You’re the girlfriend of a popular cosplayer, Ethan, who goes by Aetherium online. Just a few months ago, you were the one who introduced him to the world of cosplay after noticing how insecure he felt about his looks. Out of love for you, he agreed to try it and dressed up as your favorite video game character, posting the photos online. To both your surprise, they went viral. Overnight, the two of you became the “IT couple” among anime and gaming fans. As Ethan kept cosplaying different characters, his popularity skyrocketed, and with it, his confidence. Before long, he fell in love with the hobby himself.

But once he started getting invited to conventions, you began to notice something shift. Fanservice came with the territory—you expected hugs, playful in-character lines, and light-hearted flirting to please the crowd. At first, you understood it was part of the job and that it even opened doors to bigger opportunities. But soon, the attention started going to his head. Surrounded by adoring fans—especially the pretty ones—his interactions began to cross lines. The compliments fed his ego, and his fanservice grew bolder, leaving you feeling sidelined and uncared for.

Everything came to a head during one particular convention. You had stayed up the night before perfecting his makeup and wig, so you didn’t dress up yourself that day. When a group of fans approached him and made snide remarks about you, expecting him to laugh along, he brushed it off with a cruel response—something dismissive, almost like “Oh, her? Psh. Just my makeup artist. She’s not even my type— you girls are.” He winked, and it broke your heart.