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When Okuyasu finally told Koichi and Yukako he was gay, the last thing he expected was for them to admit they had a bet about it. But, alas, the moment Okuyasu let the words, “I’m gay” fall from his lips, Yukako let out an excited shout and held her hand out to Koichi, palm up above the table. Koichi sighed, and dished out what looked like 1,000 yen.
Okuyasu could feel himself laughing through his confusion. “You made a bet? About what?”
“Yukako said you were gay, I thought you were bi.” Koichi shrugged as he took a sip of the iced tea he had ordered. “Though.. That’s technically not cool. I’m sorry, man.”
“Nah, it’s funny, honestly.” Okuyasu wasn’t lying - he really did think it was funny. He had always heard that queer people were drawn to each other, and neither Koichi nor Yukako were shy about their identities. The first time Okuyasu had ever talked to Koichi, Koichi made sure Okuyasu knew that he was a dude. Yukako casually mentioned her bisexuality, as it was something she said made her, her.
Okuyasu would never argue with that, and not just because he had been coming to terms with his identity for years at that point. He admired his friends’ confidence and how unashamed of who they were. It was all Okuyasu ever wanted for himself.
Maybe he could get there now.
“Anyways,” Yukako continued, flipping her hair over her shoulder, “Your coming out is a cause for celebration as far as I’m concerned. You ever been to a drag show?” Koichi immediately perked up beside his girlfriend.
“Uh, like the cars, or…?” Okuyasu thought Yukako and Koichi were going to scream from sheer excitement at that.
“Okuyasu, do you have any plans tonight?” Yukako was smiling in a fashion more devious than Okuyasu had ever seen.
“No?”
“Now you do! Koichi and I will stop by and grab you at about 20:00.” She took a sip of her water, before leaning in. “Dress fairly nice. Bring a sweater .”
***
When Koichi and Yukako arrived, they were about a half hour early. Yukako had looked Okuyasu up and down, before saying, “Oh, honey… Good thing we came early.”
Yukako let herself in, as per usual, and Koichi followed it, patting Okuyasu on the shoulder. Okuyasu observed Koichi’s ripped jeans and tighter-than-his-usual tee shirt. Koichi must have noticed Okuyasu’s slight confusion as he explained, “Uh, queer dressed up isn’t… that .”
“Cargo shorts, Oku? Cargo shorts ?” Okuyasu could hear Yukako’s call from his room. By the time he made his way back here, Yukako was exiting his room. She tossed a bundle of clothes at him. “Go change - and let me know when Tonio pays you next. I never knew you had that many cargo shorts, god .”
Okuyasu decided to not be offended as he went into the bathroom to change. He could hear Yukako and Koichi talking excitedly as he changed, though he couldn’t make out exactly what they were saying. Okuyasu observed the outfit once it was on - black cargo pants (why were they acceptable, but the shorts weren’t? Whatever.), a dark grey cut-out shirt, and a hoodie that was the same shade as the shirt.
Okuyasu decided against wearing the hoodie, as his excitement was keeping him warm. He checked his hair in the mirror - buzzed sides still clipped down enough, the coils on top still tight.
When he made his way out, he made note of Yukako’s outfit - mid-thigh, pleated black skirt, paired with a loose white crop top and white ankle-boot heels. It was significantly more… showy than her usual. It looked awesome .
Koichi and Yukako ushered Okuyasu out of his apartment, locking the door behind them. Okuyasu took the walk to wherever this ‘drag show’ was as his opportunity to ask some questions.
“Where are we going?”
Yukako answered, “Osaka. A fairly new place opened up - its still kinda small, but the performers are so good. Koichi and I have gone a few times.”
“Osaka is almost 30 minutes away by train, though.”
“That's why we’re heading to the rail, ‘Yasu.” Koichi’s reply was so nonchalant.
“Half of an hour away… for a show?”
Yukako laughed. “Okuyasu, this is more than a show. This is culture .” Without even stumbling as she walked, she looked at Okuyasu. “Drag shows are Non theater and Kabuki, but made for us.”
“We have to thank Westerners for the show we’re attending, though,” Koichi cut in, his tone light. “Drag is super popular in the gay scene over there.”
Okuyasu could feel a pit of anxiety open in his stomach. Something so prominent, so soon after coming out? What if he’s wrong? Probably not, straight guys don’t stare at men like that. Or buy the magazines I do.
