Chapter 150: Cosplay
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 150: Cosplay
Watching the person right beside me change, and being powerless to stop it, was a strange, unfamiliar feeling I’d never experienced before.
“Haaah…”
He seemed to be getting healthier, and we laughed and talked just like we always did, but I knew.
A deep, unfathomable shadow had taken root in his heart.
He tried to act like nothing was wrong in front of me, but whenever I saw his faint, weary smiles, my heart ached for him.
I wanted to do something for him.
But I couldn’t.
To be precise, I shouldn’t do any more.
I knew that if I overwhelmed him with help, it would only make him feel worse.
I want to give him strength.
I want to make him smile like he used to.
But with no brilliant ideas coming to mind, the best I could do was try to be as cute as possible whenever we were together.
I really hope this trip will be a chance for him to heal…
But Oppa had started avoiding going outside, saying he didn't want people to see his face.
He was never one to go out much, but it had gotten even less frequent. And even though I knew it wasn't my fault, I still felt a sense of guilt.
“Ugh…”
What am I supposed to do about this?
I considered asking Hanbit unnie or other friends for advice, but in the end, I couldn't bring myself to talk about it.
I wanted to protect Taemin Oppa's pride.
He might get upset later if he found out. I didn't think it was right to air his vulnerabilities just to make myself feel better.
“…I guess this is the only answer.”
On my monitor was a website for custom-made cosplay outfits.
The price for an outfit with light, airy frills, quite similar to Luka's concert costume, was a bit more expensive than I'd expected.
The wig… I could guess the price without getting a quote, but I'd probably need a consultation for the outfit itself.
As I clicked through the options, my mind was dominated by a single thought: Is this really the right thing to do?
I wondered if this would actually help him relax a little.
It seemed like such a primal method, but when I thought about what I could do to make him happy, nothing seemed more direct and effective than this.
Ah… so embarrassing…
Just the thought of wearing that and standing in front of a mirror filled me with a wave of shame.
Let's think this through again, Kim Doah.
This might not be my last resort. In fact, someone like Oppa, who has such strong fantasies about 2D characters, might not even like it.
But when the questions ‘So what? What else can you do?’ floated through my mind, there was only one answer.
“Ah, whatever.”
Finally making up my mind to send a consultation request, I slapped my forehead.
“He’d better like it.”
Since I was going through with it, I prepared to give it my all.
Our flight was early in the morning, so we had to wake up before dawn to get ready.
It was my first time traveling abroad, so I wasn't sure what to bring, but it turned out I didn't need much.
A few t-shirts, two pairs of pants, and some underwear. That was it.
At least, that's what I thought.
“…Are you immigrating?”
Seeing Doah struggling with her suitcase, I effortlessly lifted it and carried it down the stairs for her.
“Nope. Not immigrating.”
“Doah, we're not going for a week, are we?”
“It's for two nights and three days, right?”
Judging by the way she answered with those bright, clear eyes, she didn't seem half-asleep.
“What's in there?”
“Clothes, stuff to play with, emergency food, and other things.”
“…Emergency food?”
I wanted to question everything except the clothes, but Doah didn't allow for any back-and-forth.
“Hey, it's all necessary. No backtalk.”
Doah grabbed my wrist and led me down the slope.
Her arms were trembling as she tried to carry the suitcase that was as big as her, so I suggested we switch bags.
“Oppa.”
“Yeah?”
“What's in your bag that makes it so light?”
“Clothes.”
“That's it?”
“What else was I supposed to bring?”
“You didn't just pack tracksuits again, did you?” Doah asked, horrified.
I laughed and shook my head.
“Come on. Would I do that?”
“I was just asking, just in case.”
The bus stop for the direct airport shuttle wasn't far, so we slept the whole way there.
“Have you been on a plane before?” Doah, who was in the window seat, asked me, her face pressed against the glass.
“Yeah, when I went to Jeju Island.”
“Ooh… me too!”
After a roughly three-hour flight, we arrived at the airport in Japan.
We managed to navigate the crowd and make our way outside, then headed to our hotel to drop off our luggage.
“The subway is expensive here.”
“But they said this is the line with no transfers.”
We boarded a train that felt more like a commuter rail than a subway and arrived at our hotel about an hour and a half later.
The only Japanese either of us knew was from anime.
By mixing English with our otaku-speak, we successfully checked in and collapsed onto the bed.
“Ugh… I'm drained…”
“Tell me about it…”
Since it was our first time here, we'd been on edge the whole time, and we could finally relax a little.
“So, where to now?”
It was still light out, so it felt like a waste to just stay in the hotel.
“Hmm… Should we start by exploring the city center?”
“Like Shinjuku?”
“Yeah, we can go there and then check out Shibuya too.”
We decided to explore the neighboring districts, so we headed back out and got on the subway.
Seeing the places we'd only ever seen in videos come to life before us, everything seemed fascinating.
“Take a picture of me!”
