Niibashi wondered if he'd finally, finally gone off the deep end saying yes to the latest of his new desk neighbour's whims. The quiet guy with thick glasses and strained eyes usually glued to his cellphone, asking Niibashi to "make him sexy" with all the earnestness of someone asking to marry him.
"I was thinking a qipao," he was saying. Kuresawa's voice had an odd melodic quality to it when he was excited, measured but lilting like a steady bass line. They stopped to wait at an intersection, and the sound of his voice underscoring the beeps of the traffic lights formed the barest bones of a melody just cohesive enough to leave Niibashi disoriented.
He pulled his cellphone out of his pocket, unlocking it in milliseconds to show Niibashi a Pinterest board. "I've wanted to try one on since the competition last year, when I was helping Miyano out. Miyano's the guy from 3-B who took second place, by the way. The one with a mole near his eye."
Niibashi felt as if he'd stepped into one of those infamous rivers that, despite seeming placid, would kill any person dumb enough not to realize how badly it wanted to bash your head in. He ended up so overwhelmed by the torrent of information that the only thing to tumble out of his throat was "Pinterest?"
Kuresawa's eyes sparkled behind his glasses, undeterred by Niibashi putting his foot in his mouth. "Surprised? My girlfriend had me make an account."
He showed off his Pinterest albums with the clear-cut confidence of Michelangelo standing next to David. Niibashi scanned through moodboards with names like Binary Stars, Black Holes, Drag Competition 2018, Night on the Galactic Railroad, Miyano Manga Recs, JWST News, and Our Wedding.
Our Wedding? Seriously? Niibashi's gaze slid back up to Kuresawa, who was starting to take shape as Heterosexual Kagiura in Niibashi's mind.
"My girfriend agreed to help with my makeup, but I really want to wear something that'll make my friends fall for me." Well, probably heterosexual.
He continued to soundtrack their walk with the usual bombast for how perfect his girlfriend was, but years of hearing Kagiura's Hirano-talk seemed to have inoculated Niibashi against the worst of it. He found himself drawn to the effortless confidence of a guy with heavy glasses and striking piercings, bold enough to talk up his girlfriend in an environment where even mentioning he'd managed to land one was enough to set most guys off. He'd been the only student to transfer to the advanced class for third year exam hell, but nothing Niibashi had seen from him suggested regret— in his eyes, all Niibashi saw was a resolve to reach for the stars.
"I'm thinking of something with a cutout on the chest. I'm not sure if I should try padding it out with newspaper, or what." Niibashi's admiration was dulled a little by how that same resolve extended to wanting to seduce his guy friends.
"You brought me out to ask if you should shove newspapers down your shirt?"
"I brought you here because you have an eye for aesthetics," Kuresawa asserted. "Isn't that what helped you steal the win last year?"
"I won because 2-B was stuck in the Taisho era, obviously."
Kuresawa had stopped walking. Niibashi followed his gaze to an unbelievably chintzy, girlish boutique, with a name rendered unreadable in cursive.
"My girlfriend said to start here," Kuresawa said. He walked in with a bold stride that left Niibashi scrambling to catch up with him in double-time.
"I know you said she was helping you with makeup, but…" Niibashi watched Kuresawa greet the store employee as she eyed the two high school boys in her store warily. "…Uh, is your girlfriend actually supportive of you doing this?" I feel like she's playing a prank on you, he left unsaid.
Kuresawa flashed him a thumbs up. "She said, 'there's nothing hotter than a guy confident enough to cross-dress'."
Niibashi wasn't touching that can of worms any time soon. Thankfully, Kuresawa was already preoccupied with browsing the racks before them.
The boutique carried a wide variety of traditional Chinese dresses alongside more typical lolita picks; according to Kuresawa, it was owned by an expat interested in fusing unique aspects of Japanese and Chinese fashion. All the respect Niibashi had for such an innovative vision fell apart when he saw the results of it.
