139: Who Are You?

Marin, enchanted by the fragrance, found herself leaning even closer to him.

The closer she got, the stronger the scent seemed. Overcome by the scent, she instinctively thought of getting even closer to him.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Takashi looked at Marin, who was on tiptoe and seemed like she was about to kiss him. 

Even though he knew she probably couldn't reach his lips, he still tactically leaned back to put more distance between them.

"Stop, stop!" 

Marin finally snapped out of it, bowing and apologizing deeply.

Thud!

They were standing too close, and when Marin bowed forward, her head smacked into Takashi's chest.

Takashi couldn't avoid it because of how tightly packed everyone was in the line. There was simply no room to move.

"Takashi, are you okay?" Marin asked, holding her forehead.

"Are you getting back at me for charging you for taking pictures?"

"No, no. Actually, I really did smell a wonderful fragrance on you just now."

"What are you saying? I didn't spray any perfume today."

"It's not perfume. It's your natural scent!"

"Men have a natural scent? Have you been reading too many novels?"

Gojo Wakana watched the two of them laugh and joke in front of him, and noticed how tall and handsome Takashi was, with a straight posture.

He was wearing a colorful butterfly-patterned retro American polo shirt with beige casual pants, a combination that made even someone like him, who didn't understand fashion, think it was stylish.

Marin had fair skin, good looks, and a tall figure, making them look great together.

Everyone around them thought the same.

"He's so handsome. I wonder if he has a girlfriend."

"Forget it. A good guy like him won't be available."

"Do you think he'll agree to take a photo with us?"

Several girls in cosplay outfits whispered to each other as they leaned in.

"Strange, I wore the same outfit last year, and it was awful, but how come he looks so good in it?"

A guy didn't understand why he didn't look as good in the same clothes.

"Maybe the problem is with your face?"

"Trust me, if you had his face and body, even if you wore a torn rag, girls would still say you look good."

His companion answered directly.

"I would walk naked down the street if I looked like him."

"Do you want to be arrested by the police?"

"No, we're at a comic convention, right? What's a normie doing here! Can't these normies stay away from polluting the sacred ground of the second dimension?"

"Don't even ask, he's here to collect stamps. Later, when he picks a target, he'll go up and flirt, drag them to a hotel for some fun."

"Tokyo guys are like that, right? They think just because they're good-looking, they can make a joke and then grab a girl's skirt. 

And the crazy thing is, if they want it, the girls actually give it to them."

Of course, not everyone found Takashi likable.

In fact, many otaku at the scene grew to dislike him more the longer they looked at him.

The second-dimensional circle now was nothing like it used to be a few years ago.

Back then, if someone was called an otaku, they would immediately deny it, refusing to acknowledge being one, only admitting to being a fan of Japanese anime.

Now, they might as well put a label on their forehead that says "I'm an otaku."

Not only do people proudly admit they're otaku, but now there's a hierarchy in the second dimension.

If you don't buy manga, don't cosplay, and don't spend money on the shows you like, what kind of otaku are you?

Of course, don't think just spending money makes you an otaku.

If your cosplay character is poorly done or you can't answer their questions, you'll be kicked out of the otaku group.

If you're a newbie and watch shows like Attack on Titan or Chainsaw Man, just mentioning them will get you mocked for being a normie trying to catch the anime trend.

But there are some who use the second dimension as an excuse to sleep with girls.

In the eyes of some boys, Takashi was one of those who used his love for the second dimension as an excuse to take cosplay girls to hotels.

"He's already with someone, isn't he? Probably here with his girlfriend."

"That girl's with the guy next to her, right?"

"Yeah, though the guy isn't bad-looking, it's all about comparison."

"Don't judge people by their looks."

"Okay, then, would you pick the guy with the baseball cap or the one in the purple kimono?"

"Definitely the baseball cap guy! Don't get me wrong, I just really like baseball."

"Bullshit! You don't even understand the rules of baseball, and now you like it?"

Listening to the whispers around him about the three of them, Gojo Wakana felt more and more uneasy, and only he knew how bitter he felt.

What made him feel the worst was not being unable to argue, but that even he, as a man, thought Takashi and Marin looked more like a couple together.

It was like seeing your wife with someone else, and you're cheering them on.

Gojo Wakana didn't want to be so pessimistic, but in front of someone as handsome as Takashi, he really couldn't feel competitive.

It wasn't just him; most boys around his age were sensitive and insecure.

"Kitagawa-san, aren't you going to introduce me?" Takashi noticed Gojo Wakana staring at him, and he smiled at him warmly.

Gojo Wakana reflexively returned the smile.

"By the way, Takashi, let me introduce him to you. This is Gojo Wakana, a very talented fashion designer. The outfit I'm wearing right now was designed by him. What do you think?"

Marin said, lifting her skirt and twirling around.

Takashi looked her up and down, complimenting Wakana's works, "The design is great. Your skills are really impressive."

He also took a home economics class, but he could barely pass.

"Thank you, thank you."

"Gojo-kun , this is Kitahara Takashi. You should have heard his song Lemon, which was super popular a while ago. Even the author of the song, Kenshi Yonezu, liked that video."

"It cost me a month's allowance to get him."

"The door's open."

After the introductions, Takashi and Gojo Wakana didn't have time to chat much before the venue doors opened.

The moment the doors opened, the people at the back surged forward, like zombies smelling flesh, pushing frantically toward the front.

Takashi, along with the others in front, was pushed along by the crowd.

"Takashi!"

Marin, wearing high heels, almost fell when someone from behind bumped into her, so she instinctively reached out to Takashi.

Takashi, already being pushed forward, stretched out his hand toward her.

When his palm touched a soft, small hand, he firmly grasped it.

Once they made it into the venue and the crowd dispersed, Takashi, out of breath, turned around and said, "Kitagawa-san, who... who are you?"

Takashi stared blankly at the girl in front of him, wearing a crimson leisurely outfit, a hat with a badge, and a mask on her face.

Doma Umaru muttered, "This should be the question I ask you."

Family, who understands? I came to the comic convention and suddenly got dragged into this.

I have no idea where this person came from, but he's really strong. No matter how much I struggle, I can't break free.

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