Haruka Ito was stewing in a pot of pure, unadulterated jealousy. Ectiqa's charity stream had been a monumental success, cementing her status as the undisputed queen of the cosplay scene. Every positive comment Ectiqa received felt like a personal insult to Haruka. The rumors she had spread at school had only served to isolate Rina, but they hadn't broken her. It was time for the final gambit.
She had been patient. For weeks, she had paid a freelance photographer with a grudge and a long-range lens to occasionally stake out Rina's apartment building. It was a creepy, desperate move, but Haruka was past caring. Finally, she got what she wanted: a grainy but clear enough shot of Rina leaving her building early one morning for school. No makeup, hair in a simple ponytail, wearing her plain school uniform. The perfect picture of mediocrity.
Haruka created a new, anonymous account on a notorious online gossip forum. She created a new thread. The title was explosive: "Is This Famous Cosplayer Ectiqa's Real Face?"
In the post, she was careful. She didn't make a definitive claim. She just asked questions.
"An anonymous source sent me this photo, claiming it's the cosplay idol Ectiqa. It was taken outside a residential building in this area of Tokyo. The resemblance is… interesting, don't you think? What do you guys say? Could this plain, average high school girl really be the goddess we all admire? Or is this just a crazy coincidence?"
She attached the blurry photo of Rina next to a stunning, high-definition photo of Ectiqa from the Hoshizora Gala.
The post was a lit match thrown into a warehouse of fireworks. Within an hour, it was the most viewed thread on the forum. It spread to social media like wildfire.
In the studio, Miki saw it first. "Oh no," she breathed, her face going pale. "Rina, Hana… you need to see this."
Rina stared at the screen, at her own tired, plain face next to her glamorous alter-ego. The world tilted. This was it. Her worst nightmare, broadcast for the entire world to see. Her hands started to shake. "They'll figure it out. They'll know it's me."
The Ectiqa Alliance forums went into a frenzy. Kenji was messaging me non-stop. 'Dude, have you seen this?! It's impossible, right?!'
I saw the post, and a wave of cold, protective fury washed over me. This was a violation of the highest order. This was exactly what the stalker had threatened to do. I didn't care if the photo was real or fake. The act itself was reprehensible.
As Starlight_Knight_01, I became a general in a digital war.
"Everyone, calm down," I wrote in the Alliance's main discussion thread. "This is a classic doxxing and harassment tactic. Do not engage with the original post. Do not give it traffic. We will handle this."
I worked through the night, fueled by coffee and righteous anger. I rallied the other moderators. We downloaded the image and I began a forensic analysis.
An hour later, I published my findings on the Alliance website, a detailed, logical takedown of the entire post.
Starlight_Knight_01: An Analysis of the "Leaked Photo" Hoax.
*1. The Source: The photo comes from an anonymous user on a known gossip forum with zero credibility. *2. The Photo Quality: The photo of the "real girl" is conveniently blurry and taken from a great distance, classic signs of a manipulated or misleading image. *3. The Timeline Inconsistency: The metadata on the image, though partially stripped, suggests it was taken at approximately 7:15 AM. We know from Ectiqa-sama's own posts that she was working on a project until 4 AM that same night. Is it plausible she would be heading to school three hours later? 4. The Motive: This is not an attempt to find the truth. This is an attack, designed to harass and intimidate an artist. It is a desperate act by someone jealous of her success.
I concluded with an impassioned plea. "Ectiqa-sama's identity is her own. It is not a prize to be won or a secret to be exposed. She is a person who deserves to be safe. Anyone who participates in spreading this malicious garbage is not a fan. They are a bully. We, the Alliance, stand for respect. We stand with Ectiqa."
My post was a rallying cry. The tide of online opinion began to turn. Fans, armed with my logic, flooded other platforms, debunking the rumor and reporting the original post for harassment.
From her studio, Rina watched it all happen. She saw Starlight_Knight_01's post. She saw him meticulously tear apart the attack, defending her with logic and passion. He wasn't just her supporter. He was her champion, her advocate, her shield. He was fighting for her when she was too terrified to fight for herself.
The last vestiges of her doubt and confusion washed away, replaced by a feeling so powerful and clear it made her gasp.
She was in love with him. Utterly, completely, and irrevocably in love with Starlight_Knight_01.