A/N: I would like to thank all my readers and reviewers for their support of my story so far; I hoped you enjoy reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it! This chapter will finally introduce fem!Yuu to Shinya and Goshi. I'm still working on how to bring Mito Jujo in but she should make an appearance in the next few chapters. This fic is also AU so there will be differences from the canon story; please refer to the footnotes at the end. Once again, I would like to thank my beta reader and editor, ResidentialPsycho, for making this fic possible.
Chapter 8: The Wager
October 18, 2016
"Shinya, I'm starved so can you please hurry it up? I swear, my dead grandma moves faster than you!" Norito Goshi said impatiently to the young white-haired man *1* who was following right behind him after getting out of the car parked in front of Guren's home.
Shinya Hiragi scowled and sighed as he looked at his blond friend in annoyance. The two had just finished an intense training session and he wanted nothing more than to go home and relax. But nooo, Goshi just had to drag him to Guren's house just because he was hungry and had to have Sayuri's cooking because he didn't feel like eating out today. Without either option, the blond man probably would have starved because God knows he couldn't cook a decent meal to save his life.*2*
"I swear, Goshi, don't you ever think about anything but your stomach?" Shinya shot back. Not only did Goshi have him drive all the way to their friend's home, he also had the nerve to tell him to hurry up as well.
"Not at the moment, my lord. If you don't pick up the pace, I swear I'm gonna leave you behind, slowpoke!" the other man said with a grin.
"Ok, ok, geeze…" Shinya answered in dismay as he gave in to Goshi's demand and forced himself to move faster. If they were on the battlefield, the white-haired man would have had no problems keeping up with his comrades. But in a trivial situation like this, he usually did not like to exert effort needlessly unless pushed by a certain idiot friend of his. Still, Shinya made one last attempt to dissuade his friend from inconveniencing his favorite cook.
"You know, it's already past noon and Sayuri is probably out by now. It would be a waste of time if we get to Guren's house and she's not home…"
"Nah, I'm sure she's home and her cooking makes it worth the risk" Goshi stubbornly insisted, his words making Shinya's eyes roll. He knew it was useless to argue with the other man when he was hungry for Norito Goshi was the kind of man who had a one-track mind and right now, it was on food.
"Tsk, fine! But don't come crying to me if nobody answers when you come a knocking!"
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. We're almost there so you can quit your whining now, ya big baby!"
Normally, Shinya might have made a sharp retort to such an insolent comment but he was not in the mood to argue with his bull-headed friend today and said nothing more as he followed Goshi right to Guren's front door. Since Goshi was the one who wanted to come, he had to do the honors and knock while Shinya stood behind him. A part of him wished that Sayuri was indeed out of the house. For while he loved teasing Guren, Shinya hated bothering their lady friend and squad mate over a trivial thing such as food.
Please let her be out… Shinya silently prayed.
SSSSSS
Ding dong…
As soon as Yuichiro heard the doorbell ring and someone knocking, she turned to Sayuri who was putting some things into her leather handbag. As Guren had instructed, she was going to take the younger girl with her on a few errands which included some grocery shopping. It was also a way for Yuu to become readjusted to life on the surface world after living underground for so long.
"Sayuri, someone's at the door!" the ravenette said as she tugged at her hostess's sleeve.
"Oh, who could that be?" the older woman asked as she looked towards the door. Sayuri was about to put down her handbag and answer it when Yuichiro stopped her.
"Please let me get it!" she said excitedly. After seeing only other children and young teenagers in Sanguinem for years, Yuu was curious to see what other humans on the surface world were like.
At first, Sayuri was reluctant to grant her request but when she saw how cute and happy the younger girl looked when excited, she gave in.
"Ok, Yuu. But first look out the peephole to see who it is and ask me before opening the door, ok?"
"I know, my mom used to say the same thing" the girl answered happily before making her way to the front door.
When she looked out the peephole, Yuichiro saw two young men who appeared to be about Guren's age, one with sandy-blond hair tied in a ponytail and a goatee and another with medium length snow-white hair that hung loosely around his temples.
"So who is it?" Sayuri asked from behind her.
"There are two guys out there, one with blond hair and a goatee and another with white hair" Yuu answered.
