Chapter 108. Pregnancy News...?
Chapter 108. Pregnancy News...?
The managers' eyes went wide.
"...Huh? A, a costume...?"
"Yes."
An odd silence settled over the meeting room.
One of the managers hurriedly flipped through some documents, while another stared into space before looking back at me.
'Seriously... we agonized over what on earth we could do for you... and you want a costume?'
"Ah, that's... a bit difficult to answer right this moment."
The lead manager barely managed to speak up.
He waved his hand and quickly continued.
"O-of course...! It's not that we can't do it, but... costumes aren't under our direct jurisdiction, so we'll ask right away and give you an answer immediately!"
At the lead manager's words, the others rushed out of the meeting room.
They were probably going to report to the higher-ups.
"That outfit you saw was something the designers put a great deal of effort into making."
That got a laugh out of me.
It was obvious just looking at it—filled with intricate details, right down to the patterns on the buttons.
"I like it very much. Even more so if it's made with such care."
I glanced sideways at Laila.
'And I had another reason to like it even more...'
Of course, I didn't voice that last inner thought.
As the atmosphere eased slightly, one of the managers cautiously spoke up.
"If it's alright with you... would you perhaps be able to make a brief appearance at the game festival being held in Seoul? It's a major event with most domestic and international game companies participating..."
My eyebrows twitched slightly at the suggestion.
Her taking photos in the costume was one thing.
But the idea of an unspecified number of wolves (?) staring at her at an event venue.
'Laila in a costume... in front of countless people?'
"Hmm... that's a bit..."
I gave a slightly troubled look.
But Laila, sitting beside me, just looked at me quietly and grinned.
"I don't mind, you know? As long as... it's not something too revealing, I'm mostly okay."
'...'
The manager nodded as if that was a given.
Even the tie pin subtly visible beneath the suit jacket of this man—who looked to be in his mid-forties—was engraved with a game character logo.
"Of course. We fully understand the weight the name Unknown Hunter carries. And also..."
"?"
"As a fellow married man, I completely understand how the boyfriend feels."
The manager smiled as if he, as a fellow man, understood everything.
'Wait a minute... so he knew exactly why I asked for the costume in the first place...?'
While all these thoughts were swirling in my head, Laila leaned in and whispered.
"The naughty ones... I'll wear those when it's just the two of us~♥"
"...!!!"
My face instantly flushed, burning hot like it was about to explode.
My dark-complexioned face turned bright red all the way to my earlobes.
Seeing my reaction, the manager smiled a deeply knowing, satisfied smile.
"Haha... I had times like that with my wife too."
He was looking at me with an expression as if he were watching his own child (?).
"That's just how youth is."
And so, they wrapped up the meeting, promising to carefully package and send the original costume as well.
---
The meeting ended very smoothly.
On the way home with Laila, I was a little surprised.
"I thought once you're an adult, you stop liking games and become all jaded..."
They genuinely loved their games.
One of the managers had joked about it, but he said that after fixed expenses, all his leftover spending money went straight into his own company's games.
- My wife nags me a bit, but... hahaha! Well, it's a wholesome hobby, isn't it?
As soon as we got home, we changed into comfortable clothes.
Then we set up the camera and lighting and turned on the stream.
[ World's Strongest Hero: Laila Cosplay Meeting Finished ]
A thumbnail of a beautiful woman and the word 'cosplay'.
This combination, which struck a chord (?) in men's hearts, had definitely pulled in the viewers.
[??? You said cosplay, you bastard]
[Hey jerk, she's not wearing anything, wtf]
[Show us something, hurry up!!!]
[Heuuuung, glare at me too...]
I let out a short laugh and shook my head.
"It's still a secret. The costume has gone into production, and it's scheduled to be revealed on the day of the event."
[wtf is this clickbait title]
[You're like one of those mass-produced YouTube Shorts bastards;;]
I wasn't lying.
The cosplay meeting actually was finished.
[ Saintess's Foot Wiper has donated 50,000 Watts! ]
- I'm a manager, can I see the Saintess big sis's cosplay early...?
'Come to think of it, should I just make the manager cosplay too...?'
[Seriously, enough with the insider circle, f**k!!!!]
[Is the mod openly playing favorites right now???]
[ChaehyunChaehyun... please stop crossing the line...]
I smirked at their reactions and casually pulled up Discord.
I hopped into a channel where people were gathered.
"Oh? It's Hoon?"
"Hiya~"
"Yeah, we just got back from the meeting."
