The school bell rings as teacher announced end of school year, sound of students’ chitchats fill the room as they pack up and head out in groups. Everyone left except me and another person remain in the classroom. Unlike those people, I don't have any plan during summer, nor any friends to spend it with. All I've done for the past school breaks were shutting myself indoor and spend those time grinding in game, occasionally checking out new anime and manga.
*Grinding is the term for "the process of engaging in repetitive tasks." (Thanks google)
When I'm about to leave, the boy, who also remains in the classroom, turns around and start talking.
“Hey Rei, you have any plans for today?”
Tristan, cool and laid-back guy, who is popular with both guys and ladies because most of them are confused by his appearance. With long, black silky hair tied in a ponytail and cute face, he is often mistaken as a girl. But similar to me, he is also a shut in who prefers games over social shenanigans. Since start of the school year, I have same class schedule as Tristan so we sometimes work on projects together, even though he is suppose to be my senior. But he is a decent guy, sometimes we join raid parties in-game for fun.
“Not really, I already completed quests in game, and there aren’t any interesting anime or manga.” I answer back.
“There's an anime convention not far from here, wanna go check it out? Dinner’s on me.” Tristan suggested, when thinking back to it, I don't know why I'm such an idiot for not knowing that he is asking me out.
“Sure, sounds good to me.”
Due to traffic at this hour, we take subway to save time. The ride doesn’t last long, mostly because Tristan keeps me busy with all his questions about the game we both are playing, and soon enough the subway arrived to the destination just underneath the department store where this convention is held. It isn’t a big one like comik@ts, but still, the amount of people gathering around entrance is quite impressive. When we tried to enter, a security guard blocks my path.
“Sorry, all the tickets are sold out, so we won’t allow anymore visitors unless they are participating in the event.”
“Ah crap, we’re late, guess we have to find something else to do. The arcade or manga cafe seem nice.”
Tristan starts to spring up more suggestion, but I ignored him because there’s a store nearby that sells costumes, so I gives him my suggestion instead.
“Maybe we can do some simple cosplay and slip in.”
Tristan turns around as he stares at me blankly. After he found his words, he tries talk is way out of it.
"A-are you s-sure about t-that? There is a lot of people, and it's kind of embarrassing"
"Come on, it's going to be fun, trust me." I smiled as I drag him over to the store. The store is really impressive, not only there are a lot of costumes, it also comes with changing room for both genders. While Tristan is minding his own business, I'm having trouble finding costume that suits me. It's all because most of them are for females with average bust sizes, but unfortunately I was born with a chest so flat, I'm often mistaken as a boy.
When I'm about to give up on female costume and go with "plan B" (cross-dressing cosplay), someone leans over and whisper in my ear.
“Are you planning to cross-dressing, little boy?”
Those sharp word pierces my weak spot, I turns around to get a look at the speaker. Base on the appearance, she looks like a college student with abnormal chest size, and judging on her name tag, she’s the store’s owner.
I didn’t respond to her jokes, what I did is glare at her with a blank face, but I could feel my ear heating up. The shop owner looks amused after seeing my expression, which irritates me.
“I’m just kidding, so you’re having trouble picking costume because of your size?”
Again, stabbing me in the weak spot.
“Unfortunately, yes…”
“Then worry no more, because I’m going to help you and that flat chest of your.”
The shop owner leads me into a storage room and starts to dig around some cardboard boxes. We exchange some words, and I learns a thing or two about the shop owner. Her name is Tala, age is 18, which is unbelievable because her chest size is big enough for a grown women. When the discussion is heating up, Tala springs up with a set of costume in her hand.
“Found it, the costume for females with flat chest.”
The costume Tala dug out belongs to Rïel from an anime I've watched before, the costume is nice, but the only problem is I have to expose my waist while wearing it.
“Since I haven’t enjoy talking to anyone as much as you, and nobody wants to buy that costume, I’m giving it to you for free, and leaves the make up to me. Sounds good?
After changing and make ups are done, I thanks Tala for everything and walks out of the staff room, hoping to find Jayden in the male section, but I couldn’t find him anywhere. Just when I'm is about to give up and wait outside, I spotted him sneaking out of the changing room.
“Tristan, is that you?”
Tristan immediately froze up, slowly turns his head around, and stares at me blankly. For a second I almost laugh my head off, I can’t believe it, out of all people, Tristan is actually doing a cross-dressing cosplay. And out of all characters, why did he choose to cosplay as Yamakaze?
But when I shift my vision to his chest, my laughter died down. There's one thing, one MAJOUR thing that bothers me. I circle around Tristan, and when I spotted an opening, I grope his chest from behind.
“What’s wrong with your chest? Aren’t you too young for plastic surgery?”
Jayden tried to answer, but his panting prevents him from answering. But with the crowd staring at us, I have to stop so we won’t embarrass ourselves.