"Oh? That sounds like Shinya and Goshi. Its ok, they're friends of mine and Guren so you can let them in, Yuu."
Sayuri knew that she and Guren might have a bit of explaining to do when their other friends find out about Yuichiro but it couldn't be helped. Considering how often they, as well as Mito Jujo came over to visit, it was inevitable that they would learn of the younger girl's existence sooner or later, so she may as well let Goshi and Shinya meet her now.
As soon as Yuichiro opened the door, she found the two older men looking down at her in surprise. They had expected to see either Sayuri or Shigure but instead found a young boy who was unbelievably pretty, staring back at them. Goshi, especially, was bewildered at Yuichiro's feminine beauty and if he didn't know better, he'd think the child was a girl. But he couldn't tell for sure since the "boy" had short hair and was dressed in male attire of a loose red sweater and jeans.
Shinya, on the other hand, blinked at Yuu and stared at her for a moment in silence before a grin broke out on his face when he noticed her blush.
"Well, what have we here?" the white-haired man asked playfully as he bent over and looked Yuu straight in the eyes, almost making her gasp at the proximity. "I wasn't aware Guren had such a cute little 'brother'; perhaps coming here wasn't such a bad idea after all!" he joked.
"He doesn't" Sayuri answered as she came to the door before Yuu could respond. She and Shinya both knew full well that Guren didn't have any siblings, real or adopted. "We found him outside the vampire city a few days ago and Guren had decided to take him under his wing. His name is Yuichiro."
"Is that so?" Shinya asked as he shot a quick glance at Sayuri as if saying:
"I know the kid isn't what 'he' appears."
Sayuri pretended not to notice the mischievous glint in Shinya's eyes. Until he discovered it for himself, she would not reveal Yuichiro's secret to him or anyone. Nor would Sayuri confirm their suspicions about the young raven-haired "boy" if they had any like Shinya was now.
"Yes, that's so" she answered respectfully. After being a friend as well as a servant of sorts to Shinya and Goshi for so long, Sayuri knew how to refuse them when necessary; her loyalty was to Guren first.
"Anyway, Yuu and I are going to run some errands for Guren so whatever it is you two want, I'm afraid it's going to have to wait until we get back, my lord."
When he heard that, Goshi frowned. "Aww… I was hungry and was really looking forward to your cooking! Are you sure you don't have any leftovers sitting around in the fridge? I'd rather eat that then buy out."
Sayuri sighed. "Well, if you're really that hungry, I'm sure Guren wouldn't mind you eating the leftovers from his dinner last night. It's probably better than me having to throw them out if he forgets to eat them."
Before the blond man could answer, Shinya cut him off.
"Come on, Sayuri, we all know how much Goshi loves your cooking fresh from the pan or grill. How about you stay home and make him something while I run your errands with Yuichiro instead?"
Sayuri was hesitant to grant Shinya's request until she saw the puppy-dog look in Goshi's eyes and laughed softly. Although she enjoyed spending time with Yuichiro, Sayuri knew she would have more opportunities to do so since they were living in the same house, unlike her other friend who had taken an interest in Guren's new ward. Plus it was hard for Sayuri to refuse Goshi when he was hungry, especially considering all the things he did for her and Shigure like fixing things around the house so that they wouldn't have to call for someone. Even if he did only use that as an excuse to come over and have her cook for him as well.
"I suppose it can't hurt for you to spend some time with Yuichiro. Just try not to get him into trouble, ok?"
At that, the white-haired man gave her a mock expression of hurt. Although he was annoyed that Goshi had practically dragged him here at first, seeing cute little Yuichiro had snapped Shinya out of his sour mood.
"Now, Sayuri, you know I wouldn't dream of getting our little friend in trouble and inconveniencing you and Guren."
Sayuri rolled her eyes as she reached into her handbag and handed Shinya the list of groceries she had originally planned to go out and get herself with Yuichiro.
"Anyway, if you intend to go out in my place, here's the grocery list. Also, remember to pick up Guren's spare uniform from the dry-cleaner. Shigure also needs a new pair of shoes as well. And don't forget to have Yuichiro back before dinner, ok?"
