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Yuudai had been to the estates that had the dubious honor of housing Bataar's infamous yurt exactly once. More often than not, as he did with all of his other friends, he required Bataar to come to him when he wanted to spend time together. It was simply the easiest arrangement, as Yuudai tended to be rather busy on any given day, with either academy work, inn work, or some previous obligation to a friend or family. If he were constantly running around trying to locate other people, it would be very inefficient, as far as he was concerned.

Despite that, today, he was seeking out Bataar. He had a large bundle in his arms, wrapped with the biggest cloth he could find, and it was still a little strained at the edges. A friend of his had dropped off some cuts of meat as repayment for a favor rendered, and Yuudai had been more than pleased by them; pleased enough that he set aside half of them to use later, and had instantly started preparing a lunch with his new friend in mind.

He certainly wasn't going out of his way to try to sway Bataar's good opinion toward him. Certainly not. It wasn't as though he knew from personal experience that once a person started dating, they forgot all about their friends and instead focused intently on their significant other. He didn't have any such ulterior motives as trying to keep his friend, well, coming to him.

Expression darkening, he peered around the bundle in his arms, realizing abruptly that he had no idea where he was going. He must have taken a wrong turn, which was understandable considering it was only his second time visiting. Still, he didn't relish the idea of milling about aimlessly until he either smelled or heard Bataar, as reliable as that method might have been.

Alone, he debated which way to turn for directions, tapping his foot lightly against the floor as he did.

Good things came to those who waited, though it seemed he didn't need to wait long. Shifting the bulk of the weight in his arms, he peered around it, pleased to see a young woman approaching him. It was a bit irritating to need to ask directions from a man, but women tended to be much more understanding and forgiving about that sort of thing. Not only that, but he could hardly be expected to know his way around, so there was no reason for anyone to be annoyed with him regardless. Still, he felt better upon seeing the lady, and it showed in the brief, bare smile he offered her.

"Hello." He would have attempted a bow, but given what he held in his arms, he was afraid he would drop it. Instead, he settled for merely inclining his head. "I am a bit lost, actually. I'm bringing lunch to a friend of mine, and I can't seem to recall the way to his... yurt."

He spoke yurt delicately, as though it were a word that was offensive to pass his lips. He had nothing against yurts in general, he just knew from the time he had guided Bataar home that his particular yurt was not the most sanitary of dwelling places. Still, it was where he lived, when he wasn't living at the inn, so Yuudai would make the effort.

Even if it made him frown, he would make the effort.

"His name is Bataar." He added the last helpfully, though he had to wonder precisely how many people lived in yurts on the estates. Not many, he would imagine.

Yuudai's face underwent a curious transformation as the long-haired woman continued to speak. At first, he was only mildly curious, as she seemed to hold distaste for Bataar and -- by extension -- anyone whom he considered a friend. Of course, assuming as much would get him no where, but given his tone, Yuudai would have been surprised to be mistaken. Well, no matter; Bataar wasn't the sort that many fancy, well-dressed individuals consorted with, that much was obvious. He'd found the man half-starved, covered in grime and filth in an alley, after all.

The slight censure could be forgive, however, had he not been referred to as a woman. What color had been in his face blanched out, for just a moment, only to be replaced by a fine blush spreading across his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. While he was able to remain calm in the face of crisis after crisis, could handle any number of angry customers, and could even withstand an excessive amount of pain without losing his cool, being compared to a woman was always a trigger for him.

Perhaps it was because he had been raised surrounded by women. Perhaps because his best friend's brothers sometimes called him the "prettiest daughter" of the Koga family. Perhaps because he was not a woman; the reasons didn't seem to matter as much as the fact that he became absolutely butthurt the moment someone didn't realize he was, in fact, male.

Gathering his dignity around him like a shroud, he straightened to his full (unimpressive) height, fingers vised around the edges of the lunchbox so tightly that it would have been a struggle to wrest it from him. "I--" He cleared his throat, then said precisely, calmly, "I am Koga Yuudai, the only son of the family that runs the Koga Inn, miss."

Usually it was men who mistook him for a woman; it was a bit disheartening to have a young lady do the same. He hoped it wasn't a trend, or he was really going to need to shear his hair short and close to his head if he ever hoped to get an eventual wife.

Unless, of course, he wanted to marry a lesbian.

All of Yuudai's irritation left him in a breath, suddenly replaced by the awkward sensation of embarrassment. He had been so caught up in taking offense to having his gender mistaken -- again -- that he'd barely even listened to the other man's name and had done to him exactly the thing that irritated him most. He'd taken stock of his physical appearance, which was frankly much more womanly than Yuudai's own, and had assumed his gender without bothering to take note of anything aside from his long hair and soft features.

Damn.

Cheeks still burning with a vague blush, he adjusted the pack in his hands once again, only becoming fully aware of how heavy it was now that he was standing still. Damn Bataar -- this was somehow Bataar's fault for not being there; he never would have run into this awkward situation if the other Lunarian had just been present when he ought to be to take the food. Though it was small consolation, Yuudai resolved to be irritated with Bataar when he saw him next, and it made him feel a little better just then.

Clearing his throat, he jerked his chin up a little, eyes slightly narrowed. It was a thoughtful look, not a hostile one, but many had mistaken it in the past. "Having been subject to this many times in my life, I must disagree. I feel an apology is still necessary, and so, I apologize."

He didn't particularly enjoy making an a** of himself, but then, who really did? He was eager to get past this part of the conversation, and so shifted his weight again, continuing promptly. "I'm not altogether surprised you haven't heard of my family's inn; there are a great many to content with. But yes, this is a gift for him."

His face darkened a little when he remembered the absolute sheen of filth and grime that the other man had gotten all over his kitchen and tub, but other than that, nothing that couldn't be fixed had been broken. He hardly thought Bataar would be in a position to reimburse him for damages, anyway; he would have simply made him assist in some kind of repairs around the inn and considered it good.

"He has broken nothing that he couldn't fix with his own two hands, so for now, I have no reason to seek reimbursements. I was unaware that he was employed, however. I was rather under the impression that he was still largely homeless."

It didn't change the fact that Yuudai would feed and bathe him when he came around, but it did make him mildly annoyed that his friend -- they were friends, weren't they? -- had neglected to mention certain important details about his life.

Again.