"It's Juju-sama!" Umi released the girl from her embrace, her face flushed with excitement. "Juju-sama is a super mysterious cosplayer, and every character she cosplays is unbelievably cute!"
"Look, I've collected every single one of her photos."
Umi eagerly pulled out her phone, scrolling through the pictures and showing them to Amamiya.
"They really are cute." Amamiya glanced at the phone curiously before looking back at the pink-haired girl. "But why does it feel like there are two different people?"
"That's normal with cosplay!" Umi explained, putting her phone away. "Makeup and different camera angles can sometimes make it seem like two completely different people. By the way, why doesn't Juju-sama ever attend comic conventions or respond to fan messages?"
"I only cosplay as a hobby," Sajuna said, clearly a bit embarrassed at meeting her fans so unexpectedly. Turning her face away slightly, she added, "I don't want it to overlap with my daily life. If people found out, it would be too much of a hassle."
"I understand," Umi said, raising her hand to cover her pink lips. "Don't worry—I'll keep your secret. I won't tell anyone."
"That doesn't count if you spill it in your dreams," Amamiya remarked.
Sajuna: "..."
After chatting for a while, noticing that Sajuna seemed hesitant to speak, Umi quickly shifted the conversation to the topic of "Evil Spirits Repel."
"'Evil Spirits Repel' seems to be pretty rare. No one else has unlocked it yet."
"I see."
The pink-haired girl looked up at Amamiya, took a deep breath, and said, "Please come to my house."
Amamiya raised an eyebrow and said slowly, "Isn't it risky inviting a boy you just met to your house?"
"It's okay," Sajuna bit her lower lip. "I trust both you and Umi."
"You misunderstood," Amamiya shook his head. "I'm more concerned about my own safety."
"Huh?"
"Boys have to protect themselves too," Amamiya said in a serious tone. "It would be awful if I were tricked and locked up by a devious girl."
Sajuna: "..."
[The role-playing synchronization rate of 'The Trash Hero' has increased to 40%]
Verified.
It seemed that improving synchronization required role-playing in front of others—mirrors didn't count.
"Don't worry, Juju-sama," Umi reassured her gently. "You don't need us to come to your house. Amamiya can place the 'Evil Spirits Repel' charm on you, and you'll be able to exorcise the spirit yourself..."
After hearing the explanation of the "copy and paste" ability, the pink-haired girl's eyes lit up with excitement as she looked at Amamiya expectantly.
"Hold on a second," Amamiya nodded calmly. "I'll change my clothes, then I'll share my ability with you."
What kind of era is this?
The era of big data.
It's all about resource sharing and the idle economy.
To maximize the use of the "copy and paste" ability, the more people who know about it, the better. There's no point in keeping it hidden away.
For now, the real danger came from evil spirits and monsters in the horror game, not the other human players.
"Give me your hand."
Amamiya looked at the pink-haired girl.
"Okay..."
Sajuna took a deep breath and placed her small hand into Amamiya's palm.
It's just holding hands, no big deal. If it means driving the evil spirit away from my mother, I'm even willing to sacrifice my innocence for it.
"It'll take about five minutes to complete the copy-paste process. Don't let go, or we'll have to start all over again."
While Umi explained the steps, she didn't remain idle, continuing to chat with Sajuna about cosplay.
However, Sajuna was clearly distracted, her thoughts preoccupied with worry.
"Oh, right!" Umi slapped her forehead, as if suddenly remembering something. "Amamiya-kun and I came here because we've unlocked a new skill called 'Role Play'..."
Umi's eyes sparkled with excitement as she explained her ability. "Juju-sama's cosplay is a perfect recreation, especially the dark magical girl you cosplayed last time. If you use role-playing, the synchronization rate must be super high, right?"
Sajuna's heart began to race.
The importance of skills was clear. If one could harness the abilities of the characters they cosplayed, it would greatly increase their chances of survival.
"And just imagine," Umi continued enthusiastically, "with Chika-chan, Hanamori-chan, and Shinomiya-san, we could form a seven-colored Magical Girl Squad!"
A Magical Girl Squad?
Are they planning to debut as idols now?
"Juju-sama, would you like to try role-playing with us?" Umi asked eagerly.
Amamiya chimed in as a reminder, "Only one ability can be copied at a time."
"Thank you, but not today." Sajuna shook her head and whispered, "I'd rather focus on getting rid of the evil spirit around my mom first."
"…"
Five minutes later.
"All done." Amamiya released Sajuna's hand, the skill transfer now complete.
Seeing the icon for "Evil Spirits Repel" appear on her character panel, Sajuna bowed deeply, bending at a full 90 degrees. "Thank you so much!"
Umi had already gone over the details of how to use the skill, so Amamiya didn't waste any more words. He then removed his hero cosplay outfit, signaling the end of his brief stint as a warrior.
With her new skill in hand, Sajuna couldn't wait to get back home. She clenched her fists and, after a few quick goodbyes, hurriedly left.
In the blink of an eye, evening had arrived.
The sun was setting, casting a golden hue across the sky. A gentle breeze blew, rustling the hem of Sajuna's skirt and tousling her hair.
"Ahhh~~" Umi stretched her arms above her head, the golden rays of the setting sun casting a glow over her dark hair, making it shimmer like strands of moonlight.
"Amamiya-kun, I'm heading home," Umi said, waving goodbye with a cheerful smile that seemed to brighten the twilight gloom. "See you tomorrow!"
Before she could leave, Amamiya called after her, "Did you forget your homework again?"
Umi froze: "..."
Together, they walked to the tram stop. Amamiya watched calmly as Umi boarded the train and rode away.
The long Golden Week had finally come to an end—or so it seemed.
Just before Amamiya could head home, his phone started vibrating in his pocket.
He pulled it out to find several messages from a group chat. It wasn't the large player mutual aid group but a smaller, private one that included Kaguya and a few others.
Chika: "Umi-chan's new skill sounds amazing!"
Umi: "Hehehe~ I even secretly took a few photos this afternoon."
Attached was a photo: 'picture.jpg.'
Amamiya stared at the photo in surprise—it was of himself in the Trash Hero cosplay.
Chika: "Hmm… I don't know how to put it, but there's something... 'off' about Amamiya-kun's hero costume."
Hanamori: "I think it looks great!"
Kaguya sent a private message: "Umi-san's skill involves coin tossing, right?"
Amamiya nodded: "You could say that."
"…"
Kaguya bit her lip, quickly coming to a decision.
That's it!
I want to toss one too!
Everyone else has skills now, but I don't. It's humiliating no matter how you look at it!
At 6:00 PM, Umi sent a message to the group:
"Just got home, everything's fine. I'm starting my homework now!"
At 6:28 PM, Sajuna messaged:
"The evil spirit around my mom is really gone. Thank you so much!"
Later, at 9:00 PM.
The maid spy, Hayasaka: "...I'm sorry, miss, I can't hold back anymore."