Since there are so many of us, I don't even have a box to carry to my new room. Probably a good thing, actually. Leona and Ken carry the ones my weights got split up into, because apparently they're too heavy to carry together? I don't really get that one, either of them should have no problem with that much weight, they're the strongest people here after all.

Whatever, not the time to question it. We all head out. On our way across the third floor common room, everyone stops to stare. At a glance, there's no question about it, someone is moving. A bunch of them are still gathered around the kitchen counter, polishing off the last of the food from earlier.

I start seeing people putting the puzzle together. Moving, the boxes coming from the room with me and Ken. The new section of the dorms. The light bulbs lighting up, just like with Finn earlier. Their eyes turn on me, jaws slack. And my blood goes cold.

“Holy shit, he's a tranny?”

“Wow, no shit, just look at him!”

“Haha, should've figured that out months ago!”

“Believe it or not, I did figure it out!”

“Bullshit, you never said anything before.”

I try to ignore them. Just don't pay them any mind, they're idiots who can't even feed themselves properly. I stare straight ahead and keep walking, surrounded by my friends. Even if everyone else doesn't get it, they do, and they'll support me.

Burdened with all this stuff, we take the lift down instead of the stairs.

When they say that rumors spread like wildfire, I think they underestimate it. By the time the lift opens up on the first floor, word has already spread ahead of us. God damn it. Everyone watches, laughter and jeering coming from all sides. But it stops when we don't head into the new section of the dorms, going right out the entrance instead. There are a number of confused questions raised behind us.

I smile faintly, a tiny flame of vindication in my chest. We cross the front of the building, and I'm already seeing the mix of men and women, looking at their mobiles as the whole interconnected student body messages the news out to everyone they know as fast as they possibly can.

We get to the female dorm and I stop at the front desk to register, because I guarantee the administrator refused to let it go through automatically.

“Seiko Maka, I'm here to register for floor five, room number twenty two.” Why am I not surprised the building monitor is scowling at me from behind her desk...?

“I was told to send you to the administration office when you arrived.”

“Ugh,” I groan. “What is it this time?” My stomach is already tying itself in knots at the thought of having to talk to that woman again.

“Go on, Sei,” Ken calls. “We can just hang out here, right guys?” Even as they speak up, agreeing, they're all piling the boxes up and sitting on them, right next to the monitor desk, drawing a long, irritated glare from the woman behind it. That just makes them grin even wider.

“Thanks, everyone. We'll be right back.” I nod to Leona and we head outside. I don't want to leave them waiting, so Leona picks me up, carrying me rapidly across the school grounds. We make it to the office in a handful of minutes, much faster than we could have otherwise, and knock on the door.

“Come in.”

Of course she's ready and waiting. We go inside, and I'm surprised she doesn't try to kick Leona out this time.

“So, I received direct orders to put you in the female dorm, fifth floor, room twenty two,” she begins, her fingers trailing over the top of her desk before she looks at me. “Unfortunately, I can't do that, because the room is already fully occupied.” That excuse draws an immediate glare from Leona. “Placing you in the room as ordered would require me to force one of the occupants out. That would be awful, being forced of your own room by someone who doesn't belong, don't you think?”

Before she can get any further, Leona steps forward and interrupts. “I'll give up my room.” I grimace even more than I already was at the administrator's words. Leona's going to give up her own room for me? That's so unfair!

The woman definitely expected this response. In fact, it only takes a moment to realize that was her intention all along, she was trying to bait Leona. All it takes is the big, evil grin that cracks across her face.

“Consider it done.” She taps at her desk briefly. “Since the most straightforward change will be a room swap, I'll do that.”

“Huh?” I don't- But my room was in the guy's dorm. Is she sending Leona over there like some sort of revenge? How does that even work?

When I glance up at her though- “You know those rooms remotely livable.” My blood goes cold. Technically, my registered room right now is that hell hole, isolated from the rest of the building. She's sending Leona there?

Her comment only widens Monasta's feral grin further. “What, the big bad military girl is afraid of a dorm room?” she mocks.

