"L-Lucas?"
That voice... I quickly stop and turn my attention to a certain man covered in bandages. To my relief, he doesn't have any new bruises and cuts on his face. But for some reason, he stares at me in awe, then averts his eyes away as usual.
"Jared..." I slowly approach him in concern. "Sorry that I haven't seen you these days. Are you..."
"Fine. I told you that I'm fine," he huffed. "But I heard what happened with you and Eric in the past few days. Are you really the one who flipped him?"
Well, I'm not surprised. It would take a few days until people stop talking about the incident. But I'm relieved that he voices his concern for my safety.
"Yeah. But don't worry, I only did it since he's going to attack me out of rage. Self-defense and all." Although I am not gonna tell him how I learned to judo flip for his sake. "Besides, aren't you relieved that David and his goons aren't here to ruin our day as usual?"
"I-I'm happy about David and Eric not messing with me these days. But after the hype goes down in a few days, I feel like they're gonna hunt you down both in the game world and right here in college." Jared fiddles with his fingers. "Aren't you afraid that he might come and kick your ass?"
Ah... I see why he's worried. But I shook my head and said, "Why wouldn't I? I won't gain anything if I keep being a pushover to his smug face. But I could say the same about you."
"M...Me?" He stuttered with his eyes widened.
"Yes, you. Don't you think you should start standing up for yourself? It's not good for you to endure David's harassment for too long. We're not in high school anymore, and he can only defend himself with his reputation and money for a few more years. I know you, Jared. And I know you can grow a spine and tell him off like we do."
This speech is way overdue, thanks to my passiveness. But I need to tell him now that I found my courage to get back on my feet. At the very least, he needs support more than ever...
"Why are you acting like a hero so suddenly?" I flinch at his unexpected answer. "Last time I heard, you were acting like a subservient slave to David's guild in [Isekai]. But now, you're suddenly preaching about anti-bullying rights and courage. I feel like you're saying all of that because you found a super rare item that lets you grow stronger than David!"
My eyes widen to hear such a ridiculous accusation. "W-What? That's not true! Where did you get that idea? I was only gone from
"But what happened during your absence? I know you're omitting details because you're scared that David and his guild would find out!"
Dammit... I can't believe this convention has gone sideways because of his paranoia. "Jared, calm down. Even if I'm keeping secrets, it's not right t-"
"FORGET IT!!! I've been betrayed by my friends thanks to him. Who knows how you will do the same with that item?" Jared turns away from me, but not before casting his glare filled with hostility. "You should get back to whatever you do. Gaming, writing... It doesn't matter to me anymore."
He walks away without letting me have a final say on his accusations.
Dammit... I get that he came from a problematic family like mine. But I never expected him to deal with his bullying situation far worse than mine. While I managed to get back on my feet thanks to my friends and an unexpected mentor in both worlds, Jared remained a loner who kept pushing us away when we tried to help him. It's because of him that I got targeted by David in the first place. But I never had an animosity for it. Rather, I did it so I can help him out rather than becoming a bystander.
Still, I have a lot to learn to help others. I don't want to be like my father, who cares about his reputation than his family. Maybe I should try visiting a therapist to air out my baggage... If I can find a decent one...
After my classes were finished, I quickly went home to prepare my first training of the day:
Barista training.
Of course, I had to go alone since Bryan is busy with his research (aka watching more werewolf movies and teen shows) while Harley is helping his team finish their project, thanks to some of their lazy members not contributing much to it.
Unlike my last job, I was wearing the same outfit I wore in college. But by the time I arrived at Moonlight Star Cafe, Mr. Spencer handed me a blue apron with the cafe's logo printed on it, and I didn't hesitate to wear it over my green plaid shirt.
"There you go! You're starting to look like a real barista, kid," he complimented. "Of course, you can't call yourself one until you learn the basics."
"Does it involve mixing ingredients into a drink and shaking or stirring it?" I asked.
"No, you're thinking of a bartender, not a barista. We'll be covering only the basics, such as operating an espresso machine and preparing several espresso and milk-based beverages for the customers. Since this is your first time working at a café or restaurant, you should man the counter with sufficient knowledge of espresso preparation before you can start doing latte art and special blended drinks."
Huh. I didn't expect how prepared Mr. Spencer was for my arrival. He didn't want me to get through my new job without the right knowledge unlike my first day in Goodie's where I was forced to work in front of the cashier with no advice or detailed instructions given to me. So far, he's not as a bad boss as the last one who only cared about money and reputation. Though, I look around and realize something.
"Uh, I hate to interrupt. But I noticed that the employee side of the café is a bit barren," I pointed out. "Aren't you worried about the rush hours with the current number of baristas available?"
