-Point of View: Shina Maka-

'What am I even doing here?' I wonder to myself for the hundredth time. It's been, what, more than twenty years since I last set foot in a high school? I never imagined I would make the trip here to see Seiko, rather than the other way around, that's for sure.

I'm actually pretty surprised this is even working. I had some serious doubts, going into the school's administration office to scream at the lady working there about my son calling me last night in the middle of a mental breakdown thanks to her own daughter. Miraculously, it worked out, and I was actually granted admission to go see him instead of, say, a police escort off the campus.

I was very concerned when she mentioned that the bullies were hospitalized though. From a simple fight? What sort of dangerous friends is Seiko making here? I don't remember any of the men being that aggressive during my time in high school, have things really changed that much? It couldn't have been Kentan, not from the way Seiko spoke, so it must have been some new friend.

Whatever the case, my son went through something horrific, so I'm here for him. I have his room number from the administration office, so I go straight to the men's dorm, flashing my guest pass at the suspicious staff member, and proceeding upstairs. I took the shuttle so early this morning, the sun wasn't up yet. Even now, dawn is just breaking. Surely, on a Saturday morning, most boys their age won't be up for another hour or two.

With a sense of nostalgia, I opt for the stairs. Even if it's the other dorm, everything is just like I remember from my time here. The same yellowing paint in the stairwell, the same scruffy carpets. Well, the carpets may or may not be the same color as they were, that detail has clearly slipped from my memory over the years.

I make it to the third floor and cross the nearly empty common room, one boy half-comatose in front of a TV, making me wonder whether he slept out here last night. When I arrive in front of the correct door, I knock a few times, and wait patiently. They probably need to wake up, so I let them take their time.

With a swish, the door opens, and I'm met with the tall form of Kentan filling the doorway. He looks down at me, mouth opening slightly in surprise, and begins to turn back, drawing my eyes across the room, to my son sitting up in bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

At least, that should be my son. He'd only barely hit his growth spurt before heading off to school, so I expected the intervening months to show some changes, but what I see is...

There's no square cut in his jaw like his father, no angles to his cheeks. If anything, the little changes around his face and eyes make him look even more feminine than I remember. And that's with bruising on his cheeks, and a black eye...

Not to mention, his hair falls down his back now, not just to his shoulders. It's only been a couple months, did it always grow that fast?

Seiko soon bolts up out of bed when he sees me, and I am grateful to see that he seems a little taller at least. He's wearing a big black hoodie, which completely obscures any changes he might have had to his arms and shoulders, though if what I've already seen is any indication, I'm not expecting much there either. Did he sleep in that thing?

I watch my son take a few halting steps toward me from across his room, dumbfounded by the changes I see. Is it just that he takes after me that much? He's my spitting image, just like I looked at his age. Well, a few years younger since he's a such late bloomer, but it's downright shocking. If I wasn't his mother, I definitely wouldn't be able to tell he's male.

I hide my frown at that realization. I know how sensitive he has always been about his feminine appearance, so the last thing I want to do is mention that after his recent bully trouble.

“Mom...” Seiko says experimentally, still approaching like he's wary. Like he doesn't believe his eyes. Hearing his voice in person is jarring. It was one thing over the phone, where I could attribute it to call quality or interference, but now it's abundantly clear that the pitch is higher, the overall quality more soft and female.

Again, I bury any reaction to that realization, and smile warmly. Whatever he's going through, he's still my precious son. After he comes nearly to the door and Kentan steps aside, Seiko finally smiles, and throws himself into me without any hesitation.

He's so small and light, I barely fall back a step as his entire weight lands against me. I wrap my arms around him, and he's immediately crying into my chest like a small child. Seeing him like this evokes another shock of pain and rage. People did this to him. To my son. They hurt him this badly.

I'm still not sure I understand. Seiko wasn't exactly clear, how he sobbed and cried over the phone. What exactly did the bullies do to him? What could make him this distraught? Ever since he reached middle school, he actually seemed pretty stoic when it came to dealing with bullies. He acted like they wouldn't be able to touch him anymore. Was it his reliance on his friends that gave him that confidence? Was that confidence broken when he couldn't hold his own and got beaten up?

