A/N: Ok, to all my anxious readers, this should be the last chapter before the cat is finally out of the bag so to speak ;) I just want fem!Yuu to have a few more funny and awkward moments as a "boy" with Guren and her classmates before the big reveal ;) Keep in mind that this fic is AU so there will be differences from the canon story; please refer to the footnotes at the end. Once again, I would like to thank my beta reader and editor, ResidentialPsycho, for her help in making this fic possible. I would also like to thank my readers for their support so far! Enjoy and please review! :D
Chapter 11: There's something about Yuichiro
March 5, 2017
Yuichiro found her face scrunching in disgust from her seat on the bleachers as she watched some of her male classmates stand in a line on the edge of the school's football field with their PE shorts down, trying to see who could urinate the furthest as if that were something to be proud of.
Nasty… the girl thought as she finally averted her gaze when she heard the boys start to howl with laughter and excitement. Yuichiro rolled her eyes at her male classmates' childish display, wishing she had something to read to pass the time. She had been sitting on the bleachers alone since class began and the students discovered they were going to be having a substitute teacher for the day. Unlike their normal teacher, the sub showed little interest in actually teaching the class and allowed the kids to do whatever they wanted for the class period. And Yuichiro was dismayed that out of all the things her male classmates could have done, they chose to have a pissing contest.
The girls, who were somewhat more sensible, chose to run or walk laps around the field while chatting with each other, and Yuichiro might have joined them if doing so didn't arouse the suspicions of her classmates. Knowing that she couldn't join the boys or the girls in their activities, the ravenette had convinced her substitute teacher to let her sit out the class period on the bleachers because she wasn't feeling well which was partly true; watching the boys urinate on the football field did make Yuichiro feel a little queasy and she found herself wishing that class would be over soon so that she could go home.
Daisuke, her red-headed classmate, noticed that Yuichiro had not moved from her seat on the bleachers for almost forty minutes and became a little concerned. He always thought the raven-haired "boy" was a bit of an oddball but still cared enough to want him to break out of his shell so to speak.
"Hey, Satoshi, shouldn't we get Yuichiro over here? He's missing out on all the fun!"
The blue-haired boy looked in Yuu's direction and sighed.
"I suppose it couldn't hurt to ask him. At least that way, he can't complain that nobody invited him later."
"Right," Daisuke said. "Let's go get him."
Although they were too far away for her to hear them, Yuichiro was startled when she noticed Daisuke Niwa and Satoshi Hiwatari *1* leave the other boys on the field and started to approach her. What could they possibly want?
As soon as they were close enough, Daisuke waved to catch the girl's attention.
"Hey, Yuu! Why don't you come out and join us! Aren't you bored sitting there by yourself?"
"I'm fine!" Yuichiro shot back.
Satoshi grinned. "Aww, come on, Yuu! You need to loosen up and learn to have fun!"
The girl glared at her two classmates.
"Fun? You call trying to see who can piss the furthest 'fun'? How disgusting!"
The other two boys were taken aback by Yuichiro's angry comment before understanding slowly dawned on them.
"Oh, I get it…" Daisuke began as a mischievous grin broke out on his face. "You're afraid to show your junk because it's too small, isn't it? Come on, be a man and whip it out!" *2*
"First, you dance naked for me!" Yuichiro sneered.
Satoshi, ever the cool-headed peacemaker, tried to ease the tension between his two classmates before one of them started a fight.
"Now now, Yuu, Daisuke didn't mean any harm; he's just concerned for you and so am I. Seriously, you need to stop being so tense all the time. I mean, you're only going to be young once so you may as well enjoy it, right?"
"I can find better things to enjoy than pissing in public which, by the way, is also a great way to spread germs!" Yuichiro snapped.
Before the blue-haired boy could respond, they heard the bell signaling the end of class ring across the field.
Relieved that class was over so that her classmates would stop pressuring her into an unwanted contest, Yuichiro got up and made her way towards the boys' locker room. But Daisuke, ever so curious, wasn't going to let her off so easily.