"Of course, whatever you say, Sayuri" Shinya said happily as he took the list from his friend and placed it in his shirt pocket before turning to Yuichiro. "Well, Yuu, shall we get going now?"
The ravenette hesitated for a moment before looking to Sayuri as if to ask if she could trust the white-haired stranger she had just met. As if reading her mind, the older woman smiled and said:
"It's all right, Yuu. Shinya is a very good friend of mine and Guren's. He'll take care of you."
"Umm…ok" Yuichiro agreed as she allowed the older man to take her hand and lead her out the door. Unlike Goshi, Shinya was not nearly as hungry so he could wait a little longer before taking his new companion out to lunch where he could ask the "boy" a few questions on his mind.
"Great! Let's get going then, Yuu!" Shinya said with a grin.
SSSSSS
After picking up Guren's spare JIDA uniform from the dry cleaner and stopping by the shoe store to get the new pair of loafers Shigure needed, Shinya finally took the opportunity to treat his young charge to lunch; the groceries can wait until after. When he left Guren's home with the young "boy", Sayuri had not bothered giving him money for the groceries, shoes, or dry cleaning fee. Which didn't concern the white-haired man in the slightest considering that he was the adopted son of Japan's wealthiest, most powerful family and that money was no issue for him.
"Are you hungry, Yuu? Would you like something to eat?" Shinya asked kindly as he shot a brief glance at the child sitting in the passenger seat of his car, a luxurious silver-toned Mercedes. He could easily tell that Yuichiro came from a more humble background due to the way she looked in awe at the features in his car that was probably lacking in her parents'.
At the sound of his voice, Yuu shot a brief glance in Shinya's direction before looking out the window on her side. Since they left Guren's home, the child had not spoken much, only answering him when he asked her something. She also tried to avoid looking at him directly and for too long, something the white-haired man easily noticed even though he pretended not to. Like with Guren, being around Shinya had made Yuichiro nervous and she desperately wanted to hurry up and get the groceries Sayuri had asked for so she could finally go home. But the older man had been so kind to her and she didn't want to offend him by refusing. And so she nodded and politely answered:
"Yes, please."
"What would you like?"
Yuu looked down and thought for a moment before answering. "Well, it's been a long time since I've had anything sweet…"
"Oh, you mean a dessert? Are you sure you don't want lunch first?"
"A dessert is fine; I ate a lot for breakfast this morning so I'm not that hungry."
"Ok, that understandable. What kind of dessert would you like?"
"Umm…maybe some ice-cream? I haven't had any since I lived with my parents."
"Sure, I know just the place."
"Thank you" Yuu answered as she tried to smile at her host for his generosity since there was nothing else she could offer him in return.
"You're welcome" Shinya answered.
For the next ten or so minutes, there was an awkward silence between them as Shinya drove to a small cafe he often went to get Sayuri and Shigure desserts when they were craving for sweets, particularity western deserts such as cakes, ice creams, and pastries. As soon as they arrived, Shinya got out of the car and went over to the passenger side to let Yuichiro out.
Which made her even more nervous.
"Umm… you don't have to do that, I can let myself out, you know…"
"I know you can" Shinya answered. "But it wouldn't be very gentlemanly of me to let you get out of the car by yourself."
As he spoke, Shinya's voice became a teasing lilt, very similar to Guren's when he asked Yuu to pack his lunch for him that morning at the breakfast table. Not only that, his use of the word "gentlemanly" alarmed Yuichiro though she did not dare to respond lest she gave away her secret to the older man.
When Shinya and Yuichiro went inside the cafe, the patrons briefly stopped eating and anything else they were doing to look at the unusual pair that walked through the door, making for another awkward situation. As a regular customer of the café as well as a member of the Hiragi family, everyone recognized Shinya on sight though they were curious about his unknown younger companion. Thankfully, a cafe hostess who saw them come in approached them with a polite greeting so that they wouldn't feel uncomfortable.
"Good day, Mr. Hiragi! What can I get for you and your young friend today?"
"I'd like a table, please" Shinya answered politely.
"Would you prefer to eat inside or outside?"
