Chapter 1
Hello there! My name is Hime Atsuki, a healthy, growing boy! I'm currently fifteen years old, and about to enter my first year of high school! Big shocker, isn't it? Let's see, where should I begin…?
Ah, description! Of course! You can't see me, and I can't see you! Um, uh… I'm 160 centimeters tall (about five feet and three inches, for you American weirdos), have an ironically petite form, light skin, and a soft, rounded face.
My hair is long (it falls down the middle of my back) and colored a bright red. My gentle eyes are the same shade.
Right now, you must be wondering: why does a boy have such a soft face and long hair?
I'm not sure about the face, but I was forced to grow out my hair. And SHE spent every waking moment making sure it happened. That piercing glare of hers still hasn't left my poor thoughts and dreams…
Let's backtrack to how this all happened, alright? Before my high school debut became something I never thought would happen. Let's go back to towards the beginning of my former hikikomori (shut-in) summer vacation.
I was an innocent boy living alone while his parents were off doing work and … other things. But little did I know, while they funded my food and shelter, their pleasure was being put under MY TAB! I mean, what kind of parents do that, make their child pay off their own debts?! It defies logic! It—
Ahem, sorry 'bout that. My bad.
Back to the backstory. I had no idea of what they were doing, nor did I ever find out why. I just know that it's their fault I'm in my current situation. It's their fault I had to grow out my short, messy, perfect hair!
How did I find out about my debt-forcing parents' scheme?
One day, I was lounging in a chair, with the fan on full blast, and the windows open. I live in a small apartment out of many more around it. It normally looks like various shades of brown in the morning, but shines with blue light every night 'cause I'm on the computer or playing video games. Did I mention I'm a gamer on all platforms?
Anyway, I was in the chair, just minding my own business and lazily munching on a half-eaten, leftover sandwich when I heard this loud banging on the door. I rolled my eyes, groaning loudly. Visitors? In this heat?
I was dressed in blue shorts and an orange tank top. I lazily gazed around the cluttered room, stalling for time.
What was nice was that due to my parents' high position in each of their respective jobs, I could also buy pretty much any game I wanted. I thought it was a good life. Let's see how that worked out.
I stepped over the growing Ningenjo pile nearest to me, and carefully slid around the colossal PlayTerminal as tall as myself. Beyond that were the XSphere and PC games, and then the door.
After evading my game collection, I finally opened the door.
"Can I help you?" I asked, peeking from the crack I made.
There was a tall man there, taller than me by at least five of my (unfortunately) feminine heads. He was dressed in a stereotypical black suit and sunglasses, having pale skin, a roughly cut face, and combed blond hair. My bored demeanor nearly shattered on the spot, and primal fear lurched in my stomach.
"I'm looking for Hime Atsuki. Have you seen her, Miss?" he asked in a low voice.
I sweatdropped. That's right, my name was Japanese for "princess." It pissed me off having such a girly name. As if being mistaken for one in public was made enough, not to mention not being able to grow facial hair and my odd habit of shaving my arms, legs, and chest. It also didn't help that I had a silky smooth voice that wasn't in any way manly.
"Th-that's me," I said, feeling cold sweat rising on my soft skin.
"You have failed to pay the debt placed on your tab by Mitsuki and Itsuki Atsuki. I have personally come to collect the cash. Do you have the 500,437 yen, miss?"
My jaw would've hit the floor, and I froze on the spot. "F-f-f—"
"Yes. I said 500,437 yen, miss," the man repeated, and my mental state got hit by a mental brick because he called me "miss" and named a price that was a pipe dream to pay off for me.
I didn't have that kind of money! I actually didn't have any money! I began scratching myself frantically due to the tremors and shocks my body was receiving. My eyes darted around. Cash, cash…! I looked at my games.
No! I can't sell those! Those are works of art that I have conquered and made into personal belongings! They're a piece of my soul!
Out of options, I did the only thing I could. I screamed loudly, dashing out of the complex as fast as I could. My bare feet practically glided down the stairs and into the streets of a rural/urbanized/Algade Japan.
"Hey! Stop right there!" the debt collector man yelled at me. Damn, he's fast!
