Chapter Text
“So, are you evil or something?”
“The fuck?”
Hiyoko glared at Fuyuhiko, crossing their arms. “Like, bigoted, since you're a yakuza and shit.”
“The fuck kind of person starts a conversation like that?” Fuyuhiko pulled his line back onto the boat. “A-Aren’t we supposed to sit in silence? That’s what Miaya said, right Peko?”
Peko was silent for a few seconds, looking between the 2 people she hoped to protect. “Erm, yes. But she did say that if either of you wanted to talk about something important…then you could.”
“See!” Hiyoko gestured toward Peko. “Perfectly valid question! Even your sister agrees!”
“THAT’S NOT WHAT SHE!-” Before Fuyuhiko could continue, he snapped his gaze out onto the lake. “No. No, I am NOT a bigot, asshole!” He said, throwing his fishing rod into the water, prompting Peko to throw him a spare. “Why the fuck did you think that?”
“Again, Yakuza, killers.”
Fuyuhiko almost rebutted Hiyoko, but caught himself, instead focusing on his breathing.
“Masters si-our sister, rather…is a Lesbian.” Peko’s words made Hiyoko perk up. “And considering the rest of our class, you included, are allies or part of the community themselves, it would be strange if we were hateful.”
“We’re racist to white people though.” Fuyuhiko’s quip made Hiyoko snicker and earned him a glare from Peko. “Kidding! Kidding!” Now calmed down, Fuyuhiko turned back to Hiyoko after casting his line again. “But seriously, why did you ask?” Silence. “Bitch, you were dropping slurs not even a year ago! Who are you to?-“
“I think…” Hiyoko tapped their feet rapidly on the floor, letting out a deep breath. “That I might be…sort of…transgender.” Hiyoko gulped and forced his gaze on Fuyuhiko. “I'm a boy.”
The Ultimate Yakuza’s eyes widened. “Oh, shit…” he turned to Peko, who looked just as surprised.
“…You?”
“YES! ME!” Hiyoko snapped. “What, what, what?! You think I'm not valid or some shit?! Fucking shoot me dead and throw me in the lake then you fucking whore!”
“DON’T YOU FUCKING CALL HER A!!!-“
“Both of you, quiet!” Peko unsheathed her blade and used it to block the 2 rage goblins before they tried anything crazy. “N-No, you're valid, it’s just, well…you didn’t seem the kind of person to-”
“You see this?” Hiyoko opened his Kimono to reveal a black binder covering a few rags he had wrapped around his breasts. “Before I even knew what Trans people were, I made a makeshift binder.” He threw his hands outward. “Remember all the times I called boobs disgusting?”
Both Peko and Fuyuhiko remembered. They also remembered the time Hiyoko became weirdly obsessed with men’s pants. They also also remembered him being really, really worried about his ability to lead the matriarchal Saionji clan once his time came.
Oh. Yeah the signs were all there. “Shit.” Fuyuhiko shook his head. Enough about the past! The present had a burning question that he needed answered. “Who else knows?”
“No one.” Hiyoko shrugged. “I felt like you two were the most likely to lynch me so I thought I may as well tell you first—that way I don’t get hope and shit.” He said, casting his line and placing his gaze over the lake the 3 of them were on.
…
“The fuck?”
“Forgive me for being paranoid!” Hiyoko spat, rolling their eyes. “So, like, what do you think?”
“I believe…” Peko glanced at Fuyuhiko, who gestured for her to continue. “That you should be able to do whatever you want…as long as you’re happy.” She gave Hiyoko a bow. “If you do not mind, I will immediately begin referring to you as Saionji-Kun, is that alright?”
“Yeah, I don’t give a fuck what pronouns you use—you’re still a dick.” Fuyuhiko said, letting out a frustrated sigh. “Tell me if anyone shits on you for it, I’ll cut off their balls and shit.”
“Ew, no!” Hiyoko let out a sigh of his own. “…Sorry for being a dick.”
…
“I forgive you…and thanks for…for telling me, I guess.”
They’d all spend the next 2 hours in silence before packing up and going back to Campus.
*************************************************************
“Hey.” Hiyoko dropped his books on the table, having no intention of opening any of them. “I'm Transgender.”
“Hiyoko-” The Imposter spoke up before even hearing what he said, so they had to do a double take. “What?”
“I'm a boy.” Hiyoko turned towards Hajime. “Can I still be your little sibling though? Like, this doesn’t change anything between you and…”
“Oh, uh-uh. Of course! Not! Erm-” Hajime scoffed and rubbed their chin, trying to think of what to say. “Yes, you may. Can. Will… so you're a guy?”
Hiyoko nodded. “Always have been, apparently.” They blushed a bit before continuing. “Sorry for calling you two freaks, you uh, you both made me think. About gender, that is. And other shit, but mainly that…”
“I'm…glad to have had that effect on you, Saionji-Kun!” The Imposter let out a beaming smile, smugly crossing their arms. “Was there a specific moment that you realized?”
Hiyoko sucked in his lips. “…I kind of always knew, deep down, I guess. But you know—assassinations, pressure, funerals and shit.” Hiyoko slinked into his chair, placing his chin on the table, exhausted. “Now that I’m free and actually seeing the world…yeah it just kind of…came.”
“I…see…” Hajime commented, rubbing their chin. “It was the same for me, I suppose. I never fully identified as a man, but only through experiencing The Imposter and how they see gender did I fully transition into being Non-Binary.”
“Indeed, but it should be remembered that, while we are similar, we are also very different from Saionji-Kun in that we can pass much easier.” The Imposter said, a growing look of concern on his face. “Saionji-Kun, are you out and safe at home?”
“No, and yes—if that hag touches me I’ll…” Hiyoko's lips suddenly felt dry, so he quickly gave them a lick. “Anyway, she’s dying anyway, so like, no worries about that.”
“Good. Or, um, good that you’re…safe-ish.” The Imposter threw a glance toward Hajime, which made them straighten up. “Do you plan to-“
“Yes, I don’t care anymore.” Hiyoko threw his hands into the air. “Let ‘em beat me, let ‘em kill me! Not like they weren’t doing that before.”
Now Hajime looked concerned. “Are you…doing this because you feel forced to? You don’t have to come out to everyone-or anyone for that ma-”
“Hajime, Hajime.” Hiyoko dragged his chair over to Hajime and grabbed their head to look them in the eyes. “I have no fucks left to give. It’s about time I’m finally free!”
Hajime glanced at The Imposter, who seemed to be in deep thought. “... Very well then, if you need any advice on how to come out, I’m more than happy to help!”
“Actually!” Hiyoko let go of Hajime, who rubbed their now numb cheeks with a whimper. “I was wondering about voice training...”
*************************************************************
“Hey, Ibuki.”
“Hm?” Ibuki turned around to find Hiyoko, much to her delight. “Heya there Hiyoko! What’s up?”
“Well, um.” Hiyoko crossed his arms and blushed. “Sorry again for treating you like such a bitch.”
