In no time at all, the day of the cosplay tournament had arrived. Carrying a huge duffle bag with the cosplay costume that Blake and Rias had helped me prepare, I waited for Akeno in the meeting place we had prearranged.
Right now, I was right under the huge screens of the UDX building in Akihabara that faced outwards onto the street. As per Akeno's request, I had swept back my hair, put on a suit, and had a pair of sunglasses on. Someone who know me wouldn't know it was me if they looked at me.
"Sorry to keep you waiting! This is my kouhai, Haruno Neo-chan!"
"Nice to meet ya. I'm Haruno Neo. Just call me Neo-chan."
The girl that Akeno brought, whose self-introduction was just filled completely through with her cutesy-little-girl act, was none other than Naruko's bratty kouhai, Haruno Neo. She was wearing some of the childish (but stylish) clothes I had seen for sale at the 109 building during Christmas.
"Nice to meet you… Neo… chan. I'm Akeno-san's manager, Ruto. You really don't have to be too polite with me, alright? I might be Akeno-san's manager, but I'm still new, so I'm more like her attendant. Feel free to act at ease around me."
After all, if she kept up with the cutesy girl act I wouldn't be able to take it anymore. Even though I was scared out of my wits, waiting for the minute I would be exposed, when I gave her my name, Neo didn't seem to realize who I really was in the slightest. She began to fiddle with her cell phone and spoke.
"Here I thought you were a producer or something. Alright then, I'll just act however I want then. Ahh, it was really dumb of me to try to butter you up then. Also, don't go and start calling me Neo-chan like you know me, alright? It's gross."
"Sorry… Haruno-san." T-this damn brat…
Well then, this seems like a good time to explain the plan that Akeno had cooked up. Akeno had firmly rejected the idea of her cosplaying as Bara-chan in the tournament, but as another option, she would convince someone to participate in the tournament that had an even better chance of winning. After hearing the details, I couldn't agree quickly enough.
"But also. If I wins this cosplay tournament, I was told that you would put in a good word with the head of your offiiiice. Is that truuee, Senpai?"
But the problem we had to face now was how to convince this brat to participate in the cosplay tournament. She wasn't such a true friend that she would do something freely for Naruko all for the sake of something that she didn't care about in the first place. So I didn't think we could approach this from the front.
Akeno had spoken with all the light gone from her eyes:
"I'll tell her that if she win this cosplay tournament. I'll recommend her to a modeling agency. Neo-chan will probably try her best since she wants to be a model like me and Naruko. To be honest, I had always been planning to introduce Neo-chan to our agency head, so this will be like killing two birds with one stone. I'll definitely get the present that will make Naruko the happiest. No matter what I have to do."
That was her words she said to me the other day… and that brings us to where we are now.
Neo seemed a bit suspicious to me but Akeno faced her and gave her a smile.
"It'll be alright, Neo-chan. In reality, I've already spoken to the company president for you and showed him your photos. And if you win this cosplay tournament, you'll definitely be able to produce real results, and I think you'll get featured in next magazine."
"Really? Buuut, I am a bit loli, right? When you think about models, you think more about busty huge women…"
Ill intent oozed between her every word (after "huge women" she probably wanted to add "like you")…
"Ahaha, well, that depends on the job. But more importantly, I really felt that Neo-chan could win this cosplay tournament, so I took you with me today."
"Ahh? Reaaally?"
Neo seemed pleased at Akeno's flattery. She really resembled Naruko in this area too. In a few minutes, exactly what would happen to the smile she had on right now…?
Akeno clapped her hands together. "Well then, let's get right to the costume, shall we?"
So… the dreaded clothes-changing time had arrived… Neo was not in the changing room of the cosplay hall, but rather was going to change in a car that Akeno had called to the scene. Right now, we were behind the Akihabara UDX Building, near the service entrance. I saw a car stopped in front of us, the same car I was used to seeing Akeno in while she worked.
"Sorry the car is so cramped. But, Neo-chan, you will be using this type of car to change on the job from now on too, so it's best if you get used to the feeling of doing this."
"Uwaaah, so you change in a place like this…" Neo stood in front of the car with tinted windows, and her voice was filled with admiration.
"Well then, Neo-chan, please get in. I'll help you change."
The two girls entered into the car, leaving me as the only person outside. The door slammed shut… and I could hear voices coming from inside the car.
"Alright Neo-chan. Let's take everything off, everything off!"
Akeno strangely seemed to be having fun. In fact, I've yet to hear her sound so happy.
"Hyah, don't touch my breasts!"
"Sooory, my hand slipped. Ah, it slipped again. Kyah, it slipped again! And again!"
"U-ugh! It's really dark in here, I can't even tell where you're going to touch next… uhii!"
"Ahaha, is tickliiiiish."
I wonder what's going on in that car behind those tinted windows…
Finally, the doors opened with a clank. Out came Akeno, obviously in a good mood, along with one other.
… Not good! Not goooood… when I saw Neo come out of the car, I gulped.
Neo was the spitting image of Azutan. Rather than saying she was cosplaying, it would really be more fitting to say that she was the real thing. Also, was it just me, or did she look completely exhausted? Hey hey Akeno, did you just use changing clothes as an excuse to do something to her…? Maybe, for all this time, the sketchiest, most hentai person has been you…?
"Uhyaaa…" The minute she came out of the car, Neo went into a squat. I guess there's no helping it if she's exhausted, but if an Azutan fan saw her like this they would faint.
