Chapter 416: What is God-tier Cosplay?
As the group arrived at the venue, the previously noisy crowd instantly quieted down, and everyone's eyes were filled with shock as they looked at this small team.
To be precise, most of the gazes were directed at Hachiman walking at the forefront.
Dressed in a black coat with black-and-white swords strapped to his back, coupled with his exceptionally high attractiveness after makeup and the aura enhancement from various max-level modules, it gave people the illusion that a real character had descended among them.
Although the clothes and props were just ordinary, in cosplay, as you all know, what matters most is looks.
As long as you're good-looking enough, nothing else matters.
Even Yumiko and Ebina were stunned. They never expected that the seemingly ordinary Hachiman would become so handsome after changing into a new outfit.
This caused a hint of blush to appear on their faces, and their heartbeats couldn't help but quicken a bit.
After contemplating for a moment, Yumiko grabbed her phone, snapped a few pictures of Hachiman, and sent them to the small group where they had organized the birthday party last time.
Shortly after sending them, the girls in the group began messaging.
Yui: "Huh? Is this... Hikki? So handsome."
Yukino: "Is Hachiman cosplaying?"
Kotonoha: "Hachiman-kun, so handsome..."
Saeko: "Miura-san, where did you take these?"
Shizuka: "This must be from the summer exhibition, right? Is that guy interested in this kind of thing too?"
"..."
Finally, Yumiko revealed the answer: "That's right, it's from the summer exhibition. We were accompanying Hina to buy some things, and then..."
She explained the situation, and the girls in the group suddenly understood.
Yui: "So, he was helping out? I knew it, Hikki couldn't suddenly develop an interest in cosplay."
Seeing her comment, Saeko and the others couldn't help but silently refute it.
No, Yuigahama, you're wrong. Actually, Hachiman does like cosplay, but not for himself to wear, but for us to wear.
After sending the message in the group, Yumiko glanced back at Hachiman's position.
Perhaps it was because of the popularity of "Sword Art Online," or perhaps it was simply because Hachiman looked handsome at the moment, but he had already attracted quite a crowd around him, and almost all of them were girls.
These girls were taking photos like crazy, as if they had gone mad.
"So handsome! And his aura is amazing, I feel like my heart is melting."
"This must be a newbie cosplayer, otherwise, I wouldn't be unfamiliar with his name."
"This Kirito cosplay is just too accurate. It perfectly embodies that mix of innocence and maturity. I guess he's not very old, this kind of cute puppy is my type, I must get his phone number."
"That's right, we must get his number."
"I want it too!!!"
"..."
In contrast to the crowded scene around Hachiman, the other few people were a bit calmer. Mafuyu and Miharu were fine, after all, their looks spoke for themselves. The rest of them felt a bit awkward, and the tourists just took a few random photos before leaving.
Seeing this scene, Chihe, as the club president, cleared her throat a few times.
"Cough, alright everyone, please listen up. We're going to start shooting the cosplay collection next."
Upon hearing this, the crowd dispersed slightly to make room.
Seeing that the situation was still manageable, Chihe breathed a sigh of relief.
She gathered everyone together and explained the poses they would be doing later.
Naturally, the protagonists of this cosplay collection were Hachiman, playing as Kirito, and Mafuyu, playing as Asuna, since they were the main characters in the novel.
As for Mafuyu, there were no issues. With her stunning looks and the strong aura she exuded, she resembled Asuna quite well, considering she always portrayed the stern female teacher image at school.
As for Hachiman...
Well, it's not that his costume was bad. It's just that it was too perfect, to the point where any small flaw felt awkward.
Looking at Hachiman in front of her, Chihe pondered for a moment, then clasped her hands together and hesitantly spoke, "Um... Hachiman-kun, you look very perfect now."
"But the character you're cosplaying, Kirito, has experienced many battles in the game. His gaze and demeanor should be more fierce. In the game, he's no longer the 16-year-old boy, but a player in a raid group facing death at any moment. So, could you..."
Before she could finish her sentence, Hachiman understood. Essentially, she was saying that his current demeanor was too relaxed, showing no signs of having experienced battles.
To adopt a more fierce demeanor? That shouldn't be too difficult, especially with those max-level modules at his disposal.
Taking a deep breath, he activated his [Acting] and [Kendo] modules simultaneously.
In the next moment, there was a sudden change in Hachiman's aura.
As his previously indifferent demeanor turned fierce, his gaze subtly shifted, and even his voice lowered slightly.
"How's this?"
This sudden change left Chihe speechless.
Huh?
Wasn't it said that only girls were natural drama queens? How is it that you, a grown man, can change so quickly?
I just mentioned it casually, and you actually pulled it off?!
You see, aura may seem intangible, but it's real. Each person develops a unique aura under the influence of their environment and life experiences.
For example, a girl who loves reading will develop a quiet, scholarly aura over time, while a boy who enjoys playing basketball will exude a positive and energetic vibe on the court.
However, most people have weak auras that need the right environment to manifest.
But Hachiman is different. With his max-level [Kendo] module, it's easy for him to exude a bit of fierceness.
