Chapter 120: The Armor of LUNA

The awkward descent from the rooftop is a silent, emotionally charged affair. Kenji keeps trying to offer Aiwa his jacket, his handkerchief, and his undying fealty, all of which she politely declines. Rina and Haruka walk on either side of me, their earlier possessiveness replaced by a thoughtful, wary silence. Miki and Hana flank Aiwa, offering quiet, reassuring words. We are a bizarre, mismatched parade processing our collective shock.

Back at the apartment, the atmosphere is thick with unspoken questions. We order takeout, because no one has the energy to cook. We sit around the living room, picking at pizza, the elephant in the room so large it is practically sitting on the sofa with us.

Finally, Miki breaks the silence. "Matsuki-san," she says gently, but with her usual managerial directness. "You do not have to tell us anything you do not want to. But… why the secrecy? Why create LUNA?"

Aiwa takes a deep breath. Bolstered perhaps by the shared knowledge, or maybe just by sheer exhaustion, she finally tells them the full story. She talks about her childhood, moving back and forth between countries, always being the outsider. She talks about the bullying, the loneliness, the crushing shyness that made it feel impossible to connect with anyone.

"I hated being Aiwa Matsuki," she says, her voice quiet but steady. "She was weak. She was scared. She was invisible." She looks down at her hands. "But then I discovered cosplay. Online, behind a mask, I could be anyone. I started creating characters, personas. And LUNA… she was the strongest one."

She describes how she practiced the voice, mimicking announcers and voice actors until she could produce that deep, commanding tone. How she studied body language, learning to project confidence even when she was terrified inside. How LUNA became her shield, her armor, allowing her to navigate the often harsh and competitive world of cosplay without revealing the vulnerable girl underneath.

"When I am LUNA," she says, meeting their eyes, her own shining with a fierce, determined light, "I am not scared. I am powerful. I am perfect. I am everything that Aiwa is not."

Her story hangs in the air. Rina and Haruka are listening intently, their own expressions complex. They both understand the transformative power of cosplay, the allure of becoming someone else. They see the parallels in their own lives- Rina's escape into Ectiqa, Haruka's construction of the icy Hime-Hime persona.

"So," Rina says slowly, processing it all. "LUNA is your defense mechanism."

"And your weapon," Haruka adds, a grudging respect in her voice. "A very effective one."

"She is also… lonely," Hana says softly, looking at Aiwa with gentle empathy.

Aiwa just gives a small, sad nod.

Kenji, surprisingly, is quiet for once, looking at Aiwa with a newfound understanding. "It must be hard," he says, his usual boisterousness replaced by a quiet sincerity. "Being two people all the time."

"It is exhausting," Aiwa admits with a weary sigh.

The revelation has changed everything. LUNA is no longer just a rival or a threat. She is Aiwa Matsuki, a girl with a painful past and a brilliant, complicated defense mechanism. The dynamic between the three queens has shifted from pure rivalry to something far more complex: a mixture of competition, empathy, and a grudging, mutual respect. They are all artists hiding behind masks, and for the first time, they are starting to see the real faces underneath.