L'Arc en Ciel fanfiction .::. Androgyny .::.

Episode 1 - A secret kind -

Principal Yoshiki kindly dismissed his secretary and after she had closed the office door behind her he dropped down on his armchair letting out a choked sigh.
He had just returned to the institute and there was already bad news. He simply couldn’t believe it... they didn’t even give him time to have a cup of coffee.
The only time of the year he would take for himself, in order to visit the grave of a very dear one... And as soon as he was back, amidst the turmoil of memories and grief, he was yanked back into reality by the horrible behavior of the students, before even managing to go back to his right state of mind after the bumpy emotional trip...
Being in charge of a boarding school was a non-stop occupation, and a hard one at it. He ran his fingers through his wavy blond mane and resting his head on his palm as his elbow touched the polished surface of his desk he repeated his sigh.
“Kids...” he mumbled. The long fingers of his left hand reached a silver-framed picture on the desk.
“I wish you were here to help me, koishii... Sometimes I feel I’m not good enough.” He mumbled absent-mindedly.
The smiling, pink-haired man in the picture gazed still beneath the glass covering his image. Imperturbable through time, his image was the only companion in Yoshiki’s life.
“You see, Hide-koishii... it’s the kids in section 6 again... again fighting. Now... I try to be kind and wise, but these kids are going to drive me insane. Maybe if you were here you would know what to tell them... what to say that would calm them down... at least until the ceremony...” Yoshiki whispered almost to himself, feeling he didn’t have to raise his voice given the closeness to the portrait of his one and only love. “All I ask for is a calm ceremony this year... I’m not in the mood for a riot.”

The blond-haired man was startled by the chirping of a mocking bird on the large window of his office. The red crop on its head made him smile sadly. Hide was no longer on this earth, and all he could think of was him. Everyone had told him time would soften the wound his loss had brought, but time seemed to be an ineffective medicine, and as days went by he felt lonelier and sadder.
Probably that was why he had devoted himself fully to his job as Principal of the Tokyo Dahlia Institute. A highly-reputed academic institute that had provided many an important member to society for the last fifty years. The best facade to hide the true purposes of a seemingly high-class boarding school: Hosting the children of a secret kind.
Those blessed or cursed by the constant mutation of human race and the relentless pace of evolution. A further step in human development... Androgynes.
The so-called “normal” society would have been shocked to find out a new change in human progress. Especially one that involved sexuality. Human society has always bent to the prudish side on the outside.
Mankind was not ready to accept that many children had the uncanny ability to change their gender according to their wish.
It was a rather new mutation of the species that had only been happening for a few centuries. Androgynes had been prosecuted and slaughtered in the past, and no matter how much human kind glorifies itself in its supposedly newly-acquired open-mindedness; they are still too ignorant and fearful to accept those who are different.
Institutions like Dahlia had been founded all over the world in order to tend for these very special human beings; to educate them and help them through the hardest time of their life... the one prior to their definitive change around the age of 18.
That was when the Ceremony of Choice was held, for those closing the age of settling gender. It was a joyful time where they could decide how they wanted to pursue their lives, being men or women forever.
The ceremony was neither long nor painful. It was through the advances of science that a true genetic stabilizer had been found, allowing the fixation of a definitive gender, according to the subject’s choice. In former times it had been impossible to predict when settling would stroke, and many an Androgyne had found himself trapped forever in a body that didn’t match his wishes or feelings. It was indeed a great discovery acquired from the lavish experimentation with mushroom-derived substances during the sixties.
But however important to a little group of humans that discovery could be, it still was to be kept a secret from the general public. Androgynes were a secret kind in order to protect themselves. Too much pain had been suffered in the past... too much pain persisted in the present. Androgynes were a kind that was kept a complete mystery to the rest of humanity. A secret that, had it been known, would have caused panic and public abhorrence towards children who, like most discriminated people, had never done anything to deserve such a dark fate.
Many famous people had managed to keep the secret of their androgynous origin, men and women who had sometimes been struck in the right body... and sometimes not.
Pictures of Oscar Wilde, Arthur Rimbaud, George Sand, Virginia Woolf, Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo, and so many others hanged from the walls of the Principal’s office.
Yoshiki carefully put his papers in order after taking his sight off the window. Sinking in his misery wouldn’t solve any problems. He had to act. He called his secretary and asked her to call all implicated students to his office right away.
They would hear one damn good speech. They would hear him... oh, yes they would.

