Pretending to be a woman is a much more difficult task than what I've thought before. I am barely able to pass my first week safely, with a couple incidents almost blowing my cover. First, there was the time when I, out of reflex, went into the gent toilet. I didn't realize what I was doing wrong when all the occupants screeched in horror until I saw my reflection on the mirror. It took me a couple seconds before I apologized fervently, earning snickers from many of them. However, they let it slide, probably because my smile swept them of their feet. Foolish peasants. Some of the boys still teases and wolf-whistle at me until today, but, whatever. They probably have never witness such perfection like me gracing their sights.

The second one is the outfit. I believe I have shared my discomfort with the usage of free-hanging outer garments called skirts, but girly tops aren't exactly better either. I need to use turtle-necks all the time because I have my Adam's apple to hide, but using that under layers of other tops, like cardigans or boleros and sometimes cropped tees, makes me really sweaty. And the make-ups, ugh, those are the worse. It always takes me hours to completely apply all those crap on my--already perfect--face and when I am done, it makes my poor little pores become suffocated for the whole day. And don't get me started on those purely evil creations that go with the name high-heels, because they are the ones which should be credited for the angry blisters starting to form on my formerly flawless feet. It is kind of clear why my roommate, Jihye, chooses boyish attires over the kind that I'm wearing as they are clearly more comfortable.

Speaking of her, Kim Jihye is really going to be the death of me. I need to repeatedly remind myself that she is a member of the opposite gender and not the other way around. Not only that she looks like a boy, but she acts like one too; and worse, she is a chivalrous one. She is always letting me do everything first, even when picking which bed to sleep on at our bunk bed. And it is bad for me, because I'm a er for gallant guys as well. All the qualities that I want in a guy are in her, too bad she is a female.

I shake my head and climb on the side ladder of our bed, reaching for my place. It is almost midnight and both of us have just finished studying. It is true that I did graduate from my undergraduate degree with -laude, but it has been years since I last touched an econometric book so I need to refresh my memory a little bit. Jihye is still in the bathroom, brushing her teeth and doing everything necessary before going to bed since she has let me do my routine first--of course, being such a gentleman she is.

I shake my head again. I shouldn't be thinking of her too much. She is a girl but I am a gay, so I am not supposed to be attracted at her, but she is just too damn manly. Damn.

I am too deep in my thought that I accidentally lose my footing and let out a girly-manly shriek--I'm a manly man by nature, okay. I am expecting the cold, hard wooden floor crashing on my , when a pair of hands firmly secures my waist in place. I hold the stairs for dear life but my grip weakens when I feel a warm breath from behind my ear.

"Be careful, Lulu."

. I feel the hair behind my neck rises at her soothing voice. How a female voice could sound like that? It is silky and deep, yet still hinting subtle femininity.

I nod soundlessly and tighten my grasp on the wooden bar before lurching upward into my bed. "Good night," I manage to mutter, secretly grateful that I am not stuttering because my heart is still beating in an irrationally quick pace after the incident.

"Sweet dreams," she replies cheerily, increasing her tone by a couple notes so that it sounds girlier.

I sigh in frustration as I reprimand myself.

She is a girl, damn it.

TBC

AN: hi. Himalayancat here. here is an update for the story. ^^

Thank you for the 23 subbies and the comments, and of course you. ^^

Tell me how you feel about the story in the comment box below. ^^

with love,

himalayancat