It's a little past 5 a.m.
A massive, dragon-like queue has formed in front of a bookstore. The night is still cold. The reason for the line is simple: the highly popular, best-selling author Yamada Elf has released a hardcover edition of The Explosive Dark Elf to celebrate its anime adaptation. As a bonus, twenty of these books are autographed by Yamada Elf herself, serving as a special prize for her fans. To get their hands on a copy of the new edition as soon as possible, the "holy war" of passionate otaku is about to begin. The event has even attracted the attention of reporters.
"I've been in line since last night, but there were already people here when I arrived."
"I'm here for my daughter. Hey, you punk in front of me, switch places with me, you bastard! (clicks his tongue)"
"Oh? I don't even like the book, but I'm going to buy it and resell it for a high price."
The reasons for buying the book are varied, but the goal is the same.
"Achoo!"
In the line, Eriri lets out a sneeze, shivering in the biting cold of the night. Her outfit is completely different from her usual one. She's wearing a green tracksuit with black-rimmed glasses, and her beautiful blonde hair is tucked entirely into a brown artist's beret. She's dressed to be as inconspicuous as possible. She has a secret she can't reveal.
During the day at school, she's a popular, beautiful princess, an elegant and energetic socialite, the center of attention. At home, she's a full-blown otaku. In Japan, otaku are often at the very bottom of the social ladder and are frequently discriminated against. Eriri doesn't want to ruin the image she's worked so hard to maintain, and she definitely doesn't want to expose her otaku side. So, whenever she has to leave the house for otaku-related activities, she always wears a disguise.
On this special day, her parents are in a car, in line at two different bookstores, while she chose this one closer to home. Regardless, as a fan of Yamada Elf, she is determined to get a copy of the signed hardcover edition of The Explosive Dark Elf.
"There are so many people. Damn it, am I too late?" Eriri mutters, standing on her tiptoes to peer at the endless queue. Anxiety flashes in her clear blue eyes.
At 10 a.m., the bookstore's doors open. The front of the line surges forward, and people pour into the store.
"I want one hardcover copy of The Explosive Dark Elf!"
"I want three!"
"I want three, too... Hey, don't push, you idiot! I'll kill you! (clicks his tongue)"
The entrance to the bookstore is a sea of people. Half an hour later, Eriri finally reaches the counter.
"How could this happen..."
She stares in despair at the empty shelves, feeling like she might cry. She's been in line all night, but she couldn't buy a single copy. Her world seems to lose all its color. But then, a comment from the cashier restores her hope.
"Um, little girl, if you want this book, I can give you mine. I was going to keep it for myself."
The cashier, a young woman, gently pokes the cute blonde girl. Seeing the girl's despondent expression, she can't bear it and takes a book from under the counter.
"Really?! Thank you, miss!"
Eriri's eyes widen, and her face lights up with a big smile, showing off a cute little canine tooth. She quickly pulls money from her pocket, afraid the cashier will change her mind. After getting the book, she scampers away on her slender legs clad in white stockings. Even though it's an unsigned hardcover, she's happy she was able to get a copy of Yamada Elf's masterpiece.
"Ahaha, I, Eriri Spencer Sawamura, am truly the chosen one! I can't wait to show this to my dad!"
The girl's innocent voice is as cheerful as a canary's song. She hugs the book, which she considers a treasure, and bounces down the road in the wealthy neighborhood. She suspects her parents, who went to a bookstore further away, couldn't get a copy. The thought of showing off the book to her father, a fellow otaku, fills her with even more excitement.
Her desire to get home is so strong that she transitions from bouncing to sprinting. She can't wait to see her parents' faces, filled with envy at not being able to get what they wanted.
Bang!
The sprinting Eriri isn't paying attention to where she's going and crashes heavily into something.
"Ah! Ow, ow, ow!"
Eriri falls to the ground. She feels dizzy from the impact to her forehead. "Are you okay?" a concerned voice asks from in front of her.