“Aww, it’s okay!” Ibuki got on one knee and patted him on the head. “I never took it personally!”
“Yeah, yeah, uh…” Hiyoko awkwardly batted her hand away. “I’m Transgender, so yeah. Just wanted to say sorry again…”
Ibuki gasped and before Hiyoko knew it, picked him up and swung him around, laughing with glee. “OMG HOLY SHIT HIYOKO THAT’S SO COOL I’M SO PROUD OF YOU OH MAH GOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!!!!!”
“Put me down!” Hiyoko pushed himself away from Ibuki, falling on his butt. “By the Spirits, I knew I should have left you for last!”
It was subtle, but Ibuki flinched. “Oh? Hahaha! Sorry about that, I!-”
“Hey guys.” Chiaki walked up, having spotted them across the courtyard. “What’s up? Did you two get my text?”
“HIYOKO’S TRANS!” Ibuki instantly knew what she had done wrong and covered her mouth.
Chiaki’s eyes widened. “Oh, ah?” She turned to find Hiyoko with his mouth agape. “...You?”
Hiyoko clenched his fists and jumped up. “YES ME!!! FUCK BOTH OF YOU FUCKING CUNTS!!! YOU IN PARTICULAR YOU RETARDED SLUT!!!” Before either of them could stop him, Hiyoko ran off crying.
Hiyoko would only check their texts at midnight, having hidden away in their room for the rest of the day.
“Hey Saionji-Chan! Do you want to partner on the Social Media project Bandai-Sama offered? We pass it just by showing up, and he seemed pretty eager to have you, if you had the time, of course.”
“Hi Hiyoko. I’m sorry for not talking in person, but I know you like your space. I know I haven’t been perfect, or accepting of a lot of people in my life, but just know I accept you for who you are and I’m so happy that you feel comfortable enough to start sharing this with people. If you want, we can talk more about it later. I just don’t want you to ever feel unsafe or invalidated around me.”
Hiyoko sighed and began texting a response. While he did that, he walked over to the balcony door and laid down on the rug he’d set, looking up at the night sky.
“Hi, sorry about my freakout. I’d be happy to talk to you if you met me at Bandai-Sama’s class, like, an hour early or something. Sorry.”
Once that was done, he looked over to his neighbor's balcony, finding them already sitting down on a chair. “Hi Ibuki.”
“Uh, hi.” Ibuki fidgeted with her fingers. “What’s happening?”
Hiyoko shut his eyes and tried to block out the memories. “Sorry about calling you…that, you didn’t deserve it.”
“It-it’s…fine.” It clearly wasn’t. “Were you not…comfortable around me?”
That snapped Hiyoko’s eyes open. “I-I mean…when I was a homophobic cunt, yeah, but like, not anymore.” He flipped himself over onto his belly, looking out lazily toward Ibuki. “I came out to you for a reason.”
Ibuki was silent for a bit, choosing her words carefully. “Were you scared I’d, um, tell someone when you weren’t ready?”
“A bit, yeah.” Hiyoko covered his mouth with his Kimono’s sleeve. “But, like…you’re my friend. Like, my first real friend.” He gestured to the general area the 2 of them were in. “Even after everything I did, you listened and shit. You were, like, the first person I talked to after the Yakuza and Non-Binaries.”
“Oh…” Ibuki was quiet, the gears in her head turned. “Fuyuhiko and Peko?”
“Yup, thought they’d lynch me.” Ibuki perked up. “Don’t worry, they didn’t, but like, yeah, you’re the first person I came out to because I wanted to, not because I was scared or needed advice and shit.”
…
…
…
“You’re not-”
“Nooooo!” Hiyoko groaned, standing up. “I’m not going to kill myself! Jeez!”
“It’s just…” Ibuki covered her mouth and moved her gaze to the sky. “This is meant to be…liberating for you, but you still don’t seem…happy.”
Hiyoko sighed, crossing his arms. “...I just feel sad I keep treating my friends like utter dogshit when they pity me enough to stay aroun-”
“No!” Ibuki snapped her fingers. “Don’t think like that!”
“I’m not going to kill myself!”
“Well…I-I don’t like hearing that anyway…” Ibuki sighed, grabbing her bottle of Pop and taking a few gulps. “Ah!... The reason I stick around is that you don’t break. You try to be the best person you can, despite everything.” Hiyoko turned around, facing away from his best friend. “I want you to be…free. From all of that, all of…this.” Ibuki gestured wildly about, not fully knowing what to say. “If you want my…um, forgiveness, uh…treat yourself better. Really. Treat yourself as you think others should be treated.” Ibuki waited with bated breath for Hiyoko’s response.
“...I will. Thank you for being here again, Ibuki.” Hiyoko walked over to their door. “I’m gonna head to bed, night.”
“Goodnight! And I’m always happy to talk!” And she meant that–who knows what she’d have done if Hiyoko wasn’t there to vent to?
The next morning, Ibuki found Hiyoko had cut his hair and was wearing a suit he’d apparently bought a few weeks back.
*************************************************************
Mahiru entered the classroom, letting out an exhausted sigh after hours of whale watching. She left in the early hours of the morning, so she was shocked to see Hiyoko’s new look and even more shocked to hear his words. “Thank you very much, Bandai-Sama.” Hiyoko bowed after speaking in a voice that clearly strained their throat. “I appreciate your acceptance.”
“It ain’t no problem at all, hon! You know what they say: ‘the stars float where the stars float!’ Hahaha! Can’t stop it, so watch it!” Daisaku looked up to find Mahiru standing in the doorway, surprised. “Hey there, Mahiru! Are you here for that project?”
“U-uh, yeah! Uh!” She blinked at Hiyoko, who seemed nervous suddenly. All the context clues combined with 2 years' worth of foreshadowing collided in a single second within her mind. “You’re trans!” Now that she thought about it, it made so much sense that she wanted to punch herself in the face for not seeing it sooner.
“Y-yeah!” Hiyoko looked surprised (and annoyed) that Mahiru had figured it out but kept his anger to himself. “Uh, surprise!”
Ibuki, who was sitting on a desk having a conversation with Chiaki, took out a tiny party blower in the color of the Trans flag and blew it. “Surprise!”
“Did s–he not come out to you?” Good save, Chiaki. Hiyoko caught it anyway.
“U-Uh, no.” Hiyoko chuckled, rubbing the back of their neck. “Thought I’d take the opportunity during class! So…hi! I’m a boy now!”
Mahiru blinked. Then took a picture. “Holy shit…”
Daisaku cackled at her response. “Now then! Since Sonia will unfortunately be late, I actually wanted to start this lesson on how Social media can allow us to be more true to ourselves! Hiyoko, you wouldn’t mind talking a bit about your experience to start, right?”
“OH!” Hiyoko jumped, suddenly feeling a castle's worth of pressure on his shoulders. “U-Um… sure!”