Yukako placed a gentle hand on Okuyasu’s shoulder, apparently sensing his anxiety. “It’s okay, we’re just watching. Koichi and I will be with you, and if it’s too much and you need to leave, we’ll go.”
Okuyasu smiled and nodded, thankful for the support.
This… will be fun.
***
The club wasn’t packed, but it sure as hell wasn’t a ghost town. Yukako and Koichi got them a table in the front, which Okuyasu almost felt intimidated by. At the three person table, Koichi and Yukako put him in the front. Bastards . He turned around and looked around at the other tables, impressed with the other people there. Everyone looked excited; there was even a man near the middle with a camera set up. Dude has some sick eyeliner.
“Uh, ‘Kako, any last minute advice?”
Yukako paused thoughtfully, before listing off some tips. “It’s like a restaurant, don’t tip. Be prepared to maybe get called on stage. Or have a performer approach you. Applaud.” For her last tip, she leaned forward, and rested her head on Okuyasu’s exposed shoulder. “And have fun .”
Perfectly timed, the lights dimmed, and the announcer called for the crowd to prepare themselves for the first performer of the night - The Hierophant .
The person who came out on stage was almost elegant, long red hair piled onto their head, and a form fitting green dress. The song they lip-synced to was almost gentle, a lullaby of sorts. Okuyasu could feel himself staring in awe at the drastic difference between the sensuality of the outfit and the bold, gaudy makeup. The bright red lipstick matched the hair, and the white paint under the eyes exaggerated the size of their - purple eyes? Sick.
Suddenly, the track stopped for a moment. The queen on the stage laughed, before calling out, “Oh, come on. You don’t really think I’d start a show like that? Let’s go.” With an elegant hand, the queen reached over their side, grasping the buttoned side of their dress, and ripping it open. Underneath, their extraordinarily short shorts were revealed, paired with straps across the thighs.
The rest of the performance was much higher energy, but just as captivating. Okuyasu couldn’t even comprehend how such an already tall person managed to walk in heels that high. By the time they took a bow, Okuyasu was yelling out with the rest of the crowd. As the queen walked back, they winked at a man in the front row. Okuyasu laughed to himself as he watched the tall, dark haired man blush deeply, lowering his hat over his face.
The announcer called out for the next performer - a proclaimed crowd favorite, Crazy Diamond . Okuyasu wondered if it was a Pink Floyd reference - probably .
“Oh, I was hoping they would perform tonight!” Okuyasu turned back to face Koichi, who met his look with an expression of untouched joy. “You’ll love them, Okuyasu, I know it.”
The lights turned over to a rolling change of purple colors as the queen emerged from the side, and Okuyasu knew he was staring with his mouth open. The person on stage had their hair styled up in a large pompadour, strong eyebrows giving way for an expressive face. The dark lipstick contracted beautifully with the light purple suit jacket, which was sewn into a pair of skintight pants the same shade of purple. They wore no shirt under their suit jacket, leaving their chest on display, a detailed tattoo of a diamond not at all obscured by the clothing. Sequins lined their sides, and the heels they wore were tall as hell, as well as a blinding shade of white also adorned with sequins. Okuyasu missed whatever they said before the performance started, due to his intent admiration, but he snapped out of it as the song started.
Okuyasu was fairly surprised that he actually recognized the song - some sort of more upbeat remix to “If I Was Your Girlfriend” by Prince. The moment it started, the Prince inspiration clicked. That’s so fucking cool . Okuyasu could see the inspiration now - a little bit of a “Purple Rain” vibe. Okuyasu didn’t know what all of the words meant, but he did know most of them.
Unlike the first performer, who kept their performance on the stage, Crazy Diamond made their way down the center stairs, confidence radiating off of them. Every step was precise and almost sensual as they moved into the crowd. Okuyasu turned to watch them as they slowly laid down across one table, kicking their heels up to the beat before standing up abruptly. Based on what Okuyasu knew of the lyrics, the song had about a minute left - assuming the remix didn’t cut out any more of the song.
The queen looked over at the table Okuyasu sat at, and Okuyasu could feel his heart in his throat. He wondered if he was hallucinating as the queen approached the table - the front of the table, and pulled Okuyasu’s chair forward.
He figured out he was not hallucinating, nor dreaming, as the queen sat into Okuyasu’s lap, lounging gently. Okuyasu could still hear the music over the blood rushing in his ears.
Crazy Diamond was moving their lips to the words, looking into Okuyasu’s eyes as they gently placed their hand on his chin. “ Would you, would you let me kiss you there? ” The hand moved down, before gently pressing against his chest. “ You know, down there, where it counts? ” I think I’m about to die.
