The Female Leads Truly Loves You - Chapter 187

Chapter 187: What kind of person was Isabella?
[The secret mission. Today at the campsite, there’s a comic convention cosplay event. I’ve brought the gear, and the goal is to somehow get Sophie into a cosplay outfit and make an appearance at the event. You want to see Sophie in cosplay too, right?]

This was the message Isabella had sent to herself before leaving home, the so-called secret mission.

As for the barbecue and everything else earlier, it was all a setup for this moment.

Of course, Sam knew Sophie’s temperament all too well. It was hard enough to get her to go to crowded places, let alone have her dress up in ‘fancy dress’ and show up at a cosplay event.

For her, it might be akin to social suicide.

She wouldn’t find the idea of basking in adulation appealing.

Because she was confident in her beauty, knowing it was no ordinary asset. If all it took was her looks to garner such attention, she could be anyone—a superstar, an internet sensation, a model—but she would never just be Sophie.

The Sophie who leaves an unforgettable impression, the one who remains etched in the memories of youth.

So Sophie’s resistance was expected.

First, Sam thwarted her immediate intention to flee.

Then Isabella quickly played to her strengths.

In private, Sam was willing to call Isabella ‘Sophie’s Noble Phantasm.’

This girl always found a way to make Sophie comply, effortlessly, often with just a few words, like a miracle.

“Sophie, listen to me,” Isabella said.

Sophie’s face flushed with anger, refusing to look at Isabella, her gaze fixed on Sam as if trying to make him feel guilty through her stare.

Indeed, Sam felt a twinge of guilt.

So he turned his face away, avoiding her eyes.

Then she heard Isabella continue.

“We’re not tricking you. Don’t you think that some things in life need to be experienced at least once to be meaningful? That’s the creed of our The Ultimate Human Department—trying things that should be tried, ensuring our youth is without regrets. It might lead you to discover what you’re truly good at and passionate about. It’s also a way to find the meaning of life.”

Sophie looked at Isabella with a cold laugh.

“I may not know the meaning of my life, but it’s definitely not about dressing up in this thing and playing cosplay for people to admire like a Barbie doll.”

Isabella spoke softly to Sophie.

“Why would you think that? Appreciation isn’t a bad thing. Isn’t it good if people recognize your beauty? And cosplay isn’t the same as providing erotic services or making exaggerated gestures just to stand out. It has a core, a soul. It’s about respecting the original work while bringing out your own charm. That’s the essence of cosplay.

And I think you can do it. You’re so beautiful, so attractive, so elegant. If you put on the right outfit and get the right look, you could be unforgettable. Taking photos to look back on when we’re old would be so meaningful!”

I have to say.

Sam thought Isabella had the makings of a great salesperson.

With that kind of talk, most people would be thoroughly convinced.

Unfortunately, Sophie was not most girls. If she were so easily fooled, it would be a waste of her sharp intellect and vigilance.

“Save it. There are many ways to commemorate youth, and my philosophy definitely doesn’t include this one. Besides, wearing fancy dress… You might be able to do it, but I don’t have such a thick skin.”

At this point, Isabella pulled Sam aside and whispered in his ear.

Sam’s ear was enveloped in a warm, moist breath.

The breath of a beautiful girl is always so captivating, especially when it’s from someone as special as Isabella.

“Still too uptight, what should we do?” Isabella asked.

“The great idea was yours, so you figure it out.”

“What if I can’t?”

“Then we drop it.”

“Drop it just like that? Don’t you think it’s too much of a pity? Sophie’s cosplay, don’t you want to see it?”

Sam really wanted to say that he wasn’t that eager to see it… Of course, the desire to see it was still slightly stronger than not. After all, who wouldn’t want to see such a captivating girl dressed in a specific outfit, giving off the feeling of an anime character stepping into reality?

That would be the ultimate glory of breaking through the dimensional barrier…

“But…”

“Work with me, I have a plan.”

Sophie watched as the two of them conspired right in front of her, which was infuriating. What did they take her for?

Plotting against her so openly.

“Have you two had enough? Keep this up, and I’ll quit the club tomorrow, no excuses.”

Isabella immediately turned around, then smiled at Sophie.

“Sophie, here’s the thing. I understand how you feel. You think this kind of thing is embarrassing, right? You believe it’s frivolous and feel ashamed to be in the spotlight?”

“What are you trying to say?”

Although Sophie more or less felt that way, she wouldn’t admit to someone seeing through her thoughts.

Isabella said with a smile.

