Wakana spent another fifteen minutes meticulously selecting the pink velour for the collar and cuffs, which was soft and provided good contrast to the red.
He also picked up a roll of heavy fusible stabilizer to ensure the collar would stand rigidly, and a sturdy plastic separating zipper strong enough for the dress.
"Yosh! I think we finally got everything we needed to make the dress," he announced, turning towards the blonde girl beside him, who was still slightly dazed. "Wait for me outside the store entrance, Kitagawa-san. I'll go and pay first and meet you there."
As he turned and was about to walk towards the cashier, a hand suddenly shot out and grabbed his arm, halting his movement.
"Gojo-kun, wait!"
"Hmm?"
Looking back, he saw Marin quickly digging through her backpack, pulling out a crisp, white envelope from the interior pocket.
She placed the envelope directly into his hand, her gaze locked on his. "Please use this to pay. After all, this is the only thing I can do to help. And it's my cosplay outfit, after all."
Wakana's gaze lingered on the girl, noticing the determined gaze.
He looked down at the envelope.
It felt thick, clearly containing a significant amount of cash, probably most of her savings for the costume.
"Are you sure, Kitagawa-san?" he asked, his voice soft with genuine concern. "Do you have enough to use on yourself? Cosplaying is pretty expensive, you know. Good quality wigs, shoes, and props add up quickly."
"Don't worry, I saved part of my allowance just for this," she smiled brightly, the subject of money bringing her confidence back instantly. "And besides, you're still the same as me, you know? I don't wanna drain all your money, too."
Wakana laughed lightly. "Did you forget I've been making designs for a while now? I probably have more than ten million yen in my bank account due to my earnings right now."
Hearing his words, Marin was utterly shocked. She knew he was good, but "T-ten million yen?!" Her eyes were like saucers.
Despite the shocking reveal of his wealth, she quickly shook her head and pushed his hand with the envelope closer to him.
"Still, that's your own money and has nothing to do with me," she insisted stubbornly, her principles taking over. "This is my passion project, and I want to pay for the materials. Please don't deny it anymore! If I don't pay, it won't feel like it's truly mine."
Seeing that he could not convince her, and realizing that denying her the opportunity to contribute was denying her the very boldness he had just praised, Wakana finally agreed with a sigh of respect. "Alright, alright, I understand. Your terms are accepted. The material cost is on the client."
He soon turned and went to the cashier to pay, leaving Marin to stare at him from behind, her heart still doing uncomfortable flips.
'You're amazing too, Gojo-kun.'
He returned a few minutes later with the receipt and the large, heavy bags containing the beautiful red satin, the matte pink velour, and all the notions.
"Alright, the next thing we need is a wig for your cosplay," Wakana said, adjusting the bags on his arm.
He looked over to Marin, his expression slightly hesitant for the first time since the measurements.
"Kitagawa-san, do you know a good place where we could get quality wigs? I'm not very familiar with those, to be honest. My focus has always been on the garment structure; the wig is a whole different world of materials."
"Yes, I do! I know the perfect place! Let's go quickly!" Marin nodded profusely, immediately regaining her usual energetic demeanor now that they were moving on to her area of expertise.
She excitedly pulled his arm, and despite his size and the heavy bags, she managed to lead him toward the escalators, pointing upward.
"It's right up on the 4th floor, still in this building! It's the best!"
The two of them soon arrived at the entrance on the 4th floor. The door was glass, displaying a detailed silhouette of a beautiful butterfly, and below it, the name read: Swallowtail.
Marin opened the door with a confident flourish, revealing a large, softly lit display room filled with an overwhelming variety of wigs.
They were arranged by color, style, length, and variation.
Each one looked like real hair, with carefully blended tones and realistic textures.
"Wow," Wakana blurted in surprise, genuinely taken aback by the quality and scale of the selection.
"Right?! Isn't it very colorful and amazing? It's perfect for cosplayers!" Marin smiled cheerfully, pleased by his reaction.
"This is definitely the highlight," Wakana nodded, walking slowly into the room, his eyes scanning the different fibers. "They are much higher quality than the standard ones I've seen in shops. The fiber has a natural luster."
Marin led him around the store, passing by different colors and styles of wigs, clearly comfortable in the environment.
"I really like looking around in Swallowtail," she placed a finger on her chin. "I just like seeing the artistry in all the styles. Maybe a tad too much sometimes…"
"Yes, I understand," Wakana continued to look around, examining a long, purple wig. "They don't just display color here. They display texture and volume. There are so many subtle variations of a single color. Each one is so pretty."
"Gojo-kun!"
"Yeah?" Wakana turned his attention back to Marin, who was pointing toward a display case featuring a long, flowing white wig with a perfectly flat fringe and a very realistic part.
She pointed towards a particular mannequin. "What about this one? It's called 'Medium White - Silk Finish'."
"White..." Wakana pondered, his eyes immediately going back to the design requirements for Mirajane. "This is nearly perfect. Judging from the way her bangs are usually tied back in the anime, they seem to be perfectly straightly cut, with her hair at the back being slightly curly or at least very wavy at the end."
