The Heart System

Chapter 387: Chapter 387

”So,” I said quietly, leaning forward a bit. ”How are you holding up?”

Cora shrugged, eyes darting briefly to a group nearby before returning to her mug. ”Nervous,” she admitted. ”But... not in a bad way. I think.”

”That’s progress,” I said.

She nodded, then glanced at Esme. ”You?”

Esme’s head dipped slightly, then lifted just enough for her to nod once. No words. Just confirmation that she was still technically awake.

I chuckled under my breath and leaned back in my chair.

This was good. Really good. No pressure, no expectations—just getting them out, letting them exist somewhere new. Especially Cora. She was quiet, but she wasn’t shrinking. That alone felt like a win.

I took another sip. Cora followed suit, taking a careful, shy drink of her mocha. Esme lifted her teacup with both hands, sipped, and immediately looked like she might pass out right there.

Around us, the room buzzed. Laughter, chatter, the clink of glass. A couple of people glanced our way—quick looks, curious, appreciative. A few women held my gaze a second longer than coincidence would explain. Charm doing its thing, I guessed.

I didn’t lean into it.

I didn’t come here for that.

Tonight wasn’t about credits or status effects or dates that blurred into something ugly. Tonight was about sitting at a tavern-themed table, watching Cora slowly relax and Esme fight sleep with heroic determination.

I took another sip of coffee and let the noise wash over us.

A few minutes later, while I was halfway through my coffee and Cora was still carefully negotiating with her mocha like it might bite her, three women drifted over to our table.

They looked confident. Too confident.

One of them—short blue wig, little crown accessory, corset over a blouse—smiled brightly. ”Hey! Sorry to bother you guys.”

Cora stiffened instantly. Esme barely reacted, blinking once.

”No, uh—hi,” Cora said, a beat too late.

”We just wanted to say,” another woman chimed in, tall, long red coat with gold trim, ”your cosplays are super cute.”

Cora’s brain visibly short-circuited. ”O–oh. Um. Th-thank you.”

Esme nodded. ”Thanks.”

The first woman leaned closer, eyes lighting up. ”What are you cosplaying from? I swear I recognize the tail.”

Cora glanced at me for help.

I gave her an encouraging look. You’ve got this.

She swallowed. ”I–it’s from, um... Nightbound Familiar. The, uh... side character. Season two.”

”Oh my god!” the woman clapped her hands once. ”Yes! The silver familiar girl, right?”

”Yes,” Cora said quickly, then immediately panicked. ”I mean—no. I mean—kind of. It’s not exactly her. It’s more like—an inspired version. Like if she was—uh—casual.”

There was a pause.

”That’s still really cute,” the woman said diplomatically.

Cora nodded way too hard. ”Thank you.”

The red-coated woman turned to Esme, tilting her head. ”And you?”

Esme took a slow sip of her tea. ”Peasant.”

”Oh.” The woman blinked. ”From...?”

Esme lowered the cup. ”From Ashfall Chronicles. Volume one. Before demonization. It’s a side-story to the main anime.”

The third woman—short black hair, camera hanging around her neck—snapped her fingers. ”WAIT. The first human who gets corrupted and becomes the Demon Lord’s aide later?”

Esme nodded. ”Mm.”

”That’s actually really deep lore,” the photographer said, impressed. ”Most people skip straight to demon form.”

Esme shrugged. ”Too much effort.”

Cora looked at her like she’d just witnessed a miracle.

The first woman laughed lightly. ”I love that. Honestly, that’s so on-brand.”

She glanced at me then. ”Are you cosplaying too?”

I lifted my goblet slightly. ”Background NPC.”

They laughed.

”So,” the blue-wigged woman said, leaning back a bit, clearly trying to keep the conversation going, ”have you guys been to many conventions before?”

Cora opened her mouth. Closed it. Opened it again. ”N–no. This is my first.”

”Oh!” the woman said warmly. ”That’s exciting.”

”Yes,” Cora agreed, immediately regretting everything. ”Very. Exciting. Extremely. I am—excited.”

Silence.

Esme stared into her tea like it held ancient secrets.

”Cool,” the red-coated woman said, nodding. ”You picked a good one for your first time.”

”Y–yeah,” Cora said. ”I almost didn’t come.”

”Oh? Why not?”

Cora’s soul left her body.

”I—uh—crowds,” she said weakly. ”And talking. And... people.”

The photographer smiled sympathetically. ”Totally fair.”

”I also almost tripped on the stairs,” Cora added, for reasons known only to panic. ”And I spilled sugar on myself earlier. Not now. Earlier.”

”That happens,” the woman said.

Esme nodded. ”She survived.”

Cora covered her mouth. ”Esme!”

”What?” Esme said. ”You did.”

The women laughed again, thankfully.

”Well,” the blue-wigged woman said, clasping her hands, ”it was really nice meeting you guys. Your cosplays are genuinely adorable.”

