Event before Chapter 1
***
"Ugh…"
I held up the piece of toilet paper—now smeared with blood.
It looked bad.
BUT IT WAS EVEN WORSE THAN IT LOOKED!!
"Peter! Why are you still in the bathroom and not coming out?" Aunt May's voice called.
"Huh?! Ah, I just… uhhh… uhhhhhhhh—"
"What's wrong, dear?"
"…Nothing, