Saki Kawasaki studied Ye Xing in his black overcoat and pure black mask, recalling how she had witnessed his transformation in the Ferris wheel carriage that day and how he had saved her younger sister. A tremor ran through her heart, and her cheeks flushed slightly as she said.
"Well, he's really handsome."
"Ara~"
Marin let out a meaningful sound, smiling teasingly at Saki Kawasaki.
"Saki, I asked if he looked like him, but you called him handsome. What does that mean?"
"You..."
Realising she had fallen into Marin's verbal trap, Saki couldn't help but glare at her, lowering her voice.
"If you keep talking nonsense, I'll strip the clothes I made right off you."
"Hehe, so I'm not allowed to speak the truth?"
"Marin! You..."
Watching Saki Kawasaki and Marin Kitagawa playfully bickering, Ye Xing commented dryly from the side.
"While I'd love to see you two tearing each other's clothes off, shouldn't we be leaving around this time?"
"Ah, you're right."
Marin Kitagawa checked her phone and saw it was already past ten, quickly standing up to straighten her clothes.
"The event starts at half past ten, we really should hurry."
Saki Kawasaki waved her hand, resting her chin on her palm.
"Remember to take lots of photos."
Then Saki looked at Ye Xing, hesitated, pursed her lips, and finally spoke softly.
"Be careful."
"Look how worried you are."
Before Ye Xing could respond, Marin Kitagawa said with a laugh.
"Relax, we're just going to a cosplay event. We'll be back this afternoon. I'm just borrowing your Ye Xing for a few hours."
Watching Marin and Ye Xing walk away, Saki Kawasaki's face flushed slightly as she murmured to herself.
"What do you mean 'my Ye Xing'... Really, she's always saying such nonsense."
Then Saki let out a slight sigh, feeling somewhat worried.
Marin didn't know the truth, thinking this was just an ordinary comic convention.
But as an insider, Saki understood - this was no ordinary cosplay event.
This was the criminal Mask, staying in a public place for hours, taking photos with people and engaging in conversations.
Wouldn't there be any problems?
...
Meanwhile, after leaving the hotel, Marin Kitagawa and Ye Xing boarded the train heading toward Akihabara.
"Phew, glad we made it."
Marin, wearing a heavy black chiffon dress, had fine beads of sweat on her forehead from running. She took a pack of tissues from her bag, offered one to Ye Xing beside her, and said with a smile.
"Ye Xing, you should wipe your sweat too."
"No need."
Ye Xing waved his hand. Though similarly dressed in a stuffy black coat and wearing a pure black mask, he wasn't panting like Marin from their earlier run.
"Right, you're the school sports day triple record holder. Your stamina is much better than mine."
After wiping the sweat from her forehead, Marin looked at Ye Xing curiously.
"But... though I've said this before, I want to say it again - you really resemble Mask. Both in physique and this... how should I put it..."
Seeing Marin struggling to find the right words, Ye Xing chuckled and suggested.
"This innate talent for looking cool?"
Marin blinked in surprise, then smiled awkwardly.
"Well... that's a bit crude, but your description... is actually quite accurate. Anyway, it's that special quality that makes you stand out even in a crowd."
Ye Xing retorted confidently.
"Then I'm different from him. If I stand out in a crowd, isn't it because I'm handsome?"
Marin Kitagawa sighed, pressing her fingers to her forehead in resignation.
"You're so narcissistic."
Then, a sweet smile blossomed on her face.
"But that's exactly what suits Mask's unique aura."
As they were talking, a little girl of about seven or eight suddenly ran up to Ye Xing. Looking up at the pure black mask on his face and the hem of his coat that Saki Kawasaki had tailored to mimic a burning effect, she asked curiously,
"Excuse me, are you cosplaying as Mask?"
Afraid Ye Xing might say something abstract, Marin quickly replied first.
"Little sister, you know about Mask, too?"
The girl nodded earnestly.
"Yes, Mask is my idol. Could we take a photo together, big sister?"
"Of course, no problem."
Marin took the phone handed over by the girl's mother. Watching as the girl directly sat on Ye Xing's lap and struck an intimate victory sign pose, she couldn't help but sigh softly.
"All done."
The girl took the phone to look at the photo, then returned it to her mother. Facing Marin and Ye Xing, she bowed very politely.
"Thank you, big brother. Thank you, big sister."
After the girl returned to her seat, Marin suddenly seemed to remember something and smiled at Ye Xing beside her.
