episode_0013

Before Vita said hello.

The situation just a little while ago.

-Are you leaving, senior?

-Have all the kids arrived?

-Yes, come quickly. Innermost Bluebell.

After seeing the messages from Luwa, Vita finally found it.

The Bluebell pub was located in the heart of the downtown area. A group of people were happily chatting away in the innermost part of it.

At first glance, they look innocent and innocent, like mugwort.

And everyone is nice.

Vita usually thinks that although there may be fake nerds, there are no bad real nerds in this world.

In the first place, the definition of a nerd is someone who is obsessed with one element, right?

A person with that kind of passion can’t possibly be a bad person.

Even though he’s a junior, he’s a comrade of those guys and Vita. You could say that they were close friends.

“Oh, guys!”

So when Vita approaches, their expressions all become blank.

“Who, who…?”

Vita smiled and said, as expected.

“I told you already. It’s me, Vita.”

Even when I told her that she had turned into a woman, she didn’t believe me. She looked completely flustered.

The five or six men who had been exchanging glances finally turned to Vita and asked her a question.

“What, uh…what’s your relationship with Vita?”

“Could it be that you have a weakness for that guy?”

“I told you, I did.”

Only the junior Luman has a proud expression.

“That’s not a lie.”

Well, I already saw that guy, Lou, once over the weekend.

Of course, I was kicked out right away because I was talking nonsense like there was a strange smell in the room.

“No, but still… ”

It’s still hard to believe.

“Ru, why are you doing this too? How is that Vita…?”

“Look at the eye and hair color.”

Listening to that conversation.

Vita, who was looking around, finally noticed someone and her expression hardened slightly.

“Why is he here…?”

The atmosphere cools down as soon as those words are spoken openly.

On the contrary, the guy Vita was talking about had a surprised expression on his face, as if he had slightly noticed something in what Vita had just said.

“Oh, what is this? Is this reaction Vita?”

Vita frowned, not answering.

“Ah, wait. Come out, senior.”

At the quick-witted Lou’s words, Vita became serious and followed her junior.

“What’s that? Why is Nathan here?”

His name is Nathan Jackal. To put it simply, he’s a thug.

He was a fake otaku, so to speak. He had some dirty motive. He muddied the waters at the last course festival.

“Don’t you know that I’ve been targeting female cosplayers?”

“That’s it, senior… ”

Luke scratched his head and spoke with an awkward expression.

“Everyone said let’s just look at it once.”

“This is really ridiculous. Without even consulting me?”

“Senior’s reaction is something everyone expected… ”

I too was scratching my head, feeling guilty.

“But you never know. Maybe I made a mistake once.”

“… Do you think that guy will change?”

Vita said that and put her hand on her forehead.

That’s because no one knows the true nature of Nathan. I can understand it to some extent since I’m the only one who saw it by chance.

“Please bear with it, senior. For the sake of others.”

“I said I was reflecting on myself too.”

Lou’s continued persuasion.

‘Instead of ruining the mood…’

Vita’s thoughts gradually drifted in that direction. Still, she was maintaining good relationships with her other friends, so there was no need to ruin the mood here unnecessarily.

“… Okay, I got it.”

Vita calmed down a bit by having a silly conversation with her junior, Lou.

“But, Lu. Why is your face so red? Are you already drunk?”

“… Well, maybe so. We already had a few drinks before my senior came.”

“You got drunk from just one drink?”

“It feels like it’s been a long time since I’ve had it.”

It’s quite funny to see a guy with pink hair blushing even in the face.

“Anyway, it’s bland.”

Let’s go back into the store. Suddenly, my junior, Lou, said something strange.

“No, but… why did you come out dressed up like that?”

“What are you talking about? What are you talking about?”

She didn’t even have a pair of shoes, so she came wearing men’s sneakers, and she didn’t even have any makeup on? She didn’t even know how to put it on in the first place.

“What the heck is this?”

“What… something like that.”

Somehow, that guy’s reaction feels quite uneasy.

“I wonder if you are enjoying the situation already.”

“… This keeps talking nonsense.”

Bam-

It seems like Lou has a taste for Mazo.

Anyway, Vita felt a little better thanks to Lou. So, after returning to her seat, she took a deep breath and said just one thing.

“Sorry, let’s drink-!”

Even if there’s someone I don’t like, it’ll be okay just this once. With that kind of complacent thought.

***

“Okay, cheers-!”

The interior of a bright bar.

Even though it’s called a bar, the atmosphere is more like a cafe. It’s a place where many couples come, so glasses clink together under the bright orange lighting.

“Okay, this is it.”

Drinking alcohol confidently is a privilege of adults.

Everyone here became an adult this year. Even Luma is only one semester younger than Vita, so they’re the same age.

“Then, by any chance… ”

Before we knew it, the awkward atmosphere gradually eased up.