"Oh, that. I forgot to mention that it's the reason I was looking for a new barista," Mr. Spencer answered. "Before you arrived, my son and I were the only ones who ran this café. And with him busy with his college projects lately, I knew it was only a matter of time until we needed some extra hands here. Sorry for that late explanation, Lucas."
And that's where I came in, huh? No wonder he had to make that so-called bet from before. I didn't realize that he really was desperate to hire a new barista regardless of their experience. Either way, I'm not offended since he boosted my confidence enough to stand up against my harassers at Goodie's and leave my lackluster job.
"It's alright, sir. You gave me a part-time job after I left my only not-so-stable income. Even if I left without your advice, I wouldn't be able to find a new one long enough to avoid getting evicted from my old apartment. I'm grateful you gave me a chance to start fresh from the past incidents in both worlds. So, thank you for everything you did to get me out of my troubles. I promised, I'll pay you back by working hard."
Mr. Spencer smiles at me and says, "Who knows? Maybe after you graduate, you might be promoted from your 'part-time' status if you do well. Heck, you might be an awesome barista enough to branch out and manage your own café."
I chuckled. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves, sir. For now, I'll start with the basics."
"Alright. Then let's start with hygiene and maintenance first..."
I nod before approaching Mr. Spencer with a pen and notepad in hand as I start my barista training and lessons.
"...and that's all the time we have! Thank you so much for another grinding sesh with me in [Isekai]! As always, like and subscribe to get more edited highlights and VODs! I'll see you warriors at the Blazing Waves this weekend! And atten-smile!"
I let out a loud yawn as I put down my tablet once the VOD was finished. I never thought Qizuna's stream helped me get through a crunch time on our presentation. If it wasn't for those deadbeats, we wouldn't be stuck here editing the audio and slides along with the clothes I made for it. Thank god Jessie reported them to the professor after that chaotic confrontation. This time, I'm not risking anyone else sabotaging our work. As promised before we parted, I have to store the materials and display them back home. Sure, it might be awkward for me to go back since I already told Dad I will be all night finishing our project. But I'm glad Jessie and Bless helped me through the end of the editing process.
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Once I got everything packed up in a suitcase I prepared in case this happened, I left the fashion design classroom and headed out of the university to take a subway train to Queens. Thankfully, it's only an hour away until I reach it. However, I don't know what else I can do during the ride. I want to check my social media apps. But with the Goodie's incident still trending for almost a week, I know better than to doomscroll. Instead, I open my [Isekai Companion] app and check out the latest news, guides, and the [Adament] shop. Here, I can top up for [Isekai's] premium currency and buy items with it that can be used in the game.
I continued browsing through its selections until I saw a familiar potion on sale.
The [Gender Bender Potion]... With it, I can change the body I tried to escape from the real world. But at the same time, there's a chance Nelly would reveal everything about my past as a girl...
Dammit! What was I thinking?! It's only a stupid blackmail! Even if I let her reveal everything just to change my character, it's not enough to faze me!
Then again... What will happen to Dad if I just rebel against my sister? I can't let him get involved with those hecklers and transphobic neighbors if that happens. More importantly, what would Mom say if her "perfect little daughter" is nothing more than a rebelling son?
Ugh... It's easy for me to press the [BUY] button since it won't sell out. But why am I stopping myself from doing the deed?!
"It's better to do it now than wait until it's too late."
...
I never thought to remember Lucas's words so soon, let alone from a serious guy like him. But if what he said is true, then what's the point of my hesitating right now?
CLICK!
I'm starting to have second thoughts about this. But I can't waver, so I tap [YES] before my nervousness gets to me.
And it is done. There is no way I can refund an item purchased from an [Adament] store without going through some complicated procedures via customer support. But I've made my decision. All that's left is to decide whether to take it immediately or not.
Man... How long has it been since I came out to my family? Now that I think about it, this was the same thing that happened with Lucas being the one who encouraged me to reveal my new identity during middle school...
[Years ago...]
"What do you mean you can't go through it?"
I frowned when I told him about my decision in a playground near my home. "You should know about my Mom and sister by now. They were trying to make me the "perfect little daughter" enough to make them and their friends proud, and if I told them that I'm not their "daughter" anymore, they would be devastated."
Lucas frowned at me as he sat right next to me. "But you said it yourself. You're not happy wearing dresses and acting all girly in public. I get it's for your family, but is sacrificing your own happiness worth the trouble? I tried everything to make my pops happy. But all that did to me was drain my personal happiness just to gain his grace. By the time I see Danica in the same position, I know that enough is enough.
"Even so, there are consequences if I dare go against my Mom. Unlike your Dad, she's an influential fashion designer who is about to release another one of her collections for this year's Fashion Week," I explained. "I want to be honest with myself. But I don't want to lose my house because of my new identity."