"Ah, everything's fine now. Please go."
The car drove away from us. With Neo's change of clothes on board.
S-she cut off all her escape routes… Akeno's actions were all perfectly executed and reliable, but I was getting more and more scared of her… and to think, this was the person I had gone against so often in the past…
"Alright! Let's head for the meeting hall!"
Smiling as if she had accomplished something, Akeno pointed at the stairs that would lead to the cosplay hall in the UDX building. And then, seeing her own reflection in some of the door mirrors of the sedans parked around there, Neo finally seemed to become aware of the ridiculous outfit she was wearing.
"Wha-! What the hell is this?!"
It was impressively almost the exact same response the protagonist of Magi Magi Magical Azura had given when she first changed into a magical girl in the first episode. She flew up from her squatted position, completely taken aback. Lifting up her arms, she began to anxiously inspect her outfit.
Faced with her classmate who had transformed into a magical girl, Akeno spoke nonchalantly, "Hm. That outfit really suits you, Neo-chan."
"Huh, what the hell are you talking about?! It doesn't suit me at a—mmff…?!"
It seemed like she had bitten her tongue.
Tears filling her eyes, she squatted again, and sticking out her tongue which now had a set of tooth-marks engraved into it, Neo sat there with a "Oww, oww…"
Seeing Neo's tragic state, Akeno put on a pleasant expression and turned to me.
"Fufu… well? Cute, right?"
"Ahh, yeah."
Idiotically cute, you could say. She was usually an annoying brat, so seeing her go through something like this made me just want to tease her more.
"Ugh…" Coming back to her senses, Neo glared at Akeno. While she was squatting, though. "What the hell are these clothes?! I thought it was really cold, but this outfit is barely more than a string! And what's up with these ridiculous wings…? It's so heavy and it makes my back hurt. This stupid costume looks like something from a kid's anime or something… what the hell?!"
"Now now, calm down, Neo-chan. If you get too angry, you're just going to bite your tongue again, yes?" Akeno still had not let up her happy expression. "Oh, sorry, I forgot to mention it. The beauty contest you're participating is actually a cosplay tournament."
"Cos… what? What the hell is that? I think my classmates mentioned something about something like that… umm, umm…"
"It's a beauty contest where girls try to mimic anime or game characters. I think?"
Guys also participated in cosplay tournaments, so that's a bit off. In any case, having heard Akeno's vague explanation, Neo flipped out, as expected. Jumping to her feet, she yelled. "Why the hell does I have to do something so stupid like that?! I definitely don't want toooooooo!"
However, no matter how much Neo was blowing up, Akeno didn't even flinch.
"Oh? Hm, well that's not good."
"Huh? Not good? Don't act so cool about it! Tch, whatever, just give me my clothes back! I'm going to change back! Hurry up!"
"Eh? Neo-chan's clothes are riding around the highways right about now."
"Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!"
Suddenly turning towards us, Neo yelled in terror. It seemed that she had finally realized that the car had already gone off. Damn, she's slow. Seriously. She's seriously an idiot.
"You! You tricked me, didn't you?!"
"Tehehee."
Knocking the side of her head lightly with her fist, Akeno stuck out her tongue.
"U-umm… what should we do? Neo-chan… are you going to go back to the train like that?"
This was nothing more than pure coercion!
Don't say such terrible things while looking so cute like that! You're seriously scary! Geez… when it came to Naruko, she showed absolutely no mercy.
"Ugh… Uuuuuuuuuh…"
Looking straight at Akeno's lifeless eyes, Neo realized just how serious Akeno was. Yes, she was quite serious, so honestly, you should give up.
The stalemate continued for a bit, until Akeno finally changed her direction of attack.
"You know, Neo-chan? I understand that it's embarrassing, but this is also quite a splendid modeling job too."
"Huh? Participating in a cosplay tournament while wearing this is?"
"Yes. Even some of my senpai at the agency sometimes wear special outfits when they work as promotional models… for example, at the race shows, or those kinds of events. This is the same as that! And what's more, there are even foreign participants, so this is an international tournament! If you can make a spectacular debut here, you'll definitely have a great career!"
"R-really…?"
The idiot Neo seemed on the verge of getting pulled in, but race shows were hugely different from cosplay tournaments, weren't they? Well, granted, I'll give her that the idea of women dressing in risqué outfits in race shows did bear a resemblance to cosplay.
"Yes, really! And what more, Neo-chan is the only one who can do this! Someone like me would never be able to win against a foreigner! But you can definitely win! She can win it all! Because, Neo-chan is really, really cute!"
"R-really…? I am… that cute? Well, I knew that already, kyahaha!"
"Yes yes, Neo-chan's reaaaally cute! Your cuteness can't possibly be matched by anyone else! Hey, hey, don't you agree?"
With that, Akeno turned to me, and I followed along vaguely.
"No kidding! You're really sexy cute! You could star in a cosplay adult video if you wanted!"
"Die!"
Bam.
"Ugh…"
Akeno sent an elbow right into my throat to shut me up, and as I held my throat and writhed in pain, Akeno once again turned to Neo and began to sing her praises.
"Here, hold this sword! Uwaah, you're seriously cute, Neo-chan~! You're going to win for sure!"
"Ehehe, well… when you put it like that… I definitely win this!"
This brat, acting like this, I really hope she doesn't get eventually taken in by some shady stuff… those strange worries passed through my mind.