I lightly caress the bruise on one cheek with my thumb, letting my little boy cry his heart out. No matter how old he gets, he really will always be my little boy, won't he? While he cries and we slowly migrate into the dorm room, I send looks around at their living conditions.

Beds, desks, bookshelves. Pretty much what I would expect from the dorms. Probably what I had back then too. They do have a TV projector mounted up on the ceiling though, it looks like they set it up themselves. Besides that, I glance at his clothing bin. It's not overflowing, so he's taking care of his laundry properly. The floor is clean too, so they're living neatly enough. I nod faintly in approval, then return my attention to my crying child.

I shuffle him over in my arms, to sit down at the edge of the bed. He still has a whole pile of plush toys; I hope those aren't the sort of habits that brought the bullies down on him... I bring a hand up to stroke the back of his head, and immediately notice how silky soft his hair is. I wish my hair still felt like this, age hasn't done it any favors... Why is it so long though? He always said it looked cool, but even the most eccentric male rock stars don't grow their hair all the way down their backs. There's no way to look at it except extremely feminine.

Sometimes, I wonder if I'll ever understand my son. He has been almost obsessed with wanting to be stronger and manlier than any other child, to be like his father, pretty much since he began attending school and interacting with other children. Yet at the same time, he indulges in clearly feminine behavior, hobbies, even his appearance. What is going on in that head of his? Is there some disconnect between the masculinity he desires and the actual actions he takes that don't bring him any closer to that desire?

Maybe he's afraid he won't live up to Albert's expectations? He can be such a hard man to please sometimes, I could imagine Seiko being scared by that. He's always been so sensitive after all.

When Seiko has mostly cried himself out, still sniffling with his head buried against me, I turn to Kentan, hoping to get a clearer picture of things. “So, Kentan-kun, Seiko wasn't entirely clear about things on the phone yesterday. Could you explain what happened to...?” However, just as I'm asking my question, the door slides open, and I end up trailing off at the end as I turn that way.

There's a woman standing in the doorway. Older than Seiko, probably eighteen. An upperclassman? But how did she open their door?

Our eyes meet, and she blinks at me, dumbfounded, despite her carefully neutral expression. She has remarkable self-control for a girl her age. Then the confusion is gone, and she steps forward confidently.

“Maka-san, I take it?” she asks, and when I nod, she introduces herself. “I am Leona Vicca, from Seiko's class.”

“Seiko?” I arch a brow at her. She's that close to my son? After hardly a few months at school?

“Yes, I'd say we're pretty close friends,” she explains with a tiny nod.

“Friends? You aren't dating?” I ask, knowing full well students their age like to hide such things from parents out of a newfound desire for privacy. I certainly know I did. Well, that, and to avoid my own father beating all of my boyfriends out of his fatherly desire to protect his daughter.

However, Vicca's answer is a simple, “No.” No fluster, embarrassment, or even outrage that I would assume such a thing. Just a 'no.' It's actually kind of suspicious having so little reaction to such a question at her age...

Wait, didn't she say she's from his class? At her age, that means- “You're from the military.”

“Yes.”

“Alright...” I bob my head carefully. A female military veteran her age would be pretty strange in the head. How did she become friends with Seiko though?

“Maka-san,” Kentan finally cuts into our brief conversation as Vicca walks over and the door closes behind her. “You wanted to to know about yesterday.” He gestures over and says, “Vicca-san is the one who saved Sei.” Oh, now that makes a lot of sense. Thank goodness he's made a strong friend like her. Even if she's female, I'd expect her to be stronger than most, like Albert.

While considering that, I pose the same question as earlier, to Vicca this time.

She doesn't mince words. She doesn't sugar-coat it at all. “Seiko was molested. The school administrator said it couldn't legally be deemed sexual assault because I stopped them before they got all of Seiko's clothing off.”

