Before the revolution.
Suzuki Ichigo.
He was born to very strange parents.
His father didn't recognize Ichigo as his child and disappeared the day he was born.
The mother stubbornly insisted that the baby was her daughter and decided to name him Ichigo (as in strawberry, a very feminine name). This was even though the baby had a penis attached.
From then on, Ichigo was raised as a girl by his mother.
His birthday was April 1st. All of his relatives called him a "Child that was a mistake".
One turning point in his life was the day he entered elementary school.
Bullying.
Suzuki Ichigo, that girly name, should've been enough to gather the attention of the bullies, but he also wore girl's clothes and had a pretty face. The six-year-olds around him looked at him weirdly. They avoided him. Made fun of him. Treated him like a germ.
"Why are they being like this?"
The six-year-old Ichigo couldn't understand why he was being bullied, why he dressed like a girl, and why he only had a mother.
Day in and day out he continued to be bullied, and he kept on enduring without understanding why.
But even so, Ichigo continued dressing like a girl, and one day, his classmates stopped even talking to him.
"Don't ever get close to that child", they said. And within each family, this warning was passed to their children.
But that was only obvious. Something was wrong with Suzuki Ichigo's mother. As the mothers interacted with each other, people began to notice the craziness of his mother, who was convinced that Suzuki Ichigo was a girl.()
Thus, Ichigo was left alone.
And as usual, he continued to dress and look like a girl.
In the sixth grade came the second turning point.
The junior high school entrance exam.
Ichigo decided to leave his hometown and enroll in a public school in the Kanto region.
And with the entrance ceremony, he experienced a culture shock.
A classmate with shiny blonde hair and no eyebrows, a uniform so modified it was hard to believe they were wearing the same one, makeup, extensions, false eyelashes, metal bats, and so on.
It was a den of delinquents.
"If it's here, then I won't stand out!"
At that time, Ichigo was finally becoming aware that he was cross-dressing. He entered this school with the positive feeling that he would be able to do well.
But, the reality wasn't as forgiving.
His uniform was, of course, a girl's uniform. And he looked and sounded totally like an adorable schoolgirl. At first, his classmates recognized Ichigo simply as a girl.
But one day, an accident occurred. Ichigo rushed straight into the men's restroom.
To the astonished boys, he only had one thing to say.
"I'm a boy, you know?"
The boys, in the midst of puberty, were instantly unsure of how to interact with Ichigo.
The girls, on the other hand, didn't know how to treat Ichigo either, who was not necessarily truly a woman.
The result:
Ichigo was left to wander, not having a place to belong.
The delinquents clumped together with other delinquents, the cheery people got together with other cheery people. Even the antisocials made their own group. It would've been fine if he could've made a group with other cross-dressers, but unfortunately, Ichigo was the only one in that junior high.
"Alone again..."
Since there was no point in being depressed, Ichigo decided to concentrate on his studies.
His classroom, however, was as noisy as a zoo, making it very difficult to concentrate. There was nothing fun about being in the classroom. He didn't have any friends there either.
Therefore, Ichigo started to run away to the infirmary, as if to take refuge. The infirmary had become a safe haven for students who were being bullied.
Thus, early in his first year, Ichigo began attending school mostly inside the infirmary.
Then, three days after this started, the biggest turning point in Ichigo's life happened.
In the morning, while he was studying at a desk in the back of the infirmary, as usual, a noisy boy walked in after almost slamming the door.
"Ahhhh, AHHH, my stomach. It hurts!!! AHHHHH, I'm gonna die, my stomach hurts!!! IT HURTS!!"
"Satou-kun, you again?"
"No, I'm dead serious today. Please lend me a bed."
"It's already the fifth time since the semester started, you know?"
"Don't you think this is still better than not coming to school?"
"...Seriously."
A boy who looked healthy and a pushover nurse.
The place that had been so quiet until now suddenly became noisy, and this soured Ichigo's mood.
Ichigo wanted to see the face of the boy who was lying in bed with an obvious feigned illness, and see how thick his skin was, to do such a thing.
When the boy was asleep, he gently moved the curtains to take a peak.
But the sight before Ichigo was completely opposite to what he expected.
