Yumei's message was just the start. Before long, the number of comments and reposts of his cosplay climbed even higher. Yumei, Hiyori and Ririka even started using a hashtag, #CosplayerR, to raise the hype around my mysterious persona.
It was flattering, sure, but also a little overwhelming. The idea of being recognized beyond the circle of complex relationships we built, even as the enigmatic "R," felt like a double-edged sword.
I'd have to be careful not to let the mask slip, especially with people like Mei-chan who could sniff out my identity with a single glance.
I handed Ririka's phone back to her and watched as she gleefully scrolled through the flood of notifications.
"I don't think I can manage this account if this keeps blowing up faster than I can keep up with, Ririka."
She grinned as her side ponytail bounced while tapping away. "Don't worry, Ruki! I'm the master of social media chaos. I'll keep 'R' mysterious and untouchable. No one's gonna figure out it's you… unless you start signing autographs at school or something silly like that."
Akane leaned over to my side, her tiara becoming slightly askew, "Husband, can I get jealous of them? You're practically a celebrity now. Next thing you know, the girls will have to fend off fangirls at the school gate. Or fanboys, who knows?" ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ Novᴇl_Fire(.)net
Fanboys? That would be terrible. But then again, as long as no one recognized me, right?
"Fangirls, fanboys, doesn't matter. I've got my hands full with you lot already. No room for extras." I pinched her cheeks before the girl buried her face on my chest.
Fuyu, who'd been quietly sipping her tea, glanced up with a small smile. "You say that, Ruki, but you always find a way to make room for everyone."
"What do you mean? That's exactly why I don't have time for others, Fuyu. Besides, don't give me too much credit. It should be Ririka. She prepared all this for us."
Upon saying that, I pulled the girl back to my lap that she stopped fiddling wth her phone.
Meanwhile, Yae quietly refilled my cup of tea then sneaked in a few kisses here and there. As for those in the group chat. I naturally didn't forget about them.
Just , the teasing banter continued between us but the clock on the wall was ticking closer to midnight.
Public transportation, like buses and the train, was only available until midnight. I had to escort her home soon.
I glanced at her, catching the way her eyes flicked to the time. When she caught me staring at her, she bit her lip. She probably didn't want to leave tonight. Unfortunately, we already called that I'd be escorting her home.
"Alright, ladies," I said, standing and straightening my tie with a theatrical flourish. "As much as I'd love to keep serving tea and charming you all, my noble lady needs an escort home. Fuyu, you ready?"
She nodded, setting her teacup down and smoothing the sapphire dress one last time. "Yes… I'd love to stay longer but…"
She let that sentence hang but it's just as I suspected.
Akane pounced at her, pulling Fuyu into a tight hug that made their dresses' laces crinkle. "Next time, you're staying over, okay? "
Fuyu laughed with her cheeks turning pink again. "Yeah. It's my turn to sleep next to him next time."
With the way she said it, I couldn't help but feel a tug at my chest. It implied a lot more than a simple sleepover, right?
"We're doing this again, Fuyu-san! You're a natural in that dress. I'll prepare a better costume." Ririka joined the hug with her maid cap nearly falling off. Despite Fuyu's initial hesitation, Ririka managed to let her warm up to them. Now, even if Fuyu initially said she didn't want to be aware of everyone connected to me, she probably realized that the other girls already accepted her.
Yae gave Fuyu a warm smile and a light pat on the shoulder. "Get home safe, okay? And don't let this demon butler sweet-talk you into staying out too late."
I rolled my eyes and then pinched Yae's cheek as well. The girl loved it though and that turned into her clinging to me as well.
After this, the girls and I swapped back to our regular clothes. Of course, they didn't let me change by myself. Likewise, I helped them out of their dresses. I got the privilege to witness their alluring bodies again. Good thing I managed to hold myself back or else… we might truly be too late for the train.
As the three girls tidied up in the living room, Fuyu and I walked to the door.
"Ready, Fuyu?" I asked, holding the door open.
She nodded as she stepped outside into the cool night air. "Ready. And… Ruki, thank you. For everything."
I smiled, falling into step beside her as we headed toward the train station. "Don't thank me yet. Night's not over till you're home safe."
The walk to the station was quiet. After all, the streets were already empty save for the occasional passing car. Fuyu's hand brushed against mine and I took it without hesitation, her fingers fitting perfectly in my palm.
The cloudy sky from earlier had cleared, revealing a scattering of stars that felt like they were watching us.
To make sure we wouldn't surprise her parents, Fuyu called Auntie. Fubuki was probably already asleep so… she'd be opening the gate for Fuyu.
When we reached the station, Fuyu pulled me to the side first, asking for more kisses while we waited for it to arrive at our platform. And when we took our seats inside, the girl cuddled with me for the entirety of the trip. Since there are not many passengers around anymore, she's not afraid to be caught anymore. Or rather, she didn't care about being seen as intimate with me.
By the time we reached her house, the weight of her earlier doubts seemed to have lifted, replaced by the quiet contentment that always settled between us. The light on their gate and front door was still on, casting a warm glow over the small garden out front.
As we stopped before her gate, it was opened by Auntie who was already waiting and noticed our arrival. But perhaps not to disturb our moment, she remained inside.
Fuyu hesitated at first but in the end, she threw it all away after realizing that it's already useless to hide it from her mother.
And so, she turned to me, her hands lingering a little bit longer within mine, "Goodnight, Ruki. And… thank you, again. For making tonight feel like a dream."
She squeezed my hand gently, conveying her affection through it. Of course, kissing her goodnight would be audacious with her mother's eyes staring straight at us.
"Goodnight, Fuyu. If it's a dream. Try asking Auntie to pinch your cheek."
At that, the girl pouted and then laughed. She then stepped inside and I saw Auntie winking at me and giving a thumbs up.
Really, shouldn't she be worried that her daughter also became involved with me? I wonder what she's thinking.
In any case, I waited until I heard their door closing before turning back and making my home.
The train ride back was quiet, my phone buzzed with a few late-night messages.
Aya had sent a photo of her bookmark tucked into the light novel, captioned, "Started reading! No spoilers, Ruki!". I couldn't help but smile when she also snuck in a photo of her, lying on her bed. It's making me more excited to greet her this midnight.
Hina was still making up plans for our meeting in the Literature Club tomorrow.
Hanabi had sent a cryptic emoji string that probably meant her surprise was still in the works. Or that it was already finished. But more importantly, the goofy girl sent me a photo of their living room. Or rather, their TV set. It was still on and clearly, even if her figure wasn't in the photo, I could already tell what she was planning. She's going to binge-watch a show again..
With that, I spent the remaining time talking to everyone still available. This night might not be over yet but… it sure was too eventful.