Mika really seemed to be engrossed in the activity.
Chiaki noticed the change in her friend's attitude.
Before, Mika had only been in high spirits due to being influenced by Seiji, but now she was also beginning to show enthusiasm. Perhaps it was because she felt something in the doujinshi convention's atmosphere.
Chiaki felt that this was wonderful.
As for herself, although she felt that this event was wonderful, it was only "wonderful" at best. She still had the attitude of a bystander.
It wasn't that she couldn't enjoy it, and she indeed felt that this place was quite interesting.
Naturally, there were oscars players mixed in with the crowd and vendors. There were also manga and anime doujinshi, accessories, DVDs, paintings, and all sorts of other items for sale. There were also all sorts of people and their expressions and actions … all of this was quite interesting.
But if Chiaki had come by herself, she wouldn't have come.
Seiji, Genji, Kaori … even if they were by themselves, they would probably have come.
This was the difference between a bystander and a true participant.
Chiaki felt that she had always been a bystander.
She had joined a sports club in middle school, and then a drama club in high school. Although she felt that both were interesting, and she seriously participated in club activities, it was only a normal hobby, which was different from someone who was truly interested in something like this.
Her other hobbies were similar. Although there were many things that Chiaki was interested in, there wasn't a single one that she felt that she would never give up on or love for the rest of her life.
That was why Chiaki felt that she was a "fake," while someone like Seiji was the "real" one who could truly shine.
Even so, she didn't feel inferior at all. "Fakes" had their own advantages. She wouldn't feel too much pain because she was too invested in something.
Mika … was still somewhere between a "fake" and a "real" one, but she would eventually become a "real" one.
Chiaki chuckled as she watched her friend blush upon seeing the exquisite BL doujinshi, but for some reason, she was unable to take her eyes off it.
"The main character of this book is quite similar to Seigo," Chiaki said as she picked up the doujinshi.
"Yeah … No, no, it doesn't look like it!" Mika blushed.
"I think so. Come on, Seigo, strike the same pose as the handsome guy on the cover."
"I refuse," Seiji said decisively.
"I think so too. Let's try it out," Genji agreed.
"I think so too …" Kaori's eyes lit up as she spoke.
"Familiar, I permit you to make this pose." Even Hana spoke to him through voice chat.
"I firmly refuse!" Seiji resisted to the end.
The stall owner, who looked like a college girl, saw this scene and laughed. Her eyes sparkled as she looked at the handsome young man who resembled the main character in her book.
"If this young man can pose like the character on the cover and take a few pictures of me, I'll give you a 20% discount on this book."
"Oh, good conditions. Seigo, hurry up!"
"Be a ghost!"
Is my integrity only worth 20%? Seiji retorted both verbally and inwardly.
Due to his resolute resistance, they could only buy the book at its original price. Genji, Mika, Kaori, and Chiaki all bought the book. Hana also requested to buy a copy.
Seiji received some mental damage because of this. But it was fine as long as everyone was happy.
Everyone chatted and laughed as they walked around the stalls and bought items. Time passed happily just like that.
…
After they finished walking around the stalls, Seiji and the others arrived at the cosplay filming area.
There were all sorts of cosplayers here. Some cosplayers were cosplaying as handsome or beautiful girls from anime and manga, some cosplayers were cosplaying as vicious villains or even mutated monsters. There were also cosplayers cosplaying as video game characters, movie characters, mascots, strange characters, classic characters … there were all sorts of cosplayers.
More than the cosplayers, there were people using cell phones, normal cameras, or even single-lens reflex cameras to take pictures … whoops, photographers.
The sound of shutter shutters rang out one after another, and the cosplayers struck various poses and expressions to cooperate with the camera.
Seiji and the others also joined in. They went to take pictures of the characters they were interested in or took pictures with them. Without realizing it, they began to scatter.
As they took pictures, Seiji suddenly discovered that he seemed to have become the subject of the camera as well?
At first, there were only a few people, but as time passed, more and more people pointed their cameras at him. Click click click.
"Er … I'm not a cosplayer, so please don't take any pictures."
After he explained himself, everyone who heard him retracted their cameras. Some even smiled apologetically.
Yet, there were still people who kept pointing their cameras at him.
After saying this several times, Seiji felt helpless.
"Haha, it's all because you're so handsome and photogenic." Chiaki also took a picture of him and smiled as she walked over to his side. "You're truly excellent material. It's not strange at all for you to become the prey in the filming area."
As she said this, she showed Seiji the picture she just took. Seiji saw that the handsome boy in the picture had a helpless expression and a hint of melancholy, just like a scene from a teen idol drama.
Seiji was rendered speechless.
"And this is only the effect of a cell phone. If it's a professional camera, the pictures can easily pass off as a drama or even a movie. "Chiaki chuckled.
"It's scary to be so handsome … why don't you go and become an idol for real! If it's you, I think that conquering the world isn't just a dream ~ "
"Don't be silly." Seiji sighed. "It's just that this is the filming area, so they randomly take a picture of anyone they like. You're probably being photographed as well, right? "
Indeed.
Chiaki noticed that she was being photographed as well, as was Mika. However, the number of times she was photographed was obviously lower than Seiji's.
"You can clearly rely on your appearance to make a living, yet you choose to write light novels and create video games. You're such an idiot."
"That's right, I'm an idiot who likes such things. Perhaps being an idol is nice as well, but I don't really like it. "Seiji chuckled as he looked around at his surroundings.
"Most of the cosplayers here are here because they're interested. They're not idols, nor do they have idols as their goal. They're only doing it because they like it. It's a hobby.
I'm the same as them. I write light novels and make video games because I like it. In the future, I want to draw manga, and if possible, I want to make anime, movies, and so much more … "
Chiaki had the urge to lift her cell phone and take another picture of the handsome boy when she saw the passionate look in his eyes.
'You're different, Seiji.
Even if you're doing something because you like it, the degree to which you like it will be different, and the degree to which you can achieve it will also be different.
Your passion is far deeper than most people's, and what you're able to do … the places that you're able to go will definitely be far beyond what ordinary people can achieve.
'I'll be watching you.' Chiaki thought to herself. 'Let's see what you do, and how far you can go … I'll be watching.
I'm just a bystander.
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