Rule Breakers

Ughh… Every inch of my body aches, weakening like I lost all of my limbs. Even though I was still sleeping, it felt like I was going to faint anytime. My world turned around as I fought a tug-of-war opening my eyes. With a comforter covering my skin, I still shivered from internal freezing.

I don’t want to do anything. It felt like I wanted to die. When will this end? As soon as these constant thoughts came into my mind, I realized I was sick. My dull eyes stared at the familiar ceiling, and a warm wet towel kissed my forehead. Looking left, I witnessed the warm rays of the sunset. Sera already left, and I didn’t even hear my alarm ring. What time is it?

“Kou-nii!” After Sera entered the room and witnessed me waking up, she rushed at me, her eyebrows drawing together and breaths bursting in and out. “Kou-nii! Are you alright? I touched you earlier, but you’re too hot.”

“T–Thank you, Sera. I know I’m hot,” I joked, my cracking voice accompanied by labored breathing. I know she meant it literally and that she didn’t know what I was talking about.

“I tried waking you up. You’re not responding. I called Mom so he could check what happened, and asked if she could find a nearby cleric to heal you, but she said it’s just fantasy. She mentioned something about doctors and such, but told me you’re going to be alright soon. I was glad to hear that, but… I’m sorry I couldn’t do something to help.”

I forced a shaky chuckle to tell her I’m alright, alleviating her concerns for me. “Still, you called Mom immediately after noticing this. I’m relieved.”

“By the way, you have a visitor.” When Sera mentioned it, Izumi peeked at the door, still wearing her uniform. My remaining stamina lost after bulging my eyes due to adrenaline.

Waving her hand, Izumi entered the room, holding a tray of soup. She gazed around before saying her greetings. “Hello, Kou-kun. How are you feeling?”

I rested my head back and rested my eyes before replying with a heavy sigh. “Still fighting.” Was it already afternoon? I didn’t give permission for her to enter the room! Me feeling sick was never her concern. I wanted her to leave ASAP.

After placing the tray on my nearby desk, she coughed intentionally. “Just so you know, I’m not here to check for you! You shouldn’t have showered under the rain after a physical fatigue. That will strain your body too much.”

“I know.”

“By the way, Amamiya-san was also sick and absent in class. Her sister visited earlier to give her an excuse letter.”

Oh, right. I almost forgot about what happened with Rise, but I couldn’t think straight now. Demotivation flooded my thoughts as this fever lingered within me.

“How about Sera’s lessons?”

“… She couldn’t focus. We’ve been repeating the N5 Kanji practice, but she wasn’t remembering anything. When I asked her why she paced between the lessons, she told me about your situation. Hence, we checked you instead and called the lessons off. She prepared the vegetable broth for you.”

Sera took the soup and held the spoon for me. Her grip wasn’t the same as the first time we met her. “Mom taught me how to cook one recently. This is the only time I made this since I just learned what being sick means,” she said.

Even with my straining back, I forced myself to sit straight. “I can still eat, Sera. You can give the bowl to me.”

“No, Kou-nii. You should rest. Let me handle this,” Sera argued, pointing the spoon with the soup towards my mouth. I ate the ones she served, savoring the exact flavor of Mom’s broth in the past when I was sick.

Izumi distracted herself onto something, averting her stare from us. After a deep breath, she asked, “By the way, when will you be able to go back to school? I’ll inform Ms. Yamamoto about your situation.”

After swallowing, I replied, “Friday, maybe.”

“Then, I should excuse myself. I’ve got something to do. Take care, Kou-kun.” She left the room, her fists shaking.

What was her deal? Was she nervous? I can’t really fathom what she was thinking, and I couldn’t care less. But she made the right move in calling her tutoring off. There was no point in continuing this day.

Suddenly, I remembered something. Before Sera served another spoon, I asked, “Do you want to go with me to Shibuya this Thursday? A bunch of cosplayers will swarm the city, and I would like to teach you more about our culture.”

Tilting her head to the side, she replied, “Sure! Was Shibuya a place?”

“Yeah. Shibuya Halloween was already banned, but we’ll still visit regardless. We will only survey for now and attend the event as an audience.”

Halloween should be the best venue if we wanted to farm for Social Media followers, but I would like to make her feel safe first around the town. I didn’t have the time to prepare for such a grand event after my masterpiece was destroyed by age. Immersing her with the culture should be the first step if I wanted her to be the best cosplayer. I want her to feel what being a fan felt like.

An unproductive day passed, Sera coursed a full marathon of Pretty Cure Magical Wonders episodes, while I spent my time scrolling through Hina Satou’s Instantgram page not because I was a fanboy. Though her cosplay images shouted sparkling quality, I focused on her short reels without her costume, just plain her. I witnessed her latest video in her room for an announcement.

“Hello, Hina fans! I will be cosplaying Mahou Shoujo Stelara from No One Believed I was a Magic Girl! at Shinjuku this Halloween! For those who will be attending, I request everyone to abide with the event rules and not cause some ruckus. See you there, people! I love you!”

With her casual getup, what shocked me was her matching face and short sky-blue hair that shared the same weave as Rise’s. I repeated the reel, focusing on her hazel-brown eyes as I reminisced her shout at school.

“I AM RISE!”

No, no, no! Shaking my head, I didn’t believe Rise was this hyperactive. Why was she hiding her face? Was she insecure about it? Or was she hiding the reality of her career? She wouldn’t be a top cosplayer if she was withdrawn from society. Also, what made her feel so agitated?

