I was Thrown into an Unfamiliar Manga

We returned to the West Hall, the same changing room we had used earlier.

And the West Hall of Tokyo Big Sight was nothing less than the main stronghold of the corporate booths.
Unlike the East Hall, where general participants brought doujinshi to sell, the West Hall’s corporate booths were filled with official merchandise produced by companies.
Of course, with the “official” tag attached, it was far more expensive than doujin goods.

Even so, there was a solid demand.
Because that’s exactly what being an otaku meant—buying things while fully aware you were a willing “black cow” being milked.
“……”

And I, too, had fallen into that trap.
At first, I’d only intended to take a quick look, but I stopped unconsciously in front of Jump’s official booth.
“Why, Ryu-chan? See something you want?”

“Ah, yeah. That Sasuke Ninja Scroll phone case caught my eye.”
I pointed at the goods displayed at the Jump booth as I spoke.
“Ah, that one. It’s a new product.”
Rika, who knew I was a hardcore fan of Musashi-sensei, gave a wry smile.

Then, LISA, who had been listening to our conversation from the side, spoke up.
“Should I buy it for you?”
Startled, I waved my hands.

“Huh? No, no, that’s not necessary. I’ve got money.”
“Eeh~ No need to be shy. It’s not like it costs much.”
Saying that, LISA confidently walked into the Jump booth.

A staff member came out to greet us.
“Welcome~ What are you looking f—Madam?!”
A young man raised his voice in surprise, clearly recognizing her.

LISA also seemed to recognize his face and casually greeted him.
“Sanada-san, are you on shift today?”
“Ah, yes. It just worked out that way. Hehe.”

The man scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
“Who is he?”
“Ah, this is Sanada Yusuke, an editor from Jump. He used to be my husband’s editor.”

Hearing that, I gave a polite ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) greeting.
“Hello. I’m Kim Yu-seong.”
“Oh? Korean?”
“I’m a Korean-Japanese.”

“There’s a Korean in our editorial department too. Also a Kim. Maybe you’re related?”
“Probably not. In Korea, Kim is as common as Yamada is in Japan.”
I smiled bitterly as I said that, and Sanada grinned cheerfully.

“Well, that makes sense. Anyway, what are you buying?”
“Ah, just that phone case over there. How much is it?”
“Come on now~ How could I take money from Madam? Just take one.”

“Oh my, are you sure?”
“I was planning to send some samples to your house anyway. While you’re here, why not take a few items you like?”
Sanada said this, then disappeared into the back of the booth and returned with a box filled with various items.

At a glance, it was clear he had included not just the Sasuke Ninja Scroll case but also other goods on display.
“You can take all of this.”
“Oh dear, oh dear.”

LISA covered one cheek with her hand, looking troubled.
“I appreciate it, but carrying all that around right now would be a problem.”
“Ah, of course. Then stop by again before you leave. I’ll keep it safe for you.”

Sanada placed the box down.
“Oh? Now that I look closer—this is Rika-chan, isn’t it?”
Rika bowed awkwardly.
“Hello, Sanada-san.”

“It’s been so long, I didn’t recognize you at first.”
“The last time you saw me was when I was in elementary school.”
“Has it been that long already? And now you’re cosplaying with your mother—what a great hobby.”

Sanada gave her a thumbs-up.
Despite looking like a perfectly normal person, he was clearly an otaku too.
“Well, we’ll be going now. You look busy, Sanada-san.”

“Ah, yes. Take care, Madam.”
After saying our goodbyes, we left the Jump booth.
“That worked out nicely, Yu-seong-kun. You can pick it up after the event.”

“Yes. Thank you.”
“Fufu, it’s nothing. Giving you a bit of my time is no big deal.”
LISA smiled faintly, then clapped her hands as if to change the mood.

“Well then, shall we get to work?”
“Huh?”
“Oh my, did you forget? I’m a professional cosplayer, after all. I was invited here by the corporate side this time.”

