Chapter 222: Chapter 221: I Went to the Convention... and Got Recognized Before I Even Got Through the Door

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Ever since the conclusion of the Kuradeel arc in Sword Art Online, where Asuna and Kirito finally solidified their romance, the popularity of the novel has surged at an exponential rate.

The latest two Chapters have been nothing but pure romantic bliss.

After temporarily leaving the front lines, Asuna and Kirito spend their honeymoon in the world of Aincrad.

They travel to scenic spots, rest, admire the flowers and the moon, talk about their feelings, and when they get tired, they simply relax in their room.

Haruto had initially worried that readers might find these Chapters to be filler since the previous arcs were so focused on driving the main plot forward. He had decided to adapt these slice-of-life moments from the original source material to give the characters some breathing room.

As it turned out, Haruto had worried for nothing.

Under his account, thousands of fans showered the Chapters with unanimous praise. There was the gentle and upright Asuna, the tsundere and adorable Asuna, the Asuna who daydreamed about meeting Kirito in the real world, and the Asuna who imagined exactly how their first date would go. Over these two weeks, she completely conquered the hearts of every fan.

Even those who had previously threatened to drop the series if characters like Argo, Liz, or Silica were relegated to the losers’ club were now caught by the law of attraction.

Many of them abandoned their original stances on the spot and defected to the Asuna camp.

The massive success of this novel influenced the ACG industry in myriad ways. First and foremost, there was a sudden explosion of death game submissions in the light novel industry. Everyone wanted to write about virtual worlds where dying in the game meant dying in reality.

However, while the first person to try something new is a genius, those who follow are usually just imitators.

The response to similar novels serialized by various publishing houses was mediocre at best.

This was to be expected. Even in the parallel world where Sword Art Online was a massive hit, very few copycats managed to capture the same magic. After all, creating a heroine as universally beloved as Asuna is an incredibly difficult task.

At every major anime convention and game exhibition across Japan, the venues were now overrun by cosplayers portraying Asuna, Kirito, and Madoka. No matter which Comiket or event you attended, you were guaranteed to see a sea of Kiritos in black leather, Asunas in white and red knight uniforms, pink-clad Madokas, and long-haired Homuras. Furthermore, merchandise for these series topped the sales charts at every event.

Poll data and statistics are just numbers on a screen; they are abstract concepts. If you want to see the true popularity of a work, you only need to look at an offline gathering of fans.

By the middle of January, the semester had ended. After finishing his university final exams, Haruto finally began his winter break of his sophomore year.

His classmates were gradually heading back to their hometowns or looking for internships and part-time jobs to earn pocket money and credits. Haruto, on the other hand, enjoyed a rare moment of peace now that his winter break had started.

The production of the various works at his company had stabilized. The anime for 7 Years From Now was scheduled to premiere in two months, and its production was already in the final stages, meaning Haruto didn’t need to intervene much anymore.

As for writing Sword Art Online and drafting the storyboards for Initial D, these tasks didn’t take up much of his time now that he was so experienced.

"So, Haruto... are you not going back to Minamijo for the holidays?" Reina asked him today. She looked quite surprised when he told her he wasn’t returning.

"Yeah. I don’t really have any family left in Minamijo. My parents are gone, and my relationship with my other relatives is strained." Haruto replied.

"I see..." A flicker of disappointment crossed Reina’s face. She had originally planned to help Haruto book a flight so they could travel back together.

"What about you, Shizuru?" Haruto turned to look at Shizuru.

"I have to go back for a few days, maybe four or five. I can’t stay too long, though, otherwise it’ll affect the serialization of Initial D," Shizuru answered. This past year has been like a dream for her. Within less than a year of collaborating with Haruto, she had risen to the ranks of top-tier mangaka.

"And you, Yukino? What are you going to do during the company break?"

"Me?" Yukino, who was currently tinkering with an Asuna cosplay outfit nearby, replied casually. "Yeah, I’ll just stay here."

"Eh?" Haruto had asked purely out of politeness and didn’t expect that answer. "Doesn’t your family live right here in Tokyo?"

"That’s exactly why I don’t want to go home. Everytime I go there, the first thing they do is ask me when I’m getting married." A self-deprecating smile flashed across Yukino’s fair face. "I’m not crazy. I don’t want to spend my rare free time being lectured by my parents about how a girl my age should be married off. It’s annoying."