Hyde walked down the hall with a defiant air, tucking his long and wavy mane behind his ear. Tetsu followed him with fearful steps, his arms embracing himself as if trying to keep himself from shivering in fear of the principal’s scolding. His long, auburn hair spilling over his shoulders like a waterfall of silk strands in shades of fall.
Izam walked behind both, gritting his teeth in a stressful intent of holding back the tears pushing to roll down his cheeks. He towered over the two other students, and yet, he seemed to be the most affected one, choking gasps of both pain and fury.
Gackt and Mana walked between Izam and the guardian. Mana looked overly annoyed at the situation and Gackt looked away trying not to laugh in front of everyone else. Now and then he had to press his lips in order to control the irrepressible strength his muscles were doing in a battle against the unbridled laughing fit he felt coming.

The whole situation moved Gackt to laugh, but he knew very well that a cackling roar explosion wouldn’t be exactly welcome by the monitor walking them gravely to the principal’s office. For that reason Gackt was trying to control himself, to the point of feeling tears in his eyes from the effort.
Mana distilled fury through his eyes. His “perfect-student” record was always marred by the major disputes of his section fellows. His perfect grades, looks and manners... his careful (and scarce) use of vocabulary... everything was ruined one way or another after seeing himself involved in everybody else’s fights. In a vexed sigh Mana wondered why he was always finding himself in the wrong place and at the wrong time.
Izam walked in tension, almost shaking in fury. His eyes were red, and his teeth were clenched trying to hold back a half-choked need to cry. His reddish mane bounced over his shoulders in a rhythm loaded with stress and fury; and his hands, tightly clenched, encompassed his infuriated steps while hanging strained at each side of his hips.
Tetsu walked like carried by the group, dragging his feet slowly, his eyes stubbornly fixed on the floor, almost fighting to hold back the increasing need to explode in tears. His long hair hanged languidly on his shoulders and now and then, he would let a choked sigh out... part sorrow and part annoyance. With his eyes dissecting every line in the tiled floor he seemed to concentrate on the tips of his carefully polished shoes peeking from under the wide ends of his multi-colored pants.
Hyde walked defiantly in front of the party. The diminutive Androgyne marched towards their destination with firm, determined steps. His head held high letting his brown wavy mane move freely over his narrow back and pointy shoulder blades. He had his arms crossed in front of himself in a, by all means, challenging attitude. His lips clasped in a semi-pout, his eyebrows tensely furrowed and his eyes shining with anger. Every time he breathed his nostrils dilated... he looked like a cat about to throw a claw and slash anything within sight.

