Once again, I ended up making another story and neglecting other existing ones simply because I do not have any motivation to touch those stories now. This time it's more of a slice-of-life stuff.
I happen to have read Sono Bisque Doll Wa Koi Wo Suru (or Dress-Up Darling if you really want a simpler title) for quite a while now, and there was a DxD fanfic that also has cosplay being the premise in the past. So I was like "why not" and just write this out.
I'm not too sure if I want to make it a very short 5 chapters long story (I guess the word here is fiveshot?), or legitimately make it longer in the long run. I guess depends on how enthusiastic I am about writing this one.
Enough rambling, enjoy the show.
"Wake up! Issei! It's morning now!"
A brown-haired teenager woke up from the shout of his mother. He groaned from the ache on his neck and groaned from the pain. He rubbed his eyes and blinked to see his surroundings clearer.
He immediately notices that he slept on his table (that explains the pain), and there are multiple different clothes scattered around the table and around the room, along with cutting tools, sewing kits, and a sewing machine on the table.
"Issei! Are you awake?" Issei's mother called him.
"Yeah, I am, mom, just give me a few minutes!" He stood up and walked towards a mannequin with a rather large aquatic frilly dress on it. He took his phone out and quickly took a picture of it before he sent the picture.
Thraig: "Hey, Mil-tan just finished your costume, just like you asked."
MeL-T: "Look absolutely perfect! You never once disappointed me with the costume you make, Thraig!"
Issei smiled at the reply he got from Mil-tan. Quickly took his school uniform and rushed to the bathroom and cleaned himself up for school. Once he finished cleaning himself up and finished his preparation, he went his way to school.
Unfortunately, his work on the dress had led to him having a terrible sleep schedule, thus once he entered his classroom, he placed his head and hand on the table and took a small nap.
Sadly for Issei, the rest didn't last long at all. "Yo! Morning, Issei!"
The brown-haired boy looked up slowly and turned his head towards the voice, his friend's voice, Matsuda and Motohama.
"... You guys got something?" He grumbled before he attempted to go back to sleep hoping that they would back off and let him take the little rest he could get.
Sadly, his friends don't seem to get the message. "You okay there buddy? Stayed up too long watching the latest episode of Kaben Rider Pinky?"
Issei groaned and glared at his friends. Usually, he won't do that to his friends, he won't even be irritated by them. But currently, he is way too tired from working overnight. "Do I look like I stayed up late watching a show right now, guys?"
Matsuda and Motohama winced, realizing that they had made a mistake.
"Sorry, Issei." Motohama apologized. "So… you were working on a new cosplay costume?"
Issei thought that there is no point going back to rest now (probably), so he might as well answer them that yes, he was working on a costume for one of his customers and stayed up late for it.
But it was worth it though, he is now one step closer to getting the new Kisaragi Chitose figurine!
"Issei, my man, I know that it's not my place to say this but you need to slow down a bit with your work. You had like, what, 3 cosplay commissioned in this month alone man!" Matsuda said.
"Gonna agree with Matsuda on that one. I get you to want that Chitose figurine, but damn, no need to overwork yourself!"
"Hypocrites, these idiots!" Issei immediately thought. "You two are the ones to talk. If I remember correctly, you two got a job just to get some quick buck to buy the Raikou figurine too."
The duo was taken aback by Issei's jab at them. Taking the opportunity, he decided to continue his assault. "Let me see if I can remember what job you two took… if I remember correctly it was-"
Matsuda immediately covered his friend's mouth in panic, making Issei the winner in this argument. "Okay, okay, you win buddy!"
Issei smiled in victory and brought out a book and his pencil case. He opened the book and saw his unfinished sketch of the other costumes. He then began to sketch them, tuning out all noises from the room.
When his friends told him their homeroom was about to begin, he stopped and placed his sketchbook back in his bag. He can use the time in class to think about what he can do with the costumes.
"I think I want to try cosplay."
That was the word that came out of Rias Gremory while holding a pamphlet of an upcoming anime convention event. Apparently, that statement was enough to stop all activities in the Occult Research Club.
"... What prompted you to do so, buchou?" said a handsome blond boy, Yuuto, asked his club president while a short white-haired girl, Koneko, tilted her head.
"Look," the redhead presented the pamphlet to her fellow clubmates. "They have a cosplay competition and I am interested in it. Plus, I always want to try cosplaying."
The members each look at her with skepticism, not entirely sure what to make of it. Yes, she is an otaku and a Japanophile, but as far as they knew, she always kept it to either buy merchandise or visit places.
"Well, it is your interest so I can only say good luck and have fun trying out." Rias' black-haired club vice-president, Akeno, said.
"I'll tell you if it is as fun as what people say. Maybe even have you join me in the future. It will be really awesome."
"I'll think about it." Akeno replied, not wanting to promise things that she might not go through.
"Question," Koneko decided to speak up. "How will you find a costume?"
"Sew it of course."
Akeno immediately paled when the word came out of Rias' mouth. She was thinking maybe she would commission a costume maker or buy it from a store.
"Y-you sure, Buchou? You don't want to commission other people to do one for you or find one in store?" Yuuto nervously asked his club president. Hoping that she would change her mind
"What? No! When I said I want to try cosplaying, I meant I want to do the whole process of making clothes to dressing it too."
Apparently, Rias thinks that she can sew despite not having experience in doing so.
No matter how out of character they are now, they all have the same sentence formed in their mind.
"She is so screwed."
The next sentence coming out of their president's mouth doesn't give them reassurance either.