But this is also a good thing. Chihe excitedly exclaimed, "Very... very good, just like that."
After helping him design a pose, Chihe nodded in satisfaction.
"Perfect, absolutely perfect, as if he stepped right out of the novel."
At that moment, Hachiman crossed the black and white swords in front of his chest, assuming the starting position for "Starburst Stream," a signature move of Kirito. Simultaneously, the intense aura emanating from him gave the impression that he could unleash a barrage of sword slashes at any moment.
"Wow, amazing!"
"That move is Kirito's exclusive skill—Starburst Stream."
"It's just like Kirito himself."
As the spectators marveled at his classic pose, the sound of camera shutters clicking once again filled the air, with even Chihe, the president of the anime club, joining the photo-taking frenzy.
However, she didn't just take photos of Hachiman, as they needed shots of everyone for the album. Unfortunately, compared to Hachiman, the other participants would require some editing to look their best.
After all, humans are visual creatures, and being good-looking is paramount.
Almost all cosplay photos online undergo post-processing before being shared, but Hachiman probably wouldn't need any editing—just snap a photo, and it's ready to upload.
With the solo shots completed, it was time for some couple photos.
And speaking of famous couples in "Sword Art Online," it's none other than Kirito and Asuna.
Chihe had Hachiman and Mafuyu stand back to back, creating an impression of fighting side by side.
After taking this photo, Chihe had them switch to different poses.
Pose after pose, they changed more than ten times before stopping.
During this process, there were inevitable physical contacts like intertwining fingers, leaning against each other, and even princess carries.
Although Mafuyu felt a bit shy, she didn't refuse, especially considering she had experienced things like princess carries before. But as they stood together, she muttered quietly about "humiliation" and "uncleanliness."
Seeing her older sister not resisting Hachiman's touch at all, Miharu couldn't help but bite her lip.
This isn't good, Sister. If you continue like this, you'll only sink deeper.
And she wasn't the only one unhappy about it; even Yumiko, who was watching from the side, felt the same.
Seeing Hachiman and Mafuyu strike one intimate pose after another, the girls felt a little uneasy.
Because many of these actions were ones neither Yumiko nor Hachiman had done before, it was surprising to see Mafuyu, the teacher, get to do them first.
This thought made Yumiko pout unhappily.
Although Mafuyu's role as a teacher made her feel somewhat reassured, it was only to a certain extent.
After all, Hachiman was a scoundrel who aimed to build a harem. Yumiko couldn't help but admit that Mafuyu was incredibly beautiful, and her popularity among boys at school was undeniable.
Moreover, Mafuyu and Hachiman seemed to get along well. She had attended events like beach outings and Hachiman's birthday celebration before.
So, Yumiko couldn't help but feel a little suspicious.
Fortunately, they only took a few pictures together before it was over.
After wrapping up the photoshoot, Hachiman didn't stick around. Ignoring the pleas of the surrounding tourists, he headed straight to the changing room to switch back into his regular clothes.
"Thank you for your help today, Hikigaya-kun." Chihe approached him, bowing slightly and handing over two thousand yen bills.
"This is your payment for today. Please accept it."
Hachiman didn't refuse and accepted the money. After all, he had given his time and effort, albeit not much, in exchange for it.
Taking the payment, Hachiman bid farewell.
Watching him leave, Chihe sighed slightly with regret.
In her eyes, Hachiman was indeed well-suited for cosplay, but since he had no interest in it himself, she couldn't force him to stay.
As they exited the changing room, no one recognized the slightly handsome boy as the Kirito cosplayer from earlier. Hachiman breathed a sigh of relief as he returned to Yumiko and Ebina's side.
Seeing him return, Ebina couldn't help but tease, "I didn't expect you, Hachiman, to be quite suited for cosplay."
Faced with the question, Hachiman simply shrugged, "It was okay, I guess."
Suddenly, Yumiko interjected, "You seemed to enjoy being surrounded by so many girls just now."
Seeing her like this, Hachiman understood immediately that she was jealous again.
But who was he? There's no way he'd be stumped by such a question.
"Why would I? I just regretted not being able to attract you, Yumiko."
"Hmph, nice try."
As expected, upon hearing Hachiman's response, Yumiko still huffed lightly, but she felt a lot better inside. Then, she turned to her friend beside her who was watching the commotion.
"Alright, Hina, it's getting late. Let's go buy some manga and then head back."
Ebina didn't object, nodding in agreement.
Following Ebina's lead, the three of them quickly made their way to the area selling manga.
Since Hachiman and Yumiko weren't interested, it was only Ebina who eagerly browsed through the selection, explaining things to the other two as she picked.
As they browsed, they heard Ebina exclaim excitedly, "Huh? Eromanga Sensei has released a new artbook? We have to get this one!"
Hmm? Eromanga Sensei, isn't that...
Hearing that name, Hachiman raised an eyebrow and then turned to look at a stall not far away, where there was a long line. Sitting at the front of the stall was someone he was quite familiar with.
With delicate and gentle features, aquamarine eyes, and silver hair tied into a braided ponytail with a red bow at the end.
It was none other than his light novel's illustrator—
Izumi Saori.