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Shaky hands tied a carefully-knotted bow around her neck. Even the breaths drawn in controlled motions of in and out, a diaphragm expanding, swelling and collapsing, falling back in on itself seemed to come in nervous and shaky bursts. The outfit itself seemed to be fine- ironed to perfection my Mahiru the very night prior. A button-up shirt, milky white and devoid of any creases. A brown skirt to go with the blazer which carried the symbol of Hope’s Peak on its breast. Such a basic outfit, one bestowed to nearly every student of Hope’s Peak Academy, yet to Mahiru it felt like so much more. To her, it meant more than any school uniform she had ever worn. She looked perfect, her red bowl cut brushed out neatly, her hazel eyes sparkling with an amalgam of fear, happiness and excitement. She had applied eyeliner, blush and lipgloss to her face, all of which accentuated her soft, sun-kissed skin, dotted with quite a few freckles. She looked perfect, even though she felt far from it.
Mahiru pushed down her fears and her doubts. If not now, then when? If she didn’t force herself to do this today, she’d probably never do that. She didn’t want to suffer as she had for even another moment of her highschool career.
The bus ride felt like it couldn’t go slow enough. Part of her didn’t even want to show up to school. She wanted to get off this bus and run home. Yet, she wanted to stay, and make a real stand for herself. Mahiru had to do this. She had to. She’d made it this far, after all.
Once she was finally standing outside Hope’s Peak Academy, her legs wobbled like jelly and her stomach churned. There really was no going back anymore. She drew a breath and stepped inside.
The initial reaction wasn’t terrible, on account of the fact that Hope’s Peak was an absolutely massive school. It wasn’t an “everybody-knows-everybody” kind of school, like her last one. So, while she did attract a few odd glances, the people who didn’t know her didn’t particularly care. Despite this, her pace down the hall was rather brisk. Halls that felt as though they extended forever, granting her not a moment of respite.
Through the impossible maze that was Hope’s Peak Academy came a smaller girl, her sandals beating against the tiled floors as she weaved through hordes of fellow students. The girl paid the others not a passing glance, her eyes fixed on a single point.
“MAHIRUUUU!!” She yelled, flinging herself into her girlfriend’s arms. Mahiru was surprised, but still did manage to catch Hiyoko, holding her effortlessly. For a sophomore, Hiyoko was quite small and thin, whereas her girlfriend was a decently strong and tall, able to lift her without strain. “Hi Hiyoko. You actually wore your uniform today?” Mahiru giggled.
Hiyoko had her own fashion sense, one that deviated wildly from what the school suggested its students wore, and took it as a mere suggestion. She often came to school wearing whatever she pleased, be it her favorite poofy skirts and leggings and oversized sweaters, her cutesy dresses, or even a kimono that her grandmother insisted she wore each day- though not always successfully. Today, however, she was actually wearing her school uniform. She had brushed her silky blonde hair into two neat pigtails, applied the needed blush to make her pale cheeks nice and rosy, and donned the button-up, blazer, and skirt that she seemed to never wear.
“Of course I did! I promised you I would!” She exclaimed. “Though, to be honest, I didn’t think I would ever end up doing it, because of our stupid principal taking so long to get you a girls’ uniform.” Hiyoko added, crossing her arms. “I had half a mind to march down to the principal’s office and beat him up! He has no reason to make you keep wearing your old boys’ uniform, especially since you’ve been asking him to change it for MONTHS and even got your Mom to give consent! He’s a jerk.”
Mahiru simply smiled and patted her head. “Hey, it’s okay. You don’t need to risk expulsion for me. I got the uniform, and that’s all that matters.” She reminded, just as the first period bell rang. Hiyoko let out an audible groan.
“First period… we’re gonna have to deal with Sonia.” She complained. While Mahiru mostly had kind, supportive classmates, Sonia made for a formidable exception. She simply refused to give Mahiru a break. She would often ask Hiyoko how her ‘little boyfriend’ was doing, and Hiyoko was about five seconds away from getting expelled with each new interaction between the two. Mahiru was ever patient, and pretended not to be bothered, but Hiyoko wasn’t keen on letting anyone insult her girlfriend- especially not some preppy know-it-all who thought her parents having money made her important.
“It’s okay. She really doesn’t bother me, Hiyoko. Plus, we’re together. She won’t go after both of us like this.” Mahiru forced a smile and took Hiyoko’s dainty little hand in hers, giving it a gentle, reassuring squeeze. This relaxed the other girl a bit, and she nodded, trying to keep her explosive temper in check as they entered the classroom together, bracing themselves for the familiar blinding fluorescent bulbs and rowdy students.
If they could make it through this together, they could make it through anything. Including Sonia.