The Yutonovel Festival, Part 2
Sia and Shin Jiwu followed the manager to go change their clothes.
That left just Jeongho and me.
"Hey, what got into you?"
"What do you mean?"
"You've barely known the manager for a day. How does it make sense to start dating and sleep together after just one day?"
The manager and Jeongho.
The two of them had started dating and slept together in a single day.
Talk about moving fast. I really couldn't understand either of them.
"Dahye Nuna? At first, it was super awkward and I wanted to run away... but she turned out to be surprisingly sweet."
"Well... she is kind. It's thanks to her that we're even here."
"And... when we ended up at the motel and did it, I was seriously shocked. A woman turning thirty next year, and it was her first time? It was so damn cute."
Watching Jeongho rub the bottom of his nose with a smug, satisfied grin made him even harder to understand.
"You find that cute...?"
"Of course! Look at her body. How does it make sense for a woman with a body like that to stay a virgin until twenty-nine? Honestly, maybe Nuna and I are destined for each other. Holy shit! I must have saved a country in my past life."
"Don't overdo it."
"I'm already thinking about marrying Dahye Nuna. Ryu Hyunseong, don't make things difficult for her. Got it?"
"Don't worry. The one making things difficult isn't me, it's the manager herself."
Jeongho was already completely head over heels for the manager.
Well... with her figure, I suppose it made sense. She usually dressed so casually that I had no idea she was that well-endowed.
"Hyunseong, are you thinking of marrying Sia?"
"M-marriage...? Of course! I'm definitely going to succeed as a writer and propose to her."
I clenched my fists, a fire of determination burning hot inside me.
I promised Sia. I would succeed with my novels, no matter what. And then I would propose.
"But what if you don't succeed? Are you not going to marry her then?"
"Uh... that's... N-no! Why are you even assuming that? I have to succeed, no matter what."
"You never know. Saying you'll only propose once you succeed... in the end, if you don't make it, Sia just has to keep waiting for you forever."
"...Don't worry. I'll succeed. I'm going to make a fortune writing. I'll hit the ten-grand-a-month club."
"Right. Sorry for asking something so pointless."
"It's fine."
If I didn't succeed with my novels, Sia would have to keep waiting for me.
I didn't know when I would succeed. And just like Jeongho said, there was a chance I might never make it.
Would Sia really wait for me forever? My mind was a complete mess.
"Anyway, they're taking a while."
"Well... cosplay outfits are harder to get into than you'd think."
"I'm looking forward to it... I don't know about Jiwu, but Sia's got a great body."
"Hey... don't say stuff like that in front of me."
I glared at Geum Jeongho with a look of pure annoyance, warning him.
Even if he was my best friend, I wouldn't tolerate him looking at my girlfriend that way.
"Yes, yes, whatever you say, Mr. Whipped Ryu Hyunseong."
"Who's whipped...?"
Jeongho smirked at me.
There was no way I was whipped. This was just basic boyfriend behavior...
So why did I feel so embarrassed? My face flushed slightly.
"Hyunseong~ We're back~."
I heard Shin Jiwu's annoying voice from a distance.
If she was back, did that mean... Sia was done changing too?
"Sorry to keep you waiting, everyone! Tada!"
The manager approached us, leading Sia and Shin Jiwu.
"S-Sia... is that really you...?"
This was definitely a cosplay of Window from The Otherworld Green-Haired Worker.
Cherry-blossom pink hair. Deep blue eyes that looked like the ocean.
A short, pure white dress that showed off her cleavage and looked like it might reveal her underwear at any second. And thigh-high boots...
It was incredibly r-racy... but it suited her perfectly.
The quality was so high, it felt like she was about to yell, "Hey, Kim Coat!" at me any second!
"H-Hyunseong... how... how do I look...?"
Sia seemed incredibly embarrassed by the revealing outfit... no, the cosplay.
Her face was bright red, and she couldn't even look me in the eye, only stealing glances at me.
She was so damn cute. Absolutely adorable!
"It... it suits you. You look like the goddess of beau—"
"Don't make such a fuss."
"Ow! That hurts."
Just as I was about to pour my heart out, completely mesmerized by Sia's cosplay, Jeongho cut me off by digging his elbow hard into my ribs.
"Anyway...! You really look great, Sia."
"T-Th... thanks."
Sia and I. We looked at each other, both of us blushing red as we shared a smile.
"Hyunseong~, what about me? Look at me too~."
"Not interested."
"Whyyy~! Look at me."
Shin Jiwu suddenly wedged herself between us.
I couldn't care less about her, but her constant clinging was getting annoying.
"*Sigh*... So what are you supposed to be?"
I let out a sigh and reluctantly turned my gaze to Shin Jiwu.
Let's see... Deep purple ponytail, matching eyes, and a pitch-black uniform... What character was this? I had no idea.
"What...? You don't know Erika Rosario from The Dragon's Slave Mage?"
"Erika Rosario...? Of course I know her. But Erika Rosario's chest is..."
Erika Rosario. A character whose main charm point was her massive, watermelon-sized breasts...
If she had a chest like Sia's, maybe she could pull it off. But with Shin Jiwu's flat-as-a-board chest, it was just impossible.
"I-I used pads, okay?!"
"Uh... you did?"
