"If Lady Juju wants to stay longer at the hot spring inn but doesn't want Preisdent Hachiman to guess her intentions, she could prepare a few more cosplay looks. That way, it'll be harder to see through her."
"See, I've got several cosplay looks right now. The one just before was Ichinose Asuna, and this one is Yoimiya!"
Saying this, Kitagawa Marin raised her hand and touched the blue halo floating above her head.
As if she'd pressed some button, the maid outfit she was wearing instantly transformed into another pre-set cosplay costume.
A butterfly-knot style otaiko drum bow, a red shimenawa rope, an orange-red happi coat, a black breast cord at the waist...
White bandages wrapped around her chest, one shoulder partly bared, a red firework tattoo adorning her left chest, and her right thigh also wrapped in white bandages.
Though the cosplay outfit looked elaborate, it didn't wrap Kitagawa Marin up tightly at all. Instead, it made her, striking a V-for-victory pose, radiate the vibrant energy of a young girl.
"Alright, I trust you and Marin and the others' skills. Marin, help me check if I'm wearing this right later. We'll do our best to stay true to the character."
Watching Kitagawa Marin instantly switch between two wildly different cosplay looks, the blonde maid and the tattooed-sleeve girl, with nothing but her bright, warm smile remaining constant, Sajuna Inui once again acknowledged the Service Club's abilities.
Using that kind of black-tech equipment-swapping just for cosplay...
Honestly, it was so extravagant it made her jealous that club members could apparently go out in cosplay for free so often.
But the more capable the Service Club proved to be, the more at ease she felt.
If such a formidable club wanted to do something to her and her sister, why would they bother playing so many mind games with them? Even if they did intend to make a move, they'd probably follow the rules.
That being the case, she could consider not just characters who fit her usual image, Fu Xuan, W, Enco, Momochi Koharu, but even changing her body type, from a petite, cute girl into a tall, cool, aloof woman. The Service Club's Preisdent, Hachiman, would never guess that.
———
It wasn't just the cosplay enthusiast group Kitagawa Marin had invited that was in the cosplay prep room; members of many other small groups were there too.
However, there weren't many newcomers truly clueless about the Service Club this time. Most were prospective members who were already mentally prepared.
The gyaru group, the sporty girls' group, the demi-human small groups of various races, the different factions of young ladies from powerful families...
They'd already prepared several cosplay plans. Wearing the Kamen Rider-kun devices, meticulously crafted by La La, which could synchronously transform into accessories, they could switch between their pre-set costume plans at any time.
Now, they'd left a few members from each small group in the prep room solely to gather intel on each other's cosplay choices.
During the evening's Play game session, it wasn't just about the round where Preisdent Hachiman guessed identities and gave rewards; there was also a round where they guessed and could interrupt someone else's reward session.
The longer someone else's reward time lasted, the shorter theirs would be. They couldn't let the others have all the fun.
Of course, the cosplay prep room wasn't just full of small groups engaged in veiled competition.
Besides them, there were also many members from idol agencies responsible for performances, doing their final checks in the prep room.
"Ah... Rin, your demon horns feel just like the real thing? If we really do become magical girls, will we actually be able to stand on the ocean and fire cannons like the ship-girls in the lore?"
"It's just a prop, though it is really well-made... Oni? Ship-girls? Fighting with swords on the ocean? I don't get it..."
A long-haired, straight-haired girl in a sailor uniform and black pantyhose, with a pair of sparkling, translucent pink-and-white demon horns tipped in red atop her head, was adjusting her posture while holding a long katana.
Hearing her fellow idol colleague's exclamation, she shook her head, and the two strands of hair hanging down from her horns swayed gently with the movement.
It was just role-playing a game character. Even if she needed to strike some poses for their producer to photograph, she wasn't particularly nervous. After all, if she debuted as a real idol later, she'd face far more cameras at concerts. Having the producer take some photos now counted as getting used to it early.
Though she genuinely didn't quite understand the ship-girl she was portraying. They already had long-range attacks like their riggings, yet they also had melee combat settings, and apparently melee combat was the deciding factor.
Charging at each other with swords while under artillery fire? That sounded a bit odd.
There were also submarine ship-girls who apparently flung torpedoes at people's faces, aircraft carrier ship-girls who shot arrows that launched bombers...
"Ahaha, Kekka-chan, how many forms does your Yu Meiren cosplay have in total?"
"Three, I think. Casual wear, battle outfit, swimsuit. The normal twin-tail look with the black-rimmed glasses is pretty similar to my usual appearance, so I don't need an extra prep for that."
"The other outfits, this battle outfit is amazing... I'm surprised you, Kekka-chan, are okay with it."
"Hinachii, instead of worrying about me, you should go check on Mado-chan. She's not only performing on stage normally today but also has an extra performance in her cosplay state."
"Ah... Zenka-senpai is still practicing that song. Hinana doesn't dare disturb her right now. Ran-chan, let me see your cosplay"
One girl was looking around at her fellow idols' outfits, letting out exclamations of surprise from time to time.
Her pale yellow school jacket was worn open, revealing a white shirt underneath. The ends of her shoulder-length light chestnut hair were slightly curled, with a small bun tied on the left side.
