something like this wouldn't get him sick.
Then, he walked over to the window of the suite,
gazing out at the vast, snow-covered world.
Yukima Azuma recalled the last time he and Ginko had spent a snowy day together.
Come to think of it,
they probably had to go all the way back to childhood for that.
Ever since moving to Tokyo
Every time they met again, whether it was him or her,
one of them had to travel between Chiba and Tokyo.
Sure, they met up during spring break.
But because of travel logistics, it was always after the snow had already stopped.
Sora Ginko had always had a fragile constitution,
so moments like todayplaying together in the snowwere exceedingly rare.
...
While Azuma was lost in nostalgia, time quietly slipped by.
Roughly forty minutes had passed.
Yukima Azuma began to find it strange.
What's going on?
Even for a girl, this bath is taking way too long.
Remembering Ginko's weak health,
Yukima Azuma started getting worried.
Could it be his little senpai had fainted in the bathroom?
(®®)
With that in mind, he instinctively approached the bathroom door.
Ginko-senpai, bathing alone is dangeroustake Azuma-kouhai in with you!
( )
But just as he got close
He heard Sora Ginko calling from inside.
"Azuma Azuma!"
Her voice was laced with hesitation and shyness.
"I'm here. What is it?"
Azuma replied.
Maybe because his voice sounded too closelike he was right at the door
Ginko clearly got startled.
A panicked "Wahhh!" burst out from inside.
"W-What are you doing standing outside the door!? You're not peeking, are you!?"
(>/////< " )
At that moment, Ginko was crouching in the bathroom, hugging her body.
Even her fair neck was tinged with a soft blush.
"Relax. Just the sound of water alone is enough to give me three bowls of rice!"
Yukima Azuma threw out a cheeky joke.
Ginko: (®® )
And of course, what followed was a full-blown tsundere verbal beatdown from Sora Ginko.
Only after that did she mumble,
"I-In here there's no towel."
Yukima Azuma froze.
This suite cost more than even a presidential room.
And there's no towel in the bathroom!?
You've gotta be kidding me.
Azuma glanced around the area just outside the bathroom door.
And quickly spotted a small sign posted beside it.
"Towels are individually sealed.
Please retrieve them from the outside cabinet.
Due to humidity, it is not suitable to store towels inside the bathroom.
Thank you for your understanding."
The sign was placed quite visibly.
But Ginko, embarrassed out of her mind earlier, hadn't noticed it at all
And just dove straight into the bathroom.
Which meant
That inevitable scene: the towel hand-off
was now about to begin.
Chapter 288: Sora Ginko Cosplay
"The towel is outside."
Yukima Azuma took out the pre-arranged towel from the cabinet.
He looked at the frosted glass door of the bathroom, lost in thought.
( ® ®)
Through the fluorescent light in the bathroom, the slender figure of the girl could still be seen.
Though hazy, it truly stirred one's imagination endlessly.
Inside the bathroom, an awkward silence lingered for a long time.
Finally, accompanied by a faint creaking sound
The door was opened slightly.
Light steam flowed out from the small gap.
A small, jade-like white hand reached out.
On the girl's wrist, sparkling droplets of water still clung.
A glimpse of a part revealed the whole.
Just that one delicate hand was enough to make one imagine the breathtaking scene behind the door.
"Wha... what are you spacing out for? Hurry up and give me the towel!"
(,,><,,)
Sora Ginko still hadn't received the towel in her hand.
She urged him on, slightly flustered.
Yukima Azuma snapped back to reality and handed the towel to that hand.
With the towel in tow, that smooth, white hand swiftly retracted back into the bathroom and disappeared from sight.
The bathroom door closed once more.
Yukima Azuma let out a long sigh.
His gaze shifted toward the small table next to the entrance.
His eyes stopped at the paper bag casually placed on the table.
Only then did Yukima Azuma remember
Sora Ginko's clothes had been soaked by the snow.
While her underwear could still be worn, or even better not to wear it at all
It was probably better to change into a different outer outfit.
Meanwhile, Sora Ginko in the bathroom realized the same thing.
Aside from the undergarments, the rest of the clothes she brought along were more than halfway soaked.
She could still wear them...
But that would defeat the purpose of bathing altogether.
For a moment, Sora Ginko once again fell into a state of dilemma.
"How about trying on that souvenir outfit we brought back?"