"Yes, I did!!"
I could only look at Shin Jiwu with pity as she desperately tried to push her chest together to make it look bigger.
There were plenty of flat-chested characters out there, so why on earth did she choose to cosplay an ultra-busty one?
"Excuse me...! Would it be alright if we took some photos?"
A few men with messy hair approached us and politely asked for a photo.
"I'm fine with it! What kind of pose would you like?!"
The manager immediately struck a sexy pose.
She seemed thrilled to have her cosplay recognized.
"And would the person cosplaying Window be okay with a photo too?"
"I-I'd rather not."
"Aw, come on. Don't be like that."
As one of the men stepped closer to Sia, she immediately hid behind my back.
Judging by the uncomfortable look on her face, she really didn't want to be photographed.
"She said she doesn't want to. Don't force her."
I grabbed the approaching man's arm, glaring at him with a cold, serious expression.
"S-sorry... The cosplayer's quality was just so amazing, I got a bit carried away..."
"*Sigh*... Just don't do it again."
"Yes, I'm very sorry."
I wanted to throw a punch at the guy for making Sia uncomfortable, but seeing him apologize so politely calmed me down a bit.
"You can take as many pictures of me as you want!"
Shin Jiwu's eyes sparkled as she flirted with the men.
It was honestly disgusting.
"Who is she cosplaying?"
"Do you know?"
"No, never seen it before."
The men whispered among themselves as they looked at Shin Jiwu. It seemed they were thinking the exact same thing I was.
"I'm Erika Rosario from The Dragon's Slave Mage!"
Shin Jiwu explained proudly, but...
"Huh...? Erika?"
"But her chest is..."
"Shh, stop. You'll hurt the cosplayer's feelings."
The reaction was, as expected... not great.
"Ugh... I should have just... done something else..."
Shin Jiwu squatted down on the spot, muttering to herself.
Her face was filled with disappointment, and her voice was thick with sorrow.
Serves her right. Heh.
"Oh...?! Now that I look closer, you look exactly like Erika!"
"I seriously thought the real Erika had descended into the real world!"
"Would it be okay if we took a picture?!"
The men tried their best to cheer up the depressed Shin Jiwu, showering her with compliments.
There was really no need to be so nice to someone like her...
"Right?! Okay, take as many as you want!!"
Shin Jiwu immediately stood up and began striking various poses.
I couldn't tell if she was just simple-minded... or if she had planned this reaction all along.
Click! Click!
While everyone's attention was focused on Shin Jiwu and the manager taking photos...
"H-Hyunseong...?"
"Shh."
I took hold of Sia's slender hand as she hid behind me.
She seemed startled by the sudden touch, but I didn't care. I quietly led her away from the crowd.
"W-where are we going?"
"Hmm... somewhere we can be alone?"
"W-what...? What does that mean?"
I ran, holding Sia's hand.
Sia, dragged along with a bewildered expression, kept questioning me, but...
"I don't know! I just want to be alone with you."
I laughed playfully and just kept running with her.
"Hey, people are staring at us."
"I don't care."
The eyes of everyone around us locked onto us.
And no wonder—running off with a girl in a cosplay outfit was a situation practically begging to be misunderstood.
Sia lowered her head, clearly embarrassed by the attention, but she didn't stop running.
After running for a while, we found a quiet rest area that seemed completely deserted.
"*Pant... pant...* That was a bit t-tiring..."
"Y-yeah..."
Catching our breath, we sat down on a bench to rest.
"It was so crowded just a moment ago... but it's so quiet here."
"Yeah..."
Sia seemed pretty exhausted.
I felt a small pang of guilt. Running off blindly without even considering how she felt... I really was an idiot.
We sat in silence for a moment, catching our breath.
Just the two of us... I wanted this moment to last forever.
"Hey... Sia?"
"Yeah...?"
Sitting side-by-side on the small bench, I finally broke the long silence.
I looked at her with a serious expression and spoke calmly.
"Do you remember what I said before? That I'd propose to you once I succeed with my novels."
"W-why so suddenly...? I... I remember."
Sia blushed deeply, startled.
She looked incredibly lovely, but now wasn't the time to get distracted.
"But... I don't know when I'll succeed. Even if it takes a long time... will you wait for me?"
I laid my true feelings bare. I desperately wanted to hear her answer.
Half-fearful, half-hopeful. S-she wouldn't hate me for saying this, right?
"Hyunseong... I..."
Just as Sia was about to answer my question...
"Found you! So this is where you were."
The manager was sprinting toward us like a rabid dog.
How was it even possible to run that fast in a cosplay outfit? It made no sense.
And more importantly, how did she even find us? Her terrifying speed was goosebump-inducing.
The manager, approaching with a creepy smile, was absolutely terrifying.
"Alright~ Sia, it's time to get ready! Author, I'm going to take Sia with me now, so make sure to come watch the Cosplay Festival starting soon~."
"W-wait..."
Without even waiting for Sia to reply, the manager grabbed her by the wrist and bolted back toward the event hall.
Sia, dragged along like a piece of luggage... looked so pitiful it almost brought tears to my eyes.
As the sun set and evening approached, the Cosplay Festival was about to begin.
I was looking forward to it, but what was this empty feeling lingering in a corner of my heart...?