A young man with a travel backpack and mountain gear is looking around the town of Nerima until he notices someone in the distance.
"At last, I finally found you." He muttered then ran to his destination.
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Cai Kang was on the rooftop of the house relaxing after a bit of morning training. He and Kazuha would be going out where he would be introduced to more of her friends. He had enjoyed his time with a few of her friends in Shenmi and now he will meet a few more of them who live in Qiyuan. Suddenly, he sensed bloodlust and looked up to see a boy out of nowhere trying to strike him with a hiking staff.
"What the?'' Cai Kang then got out of the way and the stranger ended up striking the rooftop, damaging the tiles. "The hell? You better pay for that!" Cai Kang yelled but stopped when he recognized the person. He has a shaggy appearance but there is no doubt who he is.
The young man continues to attack him. Despite being naturally really strong even without using his chi, his punches are not as effective as he thought. Noticing he is still trying to attack him. Cai Kang got his bearings.
"Wait! It's me! Cai Kang!" Cai Kang said as he dodged his attacks and trying to stop him. This is completely unnatural even for me.
The young man stopped in his tracks and stared at him coldly. "You've gotten stronger."
Cai Kang said looking straight into his opponent with the same sentiment. "What? It's been four, five years?"
"You're getting engaged." The boy said, getting straight to the point and folding his arms.
The boy is muscular, has sharp brown eyes and wavy brown locks.
"Ah, I guess you got that bit of news." Cai Kang scratched his head. After a bit of silence, he spoke up. "So what brings you here in Qiyuan?" He said.
"I need to talk to your father." He said.
"For what?" He asked.
"A lot of things. Now, where is he?" The boy said impatiently.
"I don't know. He's traveling all over Japan. He hasn't contacted me since he left." Cai Kang replied then changed the subject. "How the hell did you keep finding me?"
"I always know where you are Kang."
"Tsk. If it wasn't for your curse, I would've thought of you as a stalker." Cai Kang said.
"I don't have a choice you know." The boy growled.
"Yeah, Yeah, I know. He's traveling around the country. He's not gonna come back here so you're gonna need to go to China to find him." He said nonchalantly. You should go. If they find you, they will interrogate you for the damages you did to their roof." Cai Kang said.
"Speaking of that, Where am I anyway?" Ryosuke asked, confused.
"You know that I'm engaged but you don't know what family I'm getting engaged to?" Cai Kang said surprised.
"I didn't get the details." Ryosuke admits.
"This is the Shiratori home of the Hinagi clan. The house plate is literally at the front door." He said.
"Wait, you are engaged to the Shiratori household?" Ryosuke says in a tone of surprise and looks around.
"No but if it is, Is it that surprising?"
"You really don't know, do you? The Shiratori House is one of Luminescent's Japanese elite families." He said.
"I know that but why is it shocking to you?" Cai Kang said in confusion. "There are several elite class families in all of Luminescent. There are over hundreds of elite status families in China alone."
The young man shook his head. "Not all of them. This one is one of the more powerful ones. It was rumored that the Shiratori family might become a noble family one day." He said.
Cai Kang doesn't know much of the Shiratori family or the clan other than the facts that the twins, Shoraku and his old man told him. Their grandpa was a big shot in Japan and one of the strongest martial artists in the country before he died. He is so influential that even his son, their dad, continues to be as influential despite not being as strong as him. The Shiratori family even took over as the main family after the previous main family had been downgraded. The Shiratori school is known to be a good martial arts school even outside the Japanese community so martial artists, mostly from the chi-using communities in Luminescent, come to train there. Shoraku is an especially strong martial artist with many strong students in Japan and managed to earn his father's title. He doesn't remember the families of the clan other than the Shiratori. Then again, he hasn't seen what it looks like on the other side.
"I have plans today. Are you gonna come back?" Cai Kang said.
"Yeah, besides there's something else I have to do first. It won't take too long." Then he jumped off the roof. "See ya." Then he ran off leaving Cai Kang confused but he went back inside. The boy then felt pain and realizing he didn't have much time, he ran and hid behind a bush after frantically looking around for a place to hide.
Kazuha came back from the Inverse when she suddenly sensed a foreign presence. She was on her guard as she walked further into her house and started looking around after hearing odd noises. Then she heard a hiss. She walked over there noticing a feral alligator with a black bandana around its neck. She is confused as to why or how it got here. Did it escape from the zoo? "Where did you come from?" she said.
The alligator turns its head at her looking at her as if it is answering her with a hiss and even tries to hide. She then noticed its back has a lot of scratches and it seems to be hurt. Even though she cannot speak or understand an alligator, she can still understand its expression. At least she knows it's not hostile.
