Furuya in Drag

"Yo, Nino. Got a couple of kids lined up to help keep that store of yours from fading once summer vacation hits," Shiva said, stepping into the old man's living room, scanning the place with familiarity.

Nino looked up, his gaze finding Shiva. A hint of warmth touched his eyes. "Heh, Mr. Shiva, you showing up unannounced like this… it's a surprise. I'd heard some talk, but I figured my grandson would take care of it. Hard to see him struggle, really," the old man admitted, his voice trailing off with a trace of regret.

Shiva sat down across from Nino, his fingers flicking as a drink appeared in his hand, materializing as if out of habit. He gave a sigh. "Yeah, even if that kid helped out last time, people change. Just a couple of years out there, and it can shape them into someone you barely recognize."

Nino's eyes shifted downward, thoughtful. After a moment, he said, "You saw it, didn't you? That future vision of yours… you knew."

Shiva's smirk surfaced, unguarded. "I did. But it's never good to tell people about their futures. They'd try to twist it, fight it, and things could end up worse than they expect. But trust me, these new kids will give the place a boost. That, I can promise."

A pause hung in the air, giving Nino a moment to consider. He nodded, his posture weighed down as if tired. "Alright then. I'll trust what you're saying, but can I hear a little about them?" he asked, his tone laced with caution.

Shiva's laugh broke through the quiet. "The one taking the lead will mostly handle the heavy lifting. Then, for the admin side, he's bringing along two close friends. One of them's his girlfriend, probably soon to be fiancée, if I had to guess. They're solid folks, and they'll help you out."

Nino raised an eyebrow, his gaze fixed on Shiva. "With all due respect to Lord Shiva's insight, I'll accept their help. But… I'd like to know their names, if you don't mind," he pressed, his eyes never leaving the god.

A grin spread across Shiva's face. "The son from the Futakao family, and daughters from the Cheng and Yang families. You don't know them now, but soon enough, their names will be familiar."

Nino inclined his head in acknowledgment. "I'll remember those surnames. Thank you."

The two men kept the conversation rolling for a while, letting memories drift back. They talked about the early days, when the business had first taken root, and the high points that had marked its strongest years. Eventually, Shiva stood to leave, giving Nino a nod before heading out, leaving the old man alone in the quiet room.

Nino rose from his seat, his gaze moving to the window where he could see the first hints of snowfall, a sign that winter was creeping in, thickening the air with its chill. He closed his eyes, letting the thought linger. "So, a summer packed with changes," he murmured. "Can't say I'm not curious to see what comes of it… but what about my grandson? He's a bullheaded one, short-tempered. Not one to back down. I'd hate for things to get physical between them."

He gave a shake of his head, exhaling. Turning back, he made his way to his seat, as if settling into his own thoughts. "They're the ones Lord Shiva chose, after all… I'll trust their judgment. Maybe, just maybe, they'll bring my grandson back to the person he was."

+-+

"Do I really have to wear this?" Yasushi grumbled as Yinhaie adjusted his collar, working to get him dressed.

Yinhaie's face softened as she glanced up at him. "Yes. Even if it's just a toned-down gathering, you need to look the part. As Master Liang Yang always said, in this line of work, people expect you to present yourself in a certain way. It's what clients and everyone in this business want to see."

Yasushi sighed, a groan under his breath. "I hate this side of the industry, if I'm honest. Though…I'll admit, the clothes look decent enough — though they're stiff and tight as hell — but yeah, they look decent," he muttered, drawing a small laugh from Yinhaie.

"Stick with me, and you'll do just fine. Yunxue, Nandini, and I will be with you the whole time," she replied, tapping the tip of his nose with her finger.

Xinyi chimed in from across the room, a grin tugging at her lips. "Hey, we're coming too, don't leave us out! Though I'm betting all eyes are gonna be on Yasushi in that outfit," she added, her laughter barely contained.

Yasushi gave Xinyi a hard look, and she darted behind Jingliu, who just sighed at their back-and-forth. "We're all dressed in semi-professional outfits, Xinyi. There's barely a difference between what you're wearing and what Yasushi has on," Jingliu pointed out.