I clench my fists. This bitch! Somehow though, Leona isn't rattled at all. “Fine, I'll take that room. However, I will be lodging a formal complaint about this.”

“Tch,” the woman scowls. Because she couldn't get a rise out of Leona? Or because she knows it's only a matter of time before Leona gets someone else to force her to fix things? But how is Leona supposed to get by in the meantime? “Fine, have it your way. Just remember, that is your room now. The building monitor will see to it that you you only go into your own room at night, you will be penalized if you don't.”

“Understood.” How can she be alright with this? She said it herself, there's no way to live in there... But when I look, her stoic face doesn't betray any impression of what she's thinking.

“Good. There's just one more thing I need to do before I can put through the room change. The sinister air Janice Monasta exudes suddenly spikes, and I shiver. What could it possibly be?

“One of my superiors, rightfully, has concerns about admitting a man into the women's dorm, so he requested to talk with you before he gives me the go-ahead.”

Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck...

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

Someone like her, but with even more power... And this completely unknown person is going to determine whether I get my new room or not? What happened, did something go wrong with Mejja calling in that favor?

“Well, I'll give him a call now.” My heart is hammering out of my chest and I'm starting to get nauseous. I shouldn't have eaten so much earlier. A video screen pops up from the edge of her desk as she taps at her desk console. It rings, and rings, and Leona leans in closer to my side, a hand squeezing my shoulder reassuringly. Then it connects, and Janice Monasta's entire countenance switches. Suddenly, she's all politeness and fake smiles.

“Hello, Sir.” Her voice is cheery. “I'm calling about what we talked about earlier.”

“Good good, Seiko Maka-san?” comes a man's voice.

Before I can swallow down my trepidation, Monasta leans in toward the screen and says, “I'll switch the video.” With the tap of a button, the video screen swaps sides, the one facing us lighting up. I'm immediately met with the image of an old man.

He's shown from chest up, his lined face and bald head putting him in his fifties or sixties. He wears a dark military style jacket and a faint frown that looks like it hardly ever leaves his face.

“Y-yes, I'm here.” I can only say that much, trying not to press a hand into my throbbing stomach as he looks me over from the other end of the call. Even with the jacket on, he has the wide, powerful shoulders of a very large, built up – possibly military - man like my father. The extra fat around his face and neck indicates he's let himself go since then. The faint familiarity is bringing my anxiety pounding to the forefront of my thoughts. What if he's like my dad?

“Let me introduce myself. I'm Roland Barrett, Bightock county finance department. Monasta-san informed me that she's received orders from above to transfer you into the female dorm, despite you being male. I'm sure you can see the issue here.”

“U-umm, Sir.” I don't know exactly how formal to be here, I know he's higher up than Monasta, but by how much? Not to mention, he isn't even from our county. And if he's from the finance department too. He doesn't even have anything to do with this, he's just sticking his nose in where it doesn't belong.

But all of that just tells me he's some government big shot... Trying to stay on the safe side, I lower my head slightly as I speak. “Roland Barrett-san, I'm sorry, but the information you received is incorrect. I am female.”

“Oh really?” he lifts a brow, seeming more curious than malevolent, at least for now. Is he different than her after all? Then why did he go out of his way to get involved? “But your identifying documents list you as male.”

“Yes, I understand that, Sir.” I'm glad I'm prepared for this at least. “Those documents are incorrect, I've had a medical doctor confirm my gender and submit the documents to the school to correct my enrollment information.”

“I see that, however...” when he says that instead of accepting the explanation, my breath catches. “I've heard the doctor in question has been ordered to hide all but that small portion of your medical information, and psi-ops will not explain anything either. I'm sure you can understand how all the secrecy makes me skeptical of you and your doctor's claims, that your identifying information is somehow incorrect. And that it has not become an issue any time in the last sixteen years.”

Fuck, I hate how he gives such a reasonable sounding explanation for what amounts to 'I don't believe anything you say.'

