Kage: Always up for cross-dressing. Especially if it involves drooling confused fanboys.
Hoshi: Not much, potential rape, etc. Just enjoy the dorks.
Kage: We don't own nothing. Bleh.
Jonouchi laughed, holding his stomach. "Geez, Ryuji. I knew you were stupid but this is an all time low."
Ryuji glared indignantly at him, his arms crossed. Yugi and Honda waited for his reaction, both internally scolding Jou for being loud. The ebony haired teen had pulled the three boys to a separate room to discuss a new theory he had come up with.
"It makes sense though!" He whispered in annoyance.
"Ryuji," Yugi muttered, "I really doubt that Ryou's a girl. I mean, if he was, why would he be hiding it from us?"
"I don't know," Ryuji replied. "But think about it. Ryou spends a lot more time talking to Anzu and Mai than any of us, and doesn't do a lot of the things that boys do! She hates watching sports and the only sport she'll play is tennis. She doesn't like to go to race tracks or truck rallies, and absolutely can't stand the fatty foods they sell there. And on top of this, when I tried to show her a porn magazine, she almost threw up, shouting about how repulsive and indignant it was to read those kinds of things. Face it, she's more girly than your sister, Jou!"
Before Jou could respond, Honda spoke up. "Yeah, that's true! And look at him appearance-wise. He's really thin, with kind of rounded hips and shoulders. And his hair is long too."
"He's also got really weird eyes," Jou added. "They look more like Anzu's than anyone's, only brown, with long lashes."
Yugi nodded, starting to believe the theory. "And he always shows up late to change in the locker room, so no one's in there, and asked not to take swimming at all! It does make sense! If he were a girl, then doing all those things would be necessary to hide it from the rest of us!"
Jou crossed his arms. "I don't believe it though."
"Well, how about this," Ryuji offered, "We'll follow her around today, since it's early in the morning. If she does things to prove she's a boy, we'll assume she's a boy. If not, we'll assume she's a girl."
Jou and Honda nodded. "Good idea!"
So the four of them hastily left the game shop yelling something about homework and leaving Anzu and Ryou to sit there, dumbstruck. As soon as they got outside the building, they leapt behind a bush and waited.
"I guess I'll leave too," Anzu said, stepping out the door. "Bye Ryou!"
She waved before hopping in her car and driving off. There was a long silence before Ryou stepped outside.
"Shh! Here he comes!" Yugi hushed.
Ryou stretched contentedly before pulling a slip of paper out of his back pocket. He read it for a moment before putting it back and taking off down the street.
"Let's go!" Jonouchi whispered, the four creeping behind him.
Ryou was unknowingly followed for about half an hour, walking down the sunlit pavement without the slightest clue that four very tired teenage boys had been with him.
"Ugh, where is he going?" Jou whined. "I didn't think a person his size could walk this long!"
Honda, Yugi and Ryuji shushed him and darted behind a corner before the whinette could catch a glance at them.
"Probably just my imagination," Ryou mumbled, continuing on his stroll.
After another ten minutes, the Domino Outlet Mall came into view. As soon as the white-haired teen got to the front doors, he pulled the paper out of his pocket again.
"Okay…I need to find a dress, some pink lipstick and…an "extra strength blackhead repellent cream". Oh boy."
The four looked back and fourth to each other frantically as Ryou went into the mall.
"A dress?" Ryuji asked, "And lipstick?"
Yugi raised a finger. "And skin cream. Don't forget that."
"No boy goes out and buys those things," Jou said flatly.
"Well, we should still follow her," Ryuji interjected. "We need to know for sure."
The group crept behind Ryou through the mall, hiding behind anything available if the whinette turned around. By the time they got to his first destination, they were getting anxious.
"Hi! What can I get you today?" A cheerful girl at the makeup counter asked.
Ryou plopped a container of pale pink lipstick on the counter, his face rather red. "Just this."
The girl giggled before swiping the item over the scanner. She dropped it into a plastic bag and handed it to him.
"I'm jealous," She said. "You must get a lot of guys if you can confidently buy that brand."
Ryou's face puffed up in irritation, but he merely shook the comment off and walked out to the next store.
"More evidence," Ryuji muttered.