”Thank you,” Cora said, quieter this time.

”Yeah,” Esme added.

”Enjoy the con!” the photographer said, already stepping back.

They waved and moved off toward another table, already chatting among themselves. The moment they were gone, Cora deflated like someone had pulled a plug.

She dropped her forehead into her hands. ”Oh my god.”

I snorted softly. ”You did fine.”

”I did not,” she groaned. ”Why did I say ’extremely excited’? Who says that?”

Esme shrugged. ”You didn’t scream.”

”That’s not the bar!”

I leaned back, smiling. ”Hey. You talked. You answered questions. You didn’t vanish into thin air.”

Cora peeked at me through her fingers. ”I didn’t?”

”Nope.”

She slowly lowered her hands, cheeks still red. ”I think my heart is still beating too fast.”

”That’s normal,” I said. ”Adrenaline.”

Esme lifted her cup again. ”Social combat.”

Cora let out a weak laugh despite herself. ”Ugh. Why did I keep talking.”

”Because you’re human,” I said. ”And humans ramble when nervous.”

She hid her face again. ”Aw...”

Esme took another sip. ”You did better than last year.”

Cora blinked. ”This is my first anime convention, Esme. I wasn’t here last year.”

”Exactly.”

I chuckled and took another sip of my coffee.

Cora finally relaxed enough to drink again, shoulders loosening bit by bit. ”They were nice,” she admitted. ”I just... didn’t know what to say.”

”And yet,” I said, ”you said things.”

She groaned softly. ”Don’t remind me.”

Esme leaned back in her chair, eyes half-lidded. ”They liked the horns.”

”That’s because the horns are cool,” I said.

”They itch,” Esme replied.

Cora smiled faintly into her cup, still embarrassed—but it was real.

Progress.

A sharp ding rang through the café, bright enough to cut through the chatter.

I looked up just as the barista—same woman who’d been theatrically slamming goblets down earlier—reached up and rang the little bell hanging from the ceiling again. It was an odd thing, really. A brass bell etched with glowing rune patterns that pulsed faintly, like someone had baked magic straight into the metal. She clapped her hands twice, loud and practiced.

”Alright, everyone! Adventurers, heroes, demons, familiars, and background NPCs—may I have your attention?”

The room gradually quieted. A few people groaned playfully, others perked up immediately.

”We’re starting a special event!” she continued, grinning. ”Since tomorrow’s storm forced us to cancel the outdoor carnival games, we’re doing something a little different tonight.”

Esme cracked one eye open. ”Mm...”

”Quiz event,” the barista said, already pointing at a small chalkboard behind her. ”Download the Here I Am anime app, enter the quiz room, and use the password—one three three one.”

A murmur rippled through the café as phones came out.

Cora glanced at me, hesitant. ”A... quiz?”

”Looks like it,” I said, already pulling my phone out. ”Free stuff involved. I’m in.”

She hesitated for maybe half a second longer, then fished her phone out too. Esme followed suit, slower, like this was already exhausting her.

The barista leaned on the counter. ”Rules are simple. Twenty questions. Lore, characters, iconic scenes. First, second, and third place get rewards.”

”What kind of rewards?” someone shouted.

Her smile widened. ”Mystery prizes.”

Esme straightened a little. ”Are there plushies?”

”Maybe.”

That was all it took.

She turned to me, eyes suddenly sharp. ”You’re going to win that, right?”

I snorted. ”You’re putting a lot of faith in me for an anime I half-watched.”

She frowned. ”Then why are we doing this?”

I shrugged as the app finished installing. ”They were supposed to set up carnival games outside. Ring toss, shooting gallery, that kind of thing. Storm warning messed it up. This is the backup plan.”

Esme clicked her tongue. ”So you’re saying we’re going to lose.”

Cora looked mildly horrified. ”W–we are?”

I crossed my fingers theatrically. ”Let’s hope we don’t, huh?”

She did not look reassured.

The barista clapped again. ”Alright! Quiz is live. Everyone ready?”

A chorus of yeses, cheers, and a few dramatic groans answered her.

Question one popped up on my screen.

Q1: What is the name of the city where the protagonist awakens in episode one?

”Shit,” I muttered.

Cora leaned closer, squinting. ”Is it... Lumeris?”

Esme yawned. ”No. That’s episode three.”

”Great start,” I sighed, tapping a random answer.

The questions kept coming.

Character birthdays. Weapon names. Episode-specific dialogue. Symbol meanings. OST titles.

At some point, I stopped pretending we had a chance.

Cora was biting her lip, clearly trying her best. ”Wait—no—wasn’t that before the betrayal arc?”

”I don’t know,” I whispered back. ”I was emotionally checked out by then.”

Esme answered maybe one out of every five questions, and even then only when she was weirdly confident.

”That one,” she said lazily at question fourteen. ”Trust me.”

It was wrong.