"Hmm…I'm not sure. What do you think, Yuu?" Shinya asked as he turned to Yuichiro who was startled at the question. It wasn't often an adult asked her what she wanted or preferred; the child was used to having such decisions on what she ate and wore made for her. But looking at the curious glances of the other cafe patrons made Yuu glad that Shinya was giving her a choice so she quickly opted for eating outside.
"I'd like to eat outside if that's ok" she answered quietly.
"Sure. We have plenty of tables outside if you don't mind the cold."
"I don't" Yuu insisted. "Do you, Shinya?"
The older man smiled, touched at how considerate the "boy" was being before answering.
"Not at all. I'm sure our coats, as well as the heating lamps outside, will keep us warm."
"Of course. Right this way, sir."
As soon as they were seated at their designated table by the hostess, a young waitress approached Shinya and Yuichiro to take their orders. Like the cafe patrons, she noticed what an unusual pair the two made but pretended not to out of courtesy.
"Good afternoon, how are you today? My name is Asuna and I'll be taking care of you. Would you like something to drink while you decide what you want?"
"Actually, we're ready to order" Shinya answered. "My…friend here would like some ice-cream."
The waitress turned to Yuu. "Ok. So do you know what kind you want?"
Yuichiro nodded. "Yes, I'd like a hot-fudge sundae, please."
"Got it. And you, sir?" she asked, turning to Shinya.
"I'd like the same too if you don't mind. And two glasses of water, please."
"Of course, sir. It'll be a few minutes."
After she had taken their orders, the waitress left them without another word.
While waiting for their sundaes to arrive, Yuichiro found herself looking down at the table instead of her host. She knew it was rude but couldn't help it; the man just made her so damn nervous.
"Yuichiro, are you alright?"
Yuu was startled out of her thoughts by the sudden question and found herself looking up into the older man's face.
"I'm fine!" she insisted. "It's just… well, why are you being so nice to me when we just met?"
Shinya blinked at her before asking "Does anyone need a reason to be nice to a sweet little thing like yourself?"
"S-sweet?" Yuichiro squeaked. "What do you mean?"
The white-haired man took a quick glance around as if making sure no one was listening or paying attention to them before placing an elbow on the table, resting his cheek in his hand, and leaned closer to her. A flirtatious smile played on Shinya's lips, his beautiful blue eyes twinkling with mischief as he lowered his voice and asked:
"What's your real name, sweetie? Yuukino? Yoshiko? Yuri? Or maybe Yoko?"
The ravenette gulped as she realized that the older man knew her secret or at least suspected it. It didn't help that her cheeks burned with embarrassment when she couldn't stop herself from thinking how wickedly handsome Shinya was. And just as much as Guren himself, if not more.
Crap! How am I supposed to keep my secret if I get flustered by every good-looking guy I meet?
"W-what do you mean? Yuichiro is my real name!" the girl sputtered.
"Seriously? Your parents actually gave you a boy's name? Why? Did they secretly wished for a son?"
Knowing that her host was right on the mark, Yuichiro started to panic but still tried her best to control herself.
"I don't know what you're talking about? I am a boy!" she insisted.
Shinya laughed merrily at the child's stubborn denial before bringing his hand to closer to Yuu's face and gently sliding his fingers down the junction between her neck and shoulder until he felt the one thing he was looking for that finally confirmed his suspicions.
"Are you really, Yuu? Then why are you wearing a bra? Because I can feel the strap right here" he teased, his smile never leaving his face.
"I...!" Yuichiro found herself tongue-tied as she struggled to think of a way to deny Shinya's claim. What was she supposed to say? That she was a boy who liked wearing girls' undergarments? That would probably sound even more absurd than admitting she was a cross-dressing female outright. Yuu still found it unbelievable that Shinya was able to feel her bra strap underneath her coat and sweater; the man must undoubtedly have an incredible sense of touch.
Not wanting to embarrass Yuichiro further, Shinya ceased his teasing a bit.
"It's ok, Yuu, I think you are very pretty. Male or female. And I'm sure my friend, Goshi would agree."
"And how can you be sure? Clothes are just clothes, they don't prove anything!" Yuu snapped.
"Oh please, you may be able to fool Guren and Goshi with that boyish get-up but I have a much sharper eye than they do. After all, I didn't become the best sniper in the JIDA for nothing. But you need not worry, Yuichiro; your secret is as safe with me as it is with Sayuri and Shigure as well if they know."