When they got to the store that sold skin care products, Ryou didn't bother with the counter and simply snatched the bottle and scanned it himself on his way out, putting the money into a small machine. After he'd bought it, he stuck it in the bag with the lipstick.
"Okay," Ryou said, shuddering to himself. "Now the dress."
The four followed, their suspicion growing as the whinette walked into a store full of beautiful gowns. He browsed quickly, not wanting to be seen in the shop.
"It looks like he doesn't want to be there," Yugi whispered.
Ryuji rolled his eyes. "Duh. It'll blow her cover."
Ryou picked up a dress off one of the racks, examining it. It was long and thin, made of a pale blue, satin-like fabric. He flipped it over a few times, looking closely. After a second or two, he nodded, walking up to the front counter. The boys crept along not far behind.
"Can I buy this please?" Ryou asked timidly.
Two girls at the front nodded. "Yeah," the older of the two said, scanning the barcode. "That'll be $190 even."
Ryou's eyes got wide. "Is…isn't there anything cheaper?"
The younger girl shook her head. "No there's not. But I have an idea. How much money do you have on you?"
Ryou took out his wallet. "$162."
"I'll make you a deal," She said, walking around to wrap an arm around his neck. "If you let us dress you up, we'll sell it to you for $140."
"B…but why?" Ryou spluttered, his face turning bright red.
"We haven't had a good model for our clothes in a long time," The older girl said. "Naomi and I just want someone to try on some of our products. Please? It would mean a lot to us."
"Yeah, please?" Naomi begged, her eyes wide and shiny.
Ryou looked around, trying to see if anyone he knew was in visual range. "Fine. But let me do the underwear, okay?"
The older girl nodded. "Gotcha. Just come around back. We can get you all dressed up."
Naomi grabbed his shoulders and pushed him in the direction of the changing rooms. "When we're all done, I can have Rica-chan bring a mirror out front for you to see!"
Ryou said nothing, his face an impressive shade of magenta. Without a word, he stepped into the back and waited for the girls to hand him some clothes.
"Ooh! This one, this one!" He heard Naomi squeal.
"Let's hide for a bit and wait for him to come out," Jou suggested.
The four went and sat on a bench outside.
"Here, we've got your clothes," Rica said, passing the garments over the door of the stall. This included a knee length, rippling black dress with netting on the sleeves and stomach, violet underwear and a matching bra.
'Th…they expect me to wear this?' Ryou thought, picking up the bra with two fingers. He shivered. "Well, it's worth it. A little humiliation is better than having to face Mikoto's wrath when she doesn't get her dress."
He slipped on the clothing, feeling strange wearing the bra. (Especially since it fit just fine.) Once he was in everything they'd asked, he stepped out, his face now bright red.
"You look beautiful!" Naomi shrieked, taking his hand. "C'mon, now we get to do hair and makeup!"
Ryou was plopped down in a rotating chair, eyes wide. Seeing Rica near him with a hairbrush, he closed them, not wanting to see what was going to happen. The thin bristles ran through his hair, having little effect on the erratic spikes. However, when she switched to a different kind of brush, Rica found the spikes changing to soft arcs, curling slightly at the ends. She pulled the back half of his hair up into a ponytail, leaving his bangs around his face. Naomi then attached a black flower to the hair tie.
"Pretty," Naomi said dreamily.
"Makeup!" Rica said, mimicking a movie director.
Ryou felt dozens of different brushes, sponges and plush applicators run across his face, each one containing a kind of cleanser or make up. In a matter of minutes, the girls were finished. They stepped back to admire their handiwork.
"You're a knockout, sweetie," Rica said.
Ryou stood up, blushing slightly. He was about to walk up front when Naomi shoved a pair of black heels into his hands. "Don't forget the shoes!"
The whinette slipped them on and followed Naomi and Rica to a mirror. He stared in shock at himself. It was true, he did look like a knockout, but in every way he didn't want to. He looked like a young, beautiful teenage girl. This was not the message he wanted to send to people.
"Hey! He's back!" Jou exclaimed.
"Let's go see!" Yugi added.
The four walked up to the front of the shop. Ryou was standing in front of a mirror, surprisingly poised in his high heels. Yugi, Jou, Honda and Ryuji's jaws dropped.