He actually ended up talking for a while. How seeing others share their lives caused him to break free from toxic habits, develop a sense of normalcy, show him things he’d never believe before and, of course, opened his mind enough to open the cage he’d unknowingly been in.
Mahiru, on the other hand, witnessed in real time the old Hiyoko die. The old Hiyoko, who she fought with constantly, who was constantly angry or depressed to a scary degree, who acted and cried like a child and not a near adult. She was dead.
In her place, a bright young boy who spoke clearly, who smiled and laughed, who had life in their eyes. It was a whole new person sitting in front of her now. “Mahiru!” Daisaku placed a hand on Mahiru's back. “You seem a bit distracted, hon.”
“Oh, uh, sorry, tired! Haha!” Mahiru looked over at Hiyoko, whose smile dropped upon noticing her expression.
“Hello everyone!” Before any awkward conversation could be had, Sonia walked through the door. “I apologize for my lateness! I was kidnapped again.”
“Oh, that’s alright, hon!”
“N-not really.” Chiaki butted in, more than a bit concerned. “The constant capture and ransom of Ultimates is a big problem and should be treated more serio-”
“It’s fine! You know what they say: ‘bananas gonna peel!’ Hahaha!”
By then, Sonia saw Hiyoko and immediately gasped in awe. “Hiyoko!? You look so beautiful in that outfit!”
Hiyoko blushed, leaning back in his chair nervously. “Th-thank you! I wanted to dress more…true to myself!” Hiyoko adjusted the collar of his suit. “Um, no use beating around the bush now–I’m transgender!”
Sonia’s eyes sparkled as she sat down across from him. “Wow! I’ve never met a trans person before!”
“Aren’t NBs trans?” Chiaki whispered to Ibuki, who shrugged.
“You look so…healthy, Hiyoko! So bright!” Hiyoko laughed awkwardly at the compliments, covering his face with their hands.
“Y-Yeah, I-I agree,” Mahiru finally said, nodding her head. “You seem so much more…lively.” This was weird. Hiyoko being a boy. But Mahiru couldn’t deny the night and day difference between the Hiyoko of yesterday and the Hiyoko of today. So…yeah. As much as she’d miss the old Hiyoko, who knew the fun adventures she’d have with the new Hiyoko. The happy Hiyoko. “It’s…beautiful how much a change in pronouns allowed you to shine, Hiyoko.” It’ll be different, but Mahiru would adapt. For Hiyoko’s sake.
Hiyoko smiled ear to ear. “Th-thank you, girls, a lot. I-”
“What’s your new name going to be?”
…
“WHAT!? No! I’m not going to change my name!” Hiyoko (?) snapped back. “My name’s… m-my name! Why would I ever change it!?”
Now if only Hiyoko (?) could adapt to his new reality as well…
*************************************************************
Hiyoko wasn’t hiding it anymore, so by the time home class started, everyone available had found out.
“MUAHAHAHAHAHA! NO SPIRIT OR DESCENDANT COULD PREVENT HIS AWAKENING!” Gundham had jumped on top of Chisa’s desk despite her meek pleas. “BEHOLD! AN ASCENDANT GOD GRACES US WITH HER PRESENCE!”
.
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!! I HAVE CURSED MY BLOODLINE TO OBLIVIOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!” Gundham, having a full on meltdown, fell backwards off the desk and on top of Chisa, who tried to catch him but just ended up being crushed.
Hiyoko cackled at the scene before addressing the rest of the class. “I’m guessing you all heard…?”
“Hell yeah, we did! Congrats on the transition!” Akane threw Hiyoko a thumbs up. “You’re still welcome on our girls' night out though!”
“Finally another guy!” Kazuichi cried out in relief, throwing his hands into the air. “Now we’re close to even with the girls again! Oh, and congrats on the transition!”
“It was so magical!” Hiyoko jumped away from the door as Nagito walked in. “Watching you go about your day free of burden!-”
“Were you stalking me?”
“And hat-yeah, sorry-hatred! To think, some would call your happiness mania!” Nagito’s eyes grew dark. “I call their judgement despair’s embrace…!!!!”
“... Ooooookay before Nagito puts us on the watchlist again.” Teruteru, of all people, jumped in between Hiyoko and Nagito. “I’m so happy you feel safe enough to finally come out! I’ll bake you a dozen cupcakes right away!”
“Hehehe! No way! Cupcakes make you fat,” Hiyoko said, placing a hand over his mouth. “But if you’re offering…”
A large hand landed on Hiyoko’s shoulder. “Well Hiyoko, now that you’re one of the guys, you’re gonna have to do 500 push-ups every day with me and the others!”
…
“HA! Just pulling your leg!” Hiyoko laughed as Nekomaru ruffled their hair. “Happy for you! Love the new haircut, by the way!”
“Thanks, I did it myself!”
“It looks…beautiful…Hiyoko…” Chisa was still dizzy after getting crushed by Gundham, who seemed genuinely concerned. “I’m guessing your…pronouns are…he and him now…???” Chisa asked, wondering why the ceiling was dancing.
Hiyoko licked his lips, thinking about it. “I’ve been thinking on it, and…I think I’d like to go by He/them? Or something like that. I don’t know. I’m definitely a boy, but I’m not sure about the pronouns.”
“If it’s any solace, you can try out anything you want!” The Imposter said. “There’s no shame in getting it wrong the first time.”
“Yes, explore!” Sonia said. “Find what makes you happy!”
“We’ll support you no matter what.” Fuyuhiko said, taking a bite out of his apple and throwing glances toward the homeroom teacher. “You’re our friend, so…yeah.” He gave Hiyoko a thumbs-up. “Be free!”
Hiyoko’s lips suddenly began to quiver, and his eyes watered. “Thank you, I…” Teruteru and Nekomaru placed a hand on both of Hiyoko’s shoulders before he could drop. “I love you guys…!”
For the first time in Hiyoko’s life…
He actually felt happy.
*************************************************************
Mikan yawned as she finally made it inside the dorm building. Outside, the rain continued to pour and strike the windows of the Ultimate Academy relentlessly. Silently, Mikan wandered through the halls in search of her room.
What she found was Hiyoko reborn, heading downstairs for…snacks. Gummies mostly.
Okay, so maybe this was less Hiyoko “reborn” and just “Hiyoko in fresh paint.”
“Eh? H-Hiyoko?” Mikan quickly rubbed her eyes, surprised to see Hiyoko out of his kimono, let alone in men's clothing. “Sorry, I–y-y-you’re Hiyoko, yes?”
Hiyoko didn’t know if Mikan’s confusion was euphoric or dysmorphic. “Uh, yeah.” Hiyoko thought about it a bit and decided, yeah, definitely should tell Mikan about that. “I’m a boy. I’m trans now!”
Mikan nodded, yawning. “Oh, that’s-oh?” Mikan paused, taking in what Hiyoko had just said. “Oh, my! I’m…happy to see you being more yourself!” Another yawn, can this wait until morning…? “If you wish to discuss transitioning, we can-”
“Th-that can wait, uh…” Hiyoko looked outside. Surely she wasn’t dumb enough to… “Remember Junko’s stupid ‘gaydar’ shit?”