As soon as they were inside and the other boys started to strip and shower as usual, Yuichiro simply stuffed her regular school uniform in her bag along with her books after getting them out of her locker like she had been doing every day since the first day of school. But by now, Satoshi and Daisuke as well as several of their other male classmates, have noticed that Yuichiro had taken great pains to avoid disrobing in front of them and continued to do so, even after all these months. As soon as she got inside the locker room, the ravenette would always change in the bathroom stall before class and after, simply go home in her PE uniform without changing.
And every time someone questioned her about it, Yuichiro would say that she was self-conscious of her body because she had ugly scars that she didn't want anyone to see. Which was partly true. Even though she couldn't see them herself, Yuichiro knew she still had the mark of Ferid's talons across her back which was unlikely to ever go away.
After making sure everything was secure in her bag, the girl was about to leave when she felt Daisuke's hand close around her wrist. Yuichiro was about to snap at the red-headed boy and demand that he release her before seeing a look of genuine concern and what appeared to be a little guilt on his face.
"Yes, Daisuke?"
"Look, Yuu, I'm sorry about earlier," he apologized.
Yuichiro sighed as she lowered her school bag slightly.
"Forget it, Daisuke. I just want to go home now."
"Fine, I understand. But at least tell me why you're always so serious? You need to learn how to take a joke."
"Not if I find it offensive and vulgar," she shot back.
Satoshi found himself staring at the raven-haired "boy" in astonishment.
"Damn, Yuu, I'm beginning to think you're actually a girl with the way you've been acting all these months!" he exclaimed.
As soon as she heard that, the ravenette felt a panic attack coming on even though she was unsure if Satoshi was joking or serious, but forced herself to remain calm lest she gave away her secret. It was times like these that Yuichiro was grateful for Guren's training. In addition to learning how to better control her emotions, she also learned how to mask them when needed so that others could not read her so easily.
"Don't be ridiculous," she said defensively. "I just happen to have a different idea of 'fun' then you do."
"Ok, so if a pissing contest isn't 'fun' to you, what is?" Daisuke challenged.
"Something useful or educational like cooking and reading."
"Are you serious?" the red-headed boy asked incredulously.
"Yes, I'm serious!" Yuu answered in annoyance. "Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to get going, my guardian expects me to have all my homework done by the time he returns."
And with that, the girl took her bag and brushed her way past her two classmates before they could question her further. Yuichiro knew it was likely they may ask her more questions in the future but at least for today, she could hold them off by leaving.
After their raven-haired classmate had left, Satoshi and Daisuke looked at each other for a moment in silence before the red-headed boy spoke.
"I'm telling you, Satoshi, there's something about Yuichiro that doesn't sit right with me. I mean, what kind of guy actually enjoys cooking of all things?"
"Some do, but not many," the blue-haired boy answered as he briefly removed his glasses to clean with a handkerchief from his school bag.
"Were you serious when you said you thought Yuichiro was a girl?"
"Well, the way he acts does make me wonder…" Satoshi confessed.
"Like his unwillingness to shower or even take off his shirt in front of us?" Daisuke pressed.
"I'm not sure. If I had ugly scars all over my body like Yuu claims to have, I wouldn't want to strip or shower in front of others either."
"He could just be using that as an excuse."
"So what if he is?" Satoshi countered. "Are you suggesting that we hold him down and tear off all his clothes just to see if he's a girl?"
Daisuke sighed and shook his head. "No… As curious as I am, I don't think it's worth getting suspended or expelled over."
"Then we have nothing more to discuss, Daisuke", Satoshi said patiently before changing the subject. "And since we've been standing here talking too long, the other guys probably used up all the hot water so we'll have to follow Yuu's lead and just go home to shower and change."
"Yeah, you're probably right" the red-headed boy agreed as he slung his bag over his shoulder and prepared to leave the locker room. "Well, see you tomorrow then, Satoshi."