“Wait here.” The monitor ordered the group. “Anyone trying to run away will suffer the consequences.”
“We aren’t wimps! Almost none of us.” Hyde replied provocative.
“Much to my dismay, I fully agree.” Izam added.
The monitor opened the door of the principal’s office shaking her head with an air of ennui.
“Yoshiki-san... here are the culprits of the mess in section 6.”
Yoshiki rolled his eyes and sighed annoyed. “Please, repeat the names...”
“Hyde, Tetsu, Izam...”
“Same as usual...”
“Gackt and Mana.”
“Definitely same as usual.”
“Although, in truth...”
“I know, I know...” Yoshiki interrupted gesturing with his hand. “Let them in.”
The monitor nodded and opened the door to let the students into the office.
“Well, well... it seems we are all here again.”
“Kyo isn’t here cuz he caught a cold.” Gackt explained, and everyone gave him a silent statement of disapproval.
“Oh, wonder of wonders...” Yoshiki sighed ironically and rolled his eyes. “What is it this time? Someone looked at the other one in a less-than-fashionable way? Anyone stole anyone else’s mascara? Two of you were wearing the same shirt? What totally unforgivable situation arose in section 6 this time...?”
“Uh... first of all, I want to make it clear that I have nothing to do with it this time. I just wanted to hold them from ripping their fake eyelashes off.” Gackt hurried to explain. “And Mana-kun kindly helped me separate them, so Mana-kun and I should be spared of any...”
“Fascinating.” Yoshiki interrupted glaring at Gackt. “Exactly two of the students I regard the most for being the supreme example of peace and compassion."
“Uh... thanks, principal.” Gackt started.
“Can’t you get sarcasm when you hear it, Gack-san?! Or are you too immersed in your love affairs to even pay attention when one’s talking to you?!” Yoshiki screamed about to lose a hold on himself and jump on Gackt in order to strangle him.
“I swear, principal Yoshiki, I’ve nothing to do with this.” Mana begged with a mixed hiss of hatred and annoyance.
“Shut up.” Yoshiki snapped trying to regain composure. “Izam-kun...” he called.
“Why first him?!” Hyde interrupted protesting.
“Because I just want to.” Yoshiki answered fighting to restrain his fury.
“Ah...”
“Hyde started pestering me! He always does that!”
“Lies! All lies!” Hyde interrupted screaming. “I didn’t pester him. This is just the typical case of some people not being able to handle it when one tells them a couple truths to their face."
“I see...” Yoshiki answered rattling his fingers on his desk. The story was always the same. “Tetsu...?”
“It... it... it... it’s all my fault...”
“Oh, The victim. There always has to be a victim in these circumstances, and here we have Tetsu... always ready to play the victim role in no matter what situation. Whatever happens, it’s sure Tetsu will cry like a baby. Tetsu is like... the boy-scout of misery: Always ready... to cry and blame himself.” Yoshiki answered sarcastically.
“Don’t be so mean to poor Tet-chan, principal!” Hyde and Izam protested in unison.
“Well... then would any of you wish to apologize? Any of you wishes to take the guilt instead?”
“It’s my fault...” Tetsu repeated crying openly. “Because I should have been smarter and...”
“Then be smarter, Tetsu! Life is not just about fashion magazines and waif models who look like they haven’t had a bite of food in their entire lives! If you realize you should have been smarter, by now, you SHOULD be smarter! It’s not the first time I have you all here for the same reasons, over and over again, like you have absolutely nothing else to do but busting everyone’s balls with your bad behavior!” Yoshiki screamed at the limit of his patience.
Tetsu kept sobbing.
“It’s not Tetsu’s fault! It’s Hyde’s fault! He is always harassing others! He thinks Tetsu is his personal belonging!” Izam protested sorely.
“Ha! Look who’s talking! YOU think Tetsu belongs to you, you jerk.” Hyde replied angrily.
“That’s not true!”
“Yes it is. And that’s why you send him those kitsch little letters. ‘Tet-chan daisuki’...” Hyde mocked Izam mercilessly. “ ‘Oh, Tet-chan, I’d like to have an ice cream with you’...” Pw-leah-se! ¿Do you think I’m gonna let my BEST FRIEND hang around a loser like you? You are an asshole. Nobody sends those tacky letters, and people go for cafe latte, not ice cream! If you wanna have an ice cream with Tet-chan, then go and tell him to his face! Avoid stupid letters that make him look ridiculous in front of others!”
“And what do you care if I send Tetsu a letter?! That’s between Tetsu and I! If he doesn’t want to receive my letters he can very well tell me so! He can speak, you know?!”
“I care! Because Tet-chan is my friend and I can’t stand to see him being laughed at behind his back because of your hopeless lack of style!”
“Nobody laughed...!”
“Silence!!” Yoshiki exploded hitting his fists on the table. “I’m sick and tired of this never-ending argument between you two!” He started yelling on top of his lungs. “It’s always the same story! Don’t you ever plan to grow up? Are you always going to stay this stupid and immature? Year after year, month after month, week after week and day after day I have to put up with your cockfights! You are all punished! All five of you!!”
“What? Again?” Gackt protested. “We’ve just left detention this morning!”
“Well, if you tried to behave properly you wouldn’t be punished yet again!” Yoshiki hissed trying to control his fury. “Hibiki-san” He called the monitor. “Please take these five trouble-makers away from my sight right now!” He exclaimed, his fury mounting. “The five of them are punished and will stay in their room until tomorrow. Since Hyde and Tetsu share their room a folding screen will be installed in it, and they can’t talk at all! Besides, I want Hyde and Izam to write an essay with a self-critic of their actions. And I want it on my desk first thing tomorrow morning! Is that understood?!”
“Yes, sir...” All five teenagers said lowering their heads.
“And tonight all five of you will not have dinner!” Yoshiki shouted in fury.
“Whaaa?!!” Hyde screamed in despair. “I’m gonna starve to death if I don’t eat! I’m really delicate! I’m gonna be sick and I’ll wither away and die!”
“Oh... joy of joys...” Izam mumbled unheard by Hyde.
“Why me?!” Mana sighed, almost about to explode in tears.
“This is not fair!” Gackt protested. “Get them both whipped on their butts, but spare us three of starvation!”
Izam began to cry without consolation, and Tetsu caught on.
“I only wanted to invite Tet-chan to have an ice cream with me! Is that such a crime? This is all Hyde’s fault! I had good intentions! Only an ice cream! He’s evil!”
“This is all... all my fault.” Tetsu sobbed.
“No fair! This is not fair! I was only defending my friend! I was just protecting my friend from the horrible fate of tackiness! What kind of justice is this?! He is my only friend!” Hyde protested shaking his fist to the air in a performance that would have earned him the role of Scarlet O’Hara for the well-reputed drama club in Dahlia.
“There must be a reason why he’s your ONLY friend, ne...” Izam answered infuriated.
“Kisama! Damned brat!” Hyde exploded full of wrath and jumped on Izam while Gackt and Mana tried to separate them and Tetsu dropped on a chair crying.

