Sajuna's feelings toward Marin were initially based on first impressions.
Seeing Marin's gyaru-style attire, she often thought that Marin was someone who treated cosplay as a mere hobby, doing things carelessly.
Moreover, girls with this kind of personality were usually very popular with boys.
A hint of inexplicable hostility arose within her.
However, after seeing Akira's behavior, she noticed he didn't seem to have a particularly good impression of Marin. This made Sajuna feel completely secure.
"Why are you talking about that woman?" Akira said, sounding helpless.
"Talking about other girls in front of your girlfriend will make her angry, you know," Sajuna reminded him.
Akira felt a flicker of happiness that Sajuna now considered herself his girlfriend. There was a slight thrill in being "henpecked."
"I just wanted to see how Wakana and her interacted."
"Hasn't Sajuna ever shipped a couple before?"
"But not in real life, like you do!" Sajuna retorted, slightly helpless. Why was Aki-Kun so childish in this regard?
However, the mature Aki-Kun didn't really read manga or watch anime, nor did he play many games, and his knowledge of music was even more limited.
It seemed that this was the only aspect Sajuna found cute about him for now.
It was a unique, endearing quality.
"The Handsome, All-Competent, Gentle, and Considerate Junior Who Is Secretly a CP Shipper."
A story with a setting like that should attract a lot of readers, right?
"Wakana!" Akira called, walking toward him with his camera. Wakana heard the call, turned his head, and saw the two hurrying toward him.
"Is this Inui-san?"
"Gojo-kun, hello."
Sajuna greeted him dryly, her eyes glancing toward Marin in the distance.
"Sajuna and I came to check out the Anime Convention. After all, Sajuna is a top-tier cosplayer, so it's better to understand it more thoroughly."
Akira raised his camera. "I took a lot of photos downstairs just now. Wakana, want to see them?"
As he spoke, his voice dropped, taking on a devilish tone.
"There are many photos of beautiful, revealing girls."
"Akira-kun, don't tease me!" Wakana's face flushed red, and he quickly denied it.
He didn't understand why, even though he could play galgames under his grandfather's watch without changing expression, and casually talk about not being able to control his 'biubiubiu' in front of teachers and students during a walk, he always blushed so much when teased with slightly suggestive words.
Akira shook his head, comforting him. "Don't be so loud, Wakana! I was just kidding."
"Just kidding, huh?" Wakana sighed in relief.
"Of course! With Sajuna by my side, how could I secretly take those kinds of photos?" Akira waved his hand dismissively.
"Even if I showed them to you, it wouldn't be in front of Sajuna."
At this, Sajuna stepped on Akira's foot, let out a huff, and turned her head away.
Noticing that Aki-Kun seemed to have a strange fondness for having his foot stepped on, Sajuna figured this punishment was much better than what she'd seen online.
Pinching his sides was not something a gentle girl should do.
"Akira-kun, are you dating Inui-san?" Wakana asked, his gaze shifting between the two. The atmosphere seemed noticeably different this time—much more harmonious.
Sajuna also turned her attention to Akira, eager to hear his answer.
As far as she knew, Aki-Kun's only friend he really paid attention to seemed to be Wakana.
Marin certainly wasn't among them.
Introducing his girlfriend to his friends was a sign of responsibility.
"Yes, Sajuna is my girlfriend," Akira answered decisively, without hesitation.
Sajuna, who had been watching him intently, smiled and placed her hand near Akira's.
Akira naturally took her hand, raising it slightly to show Wakana. "Sajuna is super cute, right?"
"Mm."
Wakana responded blankly.
Akira-kun's progress was so fast. He was practically a god!
He had only just made up his mind, and yet here Akira was, already showing him the answer key.
What was with this inexplicable sense of déjà vu?
"Wakana, you need to work hard."
Akira patted Wakana on the shoulder with his other hand.
"H-hi..." Wakana awkwardly touched his neck, his face flushing.
He felt a little shy, a little indecisive, and completely at a loss.
A stuffy breeze blew past. Akira glanced at Sajuna next to him; even she felt that the temperature today was a bit high.
"Wakana."
"Huh?"
"By the way, is Kitagawa-san okay wearing so much?" Akira pointed at Marin, who was striking various poses in the distance. Looking closely, she seemed a bit unsteady.
He didn't know if it was from her legs growing tired from standing too long or if she was dizzy from the heat.
Akira, of course, knew it was because of the hot weather.
"Ah, it seems..."
"Just a reminder: the fabric you chose for her outfit is very thick; it's not exactly summer-appropriate."
Akira reminded him again.
"Ah! Thank you, Akira-kun."
Wakana seemed to recall something, quickly bowing to Akira and then running toward Marin.
"I'm sorry," he muttered to himself. He hadn't taken proper heatstroke precautions and hoped Marin would be alright.
Wakana thought to himself, his feet shuffling in geta, slowing his pace despite his hurried steps.
"That's nice," Akira remarked with a hint of emotion.
"Aki-Kun, could you be the matchmaker reincarnated?"
"Why a matchmaker?!"
"Because Aki-Kun is always playing Cupid for people."
"Then it should be the Old Man Under the Moon from Japanese mythology, or at least Cupid! Why does it have to be a matchmaker?"
"Then Old Man Under the Moon reincarnated is fine."
"Sajuna, you're so perfunctory."
"You are, Aki-Kun."
Sajuna finished, gently shaking their clasped hands.
"Always arguing about such things."
"Kitagawa-san!"
Marin, not far away, heard Wakana's call and turned her head. Seeing his flustered appearance, she apologized to the photographer.
Straightening her skirt, she ran toward Wakana.
"Gojo-kun," Marin panted. "Don't call me by my name at the Anime Convention! I have a cosplayer name—call me Marin!"
"Marin?!"
Wakana's anxious expression froze on his face.
The name 'Marin' sounded exactly like 'Marin,' and Wakana felt as though he had just called her by her real name.
After all, only people with a very close relationship would call each other by their given names.
Akira was the only one who had the audacity to call him Wakana, or Sajuna, directly.
"But it doesn't matter!" Marin said carelessly. "Gojo-kun, what's wrong?"
She fanned herself with her hand. The weather was indeed a bit hot.