…
“Y-Yeah, what about it?”
“And you know how she calculated I was a lesbian…right?”
“... Yes?”
Hiyoko placed a hand on his chest. “But I’m…not. I’m a guy, so…”
Mikan was confused at first, before a shocking conclusion snapped her awake. “Junky was wrong!”
“Yeeeeeeaaaah…she’s probably still in the courtyard.”
Mikan blinked rapidly. “O-Outside?” Hiyoko nodded. “Now?” Hiyoko nodded again. “FUCKING HELL! I!-congrats, I, f-fuck. God, please no, Junky whyyyyyyyyy!” Mikan stomped past Hiyoko, already taking back out her umbrella. If Junko were still outside, who was watching the kids? FUCK!
Mikan pushed the door to the courtyard open and spent the next few minutes wandering. Eventually, through the rain, 2 figures made themselves visible.
“Hi Mikan,” Mukuro said, dry because of their umbrella. “Junko wouldn’t let me cover her.”
“Each raindrop decreases my luck score by 0.03%” Junko explained, drawing symbols into the mud with a random set of odd rocks. “That allows my Intelligence and Wisdom to work without interruption or room for-”
“How long have you been out here, Junky?” Mikan asked.
Mukuro answered. “5 hours.”
“WHAT!?”
“You got off at 3…it’s an hour drive, assuming traffic didn’t-”
“There was a flash flood warning, Junky!” Mikan gestured wildly all around them. “Can’t you see it’s pouring!?”
“Ah! So, with that taken into account, you most likely arrived 18 minutes ago, found Hiyoko 6.3 minutes ago, and your journey was 4.2 minutes.” Junko grabbed a jagged rock and made a random symbol into the mud on top of a hundred others Mikan couldn’t begin to understand. “This means the Illuminati exists.”
“Junky…” Mikan lowered herself to where Junko sat, almost tempted to sacrifice her own comfort to cover her girlfriend with the umbrella. Almost. “What the actual fuck are you talking about?”
“Calculations! Speculative physics! And why I was wrong for the first time in fourteen years!” Junko said, grabbing a small white pebble and dipping it into the mud 3 times. “My calculations were off by a meter, and yet I can’t find where things went wrong! How was I wrong?”
Mikan sighed, thinking about what the warriors were up to with no one to put them to bed. “God, Junky, please come inside.”
“No!” Junko spat. “It was here I made my prediction, and here where I was proven wrong! I need to find the truth!”
“It’s no use.” Mukuro said, shaking her head. “I’ve been trying to get her to leave, but she just…won’t.”
Mikan rubbed her eyes as the rain somehow began pouring even harder. God, the warriors of Hope. Junko’s sickness in the morning. Hiyoko being trans, which just completely slipped her mind. School work. More work at the hospi-
“Mukuro, you deserve better than this.” Junko needed to handle her problems on her own. “Come on, let’s go inside before either of us gets frostbite.”
“Improbable…but not impossible.” Junko said, pulling a blade of grass out of the ground. “Depending on the severity, it could affect my calculations drastically…”
Mukuro sucked in her lips, looking between Junko and Mikan. “...I’m leaving. Good night, girls.” And with that, she just up and left, leaving the 2 of them alone.
…
…
…
“765 stars visible in the sky, which means The Simpsons is ending soon.”
“Junky, why? Why are you doing this?” Mikan asked, exasperated.
“I have to find out what went wrong!” Junko snapped. “Today, it’s Hiyoko’s sexuality! Tomorrow it’s the biggest, baddest, most awful event in all of human history being a bust!”
“Tell me, what are the chances one of the Warriors broke a limb while you were gone?”
…
“Negligible.”
“And what if it happened?”
…
“God, fine, I’ll be back here tomorrow, anyway.”
“Not without getting checked out for a dozen diseases, you aren’t!”
Junko scoffed, hiding underneath Mikan’s umbrella and using her body for warmth. “Thanks, I guess.”
Mikan’s mood instantly shifted. “No problem at all!”
*************************************************************
“Congratulations, dear!” Celestia Ludenburg, now wearing a trans pride pin of her own, handed Hiyoko a similarly decorated cake with a smile. “If you need any voice training tips, I’ll be more than happy to tutor you!”
“Don’t trust her, Saionji-San!” Hifumi yelled from across the hall, running over in seconds. “She’ll snap at the smallest things!”
“WHEN YOU ACT LIKE A FUCKING DUMBASS ABOUT IT!? YEAH!!” Celeste screamed, her fake accent dropped faster than a sack of hot potatoes.
“Both of you, calm yourselves! Don’t ruin the moment!” Kiyotaka gave Hiyoko a wide smile. “Congratulations on discovering yourself! In celebration, I suggest we gather the school for a lecture on gender and sexuality with YOU leading the charge in educating!-”
“Aaaand that’s enough out of you.” Mondo closed Taka’s lips before addressing Hiyoko. “Seriously though, congrats! If you need anyone’s ass beat, just call me or Sakura!”
Hiyoko had to stifle his giggles hard. While he was used to chaos, Class 78 provided a unique brand he wasn’t quite used to. “Thank you, all of you! I’ll be sure to share this with the rest of the class.”
Taka’s mood noticeably soured because of Mondo’s actions, but he made sure not to take it out on Hiyoko. “Great to know! Sharing is the ultimate bonding activity! But…rather than call Mondo or-okay, maybe call Sakura-try to report any bullying or harassment to the Principal or another respected authority figure!”
“Like…a Council Member?” Hifumi asked, his hand landing on the very clear “S.C.M” badge on his chest. The same as Taka’s, Celeste's, and yes; Mondo’s.
“... Well! You see! I!-” Taka began shaking, and Hiyoko took it as his chance to GTFO before an inevitable explosion. Either literal or metaphorical, you could never tell at this school…
*************************************************************
“Six plus…eight.” Hiyoko moved forward, groaning.
“Two hundred dollars, Saionji-Kun.” Korekiyo extended his hand. “No ifs, no buts.”
Hiyoko mumbled something and threw him the money. “Who’s next?”
Around the table were Korekiyo and Hiyoko, joined by Teruteru, Leon, Makoto, Himiko, and Ryoma playing Monopoly late after the soup kitchen they all volunteered at closed for the night. “It’s Leon next.” Makoto said. He was, of course, the only person here who could be trusted with overseeing the rules.
“Nice, so Teruteru!”
“Avril laviiiiigne…”
Seeing that Leon was gonna try every single manipulation tactic in the book to get Teruteru’s property, Hiyoko took the chance to ask some questions. “So, one to ten, how supportive is the rest of 53?”
“Gotta be more specific than that.” Ryoma said, hiding his face behind his property cards. “Including or not including Tenko?”
“Oh, no…” Hiyoko winced. “Both…?”
