Tiger and bunny: Lucky to be a lady tonight

Chapter 3

"So...who do you think she is?" Nathan asked, tapping his chin with a pink painted nail.

"I've no idea." Ivan shook his head, grabbing the tabloid and holding it up closer to his face.

"This is unlike Barnaby. He never calls in for a day off unless he really needs one, and then he's caught out on a date with some mystery girl?" Karina sighed, not completely interested in Barnaby's private life, but it was the topic everyone was obsessing over that morning ever since Keith had come in waving the tabloid he'd found around.

Right on the cover pictured Barnaby dressed in a way that looked like he was trying to not be recognized, holding up a shirt to the shoulders of an unknown woman with short brown hair and tan skin. The words "Barnaby's Secret lover?!" printed in bold lovers under the tabloid's title.

"Maybe she's his cousin or something?" Pao-Lin suggested with a shrug.

"He is standing flirtatiously close to her for that." Nathan shook his head.

"Maybe we should ask him...or maybe Kotetsu knows?" Keith suggested.

As soon as the words were out of Keith's mouth, Barnaby came into the room, water bottle in hand and deep into a news article on his phone.

"Handsome!" Nathan yanked the tabloid out of Ivan's hands and sashayed over to the blond, dangling it in his face, "Care to explain, darling?"

"Huh?" The young hero looked up from his phone, finding the tabloid in his face suddenly. "Oh that. I was just reading up on that. Don't worry, it's not what it looks like."

"What it looks like is what it looks like. Who is she? You two were obviously out on a date. Shopping, lunch...back to your apartment...it's all in here."

"Yes, just who is she?" Keith moved a bit closer with a small smile. "We're all curious to know if you've found a girlfriend at last."

"You better treat her right, Barnaby," Karina said, hands on her hips.

"She is rather cute," Pao-Lin added. Barnaby went a little red at that.

"Guys, you all know her –"

"None of us recognize her." Ivan said, grabbing the tabloid back. "She's Japanese, but she's definitely not Tiger's daughter...pretty sure those is the only Japanese girl we all know, and she's just a kid. This is obviously an adult you are making doki-doki eyes at."

"Yeah, it's easy to read between the lines on this." Pao-Lin nodded, "You had a date. Who is she! Can we meet her?"

"She's me." A feminine voice interrupted from behind.

The group of curious heroes all turned to look at Kotetsu. She had styled her hair the way she normally did as a man, her clothes closely resembling one of her usual street outfits she had when she had first met Barnaby, complete with one of her hats from home. And on her chin...an obviously fake cat beard drawn on with black eyeliner.

Barnaby blew out a breath and slouched a little walking over to the woman now standing just in front of the door. "What did you do to your chin, Kotetsu?"

"What do you mean? I got my beard back!"

"Kotetsu?!" the other heroes inquired at the same time.

Barnaby rubbed his neck and sighed. "Kotetsu, not to be rude, but it looks like a child drew on your chin."

"Ever try to draw on your own face with makeup using a mirror? Not so easy. I spent an hour this morning working on it!"

"Wait," Karina butted in, shoving Barnaby out of the way to get a better look at the woman who was just barely taller than her. "You can't be serious. Tiger? Why are you a girl?!"