"It even has a small kitten on the shoulder area, so you wouldn't forget your roots!" Jay excitedly added.
June stared at the costume with an ambiguous expression.
It was definitely well-made. Jay's mom did a very good job on it.
However, there was a pair of tongs positioned like a 'V' on the right side of the head, and a small kitten decorated the shoulder opposite to the tong. Moreover, the costume was a mixture of pastel pink and yellow all throughout, making him look like a power ranger with a weird power.
Nonetheless, June believed this was much better than a Thongman costume.
But then again, he also didn't know if being Tongman was significantly better.
They were both pretty unhinged.
"Well, do you like it?" Jay nervously asked.
June pursed his lips before sighing in defeat.
"It looks nice," he said through gritted teeth.
"Yay!" Jay exclaimed, clapping excitedly. "I was recording your reaction this entire time. I'll be sure to send it to my mom."
June shook his head in disbelief.
He was also pretty relieved that he managed his reaction well. He definitely didn't want Jay's mom to be disappointed because of it.
June was about to get out of the car, but Jay quickly locked the door when he saw another car pass through.
"What's wrong?" June asked with a frown.
"Shh!" Jay said, covering his mouth while looking at the car.
June sighed before removing Jay's hand from his lips.
"This car is soundproof," June deadpanned.
"Oh, you're right," Jay chuckled. "I was just nervous for a while there. The production crew told me that I should never EVER reveal your identity to anyone on the show! It's how they keep things exciting."
June shook his head. "They're bound to find out when they see you, though."
"I thought of that too," Jay sighed. "However, I'm more determined than ever! That's why I had my mom prepare another costume."
"Goodness, what is it now?" June asked.
"Well, I thought of something that could pair well with tongs, so I found a rhyming word…in fact, it's almost a homonym."
"Please don't tell me—"
"I'll be Thongman!"
***
"Why are we even here on a Sunday morning?" Jia asked, yawning as her mother giddily waved her 'Guitarman' banner in the air.
"I should still be asleep," Jia muttered.
"It's nearing noon, young lady," Cindy said, a wide smile on her face like nothing could ruin her mood. "Besides, I don't complain whenever you go on those idol shows that have ridiculously early or late schedules!"
"But I don't drag you to those shows," Jia complained.
"Oh, suck it up, Boo Bear," Cindy sweetly said. "I got front-row seats, and your father is sick with the flu. I didn't want it to go to waste, so I invited you. Besides, isn't this a great way to meet Guitarman? He's been popping off on social media lately."
"Guitarman is for people your age," Jia muttered. However, Cindy merely ignored her and urged her to enter the venue.
As usual, the medium-sized venue was packed to the brim, ranging from young kids to people with white hair. For a moment, Jia saw an old woman with a June photocard in her expensive bag, making her smile.
It was crazy how the world always had a way of connecting her to June. Who would have expected that she would see him in photocard form today, too?
It didn't take long before the entire venue was filled. After a few minutes, the host, Kim San, emerged through towering LED screens, earning him a loud round of applause.
Jia tilted her head to the side in confusion. She was sure she had seen this man before.
"Isn't he from God Quiz?" she asked.
"Quiz God," Cindy corrected. "And yes! Kim San hosts both shows."
Jia raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Well, he's making a lot of money."
"Welcome, dear ladies and gentlemen, for yet another day of talent and excitement!" San announced, earning him a louder round of applause.
"This week, we have four new challengers who want to take on the 'Disguised.' Speaking of that man, let me introduce him to you! Please welcome Guitarman!" he gestured toward the back, next to the judges, where a man was sitting on an elevated platform.
He was wearing his signature guitar-shaped mask and ripped black slacks.
The people inside the room went ballistic as soon as the spotlight was turned toward his way.
Cindy, too, lost all control once she saw him. She even held onto Jia's shoulders and shook her like a ragdoll.
Jia froze in horror, wondering if she would look like this to her children if June continued being an entertainer for the rest of his life.
"He's such a handsome fellow," Cindy muttered, hearts practically shooting out of her eyes.
"You can't even see his face," Jia deadpanned. However, she quickly pursed her lips when she remembered that she fell in love with June when his face was still covered with an atrocious kitty mask.
"Woah!" San exclaimed, making the screams tune down. "I see that Guitarman is getting more and more popular each week. Well, it is expected since he's the longest-running 'Disguised' in the history of the show! He's currently on a ten-week streak, and nobody has proved themselves worthy of breaking that streak just yet!"
"Will we finally get a challenger worthy of battling with our Guitarman?"
"No!" the crowd screamed, already biased toward Guitarman.
Kim San chuckled before asking Guitarman a question.
"You are now the most popular 'Disguised' to ever grace this show. How do you feel about this?"
"It's been overwhelming," Guitarman answered, his voice distorted to become deeper so people wouldn't be able to find out his identity. "It's been a while since I've received this much praise from the public."
"He must be old then," Jia concluded, causing Cindy to slap her knee.
"There has also been a lot of speculations and theories regarding your identity. Tell us—are any of these theories right?"
Guitarman paused for a while before holding up an 'X' sign.
The people started murmuring among themselves.
"I've seen some people guess my identity right. However, it isn't as prominent as the other theories," Guitarman responded. "I believe a lot of people would still be surprised once they see me."
"It just makes me more curious to find out your identity!" San exclaimed.
"Well, let us make Guitarman relax for now!" he said, turning to the front camera.
"Let us now welcome our first set of challengers!"
"They will be singing 'Life of the Party' by the popular band THORNS! Please give them a round of applause."