“Five…Tenko’s been…supportive?” Himiko said, tapping her finger against her chin. “She’s accepted your transition, but…she’s been really sad about it.”
“Said something about a funeral or something,” Ryoma added. “And Kaito’s been weird as well. He chased Maitsu and Tsunaka up a tree because he thought they were being transphobic.”
“And raving about how you’re a man, and that he’s the greatest ally to every ally and other things…” Korekiyo sounded exhausted just reliving the memories. “I give it a week until they settle down–assuming Kokichi doesn’t pull anything.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Makoto nodded, reading through the rules again to avoid listening to Teruteru’s and Leon’s arguing. “Class 78 is a ten, if you’re wondering. Celeste specifically has been pretty ecstatic.”
“Ugh, yeah.” Leon rolled his eyes as he pulled another fucking go to jail card. “No complaints. Our class is awesome. Yo Himiko.”
“H-Huh?”
“It’s your turn,” Ryoma said. “Roll the dice.”
“Nyeh…o-oh, yeah, uh…” Himiko looked over all the pieces, blinking to stay awake. “So, uh, since we’re talking about this…what’s your new name gonna be, Hiyoko?”
Hiyoko scoffed, crossing his arms. “What’s with everyone asking that?”
“I-I mean…” Teruteru nervously combed his hair. “That’s what most trans people do, yes? They change their names!”
“Well, I’m not!”
“Why?” Leon asked, yawning. “Knowing you…seems like the first thing you’d ditch.” Hiyoko grabbed his property cards and shuffled them around, pretending not to hear anyone. “...You good?”
“Y-Yeah! Why!?”
“...Bleh, you’re crying.”
Hiyoko blinked, touching his face. “Huh. I didn’t think that’d happen…”
“You didn’t think emotions would strike…?” Korekiyo asked. “You’re still human, you know.”
“Y-Yeah, uh…” Himiko moved her space. “Sorry for asking, um-”
“What’s the story?” Ryoma asked, collecting some money from Himiko. “Are you attached to your name? Or are you…afraid?”
“Now hold on there!” Teruteru interjected. “We shouldn’t pry! Respect Hiyoko’s-”
“No…Neither of those…” Hiyoko sucked in their bottom lip, refusing to respond further.
“Oh, then, uh…” Makoto paused, wondering if he truly wanted to pursue this.
Mr. 11037 didn’t think, however. “So what’s the issue? Like, what’s stopping you? You’ve crossed the hardest line so…” Leon shrugged. “Why don’t you want to change your name?”
Hiyoko shuffled his cards for a few seconds, an answer he always knew taking its sweet time to crawl out of his throat. “Because…I don’t…I don’t know if he’d want that…”
*************************************************************
While the response from Class 78 was, thankfully, calmly supportive and not extremely supportive…
Hiyoko supposed a calm response was never possible from Class 53.
“A-A-A-And this-this-this was us at DisneyLAAAAAAAAAAAAAND!!!!!!” Tenko presented a picture of all 3 classes posing after a hectic trip to the amusement park. She then promptly used it as a tissue. “DON’T LEAVE ME HIYOKO!!!!! YOU’RE SO FUCKING CUTE!!!!!!”
“Leave you?” Hiyoko asked, tied up to a raft about to be sent off to sea. “Motherfucker, you’re about to send me to another continent, you psychotic misandrist cunt!”
“Tis’ a reawakening, Saionji-Kun!” Kokichi said, looking down at the enraged heir to Clan Saionji. “Today, the old you dies! Goodbye lady, never liked ya! Heeeeeeello there, my charming young man!” Kokichi gave Hiyoko a cackle and a bow.
Before he could respond with a rant, Angie filled his mouth with a rag. “Shhh! Don’t resist, dear! The Atua say this will be an illuminating experience for your mind!” She said, restraining his head so he couldn’t swing it around and hurt themself! (Ironic). “Gonta dear, can you help?”
“Gonta help right away!” Gonta stopped patting the crying Tenko’s back and walked over to “help.”
“G-G-Goodbye Hiyoko!!!” Tenko sobbed, falling to her knees. “I’m…I’m gonna miss you so much!!!!”
Hiyoko screamed against the gag as he wiggled against the shockingly tight restraints. “Buh byeeeeeeeeee Hiyoko!” With one strong shove, Hiyoko was sent out to sea.
The sounds of Kokichi and Angie’s laughter (accompanied by Tenko’s crying) grew distant. Hiyoko could only hear the water sloshing all around him, could only see the pink sky and, if they tilted their head back enough, the setting sun…and endless ocean.
Holy shit. They were really doing this. They were doing this!? HOLY SHIT! He was going to drown! They just fucking killed him! No…no, no, no…nononononono, what would they say!? “Oh! While you all died paranoid and scared, I just walked up to my killers alone, let them tie me up, and drown me in the sea!” What a fucking stain on their memories.
God…why? Why was this happening to him??? He was finally true to himself and now…he was going to sink to the bottom of the sea…
Not the most painful death, he supposed.
…
Hiyoko was happy he could come out. Be real…for a week, at least. Thank God he died on a high note…
Was this a high note for him? He still hadn’t come out to…to his grandma. Hadn’t visited his siblings in a while–they deserved to know the truth, didn’t they?
There were a whole lot of things Hiyoko wanted to do, wanted to make public on every TV, to make a positive change in a world he once despised…
Oh fuck, he had a will to live now. He liked living.
That just made this all worse…
Were their voices closer now?
“Uh…hello again!” Gonta said, giving Hiyoko an awkward wave.
“Nee hee hee! Looks like the waves pushed you back to shore!” Kokichi leaned in close, his eyes dilating and smile growing impossibly wide. “What? Did you think I’d actually get murder on my record? HAHAHAHA! You’re such a stupid bitch!” Then, in the blink of an eye, Kokichi was back to normal. “Hope that made’ja think!”
“Wait…wait–Hiyoko!?” Tenko entered Hiyoko’s field of vision, clearly shocked at his return. “Oh come on! Right as I finish mourning you come back!? Now that can’t do! I need to move on!” With that last statement, Tenko shoved the raft back into the water…
It was back after a minute.
“Nee hee hee!!!! Keep pushing! That’ll surely work!” Kokichi laughed out. As he demanded, Gonta, Angie, and Tenko repeatedly pushed Hiyoko out into the sea while the waves kept sending him back. This…really made him rethink his life choices.
Thankfully, after what felt like hours (but was really 10 minutes), his saviors arrived.
“WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON HERE!?!?”
“Oh, hey Shuichi!” Tenko said right before sending Hiyoko back for his 15th trip to the ocean. “Me, Angie, and Gonta were just!-”
“HEEELP!” Kokichi cried out, far away from the scene, having snuck off while nobody was watching. “Three bigots are trying to drown an innocent trans person! Kaito! Kaito, don't join them, you're better than this! Right Kaito…?”
“...Uh Oh.”
