My brief, blissful encounter with the cool gamer girl Izumi is quickly overshadowed by the next looming event on the cosplay calendar: the "Shibuya Scramble Fest," a smaller, more localized pop-culture event, but one that is generating a surprising amount of buzz. The reason? A single guest announcement that has sent the entire cosplay community into a frenzy.
"ICHIGO IS COMING!"
Kenji delivers this news with the reverence of Moses bringing down the commandments. He bursts into the Cosplay Club room, holding his phone aloft, his eyes wide with religious fervor.
"Ichigo?!" Hana gasps, dropping a paintbrush. "The Ichigo? 'The Crimson Knight' Ichigo?"
"The one and only!" Kenji confirms, practically vibrating. "The undisputed king of heroic male cosplay! He is going to be the main guest star at the Scramble Fest!"
Okay, even I know who Ichigo is. You cannot be involved in the cosplay world, even tangentially as a handler/emotional support human, and not know Ichigo. He is a legend. Famous for his incredibly accurate and charismatic portrayals of handsome male heroes from anime and games. His costumes are impeccable, his makeup transforms him completely, and his stage presence is magnetic. He is, by all accounts, the total package. And, according to Kenji and literally every cosplay forum online, impossibly cool and handsome.
"Wow," Rina says, genuinely impressed. "Ichigo usually only does the major international cons. Getting him for a local event is a huge coup."
"His 'Crimson Knight' cosplay is technically brilliant," Haruka admits, always the analyst. "The articulated armor joints, the integrated lighting… very sophisticated." Even she seems impressed, which is saying something.
Aiwa, however, just looks confused. "Ichigo?" she asks quietly. "I am sorry, I am not familiar…"
Kenji lets out a sound of pure, scandalized horror. "NOT FAMILIAR?! Aiwa-chan! LUNA-sama! How can you not know the Crimson Knight?! He is only the most inspiring, most talented, most breathtakingly handsome male cosplayer on the planet! His portrayal of Captain Ryuu from 'Galaxy Gladiators' made me weep openly! His 'Shadow Fox Ninja' was poetry in motion! His-"
"Okay, Kenji, we get it," I interrupt before he can list Ichigo's entire cosplayography. "He is good. He is famous. He is handsome. Got it." Personally, I find the level of fanboying slightly disturbing.
The news adds a new layer of excitement and pressure to the Scramble Fest preparations. Rina and Haruka, while still primarily focused on their LUNA rivalry, are now also motivated to impress the legendary Ichigo. Their competitive energy ramps up again.
"Ichigo is known for his dynamic posing," Rina muses, practicing a sword stance. "Ectiqa needs to be even more powerful, more radiant."
"His strength is in sharp, clean lines," Haruka counters, adjusting her own costume. "Hime-Hime must be the epitome of dark elegance."
Aiwa, meanwhile, seems intrigued. After Kenji's (very loud, very detailed) explanation of Ichigo's fame and talent, she spends some time looking up his photos online. "He is… very good," she admits to me later, her voice full of quiet admiration. "His transformations are incredible. He really becomes the character."
My own feelings are… indifferent. Cool, another famous cosplayer. Great. As long as he does not develop a sudden, inexplicable crush on me or get involved in my already overflowing romantic drama, I do not really care. My primary goal for the Scramble Fest is survival.
The week leading up to the event is a blur of last-minute adjustments, prop repairs, and Kenji practicing his swooning technique for when he finally meets his idol. Rina and Haruka manage to maintain their fragile truce, mostly by focusing their competitive energies on their own costumes rather than each other (or me). Aiwa seems quietly focused, working diligently on her own LUNA preparations.
The stage is set. The players are ready. And the arrival of the legendary "Crimson Knight" Ichigo is about to add a completely unexpected, and potentially catastrophic, new dynamic to our already explosive situation.