An uncomfortable meeting and a change of clothes

Just down the block from the ODD agency building-- not nearly as far as we'd had to go to make it to the arena yesterday-- was a building I'd seen in passing my first day and assumed must be a strip club of some kind. Like the ODD agency itself, it might turn out to be such a thing, masquerading as a legitimate business, but if that was the case, it was doing a much worse job of hiding its intentions. The outside of the building was bright pink with the words "L O V E" in neon letters across a sign over the double doors at the front, making it seem like a certain kind of disreputable hotel. The outer windows were decorated with more neon, including a few emblems that, to me, looked disturbingly like a hand jacking off a penis. I pointed at them with skepticism on my face.

"That's actually supposed to be a hand using a shake-weight," Charlee responded quickly, seeming eager to sweep my misinterpretation under the rug, for some reason. "That's why the 'shaft' stays in place while the hand moves!"

I turned to the Princess, expecting she'd have some kind of input or that she'd undercut Charlee once again. This time, she kept a stoic frown on her face and simply waited for the two of us to finish. I wouldn't call her patient, but she seemed to realize I needed time to understand what I was seeing.

If it weren't for the ridiculous colors and signage, the place could have been a proper gym for training, exercise, or boxing. The space was right and the style suggested that before the hideously named Genkei Big Body had purchased it, it might have been a classic establishment for those sorts of activities. Speaking of that man, I saw him peeking through the windows with giddy anticipation on his grinning face, just as we were approaching. It was like something out of a horror manga to see his visage appear between what looked like two bright, neon penises, and nearly made me jump once I spotted it.

I told myself: "No, Katsumi. You're not going to let this guy see you sweat. Just cut him off at the knees like the other Genkei if you have to! You're in enemy territory, so you have to establish dominance up front!"

Those thoughts dripped out from my ears, as though they were some useless leakage from my brain, as the man stepped around past the signs and to the front door to greet us. I was terrified behind rationality, seeing Genkei's same head copy-pasted on top of a tremendous, muscular bodybuilder's frame. It was as though someone had literally swapped the head of my hated employer onto the body of a young Arnold Schwarzenegger, nude save for a red bodybuilder's speedo. My nausea was offset by just one thought: maybe he's more personable than that bastard, Genkei?

"Heya! You dicks are looking super cute today!" the man greeted us excitedly, then rubbed his hands together as though he was applying grip powder.

No, I didn't think I was going to get along with this one either. Thankfully, the Princess brought him to heel pretty quickly by stepping to the front of our group. "Know your place, Big Body," she cut him off, before he could throw any more unwanted innuendo. "Ms. Hojo and Ms. Hawthorne will be assisting with your exercise today, while I supervise. I'd like them to head straight to the changing room with none of your harassment."

The man rubbed his chin thoughtfully, his narrow eyes darting between the Princess's muscular form, Charlee's suave, model-like frame, and my tiny, nerdy body. "Hmm... It's going to be a shame not to see you in action, Princess, but I guess they say variety is the spice of life. I'll give the two of them a shot!" he resolved, flashing his teeth and sticking out one thumb in approval. "Get dressed quick and hit the exercise room once you're ready to sweat, ladies!" With that, he raised one hand to wave goodbye and exited, showing me more than I wanted to see of his ridiculously toned glutes.

Charlee had remained pretty quiet, painfully so, as we made our way back to the locker room. She took one side and I took the other as we changed back to back, like professionals, but I had to admit, I was dying to get a look at what she was wearing underneath that tan suit... It would be so easy to turn around and take it all in! It wouldn't even be strange! Still, a mixture of bashfulness and respectfulness kept my eyes forward on the locker, as I removed my own pant-suit to reveal my plain, boring, floral-print white bra and panty set.

The locker in front of me belonged to Desperado #1, whose real name I had still yet to learn-- even this locker just said "Desperado" on it. Once again, the clothes seemed to be a fairly good fit, everywhere but the chest, where she was clearly a bit more filled out than me. I found a white t-shirt with a blue "ODD" logo across the chest, and black, spandex shorts. This wasn't nearly so bad as the wrestling gear I'd been **** to don yesterday, but it still came with two issues: first off, the shirt was short enough that it failed to cover my belly. Thankfully, being chubby wasn't one of the many issues I had with my body, but I also didn't have a nice washboard abdomen like Charlee or a ripped six-pack like the Princess. I'd definitely stand out in an outfit like this, among all these exercise enthusiasts.

The other problem you've probably already guessed: the fit across the groin was pretty tight. My bulge would be at least a bit apparent and if I popped an erection, it would be uncomfortably so. I'd just have to hope the revulsion I felt towards Genkei's muscle-bound brother would be enough to keep it down and avoid giving those guys too much of a show. Speaking of which, I opened my mouth to ask about what we were doing for them today, when suddenly, Charlee spoke up just a second before I could.

"Katsumi... I think we should clear the air a bit. Neither of us are doing what we pictured ourselves doing back when we were still in university, are we?" she questioned quietly. I got the idea she'd turned around to watch me now, but I was too nervous to meet her eyes. I just gave her a brief, quick answer, confirming her suspicions. "I was so sure you were going to be a novelist. Your writing was always so brilliant. Why'd you end up here?"

I turned the question around on her: I could ask her the same thing! I was so sure she'd be a true detective now, the kind that people make TV shows about, like, uh, True Detective. She said she liked the work, but could that really be the reason? I ended up here by a complete accident, thinking I was becoming a proper investigator, not an erotic wrestler or a fetish gym instructor!

She grabbed my shoulders and turned me around to face her; I could see that she'd dressed down into a very fetching, similar uniform to my own, which highlighted her perky breasts, her lean abs, and the nice curve of her hips, as well as giving a hint at her package down below. She was such a specimen that I forgot to focus on what she was saying; I had to ask her to repeat it. "I said, yes, I'm here because I want to be here. That's what I need you to understand. Katsumi, when I left university, I discovered I'm not cut out to catch criminals. Rather, I've got a few deviant tendencies myself. I don't want to put words into your mouth, but I've always appreciated the way you seemed to respect me, and... well... I'm afraid I'm about to destroy whatever unfortunate misconceptions you still hold about my character," she murmured, backing up and looking wounded as she rubbed one arm. "That's why I was trying to push you away... why I never reconnected and why I still tried to duck you today. I'm not the person you think I am. I'm a p-"

I cut her off, grabbing her hands and shaking my head. I didn't want her to feel bad or apologize! After all, I didn't need an idol or even a competent senior agent to work with. I just wanted my friend back. So what if she wasn't cut out for detective work? I wasn't cut out for novel-writing either, apparently! There was still the future to cultivate those talents. We could do it all together! Crap, I felt like I was proposing her a bit more than I was reassuring her.

The blonde shook her gorgeous locks and smiled awkwardly, while squeezing my hands meaningfully. "Y-You may still not properly comprehend what I'm saying. What I mean is that when I'm in situations like this, I become a different person. You see, I'm a hardcore exh-"

No worries! I don't care if you're not a super detective, Charlee. Water under the bridge!

"... You know, it might be better if you just see for yourself," the woman finally conceded, pulling her hands back and crossing her arms beneath her breasts with a sad smile.

I'm not worried at all! Whatever Charlee was trying to tell me, we'll get through it together, now that we've mended our old friendship! We've got each other's backs! With that confidence, I crossed out the offensive message I'd written in my memo pad earlier, stashed it inside the Desperado locker, then went out with my good friend to meet the den of wolves, swinging my fists merrily at my sides in spite of myself.