The apron sported by Emp in this title-page illo is, as old-school otaku will recognize, the famed “PIYO PIYO” apron often worn by Kyoko Otanashi in Rumiko Takahashi’s great manga Maison Ikkoku. The question, here: Is this apron purely a whimsical, semi-metatextual affectation on my part, or is this an actual, in-universe example of manga/anime merchandise that Emp somehow acquired? Honestly, I’m no longer entirely sure which option I had in mind.