AU: This story loosely follows the plotline of the game Katawa Shoujo, with one critical difference: the male main character, Hisao Nakai, is now the very female main character, Hisako Nakai. Additionally, many scenes that align closely with the main work may appear to be very different, written as a byproduct of a six month-old memory and a desire to not plagiarize more than is strictly necessary for fanfiction. In such scenes, the author of this story will be taking creative liberties (read: complete and utter fabrications). If you would like to complain, please feel free to send the author an e-mail regarding your thoughts at sballmer@microsoft.com.

Thank you, and enjoy.

~~~

Cold winter air bites through my pantyhose, sending a shiver through my body. Briefly, I reflect upon my hatred of skirts in the winter. I hug myself, desperate to conserve warmth while I wait for my mystery admirer in the snow.

It has to be a confession, right? I carefully unfold the note and read it for the umpteenth time. Four o'clock, clearing behind the school. Why else would you want to meet someone alone in a place like this? Only now I was starting to suspect that the handwriting was a little too flowery to be a confession note written by a boy...

...So did that mean a girl was in love with me?

My heart thumped a loud beat in protest.

I'm probably overthinking things. The note looks like it was written by a girl, so maybe she just needs help with her homework. Which is why she called me out to the woods. Nevermind that I'm an average student at best...

"Hi... Hisako?"

I'm rescued from my own train of thought by a soft voice. A decidedly feminine voice, and one that I instantly recognize as belonging to Iwanako. My heartbeat starts to quicken; I know for sure she doesn't need homework help from me.

"Iwanako... You wrote this?" I hold up the note feebly. Could Iwanako like me? The possibility flickers through my mind. Although we're both girls... It's not as if I don't admire her, and maybe there's some attraction there, but a relationship? Dating? My heart starts pounding so hard I think it's trying to escape.

"Yes, I wrote it." Iwanako lowers her head. Is she blushing? Oh, dear. Am I blushing?

A frigid breeze blows through the clearing, causing the two of us to mirror each other in wrapping our arms around ourselves. I'm surprised when she looks up at me, eyes burning with determination. I try to say something, but I'm so nervous I can't even speak.

"Hisako, I..."

*TH-THUMP*

"I really like you..."

*TH-THUMP*

"Please go ou--"

*TH-THUMP*

Iwanako says something else, but I can't make out the words. My chest is on fire, and all I can hear is the sound of my heart hammering away in my rib cage.

My legs suddenly give out, and I'm left on my knees, hands tearing at my sweater. I look up to Iwanako, who is silenty screaming in panic. I try to beg for help, but the words won't force their way out. I barely have time to wonder what is happening before my vision fades to black.


~~~


That was four months ago. My first and, so far, only heart attack. The doctor in the hospital had said it was a miracle that I'd gone so long without any incidents. Personally, I think it was a miracle that I managed to spend four months in the hospital without hanging myself with an IV to escape the boredom of it all.

I suppose I have my newfound reading habit to thank for keeping me alive, as much as the doctors.

And then there was Iwanako... Several times she came to the hospital to visit me, but we never talked. Something was different about her after my heart attack. There wasn't any sign of the vibrant, cheerful Iwanako I'd come to admire. After a few weeks she just stopped showing up entirely.

I think the last time I ever really saw her was that fateful day in the snow. The Iwanako in the hospital was more a zombie than a person.

I try to shake the memory of the hospital visit from my head. Nobody, including myself, needs to see that a second time.

Here and now, I'm standing before the iron gates of Yamaku Academy, the boarding school for cripples that my parents have seen fit to ship me off to.

There's a sharp pang of guilt for that thought, but I have trouble seeing it any other way. I just wish I had a choice in the matter of enrolling here.

It's far too late for me to do anything about it now, I suppose. I take a deep breath and step through the gates into my new life.

Well, that was easy. I take a quick look around the grounds, getting my bearings.

Let's see... Those must be the male and female dorms, there's the track field I remember hearing about, not that I'll get much use out of it, I'm sure. That leaves the main school building, where I should be heading if I don't want to be late on my first day as a transfer student.

I briefly entertain the thought of skipping, before the thought of my parents' reaction replaces it. Better not. I set off for the main building at a brisk walk. As I approach, I can't help but feel there's something about the architecture that seems somehow familiar.

A refreshing blast of air conditioning greets me as I pass through the front doors. A welcome relief, given that I'm still wearing the button-up sweater that was part of my old school's winter uniform.

In the main lobby there's a scruffy-looking man wearing a long coat, with a thick binder tucked under one arm. He glances up from checking his watch and steps forward to greet me.

"You must be... Nagei?"

"Nakai," I respond.

The man nods slowly. "I'm Mutou, your homeroom teacher. Welcome to Yamaku Academy." He checks his watch again and frowns. "Hrm. The head nurse wanted to see you for a check-in, but it looks like that's going to have to wait."