Yoshiki sunk in his armchair again, briefly glancing at Hide’s picture from the corner of an eye.
“I’ll kill them... please give me patience because I’ll slaughter all five of them...” He mumbled behind his teeth while the monitor separated and shook them. The strong lady took Hyde and Izam, each from an arm, back to their respective rooms while they screamed like hyenas and menaced to rip off each other’s eyes. They were closely followed by the rest of the problematic troop whose highlights were the dubious taste in background music (Tetsu’s and Mana’s crying orchestra) and the attention-grabbing strained walk of Gackt who was putting too much effort into controlling an upcoming fit of laughter.

Yoshiki didn’t want to consider banishment... but he would have to do something to restore the usual order in the institute. Otherwise his immaculate reputation in the Androgyne community would be stained by the acts of violence and hysteria of a group of students ruled by excitement and boiling mixed hormones. The five peace-breakers where close to the date of graduation... and the Ceremony of Choice.
In most cases, choice of gender was, against what outsiders might believe, pretty simple to Androgynes. And also very evident.
It was evident, for example, that Mana, Tetsu and Izam would choose the female gender. It was evident that Gackt would choose the male gender... and it was evident that Hyde hadn’t made up his mind yet.
Yoshiki dropped his head on a cushioned folder resting on his desk and sighed. “Hide-koishii... give me strength... give me strength to guide this institute and not strangle those brats... because I swear I was about to...”

Izam entered his room crying, and rubbed his face with shaky hands, smudging the heavy makeup around his eyes.
“Again, Izam-chan?” Toshiya asked raising his eyes slightly from a manga tankoubon upon seeing his roommate’s face soaked in tears.
“You know how it goes!” Izam answered rather annoyed, like wanting to summarize how the whole situation was the same one that would always make him cry.
“Why don’t you give up, huh?” Toshiya suggested shaking his head heavily. “Hyde will never let you get close to Tetsu.”
“Hyde isn’t even dating Tetsu! He has no right to act like this! They are just only friends!” Izam protested crying miserably and letting his carefully up-done hair loose.
“If Tetsu was interested in you, he wouldn’t let Hyde do all the evil things that he usually does to you. You should understand that.” Toshiya replied distractedly. He had repeated the same phrase about a million times before.
“I only wanted to invite Tetsu for an ice cream! Is that such a crime?!”
“You are such a fool, Izam-chan...” Toshiya sighed rolling his eyes, and went back to his manga.
“Yes... yes I’m a fool...” Izam mumbled and sunk his face smeared of black mascara in his pillow, only to keep crying bitter tears dyed of black.