I then tripped, and I silently prayed to the gods or God: If I'm gonna die, make sure it doesn't hurt, okay?
I fell on my face clumsily, and my hands managed to soften the impact to some degree. That moment changed my life forever.
"You alright?" a girl's voice asked.
I looked up to see three of them standing there in school uniforms. Oh. My. Gosh. I say "gosh" as to not insult anyone religious.
I scrambled to my feet, seeing as I got an under view of their identical skirts. "S-sorry…"
"It's okay, miss!" she said, "You need help?"
She appeared to be the leader of the group, having long blue hair in a fish tail braid and ocean blue eyes. She had a proud Aura about her, and was wearing a navy blue blazer with her black skirt and boots.
The one on the right had short blond hair and mischievous golden eyes. Her grin made her seem like the whole area was littered with her pranks.
The left one had midlength magenta hair and eyes. She had that friendly smile that affected everyone within sixty meters of her.
It looked like I ran into the human forms of the primary colors. Whoopee. Freaking. Doo.
I whirled around, and saw the debt man catching up to me.
"Please, pay off my debt!" I blurted out stupidly, getting on my knees and slamming my head on the concrete, "I beg of you!"
"Sure. How much is it, miss?" the magenta one asked.
"Five hundred thousand, four hundred and thirty-seven yen."
"No problem." She took out the bills necessary, making my eyes bulge out of their sockets. Did she just…?
Alright, let's skip to the interesting part. Once the debt guy was gone (I never saw him again), I bowed in thanks.
"I'll never be able to thank you enough," I said.
"No problem! We always help out a fellow girl!" the blue haired girl said with a grin.
"E-eh…?"
"Yeah! Count yourself lucky you're not a boy!" Yellow girl said, giving a thumbs up, "'Cause we would've left you out to die! Those guys are disgusting!"
"B-but…"
"But what?"
"I-I'm a boy…"
The words took a few seconds to sink in. When they did, I felt a sharp sensation of pain sting my cheek. Blue Hair had slapped me.
"How could you…?" she whispered, "HOW COULD YOU TRICK US?!"
"Oi, you made the assumption all by yourself!" I retorted angrily, "I just didn't have the mind to clear up the matter!"
"You sicken me!" Yellow hollered, kicking me in the stomach, "Why, I ought to—"
My mind processed the fact that I wouldn't be able to win this one. And I'm a wimp, too. So I bowed on my knees once again.
"How can I ever pay you back?!" I whimpered, "For everything! The debt, the unintentional trick; all of it!"
That's when Yellow's eyes flashed muderously. "Anything, you say…?"
"Yes! I'll do anything! Just don't hurt me!"
"I think I have the perfect thing for you…"
And that's how I was forced to pose as a girl throughout my whole time at high school. I seriously hope this doesn't affect my days after graduation…
I'd learned that the Primary Color trio absolutely despised men and their "ways." Now it doesn't surprise me as much that they chose to torture me.
I mean, I don't even know the fundamentals of being a girl! With that makeup crap and the giggles… actually, scratch that last part.
I'd learned the girls' names as well. Blue was named Aoi Yusa. Yellow was Haruhi Suzukima (yeah, I got caught off guard at the last name, too). And then Magenta was Mikuru Okuba.
Once it was the first day of school, I nervously began slipping on the female school uniform, like the ones the trio was wearing when we met.
I'd tied my long hair into a ponytail, and I wore my physcial education shirt underneath everything as to not arouse suspicion while changing.
And the skirt. The goddamn skirt. As I sat in my computer chair in black shorts (to help conceal my "manly" area), I stared the evil garment down. Was I really supposed to wear this?
I growled, eyes glinting with competition. "You won't best me, feminine clothing. I will win."
I stood up, held it by the waistlines, and slipped it on. I took a deep breath. It's okay, Hime. You'll only be a girl for three agonizingly long years. Heh heh…
Who am I kidding…?
I decided to look at myself in the mirror. The person who stared back, it was like looking at that alternate universe where you were born of the opposite sex.
I made a few poses, from the hip strut to something completely random. So this was what it was like, being female.
Is it weird that I like it?