Chapter Text
Mizuki Akiyama awoke from the sound of their morning alarm. They looked up at their bland, blank ceiling. “I want to be cute.” They muttered to themselves. They stood up and went over to their closet and grabbed the male uniform for Kamiyama Middle school. Changing out of their white, loose baggy shirt that was two sizes larger than them and their loose black sweatpants, they changed into the uniform that wasnt exactly tight but still felt. Wrong on them. A feeling that they couldnt really shake off since they first got it. Since they were told they were attending Kamiyama middle school. In elementary they had loved cute things and showed it off because of their sister oftenly having them wear the things that they enjoyed but since the first year of junior high, they stopped. They stopped expressing themselves freely and started to try to conform. To no avail they still didnt fit in. Being an outcast still for being “too quiet” and not attending classes regularly. Oftently going to the rooftop to isolate themself from others. Until recently when a purple haired boy started going up there. Mizuki saw him standing on the ledge of the rooftop, presumably about to fall off til Mizuki got him to leave the ledge. Since that day they had talked to one another and discussed things about loneliness, eachothers interests, and had formed a bond that Mizuki had not formed with anyone else before.
After the first school bell rang Mizuki went up to the usual staircase to the rooftop to meet Rui. As they went up they were stopped by a short brown haired girl. “How come you always come up here? Don’t you have any reason to come to class?” This student was Ena Shinonome. A 2nd year student like Mizuki. She had oftenly seen the pink haired individual around the school and even had a class with them but hardly ever saw them attend. Mizuki began to walk away from Ena, without answering her question. Ena quickly grabbed Mizuki’s hand and noticed the glimmer from it. Almost a kind of glossy coat. “Is this nail polish?” While it was clear, she could still tell it was there.
Mizuki quickly jerked their hand away from her grasp and responded embarrassingly, “So what if it is?” They paused for a moment before speaking again, “I like it, my sister helped me put it on that's why.” Mizuki said honestly. Hoping to sound genuine. They were afraid of someone like Ena judging them for letting their sister put nail polish on her, let alone liking it.
Ena smiled, “It's cute. I think next time you should do an actual color. Not a base coat. You’d look kinda cute.” She sounded genuine in her words. She wanted Mizuki to feel comfortable around them. The quiet reserved student who never spoke to anyone was slightly opening up to her and she didnt want to lose that. “You know, maybe you could come over and I could glam you up. I think it’d be a fun way to get to know each other. You seem like a nice person if I got to know you.” Mizuki closed up for a second. Holding their hands close to their chest thinking about the offer.
“Alright, sure I’ll do it.” They responded. Sounding nervous.
Ena smiled and spoke back, “Yay! I’ll make you super cute, trust me. And if you’d like this can be kept between us. I won't tell anyone, alright?”
Mizuki nodded “Thank you. I guess I’ll see you later then.” They continued to walk up the staircase and arrived on the roof, closing the door behind them. “Hello Rui.” Mizuki said calmly. A purple haired boy with a streak of blue in his hair sat on the roof. Looking up at Mizuki when they said his name.
“Ah, good morning Akiyama.” Rui smiled, he and Akiyama were eachothers only friends. Mizuki used to sit up here alone until one day they caught Rui standing over the edge of the school roof, most likely to commit suicide. Mizuki never really asked Rui about it but it always lingered in their mind why them going up to the roof caused him to stop. They didnt say anything just.. Sat there and watched. Did that make them a horrible person for not stopping Rui? It didnt matter though, he didnt end up doing it so that's what matters. Mizuki tapped their knees after they sat next to Rui.
“Hey Rui? Is it weird that I accepted this girl's offer to like, make me cute or something? It feels weird but I'm kind of looking forward to it.” Mizuki said anxiously.
Rui smiled, “It's not that weird. If it makes you happy that's what matters. We sit up here because others dont understand us so they find us strange. Why would I do that to you?” He said genuinely, hoping to sound comforting to Akiyama.
Mizuki smiled “Thanks Rui. That actually helped a bit. I guess I could send you a photo afterwards if you’d like” They said in a monotone voice.
Rui shook his head, “I’m alright. I dont really like girls if you can tell. Nor do I really like femboys either.”
Mizuki cringed at that word, ‘femboy.’ It sounded weird to them. Is that how people would view them for just dressing the way they wanted to? A ‘femboy?’ They hated that word and how people could associate it with them. All they really wanted was to be themself, maybe with a label but not a label like that. A label they found obnoxious to their ears. Mizuki shook their head “Ew never. I would never be a femboy. I would take literally any label aside from that.” They stook their tongue out to show disgust. Despite the disgust of the label they liked the ‘fem’ part of it. Fem, femme, feminine. They enjoyed thinking of themself being like that. To be feminine like their sister, like their mother, like the girls at school. Like, Ena. The girl that would help her become cute, like she wants.
Rui laughed at Mizuki’s distaste of the word femboy, “Dont worry, I dont view you that way, Akiyama. I know that you’re more complex of a person to not associate with that label.” Rui patted them on the back.
Mizuki smiled, “Thank you Rui.”