The Life We Pretended

The morning started like every other day. “Aru, wake up! You’ll be late,” his mother called. Aru opened his eyes slowly and stretched. “Five more minutes…” he mumbled. “No,” his mother laughed. “Get up, my girl.” Aru smiled and got out of bed. He didn’t question it. He never had. Standing in front of the mirror, Aru fixed his long hair neatly. Everything looked normal. Just a girl getting ready for school. He adjusted his uniform, turned left, then right. Perfect. Still… for a second, he paused. Not because something was wrong. But because something felt… a little strange. Like forgetting something important… but not knowing what. “…Weird,” he whispered, then shook it off. At breakfast, everything felt warm and familiar. His mother smiled. His father read quietly. “Eat properly,” his mother said. “I am,” Aru replied, laughing. “You always rush.” “That’s because you wake me up late!” They both laughed. It felt like a normal, happy family. And to Aru—it was. School was lively as always. “Aruuu!” his friends called, waving. “Coming!” he smiled, running toward them. They talked about random things—homework, teachers, silly jokes. Aru laughed easily. He fit in perfectly. He was one of them. A normal girl. During class, Aru looked out the window for a moment. The sky was clear. Peaceful. But for some reason… his chest felt a little tight. Like something inside him was trying to say something. But no words came. So he ignored it. That’s when he noticed someone new. A student standing near the window in the next class. Short hair. Calm expression. A boy. But not like the others. He wasn’t loud. Wasn’t trying to impress anyone. He just… stood there quietly. Aru stared for a second too long. “Hey, what are you looking at?” his friend nudged. “N-nothing,” Aru quickly looked away. At lunch, Aru sat with his friends as usual. Talking, laughing, sharing food. But his eyes kept drifting. Back to that boy. Rei. He sat alone. Just like that. Later, as Aru walked toward the water area, he heard a voice. “Hey.” He turned. It was him. The quiet boy. “…Hi?” Aru replied. “I’m Rei,” he said simply. “Aru.” A small pause. Then Rei spoke again. “You seem… easy to talk to.” Aru blinked. “…What?” “I don’t know,” Rei shrugged. “Just a feeling.” Aru laughed softly. “That’s random.” “Maybe.” They stood there for a moment. Not awkward. Just… calm. Then someone called Aru from behind. “Coming!” he replied. Before leaving, he looked back at Rei. “See you.” Rei nodded. That evening, Aru stood in front of the mirror again. Same face. Same smile. Same “normal girl.” He tilted his head slightly. “…Why do I feel like something’s missing?” he whispered. But there was no answer. In another house, Rei sat quietly on his bed. He stared at his hands. Everything about him said he was a boy. That’s what everyone said. That’s what his family said. But still… “…Why doesn’t it feel right?” he murmured. Two normal lives. Two normal identities. Two quiet questions. And a truth— Still hidden.