"You too, Daisuke."
SSSSSS
Yuichiro did not stop running until she made her way past the gates of Guren's house and to her room after making sure she closed and locked the front door. As she leaned against the door to her room, the girl slowly slid to floor while catching her breath. Yuichiro had managed to successfully evade her male classmates' curious questions about her unwillingness to disrobe in front of them for months, but today was the first time any of them had asked her outright if she was a girl.
Although it was likely Satoshi was only joking when he questioned Yuu about her sex, she found the inquiry alarming nonetheless, and hoped that her blue-haired classmate had not seen through her mask when she denied his claim. Yuichiro knew that while they were somewhat mischievous, Satoshi and Daisuke were not bullies and were unlikely to try and forcibly strip her to find out if she was really a girl. But that didn't mean other boys wouldn't make the attempt if they had reason to suspect Yuu was female. She had managed to keep her secret at school for three months but knew it would only be a matter of time before her luck ran out.
It's getting harder and harder to pretend every day… Yuichiro thought sadly as she stepped into the bathroom for her usual shower before changing into a pair of knee-length brown shorts and a red T-shirt. After changing, the girl took out her notebook from her bag to get started on her homework. Ever since she started school, Yuichiro made it a habit to get started on her homework as soon as she got home and finished showering so that she wouldn't get lazy and neglect to do it later.
Unlike several of her classmates, who often waited until the last minute to do their homework, Yuichiro preferred to get it out of the way as soon as possible so that she could enjoy the rest of her day without worry. But by no means was she careless about getting her assignments done right; her late grandmother had taught Yuu that it was better to get something done right the first time by being slow and sure than to have to go over and do it again by being quick but careless and sloppy. Not to mention the time one would save.
After she had finished her homework, Yuichiro made her way to the kitchen to get an early start on dinner. By now, Sayuri trusted her enough to let her wash and cut the vegetables as well as turn on the rice pot alone. The girl only had to wait until her secondary guardian returned home to cut the meat and use the stove or oven but Yuichiro was sure that pretty soon, Sayuri would trust her to do that alone as well. After all, she was growing up and becoming more capable of taking on additional responsibilities as well as becoming more independent.
As she approached the kitchen, the girl thought she heard some noises as if someone was already in there, going through the cupboards. Fearing that it could be an intruder, Yuichiro made a quiet stop near the fireplace in the living room to pick up an iron poker before sneaking into the kitchen where she saw what appeared to be the silhouette of a man dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt going through the refrigerator. Without thinking, Yuichiro charged and brought the flat of the poker crashing down on the intruder's back.
As soon as he felt the cold, hard iron make contact with his body, the "intruder" screamed.
"AAAHHHH!"
Knowing that she had hit her target, Yuichiro jumped back and watched the "intruder" fall flat on his back, writhing in agony. When she stepped closer to get a better look at him, the girl gasped when she saw a familiar young man with sandy blond hair tied back in a ponytail and a goatee, sprawled on the floor and grimacing in pain.
"G-Goshi!?" *3*
After waiting a few moments for the pain in his back to subside, the blond man opened his eyes and looked up to see a shocked, wide-eyed Yuichiro staring down at him. Even after she had just attacked him without knowing who he was, Goshi couldn't bring himself to be angry with the girl, especially since he knew the misunderstanding wasn't exactly her fault; he did forget to remind Guren to tell Yuichiro he would be coming over to fix the kitchen sink at Sayuri's request today. Goshi just didn't mention he would be helping himself to some snacks in the refrigerator while he was at it as well.
"Well if it isn't little Yuichiro!" the blond man joked. "Hiya, kiddo!"
"I'm so sorry, Goshi! I thought you were an intruder!" the girl apologized.
Goshi placed an arm over his forehead and laughed light-heartedly. Asides from the pain, he actually thought what just happened was pretty funny.
