I Ended Up Cross-Dressing, My Secret Relationship with a Handsome Guy (BL) - Chapter 35

Outside, the rain poured down, bringing with it a clinging humidity and an oppressive warmth that made everything feel unbearable.

It was the kind of weather that made even breathing feel exhausting.

I sat alone in the classroom, studying. The rain was heavy, drowning out the usual noise of the sports teams practicing outside. The only sound that occasionally reached me was the faint music from the wind ensemble, but it mixed with the rain so much that I couldn’t even tell what song they were playing.

A few seats in front of me, the window was slightly open, letting in a draft that stirred the old, yellowed lace curtain along with the rain. Droplets splattered onto the desk below, leaving small marks.

Even as I watched the rain sneak inside, I had no intention of closing the window.

After all, it wasn’t my seat.

Probably Tamada’s. I decided to leave it as it was.

“Hey, wait for me!”

A girl’s voice rang out from the hallway, loud and clear. I recognized it.

The sound of two people walking together gradually faded, growing more distant until it disappeared completely.

Curious, I turned my gaze toward the school entrance.

It didn’t take long before I spotted a couple stepping out into the rain.

A boy and a girl, huddled close under the same umbrella, slowly making their way toward the school gate.

“…They’re still together.”

“We’ll catch up to them in six months.”

“By the time we do, they’ll already be another six months ahead of us.”

The voice came from the doorway.

When I turned around, I saw Kiryu standing there, looking strangely frustrated.

“Hey. You’re done early today. I guess sports practice gets cut short when it rains, huh?”

“Yeah, the outdoor teams had no choice but to call it.”

Behind him, the classroom door clicked shut.

I frowned.

“Kiryu.”

“What? There’s no one else here.”

“Sigh… You’re so selfish.”

“You like that about me, though.”

With his usual long strides, Kiryu quickly closed the distance between us.

Without hesitation, he wrapped his arms around me.

His body was still warm from practice, and the scent of his deodorant mixed with the familiar scent that was distinctly his.

Even though I knew I shouldn’t, my arms instinctively moved, embracing him in return.

“Yukiho, I love you.”

“Thanks.”

“Say it back. I said it, so you have to say it too.”

“Yeah, yeah. I love you.”

“Put more feeling into it!”

For someone taller and bigger than me, Kiryu was acting like a sulking child. He buried his forehead against my shoulder, grumbling.

The sight of him was so ridiculous, so unlike the person I first met, that I couldn’t help but laugh.

When our eyes met, I saw a flicker of dissatisfaction in his gaze.

To pacify him, I placed a light kiss on his lips.

Kiryu’s eyes widened in surprise.

He moved instinctively, his hand reaching for the back of my head, but I swiftly placed my palm between us, stopping him.

“…Yukiho—”

“This is school. You think I’d let you do more than that here?”

“Then let’s go to my place.”

“Your mom’s home today.”

“…Your place?”

“Today’s the day I spend time with my parents.”

Realizing that he was completely out of options, Kiryu let out a deep sigh and pressed his forehead against my shoulder again.

I hesitated for a moment before patting his back in comfort.

“…After graduation, we’re living together. No matter what.”

His voice was so serious, so certain, that I couldn’t help but laugh softly.

I felt him tense slightly, probably confused by my reaction.

To reassure him that I wasn’t laughing at him, I tightened my arms around him again.

“You’re such an idiot, Kiryu.”

As if on cue, we both loosened our embrace slightly.

Still close, we locked eyes.

“Do you really love me that much?”

“I love you more than anything in the world, Yukiho.”

He said it instantly, without hesitation.

He didn’t even blink.

Like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Since the day he first told me he loved me, Kiryu had never stopped showering me with affection.

There wasn’t even room for insecurity—he made sure of that.

It was overwhelming, relentless, but in the best way possible.

If I had to shape my happiness into a tangible form,

it would look just like Kiryu.

“…I love you too, Kiryu.”

And for the first time, I didn’t feel afraid to say it.

“…Nope. Nope, can’t handle it. That’s way too much, Yukiho. Have some mercy. You know I have no self-control.”

“Haha, yeah, I do.”

“…Can I kiss you one more time?”

“If you hold back now, I’ll wear whatever outfit you want next time I come over.”

“⁉︎ W-Wait…!”

His expression was impossible to describe.

One step back, distancing himself from me, as if physically restraining himself.

I couldn’t help but laugh again.

In response, Kiryu glared at me, obviously sulking.

But it wasn’t intimidating in the least.

I packed up my books, grabbed my bag, and stood up.

“Let’s walk home together.”

“…Do you have an umbrella?”

“I do, but I forgot it.

So, let me share yours.”

“…Yeah.”

A lot had changed over time.

Too many things to list.

But for one, we sometimes walked home together now.

We even talked in school sometimes—even when there were other people around.

And as long as no one else was watching, we allowed ourselves brief moments of closeness.

Back in elementary school, when I first realized I was different,

I thought I’d never be able to have what I saw other people have.

The sight of couples walking together, brushing shoulders, sharing umbrellas—

I believed that was something I’d never experience in my lifetime.

But things change.

Sometimes suddenly.

Sometimes violently.

For years, I had protected my heart—

A vast, barren snowfield, untouched by anything.

But now?

Now, it was filled with people.

With warmth.

With love.

“Yukiho, come closer. You’re going to get wet.”

“Kiryu, your right shoulder is already soaked.

Maybe you should worry about yourself first?”

“That’s exactly why I’m keeping you dry.”

“What kind of logic is that?”

My world had changed.

And I was no longer afraid of it.

The distance between our shoulders, the kind of quiet conversation that only people deeply close to each other can have—Kiryu probably doesn’t know that these were once things I longed for. But that longing has already melted into my daily life.

So maybe… it’s okay for me to voice my next step forward, my next dream.

“Hey, Kiryu, I’m not very good at cooking. Is that okay with you?”

“…Huh?”

“You said we’d live together after graduation, right? If that’s the case, then housework division is pretty important.”

Kiryu’s steps suddenly stopped in the middle of the rainy street, and naturally, I stopped too. The sound of raindrops hitting the umbrella felt even louder.

Without exchanging another word, I turned to look at the person holding the umbrella for me—the person who told me he loves me just the way I am. Seeing his face, I couldn’t help but smile.

If I had to put it into words, the way I smiled at him must have looked like pure joy.

“What kind of face is that, Kiryu?”

My fingers brushed against his cheek, feeling the same warmth as my own body heat, mixed with raindrops.

Change isn’t something to be feared. That’s what Kiryu taught me.

The umbrella slipped from his grasp, his arms wrapped around my back, and before I knew it, we were holding each other in the middle of the rain.

When our eyes met, we both laughed—half crying, half smiling, but unmistakably happy.

Saito Yukiho, 18 years old.

Right now, I can say with absolute certainty—I am happy.

(The End.)