"You mean, you're not going to tell Guren?" the ravenette asked incredulously.
"Hmm? And why would I do that? That would take the fun out of everything."
Before Yuu could ask what he meant, she and Shinya heard the door to the café opening and their waitress coming out with their water and hot-fudge sundaes.
"Here you go, enjoy. If you need anything else, don't hesitate to ask" Asuna said politely before setting the two desserts on the table and leaving them to attend to the other café patrons.
"Thank you, we will" Shinya answered before offering Yuichiro a spoon.
For the next few minutes, the two ate in awkward silence with Yuu sneaking a glance in Shinya's direction every now and then before averting her eyes so that he wouldn't catch her staring. For some reason, she found the white-haired man's jokes to be more likable than Guren's, who tended to be more on the snide side even if he wasn't deliberately trying to be mean.
Are all of Guren's male friends this good-looking? Yuu thought in bewilderment. If so, how I can I keep my secret?
Shinya, on the other hand, was wondering if his best friend had any clue that the "boy" he rescued from Sanguinem was really a cross-dressing girl.
Probably not, he thought. For as long as I've known him, Guren has always been dense about these kinds of things. It wouldn't surprise me if he thought Yuu was a gay boy before even considering that she's actually a girl.
Wanting to break the ice, the white-haired man tried again to engage Yuichiro in conversation, this time more sincerely.
"I'm curious, Yuu, how long have you been living as a boy?" he asked curiously.
"Um, since the day I was born."
"Because your parents wanted a son, right?"
"Yes."
"But if you are living with Guren, Sayuri, and Shigure, that must mean your mother and father are gone now."
"They died when I was eight" the girl answered flatly, her tone hinting that she had repeated this story many times.
"I'm sorry to hear that."
"Don't be", she said bitterly. "My dad went crazy and tried to kill me. My mom was so convinced that his death was my fault that she burned down our apartment and killed herself in the process. Not to mention several of our innocent neighbors."
Sensing that the child still had feelings of resentment towards her parents, Shinya tried to change the subject.
"It's unfortunate when parents do not care for their own children, Yuichiro. You may find this hard to believe, but I understand exactly how you feel; my own parents didn't want me either even though I was born a boy and not a girl."
"Did they tried to kill you?"
"Not directly but they did sell me to the Hiragis for money and status which was not that different. My foster family weren't the nicest of people either so my parents may as well have thrown me to the wolves so to speak. I had it rough too since the Hiragis treated me more like a servant than a son, not that I'm minimizing what you went through. But at least they didn't force me to be something that I wasn't. I admire your fortitude, Yuichiro, I do. And I mean that from the bottom of my heart."
Looking up, the girl saw Shinya smiling at her again, this time out of admiration and respect. And before she knew it, Yuichiro found herself smiling as well.
"Thank you… that means a lot to me."
"You're welcome. But now the question is, where do you go from here? You're what, twelve or thirteen now?"
"I just turned twelve."
"I see… you're still young. But I have to warn you that you won't be able to keep up this charade forever; I'm sure Sayuri and Shigure must have told you the same and why."
"Yes, they have."
"And since you understand, why do you continue to do so when you don't even have to?"
"Because I'm not ready to be a girl yet."
"I think I can understand. Don't worry, I won't tell Guren or Goshi or anyone else who doesn't already know. And you can trust me because I'm a man of my word."
"Thank you…"
"Good… well, you better hurry up and finish your sundae before it melts. I should too. We also need to get the groceries soon because I promised Sayuri that I would have you home in time for dinner."
"Oh! I almost forgot! I'm supposed to help her cook tonight!" Yuu said as she shoved another spoonful of ice cream in her mouth. In her haste to finish her sundae, the girl failed to notice that she had a drop of melted ice-cream dripping down the corner of her mouth. Shinya, however, did so he took a napkin and gently wiped her mouth, the kind gesture reminding the girl of her "uncle" whom she was unlikely to ever see again.
