Isagi resumed his walk and, a few minutes later, the gate of his house appeared in front of him. He promptly entered and walked toward the front door, opening it carefully, closing it without making noise, and going inside.
The television was on in the living room. Some variety show, canned laughter mixed with the low sound of the device. Iyo was sitting on the sofa, folding some clothes on her lap, while Issei kept his arms crossed, his eyes attentive to the screen.
As soon as Isagi passed through the hallway, the two noticed his arrival almost at the same time.
"Yoichi, you finally arrived?" Iyo said, lifting her gaze and smiling immediately: "How was the meeting with Shinomiya-san?"
Issei turned his face slowly, assessing his son with that calm expression, but too attentive to be casual.
Isagi stopped for a moment. There was no reason to lie. He also had no desire to explain.
"It went well..." Then, he replied simply.
Iyo seemed satisfied with that. She smiled, nodded slightly, as if that answer already said more than long words. Issei just gave a small "hm" and turned back to staring at the television.
"That's good. If you're hungry, there are leftovers in the fridge."
"Thanks..."
Isagi continued down the hallway and went up the stairs.
He entered his room and closed the door behind him.
He began to take off his clothes carefully. There was no rush, nor carelessness. His movements were almost automatic, as if his body was trying to keep up with the firm decision his mind had made minutes earlier. He put on the long-sleeved wool sweater, feeling the fabric warm his skin immediately. Then, the gray sweatpants, before sitting on the edge of the bed and picking up his phone. The screen lit up, illuminating the room for a second.
Marin.
He opened the conversation and typed without hesitation:
"I just got home, I'll bring the cosplay clothes right away."
The response came too quickly, as always.
"Ehh? Already? I thought I'd see you later, I mean... Ah! Now that I realize it's already 9 PM! I was watching anime while waiting for your message and didn't even notice the time pass! Hehehe...."
More messages started appearing, one after another.
"Thanks, Isagi-kun! Aiii, I'm so excited! I'll be by the intercom waiting! ><"
Isagi let a small, almost imperceptible smile escape.
Before more messages appeared, he locked the screen. Not out of disinterest. On the contrary. He needed to go. If he stayed there, reading, he would reply. And if he replied, he would end up taking longer than he should....
He stood up and went to the wardrobe. The box with the cosplay uniform was there, exactly where he had left it. He opened it carefully, checking piece by piece. Everything was folded with an almost exaggerated precision. Gloves, accessories, main fabric. All clean, organized, intact. He breathed deeply and began to fold again, even knowing it was already perfect. It wasn't necessity. It was respect. He placed everything inside the paper bag that his mother had prepared, closing it carefully so as not to wrinkle anything.
Isagi left the room and went down the stairs again. In the living room, his parents were still in the same place.
"I'm going out for a bit..." He announced, stopping near the hallway: "I shouldn't be long...."
Iyo lifted her gaze again, now more curious.
"Now?" She asked, but without disapproval: "That's fine. Just don't come back too late...."
"I'll be back soon...."
Issei raised his hand in a distracted wave, his eyes still on the TV.
Isagi put on his sneakers and left.
The night was colder than before, but the breeze no longer seemed so uncomfortable. He walked through the familiar streets with the bag in hand, his expression remaining neutral.
The apartment building appeared in front of him with the same appearance as always: simple, a bit old, too quiet for that time. The lights in some apartments were still on, forming small yellow squares on the facade.
Isagi stopped in front of the intercom.
He breathed deeply once and pressed the corresponding button.
It didn't even complete two seconds.
"Isagi-kun?!"
The voice came out too loud through the speaker, full of energy, as if she had been glued to the device even before he arrived.
"It's me," he replied naturally.
"I KNEW IT! Wait, I'll come down—" there was a confused sound on the other side, quick footsteps, something being knocked over. "No! Wait! Better not! Come up! Come up, come up, come up!"
He blinked, surprised.
"Are you sure?"
"YES! I'm in pajamas, but whatever! I mean— NO, IT DOES! But come up anyway!"
The gate unlocked with a metallic click.