Seiko whimpers in response to her words, huddling closer against me. I don't even know how to respond. On one hand, there's a fury burning inside me. They did that to my son?! But at the same time, I'm missing something. Something like that wouldn't be so bad for a man like him, would it? Nothing like it would be for a woman...

Could that be why? He already had so much trouble with his masculinity, could an experience like that make him feel like less of a man?

Then she leans down, close to his side in my arms. “Seiko, I'm going to tell her, is that alright?” She asks the vague question. Whatever it means, Seiko tearily nods.

“I should also point out-” With permission, Vicca suddenly goes on, her tone dark. “The primary culprit was a boy in our class named Bolin Vance.” Wasn't that a boy from town? They were always in school together. He might even have been one of Seiko's childhood bullies... I nod to show my understanding. “Vance-san already sexually assaulted Seiko once, when Seiko was a young child.”

He... as a child?

Seiko starts crying again, big, shaking tears, as he hugs me like the world is ending. With a sting in my own eyes, I cover my mouth.

I had no idea. I knew he was bullied, but he never said anything about that. Could that have been why- No, of course it was! Those years he would hardly let anyone touch him. And now the same boy did that to him again? No wonder why he's gone to pieces! It's a good thing that boy is already in the hospital!

We all wait a while longer for Seiko to calm down again. I don't know what to do for him here. How do I console him after someone tore open all his old wounds?

“Let's go eat,” I decide. Even if I'm totally lost, food is always a good place to start.

“Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.” Vicca agrees, and Kentan nods too. When I look down at Seiko, he mumbles an agreement. We get up, and by the time we make it to the door, I can feel him leaning on me heavily. If he wasn't so small, it might be an issue.

However, he freezes at the doorway, looking down at himself with a strange sense of panic. He's still wearing a big black hoodie along with his uniform pants, which he must have slept in. I can't even fault him for it in this situation. Besides, I'd expect at least a little slovenly behavior at this point. It is his first time living away from home.

“I-I'm sorry, can you give me a minute? I need to change.” Well, that's a surprise, not slovenly at all...

“Of course, we'll wait outside.” Vicca speaks for us, and it takes a moment to realize she means me too. I follow the kids out into the hall, but this just feels silly. I changed his diapers, nothing could possibly phase me. And why is Kentan waiting with us?

No, it's probably more for him. He looked to be in a lot of pain, so he probably doesn't want anyone to see all the bruises.

It's still pretty quiet, but more faces are appearing in the halls. We did spend a while just letting Seiko cry.

Oh my, what do they feed the boys here? They're even bigger than I remember them being in my day... I'm still wondering about that when Seiko emerges.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

The only visible change is a swap from his uniform pants to some awful baggy jeans. He's still wearing that big hoodie over his shirt. I just hope he's remembering to change his underwear once in a while, boys his age have the worst hygiene, and I hope I raised him better than that.

Unlike before, he goes to Vicca instead of me. Or even Kentan, it seems.

With some silent exchange, Seiko takes her arm, like he's leaning most of his weight on her as he limps, face screwed up in pain. As we start walking, Vicca leans down and whispers something in his ear. He considers it, then shakes his head. What are they being so secretive about...?

I decide to leave it to them. He's an adult now, so he needs his space. If there's something he really needs me for, he'll let me know, obviously. I wouldn't be here right now otherwise.

When we reach the common room, there are more students than I expected. I try to take a little distance because I know the kind of teasing and bullying school kids get up to over things like this, even in high school. Especially in high school.

With that in mind, I stick closer to Kentan since I know he has nothing to worry about, and speak to him quietly, just thanking him for helping Seiko last night. Too quiet for the other boys to overhear, but enough to keep some distance from my son. I'm surprised that despite my presence, so clearly out of place, there are still so many eyes directed at Seiko. That is... worrying...

Given Seiko's condition, he takes the lift, and I head for the stairs with Kentan. He seems confused as we descend, so I quietly clue him in that I'm trying to avoid drawing any more bullies to Seiko, hoping it will help him play along a little better, if necessary.