"No taste at all," he muttered. "Too much lace. You have to use that kind of thing thoughtfully, or it'll look like you're compensating for something."
"Like what?"
Niibashi ran a fingertip over one of the dresses with a grimace. "Like how cheap this fabric is."
They hopped from store to store, guided by the invisible hand of Kuresawa's girlfriend through pinned locations and eager texts. Kuresawa seemed undeterred by Niibashi's continuous string of vetoes, culminating in Niibashi throwing his hands up and dragging Kuresawa to someplace more normal.
The employee at one of Niibashi's usual haunts greeted Niibashi by name, offering to guide the two to their new arrivals. The sleek, pearl-white walls were lit by delicate sconces and a small chandelier, lending the establishment a casually neoclassical look. Niibashi knew not to be fooled, though; he'd seen the same camp sensibilities Kuresawa seemed drawn to executed much more competently through the brands this particular boutique chose to carry.
"I don't think we have the budget for this," Kuresawa said.
"I'll pitch in. Better than you embarassing yourself out there."
They cycled through dresses and skirts until Kuresawa, eyes sparkling, locked on to a two-piece set with a sheer, glittering top. Niibashi wasn't a fan, personally— the dark pattern on the dress was in vogue, but would age poorly— but the joy plain on Kuresawa's face dissuaded Niibashi from adding his two cents. Besides, if they were going to win, it'd be easier if their star enjoyed the clothes she was wearing.
The wig was next. Niibashi corralled Kuresawa to the back of the shop, where lines of lace wigs stared them down. "There are plenty of ways to be 'sexy', but I think your dress is best utilized for a femme fatale character."
Kuresawa gave him a firm nod. "I eat boys for breakfast," he said.
"If you use that falsetto in the competition, we're gonna lose. How do you feel about straight bangs?"
Kuresawa tilted his head to the side. "A hime cut? Wouldn't showing the forehead be sexier?"
"You're already showing this off," Niibashi said, jabbing a finger at Kuresawa's sternum. "And that dress is pretty short. Leaving something to the imagination is key. We can keep the length short if you want to hold on to the flirty vibe."
They settled on a chin-length wig, with longer extensions on the side to style into twin buns. They left the store by sundown, leaving Niibashi to mull over how quickly the day seemed to go by.
"I appreciate your help, Niibashi-san," Kuresawa said. "I don't actually have much experience with this sort of thing." He hesitated for a moment, then held his cellphone up, adding "I wanted to bring my girlfriend, but the change of seasons is always hard on her. I didn't want her to get even sicker."
Niibashi wasn't sure what to say. He swallowed the lump in his throat and tried, "I hope she feels better soon."
Kuresawa gave him a resolute nod. "I hope so too."
They spent the walk back to the station in companionable silence. Once you adjusted to his frequency, Niibashi thought, Kuresawa was a startlingly easy person to talk to. He was thick-skinned and conversationally savvy, taking Niibashi's missteps in stride. Walking next to him, Niibashi itched to learn about Kuresawa's perspectives on different mundane topics just so he could turn them over in his head.
"Why did you volunteer for the Drag Contest?"
"Seemed fun," Kuresawa answered immediately. "I had a taste of it as Miyano's understudy last year, but wanted to experience the full thing at least once before I graduate."
He shrugged, smiling casually. "I'm only gonna be young for so long. And it's really funny to watch my friend freak out when he realizes he finds me attractive."
Niibashi pressed his lips together to keep himself from grinning. "That's weird."
"Aren't I supposed to be a seductress?" Kuresawa's eyes glittered with amusement. He put a hand on his hip and let out a loud, witchy cackle, switching to a higher register with a theatrical affect. "You pathetic, wimpy boys could live a thousand lifetimes and still be too weak to handle me!"
Niibashi hastily tried to bring Kuresawa's arm back down. "People are staring," he hissed.
He was grinning, even as he let Niibashi yank his hand back down to neutral. "Well? Wasn't that better than the falsetto?"
"…It was."