On the other side, Gojo did not expect to see the girl he loved right after he changed his hairstyle.
"Marin..."
But she wasn't alone, she was sitting and talking excitedly with a boy he knew.
"Eiji..."
It was his enemy, the one who stole Marin from him in the future!
Bad memories of what Eiji had done with Marin in the future flashed through Gojo's mind.
He subconsciously clenched his fists and his expression was very ugly.
At the same time, he didn't realize his inner voice was heard by the heroines including Marin.
{Am I too late? What's the point of me going back in time if Marin is already entangled with Eiji?!}
{No, no, I definitely still have a chance to save her. Marin, the boy in front of you is a bastard!}
{This time, I won't let you be tricked by him!}
???
Many of them had several question marks above their heads.
This unfamiliar voice seemed to belong to the new protagonist that Eiji mentioned in his heart.
Still, going back in time?
[What kind of coincidence, I was just thinking about you and you tell me that you've regressed, protagonist Gojo?]
[You even recognize me even though we've never met before. Heh, I wonder what I actually did in the future for you to slander me in your heart.]
Back inside the cafe.
"Pfft!"
Eiji laughed and then explained who Gojo really was using his inner voice.
Gojo Wakana is the main protagonist of the manga and anime series My Dress-Up Darling. He is a high school student who had social trauma in the past due to his love of making traditional Hina dolls, which made him a loner.
But after becoming close to her heroine, Marin. His life begins to change, he often helps Marin in her cosplay projects and later, he falls in love with her.
"!?" Marin.
Gojo is the protagonist of the same franchise as her?
She covered her mouth with one of her hands and wasn't sure how she should react to that.
After all, she didn't know Gojo and although in the original work he seemed to have a good relationship with her, now they were strangers.
Instead of asking for his help in her cosplay project, she had also asked for Eiji's help first.
So, she probably didn't need help from the protagonist anymore.
Even so, why did Gojo think Eiji would trick her in the future?
[This is 100% slander, I don't know what Gojo Regressor has seen in the future. But one thing is for sure, he was around and was jealous of me sitting in the cafe with Marin.]
Knowing Gojo is a regressor protagonist like Rito.
Eiji did not panic and did not feel aggrieved just because he knew the future between him and Marin.
Instead, he felt comforted by it.
"Marin, I've agreed to help you make Shizuku-tan's costume. So, let's go buy the necessary materials for it."
"Eh, now?"
"Yes, do you want to do it tomorrow or the following week?"
"No! Eiji, let's go~!"
Marin was initially a little worried about the presence of the Gojo protagonist who seemed to be around them.
She felt like she was being followed by a stalker.
But for now, she would feign ignorance and continue her plans with Eiji.
Exiting the cafe, they walked together in the direction of a large fabric store not far away. Behind them, Gojo followed silently and did not plan to attack right away.
Eiji wondered what he was waiting for?
{I want to tell Marin that Eiji is not a good person, but she definitely won't believe what I say.}
{I have to gather evidence or wait for the right time to suddenly appear in front of her.}
{Otherwise, she might think I'm a creepy stalker.}
That's what we think of you now, Gojo.
Marin was slightly disgusted, she was suddenly curious if she in the original work had fallen in love with the protagonist?
The possibility was high.
But in this life...
She thought it would be difficult for her, especially after hearing his inner voice where he said all that.
Inside the store that was similar to a large department store displayed with a wide variety of fabrics, materials, and accessories needed to make clothes, including specific materials that were hard to find for cosplay costumes.
Marin excitedly pulled Eiji's hand towards the second floor.
Gojo looked at the scene with jealousy on his face.
{Why is Marin holding that bastard's hand?! Is their relationship on a more distant level than I thought? No way!}
Eiji refrained from saying yare-yare.
Nothing was impossible in this anime-filled world, especially for someone like him.
Hearing what Gojo said, Marin felt embarrassed and realized her actions had been misunderstood.
However, she suddenly thought it was okay for others to misunderstand her and Eiji's relationship.
Just like boys who sometimes acted sneaky to get the heart of a girl they liked.
A girl like her could also do the opposite.
"Eiji, which fabric do you think has the most suitable color for Shizuku-tan?"
Marin finally let go of Eiji's hand and held two fabrics with almost similar colors to each other.
It was a dark color like black and dark blue.
Eiji held his chin while looking at the picture of Shizuku-tan on the wallpaper displayed on Marin's phone screen.
He pointed at the black color cloth and explained, "This one, but we have to adjust the type of cloth."
"Type of fabric? Does it matter? By the way, what kind of fabric am I holding right now?" Marin tilted her head.
She only chose fabrics that were suitable for her cosplay from a visual perspective.
In other words, she was really a beginner who wanted to make a costume for her first cosplay.