We reach the doors out the front of the building, and I'm still keeping some distance when a scrawny boy with black hair approaches, coming from the direction of the girl's dormitory.

“H-hey, Maka-chan, there you are,” he says, like he's slightly winded, “I couldn't find you anywhere.”

Chan? He isn't trying to bully Seiko right now, is he? My hackles start to rise, but to my surprise, Seiko doesn't appear to mind it. He clings a little closer to Vicca, but offers an unexpectedly casual response.

“Gon-san? You were looking for me?” Then I catch Kentan facepalming out of the corner of my eye. Is there something I'm missing here?

“You never came back to class yesterday. We were assigned group projects for bio. We got paired up, so I had to go looking for you.” Oh, a classmate of his. Why does he refer to Seiko like that though, is it a friendly thing? I wouldn't expect Seiko to be alright with it...

“So, is there some time we could go over it this weekend?” the boy asks.

“Well, I'm going out to breakfast right now...” For some reason, Seiko throws a glance my way, and I raise my hands to say 'don't let me get in your way.'

Gon notices and his eyes shift in this direction, before Seiko asks, “Want to come with us?”

The boy looks uncomfortable for a moment, but then answers, “Sure, why not?” anyway. We all set off, and once we're a respectable distance from the dorms, we draw together more.

“So, who is this?” I ask.

“Trace Gon-san. He sits behind me in class,” Seiko explains.

“And you are...?” Gon asks hesitantly.

“Excuse me, I'm Seiko's mother. I'm only here because of... an incident yesterday.” I leave it at that since I really don't want to go around spreading word of what happened to him. Even though I'm sure it will get around on its own. Gossip tends to do that.

“Oh, I heard that announcement yesterday,” he thinks aloud, “what, did you get bullied or something?” Gon asks, gesturing to refer to Seiko's bruised face and black eye.

“Something like that...” Seiko's face falls, and Ken immediately steps in to help.

“We're trying not to talk about it too much, we're working on cheering Sei up right now. Besides, I would've thought the rumors would be all over campus already.”

“Ah, I don't really pay attention to that stuff...” Gon scratches his cheek. “Just, I don't know, never really liked gossip...”

Ken blinks down at him in surprise. “Wait, so you don't know about any of the rumors?”

“Not really, no.” What rumors is he talking about...?

“Fine, fine, that's cool,” Ken immediately waves it off and changes topic. “Anyway, I'm Kentan Yono, I sit behind you, and this is Leona Vicca-san, seat two.” He gives that quick introduction and Gon simply nods, probably already knowing them.

“So where are we going to eat?” Ken eventually asks as we approach the transport terminal. “Sei?”

“I don't know, anywhere's fine, I guess.”

I pull out my mobile, and a quick search finds a nearby breakfast place I know Seiko will enjoy. I plug that in as our destination, and we board the next shuttle that arrives.

It's crowded, with a whole bunch of students bumping shoulders. I wind up mixing in with them, the odd one out, while I note that Vicca has Seiko up against one wall, shielding him from the other students.

She certainly is protective of him, are they really not dating? How do they know each other, and how did they get so close so quickly? My mother instincts are already telling me they could be a good, if extremely non-traditional, couple. Almost an exact reversal of Albert and me.

That might not sit well with Seiko though. As the man of the relationship, he would want to be the stronger of the two. That would be hard for him normally, nigh impossible if his wife is a military veteran...

Those are the sorts of things I consider until we arrive at the mall and everyone piles out onto the sidewalk. Oh yeah, that brings back memories...

I smile wistfully as the students depart, before taking a seat in the now-empty shuttle as it speeds off to our destination.

Everyone else settles in for the ride as well, Seiko ending up directly between Kentan and Vicca. Any closer and they'd squish him between them. I'm across, a short distance from Gon.

“So, what have you kids been up to lately?”

“Adults now, actually,” Ken puffs his chest up playfully, then laughs. “But really, it's mostly the same. We've made friends with two girls in our class and we all hang out during breaks. We've been going to Jostole on the weekends because there's a great cafe there to hang out at.”

