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“Takumi-chan, hi!”
The popular girls in his class liked to come talk to him sometimes, and Takumi wasn't sure why. He hunched his shoulders in, and peeked up at them not unlike a timid animal as they leaned casually against nearby desks. They kept exchanging little knowing glances between each other, smiling about something or other.
Takumi wonders what's so funny.
“We were wondering about your hair. Those little blue streaks are so cute, how'd you dye them?”
One girl, the tallest of the group and the leader, tilted her head. Her question seemed legitimate, and Takumi's not fond of lying, so he answers them, hesitantly.
“Oh, uh… that's actually natural. I've had them all my life. My mom has them too, so…”
“Oh wow, for real?”
The leader gasps, looking to her friends as they make equally as shocked expressions. Takumi nods, and another one of their number speaks up.
“I'm so jealous, I wish I had natural streaks like that!”
She twirls her long hair around her finger, and Takumi blinks. She's really jealous… of him?
“Really…?”
“Yeah, totally! Sorry for assuming, hehe. We just thought they might be dyed, since, y'know, you don't really care much about the rules….with the way you dress, and all.”
The girl looks him up and down, and somehow, someway, he gets the impression that she doesn't completely approve.
“I get it though! I, like, sooo dig the tomboy look, and I know lots of guys in our class think it's cute too, buuuut…just a bit of advice: none of them are gonna like you if you look too much like an actual man.”
The shortest of the little group adds, leaning down over Takumi to emphasize her point, but Takumi only stared at her, blankly.
“...okay…?”
He sighs, resting his hand on his chin again. He should have known they'd try to come over and talk to him about boys - that's kind of all they ever talk about. He doesn't get it. The boys in his class are stinky, loud, and rude to Karua, so he doesn't like most of them. There are a few that are okay, he guesses, like the more studious ones who don't get into trouble, or that guy who checked out Karua's retro media club once, but it's not like they ever talk to him.
…he wishes they would. Takumi thinks they have a lot in common. But they don't, because everyone in this school knows. So, Takumi doesn't really like boys.
“I don't dress like this for boys. I don't even really like them…”
“Oh?”
“Forreal?”
“Wait, so you're actually-?”
“Dude, she's totally a-”
“Kashimiya too, probably-”
The girls all group into a little huddle, whispering to each other in disbelief, their tone scandalized yet excited, like a reporter getting a truly juicy scoop on the latest scandal. Takumi realizes he must have said something wrong. Again.
“...w-what? I know you guys get tired of wearing skirts too, don't you…? It's just like that. I get tired of it.”
The girls stopped their whispering and glanced down at Takumi in confusion. He stared back up at them, also in confusion. Doesn't everyone feel that way? Well, he guesses Karua doesn't. These girls don't either, based on the way they're looking at him like he's stupid.
Well, he probably is. That's no secret. He looks away from them and at the floor, suddenly nervous. Takumi, why can't you ever explain yourself in a way that makes sense to people? This always happens…
“Uhh… totally, girl! Well, we have a class to get to, so, talk to you later, okay?”
“Okay…”
They gave Takumi little waves, before making their way out of his classroom in a hurry. He's left… alone, looking over at the door he'd watched their colorful shoes exit, wondering what any of that was supposed to mean.