"Yo, Ryuji?" Jou muttered.
Ryuji's voice was shaky. "Yeah?"
"I believe you now."
Each of them was fully convinced that Ryou was a girl now. No boy would look that good in a dress. Jou almost felt his mouth watering.
"I need to ask her out," Honda said.
"No way! It was my idea first!" Ryuji protested.
"Stop fighting!" Yugi hissed. "You're going to attract attention!"
Ryou however, was focused on what the girls were saying.
"We will give you," Rica started, flipping through her wallet. "$500 if you'll spend a few hours in the mall like that. The only catch is that if someone asks you where you got your clothes, tell them that you got 'em here."
Ryou paused for a moment, the very idea of wandering the store like this striking fear in his heart. But he needed the money, and by the looks of things, the girls weren't going to let him buy the dress until he agreed. He sighed in defeat.
"It's a deal," He said.
Naomi cheered, whipping out the $500. "Come back in about three hours okay? We'll keep your stuff safe while you're gone!"
As Ryou collected his wallet and the things he needed, the four boys outside the shop were having a quiet discussion.
"Okay," Yugi said. "Here's the plan. We each put on a disguise and go to separate corners of the mall. Whoever Ryou ends up with first gets the first shot at her. Agreed?"
Everyone else nodded. "Agreed."
With inhuman speed, the four darted into a costume store, bought their disguises and ran to separate parts of the mall. Ryou walked out into the main part, sighing.
"Well, might as well go and spend a little," He said to no one. "I'm gonna be here a while anyway."
He wandered down the open halls, attracting a lot of attention from the young men there. A few of them even whistled at him. His face was the color of a brick. Without paying any mind to his new admirers, he stopped inside a bookstore, looking around for something decent to read.
"Score!" Ryuji whispered, making a victory fist. He stepped out from behind a shelf, tapping Ryou on the shoulder.
"Oh! Hello," Ryou said pleasantly, turning to face the boy behind him. "Am I in your way?"
"No, not at all!" Ryuji replied, adjusting the tan wig that covered his hair. "I was just wondering if you wanted to…um…maybe come and sit with me or something. There's a really nice movie playing over there."
Before Ryou could speak, his cell phone started to vibrate in the purse that the girls had given him. He pulled it out. "I'm very sorry, can I - ?"
"Take your time."
The whinette opened the phone. A text from Naomi (don't ask how she got his number) was inside. It told him that there was a dance going on in the club next to their store and they wanted him to go over there right away.
Ryou bowed low. "I really apologize, but I need to go." He waved. "Take care!"
Ryuji watched him go, his eyes glossy. "Man. What a doll."
The whinette darted through the mall, heading into the room where the dance was. Jonouchi saw him run inside, and immediately called his friends.
"She went into the dance, move out! It's every man for himself!"
The four left their hiding spots for the dance, each of them incredibly nervous. When they stepped inside, there were people dancing all around the room. Ryou was off to the side, desperately trying not to attract attention from the single boys.
Honda was the first to reach him, holding out a hand. "U-um…w-would you like to d-dance with me?" He stuttered, sweat rolling off of his head.
Ryou felt so bad for the poor nervous bloke that he smiled, taking his hand. "Sure."
A slow melody drifted out of the speakers, alerting for pairs to step out onto the floor. Ryuji, Yugi and Jou fumed with anger as Honda gently led Ryou into the crowd. He placed his hands on the whinette's waist, his heart pounding madly. Ryou, slightly disturbed, put his hands around Honda's neck, deciding to play along. If he had known who it was he was dancing with, he might not have been worried at all. But Honda was wearing a surprisingly clever disguise, and came off as a complete stranger to Ryou.
"That bastard!" Jou shouted under his breath, making a fist.
The two rotated slowly across the dance floor, Ryou strangely graceful despite his shoes. He laughed as they made a rather quick turn, the motion blowing his bangs partially back. Honda was awestruck.
'She's so cute,' He thought, swallowing heavily. 'And she looks gorgeous in this dress. Stay calm Honda. Just don't panic.'
Soon, the song ended and Ryou let go of Honda's neck. He smiled, waving before wordlessly taking off into the crowd.
Jou swiftly walked up to Honda and glared daggers at him. "You cheap jerk!"