"Let's get you to a place where I can treat you." If Saeko or Yae do not even notice it then I have to be careful. She checked the dojo and didn't see anyone inside or close by and brought the bag inside. The alligator went in and sat on a cushion. "I'll be right back." She then left to her room to drop off her things when she walked by Ren. "Ren, there is an alligator in the training hall. so don't go inside yet and keep an eye on it." Ren is confused and goes to check on it himself, his curiosity got the best of him.
"Anyone inside? I know you are there." He said.
There was a hiss which answered Ren's question which almost made him jump back and immediately close the door without even getting a proper look. After a moment, Toya walked by to the training hall, hearing everything.
"Hey, what's this about an alligator in the training hall?" Toya said. "You know dad doesn't allow animals in here." Then he looked inside to see the alligator. "Wa- so there really is an alligator in there? Toya said, alarmed.
The alligator was impatient so it suddenly changed back into a fully clothed human in front of their eyes, shocking the boys.
"My name is Otaka Ryosuke. Sorry for intruding." He said cooly.
Kazuha then appeared and saw the boy. "What the?" She said in astonishment but her gaze then changed noticing the bandana around his neck. "Care to explain why you are in our residence?" she said.
"It's a long story and I am sorry but it is something I sorta have trouble controlling. I didn't expect it and thus I have been careless." He bowed. "I am here to find Cai Changming." He said.
"Cai Kang talks to his dad regularly even though he is on a trip. If you need to know where you are then you just need to ask him." Ren said.
Shocked to hear that, Kazuha can sense displeasure in his tone. "I must go now." He said and he quickly put on his shoes and left the residence.
Kazuha looked at the guy who left until he was no longer in her line of sight. "I should tell Saeko and Yae to increase security." She said, not leaving her eyes in the direction he left.
"You think he might come back?" Toya said.
"It's not just that. This entire estate has a powerful barrier which blocks all chi use and techniques once inside it. Yet a shapeshifter was able to change inside it." she said. Otaka Ryosuke; his surname is familiar.
The boy, Ryosuke, left the household and saw that it was indeed the Shiratori family. The color in the girl's eyes is undeniable proof. He is going to the Inverse to check up on something before he decides to find Cai Kang again.
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The next day, Cai Kang didn't tell anyone about Ryosuke though he was contemplating if he should. He was waiting at the shopping district. Kurai decides to tag along since he doesn't have any friends other than Cai Kang. Both are waiting for Kazuha to meet her friends before introducing them.
Noticing Cai Kang's expression, Kurai can't help but smirk. "Nervous about meeting new people or a girl?" He said.
"Of course not. I just can't risk my secret getting out." Cai Kang muttered.
"You hang out with Gin and Seaweed girl all the time though."
"Well yeah, but they're different."
Kurai thought for a moment then looked at Cai Kang. "Still counts." He said.
"How?"
"Both are girls and you're living under the same roof as them. You can't tell me that you're not hot and bothered," He told Cai Kang.
"Oi, will you guys stop talking about me like I'm not here?" Kazuha irritably said.
Both were surprised to see Kazuha and Maiko looking unimpressed.
"And for the record, I don't ask too many questions so I don't try to pressure Cai Kang." Kazuha said.
"How long have you been here? I couldn't smell you." Kurai said.
"Not long. The others will be here any minute." Maiko said then looked at the guys. "Mind telling me, what's going on here?"
"We're talking about our tastes in girls." Cai Kang said.
"Really? Does your genderfluidity affect your sexual preference?" She asked bluntly.
Cai Kang was a bit flustered. "I always liked girls growing up. It could be because I got the concept of manliness drilled into me since birth." Cai Kang noted.
"I guess you are right but I thought you don't care about your curse including other genders." Kurai said and put his arms behind his head and sniffed the air.
"I don't. It's just the old man being paranoid. Also the government. Luminescent will be on my ass if this gets out." He said.
After a moment of silence, Kazuha noticed something. "They're here."
They noticed six people who head towards them. They all have strong chi. They are xian like him although they might not be bad at martial arts.
"These guys are some of my old middle school classmates. The ones we saw in the Inverse are the ones that live there." Kazuha said and walk towards the six. "These guys are the ones that live here. There are more but they couldn't make it so it's just them for now." Kazuha said.
There are two girls and four boys. Then the two girls approached Cai Kang and observe him.
"He's Cai Kang, right? He's quite built." A girl with wavy brown hair questioned.
