Ch.210Episode 40. Cosplay at Home (1)

Even when summer vacation came, I had to leave my dormitory room while lamenting the fact that I still had to go to work. Gu Yeonhwa was standing confidently in the dormitory hallway with her arms crossed.

What is she doing here so early in the morning?

“…What is it?”

“Instructor! You remember, right?!”

“Remember what?”

“That we’re going to Seoul Comic World together this summer too!”

Damn it. I was hoping she’d forget.

“I even marked the date here! Can you see it?! You must see it! You have to see it!!”

She shouted while pushing her phone so close it almost touched my cheek. Jumping up and down and drawing attention was just a bonus.

Other instructors walking down the hallway muttered, “She’s here again,” as they retreated to their rooms. I felt somewhat apologetic.

“Alright, alright. Step back a bit.”

“Gack!”

I pushed Yeonhwa’s face away as I spoke. She staggered back weakly.

It was truly amazing how she could be so cheerful despite her parents nearly losing their lives just a few days ago.

I really don’t understand what kind of mental resilience she has.

…Or maybe it’s just a habit.

“Why are you pushing me! What if I fall over?!”

“If you fall, you fall. So what?”

“In situations like this, you’re supposed to say you’ll catch me if I fall! Isn’t that the sensible thing to do?”

“…It’s truly nonsensical for someone who comes to school in a dress to lecture me about being sensible.”

Gu Yeonhwa was wearing a black dress that she seemed to wear more often than her school uniform.

“It’s vacation now! And this isn’t school, it’s the dormitory!”

She’s being ridiculous.

Why doesn’t she understand that the dormitory is part of the school?

Who wears a black dress for outdoor activities in the first place? I don’t even want to know how many students’ attention she’s trying to attract.

Even the special class students avoid looking at her, so shouldn’t she realize what she’s doing wrong?

She really has no sense of awareness.

“…Anyway, I do remember.”

“Yes, you remember, and?”

“Can’t we just go on a normal date?”

“What?”

Yeonhwa froze at my words.

“Ah… that…”

Her face gradually turned red as she uncrossed her arms. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, and when our eyes met, she hung her head low.

She fidgeted with her fingers and stammered.

“Th-then… after Comic World… let’s also have a n-normal d-date.”

What a greedy girl.

I just don’t want to go there…

Do you realize I’m currently the official #1 hero in South Korea? What do you think would happen if I went to such a crowded place?

[South Korea’s Official #1 Hero Yu Jin: Actually Has a Cosplay Hobby!]

Wouldn’t articles like this come out? Or even…

[#1 Hero Revealed to Be an Otaku?!]

…Such terrible articles would appear. Plus the scandal on top of it.

I can easily imagine the headache-inducing situations.

“You do understand my position, right?”

“Yes! You’re South Korea’s #1 hero! The monster who appeared like a comet and conquered the hero industry in just one year! The one who brought down Akcheon, the worst villain group!”

“…Who says that?”

“That’s what this article says!”

The article was displayed on the phone screen she had just shoved in my face. I frowned and turned off her phone.

Shit. Why would they write such garbage as news?

“Aah! Why did you turn it off?!”

“Anyway! If you understand my position, wouldn’t it be better to avoid crowded places?”

“Hmm. That’s true, but…”

She mumbled while looking at her phone.

Judging by her downcast eyes, she seemed genuinely disappointed about not being able to go to Comic World.

“…I guess it can’t be helped. I’ll endure it then.”

She stepped back with a forced smile.

Even though she seems stubborn in her actions, she actually understands and knows how to be considerate.

That’s why I couldn’t bring myself to dislike Gu Yeonhwa.

“Thank you.”

“Yes. Then… let’s go eat lots of delicious food. Normally. I’d like that too.”

Disappointment was evident in Yeonhwa’s expression as she said this.

I wonder how much she had been looking forward to cosplaying with me.

“…”

Feeling that completely breaking the promise wasn’t right, I came up with a compromise.

“Do you really want to go to… what was it… Comic World with me?”

“That’s a silly question.”

“Why?”

“What do you mean why… Of course… it’s to cosplay together…”

“Is that really all?”

“…W-what kind of question is that?”

Did I ask something wrong?

I could see her hands holding the phone trembling. Her face was red, and her eyes kept shifting between me and the floor.

With her lips tightly pressed together and her obvious shyness, her thoughts were completely transparent.

Did she think I was asking if she had romantic feelings for me?

I was genuinely just curious about why she wanted to go to Comic World together.

“Answer me. Is that really all?”

“Just… because it’s fun being with oppa…”

Her form of address changed.

I couldn’t help but laugh at her obvious display of affection.

“Alright. Then… shall we go to Comic World?”

“What? But wouldn’t that be troublesome? People might ask for your autograph. You might become a celebrity!”

“I don’t think it would be that extreme… But yes, it would be troublesome as you said. However, I think just shopping there should be fine.”

“Oh… is that so? Then let’s go!”

Her expression brightened considerably.

“It’s disappointing that we can’t cosplay… but just going with oppa is good enough for me.”

“Disappointed?”

“That’s obvious. I’m disappointed. Very disappointed!”

