Rei Kogami Arc

*For the character, see Rei Kogami.*

The **Rei Kogami Arc** is the eighth story arc in *My Dress-Up Darling*.

Cosplay moves back to the top of the priority list over love, as the cultural festival rolls around. To Marin’s utter surprise and delight, it features an event that means cosplay at school! But while Marin may now have a lot of experience to go on, the type of cosplay required is totally new to her!

With the cultural festival looming and a beauty pageant to win, Marin and Wakana’s days at school turn into a frenzy of activity! Though the pair are now old hands at cosplaying, Marin struggles to project masculinity in character for her first crossplay.

Wakana, meanwhile, has jitters about his very first time working with his classmates! Can he overcome the doubts and negative voices in his head to make Marin number one in the pageant and help his class bring home the victory?!

## Summary

The school just announced their annual school festival. The main event of the festival was a pageant where the participants would be crossdressing. Marin's classmates immediately thought of her as their contestant. She gladly accepted when she found out that she would get to crossplay Rei-sama, a popular character from a very popular manga-turned-TV-show and recreate the famous bento scene from the said story. Wakana finished reading the series and was moved by the bento scene and by the series as a whole. He finished his design and told Marin that they didn't have a lot of time to make the costume as he also had to help out with class decorations which was assigned to all the male students.

After Marin made a list of things she needed to buy. Wakana said that since he wasn't able to go with her, she should call him if she had any questions, or she could ask Usami for advice. After that, he sent her off on her own. He proceeded to go to the classroom and help out with the festival preparations, but he was sent away by his classmates, being that he needed to concentrate in making the costume which only he could make. His classmates told him to leave all the other stuff to them, and even lightly scolded him for entrusting such an important task to Marin. The two ended up buying the materials together with the help of Usami.

Wakana started to work on the costume. Marin, not sure on how she could help Wakana, decided to make him bento lunches and even tried to sew a button for him (although she failed). They both worked on Rei's wig, with Marin lending Wakana her hair equipment so Wakana could style it.

The costume was finally finished so Wakana had Marin fit it at school. Her classmates watched her prepare and put on the shapewear needed to make her look masculine. When Marin put on the costume, Wakana realized that he had used Marin's usual measurements and was not able to account for the shapewear, so the suit did not fit her perfectly as he had intended. He decided to redo the suit and promised to have it ready before the pageant.

Before Marin changed out of the costume, Wakana asked Kensei to model for Marin so she could act unmistakably manly. After Marin was able to copy how Kensei carried himself, she and Wakana started to work on the rainbow rose for Rei's costume. They were having trouble coloring it, but fortunately, their classmate, Seika, helped out.

On the day of the pageant, Marin started her preparations. Their class was behind in points due to another class' more successful booth. Marin is unfazed, though, because she was confident that she would win the pageant and get them the bonus points so they could pull ahead. Wakana also wanted to do his best because all his classmates were determined to win the festival. However, he was initially unable to start on Marin's makeup because of the pressure of having all his classmates watching him. He was able to snap out of it when he remembered everyone who was counting on him.

As Marin was walking to centerstage, the crowd went wild seeing her as Rei-sama. The champagne call that she and her classmates prepared was well-received. Her pitch was also successful, having won over the Student Council President. As Wakana watched from a distance, he thought that Marin was so dazzling and recalled that he had felt the same way as when he saw a hina doll for the first time.

After the pageant, their class is announced as the winner, with Marin winning the pageant and obtaining the bonus points needed for the class to get to first place. To celebrate their victory, they decided to rent karaoke rooms. There, Wakana was overwhelmed by the attention from his classmates, so he left for a change of pace. Marin went to look for him. When she found him, they decided not to go back to the karaoke room and spend some time together in the nearby arcade, with Wakana winning her a stuffed toy. Marin realized that she and Wakana did not have a photo together, so she asked him to take a picture in a photobooth. However, some of her classmates take the picture with Wakana in her stead.

## Story Impact

* Takeru Koga and Murakami are introduced for the first time.
* This is Marin's first time crossplaying, although technically, she cosplays as Rei who is a girl who crossplays.
* Wakana starts to open up to his classmates and gains new friends.
* Wakana learns to depend on other people after realizing that he can't do everything on his own.
* When Wakana was watching Marin on stage, he thought that Marin was so dazzling and recalled that he had felt the same way as when he saw a hina doll for the first time. He would remember this moment again in the future when Marin attends the Winter Comiket.

## Characters Introduced

Karen
Seira
Takeru Koga
Murakami
S.C. President

## References

1. ↑ *My Dress-Up Darling* Manga — Volume 7.
2. ↑ *My Dress-Up Darling* Manga — Volume 8.
3. ↑ *My Dress-Up Darling* Manga — Vol. 7 Chapter 51.
4. ↑ *My Dress-Up Darling* Manga — Vol. 7 Chapter 52.
5. ↑ *My Dress-Up Darling* Manga — Vol. 7 Chapter 53.
6. ↑ *My Dress-Up Darling* Manga — Vol. 7 Chapter 54.
7. ↑ *My Dress-Up Darling* Manga — Vol. 7 Chapter 55.
8. ↑ *My Dress-Up Darling* Manga — Vol. 8 Chapter 56.
9. ↑ *My Dress-Up Darling* Manga — Vol. 8 Chapter 57.
10. ↑ *My Dress-Up Darling* Manga — Vol. 8 Chapter 58.
11. ↑ *My Dress-Up Darling* Manga — Vol. 8 Chapter 59.
12. ↑ *My Dress-Up Darling* Manga — Vol. 8 Chapter 60.
13. ↑ *My Dress-Up Darling* Manga — Vol. 8 Chapter 61.
14. ↑ *My Dress-Up Darling* Manga — Vol. 8 Chapter 62.
15. ↑ *My Dress-Up Darling* Manga — Vol. 8 Chapter 63.