"Assistant, I'm entrusting Sagiri's evening chastity to you, okay?"
"Rest assured, Contractor! Leave it to me!"
Rin Ito left Sagiri's house just before Masamune Izumi finished school, entrusting Eliza with the task of supervising Sagiri's abstinence for the evening. Although the system was active and Sagiri couldn't release her desire even if she tried to expand her pocket space, it was best to keep up appearances...
The schools in the city had similar dismissal times, with little variation. Although Marin and Misaki weren't at the same school as Masamune Izumi, their dismissal time was about the same as his. Timing his departure from Sagiri's house right as Masamune returned, Rin Ito arrived at Marin and Misaki's school gate just as school ended.
The go-home club was the mainstream in schools. Marin and Misaki were members, and a throng of students poured out of the gate at dismissal. Rin Ito diligently scanned the crowd for Marin and Misaki. The students were all wearing uniforms, and since this was a world with a mix of natural and dyed hair, Marin's blonde hair wasn't particularly noticeable.
The only person that stood out to Rin Ito was a petite girl with pink hair. It wasn't just her hair color; it was because she was carrying a very eye-catching guitar case. Wait... pink hair and a guitar case? A sealed memory stirred. Could there be an unexpected bonus!? Rin Ito hadn't watched many explicit anime or doujinshi in his past life, and he couldn't recall the names of the protagonists even in the ones he had seen. But mainstream anime characters were different; Rin Ito's memory of them was much deeper.
Rin Ito curiously observed the pink-haired girl with the guitar case while recalling the past. Pink hair and a guitar case... Could it be Bocchi? Sigh... what was Bocchi's name again?
While Rin Ito was trying to remember, the girl, possibly Bocchi, had already walked away. At the same time, a familiar voice reached Rin Ito's ears.
"Ito-sensei~~~" Just out of the school gate, Marin spotted Rin Ito, grabbed Misaki, and walked toward him, waving.
The three had arranged to go to Orihime's house tonight to try on the cosplay outfits. Since Orihime finished work late, Rin Ito suggested that he would pick up Marin and Misaki from school, and then the three of them would go to Orihime's house together. The ostensible reason was concern for their safety, but the actual reason... well, that went without saying. Hehe. Rin Ito had only met them once before, so he wanted to find opportunities to meet them a few more times. Whether anything came of it or not, Rin Ito wouldn't force it.
"Ito-sensei, sorry to keep you waiting." Marin greeted Rin Ito with a smile, and Misaki slightly bowed beside her. Both were the gyaru type, but not the delinquent kind from earlier eras. They simply cared about their appearance, and both had small, personalized accessories on their ears, uniforms, and wrists.
"I just arrived myself." Rin Ito smiled, glancing at the direction the girl, possibly Bocchi, had left. She was no longer visible, but Rin Ito wasn't too concerned. Pink hair and a guitar case weren't exclusive to Bocchi. In this world with all sorts of hair colors, it wasn't rare for a pink-haired girl to enjoy playing instruments. Besides... knowing she attends the same school as Marin, I can try talking to her next time I have a chance.
Rin Ito shifted his gaze back to Marin and Misaki. "Want to grab a drink? My treat."
"Really?" Misaki clapped Rin Ito on the shoulder boldly. "Then we won't hold back, okay?"
Rin Ito smiled. "No need to be formal with me." Orihime's working hours meant they still had plenty of time, so the three of them weren't in a hurry. They bought cold drinks and strolled leisurely, chatting as they walked toward Orihime's apartment.
"You two seem pretty popular at school? I sensed quite a few hostile glances, you know."
"Hehe, Marin is very popular," Misaki chuckled, gently nudging Marin with her elbow. "Someone tried to confess to Marin today, too, I think? Marin has had lots of confessions since high school."
"Ah..." Marin sighed, looking troubled. "If it's a classmate, fine, but I don't even remember most of the people who confess to me. A confession like that can't possibly succeed... Ito-sensei, you're a man too. Why would someone just directly confess right away?"
"I find it strange too." Rin Ito used to wonder about this when he watched anime. Many works feature a heroine being confessed to by a complete stranger, or having their shoe locker stuffed with love letters... Although Rin Ito knew anime was anime and reality was reality, what were people thinking when they confessed without ever having spoken before, or after only one or two brief interactions? If someone could just accept a confession from a stranger, wouldn't that suggest they have major issues?
"In my opinion, a confession isn't the bugle call for a charge; it's the bugle call of victory."
"Exactly, exactly!!" Marin, who was constantly being confessed to, strongly agreed. "I really don't know what those people are thinking!"
"Tch... Marin, you have happy troubles. It means you're popular! Why doesn't anyone confess to me? Ito-sensei, I look decent, right?"
Rin Ito looked at Misaki. "Misaki's looks are definitely good. It's just that your style is different from Marin's. Misaki, you have a more curvy figure, while Marin is more slender." Misaki was blonde like Marin, but Marin's hair was softer, while Misaki's was a bit frizzier. In terms of bust size, although Marin was already an E-cup, Rin Ito thought Misaki was slightly bigger than Marin.