"It's ok, Yuu. It's actually my fault, really. I forgot to remind Guren to tell you that I would be coming over to fix the kitchen sink for Sayuri today."
"Oh, ok. Well, did you fix it?"
"Yeah. Luckily, I did it before you hit me because with my back the way it is now, I won't be able to fix anything for a while."
"I'm sorry." Yuichiro apologized again. "I supposed I should have asked who it was before attacking."
"It's ok, Yuu, really. As long as you learned something important from this, I don't mind. It's always good to know who your enemies are on the battlefield whenever possible before attacking."
"I understand. So, would you like me to help you up?"
"Yeah, that would be nice…" Goshi answered as he stuck out his hand. Without hesitating, Yuichiro took it and helped the blond man to his feet.
"Are you feeling ok now?"
"I'm still a bit sore but I'll live. I've survived my share of battles so this is nothing, really. Anyway, how was school today, Yuu?"
"Well, are you sure you wanna know? I'm pretty sure it's not as exciting as what you do in the army."
"Hey, I used to be a school boy too, so of course, I wanna know!"
"Well, my other classes were the same as usual but for my PE class, I had a substitute teacher who didn't care to follow my normal teacher's lesson plan. He just let the kids do what they wanted so the girls chose to run or walk laps around the field."
"And what about the boys?"
For a moment, Yuichiro hesitated to answer which piqued Goshi's curiosity even more.
"Well, Yuu?"
"It's stupid…"
"What is? Tell me, I'm really curious."
"Well… today the boys decided to have a pissing contest to see who can pee the furthest. As if that were something to be proud of."
As soon as he heard that, Goshi's face split into a wide grin before he started laughing again.
"What's so funny?" Yuichiro demanded, wondering what the older man found so amusing about a pissing contest.
But instead of answering her question, Goshi asked:
"So did you do it?"
It was a ridiculous question and they both knew it. Unknown to Yuichiro, Goshi already knew she was female and could not participate in such a contest; he just wanted to see how she would answer.
"Of course not! I thought it was gross and stupid! Not to mention a good way to spread germs around."
The blond man was amused at Yuu's answer.
"You know, you're a lot more like Guren than I originally thought."
Yuichiro looked up, her eyes wide with curiosity.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, when he was a little older than you, the other boys would also tease him about not wanting to participate in a pissing contest. Personally, I always thought he was way too serious and didn't know how to have fun," Goshi answered, purposely neglecting to tell Yuichiro that he was often the one who teased Guren the most about his inability to loosen up. *4*
"Oh, that explains why he's such a hardass sometimes."
"True. But I'd avoid saying that in front of Sayuri or Shigure if I were you. I'm sure they wouldn't approve of such language coming out of your pretty little mouth."
As soon as she heard Goshi say "pretty little mouth," Yuu's eyes narrowed at the older man in suspicion.
"Why do you think I have a 'pretty little mouth,' Goshi?" she demanded.
As soon as he heard Yuu's question, the blond man realized his mistake but made an attempt to cover it up nonetheless.
"Well, I…" he trailed off for a moment as if desperately trying to think of how to answer the disguised girl's question but she didn't give him the chance.
"You know, don't you?" Yuichiro accused as she felt herself growing angry. "Did Shinya tell you? He promised me he wouldn't!"
"No, of course not!" Goshi protested fiercely. "Shinya is a man of his word. He didn't tell me anything, I already knew!"
"Really? And for how long?"
"I knew it since the day we met you, from the moment I saw him flirting with you. Shinya likes to pretend he swings that way but I know he really doesn't. That's how I was able to figure out you were a girl. But don't worry, I haven't told anyone either."
"And why not?"
Goshi was silent for a moment as he searched his mind for an answer. He did not want to tell Yuu that one of the reasons he kept her secret was because of the bet he made with Shinya since it might embarrass the younger girl and make her hate them both. But more importantly, he didn't want to see her get hurt. So he tried telling a partial truth since he couldn't bear to lie to the child. Goshi was sure that by now, everyone who knew him probably told Yuichiro that he couldn't tell a convincing lie to save his life anyway. But that didn't mean he couldn't leave parts of the truth out, especially to protect the feelings of someone he cared about.
