With everyone present and little time remaining on the studio, the group shoot commences, with Wakana and Marin learning just how into it Shinju gets when she’s photographing Sajuna. Marin can barely contain how happy it makes her to be doing a shoot with the eminently adorable Juju-sama, but does manage to pull off some fierce Black Lobelia faces.
While Shinju is shooting Marin, Sajuna takes the opportunity to profusely thank Wakana for helping her sister out, saying she’s failed as a big sister by not realizing Shinju wanted to cosplay. Wakana tells her she did nothing wrong; it’s just that it can be hard to tell others what you love or want to do, and he could totally relate to Shinju’s longing. Both there and later at home looking at the photos with her sis, it becomes clear Sajuna has developed a little crush on Wakana.
Later, Marin calls Wakana up to tell him she was so inspired by the shoot she’s rewatching Blaze!, and oh, how did he end up making cosplay for Shinju right under her nose? When he describes how he brought Shinju to her house and just the two of them worked on the cosplay in secret, Marin makes her rarely-seen jealous face, just when similar character developments are happening in Blaze!.
A little more time passes, as Wakana has already completed another cosplay for Marin: that of Veronica”-tya”, who is tan, has shark teeth, a disgusted stare, and a very skimpy white two-piece outfit featuring epic underboob. It comes together quickly due to the dearth of fabric, and Marin surprises Wakana by showing up wearing full-body foundation to match Veronica’s tan. That said, she’s so sweaty she has a shower, then changes…into Wakana’s PE uniform. Then she hits her head and gets a bump and so the try-on has to be delayed.
In the interim, Marin takes Wakana on what is basically their next date, this time to Shibuya. Knowing he’s self-conscious about having just one traditional outfit to wear while not at school, she decides to take him shopping for more street clothes. That’s right, he becomes her dress-up darling, with a special emphasis on darling.
Wakana looks uncomfortable and miserable (and the store clerk simply doesn’t get why Marin is with that guy) in everything he tries on, but Marin simply can’t get enough of how “insanely hot” he looks in everything. Indeed, she can’t contain her joy and blurts out a laugh while thinking about the two of them wearing matching t-shirts. Her dreams truly are as cute and precious as she is, and must be protected at all costs.
The shopping trip ends with them buying nothing for Wakana, but they still get lunch, stroll around, and eat crepes together, making it a full-on date in all but name. The mood suddenly shifts when Marin suggests they schedule a time for her to try on her Veronica cosplay…and Wakana says “he just can’t this time”, and not in the way Marin usually says she “just can’t”.
Marin basically panics and becomes crestfallen, but to her credit, she makes sure to get Wakana to actually tell her why he can’t, and it comes down to just how revealing the Veronica cosplay is in general (and the underboob in particular). Upon hearing his reasoning, Marin’s face becomes flush, and then she playfully throws her fists against him in ecstatic relief.
Marin was genuinely worried for a second that this was All Over, similar to how Wakana felt the same way at her first cosplay event as Shizuku-tan. She says she’ll pick her next cosplay character with skin exposure in mind, and simply cosplay as Veronica at home.
Their stroll through Shibuya is markedly quiet and awkward, with the camera closing in more and more on their blushing faces. Then, Marin works up the courage to take Wakana by the arm, draw near, and whisper “Want me to send you a pic of me wearing it?”
Wakana’s reaction is as predictable as it is entertaining for Marin, but while she says she’s “just joking”, it’s clear she really does wants him to see her as Veronica, and many other favorite characters. No matter what she’s wearing (or not), she wants his eyes on her and no one else. That’s wuv, baby.