Akemi's heart pounded as the cheerful voice echoed in her ears. She turned, fully expecting another overzealous fan who had somehow tracked her down despite the disguise.
But it was just the mascot.
She groaned and waved a hand dismissively. "Go away. I'm not in the mood for photo ops."
The oversized head tilted again.
Raito stood silently for a moment inside the costume, watching her body language, the annoyed tone in her voice—and something clicked. That voice. He'd heard it hundreds of times, in countless episodes of Kawai Kitty Adventures. It was unmistakable.
He leaned in a little. "...Are you Akemi Inoue?"
Akemi's eyes widened.
She glanced around nervously, making sure no one else was nearby before scowling under her breath. "Tch… guess I wasn't as incognito as I thought."
Then, with a sigh, she tugged off her sunglasses and pulled down the hoodie. Her face, now fully visible, carried the same sharp charm as the dozens of glossy posters lining the convention walls.
"Yes," she muttered, her tone guarded. "But keep it down, will you?"
The mascot nodded—well, bobbed. Then, voice box still chirping, he asked, "Too much attention today? Are you tired from the fans?"
Akemi blinked, thrown off by the question. "No… not that. Not today."
She shifted her weight on the chair and crossed her arms, frowning at the floor.
"It's just… someone acted coldly toward me earlier. A fan. He said something rude. And I don't even know why it's bothering me so much."
Inside the costume, Raito tilted his head again. He had no memory of saying anything like that to anyone—but then again, he hadn't been paying much attention to the voice actor earlier. His goal had been pure: the signature of Kawai Kitty. Not Akemi Inoue.
"I mean," Akemi continued, voice softer now, "I've dealt with all kinds of people. I've seen guys try dumb tricks to get my attention. But this one didn't even try. He just… brushed me off. Like I didn't matter."
She chuckled dryly. "Guess it's dumb to care about that kind of thing."
Before Raito could respond—before he could even fumble through some words of mascot wisdom—the moment was shattered by loud voices echoing down the hallway.
"Yo! What's this? Mascot break time?"
"Thought this was a restricted area—oh ho, wait. Ain't that the Kawai Kitty girl we lookin for?"
Akemi's head snapped up.
A group of rowdy men rounded the corner, laughing too loudly and clearly looking for trouble. One of them clutched a half-crushed soda can. Another was pulling out something that resembled a knife.
Raito instinctively stepped in front of Akemi, foam-padded arms raised protectively.
Akemi's breath hitched. "Oh, come on…"
Raito didn't move, didn't speak—not yet.
But inside the mascot suit, his eyes narrowed.