"I just didn't think it was my place to. I thought it best to wait until you were comfortable enough to tell Guren yourself," Goshi answered simply, hoping that would satisfy Yuichiro.
Yuichiro looked at Goshi suspiciously for a moment as if not sure whether to believe him before sighing.
"Fine," she said.
"So when do you think you'll be ready, Yuu?" Goshi persisted. "After what you had just experienced today, I'm sure you realize you won't be able to keep pretending forever."
"I do. I just need a little more time to get used to being a girl, that's all."
"Just don't take too long, I'd hate to see you get hurt, Yuu. Did you know that you'll eventually be required to take swimming in PE before you could graduate high school? How will you avoid stripping in front of others then? And if you want to be a soldier, how will you avoid it if you got injured on the battlefield and require treatment?"
"I know. I know. But I still have a bit more time before I have to worry about that so please let me use it, ok?"
"Sure thing, kid. Anyway, while I'm here, would you like me to help you with dinner? I can't cook but I can at least help you cut the vegetables."
"Yeah, I'd appreciate that. Thanks, Goshi."
"No problem, Yuu."
SSSSSS
May 9, 2017
Two months after the incident with Goshi, Yuichiro found his words ringing more true with each passing day. And even though they were supportive of her choice to continue living as a boy for as long as she could, Guren's other squad-mates also tried to encourage Yuu to become more comfortable with her true gender before hiding it was no longer possible.
And Yuichiro could feel that day drawing nearer and nearer. Not only because of the inevitability of stripping in front of others but also because of the attention she was unwittingly drawing.
Attention from other girls. Real ones.
The first one was a lively chatterbox from Yuu's history class who had just recently transferred to Shibuya Middle School.
"My, aren't you a cute one! What's your name?" she asked cheerfully.
Annoyed, Yuichiro looked up from her desk and was about to tell the other girl to go away when she noticed something quite unusual about her. Although Yuu had not thought about her for some time, her mind went back to the mysterious young woman who came to her room in the middle of the night while she was temporarily housed at one of the Hyakuya Sect's facilities for "therapy" before being released to her "uncle's" care.
And for some reason, the girl looking down at her now reminded Yuichiro of that young woman with her purple hair and mahogany eyes. But although the resemblance was striking, Yuichiro knew that they couldn't be the same person because this girl was younger and her stature was shorter.
"Who are you?" Yuichiro demanded.
The purple-haired girl grinned. "You know, it's very ungentlemanly to ask for a lady's name without offering your own first."
Yuichiro scowled. "Excuse me, but you were the one who started this conversation."
Despite herself, Yuu found herself irritated at the purple-haired girl's teasing. She may resemble the young woman from Yuichiro's memory (or dream) since she wasn't sure if the encounter was real or a figment of her imagination, but the other girl's personality made Yuu think of her as a younger and more annoying female version of Shinya.
And like Shinya, the purple-haired girl was not easily deterred when she wanted something. Instead of getting angry at Yuu's rudeness (which she thought was cleverly masked with politeness), the girl finally gave her own name first.
"I'm Shinoa Hiragi. I just transferred here. I thought you might be dying to meet the pretty new girl in class like your fellow boy classmates there."
Puzzled, Yuichiro looked in the direction of Shinoa's pointed finger and saw a group of her male classmates huddled together in the corner, mouths agape, while giving them wide-eyed stares, at especially Yuu herself as if they thought she had a few screws loose for not jumping at the chance to introduce herself to the new girl.
Yuichiro smacked her head. Great, this is just what I need… she thought before looking the other girl straight in the eye and putting on her most serious expression.