"This and that are not the same thing," Xinyi replied with a shrug.

"How exactly?" Yasushi asked, raising an eyebrow.

Xinyi's grin widened. "Because I said so," she retorted, only for Jingliu to reach over and give her cheek a firm pinch. "Ow! Alright, I'm sorry!"

"Behave yourself. This is our first Halloween in college, and plenty of first years are out here trying to make a solid impression. Plus, there's a party, even if we're skipping it because we already have our own plans," Jingliu reminded her, and Xinyi stuck her tongue out before moving to stand beside her.

Then, with a glint in her eye, Xinyi put her hand on her hip and said, "Well, at least we'll get to watch Furuya embarrass himself. That alone makes it worth it. I'm dying to see what ridiculous costume he ends up picking." The grin on her face grew as she imagined the scene.

"Cut the nonsense. We're set to leave, aren't we?" Jingliu said, glancing over at Yasushi, who'd just been released from Xinyi's teasing grip.

"About as ready as I'll ever be," he replied, adjusting his costume with a faint scowl.

With that, they stepped out, joining the small group headed to the college's Halloween costume contest.

+-+

Yasushi's group reached the spot where the Halloween costume competition had drawn in an unexpectedly large crowd. Looking around, Yasushi guessed that about half of the students had shown up, filling the area with a buzz of conversation and anticipation.

"Can't believe this many actually give a damn about a Halloween costume contest," Xinyi muttered, as she leaned over the rail of the raised platform, taking in the scene below.

Yasushi scanned the crowd. "Probably just half because the other students are spread out, hitting up events at other schools and colleges tonight. Everyone's got their own plans," he replied, keeping an eye on the shifting costumes and groups below.

Yunxue sighed, her voice carrying a tinge of nostalgia. "It's a bit disappointing, though. Last year, back in high school, Halloween was huge — a wild event from start to finish. Now we're just here, more like spectators than anything," she added.

Yasushi gave Yunxue's head a light pat and let out a chuckle. "Don't worry about it too much. We'll have our moment when summer rolls around. Though it might be a bit of a different scene…a little more chaotic, maybe."

Yunxue tilted her head, squinting at him with a look that was clearly searching for more. "Chaotic? What's that supposed to mean?" Her voice carried a spark of confusion.

Yasushi didn't offer anything else, just a quiet smile, giving her hair another light ruffle before she gave up on getting a real answer and turned back toward the stage, her interest shifting back to the show.

Xinyi leaned over with a grin, nudging Jingliu's arm. "Remember back in high school when we had our own version of this? You stole the show, Jingliu, dressed as that Goddess Hakufubuki or whatever. Couldn't believe how many people thought you were the real deal."

Jingliu smiled at the memories, glancing down without a word, while the others settled in around her, waiting as the crowd grew louder.

Then the announcer's voice burst through the noise, cutting across the space and stirring up the energy even more. "Alright, everyone! We're back at it — time for this year's Halloween costume contest! So let's skip the nonsense and dive right in! This year's winner is walking away with cash, so let's get things started!"

Lights flared to life, cutting through the dim atmosphere as music echoed through the space, filling the air with anticipation. Moments later, the first contestant stepped onto the stage dressed as a snow woman. The crowd erupted, a wave of cheers meeting the entrance.

"A Yuki-onna costume, huh? Not bad, that's a choice," Laura commented as she slipped into the group, Reina following close behind. She shot a wink in Yasushi's direction and threw up a quick wave. "Well, look who's all dressed up — looking sharp there, Yasushi," she said, giving his shoulder a quick, teasing punch.

Yasushi laughed, glancing over at her. "Didn't expect to see you two. Thought you both had too much on your plate to come out tonight."

Laura flashed him a peace sign. "Yeah, I squeezed some time out — same goes for Reina here," she replied with a grin.

Yunxue's gaze darted between Laura and Reina, curiosity sparking as she leaned in. "Any clue what Furuya's going as? Haven't seen him anywhere."