I smile, nodding along with his description. It sounds like they're doing pretty well so far.

“Yeah, I really like the place,” Gon agrees, getting confused looks from Seiko and Kentan.

“You know the place?”

“W-well, yeah, I go there all the time.”

Then Vicca speaks up. “What you didn't notice? Gon-san has been there every time we went. He's always at the table near the far wall.”

“Oh, uhh, sorry Gon-san,” I never noticed you over there,” Kentan apologizes, scratching a hand through his spiky hair.

“It's fine, you guys are always having so much fun, I wouldn't want to interrupt. I just like watching anyway.”

“Watching?” When I raise a confused question, Kentan explains that they also have an area for cosplay and a great variety of outfits available.

“Huh, that certainly is a unique concept,” I comment.

The conversation naturally breaks off there when we pull up to our destination. Everyone gets off and we head into the restaurant.

At first glance, it's a homey, side of the road stop, for anyone who gets hungry while traveling, like on longer trips. Warm lighting, faux wooden paneling on all the walls and partitions between booths. It has an almost rustic feel as we approach the little reception stand.

That is, until we find no one at reception. Another glance around the empty building reveals it's just an auto-restaurant, so we move past and take a booth near the back.

This time, Seiko sits between Vicca and myself, Kentan and Gon on the opposite side. It's a bit tight with all three of us, but clearly this is the best arrangement. Both of the other boys are larger, so they fill their own side too.

We all take a minute to place our orders on our mobiles, then wait for the food to come out.

“Sorry, sweetie, I didn't realize this was an auto,” I sigh. I've never been fond of the places, food made by a machine is just missing something compared to food that comes from human hands.

“It's fine, it's not really about the food.” He leans into my side a little more, and I smile. I raised a good kid.

“What about you?” I ask when I remember. “Did you start learning to cook?”

His whole face brightens. “Yeah, I did actually. I'm not very good yet, but I've been practicing, and we've made a few meals with everyone. Runa-chan taught me a lot when we cooked together.”

“Oh, by the way,” Kentan pipes up excitedly, “me and Runa are dating now!”

“Good for you, Kentan-kun!” I chirp. “Runa-chan is such a nice girl.” I'm going to have a lot to talk about with the rest of the neighborhood parents when I go home. Hehehe...

Holding back those thoughts, I decide to play the wise elder who gets to embarrass the young ones.

“Just remember to stay safe,” I advise, of course knowing he'll understand.

Right on cue, Kentan blushes, as do the rest of them, even the somewhat older Vicca. I smile to myself. The government can say whatever it wants, they're practically still babies to me.

Kentan recovers astonishingly quickly though. “Yes, of course,” he responds seriously, before his tone softens. “Besides, we're still just figuring things out, so we're going to take our time.”

“Oohh, how mature,” I comment, honestly surprised. Not such a baby after all, huh. The men I dated wanted one thing, and they wanted it as quickly and as easily as possible. Albert was simply the best at getting what he wanted.

“W-well, I don't know,” he chuckles a little. “We don't really know what we're doing, and we both know it. Our first life skills classes aren't until next quarter anyway.”

Of course, he's referring to the section of the high school curriculum that focuses on the necessary, practical skills for surviving in the adult world. Everything from military education, to law, to how to do taxes. If I remember correctly, first years cover sex-ed, driving, and self-sufficiency. I wonder if the driving courses have finally been phased out...?

“Mm, that's understandable,” I shrug. “I'm just glad you have the sense to look before you leap. God knows most men don't.”

“A-ahh...” he continues to chuckle awkwardly. I suppose I've embarrassed them enough, so I relent. It isn't much longer before our food arrives anyway.

We all dig in, and for a while there's no discussion, just the comfortable sounds of eating. I keep an eye on Seiko, glad to see he actually looks happy again. Maybe a little too happy as he digs into a plate full of fruit and syrup smothered waffles, but I'm certainly not complaining.