"By the way, did you know? In a recent online survey, Mask's approval rating among male netizens was 72%, but among females it was as high as 84%. Especially among children under ten, the approval rate even exceeded 90%."
"Ho, I'm that popular?"
Hearing Ye Xing say this in first person, Marin lightly punched his shoulder, her eyes sparkling with amusement.
"You really are a natural cosplayer - already getting into character? I was talking about Mask, not you. Anyway, Mask's approval ratings are particularly high. Look at Saki's sister Keika - she's a devoted fan of Mask too."
Ye Xing nodded deeply in agreement.
"Indeed, Mask is too outstanding. Someone that excellent should have a harem."
"What are you talking about? What if Mask is actually a woman?"
"Absolutely impossible."
...
When they arrived at the event venue, Marin's eyes practically sparkled as she gazed at the beautifully landscaped open square where cosplayers wearing various costumes were already gathering in small groups.
"This is... a cosplay event. It's my first time coming to one."
Marin murmured to herself, then turned to Ye Xing beside her with a sweet smile.
"I'm so glad my first cosplay event experience is with you."
The moment Ye Xing and Marin Kitagawa arrived at the scene, they immediately attracted attention from people around them.
Ye Xing's personal portrayal of Mask with 1:1 accuracy went without saying.
Marin Kitagawa's cosplay of Kuroe Shizuku, enhanced by Saki Kawasaki's exquisite craftsmanship in creating the costume and the meticulous makeup she had applied since early morning, could truly be described as the character descending into reality with ultra-high accuracy.
The key point was...
"That character of yours doesn't seem to be particularly decent, does she?"
"Eh? Not decent?"
Marin Kitagawa froze for a moment before realisation dawned, exclaiming with delight.
"Ye Xing, so you've played Saint Slippery's Academy for Girls - The Young Ladies of the Humiliation Club: Debauched Miracle Life 2 as well?"
Ye Xing glanced at Marin Kitagawa, genuinely impressed.
"Wow, your lung capacity is truly remarkable."
"That's not important."
Marin looked absolutely thrilled.
"That's wonderful! I thought only Saki and I had played it."
"Eh? Kawasaki played this game too?"
"Yes, to ensure the accuracy of the cosplay outfit, I supervised her through the entire playthrough. As expected of Saki, she noticed so many details during gameplay that I'd missed."
Hearing this, Ye Xing finally understood.
No wonder Saki Kawasaki hadn't come along today.
Logically speaking, as the creator of the cosplay outfit, she should have been present for its first wearing... no, wait.
The first wearing should have been Mai Sakurajima's sexy bunny girl outfit.
Anyway, for the first public display of her handmade costume that she could witness in person, given her passion for tailoring, she should have come along to hear people's opinions about the outfit.
So this was the reason she hadn't come.
Saki Kawasaki knew...
Marin Kitagawa was cosplaying as an eroge character!!!
In matters like this, she clearly wasn't as thick-skinned as Marin Kitagawa, so of course, she wouldn't come along to endure people's strange looks and comments.
"Speaking of which, we make quite a pair today."
"A pair?"
Seeing Marin tilting her head with a confused expression, Ye Xing chuckled lightly.
"I'm an old eroge shooter, so we're the eroge duo. Makes sense."
Marin pouted slightly, seeming somewhat displeased, and muttered under her breath.
"Little Shizuku isn't that kind of simple character, hmph."
Just then, a tall, fashionably dressed young woman carrying a camera entered the event venue.
Her gaze swept across the room, noticing Ye Xing and Marin Kitagawa standing there, and her eyes immediately lit up as she quickly approached to ask.
"Eh? Excuse me, are you cosplaying as Mask?"
Before Ye Xing could respond, the young woman circled him, carefully observing while murmuring to herself.
"So similar, really too similar. It's exactly like when I saw him last time."
Hearing this, Marin couldn't help but ask curiously.
"Eh? You've seen Mask in person?"
"Of course."
The young woman replied with a proud smile.
"When Mask made his first public appearance, I was right there. Moreover, I was the one who wrote the Sunny Doll Killer report that brought the serial killer to Mask's attention - I'm the contributor who contributed to that."
Marin looked quite impressed and was about to say something when she heard Ye Xing speak calmly from beside her.
"Miss Natsumi Suga, aren't you exaggerating a bit too much?"
"Eh?"
Hearing the familiar voice, Natsumi Suga examined Ye Xing closely, exclaiming in surprise.
"You're... Ye Xing? What are you doing here?"