I was expecting him to be disappointed at my decision. But to my surprise, he instead groaned and said, "Dude, you've spent almost your whole life living as your sister's dress-up doll in all the clothes you thought as uncomfortable and itchy. Why are you still worrying about appearances and your mother caring about you? What about your Dad? He might understand."
I huffed. "Easy for you to say. He's already called me his "daughter". How can you be so sure that he will accept me as a boy?!"
"Maybe you've misjudged me a bit, kid."
That voice... There's no way... But I thought...
I turn around where the voice was coming from, and to my shock, I saw Bryan coming out from behind the slide with his phone in his hand. To my shock, the screen showed my Dad's caller ID, and it's currently on a voice call.
"Dad?!" I shouted. "B-But how?!"
I turn back to Lucas for answers, but he only scratches his chin with a sheepish smile and his gaze away from mine. "I...kinda looked at your contacts while I was borrowing your phone a few days ago. We can't exactly drag him out here to hear your confession. But we might as well use voice call instead."
I looked at Brycen, and like Lucas, he giggled sheepishly. "Before you start pointing fingers, it's Lucas's idea, not mine."
Guys... Man, talk about an invasion of privacy. But that's the least of my worries. How much did Dad hear from my rant?! God, I hope he doesn't hear me rant about my gender issues...
"Now what's this about you being a boy, and I won't understand about it?" I flinched. He heard everything! "No wonder those boys called me as a request."
I was nearly shaking my legs at the thought of my Dad knowing. It's too soon to know! I'm not ready to tell him everything! So why did these idiots have to ruin everything?! There's still a chance! I need to clear this up! "D-Dad, I can explain! I-It's not like I don't want to be a girl. I-It's just..."
"Haley, enough with the excuses," Dad interrupted. "I can tell from your voice that you're panicking over this matter. If you're worried about it so badly, then just take a deep breath and tell me everything. I promise, whether you want to be a boy or a girl, it's your decision. There's nothing to stop you from being who you want to be in life."
I froze. He's not angry about my decision, nor scolding me like my Mom did whenever I did something bad. When I look at Lucas and Bryan again, they don't seem like they were mocking me like David did with the former. Was this what they were trying to do in the first place?
"Y-You're not mad? At me being a boy?" I asked.
"Now, why would I? Your mother and sister are another story, but like I said, it doesn't matter if you want to change. Just know that whatever you choose, you will always be my son or daughter."
"D...Dad..." That was all I could mutter, unable to find the words at his encouragement. "T-Thank you..."
"Boys, I'll take it from here. As for you, kid, you better start taking deep breaths. There's no way you can explain everything if you keep crying."
He's right. I might as well follow his words as we transferred the call to my phone and explain everything I experienced that led up to this decision.
[Present time]
In the end, Dad accepted me for who I was once I confessed and came out as a trans male. I forgave Lucas and Bryan for helping me pave the way to my coming out (though I did punish them a bit for tricking me by turning them into my dress-up dolls a bit), and ever since then, he helped me with my transition after everything fell through with my Mom. Even as I leave the train to see the familiar neighborhood upstairs, I still wonder what would have happened if they hadn't pulled that stunt in the first place. Regardless, I'm glad everything went well and we remained friends with them once we head to college together.
While I can't decide whether to take the potion or not right now, I might as well enjoy a cup of latte once I'm back home. With that said, I open the door to a certain cafe just as I raise my head to hear those words.
"Hello and welcome to Moonlight Star Cafe!"
I nod as I turn to the counter and smile at Lucas as usual.
...Wait. I look at the counter again to see if I was hallucinating.
"Lucas?!" I shouted
"Harley?!" He shouted.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"
My jaw drops at the sight of my friend wearing the cafe apron while standing behind the counter. But that's impossible! I thought he was supposed to be in his new part-time job! Unless that job is...
"Oh, welcome back, Harley!" I turn around and see my Dad approaching me with a smile. "I see you already met our new barista."
"BARISTA?!" I yelled in shock. "Are you saying he's the one that you mentioned who accepted the position?!"
"Uh... I hate to interrupt..." Lucas sheepishly raises his hand. "But what's going on here? Do you know Harley, sir?"
"Oh, you didn't know. Well, it's been years since we last spoke." My Dad turns to Lucas next. "To tell you the truth, I'm the one you called for my son during middle school. That he wanted to come out as a guy."
This time, it's Lucas's turn to have his eyes widened. "W-Wait... Middle school?! Coming out?! A-Are you saying..."
"Yeah. I'm Harley's father."
I quickly bury my face in my hands as I await Lucas's reaction.
"WHAT?!"