“Do you know Lara too?”

Of course, the anime and cosplay festival. Both types of stories played a significant role.

“What are you talking about?”

Vita answered a friend’s question with a smile.

“Of course I know. So how many times do I have to say Vita in the first place?”

The most famous cosplayer of Magical Girl Eve Rosaline, I don’t know Lala?

To begin with, Vita was a huge fan of the famous cosplay of ‘Lala’.

In fact, isn’t that why I hate Nathan, the fake sip-deok and shameless punk across from him?

‘That guy dares to speak to Lara…’

Were you going to touch it?

Vita remembered clearly. It was also by chance that she had seen it and stopped it.

[What are you doing?]

The only minor problem is that the other three friends don’t know this fact exactly.

If I had known the details from the beginning, I wouldn’t have called you here.

But I didn’t want to reveal this to others. Because it was my favorite cosplayer, Lala.

“Well, I got your autograph last time. You two were in the art booth right next to me at that time.”

Thinking back to the past, Vita felt angry inside, but she didn’t show it and continued talking.

“I fell over while bragging about getting an autograph, and one of the standees in front of the booth fell over.”

The expressions on their faces are confused by such specific descriptions.

“No, really…?”

“It’s definitely like a Vita if you talk to it… ”

“I said that right? How many times do I have to say it?”

After this kind of conversation had been repeated three or four times, the awkwardness had definitely lessened compared to the first time.

A bar with a bright atmosphere. Fruit and desserts are served as side dishes.

Sometimes Vita deliberately changed her tone and played a joke.

“Do you usually turn your head when you drink alcohol?”

Different from your usual speech.

“Phuhut-!”

Then, as expected, he bursts out in embarrassment.

“Now, stop joking around. Oh, you’re Vita’s little sister, right?!”

“I didn’t know you had a sister, but I’m not fooled anymore.”

A giggling laugh.

Lou looked at his senior in disbelief, but on the other hand, he could completely understand that kind of reaction.

‘So today’s senior is…’

An ivory knit top with a gray checkered skirt. To put it bluntly, it has a very feminine feel.

“Poohoo- That’s funny. What are you guys really doing?”

Even that smiling face naturally draws attention, and I get a strange feeling that she’s like a pretty person of the opposite sex.

‘Eight, wake up. That guy is Senior Vita-!’

Remembering that fact, Lou emptied his glass.

***

Even while thinking that way.

Glance-

I couldn’t stop my gaze from going that way, so I realized that and drank some more alcohol.

In fact, it was the same for other friends, not just Rue. Only Vita, who had created this situation, tilted his head, and the rest of the drinking party went by with a fast tempo, feeling like they were quickly getting drunk.

“Oh, what should I say… The alcohol is working well for me today.”

“Why… Me too.”

“Why is everyone in such a hurry?”

And how much time has passed?

“Whoa… This is hard… ”

I’m sure you’ve made plenty of plans for the course festival in winter.

It was after I had bloomed quite a few story flowers.

It was vacation time. It had been a long time since I had seen Vita and my friends, except for that guy, Lou. So I was really excited and drank well. I didn’t drink much though.

But for some reason.

He was in a daze because he had drunk more than usual, and in fact, he was a little drunk himself.

‘I guess it’s time to wrap things up.’

At that moment, Vita looked around, thinking to herself.

It suddenly occurred to me that it was that time.

“… Hey, Vita.”

He must have some sense. Today, the quiet punk opened his mouth.

“Even so, isn’t ignoring it a bit too much? I’ve been putting up with it until now.”

“So what do you want me to do?”

Nathan spoke to Vita, who had been sternly criticizing him, with a smirk on his face.

“Are you really Vita?”

Although he didn’t answer, he continued talking as if he was already convinced.

“Honestly, I was a little surprised. Wow, really… ”

What were you surprised by?

“When you first approached me. You were so pretty that I couldn’t speak for a moment. ”

A gaze filled with darkness scanned Vita’s entire body.

Vita continued to ignore him as it was not worth responding to.

“So I’m curious… Did you get a number on your way here?”

What a fucking question, I guess I was right to ignore it.

Nathan giggled as Vita tried to wake Lou by shaking her without saying anything.

“I’m sure you’ve been hit. It’s retarded to leave a pretty girl like you alone. Oh, of course. If you’re really Vita, the picture is a little weird. ”

‘But that’s really…’

The curse words rose to my throat. I tried to ignore them, but I felt really uncomfortable.

“Please come to your senses?”

Vita glared at the bad boy, Nathan.

“If you want to meet women, act properly or you’ll get humiliated by a cosplayer.”

The bastard’s expression hardened. I guess I hit the nail on the head.

“… Ah, I’m also reflecting on that a lot.”

But I don’t feel good.

Why is it that he surprisingly admits it so readily?