Isagi entered and began to climb the stairs. Each step seemed to amplify the expectation he wouldn't admit feeling. Third floor. Short hallway. The apartment door was already open before he even fully arrived.
Marin appeared in the doorway.
She was wearing simple pajamas, a loose T-shirt with an anime print and comfortable shorts. Her blonde hair was loose, a bit messy, as if it had been tied and untied several times throughout the night. Her face lit up the instant she saw him.
"You really brought it!"
Before he could respond, Marin advanced and practically snatched the paper bag from his hands, holding it as if it were something extremely precious.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she said too quickly, her eyes shining: "Seriously, Isagi-kun, you saved me from my anxiety!"
He let out a low, relaxed laugh.
"It's not that big a deal..."
"It is!" She took another step closer and, without any warning, enveloped him in a quick and tight hug. "Ever since you said you had finished, I could barely sleep thinking about how I'd look wearing it, but you already know that, right? Even so, thank you!"
Isagi remained still for a moment, caught by surprise, but he didn't stiffen. He just raised one hand and placed it lightly on her back, returning the gesture in a restrained way. Technically, he was "dating" at that moment and, although he had decided to form a "harem," how exactly did someone start something like that? Kaguya seemed not to mind his affection for other girls, at least that's what she showed. Still, he wasn't naive enough to believe that it didn't affect her at all; there was, very probably, a certain degree of hidden hurt there. And, above all, he still didn't have clear permission from his "girlfriend" to get involved with other girls. If he crossed that limit, he would be crossing a well-defined line... and becoming a complete jerk.
"It was nothing," Setting his thoughts aside, he said sincerely, with a small smile.
Marin pulled away, still smiling, and then seemed to remember something.
"Ah! Come in, come in!" She opened more space at the door. "Talking in the hallway is weird."
He entered.
The apartment had that comfortable disorder typical of her. The living room wasn't large, but it was full of life. There were colorful cushions scattered on the sofa, a small low table with fashion magazines and manga stacked without much order. On the television, an anime was playing, the opening had already ended and the episode continued with animated voices echoing through the environment.
"You can sit wherever you want!" She said, already walking toward the living room while hugging the bag against her chest as if it were a treasure.
Isagi sat on the sofa, maintaining a relaxed posture, his hands resting on his thighs. The anime on TV caught his attention for a moment, but soon Marin spoke again.
"Okay, then!" She stopped right in front of him, too excited to stay still. "I'm going to put it on now, okay? But I'll really need your opinion!"
He blinked.
"My opinion?"
"Yes!" She pointed at him as if it were obvious.
"You're the one who made the adjustments, you're the one who understands how the fabric falls! And besides..." She smiled sideways, mischievous. "I trust you."
Before he could respond anything, Marin was already running down the hallway toward her room.
"Wait there! Don't look, okay?!" she shouted, laughing. "I mean— you can look later! When I call!"
The bedroom door closed with a light thud.
Isagi stayed there, sitting on the sofa, hearing the distant sound of drawers being opened, the rustling of fabric, and the animated soundtrack of the anime filling the remaining silence.
He leaned back on the sofa and waited in silence.
About twenty minutes later, the bedroom door opened with a soft creak, and Marin's voice echoed down the hallway, excited and a bit nervous.
"Isagi-kun! You can come in now!"
He got up from the sofa without hurry, turned off the television by instinct, and followed down the narrow hallway to her room. He stopped in front of the door for half a second, more out of politeness than hesitation, and then entered.
His eyes scanned the room naturally.
Her room was exactly what he had imagined since the first time he heard her speak passionately about her hobbies. It was a space where enthusiasm overflowed without any attempt at restraint. The bed was against the wall, covered in light sheets and some large cushions, including a body pillow printed with an anime character, which immediately stood out as the central point of the room.
The walls were covered with colorful posters of anime and game characters: idols, fantasy figures, and protagonists with striking visuals, all arranged in an apparently chaotic manner. Still, upon closer observation, it became clear that the disorder followed its own logic. The only ones he recognized were the characters from the hentai game she had lent him and encouraged him to play, including Shizuku, whose character Marin was portraying in that cosplay. He didn't even think about how strange it might seem for someone to have posters of hentai characters. Passion was something personal, unique to each person, and just as Marin had never judged his devotion to soccer, he wouldn't do the same with hers....