"W-What the hell is wrong with this guy...?"
The boy was lying down, wearing a VR headset, and playing a game.
Why do you even come to school for? Retorted Ichigo inwardly.
For the next three hours, Ichigo was so concerned about the boy that he couldn't focus on his studies.
It was past noon. The bell for the end of the third period chimed, and Ichigo closed his notebook and textbook to take a lunch break, spreading his lunch out on the table.
"Satou-kun! Satou-kun! Wake up! Satou-kun! Wake up! Hey, Satou!"
"...Hm? Ahh, it's you, Yoshida-sensei. For a moment I thought you were a beautiful college girl."
"That won't work anymore. Get up. You need to eat lunch. Here."
I guess Yoshida-sensei has it hard too... Ichigo ate his mother's homemade lunch while thinking about that.
Then, the boy called Satou got off the bed and, to his surprise, sat down on the seat opposite the table where Ichigo was sitting.
"...Eh..."
Having lived his entire life without being involved with other people, Ichigo froze up at the sudden close approach.
However, Satou didn't even bow, greeted, or tried to make eye contact with him. His mind seemed to be 99% occupied with the game.
Satou rummaged through the pockets of his uniform and pulled out a jelly drink labeled "Energy Supplement MAX!".
Ichigo glanced at it and predicted that it looked like that was Satou's meal.
After finishing lunch in less than ten seconds, Satou laid down on the bed again, taking a quick glance at Yoshida-sensei's judgmental stare.
I'm sure he's going to play games again, Ichigo thought. And as he expected, the next time Satou woke up was around the school bell chimed signaling the end of classes.
...This odd behavior of Satou continued for a month or two, right in front of Ichigo's eyes.
Why is he so passionate about that game? Ichigo gradually began to want to ask him. For some reason, he couldn't help but feel curious about Satou.
Then, on a certain day.
"Senpai, what game are you playing?"
Ichigo mustered up the courage and asked.
"Huh? It's Mobius Online."
"Is it that fun?"
"Yeah, it's really fun."
The above conversation they were able to have only happened during the 10-second gap of Satou's lunch period.
Ichigo had been secretly observing Satou's habits for more than two months and had figured out that this was the only time to have a conversation. Otherwise, Satou would always put his game first and foremost, and he realized that if he was not careful, he would be ignored.
Satou Shichirou, a weird senpai two years older. The game he plays is Mobius Online.
A large first page was added to Ichigo's Satou Observation Diary.
This was, for better or for worse, a fateful encounter for Ichigo.
One year passed since the school entrance. Ichigo became a second-year student, and Satou graduated.
When the new school year began, Ichigo was struck with an indescribable loneliness.
Satou didn't come to the infirmary. Although he had only spoken to him once, Ichigo observed Satou in his spare time, and his sense of loss was greater than expected. Yoshida-sensei, the school nurse, also seemed somewhat lonely as she worked.
At this moment, Ichigo's resolve hardened.
"Alright, let's try Mobius Online too."
...If meeting Satou was the biggest turning point in his life, this decision turned into the next biggest turning point. Why, you ask?
――Suzuki Ichigo, became addicted to Mobius Online.
It didn't matter if you were a man or a woman, it didn't matter how you looked, it didn't matter how you dressed, nobody would say anything, wouldn't be creeped out nor will avoid you. This was an ideal space――A virtual world where you could be whoever you wanted to be.
Ichigo, perhaps because of the reactions of his past, became a manly, sweaty, dandy-looking Heavy Knight with a shiny bald head, and adventured the world of Mobius day and night.
In pursuit of Satou's shadow――
Three years had passed since entering school. Suzuki Ichigo graduated from junior high and entered a nearby public high school.
With his academic ability, he could've aimed higher, for a more prestigious school, but he wanted to go to a bottom-ranked public school similar to his junior high.
The reason was simple. He had previously investigated and found out where Satou Shichirou was enrolled.()
It was around this time that Ichigo's stalker personality started to come out to light.
What was he chasing after Satou so hard? He wasn't sure himself, but he couldn't help being curious about Satou.
As a result, Ichigo entered the same high school, as Satou's kouhai.
However, soon after entering the school, Ichigo realized his own mistake.