“Now, I was hoping you could simply explain things, that would clear up any misunderstandings, wouldn't it?” he goes on. “Simply tell me what happened, why things are different now.” So that's it, he must have heard Monasta's guess that psionics are involved, and is trying to force the whole story out of me. But why? Who would want info on what psi-ops is up to?

Of course, this is where Leona steps in. She moves up to my side, gives a crisp military salute, and bows respectfully. “Pardon me, Sir. I am Leona Vicca from psi-ops. That information is confidential.”

“I have clearance level six,” he tosses back easily. I gulp when Leona's fingers tense on my shoulder. Monasta only has clearance level ten, so he's way higher up than she is.

Leona nods her understanding, face not giving away the nerves that her hand does. However- “My apologies, but that is not high enough. The details of Seiko Maka-san's medical information require clearance level five.”

That leaves the man surprised and flustered, he clearly didn't expect to be denied here. “Th- But- How could a kid's medical record be a high command military secret?” Wait, clearance level five is what?

While he's still reeling, Leona whispers to me. “Careful Seiko, do whatever he says. He's too high, we don't have the political clout to snub him.” Oh, fuck... That's why even Leona's being so polite to him, unlike Monasta. If he's only one step below clearance for high military secrets...

I gulp. How does Monasta even know this guy? “Fine, fine, I see that there's more to this than I believed,” Barrett recovers, straightening his dark jacket and standing up a little more, the very top of his head touching the edge of the video screen.

“In any case, without access to further information, my only choice is to confirm things for myself.”

“...?” I open my mouth, head tilting in confusion.

“Maka-san,” he says when it's clear I don't get it. “Your records say you are male, which would make you a danger to the women in the dorm.” I have to stop myself from responding to that, to tell him it's totally not true. Men aren't automatically a danger to women! Only assholes who don't take 'no' for an answer! Biting my tongue and choking down, I just keep listening.

“So, to confirm you are female and not a danger to women, I'll have to check your genitals.” He makes a gesture, telling me to get to it.

What?

I have to replay his words in my head three times before they fully register.

He just- Did he really-?!

With angry heat rising in my cheeks, I open my mouth, but Leona's hand closes tighter on my shoulder. “Do it,” she hisses through her teeth. She can keep her stoic face impassive, but can't hide the rage in her own eyes, or the shaking of her clenched hand on my shoulder.

She just told me, we don't have to support we need to oppose him. I start to go cold inside. Just like Monasta had to cow to Mejja, now it's our turn to capitulate to a higher power. Eyes trailing away from the screen again, Monasta is there, face plastered in a sickening grin so vile it turns my stomach.

My hands move, but come up short. My breath is going shallow, darkness ringing my vision as I try again, make them move. I swallow and lower my eyes.

Half of my brain can't even believe this is happening.

The other half brings my hands downward. Tears are already streaming down my face. My hands are shaking with helpless, ashamed fury.

I unbutton my pants.

Grasping the waistband, I pull them down with my underwear, and show him everything.

I think I'm going to throw up. The old man is staring at me down there. Why do I have to do this? Why won't anyone believe me? Why do they all care so damn much what I have down there in the first place?

My god damn genitals do not decide who I am!

But no matter how wrong and fucked up he is, I can't correct him. Can't deny him. So much for my bodily autonomy. Who cares whether people stop when you tell them to, if you aren't even allowed to say 'no?'

Barrett says something. He's asking a question, but I can't hear his words. I can't hear anything over my pounding heart and the tears pouring out from my soul. More words pass between the people around me, but my vision is tunneled in on the floor at my feet. I can't...

When a hand touches my back, my entire body jolts and I flinch away, trying hopelessly to protect myself. Then I realize it's Leona. When her mouth moves, the sounds don't make any sense. With a few careful motions, she gets me to pull my pants back up, my hands still clenched around the waistband. Fingers clenched to the point it should hurt, but I don't even feel it.

Then I'm following her. I don't know where. I think there's grass. Then it's flooring. More sounds of people talking. Loud voices. Concerned voices. I can't see them through the tears. Can't understand them through the pain.

At some point, we move again. I have no idea what's going on around me anymore. Everything slowly fades to black.