“Hey! What the hell is wrong with Hyde?” Kyo protested between coughs from his bed. “He isn’t getting any lately or what?”
“Dunno.” Gackt answered shrugging. “You know he’s just a brat... Has a ball outta picking on Izam.”
“Kusogaki... Why don’t you idiots wait until I get better to start a ruckus like this? I can’t enjoy it from bed!” Kyo protested bitterly.
“Bah... Not much to enjoy... except the scene they put up at the principal’s very office. They shrieked like whistles, man!” Gackt commented and laughed out loud.
“Kuso! I missed that!” Kyo coughed and chuckled.
“The worst part is I’m left without dinner again. Mana blames me for having involved us in separating them, and now he won’t talk to me.”
“Mana... another stuck-up clown...” Kyo mumbled with a grimace of disdain.
“Hey! Don’t you dare bad-mouth Mana!” Gackt protested furrowing his eyebrows.
“You too should cut it out with your Mana-obsession. Mana doesn’t give shit about you. He doesn’t give you the time of day. Look for someone else.”
“He soon will. I’m doing the fine-work with Mana... you’ll see how he ends up in my arms... drooling about me and having wet dreams about me... hmm... eventually.” Gackt replied very self-secure.
“Well, man, I only see you doing the drooling and jerking-off part. Not Mana.” Kyo observed.
“Uh... You caught me jerking off? Well, anyway, that doesn’t matter. You just wait and see.” Gackt said pointing his index finger, like menacing the small Kyo who smirked with a cloth on his forehead, not believing much of Gackt’s speech.

“We ain’t gonna talk! There’s no need for the divider!” Hyde protested beyond the imminent display of the folding screen.
Tetsu kept crying on his bed.
“How am I gonna talk to him if all he does is cry and bawl!?” Hyde kept protesting. “I would get more input if I tried to talk to the ceiling!”
“These are the principal’s orders.” The monitor answered without any inflexion in her voice. She was too used to this.
“Hey! This is between Izam-bastard and me. Leave Tet-chan and the others out of it and let them have dinner tonight.” Hyde asked in a moving voice.
“You don’t convince me, brat. You’re gonna make Tetsu bring you food, even if that would put him in risk of being caught and punished by the principal.”
“I wouldn’t do that to my BEST friend!”
“Well, you’ve done it before!”
“OK! But I’ve learnt from that! Now I wouldn’t do it!” Hyde protested.
“You can’t convince anyone, brat.”

Izam sat at the small desk in the room he shared with Toshiya and turned on the heavily ornamented reading-lamp.
He opened one of the drawers and sobbing he took a notebook from it.
He pawed at his favorite pen, one with a fuchsia feather on top, and started drafting the shapes of the words that would thread into his essay.

“I probably will have to take the guilt. Because justice is elusive in this world. And whether we like it or not, whether we admit it or not, Dahlia Institute is part of this world.
I can’t stand Hyde.
He’s a brat.
He’s over-possessive and jealous. He doesn’t let others do freely. He thinks he can control people. And the poor guidance at Dahlia lets him get away with it at some extent. Albeit Tetsu. Hyde has full control over him and that piques me.
Tetsu is a very sweet, good-natured boy. I know this through experience. When I first came here I knew no one, and it was Tetsu who came to talk to me when I was feeling down and sad.
But why would the principal care about this? I assume all that matters here is order and a good Choice Ceremony at the end of the year.
Well... It’s still not time for me to go to the ceremony, so I couldn’t care less. And order... order might probably be achieved more effectively if problem-makers like Hyde got transferred into another institute... like, for example, a reformatory.”
Izam’s essay didn’t start in an exactly nice way... But then again, Hyde’s wasn’t going to fall short of the circumstances.

