"Cosplay?"
I wonder if wrapping a towel around myself like a cape to roleplay a hero from a TV show when I was a kid counts as COSPLAY?
If so, that was probably Rin Ito's only experience with it.
"I don't have a particularly favorite character," Rin Ito declined with a smile. "COSPLAY doesn't really suit me. I prefer watching cute girls COSPLAY. It's really great that you like the character I drew, Kitagawa."
"Mr. Ito, your work really suits my taste! Misuzu-chan, who's silent like a cat but is pitiful and occasionally a little moody, is so cute! I loved her as soon as Orihe recommended her to me! Her fluffy, short hair looks so soft to the touch!"
The naturally friendly Marin spoke enthusiastically, barely giving her friend Misaki a chance to speak. The "Misuzu-chan" she referred to was the heroine of Rin Ito's doujinshi. The general character design was based on doujinshi Rin Ito had read in his previous life, but the specific plot was Rin Ito's original creation.
"I've always wanted to cosplay Misuzu-chan, but unfortunately, my body type is quite different from Misuzu-chan's, so it's hard to accurately recreate her. If it were Juju, she could perfectly recreate her!"
"Juju? Is she a friend of yours, Kitagawa?" Rin Ito asked, trying to recall if she was a character from an anime.
"Eh? No, no, Mr. Ito really doesn't know much about COSPLAY." Marin quickly waved her hands. Excited by a topic she loved, Marin continued, "Juju is a cosplay idol of mine. She's small and cute! It would be fantastic if she cosplayed Misuzu-chan! I have a photo of Juju here; I'll send it to you, Mr. Ito."
Rin Ito and Marin chatted, while Misaki, unable to interject, looked slightly awkward. Unlike Marin, who could openly discuss eroge, Misaki always hid her love for doujinshi. Agreeing to cosplay and coming with Marin today was an impulse.
Orihe, who was also present, glanced at Marin's soft, white chest... It really wouldn't work for Marin to cosplay the petite Misuzu-chan. Orihe had carefully measured Marin for the costume; the bust difference was 18.6 centimeters, making her a definite E-cup.
Marin wasn't the type to randomly COS a character just because she knew the name, disregarding the source material. She only cosplayed characters she truly loved and strived for accuracy. When Orihe first became Rin Ito's editor, she recommended Rin Ito's doujinshi to Marin. Marin wanted to COS then, but it was too difficult for her to accurately portray a petite girl who was at most a B-cup. Rin Ito's new heroine, however, was modeled after Kaede and Suzu, whose figures were just as good as Marin's... After the design for the female cuckold was finished, Orihe immediately thought of Marin. An editor's job is to help the manga artist! Having Marin cosplay the new heroine at the convention would surely draw a lot of attention!
Marin continued to chat enthusiastically with Rin Ito, mentioning her favorite game, for example, Saint Slime Girl's Academy Mistress's Shameless Miracle Life in the Club of Shame II.
"Slime Girl 2, have you heard of it, Mr. Ito? It's a very high-selling GALGAME."
Although Rin Ito hadn't paid much attention to GALGAMEs, the name alone sounded ominous. Based on Marin's description, Rin Ito understood the general plot. It was a common harem type, like a male student enrolling in an all-girls school. There were plenty of similar doujinshi, such as the male lead becoming the public sexual utility for the disciplinary committee or student council of the all-girls school. This kind of plot wasn't uncommon.
As for the specific genre of the Slime Girl game... humiliation and conditioning.
"The heroine, Shizuku, is completely emotionless and cold at first! She's the type who makes your blood pressure soar, but later on, you get this feeling like, 'Wow, Shizuku can make that expression too!' I unconsciously fell in love with her! And I fell so hard that I couldn't help myself. I even genuinely wanted to become Shizuku."
"You want to be conditioned?" Rin Ito said bluntly.
"Eh? Eh? Eh? No! I just want to COS Shizuku!"
Marin's face turned completely red from Rin Ito's comment, and she finally quieted down a bit. Rin Ito then turned his attention to Misaki.
"Misaki, do you also like Slime Girl like her?"
"Um, I just like reading doujinshi... for example, the doujinshi by Eiri Kashiwagi-sensei," Misaki said shyly. The healthy, tanned gal making a shy and reserved expression was especially cute.
"Eiri Kashiwagi? Her work is serialized on Etsuraku Heaven, right?" Marin looked at Orihe. "But Eiri Kashiwagi-sensei's taste is a bit heavy. I prefer the work of Chicken Butt-sensei. Her work is pure love conditioning, similar to Slime Girl, where the heroine eventually becomes a slave to love."
"Eiri Kashiwagi-sensei's doujinshi are very popular! The heroine's expression as she goes from being forced to eventually becoming addicted is amazing!"
Talking about doujinshi, Orihe was no longer sleepy, and the three girls chatted animatedly.
Rin Ito's gaze shifted back and forth between Marin and Misaki. Marin had just revealed her entire fetish: she liked the pure love conditioning type. Misaki's fetish, on the other hand, was Eiri Kashiwagi's slightly heavier conditioning style.
However, their chat didn't last long. When the waitress brought their orders, they consciously fell silent... They knew it was inappropriate for three girls to discuss humiliation and conditioning so openly in public.
With the girls quiet, Rin Ito could bring up the main topic.
"Marin is going to cosplay the heroine of my new doujinshi, and Misaki is going to cosplay the Cat Girl from another new work under [Baumkuchen], right?"
Seeing the two nod, Rin Ito continued.
"There's a special artist in [Baumkuchen]... the one who drew the Cat Girl. She was originally a light novel illustrator, but due to some psychological trauma, she can't leave her house. I made an agreement with her to go to the convention together after she finishes the doujinshi."
Rin Ito briefly explained Sagiri's situation to them. Of course, it was only a general overview; the specifics were Sagiri's private affairs, which Rin Ito couldn't disclose.
"Although we made an agreement, when the day comes, it will definitely be difficult for her to leave the house. So... Misaki, can I ask you to cosplay her Cat Girl character and go to her house first that day?"
Orihe nodded thoughtfully... So, Mr. Ito had this in mind when he founded the circle. Mr. Ito is a truly kind person.
"No problem!"
"Has she drawn any other characters? If so, I'll help out too."
It wasn't just Misaki; Marin also agreed to help.
"Thank you very much, both of you." Rin Ito thanked Misaki and Marin, then looked at Orihe. "She only drew one doujinshi, but she has plenty of other characters, so Orihe, why don't you COS as well? After all, helping the manga artist is the editor's duty."
"Eh? Eh? Eh? Eh? Eh!????"