“These pads are sewed into the costume, and the costume might rip if I try to pull it off.” Tristan choked out as he crumble to his knee, panting hard.
Even though I want to rip that costume apart, I decide to let it slide for now. After Tristan pays for his costumes, we head toward the entrance. Sure enough, before we can reach the door, many photographers start to crowd around us, asking if they can take some pictures.
After we push pass the crowds and enter through the front gate, some staffs leads us to the back stage, saying we have to be ready in 15 minutes.
“Tristan, what’s going on?” I asked
“Seems like we’re mistaken as professionals attending the contest” He respond.
I was about to go out and tell them this is some kind of misunderstanding, but the back of my mind tell me to use this opportunity to mess with Tristan.
“How about, we make a bet. Whoever wins in the contest can gives loser a command, and you can’t denied it.”
“Wait, that’s absur-”
Without waiting for his respond, using this opening, I grope his chest again until he gives up. As the timer approaches, we line up with other contestant, and walked onto the stage.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I lose
In the end, Tristann manage to win the first place, while I ends up at second place with 3 votes off, and it irritates me because HE IS CROSSDRESSING, WHY NOBODY NOTICE IT?
In the end, we couldn't visit most booths because pretty much everyone are crowding around us, at least I didn't left the convention empty-handed. Tristan gave me a doll he won from the crane machine, and I adore it.
After he treats me dinner, we planned to head to the subway and end our day, but with crowds of people blocking the way, so we take a shortcut instead. The back alley doesn't have much lighting, but with flash light from our phones, we made it half-way until Tristan breaks the silence.
"So, how comes your always alone? I though your supposed to be popular with the guys in our class, since they like girls with ponytail and blue hair."
"Woah, first of all, your also a shut-in and a guy who is asked out by both gender. Second, how did you know that type of girl they like? Are you stalking them?"
Tristan went silence for a while, and I regrets saying all those things to him.
“I’m sorry”
“It’s fine, we’re friends right?”
Tears start to form in my eyes, I could feel my doubt for him melts away. Maybe, just maybe, he’s the one who I’m looking for.
“Rei, are you alright—“
“Hey girls, wanna hang out with us?”
Based on Jayden’s reaction, he've also heard it. We turn around and found ourselves surrounded by 6 guys around their 20s, judging from their appearance, they’re probably some social rejects who spend time doing suspicious things.
‘How can they mistake Tristan as a girl?’ I though to myself, but when I glance at him, I wants to face palm myself. Both of us are still wearing the costume from the convention, and none of us ever suggest about changing back. But surprisingly, Jayden stood up before I have the chance to talk.
“Sorry, but we’re going to be late for the subway, so please step aside.”
He grabs my hand and tried to push through, but the guy is pretty persistence.
“Oh come on, just hang out with us, we’ll give you a ride home later.” The others said as they start to surround them like hungry wolves. Jayden, with his small build, tried to resist, but it only amuse those bastards. Without warning, one of the guy grabs our hand while the others start to get all touchy.
‘Rule number 4: Only use force when necessary. This situation looks necessary enough to me.’
As one of them start to move his hand closer to Jayden’s chest, my sense kicks into action.
Whack
The reason why I have to obey these rules is because I was born abnormal strength, at the age of 10, the doctor said I have the strength of a grown man. Since I’m famous for getting in trouble, my father makes these rules so I won’t get in anymore trouble.
I only gives him a quick jab in the face, but it’s enough to send him crashing into the wall. While the rest are still shocked, I quickly push Jayden aside so he won’t get in the way. Soon enough, they regain consciousness and start swarming me.
“How dare you, you f##king bitch.” One of them yelled as he swings at me. But even with 5 peoples, their punches are too slow, I dodges them with ease and send a straight punch into a guy’s chest, and he collapsed on the ground. It’s enough to make the rest hesitate on attacking, and one of them is either brave or stupid enough to tried attacking me from behind, and I respond my intercepting his attack. Our fists collied with a loud ‘crack’ that follows, the guy grabs his fist as he scream in agony, and I silenced him with swift kicks into his leg, arm, and head.
The other three took the hint and runs with tail between their legs, leaving their comrades behind. Strangely, police siren filled the usually empty alley, getting louder by seconds. I turned to look at Jayden, who is sitting in a sly position, usually I would’ve teased him, but when I see the shock on his face and the emptiness of his eyes, I could feel a part of me breaking. Tristan tried to speak, but the siren and the flashing lights make his sound and lip-movement unclear.
The three wounded are transported onto the ambulance, and both of us are taken custody, but they separate us in two different room. While in the interrogation room, I couldn’t help wanting to know what Tristan said, but the other parts of me suggest that he is just another one of those people. One of those who comes into my life, makes me trust them, and disappearing without saying a single farewell.
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