"Sorry, but I'm not interested, dear. However, I'm sure you have plenty of other guys to choose from your fan club over there."
Shinoa laughed. "You're very charming, Yuichiro. Shinya was right about you."
At the sound of the white-haired man's name, Yuu's expression changed to shock.
"You know Shinya? Who are you to him?"
"Me? Oh, nothing much, just his little sister."
"What? You're his sister?"
Although the revelation was startling to her at first, it actually started to make sense now that Yuichiro thought about it. Although they looked nothing alike physically, Shinoa and Shinya did share a talent for charming or annoying others as they chose.
"That's right! Nii-san talks about you a lot so I figure I'd see for myself what kind of guy you are."
"Well, now that you know, can you just go away and leave me alone?" Yuichiro sneered.
"Nope, not a chance. You've been going to school for how many months now, Yuu? At least a few, I'm sure. Don't you think you should have a friend or two by now? And by that, I mean friends your own age, not your guardian and his friends even though I'm sure they dote on you a lot."
As unwanted and annoying as Shinoa's inquiries were, Yuichiro realized that the purple-haired girl had a point. While she appreciated the attention and affection of Guren and his squad, Yuu still felt that they could not relate to her as well as Mika, Akane, and the other Hyakuya orphans did due to the eight-year age gap between them as well as their differing life experiences. Still, Yuichiro wasn't going to give the brat in front of her the satisfaction of knowing she's right.
"So what's it you, Shinoa? What if I told you I'm not interested in being friends with you in particular?"
"I'd normally say 'suit yourself' but I'm guessing you have an interest in joining the Demon Army, no?"
"And that concerns you, how?"
"I just thought you should know that they don't want soldiers who can't get along or work with others. It's kind of necessary for survival on the battlefield. I'm sure even your guardian has told you that strength and power alone won't be enough."
"You seem to know a lot about me, Shinoa. Why is that? Has Shinya been talking about me to you that much?"
"He has. For some reason, you seem to be of great interest to him although why is beyond me. But now that I've seen you for myself, I can tell that you've still got a long way to go before the JIDA will accept the likes of you. "
"Not that it's any of your business, but thank you. I'll be just fine so why don't you take a seat and leave me alone? It's not like I'm going to apply for the JIDA tomorrow anyway."
To Yuichiro's relief, Shinoa finally relented. She had no choice since class was about to begin anyway but being the persistent little brat she was, Yuichiro got the feeling that this wasn't going to be their only or last encounter.
And she was right. As the months went by, Yuichiro noticed that Shinoa became a bit more insistent on being friends with her, even showing her interest by flirting with Yuu from time to time. Worst still, other girls have started to follow her lead, including a feisty blonde named Mitsuba, who became Shinoa's biggest rival for Yuu's attention.
Unfortunately, Yuu's tendency to attract girls like a magnet did not go unnoticed by her male classmates, who started to tease the disguised girl for her disinterest. Not only in girls but anyone, male or female.
"You're really weird, you know that?" Daisuke told Yuichiro one day in the boys' locker room as she was packing her normal school uniform into her bag before heading home in her PE clothes as usual.
"What do you mean?" the ravenette asked before slinging her bag over her shoulder and shooting the red-headed boy an annoyed look.
"I mean, you've got the prettiest, not to mention richest girls in school vying for your attention and yet you brush them aside like they were nothing. What the hell is wrong with you, Hyakuya?"
"How about you start minding your own damn business?!" Yuichiro snapped.
Startled by Yuu's sudden angry outburst, Satoshi found himself intervening again before Daisuke could make an equally angry retort and start a fight.
"Hey, calm down, Yuu, I'm sure Daisuke didn't mean anything by it. Most guys would be thrilled to have the attention of so many pretty girls but I notice that it's the opposite with you. Why is that?"
"That is something neither you nor Daisuke needs to know, Satoshi. I'd appreciate it if both of you stopped poking your noses into my love life which, by the way, is none of your business."