Reina Fujimoto and Shizuru looked at Yukino with sympathetic expressions.

"Well, that works out then," Haruto said with a smile. "It looks like I’ll have someone for company."

"Eh?..." Reina let out a soft sound.

Yukino and Shizuru glanced at her, but her expression remained neutral, so they didn’t think much of it.

On Saturday, January 17th, Reina and Shizuru both boarded planes and left Tokyo. After seeing them off at the airport, Haruto and Yukino felt a bit sentimental. As they sat in Haruto’s car, Yukino was looking around restlessly.

"What’s up with you today? Why so energetic?" Haruto asked.

"Normally when I’m in your car, Reina is always there, so I have to behave. Now that she’s gone, I can relax a bit," Yukino said softly, watching the snowflakes drift past the window. "By the way, Haruto, there are two big anime conventions happening over the next two days. Do you want to go?"

"A convention..." Haruto paused. The last time he had gone to a convention with Yukino was back in high school. Since then, they had both been so busy with work that they hadn’t had a chance to go.

"I just bought an Asuna cosplay outfit, and I bought a black swordsman outfit for you too. The two of us can go as Asuna and Kirito and show everyone how it’s done." Yukino looked excited. "If the original author of the novel shows up at a convention cosplaying as Kirito, it’ll be a total sensation."

"I know that," Haruto said, rolling his eyes. "That’s why I’m afraid to go anywhere crowded. If I get recognized, I’ll be swarmed by fans."

"So you’re not going?" Yukino glanced at his profile.

"I’ll go," Haruto laughed. "Why worry so much? It’s finally break time for both school and the company, and I’ve already finished my novel drafts and manga storyboards in advance. I’m looking forward to having some fun."

A slight smile played on Yukino’s lips. "Then remember to wake up early tomorrow."

With Shizuru and Reina gone, Haruto’s villa felt empty with just him and Yukino. To be honest, the atmosphere was a bit awkward. When they all ate together, there was always plenty of laughter and conversation, but now, sitting directly across from each other at the table, they didn’t quite know what to say. The next morning, however, Haruto was awakened by Yukino knocking on his door. It was only five in the morning.

What on earth?

Haruto got up bleary-eyed and opened the door. Standing there was Yukino, dressed in a white knight outfit. Her hair was dyed chestnut, and she wore the white and red knight’s uniform. Beneath the short red skirt were long, straight legs in white stockings. She even held a white and red rapier. Of course, the sword was the real deal, just unsharpened.

"Well? Do I look like Asuna?" Yukino laughed softly, her eyes searching Haruto’s.

Haruto looked at her face, her torso, and then down at her white stockings. He hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Overall, it’s very good."

"Overall? What’s with that phrasing?" Yukino narrowed her eyes. "So there are some details that need work?"

’Well, Asuna isn’t quite as well-endowed as you are.’

But there was no way Haruto was going to say that out loud.

"Never mind. Hurry up and get changed. I’m going to do your makeup." Yukino handed Haruto a set of Kirito’s cosplay clothing.

"I remember this just went on sale on the Kiyozawa Library official website. It must have been expensive," Haruto noted.

"A few tens of thousands of yen. Not that bad. Technically, buying Asuna and Kirito merchandise counts as contributing to your royalties, right? When you think about how a third of this money goes into your pocket... I’m losing out. You’re paying for everything at the convention today to make it up to me." Yukino calculated the costs as she spoke.

"Fine, fine, I get it. Whatever you want today, it’s on me," Haruto agreed readily. After spending fifteen minutes putting on the black swordsman outfit, Haruto opened his bedroom door again. Yukino, who was standing in the second-floor hallway watching the snow, turned around. The moment she saw him, her eyes lit up.

"Haruto, you really... usually when you wear normal clothes, you just look like a clean-cut guy. But when you dress up, especially in something with such a strong vibe, it’s a complete transformation."

"Thanks for the compliment," Haruto said. "Alright, let’s head out."

"Head out? What do you mean? I told you I still have to do your makeup," Yukino said. "You didn’t think you could pull off a successful Kirito cosplay just by changing your clothes, did you?"

She reached out and grabbed his hand, pulling him toward her room.

"Wait..." Haruto looked at her hand on his wrist but didn’t protest. Since moving into the villa, this was the first time he had entered Yukino’s room. Each room was a suite with its own fingerprint and passcode lock, so he had never had a reason to go inside.

