Naturally, Takanashi Rikka would never refuse Shirase's proposal.
The three of them waited patiently until the group of Kamen Rider cosplayers wrapped up their photo session with other attendees, then stepped forward to greet them.
The cosplayers turned out to be friendly types; when they heard Shirase's group wanted a few pictures, they readily agreed.
Kojima Kana, who had no particular interest in tokusatsu heroes, volunteered to be the photographer.
Afterward, Rikka clutched her phone as though it were a priceless artifact, her cheeks flushed pink as she stared at the screen in rapture.
Meanwhile, Shirase noticed Kana sneaking glances toward a nearby silver-haired cosplayer in an elaborate lolita outfit.
"You want to take a picture with her?" he asked casually.
Kana's cheeks tinted faintly. "I just thought her dress was really pretty."
"Most cosplayers make their own costumes," Shirase explained, "but a lolita dress that detailed probably cost a small fortune."
"...Why are you even telling me this? It's not like I understand any of it."
Even so, she tugged gently on his sleeve, eyes bright with unspoken hope. "Can we really ask her for a photo?"
There she went again—timid, unsure, yet irresistibly endearing.
Shirase sighed inwardly. This foolish woman probably doesn't even realize how charming she looks right now.
Since Kana rarely showed interest in things like this, Shirase took the lead and approached the lolita cosplayer.
He wasn't exactly an expert on lolita fashion, but he at least knew enough to guess that under those frilly skirts were pumpkin shorts for modesty.
"Can you take a photo with us?" Shirase asked politely.
The girl smiled, nodding. "Sure, I'm free at the moment."
Understanding immediately, Shirase gestured toward Kana. "She'd like to take one too. Is it all right if the three of us join in?"
Though the girl looked a bit disappointed, she still agreed with good grace.
Originally, Shirase intended to have Rikka take the photo—but the chuunibyou girl was still rooted to the spot, staring lovingly at her Kamen Rider pictures, her little ahoge swaying as she grinned at the screen.
So Shirase waved over a nearby cosplayer dressed as Doctor Strange to help instead.
Ironically, even with Shirase standing beside her, Kana remained nervous. The plan had been for the two women to stand on either side of him, but at the last moment she blushed furiously and shuffled to his right.
The lolita girl took the left, leaving Shirase caught neatly in the middle.
He was about to laugh when he suddenly felt Kana's arm brush lightly against his. Turning, he found her smiling shyly, her face tinged rose-pink.
Doctor Strange, proving he was no amateur, captured that exact moment—the instant Shirase turned to glance at the blushing woman beside him, her sweet, bashful smile lighting up the frame.
The camera clicked. Perfect timing.
The lolita cosplayer, smiling dutifully for the shot, felt a pang of quiet regret. Clearly, she'd just been upstaged.
Kana retrieved her phone and thanked their helpful photographer, practically glowing as she walked back to Shirase. "This picture came out amazing! Was that guy a professional?"
"Let me see," Shirase leaned over.
"Nope." Kana dodged him playfully, laughing as she backed away.
"Why not?" he asked, amused.
Kana only narrowed her eyes, smiling mysteriously without answering.
The reason was obvious in the photo itself.
Her smile looked radiant yet shy, her face beautifully flushed—and Shirase, turned slightly toward her, seemed caught mid-gaze, the faintest hint of warmth in his eyes.
The moment looked so natural, so intimate, it completely changed the atmosphere of the picture.
Still, now that she looked at it longer, Kana found herself mildly annoyed by the lolita girl standing on Shirase's other side.
If that poor cosplayer had known she'd just been mentally demoted to "background prop," she might have screamed.
Kana slipped her phone back into her pocket, beaming. "So, what should we do next?"
Before Shirase could answer, Rikka popped up between them. "Shirase! There's an Ultraman over there—he looks so cool!"
Shirase smiled. "Oh? You're actually talking normally now?"
Rikka pressed her lips into a thin line. If I talk like usual, he'll definitely karate-chop me again.
She wisely kept her "Wicked" speech locked away for now.
Shirase glanced toward where she was pointing and spotted an impressive Gaia Ultraman. He was about to reply—when he noticed a man in a face mask standing a few meters away, phone raised, its camera clearly aimed at Kana.
Judging from the angle and his posture, he'd been filming for quite a while.
Shirase's eyes narrowed. He walked straight over and held out his hand. "Give me your phone."
"What?" The man froze, panicked.
Before he could react further, Shirase's hand clamped around his wrist like iron.
The man struggled, but Shirase's grip didn't budge an inch. Even with veins standing out along his arm, he couldn't move.
Kana rushed over, confused. "What happened?"
"He was secretly filming you," Shirase said flatly, grabbing the man's phone with his free hand. "Probably for several minutes already."
"Hey, you—!" the man started, but Shirase cut him off.
"Just so you know," he said evenly, "secretly recording people is a crime. And she's not a cosplayer, nor did she give consent."
The man froze, guilt written all over him.
Kana's face paled as she peeked at the screen, then sighed in relief—it was only shots of her face, nothing obscene.
After deleting every video and photo and checking for backups, Shirase handed the phone back. "You're lucky today."
He meant it. If he'd been in [Free Hosting] mode, the System would've turned this guy into pavement art.
"You call this lucky?" the man muttered under his breath, misreading Shirase's tone as mockery. But knowing he was in the wrong, he quickly turned and hurried off—only to keep glancing nervously over his shoulder.
Not watching where he was going, he walked straight into a metal pillar with a sickening clang and crumpled instantly.
Kana blinked, stunned. "What… happened to him?"
Shirase sighed, folding his arms. "Ah, youth. So energetic he can fall asleep anywhere."
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T/N: ough i HATE people like himmm