Chapter 147: Performance

“So… tell me again—why did I have to come with you to this kind of otaku gathering too?”

In the packed crowd, Chen Bing complained to Li Qing walking in front of her.

Feeling the sticky, scorching gazes from all directions around her, she felt like ants were crawling all over her body.

“What do you mean ‘otaku gathering’?” Li Qing turned around, puffing out her cheeks in displeasure.
“Bing-chan, your prejudice against the two-dimensional world is way too deep, okay? There are plenty of cute girls here too, you know!”

“And didn’t you tell me before that you joined an anime club back in high school? Why are you pretending it never happened now?”

“…Don’t remind me.”

Hearing that dark chapter of her past, Chen Bing’s face instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

“That was the single biggest regret of my life.”

“Ever since I joined that damned club, I was forced every day to watch a bunch of seniors whose leg hair was longer than mine, wearing frilly lace dresses and dancing otaku dances in the activity room…”

“From that moment on, I achieved enlightenment. These so-called conventions are, at their core… nothing but massive femboy expos!”

“Pfft—”

Li Qing couldn’t help laughing. She stepped closer, hooked Chen Bing’s arm, and coaxed her like a child.

“Oh, come on~ Don’t be so harsh, Bing-chan!”

“Think about it—those boys are pretty pitiful too. They have hearts that want to become cute girls, but alas, the heavens assigned them the wrong gender.”

“The two-dimensional world just gives them a chance… to escape reality for a bit and become a little cuter.”

“As real cute girls, shouldn’t we show a bit more tolerance and compassion for souls that are ‘trying so hard to be cute’~?”

“…Sorry. I can’t tolerate that.”

Chen Bing coldly rejected this bowl of toxic chicken soup.

“Anyway, I’ve completely graduated from the two-dimensional world. Don’t even think about dragging me back in.”

“Aww, don’t say it so absolutely! Maybe later you’ll run into a super-adorable coser who makes you ‘fall back into the pit’?”

Li Qing grinned as she forcibly stuffed an ice cream cone into Chen Bing’s hand.

“Since we’re already here, just relax. What’s wrong with being a happy shut-in?”

“And didn’t we agree that after finishing special training, we’d relax together? This is part of team building!”

“Look at Ying-chan—she looks like she’s enjoying herself, doesn’t she?”

Following Li Qing’s finger, Chen Bing helplessly turned her head.

Sure enough, Ye Ye Ying—who normally always wore a cold expression—seemed surprisingly immersed in the atmosphere.

A passing photographer boldly asked for a photo.

Ye Ye Ying nodded expressionlessly. Though she still wasn’t smiling, that cool, aloof tsundere vibe paired perfectly with her outfit, triggering a flurry of shutter sounds from all around.

“…That’s true.”

Noticing her teammates’ gazes, Ye Ye Ying gently stroked the teddy bear in her arms.

“It’s actually quite interesting. Participating in lively activities like this once in a while helps strengthen one’s mental barriers…”

“…”

Chen Bing twitched the corner of her mouth.

Sure, kid.

Just a moment ago, when we passed that magical-girl-themed booth, you secretly bought some merchandise and hid it behind your back.

Of course, Chen Bing had no intention of exposing the loli magical girl’s final shred of stubborn pride.

“…Fine, fine. I really can’t do anything about you two.”

She sighed, resignedly licking her ice cream. The cold sweetness slightly soothed her irritation.

“Since we’re already here… let’s just take a quick look and then go back.”

At that moment, Li Qing—who had been looking around restlessly—seemed to spot something big.

“Huh?! Over there—isn’t that the ‘Phantom Star’ Cosplay Competition?!”

Her eyes instantly turned into sparkling stars as she excitedly waved her arms.

“I heard this year has a lot of high-quality cosers! Let’s go check it out!”

Before the other two could refuse, she grabbed one with each hand. Relying on a magical girl’s astonishing physical ability, she forcibly carved a path through the dense crowd and squeezed to the side beneath the main stage.

At that moment, the spotlights on stage converged.

That pink-and-white figure stood at the center, like a god descending upon the mortal world.

“Wow—! That coser is so pretty!”

Li Qing exclaimed sincerely, nearly dropping her ice cream.

“My god! This level of accuracy… seeing a forty-year-old classic anime revived like this isn’t easy! The props, the aura… I thought otaku these days only cosplayed characters with barely any fabric left… huh?”

Halfway through, her voice suddenly caught.

She narrowed her fox-like eyes slightly and leaned forward, like a predator that had just spotted prey.

“…Hm?”

Chen Bing beside her also frowned.

“…”

Ye Ye Ying said nothing. She simply hugged her teddy bear tighter, a sharp glint flashing through her mismatched eyes.

The originally relaxed and cheerful “team-building” atmosphere became subtly tense.