"It's because Misaki acts too scary sometimes. Boys are afraid of you and don't dare to confess," Marin teased playfully. "Hey, hey, hey, Ito-sensei, were you ever confessed to by a girl in school?"
"Or were you always alone, like an otaku?" Misaki asked with a wicked grin.
"Yes, but not many times, and I rejected them all. Back then..." Rin Ito recalled his high school days, and a smile unconsciously played on his lips.
Talking about relationships, Marin and Misaki, meeting Rin Ito for the second time, gradually became more familiar with him. Strolling along like they were out for a walk, the three unconsciously reached the building where Orihime lived. Rin Ito checked the time; if Orihime wasn't working overtime, she should be arriving soon.
They didn't have to wait long before Orihime appeared in the distance. Seeing the three of them, Orihime ran over. Her soft chest bounced with her running motion.
"Hoo... ha... hoo... ha." Orihime panted twice before speaking. "Sorry, sorry, I'm late."
"We just got here, too." Rin Ito smiled, not holding back his praise. "You made three cosplay outfits in such a short time. Orihime, you're really amazing."
"It's nothing..." Orihime adjusted her red-framed glasses shyly. "Time was a bit tight this time. I bought semi-finished products to modify for Ito-sensei's and Mashiro's cosplay outfits. Only the Erotic Manga Artist's set required high customization and was hard to find a semi-finished product for, so it took a lot of time." In the past, when Orihime made cosplay outfits for Marin, they would personally select the fabric and hand-sew every stitch together. Unlike those who just buy a finished product to cosplay, sometimes not even knowing the source work, Orihime and Marin were genuinely motivated by passion.
The four of them chatted as they walked toward Orihime's apartment. Orihime usually came to visit Rin Ito, so this was Rin Ito's first time visiting Orihime's place. Taking the elevator to the apartment door, Orihime's face was full of shyness.
"Um... the room is a bit messy, and I didn't have time to tidy up. Please don't mind it." Orihime took out her key and tried to insert it into the keyhole. Click, the key was upside down. She turned it 180 degrees and tried again. Click, it was upside down again. She turned it 180 degrees back to the original side. Mhm, it finally went in this time. A key is sometimes like a USB drive; you have to turn it over, try to insert it, and then turn it back to insert it correctly.
As soon as the door opened, Rin Ito smelled the unique scent of new clothes in a clothing store. In Orihime's home, the source of this smell wasn't new clothes but various fabrics. A sewing machine stood out in the small apartment, and the three freshly finished cosplay outfits were hanging on a wall hook. Besides that, there were several simple wardrobes. Perhaps because she hadn't had time to tidy up, there were many scraps of fabric, thread, leather fragments, and other waste materials from making the cosplay outfits scattered on the floor. It looked less like a lived-in apartment and more like a person living in a workshop.
"Wow... so cool! Did you make all of these, Orihime? This set... this set is mine, right?" Rin Ito had shown Misaki Sagiri's character design, and she recognized it immediately. "Hey, hey, hey, can I try it on now?" Misaki's excitement was written all over her face, as it was her first time wearing a cosplay outfit.
"Of course. The purpose of coming here today is for you to try on the clothes and see if they fit. If there are minor issues, there's still time to fix them in the next two days."
"Hehe, Orihime's products are always perfect!" Marin took down her set and went to the bathroom with Misaki to change. Rin Ito pointed to the wardrobe next to them and asked, "Are these all different cosplay outfits you've made? Can I take a look?"
"Um... sigh..." Looking at the wardrobe Rin Ito pointed to, Orihime looked shy and slightly hesitant. "P-Please feel free to look." She did make cosplay outfits, of course, but what she made the most were... lingerie sets.
When Rin Ito pulled open the simple wardrobe, what greeted his eyes was a row of suggestive lingerie. Rin Ito recognized a few of them. Rin Ito remembered Orihime saying that the reason she became an editor of erotic doujinshi was because she loved seeing cute girls wearing suggestive clothes. The reason she learned tailoring was because she wanted to bring the cute clothes from the manga into reality. Orihime had even worn one set before for Rin Ito's 'research.'
"These lingerie sets... uh, have you worn all of these, Orihime?"
"O-Of course!" Orihime became serious and enthusiastically introduced them to Rin Ito. "Cute clothes exist in this world to be worn, of course! This set is the Anti-Demon Ninja battle outfit, and it's from..." Orihime usually gave the impression of shyness, but she became talkative once she started discussing topics she was passionate about. Orihime remembered the name of the character and the manga source for every single garment she made.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk... what a shame," Rin Ito said.
"Huh...?" Orihime looked at Rin Ito, who was shaking his head and sighing. "Ito-sensei, why do you say it's a shame?"
"These are the battle outfits of manga heroines. It's a shame that... they've never experienced a battle since they were created." Rin Ito put on a serious face and started talking nonsense. "I feel like I can hear them crying. Their mission has been forgotten, and they can only lie in the wardrobe instead of being worn by girls to fight. They want to pass on their descendants."
"Ito-sensei, you really are..." Orihime trailed off. As a doujinshi editor, she had much more experience with explicit content than Rin Ito. She naturally understood what Rin Ito was hinting at. After hesitating for a long time, she quietly added, "Lewd."