Let me add the fact that a cosplayer named Rise won the CosFiesta Mashup 7th. I’ve scrolled through some articles saying that Rise was Hina Satou in undercover, but the fact that Hina didn’t release a statement showed that she wasn’t involved. I couldn’t even find Rise’s socials. Were those two the same person?

The Halloween event was the only way I could confirm.

Thursday afternoon, we already prepared for our departure. Mom already told Izumi that we were going on a family trip; it was a half-lie though. 6 PM, Mom dropped us off near Cat Street at Shibuya, where the least of the population currently was. This was our safest start before we rushed into a legal stampede.

“Kou, if you want a ride home, I’ll be parking near Omoide Yokocho at nine. I’ll just visit a friend nearby. Enjoy your trip, and also, take care of Sera,” Mom greeted, leaning her head out of the car window.

“Sure, take care too.”

After we said goodbyes to Mom, I held Sera’s hand and led her the way so she won’t get lost again. After the last convention, I lost my trust in the public officials. I felt a burst flinch from her for a moment. I asked, “Is something wrong?”

Pursing her lips, she shook her head in extremities. If she thought that the public would treat us as couples, that was out of my concern. There was nothing wrong with siblings holding hands. Society already excluded me, and being a rule-breaker won’t bring me problems. However, I thought wrong.

“Kou-nii… Is it alright for them to show my ears?”

With a grin of sheer confidence, I boasted, “Trust me.” I expected doubt, but she gave me a warm smile of appreciation instead, her other hand flying towards her chest.

Speaking of breaking rules, even with the anti-Halloween celebration campaigns ongoing, Otakus and foreigners still crowded the place. Like them, I also wanted to bring the culture alive.

Still filled with people and officers, the Shibuya crossing harbored most of the culture, giving the power of the streets to its people. Along our way, various attendees showcased their costumes, half anime- and game-based, while the other was pure horror. Sera didn’t know what Halloween was yet, but before I teach her, she should learn how important this event was for us.

“There’s a lot of people in colorful clothes! Are they cosplayers?”

“Yeah, right. I want to show you that the cosplay world isn’t limited to a single small box. Otaku culture is a huge world, one that will accept who you are.”

Soon, a group of nerds approached Sera and asked with excitement, “Hey, it’s Shizu-sama in casual clothes! Can we take a picture!?”

I could see Sera’s half-smile from the side. One was filled with gratitude due to the fact that they treat elves as part of their world, while the other was doubtful when she asked me, “Kou-nii, do they mean they want some memories of me?”

“This was a cosplayer’s job, Sera. They appreciate having memories with the characters they love. It wasn’t just memories, but a one-time memento that they witnessed their dreams turning into reality. Why don’t you give them one? I’ll take the picture.”

With my camera, Sera made a praying pose while surrounded by the Otakus. As far as the pictorial went, I haven’t seen them touching Sera anywhere. Their respects paid well. After the shots, they bowed in sync and shouted, “Thank you very much!”

“Y–You’re welcome!” Sera stuttered, giggling on how they exclaimed their appreciation. After they left, she asked me, “This world was too peaceful, too lively… I’m so glad I’ll be able to become part of the Otaku world.”

The smile on her face felt too true, making my cheeks blush and my gaze avert from her. For those nerds, she was a one-time opportunity to witness their dreams, while I… I don’t deserve to be beside this goddess!

Walking around Shibuya, we encountered people who were amazed by Sera’s ears, and they even asked for her socials, but as her manager, I told them it wasn’t the time yet. So far, no one noticed her involvement with the CosFiesta controversy. It was never the problem though. Sera interacted with countless cosplayers and considered them as friends.

We reached our destination, a ministage near the train station, built with a tarpaulin background of Eunapolis, the setting of the Anime No One Believed I was a Magic Girl!. Circled by crowds, cameras, and flashes, the cute Hina Satou stood with countless character poses every five seconds. She wore a pink ponytail wig portraying Stelara and her personality, a bold but cocky protagonist. She even copied poses straight from Manga covers, alongside scenes that marked the audiences’ mind.

“Don’t worry about me, Celestrina! Save the citizens! I will handle this enemy.” From cute poses to battle stances, she had a potential to be a live action actress. Her unusual tiny voice, together with her accent, even depicted the character’s voice from Anime. This mini-idol deserved her spot in the rankings.

After she called a five-minute break, her guards assisted her towards the backstage, a zone surrounded by belt tape barriers. I saw this opportunity for inquiries, asking Sera to stay at her spot for a moment. With her guards unaware of my next actions, I slipped under the barrier and approached her, who sat on a stool and drank water.

“Rise! Let’s talk, privately,” I uttered. Her eyes bulged, overwhelmed by what I said. She flinched, interrupting her gulp and coughing afterwards. When the guards noticed, they tried to pull me out, but I forced myself to stay until I heard her answer.

Narrowing her eyes at me and tilting her head towards the side, she asked with confusion, “Who are you? I don’t even know you.”

“I’m your PE class partner! Kou! I’m sorry for what happened at the field!”

“Didn’t you hear what I said? I told you I don’t know you. Now, go away. You’re ruining my performance.”

I tried to resist, but those guards were built with muscles, carrying me outside the area. However, I shouted since I’m still not content with her answer. “I’m your classmate! I know you have a career, but don’t ignore me!”