Throughout the day, Chuuya ignored his friends and kept as far away from them as possible. The classmate he shared a table with offered to accompany him during break; his name was Shirase.

Meanwhile, Dazai was seething with anger.

"What the hell is his problem, huh?" he complained as they left school. "He has no reason to be mad at me! I didn't even call him 'shorty' today! Why the hell is he upset?"

"Maybe he doesn't want to be our friend anymore," Dostoyevsky suggested, "that's why he's hanging out with that guy Shirase."

"Maybe he's going through a tough situation and needs some time," Sigma commented.

"Or perhaps, he's not Chuuya at all, but his evil twin!" Gogol exclaimed enthusiastically.

"That's stupid, Gogol," Sigma said.

"You're stupid," the Ukrainian retorted.

"Just as stupid as you, stupid!"

They reached the corner and said their goodbyes. Fyodor and Dazai walked together since the brunette lived near Ryokuen Toshi Eki railway station, and the Russian lived three blocks further down. Sigma lived close to Higashi Totsuka church, and the albino lived in the building next to the music school, a few houses up from Sigma's place.

"Well, see you tomorrow," Fyodor bid his friends farewell.

"Yes, tomorrow," agreed Dazai. "By the way, how are you going to unstick your hands?"

"I'll try using salt," the girl replied. "I heard in a video that it works. And if it doesn't, you're all cordially invited to Gogol's funeral tomorrow."

The albino shuddered.

"I hope the salt works," he said. "And if not, at least come dressed appropriately to my funeral. I won't allow myself to be buried if you all dress like hobos."

They parted ways, and Sigma and Nikolai took the tram that would drop them off near their homes. Upon seeing them enter, a couple of elderly women commented:

"What a lovely couple!"

Sigma blushed, and Gogol exclaimed, "Thank you very much!"

The girl elbowed him.

To some extent, the company of the Ukrainian was comforting, yet at the same time, it made her feel... uneasy.

It was strange, and she kept asking herself the same question all the time: "Would he treat me the same way if I were a boy?"

Something inside her made her feel different from other girls, always. She preferred the company of boys over girls, and she didn't like skirts and dresses as much as she liked loose t-shirts and baggy pants.

Of course, at this time, everyone wanted to be "different" from the rest, and therefore, everyone did the same thing. Girls loved black and red and despised pink. They no longer liked skirts and dresses and wore baggy clothes, cutting their hair short to appear more "masculine."

On the other hand, boys grew out their hair and even wore makeup, all for the sake of "fashion."

So, if everything was being done for fashion now, what could make Sigma believe that she wasn't doing it for the same reason? She even had doubts herself. Did she genuinely NOT want to be a girl? Or was it just about feeling different? Was it for recognition from others? To stand out? To seek attention? What would her friends think?

She didn't mind being addressed with female pronouns, after all, biologically she was a woman, due to being born with a vagina instead of a penis. However, if someone referred to her as "he," she would feel excited and happy.

Was she a girl? Was she a boy? Perhaps she was gender-fluid? Non-binary? Bigender? Demi-girl? Demi-boy? Intersex? She just couldn't comprehend it!

 "Hey!" Gogol called, snapping his fingers in front of her eyes. "Earth calling Sigma!"

 "Huh?"

"You're back! What were you thinking about for so long? We'll be arriving soon."

"Huh?"

"Wake up!" Nikolai shook her by the shoulders. "Why are you so distracted?"

"It's nothing. I was just thinking."

 "Thinking about what?"

"About how to kill you if the salt doesn't work."

The Ukrainian swallowed hard and fell silent. Sigma smiled.

"Alright, we need to get off."

They made their way through the crowd and got off the tram. They still had to walk two blocks to reach the young woman's house.

"Hey, Sigma, do you love me?" Gogol asked.

 "Where did that come from all of a sudden?"

 "I love you a lot, you know?"

She blushed and continued walking, looking annoyed.

"Shut up. You're thinking with hormones, not your brain."

"I've never met anyone like you," the albino continued, ignoring her.

"There are many like me. I'm not special."

"Yes, you are!"

"No, I'm not!"

"Yes, you are!"

"No, I'm not!"

"Sigma, I love you!"

"Wha... Wait, what?"

Gogol stopped abruptly and took the girl's other hand.

"I love you," he confessed, "you're the most wonderful person I've ever met. Please, be my girlfriend."

Sigma remained frozen and didn't say anything. Assuming her friend's silence as a yes, Nikolai tried to lean in for a kiss. By that time, she reacted and grabbed his hair to pull him away.

"What's wrong with you?!" she shouted, pushing him away. "I didn't say anything! You have no right to kiss me either!"

"Well, you should've said something!" Nikolai protested with a hurt expression. "Don't you love me?"

"I-I..." She stammered and released Gogol's hair. "I'm not sure... Please give me some time."

Nikolai lowered his head, and Sigma thought she had made him feel bad. But the Ukrainian lifted his head, showing a radiant smile.

"It's okay!" he exclaimed, leaving the two-toned-haired girl bewildered. "I'll wait as long as necessary. Just tell me if I have even a little chance."

She smiled.

"You do," she admitted. "I assure you that you do. Just give me time to think about it."

The albino grinned.

"Thank you. Can I kiss your cheek?"

"Um... Okay, sure."

Nikolai leaned in and gently kissed Sigma's cheek. Then he smiled.

"I hope the salt works," he said cheerfully. "I don't want to die without knowing your answer beforehand."

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Hi 

Idk what to say 

Thanks for reading!