"What else would I be doing?"
Ye Xing shrugged, answering with complete nonchalance.
"Of course, as you can see, I'm here to accompany a friend to a cosplay event."
"So that's how it is. Come to think of it, your build really does resemble Mask."
"Well, that's an honour for Mask."
"You're really turning things upside down, aren't you? A cosplayer commenting on the original character?"
"Heh, who's really turning things upside down remains to be seen."
Listening to the conversation between this young beauty named Natsumi Suga and Ye Xing, Marin Kitagawa keenly noticed a detail.
The other party recognised Ye Xing's voice after hearing just one sentence?
There were only two possible explanations.
First, the two were very familiar with each other.
Second, this Miss Natsumi Suga had a very deep impression of Ye Xing.
Marin Kitagawa took a careful look at Natsumi Suga - wearing a camisole and hot pants, with manicured nails, appearing very fashionable while exuding the mature charm of an older sister - and couldn't help feeling somewhat alert.
No, absolutely not.
She had to guard this territory for her good friend Saki Kawasaki!
"Miss Suga."
Marin Kitagawa looked at Natsumi Suga, her attitude very polite, but her words carried a firm tone.
"This is my first time attending a cosplay event, so if you don't have any urgent business, could we continue our conversation after the event ends?"
"Eh... I see..."
Natsumi Suga glanced at Marin Kitagawa dressed as Kuroe Shizuku, then said to Ye Xing meaningfully.
"Girlfriend? From the voice, I don't think this was the one during my last interview, was she?"
"Just ordinary friends for now."
"Heh, for now..."
Natsumi Suga didn't dwell too much on this topic, merely glancing at Marin Kitagawa once more before raising the camera in her hand with a smile.
"Actually, running into Ye Xing this time was purely coincidental. I originally came here to take photos."
"Take photos?"
Hearing these words and glancing at the professional SLR camera in Natsumi Suga's hand, Marin Kitagawa was already beginning to waver.
Then she heard the other party say a word that made it completely impossible for her to refuse.
"Oh, I haven't introduced myself yet. I work for an editorial department; you could say I'm a journalist. When it comes to photography, I'm quite professional."
Hearing the word "professional", Marin Kitagawa's eyes began to shine.
"Then Miss Suga, could you help me..."
Before Marin Kitagawa could finish, Natsumi Suga waved her hand, her words full of the composure of a mature older sister.
"Since you're a friend of Ye Xing's, that makes you my friend too. Don't stand on ceremony for something small like taking photos. Let's begin."
"Thank you, Miss Suga!"
"No need to be so formal, just call me Natsumi."
"Alright, Natsumi-nee."
Listening to the conversation between Marin Kitagawa and Natsumi Suga, Ye Xing couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Poor dress-up darling, being played like a fiddle by the mature older sister.
Just a few words and she'd forgotten her original stance.
However, Marin Kitagawa naturally had an easygoing and lively personality, so it was to be expected that she'd get along so well with Natsumi Suga.
...
The hour and a half of morning event time passed quickly.
Natsumi Suga not only photographed Marin Kitagawa but also Ye Xing.
To put it more accurately, photographing Marin was merely a diversion.
What Natsumi Suga truly wanted to capture was Ye Xing's highly accurate cosplay of the popular character Mask, which seemed to make the character himself step into reality.
Moreover, she had another idea in mind.
Even before the Sunny Doll Killer incident, Natsumi Suga had been very interested in this Ye Xing, who dared to voluntarily disclose his name and appearance while publicly condemning that serial killer. She wanted to find an opportunity to conduct another exclusive interview with him.
If she could obtain Ye Xing's permission to feature his cosplay photos as Mask alongside the next interview content in her article, it would surely cause a sensation!
Natsumi Suga had even thought of the headline already.
'The Righteous Youth Possessing the Soul of Mask! First Exclusive Interview Revealed!'
Who says substitutes can't become the real deal?
Substitutes can certainly become the real deal.
Wouldn't it be quite nice to have Ye Xing-kun serve as a substitute for Mask in the hearts of Kyoto's citizens?
Of course, all this would have to wait until Natsumi Suga obtained the person's consent.
...
Meanwhile.
"Phew, finally break time."
Because it was midsummer and Marin Kitagawa was wearing a heavy black chiffon dress, she was practically drenched in sweat.
She wiped the sweat from her forehead with a tissue. Though she looked somewhat tired, the joy in her eyes as she watched the event proceedings was impossible to conceal.
