K was waiting at the restaurant Pizza Room for someone to arrive. A friend of his had claimed to meet him there, but the friend was nowhere to be found.
Just then, K heard the ringing of the bell on the door.
They looked up, hoping that their friend hadn't ditched them.
It wasn't K's friend that had shown up, but rather a glass shard.
K didn't know that shard, but it wondered what someone was doing at a restaurant seemingly as bad as that very one.
So he approached the glass shard after they were done ordering and sat at a table.
The shard appeared to be sad.
Then, they noticed K and looked up. They looked pretty scared and hid their face.
"Don't worry," said K. "I don't bite. And even if someone wanted me to bite them, I wouldn't. Who are you?"
"I don't even know myself anymore," said the glass. "I just - I - it was so easy to see in the past and -"
"No pressure. If you're not sure, you can tell me later. I don't have any *chuckle* identity deadlines or anything. My name is K. Pleasure to meet you, neighbor."
"Neighbor?"
"Yeah. Around my hometown, it's sometimes pretty easy to get along with others - and even better, we don't discriminate against gender - because our species doesn't even HAVE gender! *laughs* You see why I addressed you as my neighbor... neighbor?"
"O-okay. Thanks for that, K...
And although we don't know each other well yet...
Can I tell you something that I'm not sure if I could ever tell my f-family?..."
"Sure, neighbor! Go right ahead. Whenever you feel comfortable."
The glass shard looked nervously at the cook, so K decided to go up to the counter.
"A good day to you, neighbor. I, uh, would like to talk with someone about a private manner, so if you could provide some privacy, that would be good. Thank you."
The cook went into another room, leaving K and their neighbor in the front of the restaurant alone.
"Now, feel free to talk."
"O-o-okay. So, I - uh, I - I..."
K closed their eyes and nodded at the glass shard.
"In all of... what's been going on...
I wasn't born a girl, but I dream about being one. I even did some eyelash work for this - and any - occasion.
I want to become what I currently want to be able to describe myself as.
It's... very hard to explain.
I fear that everyone may hate me because of this, and...
Because I choose my identity after bullying others, after doing wrong things.
So they'll think I'm wrong - and -"
K reached out and touched the glass shard. It hurt a little touching them, but K didn't mind.
"Don't worry, neighbor. I'm sure you'll have or know at least one being who'll accept who you want to be. And if you don't, then think of me.
I accept you no matter who or what you choose to be.
Plus, no one else can pick your identity. It's all up to you... and how YOU feel inside.
I accept you, neighbor. No one can tell you who you want to be other than you."
K opened its eyes again and smiled the best it could.
The glass shard began crying.
"D-don't worry. I'm not sad... in fact, I can't thank you enough, K.
I think I have an idea of who I want to be called now."
"Later, neighbor," said K as he happily left Pizza Room.
He then checked the time.
His friend stood him up. AGAIN.
But K wouldn't have to worry...
because he found a new friend.
And SHE was worth hanging out with.
***
Hehe, K is a therapist friend!
Hope you found the reference with K's words ;)
Word total: 638