Yukima Azuma's voice rang out just in time.
Sora Ginko stared at the frosted glass door for a while.
Then, silently cracked it open a little more.
...
By the time Sora Ginko stepped out of the bathroom...
Yukima Azuma felt like the world before his eyes had lit up.
()
Though he had briefly glanced at that Lunar New Year outfit earlier,
What mattered was who wore the outfit.
This vibrant red color, full of lifewhen worn by Sora Ginko...
Produced a kind of unique contrasting "moe."
Against the red fabric, the cuffs and hem were trimmed with white fur accents.
If Sora Ginko wore this to go wish people a Happy New Year...
Yukima Azuma would gladly hand over a hundred billion yen in red envelopes.
"Baka."
(,,,,)
Noticing Yukima Azuma staring at her,
Sora Ginko muttered quietly.
Her cheeks turned crimson like the evening glow.
Yet she didn't seem offendedin fact, she looked like she was enjoying it a little.
( )
Honestly, if Yukima Azuma hadn't looked at her like that after she came out of the bathroom...
She would've been the one disappointed.
Because that was proof of her charm!
Even if she was hailed as an idol in the shogi world,
The truth was, Sora Ginko didn't have that much confidence in her own allure.
After all, Yukima Azuma was surrounded by too many highly attractive girls.
But judging from the current situation...
This boy was clearly captivated by her.
Though blushing, it was a kind of blush laced with smugness.
"Ginko-senpai usually just wears a sailor uniform, right? How about using this chance to try out some different styles?"
()
Yukima Azuma suddenly suggested.
Looking at Sora Ginko in that adorable Lunar New Year outfit...
Yukima Azuma's desires were starting to get a little stirred.
She was that cute, after all.
Now he was beginning to understand the mindset of people who play dress-up games.
Sora Ginko blinked in surprise.
"I guess I could try... but there aren't any other outfits here."
Though Yukima Azuma being obviously enchanted was a good thing,
The whole changing clothes and cosplay thing still made her feel a little embarrassed.
So Sora Ginko came up with an excuse.
Yukima Azuma, however, lightly waved his hand like a young master.
"There will be!"
No need to say anything more.
Then, Sora Ginko only saw Yukima Azuma taking out his phone and making a few calls.
About half an hour later
A delivery person, covered in wind and snow, knocked on the door of the room.
A total of three delivery people arrived.
Their timings didn't overlap.
They each brought clothes from the shogi club, the Yukima household, and a shopping mall.
At the shogi club, there were some photoshoot outfits that the editorial photography team had previously prepared for Sora Ginko.
When the delivery person arrived at the club...
The one who answered the door was Kiyotaki Keika, with a suspicious expression on her face.
After learning what the delivery was about
The onee-san who had turned 26 after this year's spring break, had a rather subtle expression.
Earlier, she had heard that Yukima Azuma and Sora Ginko wouldn't be returning to the club today.
She had even sighed, saying, "These two, so clueless before, and now that they've figured things out, the progress is crazy fast. Of course, it's all thanks to Keika the wingmansasuga watashi!"
( )
But isn't this too fast!?
They're even doing cosplay already!?
In the end, with a complicated expression, Kiyotaki Keika handed over several paper bags from Sora Ginko's wardrobe to the delivery person.
And now, those bags were in Yukima Azuma's hands.
As for Sora Ginko, when she saw Yukima Azuma coming back with those paper bags...
She unconsciously pursed her lips.
In that moment, she didn't know whether to be happy that Yukima Azuma had been so enchanted by her he acted this swiftly,
Or to feel embarrassed and call him a pervert in mock anger.
"Just try it. Ginko-senpai normally doesn't care about anything outside of shogi, right?"
"But you're a girl after all, so you probably enjoy dressing up a little too, yeah?"
( — )
Yukima Azuma said with a smile.
Sora Ginko lightly bit her cherry lips.
It was true she was completely immersed in the world of shogi.
But outside of shogi, the person she cared most aboutwas Yukima Azuma.
The reason she wore a sailor uniform every day was also because Yukima Azuma liked that style.
(*)*.
Taking the paper bag, Sora Ginko ran into the room and shut the door.
When she opened the door again
Standing before Yukima Azuma was Sora Ginko in a pure white long dress.
It was an outfit prepared for a summer photoshoot.
A simple long white dress, with shimmering gems adorning the hem.
