I was Thrown into an Unfamiliar Manga

We confidently stepped onto the stage.
Waaaaaahhh!
Thunderous cheers erupted from the audience.

If I hadn’t experienced the swimsuit contest at Onjuku Beach before, I probably would’ve frozen up and barely been able to move.
The MC alternated his gaze between me and LISA, unable to hide his amazement.
“Wow, this isn’t cosplay—this looks like the actual character just showed up!”

And most of his attention was fixed not on LISA, but on me.
He asked:
“Baou-san, are you by any chance a professional bodybuilder?”

I shook my head.
“No, I’m just a student who enjoys working out.”
“Ah, so a college student?”
“I’m a high schooler.”

The MC stared in disbelief.
“Eeeh~? You’re joking, right?”
It stung a little to think I looked that old, but I kept a straight face and said firmly:

“I’m serious.”
Then I quickly passed the baton to LISA standing next to me.
She looked momentarily flustered but soon took the mic and spoke smoothly.

“Ahem, as you all know, the cosplay we prepared this time is of Sophia, the heroine of Last Fantasy 7, and Baou, the protagonist’s half-brother. Please give lots of love to the upcoming Last Fantasy 7 remake.”
It was exactly the kind of line the sponsors would love. LISA then offered a refined smile and waved to the crowd.
The male otakus in the audience immediately started shouting:

“Sophia Mama! We love you!”
“Mama! Mama! Mama!”
The overwhelming support was almost terrifying—an actual scene of collective hysteria.

LISA simply placed her palm against her cheek, repeating “Ara-ara,” looking embarrassed, though she didn’t seem displeased at all.
After all, this just meant our chances of winning the popularity vote were climbing.
Perhaps feeling sorry for me, who was standing like a totem pole beside her, the MC suddenly shoved the microphone in my direction.

“Your teammate just made a great appeal. Baou-san, don’t you have anything you want to say to the audience?”
At those words, I glanced toward the audience.
Everyone was looking up at me expectantly.
They were probably waiting for that line—the final, iconic quote that summed up Baou’s entire philosophy.

I swallowed nervously, raised the greatsword high above my head, and spoke in a deep, theatrical voice:
“Then farewell! The woman I loved! I may have failed in this life, but in the next, this Conqueror Baou will make you mine!”
In the original game, Baou delivered this line before plunging his sword into his own abdomen, meeting a glorious end.

When I finished, I glanced around nervously.
Complete silence.
I had done my best to imitate the original voice actor, but I had no idea how it came across.

But those worries were needless because—
WAAAAAAHHHHH!
Deafening cheers and applause erupted from all directions.

“You’re the best, Baou-chan!”
“I’ll call you aniki for life!”
“KYIIIIIIIEEEEEK!”

In the middle of the chaotic noise, one thing was certain: our team’s popularity vote score would definitely be high.
***
After that, several cosplay teams went up and down the stage.

Among them was Sakuya, the cosplayer who had greeted us earlier.
But compared to the high-quality performance we had just given, the audience’s reaction to her was lukewarm at best, which only increased our chances of winning exponentially.
Unless some dark horse appeared out of nowhere, victory seemed all but certain.

Time passed slowly, a mix of boredom and nervous anticipation—
And finally, the popularity vote results were announced.
“The first-place winner of this competition is the team that cosplayed Sophia and Baou from Pentagon’s masterpiece Last Fantasy 7—LISA’s team!”
As we waited behind the MC with the other participants, we hugged each other in joy the moment the results were announced.

Squish!
“Ah, sorry.”
Realizing the soft sensation far too late, I hastily pulled back from LISA. Her face reddened as she coughed awkwardly, clearly embarrassed by her own impulsive action.

“T-This stays between us, okay? My husband doesn’t need to know.”
“Of course.”
Reaching that dramatic compromise, we each grabbed one side of the winner’s trophy and gave our victory speeches.

“Thank you to everyone who has always loved my cosplay. I promise to repay you with even better work in the future.”
After LISA spoke first, I followed.
“I never imagined I’d receive such a major award at my first event. ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) Personally, I’d like to dedicate this victory to LISA, who prepared everything for me.”

When I said that and gestured toward her, LISA looked away for the first time, visibly flustered.
Thus ended the grand finale.
Having achieved everything we came to Comiket for, we decided it was time to head home.

***
“Thank you for giving me a ride all the way home.”
When I bowed slightly as I spoke, Maria—no, LISA—laughed lightly.

“Oh, this much is nothing.”
“Then I’ll talk to my husband and get you that limited-edition merchandise we discussed before.”
“Ah, thank you. Honestly, I was hoping you’d say that.”

I smiled openly, and LISA smirked.
“Compared to what you did for me, this is nothing. Your acting on stage was fantastic.”
The praise kept coming, and I didn’t know where to look.

