"I'm home~"
"Welcome back, Sister! How was it? Did you find the person who made Marin-chan's costume?"
As soon as Sajuna stepped into the foyer, before she could even swap her outdoor shoes for slippers, her younger sister Shinju came scurrying over, her eyes wide with anticipation.
"Uh... well, I found out who it is, but she's not a professional tailor for hire. She only makes costumes that pique her personal interest... and she doesn't seem to like the characters I cosplay very much."
"I see..."
Shinju sighed, her shoulders slumping in disappointment. Seeing her sister so dejected, Sajuna quickly tried to comfort her.
"Don't be sad! Marin-chan and I are friends now, and I've joined her club. Maybe that tailor will make an exception for us one day?"
"Mm... I really want to meet Marin-chan too. Is she as beautiful as she is in her photos? If I'd known you two would become friends today, I would've gone with you..."
"It's okay, it's okay. I'll just invite her out when there's a chance."
Sajuna broke into a cold sweat hearing Shinju regret not going. Thank God she stayed home! If a girl as innocent as her sister had witnessed what happened today, she might have been corrupted by that pervert on the spot.
The reason Shinju didn't go to the convention despite sharing her sister's hobbies wasn't a lack of time—it was a lack of courage.
While Sajuna was petite and often mistaken for an elementary schooler, Shinju was the polar opposite. She was already nearly as tall as Rin Ito, and being in the middle of a growth spurt, she'd surely surpass him in a few years. She had long, coral-red hair that cascaded over her shoulders and a face brimming with maternal gentleness. Her chest, unlike Sajuna's, was massive enough to stretch any fabric to its limit, supported by long, shapely thighs. Even though she was the younger sister, she looked like the older one.
In fact, some people might even believe it if you said Shinju was Sajuna's mother.
Her model-like, statuesque figure would draw gazes anywhere in society, but at school, it made her stand out like a sore thumb among both boys and girls. She had been tall since kindergarten, and being different from her peers had led to isolation. While not exactly bullied, she had no friends and often hunched her shoulders in public, trying to look smaller.
She desperately wanted to go to the convention, but the thought of crowded places terrified her. She didn't even dare post her own photos online for fear of malicious comments, so she contented herself with managing her sister's accounts.
"N-no, I'll pass," Shinju murmured, looking down. "Marin-chan might hate you if she sees me..."
"Nonsense! Marin-chan would never hate you." Sajuna sighed. Her sister had always been like this—envying Sajuna's petite frame and her ability to cosplay cute magical girls.
Sajuna and their parents had told her countless times that she was beautiful, but Shinju always thought they were just being nice. Wait...
An idea struck Sajuna.
If she thinks her family is just humoring her, what if someone else told her? What if it was Marin?
If a famous cosplayer she admired told her she was cute and beautiful, it might actually work! But she couldn't be too obvious about it.
Sajuna bent down, sliding her fingers into her white socks to pull them off as she kicked off her shoes. She tried to sound nonchalant as she swapped into slippers.
"By the way, I'll give you Marin-chan's contact info later. You should message her about adding the club tag to our profile."
"Oh... okay." Shinju nodded, suspecting nothing. It was standard procedure for social media managers.
After greeting her parents, Sajuna retreated to her room.
Click.
The moment the door shut, she pressed her ear to the wood, listening intently. She knew her family wouldn't eavesdrop, but she felt so guilty she even propped a chair against the door handle for good measure.
Phew.
She finally exhaled and whipped out her phone to message Marin.
Sajuna: [Marin!!! Help me out!!!!]
Marin: [What's up? Do you want to experience the 'Slave' training too, Sajuna?]
Sajuna: [Pervert!]
Sajuna: [It's not about that!]
Sajuna: [It's about my little sister.]
Sajuna gave a brief rundown of Shinju's situation. She had spent years worrying about her sister's self-esteem. She'd tried this before with classmates, but Shinju always saw through the setup. A famous cosplayer, however, would be different.
Sajuna: [When she reaches out, ask her why she doesn't post her own photos. Get her to send you one, then just tell her she's cute.]
On the other side of the city, Marin Kitagawa had just arrived home. She was sitting at her computer, brainstorming what kind of roleplay they should do next.
She hadn't expected a message from Sajuna. To be fair, while Sajuna seemed to enjoy the party, being thrust into that kind of play on their first meeting was bound to leave her embarrassed.
Marin's lips curled into a mischievous grin as she read. She wants me to boost her sister's confidence? Hehe.
Her slender fingers, adorned with "Shizuku-tan" style nail art, flew across the screen.
Marin: [No problem! Leave it to me!]
Satisfied, Sajuna forwarded Marin's account to Shinju without another word. Now, all she could do was wait.