On one of the shelves, a collection of figures caught attention: normal versions positioned in the back, while the chibi versions were in front, creating a kind of personal display case that made clear the affection and care she had for each item.
There were also magazines, art books, organizer boxes with folded fabrics and cosplay accessories, all mixed with small feminine details that gave the environment a welcoming air that was unmistakably hers.
But, despite all that, his gaze ended up fixing on just one point, Marin; she was standing in the center of the room, facing him, visibly anxious for his reaction.
The cosplay was complete...? He thought she would just put on the clothes, but she had done her makeup too and everything, looking exactly like the character...
She was wearing a wig that reached her shoulders, in a violet tone, with the bangs slightly disheveled, covering her forehead and extending a bit above the fake eyelashes. The eyelashes were moderately long, concentrated only on the outer corners of the eyes, creating the impression of droopy eyes. She used purple contact lenses and red eyeshadow, reinforcing the contrast of the gaze. Her natural eyebrows had been shaved, and new eyebrows were drawn, probably to better reproduce certain expressions of the "character." On her head, she wore a black cap with an embroidered rose pattern, adorned on top with three artificial red roses.
The outfit consisted of a black maid dress with ruffles at the junction between the arms and the torso. The cuffs were long, partially covering the hands, and widened in a cone shape, with the end frilled. Around the neck, there was a brown leather choker attached to a metal ring, from which a chain extended, accompanied by a tie. The chest pockets covered the breasts and were connected by two straps tied in bows that went from one ruffle to another. Under these pockets, several pieces of NuBra-type bras were stacked to visually increase the bust volume. Just below the breasts, the dress fitted more to the body, highlighting a slimmer silhouette before opening again....
The dress had at least three layers: the top one featured an embroidered rose pattern with ruffles at the hem; below it was a smooth black layer, and finally, another bottom layer with ruffles, including a crinoline to give volume to the skirt. She wore black stockings embroidered with roses, attached to a tulle garter belt. Each stocking was connected to the panties by two straps on each leg. On her feet, she wore black platform shoes.
The number seventeen was written on her thighs, just below the panties. As someone who had played the game forcibly, he knew that this detail represented the number of times Shizuku had sexual relations. The number was written in Chinese, using tally marks, in which a new mark was added with each relation; but why did Marin have seventeen? Was it the number she achieved in the game or her personal sexual life...?
Isagi blinked once, before setting those thoughts aside, then he commented sincerely: "...It looks amazing!"
Marin's shoulders relaxed immediately.
"For real?" She asked, taking a small step forward, turning slightly to show the fit of the clothes. "Nothing looks weird? Nothing pulling?"
He observed with technical attention now, like someone who really understood the work involved.
"No. The fit is perfect. The fabric falls well, doesn't mark where it shouldn't, and the volume is balanced. Can you move without difficulty?"
Marin opened a wide smile.
"I can! I tested walking, sitting, even doing a dramatic twirl...." She said, laughing, before looking at him with a slight blush on her face, saying: "It turned out perfect! Besides being comfortable, I look identical to Shizuku-tan.... Seriously, you were an angel that appeared in my life, Isagi! If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to fulfill my dream of looking like her! I have to thank your mother for doing this...."
"...It was nothing."
The response came almost automatically, accompanied by a small and sincere smile, one of those he didn't even notice he was making. Isagi scratched the side of his neck lightly, averting his gaze for a second, more out of habit than embarrassment.
"I benefited from this too...." He continued, his voice calm. "Really."
Marin blinked, confused for a moment.
"Eh? How so?"
He looked back at her, now with more firmness, but without losing that natural tranquility that seemed to always surround his words when talking about something that really mattered.
"My mom practically used this cosplay as an excuse to teach me sewing. At first, I just helped threading needles, holding fabric... but then she started letting me do the harder parts. Fine adjustments, hems, some internal details."
