Nagisa had had enough.
It was the day after the culture festival, something that will go down as a fond memory for most. This memory is one that haunts Nagisa however.
Skirts, dresses, pretending to be a girl.
It eats away at him, painfully gnawing at every last inch of his being until there's nothing left.
Somewhere in his heart, he had been so delusional, so naive, to believe that maybe, just maybe, his class would stop making these jokes about his looks and making him do these things. He had been so wrong.
When Nakamura apologized, it felt like there was hope for those two. He had grown to dislike her through all her teasing, with her even saying that assaulting him in this way was her 'hobby'. She apologized knowing how much it all hurt, and Nagisa had been ready to turn over a new leaf.
This lasted for about ten seconds, until Yuuji approached the school, flailing his big hands and wearing his creepy smile.
Just like that, that apology, that 'new leaf' crumbled on the floor, as Rio Nakamura stripped him down and put her skirt on him. Like it was nothing. Like it was just the same old stuff. Like it didn't matter.
Nagisa was mortified. Here, in front of all these people, he's once again being forced to be something he isn't. Cause it's a gag. Cause it's a joke. Cause it's "our thing". He remembers the feeling of his stomach churning as Nakamura laughed and said "this is the last time I promise!!"
The last time.
How many times has it been?
He was starting to lose count of all these antics he'd been put through, the times he's looked in the mirror and looked away out of fear.
Karma and Nakamura had been teasing it about him all day. Even when he worked up the courage to tell Yuuji the truth, even when he owned who he really was.
After that, Karma and Nakamura jumped him behind some bushes and started stripping him down to try and put him in a maid outfit Karma had brought.
Yuuji was gone, there's no point to any of this. It was just cause. It was just for fun. Just cause they could. He had already lost all faith in Nakamura, but somewhere he had thought that maybe Karma would've stopped this. Maybe they could've had an actual conversation about this, about the way it hurts.
Because it does hurt. It hurts so much. More than anything. For years he's looked this way. For years people have treated him as a girl by mistake. And here in E-Class, it started happening on purpose.
He tries to ignore it as much as he can. He swallowed every last bit of pride he had left on the island to try and help his friends, even if ultimately his sacrifice was useless.
"Comic relief" Karma had said.
Of course. Cause it's hilarious. He laughs himself to sleep every night thinking about how in women's clothing, no makeup or wigs involved, he immediately passes as a girl. Comical.
Nagisa had had enough that day. The skirt in order to bring money in for the stand? Fine. For the greater good. Sure. But the maid outfit? For jokes? Giggles? Just because we can? Just because it's funny? He had squirmed and tossed around while pinned down, he felt blood rushing to his head and he was getting dizzy.
I can't cry, he had thought. I can't cry because that's something a girl would do. I can't cry cause that's not manly. If I cry they win.
He had done everything to keep himself from tearing up, but he was getting even dizzier and his vision was going blurry. He couldn't understand what was happening to him, but he knew he had to get out of the situation. He forced whatever power he had to push Nakamura off of him, and when Karma grabbed his wrist he tore his arm away.
