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”Ah…I’m such an idiot. I can’t sing with them anymore…”
Mizuki Akiyama had always presented themselves femininely, and their friends had always seen them as the woman that they identify as. However, very few of them had visibly seen them transition, having never known in the first place that they’d used to be a man.
One of these blissfully ignorant people was Mizuki’s girlfriend, Ena Shinonome.
Ena had known for a long time that Mizuki was keeping something from her. But Ena would wait. She would wait as long as she needed to, until Mizuki would feel ready to spill it.
That secret, of course, was their own gender identity. Once they were comfortable enough to come out to Ena, to tell her that they weren’t a biological female and that they were transgender, they had that power taken away from them, taken away by some rude people who had always seen Mizuki as a ”weird guy”.
This had caused Mizuki to isolate themselves away from their friends. Isolate themselves in an all too familiar place, although now darkened and damaged, unlike the beautiful, pastel pinks from years ago.
They adorned a black and white dress, the only pop of color being red, seemingly exposed from underneath the rest of the fabric, with a matching rose as a decorative ornament on their head, as well as a black ribbon that tied their side ponytail.
They felt too disgusted to look at their own reflection in the shattered mirror, blindfolding themselves so that they would not be forced to see themself or others.
“…something’s…off.” Ena told herself, as she lay down on the ground, staring at her reflection on the ground, grasping at a red, lace ribbon— the only reminder of Mizuki in her possession. “…I can’t understand it…not without seeing it for myself.”
Kanade is unaware of Mizuki’s situation.
Mafuyu is unaware of Mizuki’s situation.
KAITO is aware, but has no way, as of current, to step in.
Ena is aware. She is aware that Mizuki is upset. And she knows that they are hiding.
”…but…where?”
…after pacing around for quite some time, trying find some kind of clue as to where Mizuki could’ve gone, she finally had answer.
They were there again. Back inside the Secret Dressing Room. That made sense, Ena thought. That place was full of comforting things for Mizuki, of course they would be there, surrounded by lace, and bows, and pink and anything cute…
…but how to get there again was another issue.
She remember having briefly seen Mizuki there before, but that was years ago. It was hard to remember that place, despite it’s beauty, or at least, the way to get there.
“How the hell am I meant to get back to them?” She muttered at herself angrily, before realizing she was holding the answer.
Mizuki stood among a board of mannequins, almost all of which looking feminine, just as they presented themselves— all but one, and that one set them off, set them off to a point that they felt sick to their stomach that something like that was in a place that was meant to bring them some semblance of comfort in their isolation.
They made sure to keep it facing away from themself and the shafted mirror in the corner at all times.
”…ah…the ribbon from my dress…I must’ve forgotten to cut that properly…not that it matters…I’m gonna disappear here, anyway.”
Ena found herself following the red ribbon, every loop, every turn…she found that as she continued walking, the ribbon’s color seemed to fade out into white.
As the brown-haired girl continued following the lace ribbon, it had become a pale pink by this point.
”This place seems a little familiar…but, there were more ribbons and mannequins everywhere, and I don’t see much of that here. Too white, as well, it was much pinker…” She muttered, continuing to follow the ribbon.
She followed it, and followed it, and followed it, before reaching white.
The ribbon was torn in some places. It was almost a decorating sight. But, not allowing that to get in her way, the picked up the ripped pieces, shoving them into her dress pocket.
It seemed to be getting darker. Darker, and darker, and darker as she walked. But not the ribbon. The atmosphere. She wondered, ”Am I really going the right way..?” It seemed so…off. Her memory from all that time ago may’ve been hazy, but she recalled it being pink— not the near black that it was.
Mizuki barely noticed the soft footsteps approaching the Secret Dressing Room that followed in the direction of her dress’ ribbon.
”…just disappear.” They said, unaware that it was their beloved girlfriend.
”Mizuki—!” Ena began, before Mizuki cut her off.
”Leave me here—! Don’t look at me!!!”
…Ena fell silent.
She didn’t know what to say to comfort her partner.
“…You never did tell me your secret.”
Mizuki scoffed at that. “Don’t give me that…you heard them, didn’t you? They already told you…”
”I haven’t heard it from you, Mizuki.”
“…eh…?”
Ena approached the pink-haired girl, gently taking their hands in hers.
“Mizuki…I love you. No matter what. You know that, right? I’m your girlfriend…you can trust me. Just because they say you’re a guy…they’re assholes, I have no incentive to believe them.”
“…but—” Ena cut them off, continuing to soothe them. “You can tell me anything. If you still think you’re ready, you can tell me. But I’ll keep waiting if you need more time.”
“…Ena…I-I…”
“…I’m not…I wasn’t…born a girl…”
”…but…”
Ena sighed, giving them a weak smile.
“You seriously thought so lowly of me that you thought I’d hate you for being a trans girl..? …Amia, you should know better than that. I’m not that kind of person, not like those ugly fucks that tried to embarrass you.”
”…Ena…” They sobbed.
”It’s okay now. I still love you all the same.” She mumbled, taking off the blindfold that covered her partner’s lowered eyes.
”There’s that cute face of yours…hehe. Now, c’mon…let’s go somewhere less depressing.”