As much as it sucked that Hiyoko was, as he’d later find out, just a vehicle for Oma to get back at Tenko for some minor inconvenience from a few days prior…
It was funny seeing Kaito pounce on the cunt. He had to give credit for that.
*************************************************************
Eventually, of course, more and more classes would hear of the transition. Most wouldn’t care. Some would mutter something under their breath. Many would be supportive…until they heard, yes, it was Hiyoko Saionji, at which point they’d distance themselves from the toxic dumpster fire.
Class 28, given their history, would have quite a unique response.
“Good evening, class!” Cara Koskinen said, dropping a few books on the teacher's table. “Neither Tozu nor Mara are set to return until the 2nd, so I’m just here to remind you all o-”
“DUUUUUUUUUUUUDE!!!” Jett Dawson was grabbing at his helmet as, for once, he gave Cara his unraptured attention.
“HIYOKO’S A BOY!!” Kai Monteago added, frustrated.
“And…and now…” Ulysses Wilhelm, who had fallen asleep only to be awakened by his classmates' outburst, finished their sentence. “...We’re trying to write a letter to him. To show our…support.”
“For his new gender, of course!” Toshiko jumped in, preparing the crayons for the lovely drawings she planned to add to the letter! “It’s very brave of him to transition so publicly. We must give him credit there!”
“But now…” Damon pulled the piece of paper away from Toshiko before she could begin dawdling. “We can’t decide what to actually write in the damn letter!”
Cara stared for a bit, taking all the new information in. “Wait, wait…so I leave for a week only to find Hiyoko of all people…is trans?”
“So it appears.” Wenona was to the side, crossing her arms. “I’ll admit, at first I was skeptical…but it appears this is truly what he wants. Not some scheme or joke he’s playing.”
“They’ve been…shockingly easygoing the past few days…” Grace Madison mumbled near the back of the room.
“You should see him! Er, from a distance, of course!” Wolfgang Akire said, right before grabbing the paper Toshiko and Damon had begun fighting over. “It truly looks like they’ve blossomed now!”
Eva Tsunaka snatched the paper out of Wolfgang’s hand and began writing. “Blossom! That’s what we’ve been missing; it's a metaphor! Symbolism! We need to-”
“Not do that at all!” Jean said, having taken out a paper of his own to write in. “It needs to be clear and direct…to show that we respect his new identity despite everything.”
Cara walked closer to the class as they quickly descended into an argument. She looked at the tables…the desks…the floor. “I…” Cara’s face slowly grew into one of fear as she took in the scene. “How many pieces of paper have you wasted?” She cried out.
“Um…” Desmond, laid back as ever, began counting with his fingers. “We’ve been working on this all morning, so…two…three…probably four to five hundred?”
Wow.
“Four to five dozen pieces o-WWSGHXGY!?” Cara made a sound nobody there had ever heard from a human being before. “Wh-Whe-Where did you bastards get all this paper from!? We had, like, a hundred spare pages in the closet!”
“Oh I forgot about those! It was six hundred, my bad!” Desmond said. “We got the rest from the library.”
“In other words!” Cassidy Amber, who had been noticeably absent, burst through the door holding a copier from another building on Campus. “We took all the copiers!”
Cara looked around, only now noticing the 9 other empty or broken machines in the room. “My bad…” Eloise said, shrinking under Cara’s horrified gaze. “I uh…I wanted to stop the arguing, and…”
“It was so effective that I repeated it!” Ingrid said. “Like 9 times!”
Thunk!
Cara swirled her head to the window, rushing over and opening the blinder. “Oh, there’s an angry mob outside now, you fucking dicks!”
“Machine rights are Human rights!” Keebo said, having flown up to the window. “Or not. Cause Humans differ from Machines… but we should agree they all have rights!-”
“Shut it, shut it, shut it, Keebo!” Cara opened the window, narrowly avoiding another rock. “Keebo?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m handling it!”
“Oh…okay!”
…
“Hi Keebo!”
“Oh, you’re the bitch who stole-”
“CASSIDY!!!!!!”
“You stole from the library! And kidnapped my friends! Give them!-”
Cara shoved Cassidy back and shut the window. “Jesus H. Montgomery Christ you fucking fuck fuckers…” Cara leaned over the desk, her head in her hands.
“Hey…” Diana Venicia placed a hand on Cara’s shoulder. “I know things look bad, but we need to have hope!” Diana raised a fist into the air. “Soon, we’ll be able to finish this letter and avenge all the fallen paper! And then everyone will forgive us!”
“We committed paper genocide, Ms. Venicia…” Wolfgang said. “I feel they won’t be so…merciful.”
“What if we?-”
“No.”
“Come on, Damon, you didn’t even let me finish!”
“Because I know you, Jett! We can’t attach this letter to a firework as a substitute for words.”
“Oh…okay, fiiiine!” Jett crossed his arms. “We better still send him some pasta as a gift at least…”
The entire class nodded–it seemed that was the one thing they could agree on.
“Oh my goodness…” Cara covered her face with her hands. “Jesus Christ, where's Mark when you need him…?”
“Mark…?” Eva paused before looking around. “Oh… Yeah, Mark’s still in the back studying.”
Indeed, that was what Mark was doing. Studying for his classes after eating a slice of pizza 4 hours ago, unaware of all the chaos because of the headphones he was wearing. “Hey Mark!” Grace, having been reminded of his existence, walked over and ripped the headphones off. “We’re still here, you gonna help or what?”
Mark groaned and opened his mouth to speak before he realized…
The entire class was still here. And Keebo was at the window, flying…menacingly. Then he noticed the papers, and afterward the copy machines. “A…Ah!” The horrifying realization caused the usually emotionless Mark Berskii to go pale, his jaw dropped at the magnificent fuckup in front of him.
“... Uh, we’re still here.” Ulysses pretended to read something from his book. “Um, mind helping?-”
Mark grabbed his biggest, densest book and slammed his face into the cover 28 times. Then, before anyone could respond, he grabbed a pencil and paper from his desk and brought them into the middle of the classroom. There, he wrote 3 sentences in 3 seconds, ending with a single dramatic comma before gesturing for the entire class to look.
“...Huh.” Wenona was the first to speak after a long silence. “Yeah, this is…this is pretty good, I’m not gonna lie.”
“Damn!” Jett was much louder. “Why didn’t we think of this!? Mark, you’re the man!”
“Three…sentences…” Jean had the look of a Vietnam veteran as he looked upon the paper. “Three sentences and…we’re done!”
“BUT WE’VE BEEN HERE FOR HOURS!?!?!?!” Kai cried out.
“It’s…sniff!” Eva looked away, barely able to contain her tears. “It’s absolute cinema! Absolute cinema!”
Diana laid a hand on Eva’s shoulder. “There, there, don’t cry! The journey might have been hard, but we’re right at the finish line!”
“Oh my God, I’m gonna puke!” Keebo cried out behind the window, having finally noticed the carnage of broken machinery within.
“I…!”
“This…!”