"This is wonderful, truly wonderful. It's exactly as I imagined."
Ye Xing smiled as he spoke beside her.
"Let's find somewhere to rest for a while."
"You're right. We've been at this for over two hours after all. It's unbearably hot outside - even with cooling patches, I'm still struggling a bit."
Marin Kitagawa said thoughtfully.
"So where should we go? An internet café? A coffee shop?"
"You can't sit in that outfit - it'll get deformed."
"Eh?"
Marin Kitagawa looked puzzled at his words.
"Did Saki tell you that?"
Ye Xing replied casually.
"I can tell just by looking. It's not like I don't know how to make clothes."
"Eh? Ehh!?"
Marin Kitagawa was first stunned, then showed a surprised expression.
"Ye Xing-kun, you can actually make cosplay outfits? Why haven't you told me..."
"I'm not interested in making them, so there was no need to tell you."
"True enough."
Marin Kitagawa looked at Ye Xing standing there and thought that, given his personality, he really didn't seem like someone who would be interested in sewing work.
"Anyway, if you want to rest, you'll need to take off this outer dress and have a shower. Otherwise, once it's soaked through with sweat, this outfit will be ruined."
At Ye Xing's words, Marin Kitagawa's expression changed.
She hadn't considered wearing this cosplay outfit for a second photoshoot.
Yet, this was after all a commemorative piece - the first cosplay outfit Saki had personally made for her, and also the one she wore for her first event.
If it got damaged, Marin Kitagawa would undoubtedly be distraught.
At this point, Ye Xing suddenly changed his tone and laughed.
"Fortunately, I came prepared."
...
Ten minutes later.
"This place... this place..."
Marin Kitagawa looked at the room, decorated mainly in pale pink, with every detail exuding an ambiguous atmosphere, especially the heart-shaped bed. Her pretty face had flushed completely red.
"This... this is..."
"Oh, a love hotel."
Ye Xing's reaction was extremely calm, making Marin Kitagawa suspect this wasn't his first time in such a place.
"It's the closest to the event venue, and we can walk there. Since we're just resting anyway, of course, I booked the nearest one. What do you think?"
Hearing Ye Xing's explanation, Marin suddenly felt somewhat ashamed.
He had already considered everything - maintaining the costume during the event's lunch break, along with rest arrangements, to ensure they could present their best condition for the afternoon cosplay.
What makes a true cosplayer?
This is what makes a true cosplayer!
In comparison, not only had she lacked foresight, but she was also letting her imagination run wild at such a moment - it was completely inappropriate!
Wearing a guilty expression, Marin suddenly bowed deeply to Ye Xing and spoke sincerely.
"I'm sorry, Ye Xing!"
Under normal circumstances, an apology would just be an apology, nothing significant.
But today, Marin was wearing this particular outfit, and combined with the hot weather that had made her sweat profusely...
The sweat that had accumulated into a small pool between her cleavage, with her bowing motion, splashed onto the ground.
Marin herself hadn't realised it, but this scene...
Was simply too lewd.
"You should go take a bath first."
Ye Xing only glanced once, then...
Then glanced several more times.
So big, so white, they look so soft.
Just like Touma, Marin is also a hidden big-breasted beauty.
"Alright."
Marin smiled and nodded, removed the various accessories she was wearing, and stepped into the bathroom in her slippers.
As she took off the heavy black chiffon skirt, she instantly felt much lighter.
"Phew, I'm really quite tired..."
Marin examined herself in the mirror and let out a long sigh.
Just then, she noticed her snow-white thighs, and her expression suddenly changed.
"Oh no, I forgot... how could I make such a mistake?"
Kuroe Shizuku, as a female character in an eroge, has a particularly obvious lewd feature that doesn't show up in photographs.
That is, the tally marks drawn on her thighs.
What these tally marks represent...
Anyone could guess - each stroke represents another time Kuroe Shizuku was... well, you know.
While they don't show up in photos, for someone like Marin Kitagawa who pursues ultimate accuracy and is deeply passionate about cosplay, this was nothing short of a fatal mistake!
"Would a hotel have a black marker pen..."
Marin Kitagawa murmured to herself, then suddenly realised something.
She shaped her right hand into a pen-holding gesture and attempted to write on her own leg.
But because the direction was reversed, her hand wouldn't obey her control.
"It seems... I can't draw it myself..."
Marin Kitagawa pressed her lips together, her expression conflicted, her pretty face flushing red as she murmured.
"Does that mean I have to ask Ye Xing for help..."