Lucia was the first to speak up.
"Hmm... if Laila's going to the event, should I also participate as a cosplayer?"
"You, sis?"
"Yep~ If you go in as a cosplayer, you don't have to stand in line and can get right in."
Lucia said it with a straight face.
"In a pinch, I'll just name-drop Hoon and Laila and walk right in~"
Then she suddenly lowered her voice and whispered playfully.
"If I say, 'Hey! I've eaten with the Unknown and, uh, even went to a party with them!' won't they open the door for me?"
Everyone burst out laughing at Lucia's joke.
Just then, something crossed my mind.
"Sis, you know about the game festival?"
"Huh? Of course. I do outdoor streams, and lots of streamers go there to shoot vlogs."
"Oh..."
"There are even people who get paid ads or sponsorships to go."
I had seen streamers doing ad reads they called 'homework' sometimes.
Still, I was a little surprised at how much wider a streamer's scope of activities was than I'd thought.
Just then, Lucia's voice came through the microphone, slow and low.
It was a strangely sticky tone, like a tickle in the ear.
"In that case... should big sis go and show off a really amazing cosplay? Fufu..."
That very moment.
'Those cosplay photos' began exploding into my mind.
The glowing eyes, the latex suit tight around the waist, and the camera angle looking up from below.
'...'
My eyes went blank for a moment, like they were idling.
─ Squeeze!!
"Aack...!!!"
[Why'd this guy suddenly scream?]
[That scared the crap out of me, you crazy bastard]
A hand had suddenly shot in from under the camera and fiercely twisted a vital part of my anatomy.
I glanced to the side and saw Laila staring into the monitor with icy cold eyes.
"Hmm..."
Laila quietly, and very gently, spoke with a smile.
"Fufu... big sis, jokes like that aren't very nice."
Then Lucia, who was a pro at this sort of thing, replied without missing a beat.
"Don't worry~"
"Fufu, I was just kidding around too~"
Saying that, Laila's chilly gaze turned to me.
'Ah... today as well...'
I resigned myself and closed my eyes.
---
─ Ring ring...
"Huh? A call from Max?"
"Oh my, really?"
As soon as I answered the phone, Max's booming voice came through.
"Hey Hoon! I'm coming to Korea!"
"...Huh?"
"Wahaha!!! She kept pestering me about how she wanted to visit Korea...! Anyway, we're on our way now!"
Max laughed his usual hearty laugh, abruptly told us the flight arrival time, and then hung up.
Laila and I stared blankly at my phone.
"...?"
"Oh my, isn't this good news?"
Laila beamed and clapped her hands.
"It'll take some time to get the costume anyway... and things are a little relaxed right now, aren't they?"
"That's true."
"We were treated so well last time in the US, so this time, we'll be the guides!"
I nodded at Laila's words.
There was still some time until the event, and the airport wasn't that far from here.
We left right away for the airport with Laila, parked, and waited in front of the arrival gate.
"Hero, isn't that the plane Max is on?"
Maybe because they came by private jet, they arrived quickly.
And through the crowd, Max's hearty laughter rang out first.
"Wahahahaha!!! Hoon, how long has it been!"
Next to Max, who was waving his arm broadly, Emilia stood quietly as always.
But something was different.
Emilia was walking with a slower gait than usual, one hand placed carefully on her stomach.
And Max was guiding her, holding her hand as carefully as if she were a precious object.
"Uh, yeah... good to see you?"
"Emilia said she wanted to eat Korean food so badly, so we came!"
"Huh, what?"
"We called several chefs, but she said she still wanted to try it in the country of origin, so we dropped everything else and came!"
I couldn't help but laugh at Max's incredible ability to get things done.
"You came... just for food?"
"Wahahaha! Look, my baby wanted to eat it!"
"...What?"
At Max's words, Laila immediately went up to Emilia.
And she gently took her hand.
"Emilia, could it be... are you pregnant?"
Emilia smiled shyly for a moment, then gave a small nod.
"Yes..."
"Oh my, congratulations!"
Laila held Emilia's hands and made a delighted fuss.
And, as if fascinated, she kept sneaking glances at Emilia's belly.
"Hahaha! Hoon, are you two not planning on having children!?"
"..."
At Max's words, Laila's gaze turned toward him.
"Max..."
"Yes..."
"We'll be there soon, too..."
The giant Max quietly looked down at Laila, who was shorter than him.
Then he closed his mouth and just nodded silently.