Chapter 111. Wait, You Did That?
Chapter 111. Wait, You Did That?
The day of the event.
A crowd several times the usual size had shown up.
The organizers had hired significantly more staff than usual and were pouring every effort into safety management.
"Hall A, no issues."
"Hall B, no issues."
"Food trucks are currently entering the loading bay."
Simply creating and distributing a systematic manual wasn't enough.
Given the massive crowd, they also prepared thoroughly for noise and waste management.
[ Author: Anonymous ]
[ Title: Who's number 1 right now? ]
[ Content: Wow, I've been in line since 4 AM and there are still so many people ahead of me lol ]
↳ lol I lined up at midnight the night before and I was still not number 1
↳ Author: For real? That's insane lol
↳ I thought just coming around 1 AM would be enough but there were tons of people
↳ There were a ton of foreigners here from the start?
As expected, the community boards were buzzing with huge expectations for this event.
[ Author: Anonymous ]
[ Title: They're just striking while the iron's hot ]
[ Content: Normally they'd only use one exhibition hall, but this time they're using all of them
And that's not all, they even rented the gym next door? ]
↳ I've never actually been there, so was it really that big of a deal?
↳ Just open a booking app and check lol. There were zero places to stay nearby
↳ Yeah, I arrived the day before and slept at a jjimjilbang because there were no rooms
↳ And apparently, they're running a baggage check at one end of the parking lot too?
Photos kept pouring in from the people who got in first.
And so, communication continued steadily with those still waiting in line.
[ Author: Anonymous ]
[ Title: (Scroll warning) Some rough photos of cosplayers and booths ]
[ Content: This time is just legendary ]
↳ There were so many people here my data barely works, damn
↳ It seemed even bigger than that event held in Japan lol
↳ So when was the Saintess coming?
↳ Author: I saw the Saintess, told her I was a fan and she waved at me—I almost collapsed;;
And as if the community fire weren't already crackling on its own, there was one person who simply couldn't be left out.
[ Author: Saintess's Foot Wiper ]
[ Title: Yo, I'm already inside ]
[ Content: (Photo of Laila's hair and a staff pass) This time the crowd is seriously on a whole other level yeah
There were tons of celebrities and streamers for the performances ]
↳ You damn bastard, why were you the only one inside?
↳ Author: Because I'm staff lol
↳ God, I really want to kill you for showing off lol
↳ Chae-hyun, if I see you, I'm seriously giving you a knuckle sandwich
↳ Author: Idiot lol, try and catch me
It wasn't just the community—news outlets were also flooded with a ton of stories.
[ Hotels and Restaurants Packed... Local Economy Booms Thanks to Game Festival ]
[ Economic Ripple Effect of Game Festival... Local Government Shouts 'We Are Grateful' ]
When the tide comes in, you have to row—but the organizers were finding themselves short on oars.
"This bet was the right one...!!!"
The chief operating director had, in fact, made a huge gamble.
Hiring more people than usual was a given, but he had hired several times that number.
When everyone worried it was excessive, he staked his resignation on it and vowed to take responsibility.
"Ah..."
Naturally, he clasped his hands together and offered a prayer to someone(?).
---
After finishing all the makeup, I was having a simple lunch right there on site.
"Manager, would it be alright if I walked around for a bit?"
I asked her beforehand, in case there were any security concerns related to the cosplay.
"Of course, that's fine. We already announced the cosplay on the company's social media, so everyone else will know about it too~"
Since I was here, I wanted to look around.
There was still time before the promotion schedule, so I wanted to take this chance to feel the excitement in the air.
'Since a lot of games I like were here too...'
I had liked comics and games since I was a student, so this space was a rather welcoming world to me.
"Wow... Do people custom-order stuff like that?"
I couldn't help but voice my admiration as I watched the cosplayers passing by.
Even ordinary people who weren't official models had costumes of incredible quality.
"She's pretty... but isn't she cold...?"
— Squeeze...
But every time my gaze wandered here and there, someone squeezed my arm tightly.
As usual, she wore an expressionless smile on her face, but her cheeks were subtly puffed out.
"..."
'I wanted to kiss her so badly right then...'
Just then, I spotted something familiar in the distance.
And the scene I witnessed moments later was nothing short of astonishing.
"Isn't that me and Laila?"
Two cosplayers who had perfectly recreated me and Laila came into view.
The man had a muscular physique built from exercise, blond hair, slightly tanned skin, and wore a performance tee and shorts.
In his hand was a club shaped like my artifact, intricately crafted from plastic.
"Whoa! A fan!"
In contrast, the woman beside him had flawlessly reproduced Laila's outfit as well.
