Chapter Text
“Excuse me, son, do you ever cosplay?”
Lu Guang pulled up short, staring at the arm now blocking his path. He followed it up to a friendly-looking face, smiling down at him. The man was impeccably dressed in a business suit, his hair slicked back, and he took a small step to the side to get in front of Lu Guang.
“I don’t,” he replied shortly, moving to walk around the man.
Who just moved in front of him again. “No, don’t be like that. I know I’ve seen you before. Just give me a moment to think about it.”
Lu Guang tried to leave again, but the man stopped him with a hand on his arm. “Just stay right there, all right? I know I have it saved in my phone.”
Letting out a sigh, Lu Guang craned his neck around to look for Cheng Xiaoshi. He never should have let his friends talk him into going to another anime convention “for old times’ sake”. He’d gotten separated from Cheng Xiaoshi and Qiao Ling thanks to the crowd, and was really more interested in finding his friends than having this weird conversation with a stranger.
“There it is! This is you, right?” The man held his phone up, displaying a picture of Lu Guang from his days in the anime club. “Ranchie Chronicles, right? This was absolutely spectacular; I remember the day you first posted the photos.”
Lu Guang rested a hand on the man’s wrist to push his phone away. “I don’t do that anymore,” he replied. “Sorry.”
“Oh, but you should!” The man was relentless. “I’m Zhen Wuying, with Dawnstar games—here, my card.” Zhen Wuying pressed the card into Lu Guang’s hand, forcing his fingers to curl around it. “You’d be the perfect cosplay model for our upcoming game, Gehenna. Just a few appearances in costume, nothing too serious. We’d pay you for you time, of course.”
“No, thank you.”
“Just give it a look—here, this is our hero, Rin. See? You’d be perfect for the role.” Zhen Wuying held up his phone again, this time displaying a white-haired character in a fairly generic fantasy outfit. “My company would pay for the costuming and photography. You’d simply need to stand there. What could be easier?”
“I’m not interested.”
“But you should be! It would be a shame to waste looks like yours. Just give it a thought, would you?”
Lu Guang finally managed to push the business card back into Zhen Wuying’s hands. “Sorry. No.” He spotted Cheng Xiaoshi standing at one of the booths, and his friend’s face broke out into a grin when their eyes locked. Lu Guang finally managed to break away from Zhen Wuying and hurry to Cheng Xiaoshi’s side, pretending not to hear the man calling after him.
“Friend of yours?” Cheng Xiaoshi asked as Lu Guang caught his arm and practically dragged him away from booth and deeper into the crowd.
“The opposite,” he muttered, shooting a final glance over his shoulder to see Zhen Wuying watching them walk away.
…
“A guest has arrived”
Cheng Xiaoshi huffed out an irritated sigh, shoving himself up from the couch. “Keep looking. I’ll see who it is.”
Lu Guang barely nodded, all his focus on the photographs in front of him. Qiao Ling had found another client for them, and he was combing through the pictures she’d dropped off in hopes of finding the one they needed.
“Oh, well, what a coincidence! I didn’t realize this was your shop!”
The voice sent a prickle of unease down Lu Guang’s spine. He set the photos aside and climbed to his feet, slowly making his way to the front counter to see Cheng Xiaoshi talking to the man from the anime convention.
Zhen Wuying grinned at Lu Guang. “I was in the neighborhood and happened to have some pictures I need developed,” he explained, gesturing to the rolls of film on the counter. “Who would have guessed it would be your shop? It must be fate.”
Cheng Xiaoshi cleared his throat. “Actually, it’s my shop? He just lives here rent-free.”
“Don’t be an idiot,” Lu Guang replied. He walked behind the counter, next to Cheng Xiaoshi, suddenly wanting something between him and Zhen Wuying.
“I found more of your pictures, by the way,” Zhen Wuying commented. He had his phone out again, showing more of the cosplays the anime club had forced Lu Guang into. “It really is a shame to waste your talent in a place like this. Don’t you agree?”
“Oh, totally,” Cheng Xiaoshi nodded, bumping his hip against Lu Guang. “He’s far too pretty to be slaving away back here in obscurity. I tell him that all the time.”
Lu Guang smacked him on the back of the head. “I already told you. I’m not interested.”
“Just one shoot?” Zhen Wuying begged. “We already have the costume—it would just take a few hours to tailor it to your measurements. You would be the perfect Rin.” He took a step back, making a square with his fingers like he was sizing Lu Guang up for a photograph.
“Looks pretty cool,” Cheng Xiaoshi commented, leaning over Lu Guang’s shoulder to look at the concept art Zhen Wuying had brought up on his phone. “You sure you don’t want to do it?”
