Chapter 259 : Pipi Shrimp, Let’s Go!
“Why do I have to wear this cloak… and why do I need this gas mask?” Bai Yiyue muttered, her voice muffled by the thick mask. She was draped in the black robe of the FFF Inquisition, and with the gas mask on, she looked strangely intimidating.
Meanwhile, Ling Ning was dressed in a blue Japanese-style school uniform with a white headband on her head and black stockings wrapped around her long legs. Already blessed with naturally straight black hair, she didn’t need any additional styling. She felt that cosplaying Kasumigaoka Utaha was the perfect choice for her.
“Just bear with it a little,” Zhou Xiaoxiao said, trying to stifle her laughter. Seeing her supposed love rival in such an awkward situation was an oddly satisfying experience for her.
Zhou Xiaoxiao herself was dressed in the same school uniform as Ling Ning, complete with a high-quality blonde wig tied into twin-tails. The wig’s texture alone showed it was an expensive piece. With over-the-knee socks and that holy, inviolable strip of bare skin between her skirt and stockings, her cosplay was excellent—though, as always, she came up a bit short in the chest department.
As for Ling Ye, she wore a black-and-white Gothic Lolita dress, paired with a golden wig and mismatched red and blue contacts, cosplaying as a character named Kobato from her current favorite anime, My Harem Is Huge.
Initially, Ling Ning had tried to persuade her daughter to cosplay as “Ram” to match Xiao Dong Xue’s “Rem” cosplay, but her daughter had flatly refused.
Naturally, Xiao Dong Xue was dressed as “Little Rem,” looking adorable as ever.
Once everyone was ready, they piled into a taxi headed for the convention center. Though there was a chance of traffic, it was better than taking the subway and risking being stared at by strangers.
Originally, they had planned to change into their costumes once they arrived, but finding a place to do so was a hassle, so they decided to dress up before leaving. It saved time and energy.
The taxi driver glanced at them in the rearview mirror, noting their unusual outfits with a grin. “Headed to the convention at the expo center, right?”
Ling Ning nodded, smiling. “How’d you know, sir?”
“Don’t let this old guy fool you! I’m a big fan of this stuff. If I didn’t have a shift tomorrow, I’d have taken the day off to check it out myself,” he chuckled, flashing a knowing grin.
As they rode, the driver chatted with surprising expertise, covering everything from new releases to old anime, yuri themes to yaoi, trashy series to masterpieces. His deep knowledge of anime left the whole group in stunned silence. Ling Ning wondered if she’d encountered a true anime aficionado.
They were in luck: traffic was light, and they arrived about thirty minutes earlier than expected. As they stepped out of the car, they were greeted by a bustling sea of people. Ling Ning hadn’t expected the convention to be this packed.
Many attendees were also dressed in elaborate cosplay, including costumes of the “Pipi Shrimp,” “Dead Fish,” and even the “♂Billy♂ King.” The variety was impressive.
Naturally, Ling Ning’s group attracted plenty of attention. Two beautiful girls accompanied by two adorable little girls were eye-catching enough, but their group was followed by a mysterious FFF Inquisition member in a cloak, whose pale calves peeking out from under the robe hinted that this “member” was likely a girl.
However, with the gas mask covering her face, onlookers couldn’t tell if she was a beauty or a beast.
“Wow, that girl must be cosplaying Kasumigaoka Utaha, right? Her figure is perfect—especially those long legs!” one onlooker whispered.
“The girl cosplaying Eriri is amazing too, aside from her, uh… modest bust. But hey, flat is justice, right?” another said.
“You guys are so basic. Lolis are the ultimate way! Just look at the chuunibyou loli cosplaying as Kobato, and that little loli as Rem! Ah~ Three years... Ow! Don’t hit me! Fine, no more three years! Stop hitting my face!” a third fan muttered, quickly backpedaling after a whack from his friends.
“Honestly, I’m even more curious about the girl in the FFF cloak. My instincts tell me she’s probably a knockout,” said another passerby.
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“There are so many people here,” Ling Ning remarked, surprised by the turnout.
“No worries—I bought the tickets in advance. We can use the fast lane and avoid the crowds,” Zhou Xiaoxiao replied casually.
The fast lane allowed guests who bought tickets online to enter without much hassle—just a quick scan of the e-ticket and a security check for safety.
Finally inside, Bai Yiyue sighed in relief, pulling off her gas mask and replacing it with her usual face mask. Only now did she realize she could have worn her mask from the start, avoiding the discomfort of the bulky gas mask. She felt like an idiot.
With her vision clear again, Bai Yiyue took in her surroundings. This was her first time at an anime convention, as her busy work schedule had never allowed her the time. But things were different now—she had time, and more importantly, she had Ling Ning with her.
Ling Ye was equally enthralled. A big anime fan herself, she had long been curious about conventions, especially after hearing her classmates talk about them and watching them featured in anime. This was her chance to experience it firsthand.
As for Xiao Dong Xue, she had no idea what a convention was or why she was dressed this way. All she cared about was staying close to her beloved big sister Ling Ning.
“Let’s go grab some doujinshi first. If we’re too late, they’ll sell out. Once we’re done, we can explore the rest,” said Zhou Xiaoxiao, the seasoned con-goer.
Hearing the word doujinshi reminded Ling Ning of a certain lolicon artist. She wondered if Chen Ruo had come to this convention as well—her works would probably be quite popular here.
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Author’s Note:
I was having such a great day until someone sent me that picture. Now I’m sad and craving mushrooms…