“Yoshiki-sensei probably doesn’t see many things that we, kids in the dorms, see daily. Tetsu is my dearest friend, and like Yoshiki-sensei probably remembers (I would hope, principal, that you do remember) we have a long story together. Tetsu is like a brother to me. I can never let anything bad happen to Tetsu, because if it weren’t for Tet-chan, I would probably be long dead.
Izam is a spoilt child of the rich, who was simply sent to this institute because his parents couldn’t take just how tacky he is. His parents probably thought he would learn the basics to style and class by taking classes in this institute. They were wrong, but they aren’t to blame, probably, because children get their bad genes from their parents.
Izam is tacky, twisted, spoilt, stupid and he makes Tetsu look bad. Other kids will laugh at Tetsu if he hangs out with Izam, and I can’t let Tetsu suffer. It wouldn’t be fair, after all he’s done for me.
Izam doesn’t understand because:
He’s stupid.
He lacks style.
He’s lusting after Tetsu.

On the other hand, it’s well known that Izam wants, with all his might, to be a girl. So does my Tet-chan, and I won’t let Izam convince Tetsu of being a guy, against my friend’s very wishes, because that’d be selfish.
I can’t understand how Yoshiki-sensei will allow certain students here to try and convince others of doing something that will make them unhappy.
Maybe Yoshiki-sensei doesn’t think too much of it... Maybe Yoshiki-sensei doesn’t realize of how horrible it would be for Tet-chan to be trapped in a body he will end up hating, only to satisfy the whim of a retarded bimbo that will drop him a couple months after dating him. Because it’s just so obvious Izam is only infatuated with Tetsu...”

The following morning Yoshiki rested his head on both his hands while reading the essays.
“The style is horrible... in both cases. I’ll talk to their Japanese teacher...” he thought. “We can’t be dropping our high standards like this... And the calligraphy... good Lord...”
He looked up briefly at the framed picture of Hide on his desktop.
“Do you think, koishii, I have no idea of what it is like to be trapped in a body I hate?” Yoshiki mumbled smirking sadly.
Then he laid himself back and looked up at the ceiling sighing. He ran his strained fingers though his hair and stared blankly at the even blanker scenery. His mug of coffee rested to his right, getting inevitably colder. The whole thermal process went unnoticed by Yoshiki who had too many ghosts to fight before taking the first sip.
“Do you think I’m not doing a good job, koishii? I should have probably not taken the Principal job when the opening showed up. I should have probably stayed as counselor... Kids liked me a lot better back then, ne?”