The three stood beneath the stage, staring intently at the “Madoka-sama” on stage who was making a heart gesture. Their expressions shifted—from admiration, to confusion, and finally froze into a sudden realization…

Speechlessness.

After a moment of silence—

Chen Bing broke it first.

“Why do I feel like… she looks kind of familiar?”

Li Qing picked up the thread, the corner of her mouth curling into a mischievous grin.

“That Madoka coser… even though she changed her hair and eye color, the outfit and props… I’m sensing spiritual energy fluctuations. That’s definitely 【Transformation☆Time】, right?”

She turned to Ye Ye Ying behind her.

“Ying-chan, if I remember correctly, didn’t someone take sick leave from the company this morning? The reason was… food poisoning from fried chicken?”

Ye Ye Ying sighed softly, her gaze carrying a trace of pity for someone’s intelligence.

“That person said she was too sick to get out of bed…”

“So she actually ran off here to earn extra money?”

“Heh.”

Chen Bing let out a cold laugh, crunching down on the chocolate shell of her ice cream.

“Skipping work and illegally using a Phase Spirit Body for commercial activity…”

“This one’s got some serious guts.”

Li Qing licked her lips, excitement—the kind labeled ‘stirring up trouble’—sparkling in her eyes.

“Well then, since we ran into her…”

She raised her hand with a bright smile.

“Why don’t we go give our ‘hardworking senior who came despite being sick’… a little warm care from her coworkers?”

Just then, the host spoke up:

“Alright! Thank you to the previous contestant for the wonderful performance!”

“Next, let’s welcome with our warmest applause contestant number 46—also the top favorite to win this competition!”

“Her CN is—”

“—Lulu!!!”

“Pfft—cough cough cough!!”

Li Qing completely lost it, clutching her stomach and laughing without any regard for image.

“Hahahaha—help! What is this?! Senior actually named herself Lulu?!”

She laughed so hard she wiped tears from her eyes, gasping as she complained to her teammates.

“Hahaha… a universally-used online ID?! You don’t even change your alias when doing side gigs these days? She’s really not afraid of social death!”

“This idiot…”

Chen Bing covered her forehead in pain, feeling her IQ being dragged down by a colleague.

“When we get back, I must suggest Manager Qian add a mandatory course called ‘Counter-Surveillance and Identity Disguise.’ This kind of rookie mistake… is a disgrace to Team One of C-Zone.”

“Heh…”

Ye Ye Ying, however, wasn’t angry.

Cradling the one-eyed teddy bear, she calmly watched the blushing figure on stage, the corner of her lips lifting into an amused smile.

“I think it’s quite interesting. Since she wants so badly to be ‘Lulu’… then let’s see what kind of surprises this ‘Lulu-chan’ can bring us~”

Meanwhile, Lin Yu on stage was on the verge of suffocating.

Stared at by hundreds of eyes, this veteran socially-anxious shut-in felt like her lungs were about to explode.

“Huff… huff…”

She staggered toward the center of the stage. Perhaps from extreme nervousness, the heel of her round-toed shoes accidentally caught on a cable on the floor.

“Ah!”

With a soft cry, she performed a perfectly textbook trip-and-fall right in front of everyone.

Fortunately, thanks to a magical girl’s extreme flexibility, she executed a proper breakfall mid-drop—and somehow ended up in an…

Exceptionally cute “duck sit.”

“Woooo—!!!”

The otaku crowd instantly exploded.

“Natural airhead! That’s natural airhead energy!”
“This is way too cute!”

Flashes went completely berserk.

“…”

Lin Yu was on the verge of tears.

I’m not trying to act cute!

My legs are genuinely weak, damn it!

“Hahaha… looks like our Lulu-chan is a bit nervous! It’s okay, it’s okay—deep breaths!”

The host hurried over to help her up, casually handing her the microphone, wearing a kindly smile like one you’d give a neighbor’s little sister.

“Come on, don’t be scared. Say hello to everyone and introduce yourself.”

Lin Yu tremblingly took the microphone, feeling like it weighed more than a hundred-pound dumbbell.

She didn’t dare look at the audience, staring stubbornly at the floor instead, and spoke in a voice that sounded like she might cry at any second:

“H-hello, everyone… I… I’m Lulu…”

“Lulu, huh? That’s a really nice name—just as cute as you are.”

The host tried to liven up the mood.

“You look so nervous you’re practically smoking. Is this your first time at such a big convention?”

“N-no… but… it’s my first time on stage… so… talking… I’m… a little nervous…”

Lin Yu stammered.

God knows this wasn’t acting.

Even though she slaughtered pollutants like mowing grass after transforming into a magical girl, in a social setting full of living people, the shut-in soul named Lin Yu was still trembling in fear.

“Hahaha! You really make people want to protect you!”

The host laughed heartily, pointing at the audience whose eyes were glowing green.

“But you really don’t need to worry! When you were waiting backstage, I already noticed lots of photographers chasing after you. Everyone clearly loves you!”