I look around the inside of the lobby while Mutou talks, and I realize why the school seems familiar when he mentions the nurse; it reminds me of a hospital. I'm just used to seeing it from the inside.

Now there's a grim thought.

"Ah, well. You can see him after classes today. We should get going, I wouldn't want to make my newest student late on her first day." Mutou offers a small smile which I tentatively return. He seems nice enough, although a little awkward.

Mutou leads me up two flights of stairs. To my shame, I'm somewhat out of breath as we reach the third floor. I blame my extended stay in the hospital. He stops before a door labeled 3-3, holding up a hand.

"I suppose a young lady would want to introduce yourself to the class. Give me a moment."

With that, he opens the door and steps through the frame, leaving the door open. "Good morning, class. Sorry for being tardy, but we have a new student today."

Wait, what? Don't I get any say in this? Or at least a chance to think up a self-introduction? Did he assume I want to introduce myself because I'm a girl? I don't really have time to come up with answers to these questions, given that Mutou's stopped talking and there's the general feeling of a lot of people waiting for me to walk into the classroom. Just another thing I get no say in. Typical.

Walking into the classroom, I'm greeted by a dozen-odd expectant faces, including Mutou's. I guess I should say something.

"Uh... Hi. I'm Hisako Nakai."

Then what?

"I liked to read and play soccer."

Then what?

"Um. Please take good care of me."

At this point Mutou takes over, sensing my desperation. He mentions my old school before I zone out and cast my gaze over the room. So these are my new classmates.

Most of the girls are talking quietly amongst themselves or otherwise ignoring me, having dismissed me as a potential threat. A few of the boys, however, are staring at me.

One with a beret and a bandage over an ear is resting his chin in his palm and scowling at me. It doesn't seem malicious, he just gives off the feeling that he would really rather be elsewhere. I can't say I blame him. I'm about to look away, but he does so first, though not without rolling his eyes.

There's a red-haired boy sitting further back, relaxing in his chair. He smiles when I look at him and gives me a little wave. I turn my head quickly, hoping he didn't catch the faint blush on my cheeks. It nearly causes me to miss the thick cane leaning against the lockers beside him, and am reminded that this is a school for the disabled.

I don't have time to mill about this before I'm surprised by a head of vibrant pink hair that I somehow managed to miss until now. The girl that it's attached to is waving her hands at the bespectacled girl next to her. Behind them, a larger boy with mismatched arms is snoring in defiance to Mutou droning on about me.

Speaking of which, I'm brought back from my reverie by Mutou addressing me by name.

"You can sit near Hakamichi. She's the student council president, and cap help you with any questions you have." He gestures towards an empty chair next to the pink-haired girl, who I now see has styled her hair into highly noticable drills. She's waving furiously at me.

Good lord.

I take my seat as Mutou dives into his lecture.

"So... Hakamichi, right?" I ask the girl in a voice barely above a whisper. I immediately regret it.

"WAHAHA~!" Her response floors me. Apparently I'm not quite used to this school and its residents, because nobody else so much as bats an eyelash. Mutou didn't even bother to pause his lecture.

"No, no, I'm Misha. This is Hakamichi!" She brings her voice down to a reasonable level and waves a hand at the girl next to her, who looks up from her notebook at the movement.

Hakamichi stares at me for several seconds, then makes a few quick movements with her hands and returns her attention to her work.

"Nice to meet you," Misha puffs out her cheeks and takes her voice lower, saying this, "but please save the questions for after class." I'm confused, until I realize she was translating sign language. Does that mean the president is deaf?

"Don't worry about Shicchan, she's just super serious about school. Nice to meet you, Hicchan~!" I wince at hearing that nickname. Only my parents call me that, and I can barely stand when they use it.

[ ] "Hicchan? Seriously?"
[ ] Pay attention to the lesson.

~~~

[X] "Hicchan? Seriously?"

"Really? Why Hicchan, 'Micchan'?" I try to add a little malice to the question, but I don't think I'm mean enough to pull it off. Misha doesn't seem to notice either way.

"Hrm..." She pouts and furrows her brow. It's kind of cute, like a small puppy. "Dunno! You just seem like a Hicchan to me!"

"Miss Mikado, I don't mean to interrupt, but would you care to listen to my lesson for once?" Mutou, apparently, is fed up with Misha's volume. The two of us shrink in our seats, and Mutou turns back to the blackboard.

Misha gives me a sheepish grin, then sticks her tongue out and knocks on her head. "Oopsie~"

I can't help but chuckle at the display.

~~~

[X] Pay attention to the lesson.

"Nice to meet you too, but the president is right, we should talk after class." I jerk my head towards Mutou while keeping my voice quiet, which Misha seems incapable of doing.

Thankfully, she takes the hint and responds with a nod, and I'm able to focus on the lesson. Some of it looks familiar, but four months out of school is bound to leave me pretty far behind. I don't have to be happy about being forced into this school, but at least I can home to keep my grades up...