faint smile, subtly shaking the shopping bags beside her. It looked like she had gone on quite the spree.
I see.
“Then, what about your studying?”
Pfft!
Cough, cough—!
Lee Sol choked on her drink, falling into a fit of coughing. Her eyes trembled as if an earthquake were happening inside them.
“...”
Clack.
Shin A-young, who had been about to take a sip, set her drink back down on the table. Her slouching posture straightened instantly. She tried to act nonchalant, but her eyes were darting all over the place.
‘Uh...’
The reaction was more intense than I expected. I’d used a slightly accusing tone, but I didn't think the mood would sink this much.
“No, well...” Shin A-young’s voice trailed off. “Sorry. We lied...!”
She apologized quickly, rushing to confess. The corners of her eyes drooped.
“Sorrrry...” Lee Sol made a similar face, looking completely dejected.
Both of their mini-mes shriveled up. Usually, they looked like polished SD characters, but right now they looked like low-effort, crumpled doodles.
“Hmm.”
When I let out a low hum, both mini-mes flinched. It was my first time seeing them like this, and it was honestly fascinating. I wondered if this "shriveling" was also a type of mental noise.
“...”
I sent a text to Lee Seung-ah telling her I’d be at a nearby cafe. I just had to keep these two occupied until Ji Nuri’s stage was over.
*
Zzzzzing—
Ji Nuri’s performance came to an end. The music that had filled the stage faded, followed by a heavy silence.
Drip. Drop...
Beads of sweat fell from her chin and splattered onto the floor.
“...”
She kept her head bowed for a moment before snapping her gaze upward.
Waaaaaaa—!
The crowd erupted in cheers and applause. The sight filled her vision, overwhelming her senses.
“Th-thank youuu...!”
Ji Nuri bowed with a bright, beaming smile. The stage was a success. This cheering, this trembling—this was exactly what she had practiced so hard for. She felt as though all her effort was finally being rewarded.
Whew—!
Stepping off the stage, Ji Nuri let out a deep breath. Shin A-young and Lee Sol were nowhere to be seen, allowing her to finally breathe a sigh of relief.
“Unnie...!”
“...”
A voice called out to her. When she turned, Lee Seung-ah was waving vigorously, gesturing for Nuri to come over. Ji Nuri walked straight toward her, wiping sweat from her brow with a handkerchief.
“How was it?”
“Unnie, your playing was amazing! I guess arts high school students really are on another level. Right?”
Lee Seung-ah gave two thumbs up. Her friends beside her chimed in.
“It was just like the anime...! You even copied the playing style from the show exactly in the middle, right?”
They were right. They had actually noticed the details. Ji Nuri nodded, her face glowing with satisfaction.
“Mhm, mhm. Exactly. Your acting was great too—the way your voice trembled sounded identical.”
“...Oh.”
That hadn’t been acting. She had just been incredibly nervous.
“...I suppose so, right?” she agreed anyway. She wanted to maintain her image as the cool older sister, after all.
“...”
Ji Nuri glanced around, scanning the crowd. “...Where’s Seung-ho?”
“He hasn’t come back yet. He said he’d be at a nearby cafe with his friends.”
“...Really?”
Ji Nuri’s expression turned bittersweet. She felt a pang of guilt toward Lee Seung-ho. After all, hadn’t he gone to deal with those two specifically for her sake? She couldn’t fully understand why he would go that far for her, which only made her feel worse.
It weighed on her conscience that she kept ignoring his feelings. She even worried that she was taking advantage of his kindness.
“...”
Ji Nuri fell silent for a moment.
‘I should really do something...’
She felt it was only right. No, it was definitely necessary. She had to repay him somehow.
“...Hmm.”
But what could she do for him? The most common gift would be some kind of snack, but the problem was, she didn’t know what he liked.
“Seung-ah.”
“Yes?”
“What does Seung-ho... like...?”
“Huh?” Lee Seung-ah’s voice jumped an octave. She seemed caught off guard.
“No... I mean, he must have some kind of snack he likes. I feel like I should do something to thank him...”
“Ahhh...” Lee Seung-ah nodded, looking slightly relieved.
“Ummm... he probably eats everything without being picky. Since it’s just a snack and not a full meal, I think anything you give him would be fine.”
“Really?” Ji Nuri clapped her hands together happily. If that was the case, she had the perfect idea. “Coincidentally, I have some delicious mint chocolate at home—”
“Anything but that.”
Lee Seung-ah’s tone was ice-cold. She shook her head with a completely deadpan expression.
“Oh...”
As Ji Nuri trailed off in confusion, Seung-ah drove the point home.
“I think... that’s a very bad idea.”
She emphasized it repeatedly.
“...”
Ji Nuri slumped, dejected. I mean, why? He might actually like it.
“Why don’t you just ask him directly? That would be faster,” Lee Seung-ah suggested, changing the subject.
“Hmm, yeah. I should do that.”
Ask him what he likes. She decided she would just ask him the next time they were at school.