"That's important. Both are satin, but they're different types."
Eiji then began to explain like a professional about the difference between fabric type A and fabric B.
For example, fabric A was Duchess Satin.
"This one has a thicker and stiffer texture. The gloss is subtle, not too noticeable. This thick fabric will retain its shape when made into an A-line skirt or a flowing ballgown. It may be a little hotter, but it doesn't wrinkle easily."
"Oooh! Wow! I just found out about that. What about the other one?"
Marin's eyes lit up, she looked at Eiji like a student hungry for knowledge.
She no longer doubted his ability to help her.
"That one is thinner and limp. It is bright and shiny like silk. This thin fabric will fall with the curves of the body, more suitable for flowing or layered dresses. The thin ones are lighter, but they pull very easily and can tear if the stitching is wrong."
God-level sewing skills include both knowledge and materials used.
Eiji was a master no less than Gojo in this regard.
"So which one should we choose, Eiji?" Marin asked in confusion.
Eiji pointed at the black fabric. "For Shizuku-tan's outfit, we need a fabric that can expand in the skirt. So, the stiff and thick one (Fabric A) will give the right Goth-Loli silhouette, according to the original design."
"Then, let's pick this one~!"
After that, they bought other materials for Shizuku-tan's costume.
They selected lace, ribbons, buttons and other accessories.
In the process, Gojo watched from a distance with frustration on his face.
That should be him!
He was the one who had first helped Marin with her cosplay project and taught her about different types of fabrics, etc.
At first he thought that after going back in time, he could gain an advantage to seduce Marin first with his sewing skills.
But who would have thought Eiji was cheating, he moved faster and wooed Marin before he could do so!
Suddenly, he doubted whether his regression was a God-given opportunity?
Or did someone just want to play a trick on him?
Shortly after Eiji and Marin finished shopping for materials to make Shizuka-tan's costume.
On the sidewalk.
"Eiji, thanks for today!" Marin said that with a sweet smile at the handsome boy in front of her.
Behind the tree, Gojo was relieved that at least Eiji and Marin were basically just shopping together.
They weren't doing anything that would make him more anxious like...
"You're welcome, but isn't it still too soon for this to be over? You said you wanted me to make a costume."
Eiji wasn't planning to end their date.
He glanced at Gojo who was hiding behind a tree with an amused look.
"!?" Gojo wondered if he had been discovered?
He suddenly had a bad feeling.
Marin blinked her eyes and looked a little surprised, "You want to make it right now, Eiji? I'd love to but I think you're tired after accompanying me to buy all this for almost three hours. You really don't need to rush."
"I don't feel tired at all, don't underestimate the stamina of a boy like me, Marin."
[Especially when exercising, I have unlimited stamina and ammunition. Marin, I can prove it to you in the future.]
[By then, you'll probably be crying and begging me to rest.]
Marin: "???"
What kind of exercise would make her cry and beg for rest?
Her face felt hot and a sensation called slight arousal coursed through her body.
Marin couldn't help but think of dirty things, especially when she was an otaku who used to watch ecchi and R18+ anime.
She was a cultured girl!
Of course, she was not so innocent.
Eiji was a pervert, he thought of doing those things to her. However, she did not hate him and had a little hope in her heart.
Suddenly, the atmosphere between the two of them turned pink.
Gojo even saw how Marin's cheeks were flushed, she looked embarrassed. His head felt heavier, a green hat was manifesting on top of his head.
"O-Oh, then... should we go to my house next? I have a sewing machine and that's it. I don't have any other tools that you might need, Eiji."
"The sewing machine is enough and the rest... I brought them in my car."
"Amazing! You've even made such preparations for me."
Marin was moved, the way she looked at Eiji seemed even more wrong in Gojo's eyes.
He lost his patience and finally came out from his hiding place (behind the tree).
"Wait a minute! Kitagawa-san, you can't let a boy like Eiji come to your house!"
"Huh? You are...."
Marin in this life didn't even recognize Gojo just from his appearance.
Gojo was saddened by that and pointed at his own face before saying, "I'm your classmate, Gojo Wakana!"
"Ah, you're Wakana-kun?!"
Marin was surprised that Gojo's protagonist turned out to be her classmate.
His appearance was also familiar to a boy who was quiet and a loner in her class.
In the original work, the two of them would fall in love with each other. But their current situation made him not feel happy about her appearance.
She did not even have a good impression of him after learning he had been following them all this time.
"Yes, Kitagawa-san. Don't get me wrong, I just happened to be here and heard your conversation."
{By this reasoning, Marin shouldn't be disgusted with me, right? }
Gojo didn't know Marin's awkward smile hid her disgust.
Eiji smiled and shifted his body to stand closer to Marin, "Hello Gojo, I believe this is our first time meeting. How do you know my name and seem to have such a bad prejudice against me."