Doah stopped at what you'd call a 'hot spot' and handed me her phone.
“Alright.”
After taking a couple of pictures, I handed it back, but then she pulled me close to take a selfie.
“I think it's just going to be our faces.”
“That's fine. As long as we have proof we were here, that's all that matters.”
We made V-signs and smiled at each other.
After taking all the pictures Doah wanted, we strolled down the street, popping into any shops that caught our eye.
“Should I buy this?”
Even at familiar brands, there were a lot of items she'd never seen before, so she tried on and looked at all sorts of things.
“If you like it, you should get it.”
“You should buy something if you see anything you want, Oppa.”
I borrowed money from you just for the plane ticket; how could I afford such luxuries?
Besides, I wasn't the type to have much desire for material things, and my wallet was pretty empty anyway.
“I'm good. I'll just help you pick things out.”
“Hmph. Then pick one of these for me.”
She bought a light, airy blouse and a small handbag that suited her perfectly, and she beamed, clearly pleased with her purchases.
“Hey, isn't that bag a little too small?”
It was basically a pocket, not a bag.
“But it was pretty, wasn't it?”
Her sly way of handling my criticism was just what you'd expect from a streamer.
“Ah, I'm hungry now. Food! Food! Food!”
“Alright, let's go eat.”
We went to a restaurant we had planned to visit beforehand.
The famous place certainly lived up to its name; we had to wait in line for about twenty minutes.
-Slurp-
Doah slurped up her noodles, her face the very definition of someone enjoying their food.
“Is it good?”
She was eating with such gusto that she didn't even answer, just went right back for another bite.
“This place is genuinely impressive. Ah, if we don't have anything else to eat on our last day, let's come back here!”
I nodded in agreement. After we'd both scraped our bowls clean, we walked the streets hand in hand, pleasantly full.
“This is nice.”
“I think so too. It's really nice.”
It wasn't a forced feeling; I genuinely felt a little bit of relief in my chest.
The cool March air, filled with the scent of spring, was perfect.
“Oh! Before we head back, should we go there?”
Doah pointed her index finger at a famous brand, Daiso.
I had no reason to refuse, so we went inside together.
We didn't need to buy anything, but it was fun to look around, so we explored floor by floor as if we were conquering a dojo.
And so, we reached the top floor.
A sign written in red letters read: [ADULTS ONLY].
I was curious, but I couldn't bring myself to suggest we go in, so I just glanced at Doah out of the corner of my eye to gauge her reaction.
“Um…”
After a quick glance at my face, Doah slowly spoke.
“…Should we take a look?”
“…You want to?”
“I mean, it's just… kind of fascinating that they sell this stuff in a place like this.”
Figuring that the more we tried to explain ourselves, the more awkward it would get, I simply took her hand and pushed the curtain aside instead of answering.
…Whoa.
I knew it was an open-minded country, but the thought that even Daiso had a section like this was mind-boggling.
Doah's eyes went wide as she looked around.
It was all so explicit that it was hard to even comment on it.
We just held hands and walked slowly between the aisles.
No words were exchanged, and just as I was thinking we should probably just leave…
“Wow, I think this one's bigger than yours.”
They were unmistakably Korean.
It seemed we weren't the only Koreans here.
“What are you talking about, Han Naeun? You've seen mine, how can you not estimate the size?”
Around the corner was a couple who looked to be around our age, maybe a little older.
“No, this one definitely looks bigger.”
“You can't even get the scale right. You're a disgrace to the architecture department.”
The woman said, dangling a model labeled ‘Sample’.
The two of them were probably speaking so freely because they were abroad, but as fellow pure-blooded Koreans, we could feel our faces getting hot from their embarrassing conversation.
“I-Ikou ka na! (L-Let's get going!)”
Doah suddenly blurted out in Japanese.
She grabbed my arm and parted the couple before us like the Red Sea, escaping the 19+ section.
It wasn't until we were a full floor down that Doah burst out laughing.
“Ah, I was so embarrassed I thought I was going to die.”
“I know, right? Phew. I was worried it would be awkward if they realized we understood everything.”
It was so funny I couldn't help but let out a hearty laugh.
“How was my Japanese?”
“You sounded like an anime voice actor.”
“So you're saying it was top-notch.”
Doah flashed a victory V-sign, then said it was time to go home and led me back to the subway station. We got back to the hotel around 10 PM.
“That was fun.”
“It was. Oppa, can I shower first?”
“Yeah, go ahead.”
Doah finished her shower and came out with just a towel wrapped around her, then pushed me toward the bathroom, telling me to hurry up and wash.
I took a thorough shower, washing every nook and cranny with warm water, and finished by brushing my teeth.
It was because there was a high probability we'd be sleeping together.
I put on a robe and stepped out, and waiting for me was…
“What are you looking at, you hentai!”
“You… you…!”
My dear girlfriend, dressed in a Luka cosplay, giving me a playful wink.