"We finally made it."
Whenever a big event like a Comic Exhibition was held, the roads around the Magic City Exhibition Center always jammed up. Even leaving early didn't save you from getting stuck in traffic.
That was why Chen Xiao had always ridden his little electric scooter before.
But things were different now.
With more people at home, he had to consider traveling on four wheels.
"Whoa..."
Nijika Ijichi and the others got out of the car and saw huge crowds in the distance. Some carried backpacks, others held bags, and some had simply saved themselves the trouble of changing and entered the venue already in cosplay.
"So this is an international metropolis? Everything's so big, and there are so many people..."
It might not have been the most appropriate comparison, but the four girls looked like country bumpkins getting their first glimpse of a grand estate.
Looking out the car windows earlier hadn't made much of an impression on them. Now that they were on the ground, they could really feel Magic City's appeal.
But while some were awestruck, someone else was terrified.
"Bocchi! Pull yourself together!"
Hitori Gotoh felt a little dead.
People everywhere. Eyes everywhere.
To her, it was like being a sewer rat dropped into a cat café. Not only did she stick out in the clean, brightly lit surroundings, but predators lurking in every corner were watching her!
"Hahaha... Bocchi, don't be nervous~ Don't be nervous! Take a few deep breaths."
Chen Xiao hadn't expected Hitori Gotoh to react so strongly, either. He hurried over and held her against him to comfort her, gently patting her back.
"S-so close...! Am I... being pampered?! Ooooh~~! This is what having a knight in shining armor feels like, right?! A useless wreck like me, who can't do anything except play guitar! Even I get to have A-Xiao protect me..."
Nijika Ijichi/Ryo Yamada/Ikuyo Kita: ...
Watching Hitori Gotoh break into a lecherous grin worthy of Crayon Shin-chan, the three felt inexplicably annoyed.
"Feeling better?"
Chen Xiao asked.
"Yes! Absolutely!"
Hitori Gotoh answered in a voice fit for commanding a battleship.
Although he had no idea what was running wild inside Hitori Gotoh's head, judging by how she looked, she had recovered her spirits.
"We still have plenty of time. We can look around the venue first, then head backstage once Jiafang messages me."
Of course, before they went exploring, Chen Xiao took a photo of the venue and sent it to Ding Jiafang to put his mind at ease.
Then Chen Xiao led the four girls into the Comic Exhibition hall.
Only now did they truly understand Shenzhou's sheer scale. Every section of the venue was bigger than the Starry live house run by Seika Ijichi, Nijika's older sister!
"If we charged an 'entry and exit fee' here, we'd be counting money until our hands cramped!"
Ryo Yamada pointed toward the junction between several exhibition halls in the distance, her eyes practically turning into money signs.
"If you tried charging that, nobody would come. You wouldn't see a single cent, Ryo, and you'd end up owing a fortune in compensation."
Chen Xiao smiled as he answered Ryo Yamada's blatant money-grubbing.
"Then wouldn't I have to live on grass?! Oh... wait. With A-Xiao supporting me even when I'm like this, I'll never have to eat grass again."
Ryo Yamada first looked enlightened, then caught on and broke into a shameless little grin.
Chen Xiao: ...
That was a confession, right?
That came out of nowhere and nearly punched straight through my defenses!
Ryo Yamada, what a terrifying woman.
"Wow... You really have no shame."
Nijika Ijichi snarked from beside her.
"Well, that's just how Ryo is."
Ikuyo Kita nodded in agreement.
"..."
Bocchi hadn't said a word since entering the venue.
She followed mechanically beside Ikuyo Kita, looking as though she had been "gone" for quite some time.
Although there were plenty of cosplayers around, Nijika Ijichi and the others still drew quite a bit of attention.
Their four distinct styles made them especially eye-catching, yet they all fit together so naturally.
Of course, it was mostly because they were so pretty.
"Are those girls cosplaying too?"
"They look so pretty~ So cute~!"
"And they're not even wearing makeup! That's amazing! How can they look that good without it?"
"What series are they cosplaying? How come I don't recognize them?"
"Who cares about any of that! Hey, ladies, can we take a photo... Never mind, got turned away."
"Hah! What a clown. Didn't you see they had a guy with them?"
Chen Xiao turned away everyone who tried to get a photo with them.
If it had been Togenashi Togear, there probably wouldn't have been so many people trying.
There was actually another reason Chen Xiao hadn't chosen Nina Iseri before: she wasn't anime enough.
Even though she was literally an anime character.
The simplest example was their clothing. The four members of Kessoku Band wore simple outfits, but their style had a distinctly fresh, cute anime feel. Togenashi Togear, on the other hand, looked thoroughly like people with thriving real-world social lives, both in how they dressed and how they carried themselves.
They would have been completely out of place among the other people at the venue.
Their level was too high. Nobody would have worked up the courage.
Of course, there was also Nina's childish air...
Nina Iseri: I'll kill you!
They wandered through several sections, and Nijika Ijichi and the others all had a great time. Only Chen Xiao felt no interest whatsoever as he looked at the unfamiliar anime franchises.
Fortunately, some famous domestic works from his previous life existed in this one too.
So he still spotted a few familiar faces at the Comic Exhibition.
Like the anime-themed comedy routine being performed up ahead.
Two cosplayers dressed as motorcycle robots were onstage, consulting a man in a white lab coat.
"Here's our first topic: Energy City in the early hours... Wrong book!"
The doctor turned and took a different book from the bookcase.
"Here's our first topic: The Moon Temple has prepared for batt... This one won't work either."
Chen Xiao: ...
Now I get it. You're performing "The Adventures of Loser Luo: Jixianfeng's Psychological Troubles" here!
They even do anime-themed comedy sketches at the Comic Exhibition?
Still, judging by how the audience was laughing their heads off, it was going over pretty well.
Oh, I'm laughing too. Never mind, then.
Beep, beep, beep...!!!
[Ding Jiafang: A-Xiao! It's almost my turn! Hurry over!]
"Nijika, Jiafang messaged me. Let's head backstage."
After seeing Ding Jiafang's message, Chen Xiao turned and called to the girls, who were engrossed in the performance.
"Is it starting? Phew... I-I'm getting nervous!"
Ikuyo Kita startled at his words.
"Don't worry, Kita! We'll be cheering you on from the audience!"
Nijika Ijichi clenched a fist to encourage Ikuyo Kita.
Ryo Yamada gave her a thumbs-up too. "If you really can't sing, Ikuyo, you can always act cute. Maybe people will even give you money."
"Ryo!"
Meanwhile, Ding Jiafang was pacing back and forth at the backstage entrance. Even though he knew Chen Xiao had arrived, he couldn't stop worrying until he actually saw him.
"Jiafang! I brought everyone!"
That familiar voice was like a shot of adrenaline, instantly perking Ding Jiafang up.
"A-Xiao! You..."
But when he happily looked toward the voice, he discovered that Chen Xiao wasn't alone. Four beautiful girls, each with her own distinct style, were following beside him.
A sunny, cheerful blonde beauty with a side ponytail and a beaming smile-Nijika Ijichi.
A blue-haired beauty with short hair, an indifferent expression, and a somewhat aloof air-Ryo Yamada.
An adorable red-haired beauty who seemed like a little bundle of joy-Ikuyo Kita.
And the last one, a pink-haired beauty who kept her head lowered and her back slightly hunched, looking gloomy but unable to hide her lovely face-Hitori Gotoh.
"..."
After a moment of silence, Ding Jiafang's gaze gradually turned murderous.
Ding Jiafang: I'm going to kill you!!!!
(Yujiro Hanma face.jpg)
Before you continue