“Jeez, Mama. Don’t overdo it with the compliments.”
Rika cut in at just the right moment, then waved through the open car window.
“Today was fun, Ryu-chan. Let’s meet again sometime.”

“Yeah. Get home safe.”
After a simple goodbye, we parted ways in front of my house.
Unless something unexpected happened, I probably wouldn’t see Rika again until after summer break.

Fiddling with the phone case LISA had given me as a gift, I lifted the shop’s noren curtain and stepped inside.
“I’m home!”
***

3ch
One of the largest composite online communities in Japan.
It was the birthplace of the so-called “thread” format and even served as the original model for the underground darknet message boards used by the Japanese underworld.

To be precise, that technology had been purchased outright, but in the underworld, such deals were just business as usual.
And now that the second day of Comiket had ended—
One board in particular was buzzing with activity.

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33. Anonymous VIP 2017/8/12 (Sat) 18:23:18.47 ID:PotoKano
Did you guys go to Comiket today?
34. AngelicTenshiIsSoCute
Why would anyone who isn’t a total nerd go on day two? You into BL or something?

35. HikariIsMyWife
Are you serious, dude?
36. AnonymousOtaku
Bo-chu lover! Bo-chu lover!
37. AnonymousWriter
Could be a girl, you know.

38. AnonymousNEET
A girl browsing the cosplay board on 3ch at this hour? That’s my dream girl.
39. Anonymous VIP 2017/8/12 (Sat) 18:28:34.12 ID:PotoKano
…Anyway, LISA showed up at the cosplay plaza today.
40. HikariIsMyWife
You mean that LISA, the legendary cosplayer who’s been active for over 20 years?

41. AnonymousOtaku
The one rumored to be a vampire? That “Lisa-Lisa”?
42. AngelicTenshiIsSoCute
Hey, keep it respectful—she’s real. I’ve already got my notepad open.
43. Anonymous VIP 2017/8/12 (Sat) 18:32:46.34 ID:PotoKano
Yeah, that LISA. She was hired by Pentagon’s booth this time. The quality was insane.

44. AnonymousWriter
Who did she cosplay as?
45. Anonymous VIP 2017/8/12 (Sat) 18:33:11.58 ID:PotoKano
Sophia and Baou.
46. AnonymousWriter
Ah, makes sense. The Last Fantasy 7 remake is coming out.

47. Anonymous VIP 2017/8/12 (Sat) 18:34:53.13 ID:PotoKano
Just look for yourself.
[Attached photo]
48. HikariIsMyWife
Holy crap. She doesn’t look like someone who’s been cosplaying for 20 years.

49. AnonymousOtaku
Photoshop’s crazy these days. She’s definitely had work done.
50. AnonymousNEET
Newbie spotted. LISA is famous for her “preserved youth.” Rumor is she has a high school-aged daughter.
51. Anonymous VIP 2017/8/12 (Sat) 18:40:23.11 ID:PotoKano
Her Sophia was amazing, but the Baou cosplayer was insane.

52. AngelicTenshiIsSoCute
No way an Asian pulled off Baou. Stop lying.
53. AnonymousWriter
Why assume he’s Asian? LISA’s a naturalized foreigner—Baou could be foreign too.
54. Anonymous VIP 2017/8/12 (Sat) 18:43:17.52 ID:PotoKano
He was Asian.

[Attached photo]
55. AngelicTenshiIsSoCute
Whoa. Look at those muscles. Is he even human?
56. AnonymousOtaku
Please have a tiny dick. Please have a tiny dick. Please have a tiny dick.

57. HikariIsMyWife
He’s obviously on steroids. No way you get muscles that big naturally.
58. AnonymousWriter
Still, that build is insane. He’s gotta be almost 190 cm. Definitely not your average Asian physique.
59. AngelicTenshiIsSoCute
Steroids or not, the sync with the original character is perfect. It’s like the actual Baou showed up.

60. AnonymousOtaku
Please have a tiny dick. Please have a tiny dick. Please have a tiny dick.
61. Anonymous VIP 2017/8/12 (Sat) 18:49:21.35 ID:PotoKano
Forget the muscles—check from 1:41 in this video.
[Attached video]

62. AngelicTenshiIsSoCute
Whoa… that voice….
63. AnonymousWriter
Sounds almost like a professional voice actor. His diction’s amazing.
64. AnonymousNEET
Where’d he rank in the popularity vote? Wait, don’t tell me—I can already guess.

65. Anonymous VIP 2017/8/12 (Sat) 18:53:17.24 ID:PotoKano
If he keeps up this quality, a new legend could be born in the industry. Does this guy have any social media? I’m already a fan.
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In a dark room, a girl was reading this thread on 3ch’s cosplay board.

The moment she saw the attached photo, she immediately recognized the face of Kim Yu-seong, her schoolmate. Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
“This… looks fun.”