Laura and Reina exchanged a glance, both shrugging in unison. "Not a clue," Reina said with a sigh. "Catherine's in on it, but she's been acting all secretive." She shook her head, smirking a little. "Knowing that guy, it's bound to be something totally ridiculous."

The event rolled on, each new contestant greeted with shouts and applause, Yasushi and his friends joining in, their voices blending into the crowd's noise. Servers moved through the venue, passing out snacks and drinks — some alcoholic, some not — to anyone wanting to indulge.

Laura and Reina each grabbed a drink, though they didn't seem inclined to go beyond a casual sip or two, pushing the rest away after a short while. For the others, just watching the spectacle unfold was enough for now.

As time passed, Yasushi's attention drifted from the stage to another corner of the venue. Four people stood there, two guys and two girls, their behavior drawing his eye. He couldn't shake the feeling that something about them was off.

Oddly, over the years, Yasushi had gotten pretty good at picking up on these situations, an awareness that seemed to come up a lot. It was weird, but he figured dealing with stuff like this often enough could have that effect.

Looking around, he caught Nandini's eye, realizing she'd noticed the group too. They exchanged a quick nod. Without another word, Nandini leaned over, murmuring, "I'll take a closer look," before slipping away from the group and blending into the crowd, her sudden exit raising some confused looks from the others.

The minutes stretched on, and finally, their friend took the stage. The figure before them was unmistakable, the same height and build — yet tonight, something was radically different.

"Wait, is he in… drag?" Xinyi's voice barely concealed his confusion, mixed with an edge of something close to horror.

There stood Furuya, fully transformed. His face was slathered in thick makeup: layers of bright eyeshadow, heavy lipstick, exaggeratedly long fake lashes. A massive blonde wig topped his head, styled in wild curls that looked anything but natural.

He wore a shiny, absurdly pink, plasticky dress that seemed designed to grab attention from a mile away, paired with towering high heels that made each step look like it could be his last.

As Furuya began to move, he struck poses, twirling and strutting with surprising energy, his shaven legs gleaming under the stage lights.

The crowd went wild, whistling, clapping, shouting for more. Yasushi's group could only watch, half-frozen, as their friend paraded across the stage. Off to the side, Catherine stood, her expression strained, a tight look that made it clear she wasn't entirely thrilled about this.

"Um… is he…?" Jingliu's voice drifted, unable to finish the thought.

Yasushi sighed, forcing a laugh, his expression just as tense. "No, he's not. Last I heard, he's still with Catherine, and as far as I know, he's straight. I think he's just trying to shock everyone enough to grab that prize money."

The surreal show went on, laughter rolling through the crowd, with cheers pushing Furuya to keep going. He played it up, grinning wide as he threw in an extra spin, then struck a final pose, puckering up and blowing kisses toward the audience, who erupted in delighted shouts and whistles. But soon enough, someone finally stepped in, ushering him off the stage as the noise reached its peak.

Laura shook her head slowly. "Well… that was… something," she said, her voice now clear and sober.

"Yeah… honestly, I don't even know how we're supposed to look him in the eye after that," Reina replied, a hand pressed to her cheek as she stifled a laugh.

They exchanged glances, attempting to piece together something else to talk about, but the air between them held a bit of awkwardness.

Eventually, the competition moved on, though Furuya's outrageous display seemed to have left its mark; no one else could quite match the reaction he'd stirred. In the end, the crowd's energy, still riding high from his act, gradually settled down, and the night's contest wrapped up not long after.

+-+

"Alright, everyone! I know you've all been waiting for this moment, and let's be real — the winner's practically decided already!" the announcer called out, his words slurred enough to draw a round of loud laughter from the crowd of college students, many of whom were clearly more than a few drinks in.

Jingliu gave a skeptical look, her eyes narrowing as she glanced out over the throngs below. "They're all drunk," she muttered, her tone more of an observation than a judgment, as she watched the scene unfold.

Just then, Nandini slipped back over to Yasushi's side, leaning in close to speak quietly, "They're planning to swipe the prize money. It's not much, but they're desperate enough. I've locked down most of the exits, so rounding them up won't be an issue. The other guards are all in position too."

