By 7:00 AM, the outside of the venue was already packed with long queues. Rin, Marin, and the group joined the line. Usually, Rin would just ask a fellow mangaka for a pass to skip the line, but he wanted Kaguya to experience a "normal" girl's day out.
Sagiri gripped Rin's shirt tightly, overwhelmed by the crowd. Kaguya was also nervous, but her camera never stopped clicking. She captured the excitement in the eyes of the young fans.
Rin and Marin began putting on their finishing accessories—like the collar around Marin's neck. As a high-quality cosplayer, Marin drew a lot of attention. Phones were pointed at her and Rin, but many were also aimed at "Hasaka." Butler outfits weren't uncommon at cons, and everyone assumed he was cosplaying from some anime.
"Excuse me, are you cosplaying the butler from Black Butler?" a girl in line asked Ai.
"You've misunderstood. I'm not cosplaying," Ai gave an elegant smile. "I'm just attending the convention with my Master. Right, Master~?"
Ai gave Rin a deliberately bashful, lingering look.
"KYAAAAA!!!!"
The girls nearby squealed. A real-life butler accompanying his handsome Master to a con? The girls' gazes darted between Rin and the "boy." Rin was already handsome, and with his makeup, he looked like a 2D character brought to life. They were already imagining Rin lifting Hasaka's chin.
Fine, you want to play? Rin thought.
"Since we're waiting and bored..." Rin smiled at the surrounding girls. "Any poses you want us to do? Anything is fine."
"Can you do something... intimate?"
"No problem."
Rin reached out, hooking his finger under Ai's chin and leaning in close. Ai instinctively leaned back, only to be caught by Rin's hand firmly supporting her lower back. He pressed his face close until he could feel her breath.
You like teasing, huh? Ai's face turned bright red instantly. Her eyes darted away behind her glasses. The crowd erupted in screams. Rin knew that most people who ship BL or Yuri are actually straight—they just like seeing hot people being intimate.
"Is this okay?" Rin asked. The response was the rapid-fire sound of shutters. In his arms, Ai was actually trembling with embarrassment. She had dressed up to mess with him, but now she was the one being humiliated. Her blue eyes grew misty with shame. She closed them, her lips slightly parted as if waiting for a kiss.
"!!!!!"
Marin and Sagiri were the most shocked. Wait, does he have that interest too!? Is he a "bi-plug" (bisexual)?
But the shock was short-lived. They soon realized. Hasaka is just Ai. Makeup can only do so much; the brow and features were still hers. And the "adopted brother" story was just too ridiculous.
Marin's lips curled into a smirk. "Just kiss him already!" she egged them on. Kaguya pointed her camera at the blushing Ai, feeling a strange thrill. Watching the man I like be intimate with my best friend... why is this exciting?
"Do you want to see it?" Rin asked the crowd. Everyone nodded vigorously.
But Rin let go of the blushing Ai. "Unfortunately, it's almost time for the doors to open. Maybe we'll perform for you later if there's a chance."
He wanted to tease her, but he didn't want his reputation to be actually ruined by a photo of him kissing a "man" going viral.
The doors opened, and the crowd surged inside like a zombie horde.