“I don’t,” Lu Guang replied firmly. “I don’t do cosplay anymore.”
Zhen Wuying’s shoulders slumped. He pulled out another business card and slid it across the counter, though Lu Guang refused to pick it up. “Well, you have my number. If you have a change of heart.”
“I wouldn’t count on it,” Cheng Xiaoshi piped up, finally passing Zhen Wuying the forms he needed to fill out to have his film developed. “This guy’s pretty stubborn when he makes up his mind. Hey, I’ll tell you what, you find a white wig and I’ll do your cosplay. How’s that?”
“Sorry, I don’t think you’re what we’re looking for.”
Cheng Xiaoshi sighed theatrically. “Story of my life. Will this be cash or charge?”
…
“We just keep running into each other! It must be fate!”
Lu Guang scowled, glancing up from his position at the bar as Zhen Wuying slid in beside him. “I’ve already told you no,” he snapped, before the man could ask him about cosplaying again.
Zhen Wuying raised his hands. “I’ve got the message. We found someone else, anyway. Oh, and your friend’s here! Hello!”
Cheng Xiaoshi had come up behind Lu Guang, standing close enough that Lu Guang’s shoulder nearly brushed the center of his chest. ‘C’mon, man. This is starting to get creepy. Are you following us or something?”
“Not me!” Zhen Wuying held both hands up. “Just saw you from across the room and wanted to say hi. Oh, and look at our new client. He doesn’t quite have your features, but he’s a good fit.” He had his phone out to display the picture, but he put it away before Lu Guang could get more than a cursory glance at it.
Lu Guang turned away, leaning both arms on the bar as the man kept talking about his game project and the new cosplayer he found. He never should have let Cheng Xiaoshi drag him out to celebrate their latest case. He rarely touched alcohol, and the noise and music here was much louder than he could usually tolerate. It was bright and loud and people were bumping into him and Cheng Xiaoshi had left his side and someone had a hold of his wrist and was pulling him away from the bar.
“It’s just a little too much up there,” Zhen Wuying was saying, ushering him to one of the quieter tables away from the bar. “You looked like you could use a break.”
He nodded, though he didn’t want to thank the man. “I’m fine.”
“Hey, no hard feelings,” Zhen Wuying held a hand out, grinning when Lu Guang finally shook it. “Though I wouldn’t mind you stepping in, if you’re interested?”
Impatience flared in Lu Guang’s chest, though he tried to keep it down. They were out in public, after all, and he didn’t want to cause a scene. “I was never interested,” he finally hissed through clenched teeth. “I don’t cosplay anymore.”
“I know, I know.” Zhen Wuying sighed. “Here, let me buy you a drink—wait right here. It’s the least I can do after hassling you for so long.”
Lu Guang folded his arms and sat back in the chair while Zhen Wuying bustled away. He glanced around, finally spotting Cheng Xiaoshi talking to someone at the far end of the bar. They made eye contact for a brief moment and Cheng Xiaoshi raised his eyebrows. Lu Guang waved him away, glancing back down at the tabletop as Zhen Wuying reappeared with two short glasses.
“Well, here’s to what would have been a wonderful working relationship—I know, I know. You said no.” Zhen Wuying held his glass up, then tilted his head back and drank it down.
Lu Guang grunted. He toyed with the glass for a moment, carefully studying his companion out of the corner of his eye. Zhen Wuying wasn’t paying much attention to him, his eyes glued to his phone. “Oh—I have to take this call. Please, enjoy your drink. Maybe we’ll see you at the next convention for Gehenna’s release.”
He stood up and walked away from the table, his phone pressed to his ear. Lu Guang watched him leave, then his eyes went back to his glass. He lifted it up and downed it in one long swallow, grimacing at the harsh burn of the alcohol. It was stronger than what he normally drank, and he could feel the heat pooling in his stomach and chest.
The lights were still far too bright, even away from the bar. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair, then stood up and retreated closer to the wall, where the lights weren’t as bright. They were dazzling his eyes, and his head pounded with the rhythm of the music.
“Hey, you don’t look so good.”
Someone was there. His head was suddenly spinning, and he stumbled to the side when someone grabbed his arm.
“I think you need some fresh air.”
This wasn’t right. Something was...something was wrong. He was moving, though the room was spinning too fast to see where he was going. Someone pulled him close, tugging his arm over their shoulders, forcing him to walk in step with them.
“He’s my friend. I think he had too much to drink.”
Something...it wasn’t right.
“Don’t worry, Lu Guang. I have a car waiting. You’re going to like where we’re going.”