Wolfgang and Damon looked at each other across the table. “This is perfect!” They yelled in unison.
“It looks…” Toshiko gave a dramatic pose with her fans. “Absolutely magical! A true representation of our class's feelings about him!”
“Yeah, it’s got to be the nicest thing we could a’ wrote!” Ingrid agreed.
“Wow, uh…thanks, Mark.” Mark gave Eloise a look of death. “Um…it…um…”
“Cara…” Desmond placed a hand on Cara’s shoulder, who had kept her face hidden behind her hands. “You good? Also, uh, if you don’t mind me aski-”
Cara finally recovered, giving the entire class a blank stare. “You’re all paying the school back.”
A day later, Hiyoko found a bag of pasta on his front door and a letter inside. Naturally, he threw the food away, assuming it was poisoned, and opened the letter. The contents inside made his little heart swell 2 sizes too large…
“Congrats!”
“You’re still a little bitch.”
“KYS : )”
Signed personally by every member of Class 28. Toshiko even added a ‘you will never find love’ message on the back! How sweet…
*************************************************************
Naturally, with his transition and possible name change, an awkward discussion would need to be had with the school's Principal…
“Oh yeah, no, I don’t give a shit.” Jin said, in as casual a tone as possible. “I might not be the smartest cookie in the bucket, but you can always count on me to be an ally!”
“Yeah, that’s sort of the big worry.” Hiyoko said, fidgeting with his fingers. Next to him sat Mahiru and Nekomaru for emotional support. “Every. Single. Time. You try to help out with something, you somehow make it worse.”
Mahiru nodded. “And do it loud, too.”
“Which I can appreciate!” Nekomaru added. “But considering Hiyoko’s home life…”
Jin looked between the 3 before a lightbulb appeared over his head. “Ooooooh! I get it now!-”
“Whe-where did that come from?”
“You’re worried!-the lightbulb? Oh, I bought it off eBay-that I’m gonna out you to your family!” Hiyoko stilled. What was left of it, at least. “Nope! Nuh uh! Not gonna happen! I’ve seen too many horror stories. I know better!”
“Then, how do you intend to hide it?” Nekomaru asked.
“Well, that’s easy! You see, I’ve already go-”
“NO!” Mahiru took out a bottle and sprayed Jin in the face with water. “Wrong answer! You do nothing but accommodate him. Here. Don’t try to do anything crazy like, I don’t even know, make Hiyoko a brand new identity while simultaneously erasing his old one off every government computer.”
…
“Well, fuck, there goes my weekend.” Jin forced a smile on his face as he turned on his computer. “I’ve already changed your pronouns and gender in the school’s system. Do you want me to assign you a room in the male dorm? Somewhere gender neutral-OOH! Do you have a preferred name? None of this is going public on the school website, by the way.”
Hiyoko hummed to himself, surprised at how…normal all the questions were.
“Oh, and do you want to sign up for our experimental gender transition trials?” Jin asked, pulling out a small vial of glowing red liquid. “The last Student Council were doing some funky shit, and this was one of them! I’m kind of interested in what this-”
“Nope!” Nekomaru grabbed the vial and threw it against the wall. Almost instantly, the liquid hissed and slithered into the vents.
“... Well, shit, quarantine again, I guess.”
“U-Uh, as for the other questions.” Hiyoko said. “I want to stay in the girl dorms–if they’re, uh, fine with that.” Now that he had said it aloud, it sounded pretty weird. Was he really trans? After all, what trans person didn’t change their name immediately? God, he was so stupid why would-
“Hiyoko?” Mahiru snapped him out of it. No, he was a boy, not gonna change. Nope! Nada! Never again! FUCK! THAT!
“Sorry! Uh!-erm, daydreaming.” Hiyoko let out a deep breath. “As for a preferred name, uh…I’m still working that out.”
“... Well, whatever you choose, I’m sure it’ll be perfect for you!” Mahiru said, patting Hiyoko on the head.
“Yeah! Nothing fits more than the name you pick!” Jin said. “That’s why I ask everyone before joining to assign themselves a preferred nickname! Not only for cases like yours, but just because it feels more personal, you know?”
“Yeah!... Yeah.” Hiyoko nodded his head. He felt safe here…regarding his gender identity, at least. If he died, it’d be because someone hated his behavior and killed him, or accidentally dropped a piano on his head. One or the other, probably both. But after coming out, it became obvious where his real anxieties lied.
“You okay, Hiyoko?” Nekomaru asked.
“Yeah! I just…” Hiyoko looked down at his hands before his eyes drifted to the small scar on his wrist. “I just have places to be, that's all.”
*************************************************************
Hiyoko swore his heartbeat could be heard across the entire hospital. It was all he could hear. That and his breathing. In and out…in and out.
“Hiyoko.” Nekomaru snapped him out of it. “Are you okay?”
“Y-Yeah,” Hiyoko mumbled. “I’m fine.”
“Say it louder.”
“What?”
“You heard me!” Nekomaru said. “Say it louder! You’re okay!”
“I-I’m okay!” Hiyoko gasped out. “I’m fine! I’m-I-I’m okay! I!-”
“Are you…?” Peko asked. “Your voice betrays nervousness.”
Hiyoko scoffed. “Oh, jeez, I wonder why, not like the last of my family is on her deathbed right now…”
“You know…” Fuyuhiko was leaning against a wall nearby with his arms crossed. “We could, like, wait a bit. I mean…whenever you feel ready is when-”
“Life isn’t like that, Fuyuhiko!” Hiyoko snapped. “I already told you it’s spreading! There’s no time at all!”
“W-Well, forgive me for trying to cheer your ass up!” Fuyuhiko clenched his fist at Hiyoko. “Why do you even want to tell her? Isn’t she the cunt who made your life miserable for seventeen years?”
“It’s more complicated than that…” Hiyoko looked at the door where his grandma was being held. Alone. “After all my siblings…and Dad…” He sucked in his lips. “...We were all we had for a while.”
“... Hiyoko.” Nekomaru’s voice was soft, but his glare showed unwavering determination. “You’re not okay, are you?”
“...No.” His eyes watered. “S-sorry, I!-”
“No, no, don’t be–this shit sucks! All of it! There’s no way this goes well, and you know what I say about that?” Nekomaru’s entire body tensed up as he spoke. “Grab life by the balls and twist ‘em until you’re satisfied! This might not be the best time or place, but it’s the lemon you’ve been given–so make some damn good lemonade!”
“You’re very brave, Saionji-Kun.” Peko interjected. “Getting this far and not breaking under the unending pressure–that is farther than most would go.”
Hiyoko was crying now.
“Hey, dumbass!” Fuyuhiko was in front of him now. “You pushed us to come here… are you gonna give up now?”
“No…” Hiyoko took a deep breath and wiped his tears away. “I can’t! I…I can do this! No walking away now!”
