It takes two?

“Thanks.” She opened her door, completing her ‘food’ run. I mean, sure: pastries, tarts, chocolates…they count as food. The vices of a university diet; between these and the prepackaged snacks, the quintessential student meal plan is complete.

Might as well while my metabolism is still going full force. 

I originally thought Sato’s ¥6,700 snack run that day was a massive haul. I nearly fainted when the register rang up Lafon’s order.

She must be treated like royalty for these bakeries….

And as I found a recurring theme around these parts, we’re having a meeting at Lafon’s dorm table with these pastries.

Right, emergency meeting. Have to be serious here.

“The package did come,” she wiped a smudge of cream puff off her lips. “The dress is okay, just a few areas to stitch up, which is no big deal.”

“But–” she bit into the pastry with more force. “The arm’s broken.” If I remember correctly, Azure has a mechanical arm, so she must be referring to the cosplay component–maybe it was damaged when it was shipped over.

As she finished, she went over to her wardrobe and took out a box, opened it, and placed a heaping scrap of metal bars, screws, wires, and springs onto the table. That was a prosthetic arm? It’s like it was swept away by a typhoon and smashed into pieces.

“Uh…”

“Exactly! Like if it were only mildly damaged, I could at least figure it out, but it’s completely ruined!” She rummaged through her bookbag, pulling out a folded sheet of paper. Tossing it on the table as it unfolded, she proceeded to tear open a slice of baumkuchen.

I studied the paper now laid out before me: a drawing of an arm, with an array of lines and figures in several directions. An abstract? No, those figures seem to resemble…components.

Tracing back from the mangled arm to the drawing, several homologous features started to appear, and through the distorted frames and crumpled junk, the paper revealed its true form: a prototype drawing.

“I didn’t make the arm.” She looked down at the table, her beret sliding a millimeter to the side. “While I create the outfits on my own, assembling all these mechanical components from scratch… is outside my skill set.”

She mentioned the arm was commissioned by experienced designers, and that even with all the prototype diagrams on file wouldn’t be useful for her. I could only nod in agreement at this point, staring at the croissant I had picked out from the pile of food.

“It’s likely I will pull out of the competition–” Out of the competition?

“Why?” Shoot, that was a knee-jerk question from me; she obviously has her reasons…

“There’s no point with only the dress…and at this point, I can’t cosplay as anything other than Azure…” She slumped down, a crumb on her face landing on her shirt as she haphazardly brushed it off.

What she needed was to somehow rebuild this arm in the next month. And the only one here who knows of this situation has absolutely no idea how this lump of metal parts even functions. There’s electronics, wires….Sato would have the skills necessary.

Though Lafon probably thought of Sato as an option, and with the risk of her cover potentially outweighing the benefit of receiving help from her…

Maybe if I could convince her….

“This might be an incredibly outrageous idea, but if it works, would you–”

***

“Serina…”

Of course, she’s not thrilled about this idea. Per the last conversation about this topic, she mentioned something about her ahoge being a radio antenna broadcasting her secrets or some phrase similar.

“Look, I wouldn't mention her if I didn't think she could do it and can keep it under wraps.”

No response.

“I know…it’s been two weeks since I said I wouldn’t tell anyone, and here I am telling you to involve Sato-san…sounds ridiculous. But I’m sure she can do both.”

She placed her fingers on the bridge of her nose, her contemplative state challenging my state of patience. Ugh, my persuasive skills must be rusty; prime Ryuuto would be calling me washed right about now.

“Alright…on one condition.” Or so I thought. A vintage Ryuuto moment.

“Go ahead.”

“You’ll supervise her–”

Me!?

“But…I have zero expertise in this–”

“You don’t actually have to build the arm—I have my hands full with the dress, and I can’t be in two places at once. Just make sure she doesn’t tell anyone– that’s your responsibility.”

I suppose that’s a fair deal.

“Deal.”

She picked up her phone and started typing away. “Texting Serina now.”

I finished my croissant, satisfied with the resolution. “Sorting out when to talk with her?”

“Yeah, she’s coming over.” She got up, walking over towards the door.

We’re having that meeting now? Right now? Right here!?

“Maybe I should let you two discuss it–”

“Well, you’re part of the plan, so it’s best if you stay–”

Knock knock. That was fast!

Lafon turned the handle and swung the door fully open.

“Elise! What’s up–”

Sato smiled as her eyes wandered around the room, suddenly stopping once my presence was known.

Did the temperature in the room just drop like ten degrees…

“Iwasaki-kun! You’re here too!”

Must have been my imagination.

***

“ELISE! YOU’RE–” Sato caught herself in the nick of time, placing a hand over her mouth. Through her hand, her muffled voice came through, “acosplayerthatissocoolomgyouresoprettyinthesephotos–”

Lafon had shown her some photoshoot pictures, as well as her wardrobe, and to say Sato was starstruck was an understatement of the month.

Imagining Sato as an idol fan didn’t take much effort; donning idol merch, supporting at concerts, buying autographed memorabilia, waiting in line at meet and greets… just that picture in my mind has me internally bursting out in laughter.

Can’t do that right now though….gotta keep the laughter in.

Lafon discussed the mechanical arm. “My request, which is a big request, if you can help rebuild this arm–”

“Sure!” Sato excitedly cheered. That was simple. Lafon smiled and gave some points about sending her documents with more prototype drawings and component designs, to which Sato nodded along with growing enjoyment.

Of course, this sort of contraption obviously intrigues her, along with the process of designing, shopping, building, testing….just like the light bulb experiment with Eddy…current. I almost forgot the concept and mistook it for a name again.

“And I’m happy you think I can help you this way!”

“Actually, it was Iwasaki’s idea…”

Sato looked at me, her eyebrows inclined slightly as her mouth opened. “Really?”

“In fact,” Lafon continued, taking her time opening another pastry, “I still have my reservations…but he insisted I can trust you with this project…and not to tell anyone else. Very skilled, very trustworthy–”

My vision shifted back to Lafon as she spoke. Okay, Lafon, I think you may be exaggerating my words a tad since I have no recollection of these words exiting my mouth earlier.

Nevertheless, that was more or less the point I was getting across in our prior conversation.

“Well, I’m glad that I can help out, and I promise my lips are sealed!” Sato proclaimed, now rotated nearly 180 degrees towards the side wall.

Sato, why are you facing the wall?! Lafon is to your left!

“But just to be sure, Iwasaki will help out as well. And if word gets out…”

Here we go again.

This time around, I felt a little less antsy as the sword stopped a few centimeters from my neck. Still an uncomfortable feeling to be threatened with Plan C.

Who am I kidding it still scares the shit out of me.

“I got it, it’s over for both of us–”

“No, just you.”

What, where’s the equality in this? “Only me?!?”

Sato giggled as I realized my fate had been sealed before my very eyes.