As he walked in, he was greeted by pink decor and a massive wall in the corner filled with anime merchandise and figurines. It was exactly like her room back in Minamijo. Seeing this made Haruto feel quite nostalgic; it reminded him of the days when he had to go to her house every week to submit his manuscripts.

"Sit down and don’t move. Unless you want your fans to mock you for being a flawed Kirito." Yukino led Haruto to her vanity and forced him to sit. Then she pulled out an array of makeup tools and began her work.

Haruto sat perfectly still, watching Yukino flutter around him. She held various brushes and pens, applying them to his face. He could smell the faint fragrance on her wrists.

"Are we done yet?" Haruto was starting to feel a bit restless. It was just the two of them in the room, and Yukino was leaning very close.

"Why? Scared I’m going to hurt you?" Yukino smiled and teased him.

"No... it just seems like a lot of trouble."

"Just a little longer." Yukino leaned down further, her eyes focused intensely on his face as the makeup brush moved steadily. From this distance, Haruto could only see her clear eyes and rosy lips, so he shifted his gaze slightly.

"Done." Yukino stepped aside and held up a mirror.

"Is... is this me?" Haruto looked at himself in the mirror, looking a bit stunned. He had to admit, with Yukino’s makeup, he looked significantly more handsome than usual.

"Of course it is." Yukino leaned in next to him and took a selfie of them together. "Perfect."

Looking at the photo of the Asuna and Kirito pair on her phone, a satisfied expression appeared on Yukino’s face. "Alright, we can go now. There are going to be a ton of people cosplaying Asuna and Kirito today. Let’s go out there and show them what a real pair looks like."

The convention was packed with energy and excitement.

However, the moment Haruto stepped out of the car, he realized there was a problem. It was January, and the temperature was freezing. His cosplay outfit allowed for some thermal layers underneath, but Yukino’s Asuna outfit was quite thin for the sake of accuracy.

Yukino gritted her teeth and stepped out into the cold.

"Are you going to be okay? We don’t have to do this. You’re going to get sick in this weather," Haruto said quickly.

"Not go? After I spent three hours waking up early to do this makeup?" Yukino smiled. She took the lead, leaving the parking lot and heading toward the convention entrance. Haruto had no choice but to follow. As they walked toward the gates, they gradually began to draw the attention of the crowd.

Yukino was tall and beautiful, and her white and red skirt paired with white stockings made her stand out significantly from the other Asuna cosplayers nearby. She was on a completely different level. And it wasn’t just Yukino; the same was true for Haruto. Setting aside whether he looked exactly like the character, he was certainly easy on the eyes.

"Whoa, look at those two."

"That Asuna and Kirito cosplay is insane."

"Man, I’ve never seen such a handsome and beautiful pair of cosplayers."

"Are they professional cosplayers hired by the organizers?"

"Probably."

"Wait, hold on. That Kirito cosplayer... he looks really familiar."

"Wait... isn’t that... isn’t that Shiori Takahashi?!"

Haruto’s fanbase was massive, and it didn’t take long for people to recognize him. Very quickly, a crowd began to gather around him as he entered the convention hall.

’Oh no.’

Haruto looked hesitant. He knew he would be recognized eventually, but he hadn’t expected it to happen this fast. His fame was simply too great now. Unless he stayed home as a total shut-in during the break, he would be swarmed by fans no matter where he went, even if he went to a temple to pray. This was why he had agreed to Yukino’s suggestion so easily; he knew it was inevitable.

He had prepared himself to be cornered, but he had hoped to at least walk through half the convention first before having to deal with the fans and making an escape. But being recognized right at the start...

Yukino, seeing his predicament, smiled. "You really are famous, aren’t you?"

"Don’t just stand there making fun of me. I’m about to be buried in fans," Haruto said, looking at her.

"So what? If you have the guts to cosplay at a convention, you shouldn’t be afraid of people looking at you," Yukino teased.

"You think I’m just some minor influencer?" Haruto said. "You’ll see in a minute when the two of us can’t even move."

"It can’t be that bad," Yukino replied.

For the past year or two, she had mostly handled the animation side of things. Since Haruto’s identity as the Warrior of Love hadn’t been exposed yet, she hadn’t truly felt the full weight of his popularity.

But after a few minutes, even her expression changed.

The rumor that Shiori Takahashi was at the convention was spreading like wildfire. With Haruto as the center, everyone in the hall began to surge toward their location.