"Well, the competition starts in 3 weeks, I think I can at least sew simple cosplay clothes, it's not that hard right?"
It's too hard! She can't take it anymore! And her fingers hurt like hell!
Currently, Rias is in a completely vacant home economics club since they do not have club activity today, wincing at her 7th attempt at sewing a skirt. Well, she can't even call it a cloth and more of a messy pile of silks and patchwork.
She has been doing everything she can to make a simple skirt, just like the one she is wearing. Yet, somehow she can't even do it!
Okay, maybe she didn't completely understand all the terms in the book that teaches her to make cosplay costumes. Lining, backstitch, baste, seam? She doesn't get it at all! And there are apparently different kinds of thread tension when using a sewing machine?!
…
Rias lightly hit her head on the table and groaned in exhaustion and anger at her failure. She admits, that she was way over her head when she tackled this and thought that she can get the basics very fast.
"Fine," Rias muttered to herself. "I suck at sewing right now. Damn you, pride."
(And pride laughs back at her.)
The redhead sighs and raises her head from the table. She took out her phone and stared at the picture on the screen; which is a picture of Grea from Manaria Friends.
"Well, I guess I should find someone to help me then."
With great reluctance, she packs up her belongings and leaves the room.
But as soon as she opened the door, a brown-haired boy's face was right in front of her. They both reeled in shock at how close they were before the boy began to have a slight bow and apologize.
"Erm, sorry for startling you just now!" He said.
Rias apologized too as she was in a hurry. "No, it's my fault too."
When the both of them lifted their heads, immediately they recognized each other.
Issei Hyoudou, a 'member' of the Perverted Trio, and Rias Gremory, Madonna of Kuoh Academy.
"Gremory-senpai?/ Hyoudou-san?" They both exclaimed at the same time.
Issei looked at her and then looked behind her, wondering just why would the most popular girl in Kuoh Academy be in the home economics clubroom.
Meanwhile, Rias wants to find a hole and put her head into it to escape from embarrassment. Now someone would find out that she has a hobby like this.
"I can't give up just yet! I need to salvage this first!" She thought and coughed to catch Issei's attention. "S-so, what are you actually doing here, Hyoudou-san?"
Issei also recovered from his shock and replied to her about his objective. "O-oh, I actually want to use the sewing machine in this room since the one in my house was broken."
Rias blinked at the boy's answer. "You sew? What do you do?"
Issei nervously nodded. "Yeah, I do. I actually sew…"
Rias blinked, wondering why the boy in front of her started to become so quiet. "Sorry, can you repeat? I can't hear you just now."
She became more confused when he began to take deep breaths before he spoke again. "I sew cosplay costumes."
"Oh I see-" She stopped. Did she hear it right?
"You sew cosplay costumes?" She asked, wanting to make sure she heard it right, hoping it would.
Her question was answered when Issei nodded and looked away in embarrassment. Her heart immediately soared. She somehow found her solution in the most unexpected person.
"Please!" She quickly grabbed his hand. "I really need your help!"
Issei gulped, not sure what it is that such a beautiful redhead needed him for. "W-what do you need help with?"
"Please teach me how to sew a cosplay costume!"
…
…
"... What?" Issei said.
Rias quickly lets go of his hand (with a slight feeling of sadness by Issei) and rummages through her bag, before she pulls out her skirt -whatever mess that it is now- and shows it to Issei.
She nervously laughed. "I actually want to go to the upcoming anime convention's cosplay competition in 2 weeks. Thinking that I have the talent to make a simply modified seifuku, I tried sewing."
She held out the skirt and urged Issei to take the skirt and examine it, then continued her explanation. "As you can see… erm… I didn't do well so… I was thinking I should just request a commission or buy it on the internet before stumbling into you."
As she was explaining her reason for help, Issei began to examine the skirt. The longer he examines the skirt, the more he raises his eyebrows in confusion before he finally looks back at her.
"Please don't tell me you did this." Issei asked.
Much to his horror, she nodded with embarrassment.
She closed her eyes and looked away from him, ready to get either a tongue-lashing from him or laughing at her expenses.
She really didn't expect him to say this though. "... You really want to join this competition, do you? Let me help you."
She quickly looked back at him, confused by his words, and wanted him to elaborate.
"Don't get me wrong, this abomination here definitely is something that needs to be killed with fire." She winced from his comment. "But from what I can tell, you still did put the effort into trying. Still, though, 2 weeks is definitely not long enough to learn the intricacy of sewing so I was thinking maybe I'll help you."
Once again, she was in complete shock that the person in front of her did not laugh, or did anything that was malicious to hurt her. Here he is, Issei Hyoudou, a known pervert in the school, seriously and honestly told her that he is willing to help her in her endeavor in cosplaying.
"... Really? You're going to help me?" She decided to ask him again as if clinging to the hope that she is not dreaming.
The boy in front of her puffed out his chest and grinned. "Don't look down on me! I have years of experience in this craft alright. Plus, I am doing commissions, so feel free to make a request to me, I'll help!"
With the way the brown-haired boy talks about his skill with confidence, she couldn't help but smile.
She made up her mind. "Well, since you said it…"
Rias raises her hand and Issei follows suit, shaking their hands. "Then I have no reason not to use your service. I'll be counting on you, Issei Hyoudou."
"Don't worry, I'll make you the most beautiful woman on stage in 2 weeks. I promise!" He replied.
And with that, a redhead found her solution in the most unexpected person she could find. Looks like it will be a great partnership, she mused.
"Now can I have that skirt back so that we can burn it in the backyard?"