“How about this? All three of us cosplay together. Even if we’re seen as oddballs, we’ll be in it together. And if anything unpleasant happens, if you feel uncomfortable, we’ll stop immediately, I’ll reflect on it, and from then on, you call the shots in the club!”

Sam was taken aback.

“What’s the deal? Why am I being dragged into this?”

“Ah, shut up, consider it taking one for the team.”

Sam closed his mouth, deciding not to argue with Isabella. Because once you start reasoning with her, it’s endless; she always has so many excuses.

Sophie’s expression showed a hint of wavering as she frowned at Isabella.

“What do I want with this lousy club… What’s the use of having the final say in everything?”

“Then how about this, if the cosplay makes you uncomfortable, or if anything unpleasant happens, the two of us will follow your orders for a month. If you still don’t agree, then I’ll think you’re just lacking a sense of fun and adventure. Besides, I’m giving you the power to end it all at any time!”

Ordering these two around?

Sophie was somewhat tempted.

This senior always targets me, forcing me to do things I don’t want to… As for Sam, he’s even more annoying, always complicating my emotions…

But if I really had the chance to order these two around… that actually sounds kind of nice, doesn’t it?

“But what could I possibly cosplay as?” Sophie furrowed her brows.

Isabella narrowed her eyes. As a girl with plenty of cosplay experience, she had already entertained such ideas upon seeing Sophie. Today seemed like the day to make it happen, how could she not be excited?

Rather than cosplaying some challenging character herself, Isabella was more eager to see a more perfect and fitting interpretation from someone else.

So, she immediately grabbed her bag and pulled Sophie along.

“Don’t worry about that. There are a few friends of mine at the comic convention, and, well… you’ll definitely know who it is. Let me keep you in suspense for now. Come with me to get ready, there’s a makeup room at the convention.”

Seeing Isabella so eager, Sam thought about sneaking away. She wouldn’t notice him leaving, right?

But unexpectedly, Isabella turned to Sam and said.

“Oh, and Sam, bring your stuff and come with me. Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered too. My friend will do a great job on your makeup.”

Great.

It looked like Sam wasn’t going to be able to escape this time.

The three of them headed towards the comic convention venue, which was surrounded by many people. There were not only professional cosplayers and amateur enthusiasts but also photographers and plenty of tourists. The makeshift tents and several stages nearby were teeming with people.

Isabella quickly introduced Sam and Sophie to a few of her cosplayer friends.

“Look, this girl cosplaying as Harley Quinn is my friend Everly.”

Everly greeted them with a smile.

“Hi there~ Wow, Isabella, all your friends are so good-looking, they’re like born to be cosplayers!”

Isabella was quite proud.

“Right? I told you I’d find you some help, and I wouldn’t go back on my word. They may lack experience, but they’ve got visible talent!”

Hearing this, Sam turned his head slightly and whispered to Sophie beside him.

“Do you think we’re being used?”

Sophie glared at Sam with annoyance.

“Only you would fall for her sweet talk. You’ll end up in trouble because of a woman one day, you idiot.”

“No whispering now, Sam. This is another friend of mine, Silas.”

“Hello~ Nice to meet you both,” Silas said with a smile to Sam.

Everly glanced at the time and then said.

“We don’t have much time left, just over an hour before it starts. Shall I take her to get her makeup done? Are the things ready?”

Isabella nodded.

“Don’t worry, I’ll handle mine. Silas, you take Sam to the men’s makeup room, and Sophie, you come with me!”

After identifying everyone, they quickly split up.

Silas led Sam to the makeup room, which was filled with men.

Sam saw a lot of exaggerated stuff there: meticulously crafted fake pecs and abs, costumes that looked suffocatingly airtight, and even a brave soul who shaved his head on the spot to cosplay as Tien Shinhan.

Is this really necessary?

Silas, seeing the expression on Sam’s face, said with a smile, “Don’t be afraid. Not all cosplayers need to go to such extremes. Besides, you’re here to help, not to go all out. Just ensuring the basics are done is fine. You’re already quite handsome, and I feel like any cosplay would be a waste of your looks.”

“Really? I think so too.”

“…Ahem, you don’t hold back with the compliments, do you? But I’ll do my best.”

Silas had Sam sit down and then opened one of the bags Sam had brought.

Suddenly, Sam remembered something and asked.

“This comic convention seems to have a lot of people. Why do you need extra help?”

Silas gave a wry smile tinged with resignation.

“Do you not know the nature of this comic con?”

“I really don’t.”

“This convention sells merchandise and autographed photos at very low prices. However, all the proceeds, after deducting the costs for the venue and labor, are donated to a welfare institution for children with disabilities.

