With a command from Yae Miko, several shrine maidens swarmed forward and pinned Gorou onto a stool, proceeding to apply makeup to him.
After the makeup was done, Gorou bore an eight or nine out of ten resemblance to the standee of Miss Shina.
This was not the end. The shrine maidens continued with Gorou's intensive training, coaching him on everything from feminine sitting and walking postures to conversational gestures. This was followed by voice alteration and disguise, and finally, a comprehensive primer on Miss Shina's knowledge base, culminating in the memorization of her entire repertoire.
These preparatory measures alone consumed Gorou's entire morning.
Gorou: Honestly, I'd rather lead troops in battle!
'These guys at Grand Narukami Shrine are not human! They're not human!'
Gorou dared not speak his mind and could only internally denounce the atrocities committed by Yae Miko and the others.
As this was his first time cross-dressing and he lacked experience, Gorou struggled to fully embody Miss Shina's persona, leading to strict demands from the Guuji Yae herself for him to start over.
Once, twice, thrice... seventeen times!
After repeating the rehearsal seventeen times, Gorou profoundly understood that earning those 150 points was no easy feat; he felt utterly drained.
That afternoon, Gorou was secretly escorted to the backyard of Yae Publishing House, instructed to portray a character who had recently recovered from a serious illness.
Meanwhile, the fan meeting venue was abuzz with excitement. Fans were either purchasing Miss Shina's merchandise or gathered in small groups, passionately discussing Miss Shina's past pronouncements in "The Monthly Shenanigans."
"Everyone, feast your eyes on this! This is my meticulously curated collection of Miss Shina's statements, all carefully clipped and pasted into this notebook. Without sounding boastful, I'll tell you that several issues of the monthly are out of print. It took tremendous effort to persuade my friends at the publishing house to get them for me, hahahahahaha..."
"In other words, this notebook itself is a collector's item! Squish, truly worthy of the Guildmaster!"
"Is this the difference between us and the Guildmaster? Truly enviable!"
"..."
Arataki Itto held his notebook aloft, basking in the envious gazes of the other fans, his face radiating pride, a grin stretching almost to his ears.
His vanity was thoroughly satisfied at this moment.
He had indeed made the right decision to come to today's Miss Shina fan meeting.
Suddenly, the fans surrounding Arataki Itto dispersed in unison and converged towards the front desk of Yae Publishing House, leaving Itto momentarily bewildered.
What had happened?
Was he no longer handsome? Or had his out-of-print notebook lost its appeal?
To understand the reason, Arataki Itto followed the surging crowd.
"Everyone, I have excellent news to share. Miss Shina's condition has improved. To thank you all for your support, she has now arrived at the fan meeting venue..."
Editor Yoko stood on stage, announcing this momentous news to the assembled fans.
Just as she had predicted, upon hearing this, the fans erupted in an instant, their eyes gleaming, and they shouted Miss Shina's name in unison.
"Miss Shina!"
"Miss Shina!"
"Miss Shina!"
"..."
The cheers, initially sparse, gradually became unified, the tide of enthusiasm rising with each wave.
They had already prepared themselves for the possibility of not seeing Miss Shina today, so how could they have expected such a delightful surprise?!
The fans channeled all their passion into these cries, creating a truly earth-shattering spectacle.
Under the expectant gazes of the fans, Miss Shina walked to the front of the stage...
"Thank you... *cough cough cough*, thank you all for your support. It is a kind of fate that brings us together today. I hope this experience will become a memorable occasion for all of you..."
As Gorou spoke, he realized he had a slight accent from Watatsumi Island. He quickly coughed to adjust, proceeding with the performance according to the lines professionally crafted by the editors.
As this was his first time performing in cross-dress and due to his nervousness, Gorou was somewhat awkward. However, this awkwardness was precisely what was needed, showcasing a maiden's shyness.
Seemingly awkward, yet perfectly executed, as evidenced by the "Ooh-hoo" exclamations from the fans below.
"Ooh-hoo! Ooh-hoo! Miss Shina, my Miss Shina!"
"Ooh-hoo-hoo! Miss Shina is the cutest in Teyvat, Miss Shina yyds!"
"..."
Witnessing Gorou's lifelike performance, Editor Yoko and Guuji Yae exchanged a glance, both displaying satisfied smiles.
Yoko couldn't help but marvel at Guuji Yae's sharp judgment and keen insight into people. The actor she had found had perfectly captured the essence of Miss Shina, leaving her in awe.
"Everyone, considering Miss Shina has just recovered from a serious illness and is still frail, she cannot stand for long. Therefore, we will have a limited time for photo opportunities. Fans who wish to take pictures, please queue up in an orderly fashion on the left side of the stands. Photo sessions will not exceed 3 seconds per person. The photo session is limited to one hour. No exceptions after the time limit!"
After Gorou's performance concluded, Yoko stepped forward to take charge of the event, her commanding presence instantly pacifying the "Ooh-hoo"-chanting fans.
Under the organization of the Yae Publishing House staff, the fans, with excited hearts, took turns to approach the stage for close contact and photos with Miss Shina.
Standing on the periphery of the venue, Feng Yi couldn't help but exclaim, "Incredible!"
She hadn't expected Yae Miko to actually find Gorou to impersonate Miss Shina. What intrigued her was how she managed to persuade Gorou.
After all, cross-dressing performances were such a humiliating act, making it incredibly difficult...
Gorou: I didn't want to either, but they offered too much!
The one-hour photo session quickly passed. Standing on the stage, Gorou scanned the surroundings and, not spotting Sangonomiya Kokomi, quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
If there was anyone present who could detect his true identity, it would undoubtedly be Sangonomiya.
Having worked with Sangonomiya for many years, relying on her mysterious intuition, even a perfect disguise or turning into ashes would not escape her discerning eye.
His true identity was currently known only to the shrine maidens of Grand Narukami Shrine, oh, and that shop assistant from Qingke.
However, he had used a pseudonym at Qingke, so the shop assistant could at most be considered a half-informed party.
In that case, as long as he avoided coming to Inazuma in the future, he believed those shrine maidens, for the sake of Miss Shina's reputation, would absolutely not expose his impersonation.
And Watatsumi Island would be his final sanctuary!
After the performance ended, Gorou retreated backstage, shed the green long skirt, removed the makeup, and resumed his appearance as the General of Watatsumi Island. After settling his payment, he returned the green long skirt to Yae Miko, only to be cheerfully refused.
"This green long skirt is yours to keep, General Doggo. Perhaps it will come in handy again someday?"