Ada pretended to glare before joining the growing chorus of rosy-cheeked seniors surrounding Teshin as they gave their best-worstrendition of an angsty love song.
Outside the room, the club was marginally less noisy. It was a moonless night and there was no curfew. Just like the Night Market, every restaurant and bar in the entertainment district was packed.
Squeezing past a harried-looking staffer, Rui went to the back of the club. She groaned at the queue outside the restroom and got in line for the long wait.
She was finally done and washing her hands when two young women stumbled in. The shorter one crammed into a stall and slammed the door shut.
“Hurry up,” her friend said as she reapplied her lipstick in the mirror. “I called us a cab home.”
“But why?” the girl in the stall whined.
“Haven’t you heard about the murders? I don’t want to stay out too late.”
“Don’t be a killjoy! The Exorcists will handle it. There’s no curfew tonight, and I’m here to enjoy myself.”
“Exorcists?” Miss Lipstick made a face, muttering to herself, “I doubt it.”
Rui stuck her wet hands under the hand dryer, trying not to scowl at the girl.
“Oh, just hurry up!” Miss Lipstick yelled at her friend above the roar of air.
Rui stomped out of the restroom. She was so annoyed she almost didn’t see the lean figure striding purposefully in her direction. It took her a few moments to realize it was Zizi.
Gone were the pajamas he always wore, the ratty flip-flops he shuffled in, and that bat-wing cardigan she had a secret fondness for. Instead, his silky shirt was tucked into a pair of slim black trousers, and he was wearing actual shoes—leather loafers with burnished gold buckles. A black blazer draped over his shoulders, and an assortment of necklaces hung down, accentuating the cut of his neckline. Even his hair looked different.The waves were slicked back to define his features, making him look older than his eighteen years.
“You’re not wearing pajamas,” Rui burst out.
“How good of you to notice,” Zizi said.
“What are you doing here?”
He gestured in the general direction of the restroom.
“No, I mean, what are you doing in a karaoke club?”
“What do most people do at a karaoke club?”
“Do you even sing?”
“Like an angel. I’d offer to serenade you right now, but my bladder protests.”
Resting a shoulder against the wall, Zizi gazed down at her, eyes half-lidded, lips hinting of amusement and something more. Had he been drinking? He was a complete lightweight. Once, after failing to master a spell, he’d drunk half a bottle of hard lemonade and spouted bad, morose poetry about how pretty her eyes were before falling asleep in her lap. They never spoke of the incident, and Rui assumed he’d forgotten about it.
Zizi was swaying on his feet now. “I came here to hang out with some friends.”
“You mean criminals.”
He grinned crookedly, tapping her nose lightly with his finger. “Boop! Don’t forget you’re my friend, too.”
“Unfortunately.” Rui swatted his hand away, her cheeks suddenly warm. She knew they had to be beet red, and she was glad for the poor lighting in the corridor.
“Well, I’m very glad I met you here.” He leaned down, lowering his voice. “I have news. Perhaps we can go outside to the alleyway? To talk, not to take a leak.”
“I’m with the other cadets,” Rui said, suddenly worried that one of her schoolmates or a patron might catch her talking to him. She checked, but no one around them was paying any attention.
Zizi frowned. “You’re not afraid of being seen with me, are you?”
“I don’t want anyone thinking I might be involved in something I’m not supposed to be.”