But I still drank alcohol.

His eyes are dazzling as if he’s drunk, and his lips are half-smiling, which gives him an unpleasant feeling.

“So, Vita, you help me come to my senses just a little bit.”

What the hell are you talking about?

“If what you’re saying is true, then let’s do it just once. Since you’re a guy anyway, it doesn’t really matter, right?”

A look of obvious lust. Nathan has been talking about it as a man looks at a woman.

Make a circle with two fingers and place the fingers of the other hand between them.

“Just come out with me once. If you want, I’ll pay you and make you feel good. How about being positive?”

“What are you talking about, you little punk…!”

Was he really this bad? I knew it beforehand.

Vita, who had been speechless, got up from her seat in anger. With a loud shout.

“What, what…?”

“What’s wrong, senior?”

The considerable commotion drew everyone’s attention.

Vita bit her lip. There were so many eyes on her.

I barely managed to control my anger with my head in confusion.

◦%

In the end, I ended up swearing and left the bar.

***

Darkness fell on the street.

A soft, crimson magic light illuminates the shadows of people walking through the shopping district.

“Oh, really… !”

Vita kicked the innocent stone.

“Mom, that sister. She’s pretty, but what’s wrong with her?”

“I think my sister has a weird head. Support. Support.”

Even when a mother and daughter passing by said that.

Vita was so angry that she didn’t even realize it.

As I walked along Garosu-gil, I kept thinking about Vita.

‘… Even if there weren’t any real people, that bastard would have been half killed.’

Even looking back, I still get angry.

In fact, I’m not close with that punk, and I was just trying to ignore him.

That makes me even angrier.

‘I should have just left the bar right away from the beginning…’

Because I gave him a chance. Vita knew Nathan’s true colors.

Because I’ve seen him flirt with several female cosplayers more than once.

I even warned him once after witnessing him do the same to his favorite cosplayer, Lala.

I found out later on my own that Nathan had a bad reputation from the beginning.

-Even though he committed sexual harassment, he covered it up with money because his family was well off.

-Oh, really?

He’s a bad guy.

Well, anyway.

Even though she knew those facts, she still felt bad for no reason. Vita continued to grumble.

‘Me, am I…?’

Vita stopped herself at the thought that came to her mind.

‘…What happened to me?’

I’ve been thinking about it for a while, but I can’t really figure it out.

But now I think that this feeling isn’t just because I heard some bullshit, and that’s why I’m so upset.

‘…What is this?’

So I’m so angry. Tears well up in my eyes.

Just because your body has become a woman, has your mind also become weak?

Of course, it’s not like I don’t cry because I’m a man, but I definitely don’t think I’m the type of person to shed tears over things like this.

This self-destructive self-pity is shocking me once again, so I just keep wandering around the streets at night aimlessly.

Wheein- Wheein-

The Madopon keeps ringing. It must be my junior, Ruil, but I don’t feel like checking.

Vita, who had been wandering around like that, was suddenly pushed hard against the wall by someone’s force.

“Wow… !”

“You were here?”

Without even realizing it.

My wrist was grabbed first, and I was pulled all the way in. I was then pushed back against the wall.

The opponent was none other than Nathan, a low-quality punk.

A blind spot at a dark intersection. Surprisingly, people passing by aren’t very interested in this area.

“When someone speaks, you must listen until the end.”

Feeling obviously drunk.

“Where did that girl go, screaming and going crazy like that?”

Like most thugs, Nathan was large in stature.

But does Vita feel like things turned out well?

‘Yeah, it was nice meeting you.’

This crazy guy needs to be dealt with at least once. He’s already really upset about what happened earlier.

‘!!’

but.

But why on earth is that?

No matter how hard I try, my arm won’t come off.

For a moment, Vita was confused.

“You’re cute.”

When Nathan chuckled, I tried again, but it didn’t work.

‘I can’t handle it with my own strength…?’

The realization I gained at that moment.

Instinctively, goosebumps ran down my body.

The gap between myself as a man and my current body. And I recognize the physique of the other person that I didn’t know about before.

Another shock strikes.

‘You can’t handle it…?’

When Vita was momentarily stunned by the shock.

“Should I try yelling again? Or try acting cute?”

I hear laughter.

The opponent is a drunken thug. And he has one hand raised as if he’s going to hit me.

If anything, Vita thought of kicking Nathan’s butt and running away. She thought of it instinctively.

But at that very moment.

There is no need for that anymore.

“What are you?”

Nathan’s large body was lifted into the air.

It’s a ridiculous scene, like a scene from a play, and the new character doesn’t seem funny.

“What are you talking about, you.”

It’s not an unfamiliar voice. It’s definitely a familiar sight.

Black hair that flutters dryly, and cold, sunken golden eyes.

Only then did Vita realize who was in front of her.

For some reason, at that moment…