A pair of slender, bare legs—smooth, fair, and firm—radiated the youthful charm unique to a young woman.
After slipping out of her usual school JK uniform and changing into a stylish, skin-baring outfit, even Kurosawa Ren had to admit: Kitagawa Umi looked refreshing in a whole new way.
Catching the boy's admiring gaze, the blonde girl's heart fluttered, warm and sweet like honey.
Sneaking home early to get ready and put on makeup? Totally worth it.
"Ren-kun, your cosplay costume is ready! The comic con is tomorrow, so let's go pick it up now."
Kitagawa Umi truly lived up to her reputation as a "Shibuya local." She expertly weaved through the busy city streets and alleys, dragging Ren along with practiced ease.
Soon enough, they arrived at a bustling cosplay boutique filled with girls.
"Whoa, that guy's hot!"
"He has such a chill vibe!"
"Wait… is he that blonde girl's boyfriend? Ugh, I'm so jealous!"
It felt like Tang Sanzang had walked into the Kingdom of Women—a calm man in a sea of excitable girls.
As Ren entered the store with Umi, the room suddenly quieted—only to erupt moments later in an excited chorus of whispers and giggles.
This boutique specialized in custom cosplay outfits—high quality, and pricey to match.
There wasn't a single guy in the store—just a crowd of girls around their age.
"Hah!"
Umi posed confidently, one hand on her hip as she proudly scanned the room. The jealous stares and curious glances fed her vanity like fuel to a flame.
Bringing along a good-looking guy was the ultimate flex.
"Hey, Umi! Your two cosplay outfits are ready—I'll grab them for you!"
The boutique owner, recognizing one of her best customers, lit up with a warm, familiar smile.
Cosplay wasn't a cheap hobby.
If Kitagawa Umi didn't have a generous dad supporting her and wasn't earning side income from her modeling gigs, she probably would've given it up already.
"Haimeng, this must be your boyfriend, right? He's tall! How long have you two been together?"
The teasing tone from the shopkeeper made Umi's fair cheeks instantly blush pink.
She threw a nervous glance at Ren, then fumbled for a response.
"Boss, you—you've got it wrong! We're just friends…"
"Friends? Well, take one more step and you've got a boyfriend!" the woman chuckled, eyes twinkling with mischief. She gave Ren a playful shove toward Umi. "Don't mind me, sweetie—but if you're serious, don't make the girl chase you all the time. You boys gotta be brave too!"
Ren could've easily resisted the gentle push—but he didn't.
Smiling, he allowed himself to be nudged forward and stood beside Umi, whose face had turned a deep shade of red.
"Well then, my dear girlfriend," he teased, "what would you like me to do?"
"I—I think we should just go!" she stammered.
Flustered, Umi grabbed his hand and dashed out of the store, ignoring the playful cheers behind them.
A few blocks away, once they'd finally slowed down, she huffed and puffed, half laughing and half sulking.
"Ren-kun, seriously… Why didn't you tell her we're not actually a couple?!"
"But Umi," he replied casually, "you didn't deny it either."
"You're such a flirt," she muttered, though her eyes sparkled. "If Shiyu-senpai found out, she'd never forgive you…"
Though her heart fluttered with joy, a pang of jealousy hit her at the mention of Kasumigaoka Shiyu.
You beat me to him, senpai. But this game isn't over yet…
Since her father was constantly busy with work, Kitagawa Umi lived alone.
Ren followed her back to her apartment.
Warm and homey, the small space was meticulously clean and lovingly decorated. Photos lined the entryway—Umi as a tearful preschooler, then a smiling elementary schooler, growing gradually into the radiant girl she was today.
"Ren-kun, I've got a few cosplay outfits I want to show you. Come with me to the bedroom!"
Back home, Umi's reserved public persona vanished. She gleefully tugged him by the hand toward her room.
Clang-clang-clang!
She opened the closet and pulled out a dramatic, Gothic-style Lolita dress with practiced ease.
"This is Kuroe Shizuku-chan's outfit!" she said proudly. "It cost me a ton of pocket money."