Tetsu came back to his room smiling after morning classes.
“Hai-chan! You know what? I’m gonna be organizing the history stand at the graduation science fair! Isn’t that great news?”
“Huh?” Hyde lifted his eyes from an old issue of comics. “Yeah. Congrats, Tet-chan.”
“I’m really proud. There was a competition, you know? And I was voted by...”
“Yeah, yeah, I know how it goes. I wouldn’t join the history club for nuts, but then again, you like that kind of crap, ne?” Hyde interrupted fast, without paying much attention.
“It’s not crap. It’s culture. By the way, what are you gonna do for graduation?” Tetsu asked distractedly while sitting in front of a boudoir to re-touch his makeup and arrange his hair.
“Well... in the first place, I gotta make sure I graduate.” Hyde answered putting the magazine away and doodling in the air with his index finger.
“Uh... well, your grades aren’t especially high this year...” Tetsu nodded.
“Yeah. I’ve been too busy doing research.” Hyde said gravely.
“Ha? Research? I didn’t know that! You didn’t tell me!” Tetsu smiled happily and turned on his chair to face Hyde.
“Well... you were too busy hanging out with the WRONG people, and getting elected leader of the history club.” Hyde admonished.
“Oh... there we go again.” Tetsu sighed. “I don’t even wanna talk about yesterday’s fight. OK?” He added and turned back to the mirror.
“Oh... me neither.” Hyde mumbled, and then he got up suddenly and sat up on the bed. “But since you brought it up...”
“Kuso...”
“Tet-chan, you aren’t behaving like the best friend you claim to be. I’m doing my best to protect you and help you, but you...”
“Listen, Hai-chan. Don’t help me anymore, OK? Just... spare us all of your ‘helps’, please.”
“Ah... How... how... rotten!! I even got into trouble with the principal because I tried to defend you!”
“You weren’t defending me! You were just using me as an excuse to continue your irrational feud with Izam!”
“Tet-chan, warui! You are siding up with Izam-bastard!”
“I’m not siding up!” Tetsu shrieked angrily.
“Yes, you are! You are MY friend. Not his. I’ll never let you fall in his clutches!”
“What clutches? Listen. Let’s get this straight, OK? Izam feels lonely. He just wants to make friends. He’s not evil or anything. You are just jealous because he’s rich.”
“Oh! You big hooker! You wanna be his friend only because he’s rich!” Hyde yelled in a drama queen act.
“No! That’s not it! I’m OK with Izam and I don’t wanna get into a fight with him because he’s a good boy. I couldn’t care less about his wealth. Once I graduate, I’ll become history teacher and I’ll work here at Dahlia. But certainly, your horrible behavior doesn’t help! Especially since you involve me in your feuds!”
“Tet---- chan!!” Hyde screamed and turned his back at Tetsu crying.
“Shit...” Tetsu sighed and shook his head. “You always do this...”
“You hate me! You meanie! We said we’d be like siblings! And now you talk so harshly to me!”
“Hai-chan...” Tetsu started and walked up to Hyde’s bed. “Hai-chan...” He sat by Hyde and rubbed his back. “Ne... stop crying. Ne, Hai-chan...”
Hyde kept pretending to cry.
“Come on, Hai-chan... You know I love you. You know you are my bestest friend in the whole world... come on... don’t cry...”
“Liar!”
“I’m not lying, Hai-chan... Come on...” Tetsu said and leaned on Hyde hugging him.
“You don’t like me anymore. You don’t even care about the things I do.”
“I care. Come on, don’t be silly. I’m really intrigued about your research. Tell me about it.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t. Go ask Izam what he’s doing...”
“Come on, Hai-chan...” Tetsu insisted wearily.
“OK.” Hyde sobbed and turned within Tetsu’s embrace. “I’ll tell you... only if you promise to help me with my research.”
“OK, Hai-chan. I’ll help you.” Tetsu said smiling.
“Good. My research is very important. The results of my investigations will lead to a crucial decision in my life.”
“Oh! Gee... I didn’t know you wanted to be a scientist, Hai-chan. I thought you were more inclined towards art...”
“Stop babbling nonsense and listen to me Tet-chan. This is important.”
“Un. Un.” Tetsu nodded.
“Tonight, I’m gonna make a final decision. Tonight I will know which gender I will choose. Because tonight I will know which gender fits me the best.”
“Hm?” Tetsu blinked his heavy eyelashes puzzled. “How come?”
“Because tonight we’re gonna meet real men and real women, Tet-chan. Not Androgynes.”
“Just... excuse me if I’m curious, Hai-chan... but what exactly do you mean? I don’t know any clubs here that have that kind of activity as...”
“Of course not. There aren’t any such clubs here, Tet-chan.” Hyde said smirking evilly.
“Uh-oh. I already don’t like this.”
“You promised to help! So you are coming with me. A promise to a sibling is a holy promise! Tonight we’re going to a night club.”
“What?!”
“Yes. And you can’t opt out because you promised, Tet-chan. Tonight, we’ll scurry away from Dahlia and we’ll go to a night club. Don’t worry. We’ll be here by the morning. Nobody will notice. This is a very unique chance, Tet-chan. We’re gonna meet real men and women, and I, Haido, will know about the real world and the real sex. I will be one step ahead of everyone, because I’ll choose based on empiric data. Tet-chan, tonight will be the most important night of my life, and YOU... you can’t desert me on this. You just can’t Tet-chan.” Hyde warned menacingly.
“But... but...” Tetsu protested uneasily.
“Nobody will know.”
“But... but... Hai-chan...”
“Trust me.”

Izam took a couple steps backwards from Tetsu’s and Hyde’s door. He hugged the tiny envelope in his hands and smiled broadly.
“Tonight, eh, Haido? Well... I must admit you are really something, boy. You just made my life easier. And all I have to do is leak the news.
I just can’t help wondering about the principal’s decision.
Yes, you are right. This is going to be a crucial night in your life.
Will it be banishment or transferal? I can only wonder...” Izam walked back to his room grinning broadly.
He shoved the small letter in his pocket and whistled happily.
“Are you feeling lucky, Haido? Good. Cuz I’m feeling luckier...”

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