So essentially, the cosplayers who come here don’t get paid, and if they want high-quality photos, they have to hire photographers themselves. This leads to many well-known and professional cosplayers being unwilling to participate. We have to look everywhere for volunteers.”

Sam hadn’t expected this backstory.

“Does… does Isabella know about this?”

Silas chuckled.

“Of course, she knows. She was the first to agree when the idea was proposed and even set an example by committing to participate. After all, Isabella was once a quite famous cosplayer herself.

You must have heard about her massive following on Instagram, it’s pretty impressive. But then she gradually lost interest, which is a shame. However, we’re happy that she’s willing to come back for this event. We just hope that it will be a success; otherwise, it would be quite embarrassing, wouldn’t it?”

Sam said, puzzled.

“Why would it be embarrassing? It’s a meaningful cause. Not everyone in the industry has such compassion and courage.”

Silas shook his head.

“It does show compassion and courage, but if such an event is only supported by a few enthusiastic individuals while the rest look on indifferently, or worse, if we end up looking accomplish nothing, what then? It would only lead to more people dismissing the effort as a thankless task.

I’ve always believed that cosplay is a beautiful thing, meant to bring emotions that are hard to come by in everyday life into reality, to add more beauty to the world. But when it all turns into profit-making, selling sex appeal… to be honest, it’s quite sad. Yet, those people will smugly tell us that they’re making money, while we’re not making anything.”

Sam nodded with a hint of understanding, his curiosity about Isabella deepening.

It seemed she was involved in such an unreliable venture, even appearing to be scheming against him and Sophie, but there was a reason behind it all.

What kind of person was she, really?

“By the way, Sam, do you know who you’re going to cosplay as? Isabella chose for you.”

“I have no idea, who?”

By now, Sam was ready for anything. No matter who it was, he had his reasons to see the cosplay through.

It wasn’t about feigning charity.

Rather, he found it admirable that there was a group of people doing this for such ‘pure’ and ‘naive’ reasons.

Even if he wasn’t good at it or didn’t like it, he didn’t want to ruin everything because of himself.

Now that he was in the thick of it, he decided not to overthink.

Silas didn’t answer directly. Instead, he picked up a somewhat familiar-looking costume while contemplating Sam’s face.

“Typical Isabella… to think of this.”

“Who is it, exactly?”

Sam asked, puzzled. The costume… it didn’t seem too extravagant, but what was it?

Silas spoke softly.

“Do you know Akira Toriyama?”

“Ah, of course, I love his manga, but it’s a pity that he has already…”

Silas nodded and said.

“Yes, you know his anime Dragon Ball, right?”

“So, which character do you want me to cosplay? Goku?”

Silas seemed to sense Sam’s apprehension.

“Don’t worry, you don’t need to show off any special skills. I’ll teach you a few simple moves. If someone wants to take a photo with you, just strike those poses. Speak as you normally would, just avoid swearing, and you’ll be fine. There are no strict requirements.”

“Shall we… give it a try?”

“Let’s start now!”

Preparations began immediately. The changing room was bustling with people coming and going, everyone busy and seemingly tense with anticipation.

It seemed as if everyone was gearing up for this significant comic convention, and it was no longer just about the pure meaning of cosplay itself.

It took about an hour, and while putting on the costume was straightforward, the key was the makeup.

Sam had a perfect face shape, but it needed to be slimmed down slightly to match the character.

After all, Sam’s natural charisma was too handsome; he needed a touch more of a fierce quality.

Then, his hair was styled and fixed with gel to create the look of a Super Saiyan.

This process took quite some time.

When it was finally complete, Sam, dressed in orange attire, rose from the chair.

Silas hadn’t spoken yet.

A passerby dressed as Kamen Rider was startled.

“Holy smokes! A Super Saiyan!!!”

His exclamation drew the attention of others.

Many looked over, and when they saw Sam’s handsome yet fierce expression and the flawless portrayal of an anime character, they stood rooted to the spot, disbelieving.

“How can someone look so much like the character?”

“It’s like he stepped right out of the anime!”

Sam turned to Silas.

“Is it really that exaggerated?”

Silas shook his head, looking at Sam with a sense of awe.

“I’m telling you, most of the cosplays you see online that look very accurate, they require meticulous photo editing, a lot of makeup time, and various filters to achieve that effect.

But you… standing here, with just a bit of makeup, you don’t need much embellishment to look like you’ve stepped out of the manga… it’s truly one of a kind. My goodness, I can’t wait for those money-eyed cosers to see you!!”