Eriri struggles to open her eyes. A handsome boy is standing there, reaching out a hand to help her up. But she has no time to admire him. Her hands are empty.
"Thanks, I'm okay," she says, her voice clear and sweet. In a panic, she sees two identical copies of The Explosive Dark Elf on the ground and grabs one. She had gone through all this trouble to get the book; she couldn't lose it.
"Oh, you like this book too?" Ryosuke asks, a bit surprised. It's interesting that there's another fan of Elf's living in this same neighborhood.
"No, no, no, it's not that I like it... I... Anyway, thank you!" Eriri says incoherently. She thanks the stranger and scurries away, hugging the book tightly.
"Phew, finally home." Eriri walks in and tosses her hat onto the sofa. Her golden twin-tails fall naturally, as smooth and soft as silk. They shine like gold in the indoor light.
"Eriri, you're back!" a strong, deep voice calls from upstairs.
Thump-thump-thump!
Spencer, wearing a white T-shirt with an anime print on it, quickly walks down the stairs with a look of surprise and excitement. No one would ever imagine this is what the British diplomat looks like at home.
"I heard the front door and knew you were back! So? Did you get it?" Spencer asks, rubbing his hands together and looking at his daughter with anticipation. He's an otaku, and you could even say he's the one who got his daughter into it. As an old-school anime fan, he's one of Yamada Elf's "servants" on Twitter, one of her most loyal fans. The signed hardcover edition of her famous work was released today, and he drove all night to wait in line, but he still couldn't get a copy.
Eriri sees her father's lack of composure and gives him a look of disdain. With her hands on her hips, she says arrogantly, "Hmph, you didn't get one, Dad? You're so lame."
"Ta-da-da!"
Eriri holds the book out in front of Spencer. He slowly reaches out to touch it, but Eriri quickly pulls it back. She shakes her head wildly, making her twin-tails sway. "No way, this is my book. I'm just letting you look."
Seeing his daughter's refusal, Spencer's face fills with jealousy and disappointment. He becomes like a man who has lost his dreams, a salted fish. After a moment, he cries, "Eriri, your dad stood in the biting cold to sell doujinshi for you. And now, you won't even let him look at a single book?"
Eriri's brow furrows. Her first instinct is to refuse. But seeing her father, an older otaku, look so pathetic, she can't help but feel a little sorry for him. With the book in her right hand behind her back, she extends her left index finger and says reluctantly, "Just for a second, okay? Give it right back when you're done."
As soon as she hands the book over, Spencer snatches it. "The holy relic!" he shouts, holding the book high in the air as if a current of electricity is running through him. Tears of joy well up in his eyes.
With the reverence of a pilgrim, Spencer's hand trembles as he opens the first page. His pupils contract.
"It's a signed hardcover edition! Eriri, my dear daughter, you're truly great! I'm so proud of you!" Spencer shouts, his mind instantly filled with joy.
Huh? I thought I bought the regular edition. Eriri's brow furrows as she thinks back. Oh no. This isn't my book.
It's that boy's book. He must have seen my face.
Eriri's smooth, fair face turns pale. She doesn't hear a word of her father's subsequent ranting. She imagines her otaku identity being exposed in middle school, with her classmates pointing and whispering. The label of "otaku" will be stuck on her forehead for the rest of her life. The image of the popular, beautiful princess she worked so hard to cultivate will be completely destroyed. Her future is a path to ruin.
A thousand thoughts race through Eriri's mind, and then her eyes light up. Wait, that guy doesn't know my name!
This means Eriri Spencer Sawamura is still the perfect girl in front of her classmates. Tokyo is so big; what are the chances she'll run into him again? The thought puts her at ease, and her face regains its healthy color. While she feels a little bad for the boy, this signed hardcover edition of The Explosive Dark Elf is now her trophy.
With her mind at ease, the despair on her face turns to glee. The corners of her mouth twitch upward, and her little canine tooth is impossible to hide.
This time, in the book-buying "holy war," Eriri Spencer Sawamura is the big winner!