Anran stretched his arms and let out a long sigh. "System, undo the transformation."
[In process... Complete.]
A familiar sensation washed over him as his chest flattened, and the uncomfortable weight of his lower body returned. He glanced down, patting his torso just to be sure.
"Back to normal... Phew."
He gathered the cosplay outfit scattered on the bed, folding the intricate costume with surprising care.
"System, store the outfit."
[Item stored.]
With the cosplay gear safely tucked away, Anran glanced at his reflection one last time."Never thought I'd say this, but... it wasn't half bad being Raiden Ei," he muttered, scratching the back of his neck.
Realizing he still had traces of makeup on his face, he grabbed his towel and headed for the shower.The sound of running water filled the small dorm bathroom as he scrubbed off the expertly applied cosmetics. The scent of soap mixed with steam as he washed away any remaining traces of his cosplay session.
A few moments later, Anran stepped out of the bathroom, a towel draped over his head. He rubbed his damp hair dry while making his way to his laptop.The screen flickered to life as he pressed the power button. While waiting for it to boot up, he grabbed his phone to check the group chat.
A series of new messages popped up.
[Lin: Seems like our dinner got canceled.]
[Leng: What happened?]
[Lin: Coach has something to do, so the dinner got postponed.]
[Lin: I'll be back earlier.]
[Jin: My brothers, how about the four of us go for hotpot instead?]
[Lin: I don't mind. How about you two, @Leng @An?]
[Leng: I'll follow Anran.]
[Jin: Can't you decide by yourself? Are you his son or what?]
[Leng: Huh? You want to fight?]
[Jin: Come then!]
[An: @Lin Sure.]
[Lin: Alright. @Jin, where's the location?]
[Jin Sending live location.]
Anran couldn't help but chuckle at Jin and Leng's usual bickering. Same old idiots...He tapped out a quick reply.
[An: Got it. See you guys there.]
Satisfied, he set his phone aside and glanced at his laptop, which had finally loaded the desktop.
He gathered his wallet and keys.
Anran shut down his laptop and grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair. After one last check of his phone, he headed out, locking the dorm behind him.
-----------------------
At the Hotpot Restaurant
Arriving at the bustling hotpot place, Anran scanned the room. The air was filled with the rich aroma of boiling broth, spices, and grilled meat. Warm yellow lights hung from the ceiling, casting a cozy glow over the tables.
A loud, familiar voice called out to him from across the room.
"Anran! Over here!"
Turning his head, he spotted Jin waving energetically from a corner table. Anran weaved through the crowd and plopped down opposite him.
"Are the others here yet?" Anran asked, noticing the empty seats.
Jin shook his head. "Nah, not yet. Probably on the way."
Anran leaned back in his chair, a sly grin forming on his face. "So... how'd your date go?"
Jin's shoulders slumped, and he heaved a deep sigh. "Guh... Turns out she already has a boyfriend... And stop rubbing salt on me, you rebellious son!" Jin joked, forcing a grin.
Stifling a laugh, Anran patted Jin's shoulder and gave him a thumbs-up.
"Maybe you should change your hair color first," he teased. "Right now, you look like some yellow-haired villain who steals other guys' girlfriends."
Jin, who had just taken a sip of his mineral water, sputtered it out, barely managing to avoid spraying it all over the table.
"You—! Your whole family's a bunch of yellow-haired guys!" Jin shot back, wiping his mouth.
Anran just shrugged. "My hair's black. Sorry to break it to you."
That final blow made Jin slump forward, resting his head dramatically on the table.
"Hey, don't take it so hard," Anran said, smirking. "Think of the positives. If you had a girlfriend, you'd never have time to hang out with the boys. You'd be too busy being all lovey-dovey."
Jin groaned, still face-down on the table. "Man, I don't wanna be single forever... It sucks."
"Being single is badass," Anran countered. "You can be that rich, cool uncle who travels the world. Way more stylish than being tied down."