"Ren-kun, wait outside for a bit—I'll call you in once I've changed."
Minutes later, a soft voice called out, "You can come in."
Ren opened the door and stepped inside.
Standing before the mirror was Umi, transformed.
She wore a frilly, elegant black-and-white Lolita dress—its short skirt hugging her curves. Her smooth, long legs were wrapped in glossy black stockings, shimmering under the bedroom light.
Her soft blonde hair contrasted perfectly with the dark, moody outfit.
"Re-Ren-kun… does it look good?"
Her voice trembled slightly, nervous but expectant.
"Kuroe Shizuku-chan's kinda… provocative, so I've never worn this one outside. It's too revealing…"
Feeling Ren's intense gaze, her knees suddenly felt weak.
"You look amazing. I love it."
Ren admired her with an open smile—eyes lingering on her graceful, slightly bent figure.
Then something caught his eye.
On the inside of her upper thighs, scribbled faintly in carbon pen, were multiple "正" characters—the kind used to count rounds of something.
Forty-two. Below, the words: Iwanaga Kotoko.
"S…"
A gift from the gods?
Ren blinked. He didn't know which twisted genius had started the trend of writing tally marks on the absolute zone—but whoever it was, bless them.
He stood up straight, heart pounding.
"Ren-kun?"
When she noticed his silence, Umi turned to face him—only to find him closing the distance between them.
"This outfit," he whispered, "from now on, only I get to see it."
"...Okay."
She nodded, cheeks flushed, eyes lowered.
She never wore such daring clothes in public. This was a secret—meant only for her and him.
If she hadn't wanted to leave a lasting impression on him, she never would've fought through her embarrassment and shown him this much of herself.
Ren inhaled deeply.
He needed to let something out.
Looking at Umi's pink, trembling lips, he gently placed his hands around her waist and pulled her close.
Then he kissed her.
Soft. Sweet. Strawberry lip gloss.
They'd almost crossed the line that night.
The next morning, Ren stepped out of Kitagawa Umi's building in full cosplay—still catching hints of that strawberry scent on his lips.
"Ren-kun~~!"
Umi raced down the stairs after him, her cheeks pink, her smile bright and unashamed.
Skipping school yesterday to spend time together had given her a confidence boost.
"Morning!"
"See? I told you—this Berserker Armor suits you perfectly!"
Umi beamed with pride as she checked out Ren's cosplay: Guts, the main character from Berserk.
Known by fans as "Big Brother Guts," the original Guts was a towering warrior clad in deadly black armor and wielding a 230-kilogram Dragonslayer sword.
He was fierce, skilled, and brutally iconic.
With his mastery of projection magic, Ren could bring the cosplay to life—down to the most authentic detail.
Today, he carried an actual projected Dragonslayer sword on his back, walking side by side with Umi, who was dressed as Frieren.
Together, they looked like a pair of medieval legends dropped into modern Tokyo.
The comic exhibition was set to open at 10 a.m.
But diehard fans—hungry for limited-edition merch and autographed books—had been lining up since sunrise, jamming themselves into the first subway trains.
The underground passageways, once filled with salarymen and students, now bustled with colorfully dressed cosplayers from all over.
Ren, towering in full Guts armor, gripped Umi's soft little hand as they navigated the crowd.
On one side, he dodged Mao Lilan's infamous triple-point hairstyle. On the other, he narrowly avoided getting stabbed by Zoro's katana.
After weaving through the chaotic wave of fandom, they finally found Kato Megumi waiting at the rendezvous point.
"Good morning."
Kato was cosplaying Mami Tomoe, the elegant magical girl from Puella Magi Madoka Magica—complete with curled blonde hair that had clearly taken hours to style.
She gave them her usual calm, gentle smile while adjusting her wig.
"Let's get on the train."
Ren, already tall, now looked even more intimidating in his black armor, with a massive blade strapped to his back.
No one wanted to get stabbed by a greatsword on a packed train, so people instinctively stepped aside to give the trio space.
And so, in the middle of the morning crush, they found a rare spot of peace in the crowd.
Just enough space to breathe.