dress up ♡ 2jae

one

warnings for a few harmful homophobic slurs. this includes internalised homophobia and bullying.

♡

pjypepe (10:14am) -
youngjae are you okay? i just saw you walking to your locker, you never skip class
pjypepe (10:15am) -
was it that snotty bhuwakul kid again?

♡

"youngjae's constant need to dress up as a girl, sir."

the class, rather than laughing out loud, sat in a stoney silence, staring at kunpimook, a smirk still on his face. mr.im's eyes narrowed. not even kunpimook's friends were smiling.

"and what gives you the right to make fun of youngjae for making his own decisions?" mr.im asked, deadly calm. his voice was soft, quiet.

"because it's weird, and gross. why would a boy wear a skirt? it's like he's a walking fetish, sir," kunpimook replied, glaring at mr.im.

mr.im breathed in and smiled. "you're telling me, bhuwakul, that you see him as a fetish? you see his decisions as a sexual desire? do you perhaps have a... thing, for boys in skirts?"

the smirk on kunpimook's face slid right off. the class was silent.

"who is youngjae?" mr.im asked, looking around the class. all eyes shifted to one boy sitting on his own, tears streaming down his face. youngjae slowly raised his hand, cowering under the gaze of everyone in his classroom.

mr.im's expression softened as he walked towards youngjae, kneeling in front of him as to not be so threatening.

"what's your last name, youngjae?" mr.im asked gently, and youngjae took in a shaky breath.

"choi, mr.im."

"well, choi youngjae, don't listen to bhuwakul. he's not worth your time. you have permission to leave the class. if you'd like you may pack your things and leave until recess begins. i'd like to see you after class," mr.im said slowly, and youngjae nodded, wiping his eyes.

mr.im stood up, and moved to the front of the class again where he continued with the introduction of the curriculum. youngjae silently gathered his things in his arms and slipped out the door.

he walked very quietly to his locker, sniffling. it's not like this never happened; quite the contrary, actually. youngjae was bullied for wearing a skirt all the time.

he wasn't transgender, or agender, or non-binary. he still identified as a male. he just felt more comfortable in girls' clothes, like he could breathe. the limited options in mens' clothes with the dark colours and suffocating fits made youngjae anxious, and not like himself. wearing girls' clothes was freeing and liberating, just came naturally to him.

youngjae had thought it was no big deal until he started his first day at high school, the first day he ever wore a skirt in public. he realised then that everyone thought it was a big deal, and relentlessly teased him for it.

"fag," they'd whisper to him in the corridors, "only pussies wear skirts! you should be put down like a dog!"

youngjae was fourteen, and he was naive.