I chuckled.

She didn’t sound disappointed at all. She narrowed her brow slightly and pushed out her lips, pretending to be upset.

“If you’re disappointed, let’s cosplay at my place.”

“…What?”

Yeonhwa looked up at me blankly, as if demanding to know what I had just said.

“If it’s just about cosplaying, we can do it at home. You have social media accounts, so if you want to show others, wouldn’t photos be enough?”

“Oh, uh… Y-yes, that’s true! But at your home… um…”

“Hmm? What’s wrong?”

I tilted my head, pretending not to understand why she was hesitating, even though I knew perfectly well.

“You don’t mean your dormitory room, do you?”

Her gaze shifted to the dormitory room door I had just exited. I waved my hands dismissively.

“No. I have my own place. It’s quite spacious. Probably similar to where your mother lives?”

“I-I see!”

“So, do you dislike the idea?”

“N-no, I don’t dislike it… but…”

“But?”

“N-nothing! Just…! Um…!”

She’s probably worried about the atmosphere becoming inappropriate.

Come to think of it, having the first experience while cosplaying…

That could be an interesting scenario.

“The camera! It’s because of the camera!”

Yeonhwa suddenly shouted, changing the subject while I was having inappropriate thoughts.

“Camera?”

“Good cosplay photos require someone skilled at taking pictures.”

“Hmm. I could find someone, but bringing a stranger to my home doesn’t feel right. How about we try it just the two of us? I’ll buy the best camera available.”

“Ah… y-yes, I suppose so? Let’s try it just the two of us.”

“Great. I’m heading to the faculty office now. See you at the training ground this afternoon.”

“Ah… I’ll take the elevator too.”

She quickly stood beside me as I pressed the elevator button.

“Sure.”

With a ding, the elevator arrived, and Yeonhwa and I stepped in.

“By the way, how will you convince your mother? She didn’t seem like the type to frequent Comic World.”

“Oh, Mom? It’ll work out somehow. Mom and I are super close now.”

She said with a thumbs up. Somehow, I found it hard to believe.

“…Really?”

“Yes. Thanks to you… hehe.”

Seeing her happy smile, she didn’t seem to be pretending.

Before meeting me, she must have always been smiling on the outside while crumbling on the inside.

Understanding her feelings better than anyone, I only wished for her happiness now.

We parted ways in front of the dormitory.

“Work hard today too, oppa.”

Yeonhwa waved her hand.

“I will.”

I waved back before walking to the faculty office, thinking about how to lead our date.

* * *

“I refuse.”

A formidable opponent. She blocks all possibilities with a single rejection.

“Gasp! She’s formidable!”

“Is this really the time for such comments?”

Currently, Yeonhwa, Michelle, and I were gathered in the academy’s counseling room.

Initially, we planned to meet at an outside café, but not knowing where reporters might be hiding, we had to call her into the academy.

“I thought you were being persuaded.”

I turned sharply and whispered in Yeonhwa’s ear.

“Ah, o-oppa, y-you’re too c-close…!”

I looked at the bashful Yeonhwa with contempt as Michelle watched.

“Don’t say weird things.”

“Of course I couldn’t do it alone.”

“You little…!”

I wanted to give her a knock on the head. However, I couldn’t hit Yeonhwa’s head in front of Michelle.

Instead, I just roughly patted her head.

“Waaah! W-what are you doing?! My hair…! My h-hair is getting m-messy…!”

“Because you’re being naughty.”

“…Sigh.”

Michelle, sitting across from us, let out a quiet sigh.

“I don’t understand why I have to go to such a ridiculous place too. And even cosplay. It’s absurd. Why are you trying to drag me into this?”

“That was Yeonhwa’s suggestion.”

“You were a model! It’ll definitely suit you!”

“Do you think that’s a valid reason?”

“There are ridiculous outfits among model clothes too! Look!”

Yeonhwa showed Michelle’s clothes on her phone.

I couldn’t tell if it was a coat or rags. Is this really fashion? The fashion world was too difficult to understand.

“Shut up!”

I snatched Yeonhwa’s phone and turned off the screen. She placed the phone on the coffee table and took a deep breath.

“…Anyway, I won’t do it. Don’t try to involve me. Understand?”

Michelle glared at me in warning. It wasn’t me who tried to involve her, but Yeonhwa…

“How can an instructor be so easily swayed by a student?”

“I apologize.”

Although it felt somewhat unfair, I could only apologize.

Michelle sighed for what seemed like the umpteenth time and stood up.

“I’ll be going now.”

“Ah… that’s too bad…”

As Yeonhwa muttered with lingering regret, Michelle glared at her. Then she turned her gaze to me.

“…Yu Jin.”

“Yes?”

“I need to talk to you. Come out for a moment.”

“Ah, yes.”

Michelle wants to talk to me?

Not being able to guess what she wanted to say, I couldn’t help but feel puzzled.

Could it be that she’s embarrassed to say she’ll cosplay in front of her daughter, so she wants to tell only me?

…No, that can’t be it. Definitely not.

The fact that I’m even thinking like this shows that I’m being influenced by Yeonhwa. Damn it.