Seiji and Izawa's performance didn't last for too long.

It wasn't that they had gotten tired. Their elaborate performance had attracted too many people, with not only the bystanders, but even other cosplayers surrounding them and taking pictures. If they continued like this, they felt like they might disrupt the order of the convention.

After they stopped their performance, Kanna commanded them to make various poses and allow everyone to take pictures to their hearts' content before they were able to leave.

Compared to performing, standing there and making poses felt more embarra.s.sing, but it was fine.

Seiji was worried at first that Kanna would have him and Izawa make some boys' love poses, but there were no such poses in the end. It seemed like Kanna had a conscience… not.

"These normal poses are already sufficient for my imagination (fantasies)! Overly intimate poses will instead ruin the image that I have of Renhsama in my mind," Kanna said.

'Just what image of Renha do you have in your mind?' Seiji wanted to ask this, but his instinct told him that it was best not to ask.

Kanna looked at him and asked, "Harano-kun, what did you think of cosplaying?" 

"About this…" Seiji paused for a moment. "Although I was somewhat forced into it because I lost a bet, and I was cosplaying as a female character, it was still a fun experience."

Seiji smiled. "I shall probably cosplay again in the future, and do it as someone I want to cosplay as next time."

*Snap!*

With lightning-quick fingers, Kanna took a photo of Seiji.

"Excellent picture! I give you full marks for your expression just now," she said as she inspected the picture she just took and gave him a big thumbs-up.

Seiji was rendered speechless.

"Even if I only give this one picture to Yoruhansan, that'll probably be enough to satisfy her."

Seiji was astonished to hear this. "You said… give my picture to Natsuya?"

"Yep, is that no good?" Kanna's mouth arced upwards.

"It's alright, but…" Seiji noticed something from this. "Could it be that you actually…"

"Hahaha, you saw through me." Kanna made an expression as if she was a villain who was about to give a grand speech about her nefarious scheme. "That's right! The most important factor in me being able to convince Yoruhansan to cosplay was that I promised her that I would make you cosplay as well, and give her a photo of you in cosplay!"

Seiji didn't know what to say anymore.

This was… quite a clever trap he fell into.

Had he been scammed? Kanna had seen through her target's desires and taken advantage of Natsuya, and was able to obtain the cosplay photos that she wanted from both sides through it.

'I'm so smart, aren't I amazing! Hurry up and praise me!' Kanna lifted her face and had a smug expression that transmitted such a message.

"Amazing, I fell for your plot. Nice job." Seiji went along with it and praised her.

"Heh heh, for someone like me who's the strongest strategist on this continent, this is nothing but an insignificant trifle!" Kanna flipped her hair and made a cool pose.

'What's with calling yourself the strongest strategist on this continent?' Seiji commented in his mind.

"I have a question for you, Strategist-sama. If I won our bet, what would you have done?"

"You couldn't have possibly won!" Kanna maintained her cool pose. "Because I actually made some modifications to the gaming device I loaned to you, which ensured that you wouldn't be able to defeat me."

So insidious!

Seiji was astonished to hear that what he thought had been a fair duel actually had a trap like this.

"But, I didn't have to use the modifications in the end and beat you fair and square."

"Making modifications to a gaming device like that isn't called fair and square in the first place!"

After retorting, he could only sigh.

"Besides, why didn't you tell me from the very start: 'If you're willing to cosplay, I'll give you Yoruhansan's picture,' something like this instead of a bet?"

"Because it's more interesting this way, not to mention it's a good way to help time pa.s.s by," Kanna told him directly.

Seiji was rendered speechless once again.

Kanna giggled upon seeing his expression.

She took out her cell phone and began using it.

Moments later, Seiji's cell phone beeped. When he checked to see what it was, it was a notification that he had a new email.

"These are Yoruhansan's pictures; just treat it as an extra reward." Kanna smiled and told him, "Thank you for going along with me and partic.i.p.ating for my amus.e.m.e.nt today, Harano-kun."

Seiji looked towards Kanna. "No need to be so polite; I had lots of fun as well. Let's go again next time," he responded with a smile containing complex emotions.

Kanna's car took Seiji close by to the Uehara apartments.

Seiji said goodbye to Kanna and Izawa here and got off the car.

Only after he returned home did he open up his email to inspect Natsuya's pictures.

It was even better than what he'd imagined!

Just as Kanna said, Natsuya's cosplay of Freya was excellent to the point where it was difficult to describe in words. If this picture was put on the internet, it would definitely become a huge hit.

The student council president had an excellent appearance and figure already which helped to accentuate the appeal of the character she was cosplaying as. Not to mention, Natsuya had a rather embarra.s.sed expression due to not being accustomed to cosplaying, which made her look all the more moving.

Seiji looked over the pictures for quite a while.

These were precious treasures that he had to carefully preserve!

He instantly downloaded all of these pictures to his computer's hard drive and created a folder especially for these pictures.

Then, he checked his dating sim system.

These pictures that Kanna had given to him also gave him 15 points as a reward in his [Gifts] as well as a [Charisma stat increasing card - Friends.h.i.+p].

Seiji immediately "used" this card.

The card of a tawny-haired smiling beautiful girl transformed into specks of light that entered his chest.

Seiji felt like his body warmed up, it was an experience similar to taking a bath. His thoughts became sluggish.

A while later, he regained his senses and checked his system to see that his [Charisma] stat had increased by 4 points. Not bad.

He yawned as he was getting tired now.

"Let's go to sleep now…"

Seiji turned off his computer, went to the bathroom to brush his teeth and wash up before sleeping, then returned to his room, changed into his sleepwear, and lay on his bed.

He felt like he was forgetting something?

He tried to think about it, but couldn't think of what it was, so he decided not to think too much into it as he lazily went to sleep.

Not long after, s.h.i.+ka Kagura, who had been out buying groceries, returned home and discovered that Seiji had returned before her.

"Brother…" She went to the study and didn't see her adopted brother there. However, she noticed that there was a large sack next to the computer.

The sack contained the doujins.h.i.+ books that Seiji had purchased today.

Curiosity compelled her to go over and take a look.

They were all ero doujins.h.i.+ books!

s.h.i.+ka's face began to redden.

'Why would Brother just casually leave such things out in the open like this?'

s.h.i.+ka went to Seiji's room to check and discovered that he was already in bed and asleep.

She silently returned to the study and kept looking at the large sack of books as her face became redder and redder.

To look or not to look? This was the question.

'I shouldn't look… but… I want to look…'

Apart from her own curiosity towards ero books, there was also… She wanted to understand her Brother's likes regarding fetishes…

s.h.i.+ka was internally conflicted as her heartbeat quickened; her face burned up and she felt like her entire body was heating up.

Finally, she slowly reached out and…

After Seiji woke up, he checked the time and then got out of bed.

He stretched lazily, changed into regular attire, and left his room and went to the living room.

Reo was playing at a friend's house and still hadn't returned yet.

s.h.i.+ka was in her room, and he figured that she was resting.

He then went to the study, sat down at his computer, and turned it on.

He began browsing the internet…

Wait a moment.

Seiji suddenly noticed that something was off.

He looked towards his computer desk, and discovered that something that should have been there was missing.