Jin shot him a glare. "Bro, if you keep talking like that, I'm gonna buy you a one-way ticket to Thailand and turn you into a ladyboy."
Anran nearly choked on his laughter. "No wonder you don't have a girlfriend—you're just gay!"
Jin snapped back. "Hell no! You're the gay one!"
"Gay!"
"Gay!"
The two glared at each other for a moment before bursting out laughing, earning a few confused looks from nearby diners.
As the laughter faded, Jin leaned back, his mood lighter. "Man... It's good hanging out with you. Even if you're a pain in the ass sometimes."
"Right back at you," Anran replied, grinning.
Just then, the door swung open, and both turned to see Leng and Lin walking in, chatting animatedly.
"Hey, lovebirds!" Anran called out, waving them over.
Lin gave him a thumbs-up, while Leng just rolled his eyes.
Jin smirked. "Great, now we can finally eat. I'm starving."
The four friends settled around the table, the bubbling hotpot at the center a welcome sight. As they bantered and argued over which ingredients to put in first, the earlier awkwardness melted away, replaced by the familiar, chaotic energy that only good friends could bring.
The table was a chaotic mess of plates, empty bottles, and bubbling broth. Jin, visibly drunk, slammed his bottle on the table with a loud thunk, his cheeks flushed red.
"And you know what?" Jin slurred, leaning unsteadily on the table. "When I was just about to confess my feelings to her... she told me she already had a boyfriend! Like... why even accept my invite for a date?!"
Lin, who had stuck to drinking tea throughout the meal, merely nodded. He wasn't much of a drinker, always prioritizing his health, but he couldn't escape Jin's drunken rambling.Leng, on the other hand, continued eating nonchalantly, unfazed by Jin's theatrics. Occasionally, girls passing by would approach their table, asking for Leng's number, which he politely declined. Each rejection seemed to push Jin to drink more, clearly frustrated by Leng's effortless popularity.
Meanwhile, Anran sat back, scrolling through his phone, mostly ignoring Jin's complaints. A sudden headline caught his attention.
[Title: Did You Know Raiden Shogun Came Out from Genshin Itself and Started Livestreaming?!]
[screenshot proof.jpg]
[screenshot proof.jpg]
"You know, at first, when I saw the title of the video, I thought it was just clickbait or some 2D character edit... but what I saw was a top-quality cosplayer! She's really beautiful! Looks identical to the Shogun herself!"
Anran's eyes widened.How the hell did this blow up so fast? he thought, nervously scrolling to the comment section.
[Keyboardwarrior]: What's the streamer's account name?
↳ [Hewhodiewhengetkill (owner)]: The streamer should be "Suyi."
↳ [Ottobestgrill]: Do they have social media?↳ [Hewhodiewhengetkill (owner)]: So far, as I searched, none.
[Lickingbeautifulgirl]: Yeah, I know because she's my owner after all!
↳ [Mynameisname]: Yes, I have proof. I'm the streamer Suyi's husband, after all!
↳ [Suyihusband]: You guys are just delulu... she's already mine. 🥀💔
↳ [Lickingbeautifulgirl]: "🥀💔" in big 2021.
Anran felt his eye twitch, unable to comprehend the shamelessness of these comments. "What the hell... I'm not gay! Hell no!" he muttered under his breath, shivering a bit at the thought.
Jin, overhearing him, turned his head sluggishly. "What're you mumbling about, Anran?"
"Nothing," Anran replied quickly, shoving his phone back into his pocket.
Lin gave him a curious glance. "You okay? You've been staring at your phone for a while."
"Yeah, just... saw some weird stuff online," Anran said, trying to downplay it.
Leng glanced over, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "Weird like what? Another creepy internet stalker?"
"No... just some weird fans claiming to be someone's husband," Anran mumbled, shaking his head.
Jin snorted. "Ha! Internet weirdos, huh? You'd never catch me saying that kind of creepy stuff!"
