Chapter 45: -Special: Akiba’s number one idol! Min-Min’s lament.

-------PoV  Ninomae Hiromi------

“Thank you all for coming to support me, your favorite idol Min-Min!” I wave to the crowd that has gathered outside a certain venue in Akihabara. “Bye bye~!!”

…

As I make my way offstage and to my dressing room in the back, I am greeted by my long time friend, Mappuchin.

“Hiromi-senpai!  You are amazing as always~”

Mappuchin, who’s name is Echizen Mafuyu has been a fan of mine for years, attending all my concerts until she joined a group I was in back in college as an underclassman.

She was pursuing a career in social media, and only recently had been making big strides once she joined with a new wave of students who also had great talent.

Her biggest talents lay in wardrobe assembly and photography.  I was glad she was happy pursing her dream.

“Romi-chan, are you free tomorrow?” she asks me.  

Ever since I quit my job as a receptionist without proper notice last Tuesday, I’ve been in a real downward spiral.

It was all because I saw her.

That ridiculously half-assed girl who was cosplaying as Taiga-chan, who came to see him of all people.

The only person I had given my body and soul to.  The one who understood my heart and my desire, and my unending love of cosplay.

Yes, I Ninomae Hiromi am Akiba’s number one cosplaying idol, Min-Min.  And that man, whether he realized it or not, is the godhand of costumes. And none other than my fated partner.

It was my own reluctance to see that, after all these years, and the moment that almost killed me as a woman, was the day I heard he got married to some young gyaru, who was just a lazy sponger and only made him suffer, by not embracing fully the greatest passion he could give… cosplay!

I had used my connections to get a job as a receptionist so I could see him everyday if only for a few minutes and the occasional lunch break at the cafe upstairs, which wasn’t too often afterwards.

I had met him through a cosplay cleaning service that he used a few years ago.  I was only twenty then, and my ability was only just getting noticed.

He was always super kind to me, and after cleaning his house, which was mostly impeccably clean to begin with, he would offer to order in or take me out on a date.

The service was timed, so in order to do so, he would have to call and make a request to extend.

I must have cost him so much.

One day, he has a certain costume I wanted to cosplay very much sitting on the bed in his room.

Was it for me?

I had asked, and he said he just wanted to have it, since it was hard to come by, and as an aficionado, it was his pride to own it.

I told him I’d be happy to try it on for him while I cleaned his house, and he seemed overjoyed.

It was a relic, from the 90s.  A limited edition Dark Elf Pirotess costume from a certain anime that was really popular at that time. He had the whole complement, including the rapier, the silvery-lavender wig and the authentic prosthetic ears.

I actually wanted to try it on badly.

I got him to agree with it, and I changed in the spare bedroom he had.

It was strange a bachelor rented a 2LDK, but I didn’t ask why, either.  Customer privacy was an important service we offered after all.

So, with the costume on, I came out to show it off, and perform my job function.

It was like looking at a child get the one toy he had been asking santa for for years, and finally got.

He dropped to his knees and asked if he could take just one picture.

I was into cosplay anyway, so I figured what could it hurt?

He was true to his word.  He had me assume what he imagined was the best pose, and afterwards he even sent me a copy.  

I looked amazing!  I would later use that picture in my portfolio, and it got me in at a number of gigs.

As my success rose, I had noticeably less time to be rented by him, since I was working elsewhere.

He didn’t seem to mind.  Whenever I was free, he was okay with it.

And it was like that for a year.

Everytime I would visit, he would have a different and exciting costume waiting for me.

it got to be that I wouldn’t even come to his house pre-dressed.  I would appear as me, simple cosplay loving Hiromi, change into the costume, pretend to clean a bit, and let him take an increasing amount of pictures.

One day, my work became so much, that I had to give my two weeks resignation to the company that I had been with for a while now.

On the second to last visit, I had told him.

He seemed heartbroken.  Though the costume I wore was able to lift his spirits up, even I was hurt to see that I had caused him such grief.

On the last visit.  There was no costume.

He had ordered a small cake and it was sitting on the table.  It was my favorite, a dark chocolate cake with fudge icing.

He expressed his feelings to me then, and how thankful he was everytime I would come and visit him, not even bringing up the point I was a rented woman.

He never saw it that way, despite his bank statements.

We enjoyed a peaceful two hours before he put two articles down on the table next to it.

“I understand you have been making great progress in the cosplay scene.  I’m glad in some way I could be a part of it.”

It was a ring.

A diamond ring.

The other object was a Marriage certificate that was signed and stamped already on his end.  The other side was left blank.

