#4 The "Perfect" Disguise

Several Hours passed, and Steven scoured the internet obsessively, searching for any hint that someone else had experienced the same transformation. He joined forums, monitored social media, even checked the news daily for any unusual reports. Nothing. No strange sightings, no bizarre transformations.

It soon became clear: He was the only one.

"No other superhumans," he muttered, half-relieved, half-frustrated. On one hand, it meant there wasn't some secret war brewing between newly-formed anime villains. On the other, it left him isolated—totally alone in dealing with this nightmare.

His reflection stared back at him from the mirror—Kaguya's face, his thoughts. "Looks like it's just you, Steven. Freaking fantastic."

After a few more days of hiding out in his apartment, Steven knew he couldn't stay cooped up forever. He had bills to pay, groceries to buy, and a life to live. But leaving the house as a godlike alien figure wasn't exactly an option.

First problem? The hair. Long, flowing, and nearly impossible to deal with. He grabbed a pair of scissors and sighed. "Sorry, Kaguya, but you've got to get a haircut." He clamped down on a section of the endless white hair and snipped.

Snap.

The scissors shattered in his hand.

"What the hell?"

He grabbed a razor next, running it along the hair in desperation. But the moment it touched, the blade dulled, as though Kaguya's hair was made of some indestructible material.

He threw the razor across the room in frustration. "Of course. Can't even cut the damn hair!"

After several failed attempts, Steven finally gave up. "I guess I'm stuck with it."

Steven realized if he was going to venture out into the world, he needed to be smart about it. He couldn't exactly parade around looking like a character from Naruto. So, he set to work crafting the best disguise he could manage.

He pulled out an oversized hoodie—dark gray, the biggest he owned. It did nothing to hide the length of his hair, but stuffing as much of it inside as possible gave him some sense of control. However, his horns—the two curved, almost bone-like structures on either side of his head—made fitting the hood over his head a nightmare. Every time he tried to pull it down, the horns poked right through, leaving visible bulges.

"Damn horns," he muttered. After a few more tries, he managed to get the hoodie on, though the horns were painfully obvious. "Let's hope people just think it's part of some weird cosplay or fashion statement."

Next, his pale, otherworldly skin. It practically glowed, but after thinking it over, he figured people might write it off as some rare condition or illness. He didn't look human, but maybe—just maybe—he could pass for some eccentric person with a medical issue.

His eyes were another problem. They weren't just pale—they were unnaturally pale, almost translucent. Anyone who saw them would immediately know something was off. He rummaged through his drawer and pulled out a pair of oversized sunglasses. "These'll have to do."

Finally, a mask to cover his lower face—simple enough, given the pandemic had made masks a normal part of life. He grabbed a black one, pulling it up over his nose.

Steven looked at himself in the mirror. With the hoodie, sunglasses, and mask, he looked like someone trying really hard to be anonymous, but it was better than nothing.

"damnit, is this gonna be my life now ?"

Steven stepped outside for the first time since his transformation, his heart pounding as he walked down the street. The mask and sunglasses did their job covering most of his face, and the hoodie hid most of the insane, glowing white hair. Still, he couldn't help but feel like everyone was staring at him.

He shoved his hands into his pockets, walking briskly past groups of people. Most didn't seem to notice him. They were busy with their own lives, phones glued to their hands. Steven exhaled a sigh of relief. So far, so good.

The cashier gave him a strange look as he approached, scanning his groceries. "Everything okay, miss?" she asked, eyeing him suspiciously.

Steven nodded quickly, his voice muffled through the mask. "Yeah, just allergies. Can't be too careful, you know?"

The cashier Lady hesitated for a moment, her eyes drifting to the lady's hair spilling out of the hoodie, and the weird bulges where her horns were. But, after a pause, she shrugged and handed herhis receipt. "Take care miss."