"Ok, ok, geez…" Satoshi said in exasperation, not wanting to get into an argument with the raven-haired "boy" himself. "Excuse us for caring. I would have thought that after all this time, you would consider us your friends or something, Yuu."
"I'd appreciate 'friends' who are more considerate and respectful of my privacy, Satoshi. Good day!" Yuichiro shot back before taking her bag and running out of the locker room.
After she was gone, Satoshi and Daisuke looked at each other for a moment in silence before the blue-haired boy sighed.
"It looks like you've gone and made Yuichiro angry again, Daisuke. Seriously, would it hurt you to learn a little tact when questioning others, even if it's out of concern?"
Feeling a little guilty, the red-headed boy lowered his eyes.
"I suppose you're right, Satoshi. But don't you think Yuichiro is a bit too sensitive? It's like he takes everything we tell him the wrong way."
"Maybe. But he is right about one thing: his love life isn't any of our business. We should at least respect that."
"Ok, whatever. I still think Yuu's making a big mistake rejecting all those girls. Especially Shinoa Hiragi and Mitsuba Sangu. *5* Most guys would kill to go out with those two."
Sensing the bitterness in the other boy's voice, Satoshi grinned.
"A little jealous now, aren't we, Daisuke?"
Daisuke glared at him as if the very suggestion was absurd.
"Jealous? Of girly little Yuichiro? You gotta be kidding me!"
Satoshi gave his friend a mischievous look as he moved his eyes to the side.
"Ok, whatever you say, Daisuke. I've got to get going now. See you tomorrow."
"You too."
SSSSSS
"Yuichiro, are you still awake? Can I come in?"
The girl sat up from her bed where she was lying down with her arms crossed under her head, looking up blankly at the ceiling. It was almost ten 'o clock and curious to see who her visitor was, Yuichiro opened the door to find Shigure with what appeared to be a shoe box in her arms.
"Yes, Shigure? What do you need?"
"I don't need anything. But it looks to me like you do. I've noticed you've been very quiet at dinner tonight. Did something happen at school to upset you today?"
Yuichiro looked down for a moment before stepping aside to let the older woman in. As soon as she was inside, Shigure closed the door for Yuu before handing her the shoe box she was holding.
"Is this for me?"
"Yes. I went shopping today and spotted these in a store window. I thought they might look cute on you," the raven-haired woman answered gently.
Yuichiro blushed. "C-cute?" she sputtered. She didn't think such a word existed in Shigure's vocabulary but didn't want to offend the older woman by refusing so she opened the box to find a shiny new pair of black girl's loafers that were slightly high-heeled.
"Um, thank you. They're pretty, but you didn't have to."
"I know that. I wanted to. Just like I wanted to see if you're ok. Sayuri was going to come see you but I told her it was better if I came instead since we don't get a chance to talk much. So, what's going on, Yuu?"
Although she'd rather not talk about it, Yuichiro could not bring herself to refuse Shigure an answer after the woman had just given her another gift.
"Well… there are two boys in my PE class who've been bugging me today. One, in particular, Daisuke, asked me why I've been turning away all the girls who've been approaching me. I couldn't tell them the reason, of course, but I have the feeling they suspect why."
"That you're a girl? Did they ever ask you if you were?"
"Well, the other boy, Satoshi, did ask me out of the blue but I wasn't sure if he was joking or not."
"And what did you say?"
"I said that was ridiculous but I can't tell if he believed me or not either."
"Well, there's this old saying that the harder we try to be something we're not, the more obvious it is that we're not what we're pretending to be."
"I know…" Yuu answered softly.
"You won't be able to keep this up for much longer. It's a miracle you've been able to fool everyone into thinking you're a boy for as long as you already have. You know this, don't you, Yuichiro?"
Yuu nodded. "I do."
"There's only one way to stop these uncomfortable situations you speak of. And that is to finally accept who and what you really are. Are you ready to do that yet?"