"Sorry" Yuu apologized sheepishly, the blush returning to her cheeks as she managed to look directly into her host's face for more than a few seconds. Now that she got a more thorough look at him, the ravenette thought his snow-white hair, despite its attractiveness, was unusual for someone his age. Looking at Shinya, she doubted he could be older than twenty or twenty-one years of age and white hair was something Yuu had always associated with elderly people like her late grandmother.
Though she was curious if Shinya was actually born with white hair *3*or if it became white from a traumatic experience, Yuichiro didn't want to offend him by asking. So she shifted her gaze to his blue eyes, which were a few shades lighter than Mika's, but just as beautiful. Shinya's eyes were the color of ice but also had a warmth to them that she found attractive as well.
"It's ok, there's nothing to apologize for", the older man said gently. "Well, shall we get going then?"
"Yes, I'm done. Thank you for the sundae, Shinya."
"You're very welcome."
After Shinya took care of the bill and tipped the waitress, the pair left the café without another word.
SSSSSS
Unlike their snack and conversation at the café, grocery shopping went by rather quickly for Shinya and his young charge. Like the café patrons, the market customers the pair came across briefly stopped what they were doing to steal a glance at them. It wasn't every day they saw a young white-haired man accompanied by a preteen raven-haired boy. If anyone were to ask, Shinya planned to claim that Yuu was a son of his friend's, but no one did. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that he was a Hiragi, even an adopted one, and no one wanted to question any trivial thing the Hiragis did if they knew what was good for them.
After they had found all the items that Sayuri requested on the list, Shinya and Yuichiro left the market and headed back to Guren's home. They assumed he would probably be home soon as well as wanting dinner ready and on the table when he walked through the door. And Yuichiro sure didn't want to disappoint the man who had taken her under his wing not even three days ago.
"I don't mean to rush you, but are we home yet?" Yuichiro asked.
"Almost" Shinya answered. "Don't worry, Yuu. If Guren and Sayuri are displeased that you didn't get home in time to make dinner, I'll take full responsibility for making you late."
Yuichiro didn't know why, but hearing the older man's assurance made her feel more at ease.
When they finally parked at the front gate to Guren's house, Shinya once again walked over to the passenger side of his car to open the door for Yuichiro and she, in turn, helped him to carry the groceries as well as Guren's spare uniform and Shigure's new shoes into the house. Upon ringing the doorbell, they saw that it was Shigure who answered which meant that Sayuri was likely in the kitchen and that she had started cooking without Yuichiro.
As soon as they saw the older raven-haired woman, Yuu apologized.
"I'm sorry, are we late? I know I promised to help Sayuri with dinner and I hope she and Guren aren't mad. By the way, here are your new shoes" the girl said as she handed Shigure the shoe box with the new loafers that she needed.
"Not at all" Shigure answered as she took the shoe box from Yuu, her eyes showing her gratitude before continuing "In fact, Guren just called and told us he'll be working late tonight so we can go ahead and have dinner without him as long as we leave something for him by the time he gets home."
As she says this, Shigure shot an annoyed glance at Shinya, not only for bringing Yuichiro home late but also for bringing over a certain idiot with a humongous appetite for lunch who also happened to want to stick around for dinner as well.
"Of course we will!" Shinya snorted. "Geez, Goshi was the one who dragged me here in the first place but I promise I'll keep him from eating Guren's portion so give it a rest, will you?"
"Whatever. Just get Yuichiro inside before he catches cold, ok?" Shigure snapped before turning around and going back inside the house.
Yuichiro heard Shinya grumbling something about the older raven-haired woman that sounded unflattering but kept her mouth shut as they went inside and headed straight to the kitchen with the groceries. Unlike her seemingly grumpy friend, Sayuri was actually happy to see them despite the fact that Shinya had brought Yuichiro home a bit late because their conversation at the dessert café stalled their grocery shopping.
"I'm home, Sayuri!" Yuu announced happily. "Sorry for being late. Can I still help?"
"Of course, Yuu! There's still a lot to be done so why don't you start by washing and cutting those vegetables you just bought?"
"Yes, right away!" the ravenette answered as she excused herself from Shinya to help her hostess in the kitchen, relieved that Sayuri was not upset that she came home a bit late, probably because she knew it was Shinya's fault and not hers.