Leng taunt. "Coming from the guy who got friendzoned today?"
Jin raised his bottle, unbothered. "Single and proud, baby! Gonna be the rich, cool uncle, like Anran said!"
Anran couldn't help but chuckle. Yeah, single is definitely better...
Just as Anran thought things were calming down, Jin suddenly blurted out, "Hey, Anran, maybe you should dress up as a girl sometime! I bet you'd look pretty cute—"
Leng and Lin stared at him.
Anran shot him a glare. "You really wanna die tonight?"
Jin laughed, oblivious to the threat. "C'mon, just sayin'! Might help you get a girlfriend!"
"Or help you get your ass kicked," Anran retorted, making Jin laugh harder.
-------------------------
Sunlight streamed through the narrow dorm window, casting golden stripes on the walls. Anran rubbed his eyes and groggily sat up on the upper bunk, glancing down at the other beds.
Lin's bed was empty—typical of the early riser. Jin, on the other hand, was sprawled out on his mattress, snoring loudly, completely knocked out from last night's drinking.
Anran peered at the lower bunk where Leng slept, his friend lying rigid and straight like a vampire in a coffin, completely still.
Anran stretched and carefully climbed down from the bunk, making sure not to wake either of them.
He slipped quietly into the bathroom, his feet making soft thuds against the cold tile floor. He splashed some water on his face, blinking at his own reflection. His black hair was sticking out in random directions, and his eyes still looked sleepy.
Grabbing his toothbrush, Anran started brushing his teeth. As he looked into the mirror, a sudden screen popped up in front of him, almost making him choke on the toothpaste.
[Quest Generated - Debut at Small Cosplay Event in Changshu Mall]
Time Limit: 10 hours
Reward: 2000 points & Random Advanced Beginner Skill
[Accept?]
Anran paused mid-brush. 2000 points? His eyes widened. That was almost enough to buy another character card! And there was an additional random skill reward on top of that.
But a cosplay event... today? he thought, glancing at the time on his phone. It was early morning, so he'd have time to prepare. Changshu Mall wasn't too far from the dorm either—probably a short bus ride.
His eyes fell back on the screen. This system really knows how to dangle rewards in front of me...Spitting out the foam, he rinsed his mouth and thought it over. Well, I've already made my debut online, right? How hard can it be to cosplay at a small event?
With a slight nod to himself, Anran hit the [Accept] button on the screen.
The quest window vanished, and Anran couldn't help but feel a mixture of excitement and anxiety bubbling up inside him.
Drying his face with a towel, he muttered, "Hey, system, which character do I use for the event?"
[Recommendation: Use Raiden Ei for consistency with your previous live stream. This will attract more attention and establish a recognizable image.]
"Figures," Anran sighed. It's not like I have any other character cards anyway...
He left the bathroom and tiptoed back into the dorm. Jin was still dead to the world, and Leng hadn't moved an inch. Anran grabbed his phone, quietly searching up "Changshu Mall cosplay event" to check the details. It seemed like a casual gathering so that was a relief.
He quickly changed into some casual clothes and started gathering his gear.
"System, bring out the Raiden Ei cosplay," he whispered.
[Items have been retrieved.]
The familiar purple wig, the intricately designed outfit, and the weapon replica appeared on his bed.
Anran carefully packed them into a duffel bag, along with the makeup kit. Good thing the system's makeup skill is top-tier...
Just as he finished packing, Leng stirred on his bed, his eyes opening slowly. He sat up and looked at Anran with a raised eyebrow.
"You going somewhere?" Leng asked.
"Yeah, just out for a bit. Got something to take care of," Anran replied, zipping up his bag.
Leng nodded, seemingly uninterested, and went back to lying down, still half-asleep.
Before leaving, Anran left a quick message in the group chat.
[An]: Going out for a bit. Will be back later. Don't wait up for me if you go for breakfast.
(A/n: "🥀💔" )