Honda's smug grin was enough to start a small fight between the boys. Very few people paid them any mind. On the other side of the room, Ryou was taking off to use the restrooms. As he was walking towards the unisex room, (he couldn't go in the boy's room dressed like that and refused to go in the girl's room) a thick hand shot out from behind a door and covered his mouth. Quickly, he was pulled into the room and thrown onto the floor.
"H…hey! What's going on?" He shouted, absolutely terrified.
A large, burly looking man climbed over him, holding his wrists down on either side of his head. The man chuckled darkly.
"Just keep quiet, girly," He whispered huskily. "And let me do what I want. Otherwise, you'll get hurt."
Ryou trembled silently, not sure of what to do. The man moved one hand down to creep up the teen's thigh.
"Let's see what you have under this pretty dress of yours," He laughed quietly, pulling the black fabric up. He flipped Ryou over bodily, bending his knees so his exposed rear was facing upwards. The man chuckled before unfastening the buckle on his own jeans. Ryou's eyes widened.
"No! Let me go! Please!" He cried, trying to escape.
The man pulled him back by his heel, throwing the shoes onto the floor. Then he held the back of Ryou's ponytail in one hand, the other pulling down his jeans.
Ryou clawed at the floor, his attempts now desperate. "No! No!"
Suddenly, the door burst open. Jou, Ryuji, Honda and Yugi were in the doorway, no longer wearing their disguises and shocked at the scene before them. A middle-aged man was holding Ryou by the hips, his erection mere inches from the whinette's entrance. Ryou, on the other hand, was on his stomach, tears rolling down his pale cheeks.
"Ryou!" Yugi exclaimed.
Ryou looked back. "Yugi! Guys!"
Jou quickly kicked the man in the stomach, knocking him to the floor. In a matter of seconds, he and Honda had beaten him into unconsciousness. Ryou skittered closer to the wall, not wanting to get near the man. In his haste, he'd forgotten that his underwear were partially off. They slipped down to his knees, revealing clearly what gender he was.
"Y…you're a boy?" His friends spluttered.
Ryou quickly jerked the underwear back up, blushing violently. "Yes, of course I'm a boy. I've been your friend for almost three years, shouldn't you know that?"
"Yeah, but the dress and the makeup and – " Honda stuttered.
"Two girls in a dress shop paid me $500 to advertise their products for them."
"But why were you in a dress shop anyway?" Ryuji said accusingly.
Ryou put his face in his hand. "My cousin called me up yesterday and asked me to pick up some things for her. She's going to a wedding and couldn't get away from work long enough to get the stuff herself."
The other four blinked in realization. "Oh."
"I want to get out of this thing," Ryou snarled, looking down at the slightly dirty dress. "It's caused me damn near enough trouble."
He took off for the nearby shop, his friends following behind. Without a word, he went into the back and changed into his regular clothes. After he explained the whole potential rape incident and everything, the two girls sold him the blue dress he'd picked earlier without a complaint, saying that it was their fault in the first place. In the end, the five boys ended up walking home together, all of them very flustered.
"So all this time, you thought I was a girl?" Ryou asked.
"No, just today," Jou explained. "And it was Ryuji who thought of it first."
Ryou sighed, cutting off whatever Ryuji was going to say.
"Guys, if you really wanted to know, why not just ask me?" Then he put a thoughtful finger on his chin. "Although, if you hadn't been following me today, you never would've saved me. And for that, I owe you one."
He smiled happily before turning back around. And despite everything that happened that day, the boys couldn't help but feel a little guilty.
"Damn suspicion," Jou said, crossing his arms. "Damn it to hell."
Suddenly, Marik ran up behind them, shouting loudly.
"Hey! Guys, stop for a second!"
The five turned to face him.
"What's got you so excited Marik?" Yugi asked. Everyone regretted the question as soon as they heard Marik's answer.
"I think Anzu's a guy!"
Hoshi: Oh please oh please oh PLEEEEEASE someone make a sequel!
Kage: Yeah, please?
Hoshi: Please?
Kage: Or not, because we know how lazy you are. Too lazy to review, even.
Hoshi: So for your SUPER laziness, here's a word for you to copy as a review.
"Marfigawibble."