“Haha… th-thank you…”

Lin Yu gave a dry laugh, her eyes darting around desperately, trying to avoid those three familiar figures.

Unfortunately—what you fear most always comes.

The host suddenly shifted gears, ready to stir things up.

“But speaking of which, Lulu, the character you’re cosplaying seems a bit niche. At least, she hasn’t appeared in any recent anime. This pink-and-white dress, and this rabbit-like mascot…”

Rubbing his chin, the host asked mysteriously,

“So, are there any veteran otaku in the audience who know exactly which character she’s cosplaying?!”

“Come on! Hands up! Correct answers get a lovely prize!”

The moment he finished speaking—

On the right side of the stage, a slender, fair arm shot up high, brimming with ‘who else but me’ confidence!

“Here! Here here!”

A clear, cheerful voice cut through the noise.

“Oh! That young lady in the pink-and-white Lolita dress is very enthusiastic! And judging by your outfit, you’re clearly an expert!”

The host’s eyes lit up as he aimed the mic in that direction.

“Come on, pretty miss—tell everyone. The answer is—”

Lin Yu’s heart skipped a beat.

She stiffly turned her head, locking eyes with a pair of crescent-moon fox eyes.

Li Qing!!!

That pink-on-the-outside-black-on-the-inside woman adjusted imaginary glasses on her nose, flashed a radiant ‘let’s see how you die’ smile, and shouted:

“Isn’t it obvious?! The Jerusalem of anime itself! The 2011 classic—Puella Magi Madoka Magica! She’s the main heroine, Kaname Madoka!”

“Correct! Ten points!”

The host clapped excitedly.

“Looks like this young lady is a true fan! Not only the character name, but even the era of the anime—spot on!”

“Of course~”

Li Qing smiled sweetly at Lin Yu on stage, her tone laden with implication.

“After all… I know the profession of ‘magical girl’ very well~ Right, Lulu-chan?”

“……”

Lin Yu felt cold sweat soaking through her back.

That’s a threat, isn’t it?

That’s definitely a blatant threat, right?!

“Come on, Lulu. That audience member answered so professionally—aren’t you going to respond as the coser?”

The host once again held the mic to Lin Yu’s mouth.

Lin Yu didn’t dare meet Li Qing’s all-seeing gaze. She could only lower her head and respond softly:

“…Yes.”

That mosquito-soft reply, combined with her delicate, tear-prone appearance, instantly sent the otaku crowd’s blood pressure soaring.

“Ooooh! Too cute!”
“This is Madoka-sama herself!”

Seeing the atmosphere heating up, the host clearly had no intention of letting Lin Yu off so easily.

“Since everyone’s so enthusiastic, we can’t let the audience down!”

He smiled mischievously.

“So Lulu, as a top contender for the championship, just standing there isn’t enough.”

“Please show us this character’s classic pose and line—can you do that?!”

“Eh?”

Lin Yu jerked her head up, completely dumbfounded.

“T-there’s… there’s that part too?”

“Of course! That’s the soul of a cosplay competition!”

The host shoved the mic into Lin Yu’s hand, stepped aside, and started clapping.

“Come on! Let’s give Lulu-chan a round of applause! We want—classic lines!”

“Classic lines! Classic lines!”

The chanting from the crowd rose in waves, like tides threatening to smash this poor little boat against the shore.

Standing under the spotlights, gripping the microphone, Lin Yu felt like a suckling pig being roasted over fire—every pore on her body smoking.

Her social anxiety made breathing difficult; her vision darkened.

But her desire for that 100,000 yuan made refusal impossible.

“Ha…”

Lin Yu took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the tidal wave of shame inside her.

She closed her eyes and frantically replayed the anime scenes she had crammed.

Don’t think of yourself as Lin Yu.
Don’t think of yourself as that creepy uncle.

You are Kaname Madoka.

“…One hundred thousand… one hundred thousand… one hundred thousand…”

As this copper-scented mantra echoed in her mind, her trembling body gradually calmed.

When she opened her eyes again, those pupils—once filled with panic and avoidance—miraculously shone with a trace of…

Divinity.

She slowly raised the pink longbow in her hand, gently brushing the bowstring with her right fingers.

In that instant, the stiffness in her posture vanished.

What replaced it was an elegance and resolve that felt carved into her very soul.

The entire venue fell silent.

Everyone held their breath, staring at the girl whose aura had suddenly exploded.

“This is… my hope…”

Lin Yu spoke.

No longer stammering.

Her voice was still sweet, but now carried a power that pierced straight into the heart.

“My wish…”

She slowly drew the bowstring back.

The air itself seemed to freeze.

“—Come on… make it come true!!!”

She shouted the final line with every ounce of strength in her body.

And in that very instant—

“Vmmmm—!!!”

The power of belief resonated—

And the prop bow in her hands… responded.