She pointed toward one of the larger corporate booths.
“That’s where we’re headed.”
It was none other than the booth of Pentagon, the company that developed Last Fantasy 7, the very game we were cosplaying from.

***
Last Fantasy 7
A JRPG released about 20 years ago.

Back then, Sophia, the beloved heroine of everyone, and Baou, the enemy you couldn’t help but want to call “aniki,” left unforgettable memories for those who played the game.
And now, we were at the Pentagon booth, the company that had created Last Fantasy 7, taking photos.
“Please look this way for the photo!”

Click! Click! Click! Click!
If before we’d been posing for ordinary visitors, now we were surrounded by people armed with professional equipment, snapping away at the photo zone.
LISA, who was posing with me, truly lived up to her title of a pro, moving naturally and gracefully.

Looking at her like this, she and Rika seemed more like sisters with a bit of an age gap rather than mother and daughter.
Maybe it was partly makeup, but being naturally youthful certainly helped.
“Good! Perfect!”

While I was lost in thought, people who were probably from magazines or newspapers were taking photos enthusiastically.
These kinds of stage or studio shots would later be processed with Photoshop.
“Baou-san! Could you hold the sword heroically for us?”

Following the photographer’s request, I took a ceremonial stance with the greatsword, and cheers erupted from all around.
After that hectic session, once the photo time was over, we sat down to rest.
“Ahhh~ I’m exhausted~ My legs are swollen~”

Maria massaged her thighs as she complained.
It was the most age-appropriate thing I’d seen from her all day.
Rika, who had been watching from a distance, handed me a water bottle and asked:

“So, Ryu-chan? How was the shoot?”
“Honestly? Super exhausting.”
I hadn’t expected anything like this when I agreed to cosplay.

“Well, at least it’s over now. You did great, Ryu-chan.”
Rika smiled warmly at me.
‘What is she? An angel?’

That was my honest thought for a moment.
“Rika, where’s mine?”
“Nope.”

“You’re so mean~”
LISA pretended to cry, but her daughter didn’t even blink.
I was watching their exchange from the sidelines when—

“Hello! Senpai!”
A cheerful voice suddenly called out.
“Oh? And you are?”

Maria instantly dropped her exhausted act and, with LISA’s professional face back on, greeted the newcomer smoothly.
“I’m Sakuya, just debuting as a professional cosplayer! Please take care of me♥”
She handed over a business card without hesitation.

LISA accepted it and asked:
“What brings you here?”
“Ah, I’ve been your fan even before my debut. Could I please get your autograph?”

She handed over an autograph board and a marker.
LISA signed it skillfully.
“Thank you so much!”

Sakuya bowed deeply, glanced briefly at me, and then left as quickly as she had appeared.
“She came and went like the wind. Did she have an appointment or something?”
LISA shrugged.

“She was scouting us.”
“Scouting?”
“They’re running a popularity vote among the cosplayers today. The event organizers are giving prizes to the winners. Since our team’s a top contender, she probably came to analyze the competition.”

“Ah.”
Only then did I realize Sakuya hadn’t approached us out of pure admiration.
“Anyway, let’s get moving. We’ve rested long enough.”

LISA stood up.
“There’s still more?”
I asked in disbelief, and LISA simply shrugged.

“The popularity vote, of course. We have to see the results.”
***
The final battleground.

It was the outdoor event stage set up in front of the East Hall, where all the corporate booths were lined up.
The MC, clearly hired for the event, called out the participants one by one, and each cosplay team went up on stage to show off their charm.
The structure of the event felt like an upgraded version of the swimsuit contest we’d had at the beach.

“By the way, our goal is to win.”
“Huh?! This is the first I’m hearing of that!”
“If we’re doing it anyway, might as well go all out so we don’t regret it later.”

“……”
I hated how easily I was convinced by that logic.
But it was too late to back out now anyway.

So I steeled myself for the final stage.
“Then! Entry number 7! Sophia & Baou team, please come up!”