“I know I have no business doing this, but I have never felt a connection to someone like I have with you.  I’m certain I’m not wrong that some of that feeling is mutual.”

He slid it over and put the ring on my finger.

“I also know the iron rule of cosplay and idols.  Known lovers are taboo.”

He leaned back, and I could see it was like a weight came off of his shoulders.  But what was his aim?  A hidden marriage, perhaps?  I was still young and foolish though, and exceptionally naive.

“One day, when you reach the top, and there is only one way left to go, come visit me again, and we can turn in that paper.  I will fill your days with whatever excitement you desire.”

He understood.  This was his way of letting me know what our relationship was.

He wanted me to be his cosplay partner for life.

But it was impossible in many ways, even with a hidden marriage, I wouldn’t have the time or energy to be a good wife to him, and while it wasn’t that he wasn’t attractive to me, I was also still young, and thought I had so many opportunities ahead of me.

Still he didn’t mind.

He just smiled happily away at me.

He was the only appointment I had that last day.

So I took him to bed.

Not in any costume.

Just as a woman, as Ninomae Hiromi.

He was a simple, average man, in every respect as an otaku. He had a slight bit of extra weight, but those kind of things can be overlooked.

The sex I couldn’t say was great.

It was my first time, so I don’t know if I pleased him well enough.

But it was a first night of sorts.

When we finished and I was held in his arms, I thought to myself that I would listen to his words.  When my career peaked, and the only way was down, I would seek him out, and let him give me the thrills I sought for the rest of my life.

And so I disappeared from his life for a few years.

My career shot up at light speed.

I became an increasingly popular cosplay idol known as Min-Min.  I headlined venues, and met with countless fans.  Though never once did I see him at an event, or photo opportunity.

My career soared until two years ago.

I couldn’t rise any higher, yet my schedule had decreased.  I still headlined whatever I did.  The company which managed me had brought a number of incumbents in and I worked with them to raise them up as well.

But I found myself missing him.

I was having a drink with a long time friend from a BL chat group I had gotten to know from my high school days, and we got to talking.

It turns out he worked at a certain building, and she was his boss.  The best she could do was get me a morning job as a receptionist so I could see him.

And I did.

He recognized me instantly.

And we would often chat for a moment in the morning, and on occasion visit a Chara Cafe that was on the top floor for the occasional lunch.

He hadn’t had much luck in love.  He said he had met a girl, but she wasn’t into cosplay, or much into him.  But he was lonely, and enjoyed her company, even if they didn’t do much.

I wonder how badly my disappearance hurt him?

The conversations were always friendly, but he never brought up the promise.

Around my neck I kept the ring on a chain, and the half-filled marriage certificate was fully filled and my stamp adhered.

I kept it in my purse at all times.

I thought I was slowly making progress back into his life, and the times I would be headlining would soon be on the decilne.

I had come into the office that day, ready to give him the paper, and myself completely to him after all this time.

My heart was finally ready.

And then he had shown off a photo.

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It was some trashy gyaru.

Also, on his hand was a wedding band.

He had forgotten?  Or given up?

I felt my heart sink.

Four and a half years is a long time to be alone.

I had left him alone.

And when we meet again, it was only as workplace acquaintances.  It makes sense.  But I went home and cried.

I took some part time leave and I cried for days.  Mafuyu and Fuuka checked in on me, but I was a basketcase.

I managed to go back, to see him come in smiling so happily.

It was the smile he had when I cosplayed for him.

It was my smile, and this bitch had stolen it.  Or rather, I had waited too long and let some cat thief steal it from me.

Yes, cat thief.  That’s what she was.

When she came in that day…

“I’m here to deliver a bento to my husband…”

Wearing poorly a top of the line Taiga-chan cosplay costume hidden shamefully beneath a long coat.  She didn’t even put in the tal!

“Watch my coat for a few minutes” she said, or something like it anyway, before she sauntered in the office to deliver him a bento.

My body was on fire and I wanted to grab her by the hair and slam her face into the wall.

I didn’t care about the consequences.

But I somehow kept my composure.

She came out and retrieved her coat, hiding her repulsion to our hobby instead of reveling in it, taking pride in it.

Then she looked at me as I handed it over.

“It got me a man” she said, as if I was judging her poorly for wearing it for him “if it works, it works.”

She put on the coat and just walked out, treating me like some OL who was approaching the age of undesirableness.

That did me in the rest of the way.

I quit the next day.

And I sit at home, feeling devastated. Two events I missed, and it was passed along that I was ill.  I managed to attend today’s, and that was only because of Mafuyu’s help.