"Of course, he is. He has long hair for a boy. He has to be chinese." A girl with long, straight, bleached blond hair replied.
"Are you sure that you are half girl?" A boy wearing leather said.
"I am a guy right now. I turn into a girl at night." Cai Kang lied. He doesn't want to show his transformation in public.
"Sorry, we ugh... pictured you to be a hermaphrodite." A boy with an undercut said.
"Alright then. What about him?" The guy turns his head to Kurai.
"HE'S not genderfluid." Kurai snapped.
"He's also not chinese, Kurosawa. Let's get to introductions." Kazuha said.
"Names Kurosawa Masato." The boy in leather says.
"Yoshino Karin. Nice to meet you." The girl with blond hair said cheerfully.
"Fukumi Misaki." The other girl said.
"My name is Kadonaga Masanori." The undercut haired boy said.
"Ryu Kouki." The shortest person among the six says.
"Okazaki Hiro" The last person says uninterested.
Unlike the other kids in Shenmi, these guys do not possess the unique characteristics they had. Cai Kang turned to Kazuha. "How many more friends will you introduce me to?" He said.
She shrugged. "You might not be able to meet the rest. We are just former classmates after all." She noted.
"We're gonna watch that new American film in the movie theater. We bought tickets enough for all of us." Kurosawa said.
"Always the nerdy one." Karin commented. "You jump at the opportunity to watch a movie."
"You mean with all the action and superpowers?!" Kurai said excitedly surprising Cai Kang.
"Yeah!" Kurosawa said enthusiastically.
Superpowers? American film? Cai Kang is visibly confused.
"Superpowers is kinda like what people here call innate abilities like potentials." Masanori explained. "It is quite abstract actually."
"America is a country in the west. The Inverse is a world created before the discovery of the Americas so it doesn't exist in the Inverse." Kazuha explained to Cai Kang.
While heading on their way, Kazuha further explains about the western hemisphere. Cai Kang learned a bit in school about the Americas but it only left him confused. In Luminescent, Shenmi was created without the knowledge of the western hemisphere's existence. The land that is supposed to be in the western hemisphere doesn't exist there but the planet is still the same size. Another large difference between Qiyuan and Shenmi/Inverse is that the land in Shenmi grew twice as big to fill up the remaining space.
Cai Kang is surprised to see that countries with their own cultures has been formed there and America; one of the most powerful nations in the world which changes the course of history in Qiyuan. How fascinating.
While in the movie theater, the bustling crowds and bright lights are mesmerizing to him. After buying the food, Kurai decided to buy more food for him to eat and is already chowing down before the movie even began.
"C'mon, really?" Cai Kang said.
"What? Man's gotta eat." Kurai said while stuffing his face.
They all got to the theater room and Cai Kang sat in betwee Maiko and Kurai, who is focused on the movie than to talk to him. Cai watched as the room darkens and the screen lits up. The fighting scenes are a bit unnatural but he is more impressed with literally everything else. The hero has all these cool gadgets to help him stop the villains and saves the day.
The movie has ended faster than Cai Kang had thought and they all left the theater, waiting for the others in the bathroom.
"Enjoying yourself?"
Cai Kang looked at Maiko who is pleased with herself.
"You look like a toddler who walked to the playground for the first time." she said.
"Well in my defense, this is the first time I ever went into a movie theater." He said.
"How are you getting used to the modern world?" Maiko asked.
"I'm getting used to it even though I don't have a phone yet." He said.
Maiko brought her green phone and flipped it open. "It took me an entire month to get used to my phone. You may not get your own until you fully understand the world we're living in." She said.
"How long did it take you to get used to this world?" He asked.
The girl thought for a moment. "I think about a few weeks." She said.
"Few weeks?!" He exclaimed. "I've been living here for far longer than that and I still don't know how an elevator works!"
"The elevator is just a moving box with labeled buttons. It's not that hard to figure out." Maiko replied flatly. "I lived in the original world long enough when I was a child so it didn't take long for me to figure out a couple things."
"I thought it was Kazuha who introduced it to you."
Maiko shook her head. "My parents are exorcists from an old clan. After getting stationed here, Emi and I have very little education in the Inverse. It wasn't until middle school where we had an awesome teacher who finally taught it to us. Of course, they don't like that. When I graduate, I'm gonna go to a magic school where I can learn more magic and live here and make a living doing what I love."
"You have quite the goal." He commented.
"You only live once. I nearly lost it so I'm not gonna let go that easily." She said.
Then the others appeared from their bathroom break. "Let's go to a cafe. Hurry before it gets too crowded!"