“You’re exaggerating, does it really look that much like him?” Sam said, scratching his head.

“Would you be interested in doing more cosplays in the future? It’s simply amazing, I feel like you could perfectly embody so many characters!”

“Ah… I still have to study, let’s talk about the future later, okay?”

“Is that so? Well, we’ll talk about it later then, such a shame… Oh right, Isabella said they’re ready, let’s head to the booth now, the comic convention is about to start.”

“Okay.”

With that, Sam followed Silas out of the changing room.

Walking towards the booth, Sam didn’t do anything in particular, just walked.

Yet, he automatically attracted gazes along the way.

“My God, who is that? He looks so much like Goku!”

“Is that really not the real deal?!”

“Can I take a photo with you?”

“Mr. Super Saiyan, can I get your contact info?”

Thankfully, Silas was always in front of Sam, smiling and saying,

“Let’s interact at the booth, shall we? It’s about to start. If you like, come support our cosers at our booth, thank you!”

They finally managed to avoid the enthusiastic crowd.

Sam was still looking for familiar figures, wondering why he hadn’t seen Isabella and Sophie yet. He was quite curious about which anime characters they were cosplaying.

He had come to the convention just for this silly reason, to see Sophie’s cosplay, which was the whole point of this camping trip.

“Snap!”

Suddenly, someone tapped Sam’s shoulder.

He turned around.

A finger was poking his cheek.

He was stunned for a moment, then heard a familiar voice, speaking to him with a special intonation.

“It’s time to see what I can do, to test the limits and break through. No right, no wrong, no rules for me. I’m free!”

Those familiar lines.

Sam tried to glance at the person with his peripheral vision.

It was Isabella with silver hair… no, it was Elsa!

She even wore colored contacts to match, looking at him with that familiar gaze.

The almost perfect replication of the makeup and expression made Sam momentarily bewildered, and even those familiar lines made his heart beat uncontrollably.

Was this Isabella’s capability?

It was too similar.

Isabella quickly lowered her hand and then looked at Sam with a smile.

“How about that, not bad, right?”

Sam replied with a sense of reflection.

“It was good at first, but the magic kind of broke when you smiled. What a pity.”

Isabella blinked.

“Eh? Didn’t that moment make your heart flutter? I thought I nailed it.”

“Why would you want to make my heart flutter? Don’t have such strange objectives… Hm? Right, where’s Sophie?”

“Sophie’s already at the booth, look.”

Sam followed the direction of her pointing finger but couldn’t spot Sophie.

However, he saw a crowd, a lot of people.

They were gathered around the booth, continuously snapping photos and videos.

And they seemed… very excited.

“Wow… what’s this? Is the quality of cosplayers this high this time?!”

“My friend said he wouldn’t come, but if I tell him these photos are unfiltered and unedited, he’ll regret it to death!”

That exaggerated?

Sam grew even more curious.

“Whoosh~”

Suddenly, a gentle breeze brushed past Sam’s ear, and as he quickly turned his head, he was met with Isabella’s teasing gaze, just inches away.

Instantly, Sam looked away.

“What are you doing all of a sudden?”

Isabella pursed her lips towards the booth.

“Want to go take a look? Let’s head over. Who knows, you two might just become the best cosplayers of the convention~”

===

“Wow, there are so many people! Sister!”

Selena looked at the bustling crowd with excitement, familiar characters popping up before her eyes. She was so thrilled that her excitement was palpable, almost ready to jump for joy.

“Is this the world of the young? It’s indeed quite lively.”

Celeste said with a smile, her expression as calm as ever, betraying no sign of excitement.

Angel seemed less interested, merely glancing over casually.

“It’s just this.”

Suddenly, Selena heard an exclamation and pointed excitedly in that direction.

“There’s a big crowd over there! Let’s go check it out, it must be interesting!”

Angel was dismissive.

“People like to flock to where the action is, but experience shows that most of the time, the excitement is just boring noise.”

Celeste patted her daughter’s shoulder.

“We don’t get out like this often, so let’s try to enjoy it. I find it quite interesting.”

“What’s so interesting about it…”

Angel was skeptical but still followed the others, walking forward nonchalantly.

However, as they walked, a figure on the stage caught her eye, a figure that seemed vaguely familiar.

She was dressed in a red and white priestess-like outfit, with a somewhat retro hairstyle.

In her hands, she held a bow…

Wait, who was she cosplaying as? It felt familiar to her.

But then it clicked; it wasn’t the character that was familiar, but the person herself.

Could it be… Sophie?