"How about if I wear my work uniform?"
Just as Shirase stepped out of the kitchen after washing the dishes, Kojima Kana's voice floated over—light, nervous, and full of expectation.
Turning around, he froze.
By the bedroom door stood the beautiful onee-san, posing awkwardly as if showing off a new outfit. On top, she wore her usual fitted blazer, but underneath was a low-cut camisole that somehow made her already dangerous curves even more eye-catching.
Honestly, with a figure like hers, she'd look stunning in anything—unless it was something absurd like a basketball jersey. Below, the tight black skirt hugged her hips perfectly, the sheer stockings clinging to long, pale legs that gleamed faintly under the light. Add in the openwork heels, and she looked even taller, sharper, more impossibly attractive.
He had to admit—even Hiratsuka-sensei and Kirisu-sensei, the two women he'd silently ranked near the top in his mental list, couldn't quite match the lethal charm Kojima Kana radiated at this moment.
As for the Nakano sisters… maybe one day. But right now, they didn't even come close.
"We're going to an anime convention, not your office," Shirase said, smirking at her hopeful expression. "Why'd you pick your work uniform?"
Kana flinched. "Th-then… should I change? But into what? I've never been to anything like that before…"
Her anxious fumbling was unexpectedly cute.
Shirase stroked his chin, pretending to ponder deeply. "Maybe you should wear an Ultraman suit."
"A… suit?" Kana blinked.
"Yeah, like Ultraman Sougetsu—very stylish."
"You're just teasing me, aren't you?!"
Laughing, Shirase dodged a light slap, and the two finally headed out.
Since he still had the soccer club's victory party that evening, he planned to leave the convention by four at the latest.
Kana seemed almost childishly excited along the way—though Shirase couldn't tell if it was because this was her first anime convention or simply her first time going out alone with him.
Their private outing didn't last long, however.
As they passed a familiar open lot, Shirase spotted a petite figure with an unmistakable ahoge standing in the distance.
Takanashi Rikka.
The chuunibyou girl was clearly waiting for someone, scanning her surroundings restlessly.
The moment she spotted Shirase, her uncovered eye lit up like a beacon.
This time, she approached with steady, confident strides.
Oh no, Shirase thought, glancing at Kana's puzzled face. Before Rikka could speak, he cut in smoothly, "Were you waiting here for me?"
"That's right!" Rikka declared proudly. "Today, there's no need to enter the sealed realm of darkness, so I deduced that my fellow Kamen Rider ally would appear here."
She grinned triumphantly. "My powers have grown—I can even foresee your location now."
Kana's expression turned identical to Isshiki Iroha's whenever someone said something incomprehensible.
Before the silence could grow too awkward, Shirase jumped in. "We're heading to an anime convention."
Rikka blinked, confused by the sudden change of subject.
"There'll be tons of Kamen Riders there," Shirase added quickly.
Her breath hitched, excitement instantly flaring. "I'm going too!"
"Good," Shirase said. "But you have to promise not to say anything weird."
"Why not?"
"You know as well as I do—wherever Kamen Riders gather, evil follows. If you start chanting nonsense like last time, you might cause chaos."
"Heh… fear not! My Wicked Eye is—ouch!"
Her dramatic pose was cut short by Shirase's sharp chop to the head.
"See? You couldn't even dodge a basic attack, and you're calling yourself strong?" he said dryly.
"I-I just wasn't prepared! You caught me off guard!" Rikka pouted, but when Shirase raised his hand again, she immediately jumped back.
Instead of following through, Shirase turned toward Kana, who was now completely bewildered. "Kana-nee, this is Takanashi Rikka—a slightly delusional chuunibyou girl."
Rikka puffed up, about to object—"I'm—ow!"—but another chop silenced her. She crouched down, teary-eyed, clutching her head pitifully.
"Is she your friend?" Kana asked, watching the easy familiarity between them.
"More or less," Shirase said with a shrug. "Though she can be annoying."
Kana smiled kindly and crouched a bit, taking Rikka's hand. "Rikka-chan, was it? I'm Kojima Kana—this guy's older sister."
"Older sister?" Rikka froze. She too had an older sister—a being of terrifying power!
Her gaze dropped to Kana's chest, and her jaw nearly hit the ground.
Such powerful energy…!
This woman—she's even stronger than my sister!
Thankfully, Kana had no idea what went through the girl's head. If she did, her reaction would've been indescribable.
With their unexpected new companion, the dynamic changed immediately.
Luckily, Kana was good with kids. After a few minutes of reading Rikka's personality, she had the girl talking comfortably—though "comfortably" for Kana still included the occasional odd tangent and "fantasy commentary" about Shirase when she thought no one was listening.
Soon enough, the trio reached the convention entrance. Kana paid for all three tickets.
Even outside, the scene was overwhelming—people in colorful costumes everywhere.
Rikka was instantly entranced.
Kana, attending for the first time, also looked around in wonder. Then she leaned close to whisper, "Isn't that girl's outfit a bit too revealing? She's barely wearing anything. Is that… allowed?"
Shirase followed her gaze—a succubus cosplay. "That's actually tame. She's wearing more than some. There are cosplayers here who barely cover the essentials."
Kana's face went crimson. "That's so indecent…" she mumbled under her breath, utterly scandalized.