Chapter 2 - Fake Cosplay Magical Girl?

Kyousuke put the light novel into a small backpack and wore it. And after muttering to himself about how the bookstore probably had the second volume, he walked outside his apartment unit.

He locked the door and leaned on the balcony. On the ground, a magical girl was smiling, waving at him. 

His heart sank. Why did he have to imagine things? He was just going out to buy the second volume, not to remind himself he had no friends. 

Kyousuke closed his eyes. 

"Imagine there was an actual magical girl who needed my help." Kyousuke shook his head. 

Kyousuke walked down the stairs, heading out of the apartment and turning a sharp right. Down the road, a girl was pasting her face to a map, somehow walking back and forth without hitting the wall, her pink magical girl outfit swaying along her sporadic movements. 

Kyousuke did a double take. A cosplayer? Here in the middle of nowhere? There weren't even any open anime conventions today in this country. And a magical girl outfit too? Talk about coincidence. 

He stared at the magic wand strapped to her waist. 

"She even has a wand. Nice," Kyousuke said. 

The magical girl cosplayer spun the map every which way, with the girl also spinning in all directions. At one point, she was staring high up into the sky with the map, and at another point, she was examining the ground with the map. 

"Hmm," Kyousuke said.

Kyousuke squinted at her. Was she lost?

He tried to get a look at her face for an expression of help, but for some reason, the map always blocked her face. 

"Does she not want anyone to look at her face?" Kyousuke said. 

The girl wiped her face with the map as if it was some towel.

He let out a chuckle, quickly covering his mouth shut. Whether or not she doesn't want anyone seeing her face, at the very least, she was probably lost. What a funny girl. 

Kyousuke walked further down to her direction. 

"Hope she didn't miss the bus," Kyousuke said. 

Once he got near enough to her, he finally started Operation Help The Cosplayer Magical Girl.

"Hello, are you alright?" Kyousuke said. 

The girl stopped wiping her face, but she kept the map on her face. The map must've been transparent, as she was able to face the right direction to give him an enthusiastic handwave. 

"H-Hi!" The girl gave a thumbs up and nodded. "No, I'm not fine. I'm lost!"

Kyousuke chuckled. He'd just never seen anyone give a thumbs up and say and they weren't fine before. 

He slapped his thighs.

"Are you sure? You look lost in the head more than anything," Kyousuke said.

He couldn't see the expression behind that map, but he was sure the girl was pouting. 

"H-Hey! Don't laugh! I'm really lost!" The girl stomped. 

Kyousuke let out a deep exhale. Alright, at least she didn't seem to be panicking. That's good. 

Kyousuke put his hands on his chest. 

"Alright, alright." Kyousuke calmed himself down.