Her shirt wasn't tucked into her skirt, and the pleated skirt was hitched higher than the jacket, exposing her fair, slender thighs. Her style was distinctly gyaru.
After asking Shibuya Rin, who was cosplaying Azur Lane's Natori, about her look, Ichikawa Hinana moved on to a girl holding twin swords, with black cloth strips draped across her front and jet-black hair cascading like a waterfall down her fair, snow-white back.
She'd initially wanted to probe the girl's thoughts, but under the other's detached, in-character gaze, she casually raised her hand to cover her mouth and giggled, then went to find a purple-haired beauty in a high-waisted dress holding a parasol.
Unlike the Service Club members who aimed for multiple characters to serve and satisfy Hachiman through different cosplays, within the idol group, each idol was pretty much assigned one fixed character.
For instance, the cool, aloof long-haired beauty Shibuya Rin was assigned to cosplay Natori, the light cruiser from Azur Lane.
However, their cosplay outfits were no fewer than those of the Service Club's young ladies.
Shibuya Rin had several cosplay variations for the same character to switch between: the sailor uniform with black thigh-highs and leg ring, the red festival yukata, the elegant dark orchid black evening dress, the sweet black lace-trimmed maid outfit, and more.
Though Shibuya Rin had a relatively large number of cosplay outfits among the many beautiful idols, the others had plenty too.
Pure campus looks, grassy sports fields, workout time, race queens, Halloween night, sunny beaches, concerts, hospitals...
One could say, just seeing these cosplay outfits covering various festivals and occasions, they could already imagine that for any major event in the future, they, the singing and dancing little idols, would all have to serve as background decoration.
However, in the end, they were only background filler. The true "service" activities wouldn't involve them.
Among them, the currently most eye-catching were Mitsumine Yuika cosplaying FGO's Yu Meiren, and Kanzaki Ranko cosplaying Zenless Zone Zero's Vivian.
Both were cosplaying, but the amount of fabric on their outfits was at opposite extremes.
Kanzaki Ranko's Vivian, with heterochromatic eyes and pointed ears, held a parasol, wore purple butterfly-bow high heels, and a high-waisted dress interwoven with black, white, and purple.
Apart from the side slits clearly designed for the Service Club Preisdent's convenience, making it easier to reach in, the outfit covered almost everything.
In contrast, Mitsumine Yuika's Yu Meiren cosplay left viewers unsure where to look.
The black cloth strips crossing over her front barely covered the essentials, and the side views showed almost nothing but the ties.
Though Mitsumine Yuika's Yu Meiren cosplay wasn't limited to the battle outfit with minimal fabric, there was also a casual, braided look in a one-piece sweater that covered her entirely, and a twin-tail, sunglasses swimsuit version, it was clear that the battle outfit with two cloth strips hanging over her chest was what their as-yet-unseen producer most wanted to see.
"Eek, why haven't I seen Hana-chan? I remember her cosplay outfit could rival Kekka-chan's."
"Hana was invited over to prepare for the evening performance. She's not participating in the daytime cosplay segment. Apparently, she might perform together with the Elf Princess for the producer."
"Together with the Elf Princess?"
"Eh, so jealous..."
Suddenly hearing that one of their peers had been pulled away to another level, the idol girls, who had been switching between their cosplay states and adjusting, all paused in their movements, unable to hide the envy in their eyes.
Even though they themselves were scheduled to perform on stage, and performing in cosplay was part of their duties, performing with the Elf Princess was definitely different.
Not even the three mermaids from the Mermaid Songstress group had ever had that honor.
Originally, when Suzuki Hana among them was assigned the task of cosplaying Wuthering Waves' Shorekeeper, they'd all felt quite sorry for her.
Even though each assignment was thoughtfully chosen, Shorekeeper's pure yet alluring vibe suited Suzuki Hana well, the Shorekeeper's outfit, which looked more revealing than being naked, seemed even more blush-inducing than Mitsumine Yuika's Yu Meiren cosplay.
But now that they knew Suzuki Hana would get to perform on stage with the Elf Princess thanks to this cosplay, they were left with nothing but envy.
Forget about them, the undebuted newbie idols; even long-established, ultra-popular idols would want to perform with the Elf Princess... she wondered if they'd ever get such a chance...
"These idols... are they being true to their fans? Dressing so provocatively!"
One person's joy is another's sorrow. Off in the distance, Hayase Saki watched the undebuted little idols' cosplay outfits, each more alluring than the last, and couldn't help getting angry.
Even knowing these idols were basically just background, she was still upset.
Dressing so provocatively, what else could it be for if not to covet the Preisdent's body?
They might not be joining now, but they will sooner or later. And once they join, they're bound to drag their peers in too.
Right now, the idol girls could still comfortably stay as background, simply because no real idol had joined the club yet.
The girls from the women's track and field team were already lusting after the Preisdent. These idols didn't just need the Preisdent to improve their skills; they needed various resources too. There's no way they weren't thinking about climbing into the Preisdent's bed.
But what could she do? She only knew how to swim; she couldn't sing and dance like these beautiful idols.