When we're mostly finished, just drinks and a few scraps of food left, Gon finally speaks up. “Thanks for inviting me,” he starts.

“Yeah, you're welcome, Seiko smiles back, actually looking comfortable and content. But for some reason, Gon suddenly gets flustered and red in the face.

“R-right, so umm, about our bio project, I wanted to know what you thought about doing it on the echidna. I think it's a pretty cool animal and we could probably put together a presentation without much trouble...”

I sit back as the boys chat about their school project. It's so nice to see Seiko step out of his shell with someone other than his few friends. Even moreso after his breakdown earlier. I can't remember the last time I saw him cry so much...

When it sounds like they're finishing up their discussion, I tune back in.

“So, I guess I'll see you tomorrow to work on it,” Gon is saying. “Library at ten?”

“Sure, I'll...” Suddenly, Seiko cringes a little, immediately turning to look at Vicca for some reason. She nods, and he hastily confirms he'll be there. Really, what in the world is going on between these two?

We leave soon after, and I quietly pull Kentan aside to ask him about it.

“Sei and Vicca-san? Well...” He looks away, making it abundantly clear that he knows, but doesn't want to tell me.

“Fine, I get it. Just tell me, it's nothing harmful, dangerous, or illegal, is it?”

“Huh? Of course not.”

“Then it's fine. As long as Seiko is safe and happy.” For some reason, Kentan frowns. “What is it?”

He bites his lip, suddenly conflicted. But all he says is, “Sorry, Maka-san. I'm sure Sei will talk about it when... when he's ready. Just be patient please? He's going through a lot.”

“That's fine,” I sigh. He should know he can tell me anything, but if he's still not comfortable, I'm willing to wait.

After a quick shuttle trip back to the school, we all stand at the terminal briefly. Seiko is still leaning heavily on Vicca, Kentan and Gon a short distance away.

“Well, I suppose it's about time I head back, it's a pretty long ride after all and your father will get cranky without food,” I joke. It's funny because it's true.

I move forward, pulling Seiko into a hug and kiss his forehead. “I know things are hard, and I know they can be scary sometimes, but you're so strong, I know you can get through it.”

Even if he's not as big as the other boys, he has a strong heart. “You're already getting taller, if you just keep fighting, it'll all turn out alright. You are your father's son after all.”

I finish with a smile, but Seiko can only offer a weak one in return. At the same time, I hear a “Huh?” from Gon, who is looking around at everyone else, extremely confused by something. I'm more concerned with Seiko's lacking response though. “Sweetie?”

“S-sorry, could you, umm, not tell Dad about what happened? Or I guess, any of this? Please?”

“Seiko, your father loves you and wants what's best for you.”

Seiko's face falls. Why would he hide things from Albert? He's done nothing but try to make Seiko better. Even if Seiko didn't listen most of the time, when he did, it worked, didn't it?

I don't understand, but one look at his face, like he's a second from crying, is heartbreaking.

“Please Mom, I can't,” he pleads. “Not Dad, I just, I can't...” I don't get it, can't what? Why is he so distraught? What does his father have to do with it?

“Fine,” I give in. “I won't tell your father about this.” I may not understand, but it's clear that it would hurt Seiko, so I'll go along with it. However- “On one condition.” He looks up, a hint of fear in his eyes. I can't take seeing him like that, so I hurry up to explain. “One call each weekend.” That dispels the fear. “Tell me how things are going, alright?”

“Sure. Thanks, Mom.” We pull together into another tight embrace, but I can hear my shuttle approaching, so I try to wrap things up.

Speaking over his head, I address the others. “It was nice seeing you again, Kentan-kun, and meeting you, Vicca-chan, Gon-kun.” I glance back as the shuttle rolls up. Rubbing Seiko's head, I smile and say, “That's my ride. Please, keep taking care of my son from now on too.” Kentan and Vicca smile warmly and nod, but Gon is staring at me with a dumbfounded look. What an awkward boy... I send a wave back as I move quickly to board the shuttle before I miss it.