After helping Yuu bring the rest of the bagged groceries in the kitchen as well as hanging Guren's spare uniform in the coat closet, Shinya excused himself and stepped outside to the backyard. Which became a smoking patio whenever he and Goshi visited. As he expected, the blond man was outside, leaning against a wall and taking a drag from the pipe that also happened to be his cursed gear as well. As soon as he saw his friend, Goshi smiled and greeted him.
"Nice to see you back, old friend; I take it Shigure wasn't thrilled to see you bring our little girl back late. That's just like you to keep your 'date' out past her curfew. You're lucky Guren isn't home yet or he might have thrown a hissy-fit" Goshi joked.
Shinya raised a brow before smiling himself.
"Oh, you knew? What gave her away?"
"You did. Even I'm not that dense, Shinya. Unless you have a habit of flirting with adolescent boys, I think it's safe to say that our friend's new ward is a gal. If it weren't for you, she might have fooled me completely" the other man answered as he tapped his pipe to get rid of the ashes, making sure they landed on the patio and not the grass since he knew both Sayuri and Shigure would have his head if he accidentally set Guren's lawn and garden on fire.
"Heh, I guess you have a point" Shinya admitted.
"Do you think he knows?"
"Doubtful. You know him. If Guren had any idea, he probably would have bought Yuu a female wardrobe and demand that she dress like a girl."
"So should we tell him?" Goshi asked as he took another drag of his pipe.
"Sorry but I already promised Yuichiro I wouldn't. And you know I'm a man of my word."
"I'd thought you'd say that. But you and I both know she won't be able to hide it forever. Either Yuu will accidentally expose herself or Guren will figure it out when her bodily changes become a little more obvious. Though I really think it will be the latter."
"That could be a while; she's still pretty young."
"How long, you think?"
"At least a couple of months."
"Nah. If you leave it up to Guren to figure it out on his own, he could take at least a year. Maybe longer."
At his friend's suggestion, Shinya found a wicked idea teasing the back of his mind.
"Wanna bet?" he boldly asked with a grin. The glint in his friend's eye told him Goshi was thinking the same thing.
"A wager, then!" the blond man answered, his own lips breaking into a grin.
"Great! But what should we bet with? Money?"
Goshi snorted. "What would be the point of that since you're already so fucking rich? I'm no panhandler myself if you haven't noticed."
"You're right. How about something a little bit more fun and interesting?"
"Such as?"
"Hmm…let's see…" Shinya thought for a moment before another wicked idea came to him. "How about this: the loser has to clean the winner's laundry for a year?"
Goshi almost dropped his pipe at the white-haired man's suggestion.
"What? Are you serious? I've never done laundry a day in my life! That's what we pay our servants for!"
"I know and that's what will make all this so much more fun. So, are you game?"
"Heh, you bet! If Guren finds out Yuu is a girl in less than a year, you win. If he takes longer than a year, I win."
Shinya liked the idea but still suggested a third option that would give them both a chance to avoid fulfilling the less-than-pleasant condition of their bet if neither could claim victory.
"And if he takes exactly one year, it'll be a draw."
"Ok, you're on!" Goshi said smugly. "You should mark your calendar then, Shinya. Today is the 18th of October, 2016. Don't forget!"
"Like I would!" Shinya scoffed before grinning again. "You better start taking laundry lessons from Sayuri or your maids, Goshi. Because victory is as good as mine."
"Ha, don't count your chickens before they hatch just yet, Shinya Hiragi! While you're here, you may as well ask Shigure to teach you how to do laundry."
"We'll see about that!" Shinya shot back as he and Goshi made a fist and clapped their knuckles together.
The bet was on.
Footnotes:
1. In the LNs and Manga, Shinya is described as having stark-white hair. In the anime, his hair appears silver or a very light platinum blond but I've decided to make it white in my fic.
2. Like Shiho Kimizuki and Makoto Narumi, Norito Goshi is often referred to by his surname in the manga and anime rather than his given name. Goshi is mostly referred to by his given name in the LNs, however.
3. It is currently unknown if Shinya is born with white hair or if his hair turned white from a traumatic experience from his early life. He may have had a cursed ancestor with white hair making him likely born with it.