"Hm? Why aren't you saying anything? Miki?"
Hayase Saki wanted her friends to unite against letting those little idols move up, or maybe recruit a few socially anxious idols over, but she found no one answering her.
The quiet, shy Sasaki Kotone had been pulled away by the magical girl group. Narahashi Miki, the first one she'd brought in, was sitting on the floor, head down, and she didn't know what she was up to.
Even the newly joined Nonohara Yuzuka didn't dare speak up at that moment.
"The Preisdent sure plays hard... seems like he's tied someone up again... and not just one..."
Sitting in a duck-like pose on the floor, Narahashi Miki slowly lifted her head. Her usually neat short hair now looked a bit disheveled. Beneath her bangs, her eyes were misty, and her lips parted and closed repeatedly as she muttered to herself.
"Wait, Miki, you're empathizing at a time like this?"
Hayase Saki hadn't expected Narahashi Miki to be drenched in sweat just from sitting on the floor. She quickly reached out, touched the black choker around her neck, and deactivated the empathy function.
Her good friend Miki had been eating too little lately and seemed a bit pent up.
Though she herself felt a little something too, she could still keep her wits about her. She hadn't expected Miki, whom she'd dragged into this, to be unable to hold back.
"So... so what? Isn't this a good way to keep track of the Preisdent's condition?"
Narahashi Miki, who was even taller than Shinju Inui, leaned against the wall and took a while to recover. When she came to, not only did she not reflect on her near-blackout from overstimulation, but she even looked towards the hesitant Nonohara Yuzuka beside her, seeming eager for her to join in the empathy too.
"Yuzuka, are you ready? Saki and I have high hopes for you."
"Once the Preisdent's done on his end, we can go out and greet him right away."
Though they were among the earliest batches to join the Service Club, they weren't much better off than the Ichinose family. As the Service Club grew with more members, the advantage of their early small group kept shrinking, making it hard to recruit newcomers.
Needless to mention Sakurai Shino, who became a succubus; Gotoh Hitori, who left her band; or Kujo Yuki from the track team. The quiet, introverted Sagasawa Fumika in the library was also part of an idol group, and Sakura Airi, who transferred from Kodo Ikusei Senior High School, was in the Karuizawa Kei group.
Perhaps the library's Serizawa Yukiha could also be brought in to be tamed by the Preisdent, but they had no good reason to approach Serizawa Yukiha, and just forcing it wouldn't work either?
In their small socially-anxious, shut-in group right now, only the newcomer Nonohara Yuzuka was available for the Preisdent to tame.
Besides, Nonohara Yuzuka had a pretty good mother, which could let Nonohara Yuzuka join the "landlady" group of the older wives.
"Mm, mm... I'll do my best..."
Feeling the weight of Narahashi Miki's expectations, Nonohara Yuzuka swallowed hard. Guiltily looking down at her own plump chest, she squeezed her own plush, white-stocking-clad thighs, and her voice gradually faded.
In this self-help club for the socially anxious, even the advisor teacher Mizuho Kazami didn't dare interfere with Hayase-senpai's and Nara Kyomi-senpai's devotion to serving the Preisdent. She, a first-year, simply couldn't say no to the second-year Hayase-senpai and Nara Kyomi-senpai.
However, not being able to say no aside, she genuinely had no confidence whatsoever.
Even though she hadn't met the Preisdent yet, she'd been secretly enjoying his "affection" in private. It felt way better than doing it herself, even a bit addictive. The empathy function was switched on and off until late at night, making her sleepy in the mornings and prone to being late.
But would the Preisdent of the Service Club, surrounded by so many beautiful and stylish girls, really like a nobody like her, so inconspicuous in class?
Even the idea that he might just use her and toss her aside felt highly unlikely.
Forget about style or talent, even her thighs, wrapped in white stockings, looked chubby, nowhere near as firm, bouncy, or strong as the constantly-exercising Hayase-senpai or Miki-senpai...
"Miki-senpai?"
Nonohara Yuzuka suddenly saw Narahashi Miki spring up from the floor. But as soon as she stood, her legs gave way, and she started to fall towards her. Yuzuka instinctively reached out to steady her, but found Narahashi Miki didn't need her help at all. She'd instantly transformed into her magical girl form and regained her stamina.
"Quick, quick! The Preisdent's side is done!"
"Yuzuka, get ready! Here we go!"
Hayase Saki also transformed into a magical girl and, together with Narahashi Miki, directly grabbed Nonohara Yuzuka and dashed out of the cosplay prep room.
Being dragged along, Nonohara Yuzuka noticed that the small groups once scattered around the prep room were now all surging towards the exit in one wave.
Mm... the magical girls definitely had no worries. Once transformed, they ran like the wind and were already out of the prep room. Only the idol girls, who hadn't become magical girls yet, were still slowly filing out in line.
The crowded procession of mismatched outfits looked just like cosplay enthusiasts heading to a convention, except this was a private cosplay party held at a hot spring inn.
Almost nobody noticed that the cosplay outfits on many of them were faintly glowing.
The very few who did see it dismissed it as their imagination, or assumed it was a special effect Princess Lala had added to give the Preisdent a better cosplay experience.