And so, in the dressing room afterwards, with my friend Mappuchin, she asks me if Im free tomorrow.

“Without him, I’m nothing but free, but I’m also a prisoner, Mappuchin~  I messed up big, and I feel so lost…”

“Then all the more reason to come! My Kouhai is throwing a housewarming party.  But the man of the house, is a huge otaku!  So I thought it’d be fun if you came as Min-Min!  There’s no way he doesn’t know who you are, and I want to get a rise out of his girlfriends.”

…?

“Girlfriends? As in, more than one?”

“Un.  Three to be exact.  The crazy part is, he’s so far from an Ikemen, but look at these photos I took earlier…”

She shows me a photo of three women, One, who has an adult charm that is draped over him, another who is definitely cosplay material holding a leash to a choker he is wearing, and only has eyes for him, and a taller girl who actually isn’t that attractive, but has good fashion sense.

The girl with the cigarette in her lips draped over the boy, why does she look so familiar to me?

It looks like... nah, no way it is.

I’m supposed to get a rise out of him?

It feels like a challenge?

“So, what’s his favorite type of character?”

I look closer and it looks like I remember seeing this kid a few times…

“I could swear I’ve seen him before?”

“Eh, Romi-chan knows ‘Kei’-kun?”

“His name is ‘Kei’?”

“Only for the sake of privacy.  His name is actually Kawamura Kouta, though I’d like you not to spread that around.”

…!!

“That’s how I know him!  He works at the office!  I only see him once a week, and he’s friends with…!”

A housewarming party?  Then there’s a chance he might be there too?  But his wife might also be there?

What do I do?

No. There is a song that was big a long time ago, sung by an american singer.

[Love is a Battlefield.]

Yes.  I will go to battle.  I will do something.  I can’t not try.  I will use everything in my power to steal him back, even if it means being hated and cursed by god.

“You have to let me come!” I suddenly shout at Mappuchin.

“Un.  I’ll leave the costume selection to you, then, Min-min.”

I’m sorry Kawamura-kun for what I’m about to do.  But I’m going to put on one hell of a show….

I return home afterwards, and Mappuchin sleeps on my couch.  I spend all night deciding on the cosplay to display my feelings.

I was a good girl then, so I wore a bad girl’s costume.  I am now a bad girl, so it’s only fair I wear a good girl’s costume, right?

Blonde wig, prosthetic ears, rapier, green tunic, blue pauldrons (plastic) with matching cloak, tiara, boots...

I’m ready.

I’m going to take your heart, just wait and see.

---

The next day, in the late morning.

The phone suddenly rings.

It’s my old friend, Ruru-chan!

“Hi~ro~mi~!  Say, I haven’t seen you in a while, have you been doing well?”

“I’ve been down in the dumps a bit, but I’m still surviving somehow.”

“Still upset about him?”

“Yeah. But I think I may have an opportunity.”

“Oh, going to steal a man?”

“With any luck.   How about you?”

“You’ll never believe it, but I started seeing this guy… and he already has two other women.”

…  It couldn’t be!?

“Say, did you have a photo taken recently that was on insta with him?”

“Oh you saw it?  How’d I look?  Super adult-like and sexy, right?”

“Indeed.  Tell me, that kid, is his name Kawamura-san?”

“Hiromi knows him?”

“Sort of, just in an official capacity.  He visits the office I worked at until recently about once a week.”

“Yeah, that’s him.  We’re actually having a housewarming party, and I wanted to invite you.  Can you come?”

It’s too much of a coincidence for me not to at this point.

“I’ll be there.  Should I wear an outfit to tease him? Is there anything he likes?” I inquire of her, since she’s in a relationship with him, she should know something he’s into.

“Eto… I’m not entirely sure, but earlier I saw him doing some work on his computer, and it involved a big breasted elf girl.”

An elf…

The irony and coincidences were too much!

“I have the perfect costume in mind. Leave it to me.”

“Alright then, I’ll text you the address, come anytime in the afternoon.”

“Roger.  By the way, Ruru, don’t ever let your hopes, dreams, and aspirations come between you and your partner.  Even if there is another woman, if you really love him, find a way to stay with him, otherwise you will always regret it.”

“...I understand.”

“Good.  See you later, Ruru.”

“Later.”

beep.

Later...

(Special Secret:  Ninomae’s rate as a cosplay cleaner was 3500 yen per hour. She was the most expensive rental at that time. She was rented by him at least 2 hours a day three days a week, plus overages.)

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