"Huh? What are you thinking, Orihime? Do you think I'm suggesting you wear these clothes to 'battle' with me?" Rin Ito said straight-faced.
"I-Isn't that what you meant?" Orihime's eyes widened, looking completely bewildered. "Passing on descendants... isn't that having children?"
"Of course not." Rin Ito then continued his serious nonsense. "These battle outfits are from different creators, and their designs are all excellent, exquisite, and alluring, yet few people notice them, and few people create them in real life. They lie here, destined to be forgotten."
"So, what I mean is..."
"What does Ito-sensei mean...?"
"If someone could synthesize the strengths of all the schools, absorbing the advantages of all these battle outfits, they might be able to create the strongest battle outfit. And the way to absorb them is simple: as long as someone wears these battle outfits and 'battles' with the same person, that person can gain enlightenment for the strongest battle outfit."
"...Ito-sensei!!!!!"
"Don't misunderstand! This is for drawing better manga! It's an editor's responsibility to help manga artists draw better manga... Hahahahaha." After speaking so seriously for so long, Rin Ito finally couldn't maintain his composure.
"Cough, cough, let's talk about the real business." Rin Ito cleared his throat. "Including myself, there are four manga artists and one assistant in Baumkuchen. If you, Orihime, are willing to provide research material for us by wearing these battle outfits, our ability to design outfits will surely improve greatly."
"Four manga artists!? And one assistant?"
"Besides Mashiro and the Erotic Manga Artist, there's also Eiri Kashiwagi. She has also joined Baumkuchen."
"Ehhh!??? Eiri Kashiwagi-sensei, too? Even we don't know the real identity of Eiri Kashiwagi-sensei. Do you know, Ito-sensei?" Orihime subconsciously held her breath. Rin Ito, Mashiro, the Erotic Manga Artist, and Eiri Kashiwagi. Baumkuchen was small but had a very strong lineup.
"Of course." Rin Ito smiled. "If you, Orihime, are willing to provide research material for us, you'll be able to learn their identities."
"I..." Orihime had witnessed the sexually explicit relationship between Rin Ito, Mashiro, and Nanami when she measured their sizes. The so-called research... would likely involve an erotic party. But... if I can get everyone from 'Baumkuchen' to contribute manuscripts to the publishing house, I can definitely advance from an intern editor to a genuine doujinshi editor! And... helping artists draw better manga really is an editor's responsibility.
Just as Orihime was hesitating whether to agree, the bathroom door opened, and Marin and Misaki emerged, dressed in their cosplay outfits. Orihime immediately focused her attention on the two.
"How are they? Are there any spots that don't fit?"
"Mmm... if the waist part could be taken in a little more, it would fit better... but Ito-sensei's heroine has short hair. Would using a wig for my long hair be too difficult? Should I cut my hair shorter?"
"Mmm..." Orihime carefully scrutinized the two. "Marin, with your amount of hair, a wig should be fine, but Misaki, your hair is too thick and voluminous; a wig is impossible. And... the biggest problem isn't the wig. Skin tone can be fixed with makeup, but the figure..." Marin was okay. A JK cosplaying a JK only needed a bit of makeup, a wig, and a change of uniform. But Misaki was cosplaying an Isekai cat-girl, specifically a flat-chested loli cat-girl... it didn't match at all. Compressing an E-cup to an A-cup was impossible.
"Don't worry about that. In fact, the bigger the difference in body type, the better," Rin Ito paused. "Cosplaying even with such a big difference in body type shows your dedication to the character, and that will be more moving to the Erotic Manga Artist, making her want to leave her room."
"I-Is that so? Thank you..." Misaki felt Rin Ito was just comforting her, but it couldn't be helped. Asking a busty gyaru to cosplay a flat-chested loli cat-girl was too much of a stretch.
To surprise Sagiri, Rin Ito couldn't use anyone Sagiri knew, or he could simply ask Megumi Jinno, Ami, or Maki. Secondly, he had to consider their personal willingness, as this was cosplay for an explicit doujinshi. The characters in the doujinshi weren't real, but the cosplayers were real girls. Megumi Jinno's friends were all students, and not everyone was as bold as Marin, openly declaring their love for R-rated games. If too many people took photos at the convention, there was a high chance that their classmates would find out they were cosplaying the heroine from an explicit manga. Not everyone was as outgoing as Marin, who could bravely fight back when others mocked or scorned her interests.
So, after careful thought, the only option was Misaki, who also loved R-rated content and was a fan of Eriri, and she was doing it willingly, fully aware of everything. Rin Ito would subtly have Eriri observe her, and then draw a portrait and sign it for her... Misaki would probably love that.
"You don't need to change your body type or hair color. Misaki, just wear some makeup to make your exposed skin paler, that's all. The important thing isn't the cosplay itself; it's getting the shut-in, Erotic Manga Artist, out of her room and to the convention."
"At that time..." Rin Ito took a deep breath and sincerely requested, "I'm counting on you two."
The cosplay would entice her mentally, and his edging conditioning would entice her physically. A two-pronged attack would definitely get Sagiri out of her room!