“THAT’S THE SPIRIT!” Nekomaru yelled, earning him the attention of a few nearby doctors. “Er, that’s the spirit…! Go in there and leave with no regrets!” He finished, notably quieter than before.
“Yes! Yes, I will!” Before Hiyoko knew it, his hand was on the handle. “Wish me luck, guys.”
“Always.”
“Sure, jackass…knock ‘em dead!”
“Right on!!!”
Hiyoko walked inside.
…
Well, there she was. Sleeping. Hiyoko waited by her side until she woke up.
…
…
…
“Eugh…” While her eyes didn’t open, the slight shifts in her body showed she was awake and as lucid as she could by this stage of treatment. “...What? Gonna say… somethin’?” A coughing fit killed any bite her words may have had.
“Tsk!... jackass…” Hiyoko’s eyes were watering again. “I hate that I still love you…”
“I hate…” Grandma’s raspy voice paused. “I love ya too, baby.” She slid her hand to the side. Hiyoko grabbed onto it tightly. “Mind stayin’ for a bit longer?”
He nodded. “Of course.” From there, it was quiet for another 15 minutes. Nothing but the sound of the heart monitor filled their ears. “I’m trans.” Hiyoko finally confessed. “I’m sorry, but…I’m a man. I…I can’t follow your footsteps.”
If it wasn’t for his grandma's chest moving up and down, he’d have assumed she was already dead. “Would’ja?”
Hiyoko blinked, tilting his head. “Wo-would I…what?” Had she heard him? Or…
“Would’ja have…become matriarch? Had kids…continued…” Another couple of coughs, weaker this time. “Even if you weren’t a…a boy?”
Grandma’s calm voice dug into Hiyoko’s psyche, forcing his brain to reckon with the question.
…
“No.” She, nor he, would have ever run Clan Saionji as anything but a burden. Grandma made sure of that.
Grandma seemed to know that, too. “Ah…the grand Clan Saionji…” She said. “All our enemies trip on their shit…and all our allies put up with our shit…” The clan motto, unchanged for over 1000 years. Unlikely to be spoken again after this room went dark.
That’s why his Grandma repeated it over and over.
That’s why Hiyoko repeated it on his way home.
And that’s why he repeated it at her funeral.
*************************************************************
Long after Haruki’s grandma was buried, and he had been out and proud to the world, he’d visit the garden where she was buried.
Where they all were buried.
“Hi!” He waved at the 6 tombstones where his 6 sisters lay. “Sorry I didn’t come to visit since…you know.” His voice was deeper now, though far from perfect. “Wanted to look more…presentable.” Haruki smiled as he began lighting the candles. “I’m a man now!” He chuckled, placing 2 beside each grave. “Could you imagine? Scared little Hiyoko, always crying for attention…I know…you’d be disgusted with me, Himari.”
The picture of 15-year-old Himari, dead by Suicide, smiled back unblinking. “But I think…I think you’d be…proud? Of me?” Haruki covered his face. “I made it…I still struggle, but…I survived the call of the void…that probably just makes you madder, doesn’t it?” The dead failed to respond. “I still love you, Himari… your absence was always noticed. We never forgot.” Haruki laid a soft kiss on the gravestone before moving on.
“Aikohana! Aikorin! I’m your brother now! Can you believe it?” 7-year-old Aikohana, dead from poison, smiled in her picture. 11-year-old Aikorin, dead by drowning, looked soulless. “Sometimes…I wonder if you two ever grew up in Heaven, or whatever.” He said, removing some vines and leaves from each tombstone. “Or if you’re both the same age as when you…either way, I’m sure you were happy to be with Hana again, Rin.” Haruki laid a kiss on each tombstone. “I hope…if I come up and I’m…the boy I was always meant to be…that you’d both be happy too.”
Haruki looked over at the grave of 21-year-old Mahiru Saionji. Dead in a car accident when he was only 6. “Hey Mahiru.” Haruki caressed the tombstone. “I’ve met a great girl, she’s like you were but…not.” He clutched his chest right where his heart was. “I don’t think it’s love, but it’s definitely not just…friendship either. You’d understand, right?” After a brief pause, Haruki kissed the gravestone. “Of course you would. You were always awesome!” With a chuckle, Hiyoko moved on.
“Hi Hikari.” Haruki gave 12-year-old Hikari, blown up because the assassins targeting children knew any direct confrontation would lead to a fight, a salute. “Knowing you, you probably guessed it already, so…yeah. Thanks for not teasing me about it, I guess.” Haruki kissed the gravestone soft and fast. “Sorry, I know you’re giving the Devil a hard time. I’ll stop wasting your time…love you.”
The smallest gravestone of them all. And the one she felt obligated to dig herself was next. “Hi Saki.” Haruki’s heart was already breaking. “I’m sorry we…never got to know you.” A single tear ran down his cheek.
0 years, 0 months, 0 days, 0 hours. Saki never even took a breath, never lived before she died. That was the day Hiyoko, now Haruki, realized life just… wasn’t fair.
“Maybe you would have left a light behind like Hana? Quick and bright…or maybe you would have left like Rin, quick and…broken.” Haruki sucked in his lips as memories of his sisters returned in full force. “Maybe you would have been like Mom? Or Dad…maybe you would have been something better…” Haruki shrugged, and with shaking hands, placed down Saki’s candles. “If you’re up there…and you grew up…please promise to share all the stories you’ve gathered since you left. I’d love to hear them!”
The blank grave didn’t respond.
“... Goodbye, girls.” Haruki stood up, sighing. “...Same time next week?” He asked, putting on a smile Kokichi had taught him. “Hehe…he…same time next week.”
With that, he sprinted to the largest tree in the garden, where the last grave was, far away from the others. “Hi Haruki!” Haruki 2.0 chuckled nervously. “Sorry, took your name! Hehehe! Hope ya don’t mind.” Haruki, 14-years-old, died defending his sister from a group of terrorists. “I know that…you were always worried we’d forget you…but let it be known that couldn’t be further from the truth.”
Haruki lit some candles. “We always talked about you.” Haruki placed a vase with a white flower beside the grave. “Always thought about you…at least I did.” He placed a painting of his brother when he was alive onto the tree, hanging on a branch. “The others did too, I think. Ask ‘em wherever you are…anyway, what I mean is…” Haruki let out a deep breath, sitting beside the gravestone. “You changed my life. Inspired me in my darkest moments. Helped me become…who I am. You will never be forgotten. I’ll make sure of it!”
Haruki took out a small Pipa he’d bought years ago but never learned to play until recently. “I watched that show you were obsessed with…I see why now.” A mix between a laugh and a sob left his mouth. “This…this is for not visiting much…I love you…” Haruki placed a kiss on the grave before beginning to play.
“... Leaves from the vine.”
“Falling…so slow…”
“Like fragile…t-tiny shells…”
“Drifting…i-in the foam…”
“Little…s-s-s-soldier boy…”
“Come marching home…”
“Bra-a-ave…soldier b-boy…come marching home…”
If the grave could respond, it would be through a hug.