In the first place, Satou didn't go to school at all.
Unlike junior high, high school was not compulsory education. It was not normal for students to go to the school infirmary, much less play games in the infirmary bed.
Thus, Ichigo also automatically became a truant.
However, he was exceptionally smart. He calculated in advance the number of days he would need to attend school, and made adjustments to ensure the minimum attendance so that he could graduate on time. Planned truancy, if you wish, calculated to the point he could miss the maximum amount of school.
He then devoted all of his available time to Mobius.
Then, he found him. Shichirou Satou. Or rather, his character, 『seven』 who was already the number one in the world.
After graduating from high school, Ichigo studied for the entrance exams while playing Mobius in his spare time, and was successfully accepted into the second course of science at Tokyo University.
As soon as he entered university, he left home and moved into a room next to the apartment where Shichirou Satou lived.
Obviously, he didn't tell Shichirou Satou about it, not intending to tell him later. He didn't even intend on meeting him face to face. It was just stalking, no, secret observation.
After that, Ichigo focused on stock trading for about three months to earn money for living expenses and tuition. He deposited an amount that would keep him out of trouble for the next 50 years, creating an environment in which he could devote his time to Mobius and Shichirou Satou without any concern.
At this time, Ichigo was starting to get on track.
Finally, he had ranked in the top 1,000 in the world in Mobius. His name, 『Framboise I』. Framboise was a French word meaning Raspberry (Kiichigo).
Ichigo, as Framboise I, lived in the world of Mobius like a man, being adored by everyone as a reliable old knight. He did many manly things that he had never done before. He set his voice to have an astringent dandy atmosphere and his manner of speaking was that of a quiet, clumsy, manly man.
Meanwhile, he continued to secretly observe seven. Both in Mobius and reality. He was still very curious about him. He couldn't relax unless he saw seven at least once a day, and the same happened unless he saw Satou at least once a week. Ichigo was definitely a stalker.
Then, one day.
There was a time when his university lectures dragged on and the timing of his log-in was 15 minutes later than usual.
...Coincidence or inevitability? The place where Ichigo happened to log in was just in front of where seven was walking by.
Up until now, Ichigo had been adjusting his time to avoid running into seven, stalking him without wasting time, and enjoying the observation that had become his "purpose in life". However, a gap of only 15 mins had caused him to come face to face with seven.
Ichigo had been playing Mobius for many years, but this was the first time he had met seven, Shichirou Satou, in the game. Obviously, Satou didn't know that Framboise I was his cross-dressing junior with whom he had spoken only once before in junior high. In the first place, he wouldn't know the name Suzuki Ichigo, that he was a cross-dresser, or even remember his face.
Ichigo froze for a minute due to the current situation.
Then, unfortunately, seven spoke to him.
"Huh? Weren't you the one wielding a large sword the other day in the Issenza matches?"
He was right.
Ichigo, who saw potential in the great sword, which was said to be disadvantageous in PvP, liked to use it.
And...The fact that seven even remembered that it was him was nothing short of thrilling for Ichigo.
Surprise after surprise. Hence, he was――just moved.
"Is that so! Did you see me, Senpai!? I'm so happy! ...Ah."
For a moment, Ichigo forgot that he was Framboise I.
It was a tone that fit more to Suzuki Ichigo, as he looked completely like a girl.
And right now, those girly words were blurted out from the mouth of a baldy old man.
Furthermore, although he was someone he should be meeting for the first time, he called him senpai.
...He'll think I'm creepy. Will avoid me. Will make fun of me. I'll be treated like a germ. And by senpai, of all people.
Ichigo's blood drained.
However, the words that came out from seven, were as always, completely opposite to what he expected.
"Alright, then how about we go to a dungeon together?"
What did "Alright" mean? What did "then" mean? What did "how about we go to a dungeon together" mean? Ichigo had no idea.
But...Deep inside, he unexpectedly understood one thing.
Despite being a man, Suzuki Ichigo was raised as a woman. And although he yearned for masculinity, he never stopped dressing as a woman and lived his life in such a contradictory manner.
But.
...Even then, being a man or a woman didn't matter.
Whether I'm a man or a woman, I think I love this person...