The queen rose after what felt like ages since taking their seat, but not before grabbing Okuyasu by the chin and looking down into his face. Their eyes were lidded, but still gave Okuyasu a chance to note just how blue they were. “ I’ll do it so good, I swear I’ll drink every ounce. ” They gave Okuyasu a wink, before turning back to the stairs that led up to the stage.
Okuyasu watched with a slack jaw as Crazy Diamond returned to the stage to take their bow.
Of course he happened to know exactly what those words meant - but Okuyasu couldn’t help but wonder if the performer did, too.
***
The rest of the performances were just as amazing, though Okuyasu would be a filthy liar if he said he wasn’t still thinking about what happened to him during Crazy Diamond ’s performance. By the time the lights came on again after the last queen - Pepper, a purple haired, punk themed performer - took their final bow, Okuyasu could still feel the hand grasping his face.
“So?” Okuyasu turned around, brought back down to reality by Yukako speaking. “Did you like it?”
Okuyasu felt his face heat up, his brain immediately bringing back up that same trail of thought. “Oh, I, uh, loved it honestly. How do th’ walk in those heels?”
Koichi laughed at that, while Yukako giggled. Okuyasu looked at the table in front of them, and noticed quite a few shot glasses. Ah .
“You better have liked it,” Koichi finally said, after taming his laughter. “Crazy Diamond sat in your lap. I’d be jealous if Yukako di-” Koichi was cut off by his girlfriend placing a hand over his mouth, giving Okuyasu a tight-lipped smile. Well, I know who took most of the shots then.
“Well, let's head out,” Yukako sighed out. “We need to catch a train back home.” Okuyasu felt a strange, unplaceable tinge of disappointment run through him. Regardless, he nodded, and stood up from his seat.
The trio were the last ones to leave, it seemed, and Yukako waved happily as they made it to the door, thanking any worker she saw on the way. Okuyasu would give them a nod and a shy wave, while Koichi was a little too busy babbling to Yukako about how pretty she is, but he still did manage to wave goodbye to some.
The moment they got outside, Okuyasu understood why Yukako told him to bring a sweater. The air was biting, and Okuyasu glanced at his watch for the time. He almost blanched as he read it, the time flashing 03:00.
“Damn, it’s late,” he muttered, and Yukako laughed.
“You didn’t notice? Technically, that show was kinda short. Last one we went to went ‘til 05:00.”
They made conversation as they went down the street, until Okuyasu heard a call of, “Excuse me!” The trio turned around, and Okuyasu was pretty sure the sight of the person in a pompadour was going to make him die on the spot.
The person finally made it to stand in front of him, and if the hair wasn’t telling enough, the sight of those eyes again confirmed exactly who had approached them. They blushed, before almost awkwardly saying, “Uh, hi. I hope sitting in your lap didn’t make you uncomfortable.”
Okuyasu had to remind himself how to breathe before he could stutter out his reply. “Uh, oh, god, n-not at all. Shit.” Okuyasu could see Yukako pressed her hands to her mouth, stifling a giggle.
In his slightly-intoxicated state, Koichi seemed to have no issue blurting out, “You’re Crazy Diamond . Holy fuck.” The performer flushed even more, but Koichi continued, “My girlfriend and I have watched you perform so many times, you’re amazing. Though, I never thought you’d be someone to sit in an audience member’s lap. I thought The Hierophant would eventually crack with that dude they’re always winking at.”
“Koichi, please, you’re embarrassing them,” Yukako hissed, though Okuyasu knew there was no real malice to it.
“No, it’s fine - I’m touched.” Crazy Diamond gently pat the sides of their hair, before adding, “I think The Hierophant will crack sometime soon. I know Jo - uh, that guy sure isn’t going to make a move. Don’t ask.” Fair enough.
Crazy Diamond cleared their throat, before saying, “Um, I don’t usually do this, but…” They handed Okuyasu a small piece of paper, before turning and walking away. They called back, “I hope I get to see you all again! Have a lovely night,” before disappearing back into the club. Okuyasu could see the blush on their face, even under the dim alley lights.
Okuyasu opened the paper, and he felt his heart stop as he read it.
Josuke (he/him)
x-xxx-xxx-xxxx
Call me <3
Okuyasu flushed as he stared at the neat, dark purple lipstick print. Faintly, he could hear Yukako squealing while Koichi threw up into a nearby drain.