A long blue wig, golden contact lenses, the Saintess robe, and so on.
The look clearly showed the immense effort they had put into it.
"Wow, a real fan! Would it be okay if we took a picture together?"
I took photos with the couple who approached me, making a fuss.
"Saintess big sis... you're really so beautiful... I think you're prettier than the original character."
The female cosplayer looked at Laila with what seemed like genuine emotion in her eyes.
Then, she rummaged through her bag and pulled out a small lollipop, holding it out.
"This... if it's not rude of me... could you put it in your mouth and... look down on us like we're beneath your notice...?"
'Ah, was that your taste...?'
For a moment, I was genuinely taken aback.
Laila quietly put the candy in her mouth and lifted her chin slightly.
"Kyaaaah!!!"
Her eyes truly looked as though she were annoyed and gazing down on someone as 'beneath her notice.'
'What was this...?'
A strange tickle ran through my chest.
'This side of Laila... might be okay too?'
---
Soon, the time for the booth event approached.
A famous game caster was already on stage, hyping up the crowd.
"Alright~ everyone! This is the moment you've all been waiting for!"
The caster skillfully handled the mic, cheerfully explaining the game's features and charms.
Following his lead, the large screen displayed illustrations of the new season's characters, events, and various schedules one after another.
"This character was already announced, right?"
A moment later, a single spotlight illuminated the stage.
There, Laila appeared, wearing a maid outfit with a huge tail attached behind her.
Cheers and gasps erupted simultaneously from the audience.
"Haha, the energy here is amazing? How are you feeling?"
"This is my first time at an event like this too... I'm nervous, but I'm relieved everyone seems to like it."
The caster naturally assisted her, proceeding with a simple quiz, bingo, and a raffle event for the character's fans.
Then they went through the game highlights users had voted for, a popularity poll for the most beloved characters, and so on.
"Hmm... This character's ranking wasn't like this originally, you know? Could it be because of Laila's influence...?"
The skilled caster handled things smoothly to avoid putting any pressure on Laila.
Next, after a player-versus-player event and a session with the game's director, Part 1 of the event concluded.
"Oh, lastly, please do that line for us!"
Laila put a lollipop in her mouth and looked at the audience indifferently from the stage.
"You want to touch? No."
"Waaaaah!!!"
Amidst the provocative(?) cheers from the users, Laila quietly disappeared behind the stage.
The event went into a short break as they prepared for Part 2.
---
Returning to the waiting room, Laila had her makeup touched up again.
The costume prepared for Part 2 was a bit simpler than the one before.
"Hmm... isn't this a bit too... revealing?"
"Fufu, I totally understand the concern from a boyfriend's perspective."
"Ahem..."
They styled Laila's hair up with something like a mesh net.
And then, they styled it to look like a bob cut.
They tied her hair on both sides and attached large flower-shaped pins.
"Hero, I'll go change my clothes, okay~?"
A moment later, she came back after changing her clothes.
Then, she stood before me, put a finger to her lips, and smiled softly.
"How about this one?"
"..."
She was so beautiful it was hard to meet her eyes.
So, without realizing it, I looked away and changed the subject.
"Where did Emir and Max go?"
"Ah, both of them went off to get their makeup done earlier. They should be here soon."
Right then, someone appeared.
"Boss!"
The first to show himself was Emir.
His hair was neatly slicked back with pomade, with a few strands falling softly over his forehead.
He wore a sleeveless leather top, with matching leather for his bottoms.
And in both hands, he held his artifact, the Twin Spears.
'He actually went through with it...'
Yet it oddly suited him.
The solid muscles, the short hairstyle...
And above all, the fact that he actually uses twin spears.
"Wahahaha!! I am here too!!"
I turned toward the voice and saw Max, fully decked out in his costume.
"What the... this is...?"
Max was, in a word, overwhelming.
His muscles looked ready to burst against his dark-painted skin, and his upper body was completely bare.
His lower body was clad in short-pants-style armor with a metallic sheen.
Thick bracelets adorned his wrists and ankles.
"Wait, he actually did that?"
The long black hair from the wig flew wildly as if scattered by the wind.
And he wore one red contact lens and one gold one.
In his hands was a massive club that looked far too large.
"Didn't you say you were doing a character from Norse mythology?"
"Kuh-huh! I heard my frame was too large to pull that one off!"
"No, I mean... in a way, this guy is also a mythological character..."
I couldn't say anything else.
The impact was just that strong.
It seemed like no one else could have suited this cosplay as perfectly as Max did.
"Anyway, I want to look around a bit too! Sitting still while they painted my skin like this—I'm itching to move!"