"I may not have a choice anymore. I can't believe how much energy I'm exerting into being a boy. It's so much harder than it used to be."
"Of course it is, you are growing up after all. But you can still take it a step at a time so to speak. How about you try on these shoes I bought to see how you like them?"
Yuichiro smiled. "Sure," she said as took the loafers out of the box and placed them on the ground before slipping them onto her feet.
"They're a little loose," the girl said sheepishly.
"You'll grow into them. So do you like the shoes?"
"I do, thank you."
Shigure smiled, and for the second time, Yuichiro remembered since she moved into Guren's home.
"I'm glad you like the shoes. However, it's getting late and I must go now; I have to be up early for work tomorrow."
"I understand. Thank you so much for being there for me. Sayuri too."
"I'm sure she'd be very happy to hear that. Goodnight, Yuichiro."
"Goodnight, Shigure."
After the older woman left, Yuichiro pondered her words.
Take it a step at a time…
Ok, maybe I should… the girl thought as she waited for the rest of her house to turn in.
SSSSSS
An hour or so later, Yuichiro slowly opened the door to her room and poked her head outside, looking around to see if anyone was up and about. When she was certain everyone must be asleep, the girl tiptoed out into the hallway and downstairs while carrying her new shoes. As soon as she was downstairs, Yuichiro went into the kitchen and slipped the loafers on. Since this was her first time wearing shoes that were not totally flat, the girl wobbled a little as she took a few shaky steps around the kitchen floor.
Unfortunately, Yuichiro was incorrect in assuming that she was the only one awake in the house. Guren, who found himself craving for a midnight snack, picked up the sound of heels clicking in the kitchen and assumed it was an intruder but not wanting to repeat the same mistake Yuichiro made with Goshi a few months prior, decided to see who it was before engaging in a confrontation. What Guren saw when he peaked into the kitchen was almost just as bewildering as when he walked in on his ward painting "his" toenails.
This time, Yuichiro was walking around the kitchen in high-heels while clad in "his" pajamas.
"What are you doing?"
The girl almost felt her heart stop when she heard the familiar voice of her guardian before seeing him in the doorway of the kitchen with the same bewildered expression he had when he first caught her with make-up and nail polish.
If her face was any hotter, Yuichiro swore she could've cooked an egg on it.
"Um, just going for a walk?"
"In a pair of girl's shoes? You've been acting pretty weird these last few months. I'm beginning to think you have a little too much free time, Yuu."
Not knowing what else to say, Yuichiro asked "You really think so, Guren?"
"Yes, I think so. It looks like I'm going to have to make a man out of you starting tomorrow."
"You mean…"
"Correct. Tomorrow, we're going to start your training. Real training."
At those words, the girl forgot all about her embarrassment and grinned with excitement.
As for Guren himself, he hoped teaching Yuu how to fight will finally put an end to "his" strange and bizarre behavior.
Footnotes:
1. Daisuke Niwa and Satoshi Hiwatari are also characters in another anime I'm a huge fan of: DN Angel. I've given them cameo appearances in my fic with similar appearance and personalities.
2. Daisuke's words to Yuichiro about her unwillingness to enter the pissing contest is actually a direct quote from Goshi to Guren in the LNs when they were teenagers. I thought it would be fun to parallel a scene from the LNs in fem!Yuu's struggle to hide her true gender.
3. In the canon story, Goshi has a demon contractor like all JIDA elite soldiers so it's unlikely anyone could sneak up on him but I just had to make the scene of him being attacked by fem!Yuu because I want them to have a bonding moment together lol. As a joke, his demon could decide not to warn him of her approach :D
4. In the LNs, Guren actually refused to participate in the pissing contest Goshi proposed but eventually gave in and actually won it. Fem!Yuu refuses for a different reason as we all know lol.
5. Male!Yuu does not meet Shinoa and Mitsuba until he was in 10th grade but for my AU, I've decided to make fem!Yuu meet them in 6th grade.
