"I'll find them there, then," Makoto said, leaning in to kiss Mafuyu's cheek. "Thank you for the help, Mafuyu-nee. It would have been a disaster if it were just Mika and me."
Mafuyu's cheeks flushed a delicate pink at his kiss. "O-Of course," she stammered, her eyes dropping to the floor for a moment before meeting his again. "Just... be careful. It's very crowded."
When Makoto turned away and made his way to the main stage, Mika made a muffled sound of protest, her grip tightening for a second before she reluctantly let go. She just watched him leave, her pink eyes wide and full of unwavering devotion.
Makoto turned and plunged into the main hall. The con was chaotic and overwhelming; it felt like a sea of bodies, sounds, and colors. The air was thick with the smell of popcorn, nerd's sweat, deodorant, and cosplayer's cheap makeup.
A squad of Attack on Titan cosplayers marched past him, their 3D maneuver gear clanking. A giant, surprisingly detailed Totoro waddled by, followed by a gaggle of screaming children. Several people pointed at him, shouting "Muzan-sama!" and asking for photos, but he waved them off with a villainous scowl, pushing deeper into the crowd.
The noise intensified as he approached the main stage. The loud sounds of J-pop remix, announcements, and the roar of the crowd filled his ears.
And then he saw them.
It was impossible to miss Ayane. She was the center of a small but very enthusiastic crowd, draped over an impressive Char Aznable cosplayer in a gleaming red Zaku suit. With her phone out, she was taking a selfie that was at least 50% her own cleavage, while trying to press a photobook into the Gundam pilot's armored gauntlet.
"Come on, Coco, it's three times better than any other photobook at this con, I promise!" she yelled, her voice loud and shameless. "Take it and give us a free promo on your YouTube channel later, please!"
A few feet away, Yuna leaned against a pillar with her arms crossed and a bored, lethal elegance in her Shinobu costume. She was pointedly ignoring Ayane and scanning the crowd with a critical eye, her expression a mask of cool disdain.
But Makoto could see the slight twitch at the corner of Yuna's lips. She was enjoying every second of this.
He crept up behind Yuna and tickled her. "Bought anything yet?"
"Gah!" Yuna let out a surprised feline hiss. Her body went rigid for a second before she spun around, her hand coming up to swat at him, though with no real force behind it. "Don't touch me so casually in public, you fat pig!" she hissed furiously.
But the corner of her mouth was twitching, betraying her amusement. Her violet eyes darted around, checking to see if anyone had noticed their intimate gesture.
Makoto giggled, "If you're done, go back to the booth and help Mika. It seems like Ayane needs some... education."
Yuna listened to his instructions, her expression shifting from annoyance to grudging focus. "Hmph. Fine," she muttered, smoothing down the front of her costume. "Someone has to actually make us some money, instead of just... flaunting their tits at giant robots." She shot a venomous glare in Ayane's direction.
Then she looked back at Makoto, her eyes narrowing with a possessive glint. "And don't take too long with your 'education,'" she added, her voice dripping with the familiar jealousy. "I want a full report later. Don't you dare enjoy it more than when you're with me."
With an imperious sniff, she turned and stalked off like a deadly butterfly disappearing back into the sea of people.
Ayane, who had been completely absorbed in her sales pitch, finally noticed that her target, the Char Aznable cosplayer, was now staring over her shoulder. She followed his gaze, and a delighted grin spread across her face.
"Oh, hey there, Muzan-sama," she purred, gracefully detaching herself from the giant red pilot. "Thanks for the photo op, Red Comet! I'll tag you on Insta!" she called over her shoulder, already dismissing him completely.
She turned her full, undivided attention to Makoto and sauntered over, her hips swaying. "Why that look, boss?" She stopped just in front of him, tilting her head back to look up at him from under her long, fake lashes.
"Did I do something wrong?" Her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. "Do I need to be... disciplined?"
Makoto grabbed her hand and pulled her along. Ayane stumbled a little, a surprised but delighted laugh bubbling up from her chest as he pulled her away. She made no effort to resist, her hand fitting perfectly into his.
They found a relatively secluded corner behind a stack of empty merchandise boxes, near an emergency exit. It wasn't really private since people were still walking by, but it was out of the main flow of the crowd. The noise of the con was now a dull, distant roar.
"You and your obsession with Gundam stuff! Who was that Red Comet? Why were you standing so close to him?" Makoto grunted as he pushed Ayane against a wall, trapping her.
She leaned against the wall, an amused grin spreading across her face. "Red Comet? That's Coco. She's a big-shot mecha cosplayer," she explained lazily. "She's got, like, a hundred thousand subscribers. Getting her to even look at our photobook is gonna be a huge win."
Her grin widened. "And as for why I was standing so close... well, how else was I supposed to slip her my phone number?" She winked slowly. "Don't worry, it was totally professional."
She pushed herself off the wall, closing the small distance between them. She reached up, her fingers tracing the lapel of his kimono. "Why, harem king? Are you jealous? Is the big, scary demon lord jealous of a blonde girl in a plastic robot suit?"
"What? She??" Makoto snorted, feeling his jealousy running away. "Isn't Char Aznable supposed to be a guy?"
Ayane threw her head back and let out a full, throaty laugh. "Oh my god," she gasped, wiping a tear of mirth from her eye. "Did you think Coco was a guy? You're such an adorable idiot, boss."
She poked him playfully in the chest. "Most of the best mecha cosplayers are girls, you dummy. We have better attention to detail."