"However," he continued, holding his hands up to measure the length against his own height. "We need a long one. After all, her hair reaches her waist and sometimes even longer."
Marin instantly pointed to a similar wig, identical in color and finish but with a dramatically longer length, cascading almost to the floor. "This one! The 'Long White - Premium Finish'!"
"That's the one for length and quality," Wakana agreed, nodding. "But it's still slightly different from Mirajane's hair.
The character's hair has specific soft curls and a precise, layered cut that is impossible to find ready-made.
It's too long and too straight right now." Wakana sighed helplessly. "I can sew and cut fabric, but hair is beyond my skill set. I wouldn't dare try to cut a wig this long without proper training."
"Oh!" Marin snapped her fingers, her face lighting up with an idea. "I can ask Riho-san to cut it for me! She's amazing!"
"Riho-san?"
"She's the owner and head stylist of the salon I go to!"
"A professional stylist?" Wakana nodded immediately. "That's an excellent idea, Kitagawa-san. That will save a lot of time and guarantee a perfect look. Let's purchase this 'Long White' wig then."
After buying the premium wig and all the styling accessories Marin deemed necessary, the two of them finally made it out of the store and back onto the bustling Ikebukuro streets, their arms laden with bags of red satin and white hair.
Marin instantly cheered, leaping lightly into the air. "Yatta! We're finally done with shopping! I can't wait for you to start, Gojo-kun!"
"Huh?" Question marks suddenly appeared around Wakana's head. "What about the shoes, the necklace, and other small things? We haven't even looked at the hardware for the collar clasp."
"I already have the shoes," Marin explained, tapping her heel on the pavement. "They're just simple, red sandals. I also got the other things needed, like the perfect contacts, the hair tie, bracelet, and necklace. I'm mostly prepared on the accessories front."
"I see..." Wakana nodded, relieved by her foresight. He looked down at the heavy bags and smiled. "Then we really are done for the day. We have the fabric, the trim, and the wig, which were the three biggest hurdles."
"I'm really glad you're helping me, Gojo-kun." Marin raised her hand and made a triumphant V-sign beside her face. "I can't say this enough, thank you! I would have been wandering around, buying the wrong fabric and wig!"
"You're welcome," he smiled back, feeling a deep sense of satisfaction.
"Oh yeah," he suddenly remembered something crucial, pulling his face into a serious expression. "When do you want to use this anyway? I need to build a schedule for drafting and sewing."
"Hmm..." Marin pulled out her phone from her bag, tapping at the screen. "Let's see... There's a pretty big cosplay gathering next Sunday, at an event hall downtown, and then..."
Before hearing the rest of her words, Wakana Gojo's thoughts already lingered elsewhere, and his brain went into immediate overdrive.
Next week?!
Seven days.
He had seven days to draft a custom, structured bodice pattern from scratch, cut durable casa satin and pink velour, use stabilizer and light boning, and sew it all together into a perfect, fitted garment.
This wasn't a doll dress; this was for a person, which required absolute, flawless precision.
He was used to long production times for his couture work, not a seven-day rush job.
Is that even possible to finish this in a week?!
Wakana calculated the hours, the steps, and the necessary fittings, his mind racing like a supercomputer.
He had school, homework, and his own freelance deadlines, but he also had a purpose.
'Well, considering the Mirajane designs are not overly complicated in terms of surface detailing, as long as I put in enough time, I mean, ALL my free time... I should be able to finish it.'
Wakana's eyes looked at the cheerful Marin, who continued talking beside him about the types of cosplayers who would be at the event.
'She looks so excited... I definitely can't disappoint her. Not after she showed me such trust.'
Wakana Gojo's eyes turned serious as he locked in.
He faced Marin completely and made a promise to her, speaking in a firm, serious, and deeply sincere tone.
"Kitagawa-san. I'll definitely finish your cosplay in time."
"Huh? O-oh... Thank you, Gojo-kun..."
Marin was startled.
She stopped talking about the event, confused by the sudden gravity in his tone.
Why did he say that like a soldier making an oath?
'What does he mean by finishing it in time, though...?'
She smiled, nevertheless, deeply moved by his serious commitment. She had entrusted her entire passion to him, and in return, he had given her his absolute, undivided focus.
They walked toward the train platform, the heavy bags of red satin and pink velour resting in Wakana's strong, capable hands, the weight of the fabric now symbolizing the weight of his promise.
Wakana Gojo checked his schedule on his phone once they were seated on the train.
Monday: School. 3 hours of Pattern Drafting.
Tuesday: School. Homework, 4 hours of Muslin Mock-Up.
Wednesday: School. Muslin Fitting. Cutting the Satin.
Thursday: School. 6 hours of Sewing the Bodice and Interfacing.
Friday: School. Homework. 6 hours of Sewing the Skirt and Final Assembly.
Saturday: Final Fitting. Sewing the zipper.
Make that six days.
He leaned back in his seat, the complex logistics of the next few days already mapped out in his mind.
He turned his head and saw Marin looking out the window, the bright Tokyo sun catching the gold in her hair.
The train sped forward, taking them both toward a deadline that Wakana had unilaterally set from miscommunication and misunderstanding.