Chapter 125: The Calm Before the Storm

The newfound friendship between me and Aiwa creates a subtle but significant shift in the group dynamic. Aiwa is still shy, especially around me, but the icy wall is gone, replaced by a warm, if slightly awkward, camaraderie. She starts participating more in our group conversations, offering quiet insights and occasional flashes of her LUNA-esque confidence.

Rina and Haruka are, naturally, deeply suspicious of this development. My sudden "breakthrough" with Aiwa, after weeks of their own failed attempts, does not sit well with them.

"What did you say to her?" Rina demands one evening, cornering me in the kitchen. "How did you get her to suddenly stop acting like you are radioactive?"

"I just treated her like a normal person?" I offer, which is apparently the wrong answer.

"Impossible," Haruka declares, joining the interrogation. "There must be some other factor. Some shared secret you are not telling us."

They are closer to the truth than they realize, but I just shrug and maintain my infuriatingly calm facade. Their inability to figure out my "secret technique" for befriending Aiwa only fuels their frustration and makes them more determined than ever to uncover the "truth."

Meanwhile, preparations for the next big event, the "Anime Universe Expo," are in full swing. This time, the organizers, perhaps sensing the potential for explosive drama, have not placed Ectiqa, Hime-Hime, and LUNA's booths right next to each other. Instead, they are in three separate, high-profile locations spread across the massive convention hall. It is a strategic decision designed to maximize crowd flow, but it also feels like a deliberate attempt to keep the three queens from tearing each other apart before lunchtime.

The "Grand Alliance" is focused. Their goal: to individually outshine LUNA on their own terms. Rina is debuting a stunning "Celestial Warrior" costume, all white and gold with glowing energy wings. Haruka is countering with a dark, elegant "Void Witch" design, featuring intricate, shadow-like illusions. They are pouring all their energy and creativity into their work.

Aiwa, too, is preparing. Her theme is "Guardian of the Lost Stars," a costume that promises to incorporate even more advanced lighting and fabric technology. Our secret text conversations are now filled with technical troubleshooting and mutual encouragement.

Me: Rina is trying to incorporate actual, tiny smoke emitters into her gauntlets. Pray for my eyebrows. Aiwa: Be careful! Maybe suggest she uses dry ice instead? Less flammable. I am having trouble calibrating the color shift on my main fabric. It keeps defaulting to puce. Me: Puce? Sounds tragic. Have you tried adjusting the input voltage? Sometimes a slight dip can mess with the color spectrum. Aiwa: Oh! Good idea! Thank you, Rui-kun! You are the best unofficial tech support ever!

Our friendship is blossoming in the secret digital space, a stark contrast to the awkwardness that still sometimes surfaces when we are face-to-face.

The week before the Expo is a blur of last-minute preparations, caffeine-fueled all-nighters, and rising tensions. Rina and Haruka's truce is holding, but barely. Kenji is vibrating with anticipation. Miki is managing logistics with the calm precision of an air traffic controller. Hana is performing makeup miracles. And I am just trying to survive, caught between my handler duties, my role as a secret keeper, and the increasingly confusing feelings I am starting to develop for the shy girl who is also a cosplay goddess and possibly my childhood fiancée.

The calm before the storm is almost over. The Anime Universe Expo is about to begin, and I have a terrible feeling that this is where all our carefully kept secrets are finally going to collide.