He made a vague gesture with his hand, as if it weren't a big deal.
"If I count right, I think I did more than half by myself. She just supervised and corrected when I messed up."
Marin remained silent.
She knew he was busy. Training, school, responsibilities he never commented much on, but that became obvious from the tiredness sometimes visible in his eyes. Knowing that, even so, he found time, not out of obligation, but because he wanted to do it right, hit a different place inside her.
"And..." He added, still smiling: "I got closer to my mom too. We had never spent so much time together doing something in common."
The blush on Marin's face became a bit more evident.
"That's..." She hesitated, lightly squeezing the cuffs of the dress, "...that's really amazing, Isagi-kun."
She lowered her gaze for a second, feeling her heart beat faster than expected. It wasn't just gratitude. It wasn't just excitement about being dressed as her favorite character. It was the way he spoke, the quiet sincerity, the natural way of presenting himself as someone who didn't need to boast to be special.
When she raised her eyes again, there was something different there.
"You know..." she said in a lower voice, almost shy: "Not just anyone would do all this for a dream that isn't even theirs."
Isagi opened his mouth to respond, but Marin took a small step forward, closing the distance between them.
"Thank you," she said, now with a soft smile: "Really."
For a few seconds, Marin just stood there, holding his gaze. Then, as if realizing her own quietness, something completely out of her pattern, she blinked twice, straightened her posture, and almost instantly, went back to being... herself.
"Okay!" She said suddenly, clapping her hands together with renewed energy. "Super important emotional moment duly registered!"
Isagi arched his eyebrow slightly, caught by surprise by the abrupt change in mood.
"Registered...?"
"Yes!" Marin opened a wide smile, one that took up half her face. "Now let's move to the critical part!"
She brought her hands to her face, assuming an exaggeratedly cold and seductive expression, tilting her head a bit, as if in front of an invisible camera.
"Isagi-kun," she said, imitating a grave and drawn-out tone, clearly theatrical: "I need to practice Shizuku-tan's expressions for the convention this Sunday!"
He observed her for a second, analyzing the posture, the gaze, the angle of the face. The change was impressive. Not perfect yet, but very close.
"So you want to practice acting....?"
"Exactly!" She approached a bit more, excited: "I want your help with this! As someone who knows Shizuku-tan, you're the best candidate to know whether or not it's perfect!"
Isagi let out a low sigh, but there was a slight trace of amusement in his expression.
"All right," he replied. "I'll help."
Her eyes shone immediately.
"Really?!"
"But..." he added, raising a finger. "I can't stay too long."
Marin blinked.
"Eh? Why?"
"I have some things to do at home," he explained simply. "I don't want to take too long."
She made a small pout, clearly disappointed for half a second... and then nodded firmly.
"Fair!" she said, excited again. "Then let's make the most of every minute!"
She ran to the front of the full-length mirror leaning against the wall, pulling it a bit for better lighting.
"Okay, okay! First: Shizuku-tan's default expression!" Marin assumed an erect posture, relaxed shoulders, half-bored gaze. "Evaluate!"
Isagi crossed his arms, adopting a naturally critical posture—not harsh, but attentive.
"The gaze is right," he said. "But you're moving the left eyebrow too much. Shizuku hardly changes that part of her face."
Marin widened her eyes.
"You noticed that?!"
"It's a pattern," he replied. "She expresses more with her eyes than with the rest."
Marin stayed still for a second... then tried again, adjusting the gaze, relaxing the face.
"...Like this?"
He observed for a few seconds.
"Better," he said. "Now it looks more natural."
She opened a huge smile.
"Wow... you're scarily good at this."
Isagi averted his gaze slightly.
"I'm just paying attention."
Marin turned back to the mirror, but this time there was something different in the reflection. It wasn't just the character she saw there. It was the confidence that someone beside her really understood her and took her seriously.
"So," she said excitedly, turning to him again, "let's go to the next expression!"
And, while she positioned herself again, Isagi thought, in silence, that perhaps he had underestimated how much that "quick help" could extend... even with the clock running against him.
__________________________
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