The morning sun's gentle rays bathed me in warmth as I stood beneath the cherry blossom tree. Pink petals fell like a delicate rain, swirling in the breeze. With one hand, I held down my skirt, the other gently pushed my long pink bangs away from my eyes.

"It's been a year since the day you left, Dad," I whispered softly, my voice carried away by the wind. "Mom and Yuri are doing well, and Nee-san got married. I'm still being true to myself, just like you asked. It's been hard, though. I often feel so alone at school. The only place I feel truly free is at home. But I won't give up, Dad. You always said that to attain something precious, one must endure pain and hardship, or the journey would be meaningless. I just wish you were here to tell me that everything will work out in the end."

As I began to walk away from the cherry blossom tree, a sudden gust of wind encircled me, guiding me towards the school. The cherry blossoms danced around me, as if choreographed by an unseen hand, infusing me with hope and encouragement. In that moment, it felt as though my father's presence was reassuring me that everything would be alright.

"Thank you, Papa," I murmured softly before running towards the school's entrance.

Once I arrived at school, the entrance ceremony concluded peacefully, and we headed to our respective classrooms.

"Good morning, class. I'm Mashima Klare, and I'll be your homeroom teacher this year. Today, we'll start with introductions so that you can get to know each other as fellow first-year classmates," Mashima-sensei announced, her medium-length black hair framing her face, and her blue eyes shining brightly.

As introductions began, I recognized most of my classmates from middle school. I tuned out as they spoke, my attention drifting. It wasn't until the person beside me began to introduce themselves that something pulled me back into focus.

It was a handsome, energetic young man with a bright and warm smile. "Hello, everyone. My name is Naka Yuuji, but you can call me Yuuji. I've recently moved back to Tokyo, so I don't really know anyone here. I hope we can be friends."

My heart skipped a beat. That smile, I thought, I recognized it. Yuuji, my childhood friend, had returned to Tokyo after several years away. He had been my only friend, my source of encouragement, just like my father.

Yuuji must have noticed me watching him, for he flashed that same cheeky smile that I remembered so well. I held back tears and offered a shy smile in return.

When it was my turn to introduce myself, I stood up, my voice quiet and timid. "I'm Hashi Yuki. I hope we can be friends."

As I sat back down, I felt someone's gaze fixed on me. I turned to see Yuuji looking at me, his smile even brighter than before. I was the last to introduce myself, and Mashima-sensei instructed us to get to know each other while she retrieved something from the teacher's office.

As the girls in the class flocked towards Yuuji, and the boys formed their groups, I remained seated, quietly observing.

But before anyone could approach him, Yuuji made his way to me.

"Please don't think poorly of me if I'm wrong, but are you my childhood friend, Yuki?" he asked, excitement dancing in his eyes.

I nodded gently and replied, "It's really me, Yuuji. Long time no see."

Before he could respond, one of our male classmates approached us, his tone mocking. "Yuuji, you should really avoid interacting with this freak. That's a guy under that skirt. He's been dressing like this since middle school."

"Seriously, isn't that really creepy?" one of the girls I didn't recognize whispered to another.

"It's true, he has a very girly face, so maybe he likes tricking guys or something," another girl added.

I felt a familiar dread wash over me. It was happening again. I lowered my head, focusing on my desk, trying to hold back the tears.

But Yuuji, who had been watching me, spoke up, "What are you talk..."

"Please, Yuuji, join in with them. I can handle it. I'm used to being alone," I interrupted him mid-sentence. I couldn't bear to see Yuuji suffer because of me.

Yuuji gently lifted my chin, making me meet his eyes. With a determined smile, he said, "Yuki, if you were truly used to it and didn't care, you wouldn't be crying right now. I won't abandon you just to fit in with a bunch of jerks who can't appreciate your courage."

He patted my head and turned to the rest of the class, his expression turning fierce. "How can any of you make fun of HER for being true to HERSELF? She's stronger and braver than any of you will ever be. I'm changing my introduction right now. If you can't respect Yuki and you're part of the crowd that makes fun of her, don't bother talking to me. And if any of you lay a finger on her, I'll deal with you personally."

I was taken aback by his courage, and yet, I felt genuinely happy from his words. My heart raced, my cheeks flushed, and my head felt warm. What was happening?

Mashima-sensei returned to the classroom, her expression changing drastically. "What's going on here? I told everyone to get along."

The guys and some of the girls shot Yuuji and me disgusted looks before returning to their seats. Yuuji gave a slight wave to the teacher, and she noticed my state. I was still crying, no matter how hard I tried to stop.

"Yuki isn't feeling well. Could I help take her to the nurse's office?" Yuuji asked.

Mashima-sensei, who was aware of my situation, displayed a surprised but supportive expression and replied, "Yes, please do."

As we left the classroom, Yuri stood on one side of me, and Yuuji stood on the other, shielding me from the stares of the other students. After we exited the classroom, I looked at both Yuuji and Yuri, attempting a bright smile.

"Thank you for sticking up for me," I said.

"You're my big sister. I'll always be on your side, even if you ask me not to," Yuri replied, intertwining her arm with mine. She then teasingly looked at Yuuji. "Besides, you're too cute to let a guy go alone with you."

Yuuji, who seemed to finally realize something, asked, "Wait, are you Yuri-chan?"

Yuri appeared shocked at how he had only just recognized her, and I sighed slightly, recalling Yuuji's occasional cluelessness.

"How did you just now realize this? You recognized Nee-chan immediately, even after she changed so much, yet you couldn't remember her twin sister?" Yuri chided him.

"My bad, my bad. I get it. It's just that Yuki is Yuki; I could recognize her anywhere," Yuuji admitted, backing away from Yuri playfully.

"Well, I'll let you off the hook since you didn't forget the cute creature that is Nee-chan."

I couldn't help but laugh at their silly argument. "We've all just reunited after a couple of years, but it doesn't feel like anything has changed. You two still argue over anything."

They both looked at me with happy smiles, and soon we were all laughing together. It felt like old times. But one thing had changed. It seemed like I was finally starting to accept myself. I couldn't fathom the pain and experiences that lay ahead, but I felt a sense of pride and gratitude as I looked at Yuuji standing before me, protecting me like a knight.

Outside the window, cherry blossoms continued to flutter in the wind, and for the first time in a long while, I felt hope stirring within me.