Though it looked plain, the moment the hem fluttered, it gleamed brilliantly.
Sora Ginko gently lifted the skirt, twirled around a little,
()
Then looked toward Yukima Azuma, waiting for his reaction.
"Sugoi! It suits Ginko-senpai perfectly! So beautiful! Let me take a picture!"
()
Yukima Azuma, excited like one of those fat otaku at Comiket, quickly pulled out his phone.
Sora Ginko: ( ®®) !!
"No photos allowed!"
She lunged forward, reaching out to snatch Yukima Azuma's phone.
Yukima Azuma raised his arm high.
Sora Ginko stood on tiptoes to reach it.
But due to the height difference, even jumping twice, she couldn't get the phone as she hoped.
Instead, Yukima Azuma took advantage of the moment Sora Ginko jumped
And lifted her up, spinning her once in the air.
After being set down, Sora Ginko gave Yukima Azuma two light punches with her dainty fists.
"Azuma no baka!"
><
Then she dashed back into the room again.
...
What followed were more cosplay outfits.
Because preparations had been ongoing for a while, the number of clothes in those paper bags could cover all four seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
Yukima Azuma truly got to feast his eyes.
)
By the time almost all the prepared photoshoot outfits had been tried on
The doorbell rang again.
The second delivery person had arrived.
This delivery came from the Yukima household, carrying several unopened packages.
Yukima Azuma solemnly handed the packages to Sora Ginko.
"Ginko-senpai, this is my life's wish! Before I die, I just want to see you wear this once!"
()
Sora Ginko took the packages with a slightly puzzled look.
She had no idea what kind of clothes could make Yukima Azuma ask so seriously.
Chapter 289: Ginko-senpai, I'll be counting on you from now on
Carrying the packages back to the room,
Sora Ginko, driven by curiosity, began unboxing them.
As the outer wrapping came off
The contents slowly revealed themselves to her eyes.
They were all cute outfits.
But the key difference was
Elf costume, maid costume, cat-girl costume, succubus costume...
Sora Ginko: ( ®® ) ?
Seeing all kinds of cosplay outfits spilling out from the packages
Sora Ginko's face gradually turned a soft shade of red.
They were all cosplay costumes.
Ever since returning from Hokkaido,
The group of girls had been tempted into the world of cosplay by Kitagawa Marin.
Among the three girls
Kasumigaoka Utaha wasn't particularly interested.
Kato Megumi, though mildly curious, only occasionally browsed for information.
Only Eriribeing an otaku already
Had a tendency to dive deep into the rabbit hole.
As a result, gradually, the Yukima household began to accumulate a decent collection of iconic cosplay outfits from games and anime.
Most of them
Were bought just because a certain anime became popular.
But she had never actually worn any of them.
It felt more like collecting merch than actually using it.
And now, right before Sora Ginko's eyes, were those very cosplay outfitscollected purely for the sake of owning them.
Eriri and Sora Ginko had fairly similar body types.
Which meantthese cosplay merch items could now be put to full use.
Under Yukima Azuma's expectant gaze
The door creaked open just a little.
"Hentai!"
(><)
Came Sora Ginko's bashful voice from inside.
Immediately after, she appeareddressed in an adorable succubus outfit: a short black top with white puffed sleeves, a fluffy skirt underneath, and tiny wings attached at the waist.
The iconic heart-shaped tail of a succubus swayed gently behind her.
The only thing that didn't match the seductive succubus lookwas the incredibly embarrassed expression on her face.
(,,><,,) b-baka!
But because of thatthis contrast made her all the more enchanting.
After all, compared to a full-on ero little succubus
A shy, flustered little succubus was definitely more appealing.
Seeing Yukima Azuma so stunned he went speechless
Even though Sora Ginko felt like dying from embarrassment
She couldn't help but feel a bit pleased.
Among all the cosplay outfits
Ironically, the succubus costumesupposedly the sexiest onewas the most modest in terms of fabric.
The elf costume, despite being a character type known for purity, showed just as much skin as a swimsuit.
Even the maid outfit had a deep neckline.
Well, of coursethis was anime merch after all
Designed mostly to highlight the beauty of female.
Which was why, in the end, Sora Ginko chose the cute succubus costume.
Committing the lovely sight to memory
Yukima Azuma gave a thumbs up in admiration.