Yasushi gave a slight nod, acknowledging her preparation. "Good work. Take Yunxue with you, and get to those spots when things start going down."

Nandini nodded in response, then grabbed Yunxue by the arm, pulling her along with her. Yunxue's brow furrowed as she stumbled to keep up, her mouth opening with questions, but Nandini simply urged her to follow, assuring her she'd explain everything on the way.

"Something wrong?" Laura asked, her voice thick with concern, eyes flicking between Yasushi and the crowd.

Yasushi gave a slight nod. "Yeah, but it's under control," he replied, though his gaze didn't leave the stage. Right on cue, the announcer, just about to reveal the winner with the prize money bag raised in his hand, took a hit — someone had thrown a bottle, splashing water across his face. Before he could recover, another figure stormed forward, landing a punch square on his nose.

The crowd erupted into mayhem — or at least as much chaos as a bunch of heavily intoxicated college students could muster. Most of them staggered in confusion, some barely noticing the commotion as they stumbled around, while a few closer to the action gasped, eyes wide in shock.

Amid the scattered shouts and stifled laughter, the four instigators seized the moment. One of them grabbed the prize bag, and the rest bolted, darting through the mass of students. It was sloppy — clearly a last-minute plan, the sort of idea hatched in desperation.

And somehow, it almost worked, thanks to the drunken haze that left most of the crowd oblivious to their sprint.

But their dash for the exit didn't last long. Out of nowhere, Yunxue charged in, launching herself forward with a kick that sent both women in the group tumbling to the ground. In the same beat, two burly college guys tackled the remaining men, pinning them down and forcing the breath out of them as they hit the floor, hard.

"What the…they tried to steal it?" Reina asked, blinking at the scene, clearly trying to piece together what she'd just watched unfold.

"Yeah, pretty much," Yasushi replied, slipping his phone out of his pocket when it buzzed. He glanced at the screen, shaking his head before looking back at Reina. "Nandini and I noticed those four acting shady earlier, so she headed off to alert a few people. We made sure they wouldn't slip out, though I didn't expect them to try anything this obvious." His eyes scanned the message on his phone. "Turns out they had two more people waiting in a car. Nandini spotted them and detained both before they could take off."

Reina exhaled, relieved but still shaking her head in disbelief at the whole mess. Yasushi looked around at the group, pocketing his phone. "Alright, let's head home. No need for us to stick around for the aftermath." He started to move, then paused, glancing back. "Actually, I'll catch up with Nandini. You guys go ahead if you want."

The others nodded, gathering their things, some muttering to each other as they followed Yasushi out, leaving the scattered crowd to settle down from the night's commotion.

+-+

"I won… I actually won…" Furuya mumbled, clutching the bag of prize money close, pressing it to his face as if to make sure it was real. "But damn, almost had a heart attack seeing all that chaos go down."

"Being a little over the top, don't you think?" Catherine replied, sighing at her boyfriend. "The moment I spotted Yunxue earlier, I had a feeling something was brewing. But I'm glad it wasn't worse than what it was."

Furuya nodded in agreement, glancing around at the thinning crowd. "By the way, where'd Yasushi, Jingliu, and Xinyi go? Kind of expected them to be here with us, not off somewhere."

"They got called by the Dean," Layena chimed in, stepping closer. "Apparently, he wanted to get to the bottom of all that craziness, and Yasushi had some answers since he knew what was up. The Dean asked for him specifically, and Yasushi took Jingliu, Xinyi, Yunxue, Nandini, and Yinhaie along to explain everything."

Furuya nodded slowly, brow furrowing. "Right…just hope they don't get in trouble over this," he muttered, voice trailing off.

"They're fine, don't get yourself worked up over it," Laura said, stepping up beside them. "Anyway, you won, so how about we go out to eat to celebrate? They'll catch up with us once they're done dealing with the Dean." She started to walk, gesturing for the rest of them to follow, her voice brightening at the thought of food.

Furuya and the rest exchanged glances before following her lead, still buzzing with the aftermath of the evening's drama, the anticipation of their next stop keeping them moving forward.