{Prejudice? I'm telling the truth! Eiji, my regression also let me know that you like to pretend to be a good person.}
{Marin was fooled by you because of that and his stomach bulged... Ahhh! No, don't remember that, Gojo! This time, I won't let that happen!}
{Eiji, get yourself away from Marin! Damn, I want to make a break between him and Marin. But I have to restrain myself from being impulsive right now.}
{I don't want my good image in Marin's heart to crumble just because of that.}
The heroines were stunned.
About Eiji who liked to pretend to be a good person, they would not comment on that.
However, many of them couldn't help but laugh because in the future, Gojo seemed to see Marin pregnant.
And the person who impregnated her? Obviously, it had to be Eiji.
Marin's face was almost as red as an apple. Was it true?
In the future, Eiji seemed to have done that to her until her stomach bulged?!
"I don't want to tell you, I just don't want Kitagawa-san to be tricked by a playboy." Gojo said while glaring at his enemy.
The corners of Eiji's lips lifted higher, he and the protagonist this time were almost the same height (he was still taller).
I must say that compared to the other protagonists, Gojo is very tall even though he is not the type of boy who likes to exercise and often spends a lot of time making dolls in his bedroom.
"Gojo, aren't your words a bit unreasonable? You basically accused me of stealing before I stole, and reported me without evidence."
"I have no evidence, but I know...! Eiji, you are-"
Before Gojo could reply to Eiji's words, Marin pulled his enemy's arm until their bodies were pressed against each other and glared at him.
Why?
Marin, I was trying to protect you and prevent you from falling into the fire pit!
"Enough, Wakana-kun. I appreciate your concern as a classmate. Even so, I know Eiji won't hurt me or do things against my will. He's not that bad."
[Marin, that last part was a bit... Am I a little bad? I don't understand].
You don't understand?
It's okay, you seem to have forgotten that having a harem isn't a good thing.
Marin had long known about the various women's names that Eiji often mentioned in his inner voice.
He seemed to have a good relationship with many women.
"Kitagawa-san, don't be fooled by his nice guy mask!" Gojo continued to try to convince the girl he liked.
Eiji didn't say anything, but that didn't mean he wouldn't take revenge on the protagonist for trying to ruin his good deeds.
Without anyone realizing it, he activated his Mystic Eyes of Death Perception. Instantly, he saw a unique visual phenomenon.
Black lines filled his vision on objects or living beings. These lines indicated fundamental weak points or places where an existence could be easily destroyed.
Then, there were the primary focal points of death itself, which if pierced or struck, would cause the object or being to stop functioning instantly, regardless of their concept of immortality or durability.
In the protagonist Gojo's body, he could see his death line and death point. But instead of killing him, he focused his vision on a small spot connected to his crotch.
[Host, even the villains so far have never done that. Your method of taking revenge on the protagonist is more ruthless than them!]
Miss System, shut up.
Your voice sounds excited, you're obviously enjoying what you're watching.
Without hesitation, Eiji moved one of his hands as if stabbing something in the air. Marin, Gojo and the people passing by on the street were confused when they saw his actions.
Still, Gojo suddenly felt like he had lost something important!
He needed time to realize what he was missing.
By then, he would probably faint and bid farewell to his future offspring.
Leme burst out laughing.
"Wakana-kun, stop slandering Eiji without proof. You're just a classmate of mine, and our relationship isn't so good that I'll instantly believe your every word."
"Eiji, where's your car? Let's go."
After saying that with a cold expression, Marin pulled Eiji in another direction.
But then Eiji said, "Marin, my car is parked in the opposite direction."
Marin was stunned and turned around while glaring at Gojo again.
Eiji waved his hand at him.
"Kitagawa-san! Kitagawa-san...!"
Gojo stretched his hand in the air, he was like an NTR victim who found out his crush was taken by another guy.
Marin even ignored him and continued walking away while holding Eiji's hand.
The pain and sadness in his heart was overwhelming.
The pedestrians around looked at him with pity in their eyes. But there were also some people who laughed.
Gojo clenched his fists and his expression looked terrible. Unfortunately, he was not another version of Gojo who in this situation might be able to use his Six Eyes to fight with Eiji.
{What should I do?! Marin doesn't take my word for it and takes Eiji away to her house!}
The heroines: We don't know, why don't you give up like the other protagonists?
{I have to do something, I have to follow them and make sure Eiji doesn't do anything to Marin!}
Gojo quickly ran towards the bus stop, he knew where Marin's home address was because of his regression.
In the car, Eiji shook his head and manipulated the probability. That way, Gojo would take a long time to catch up to them.
Ahem! Don't get me wrong, he's not doing this because he's going to do something to Marin.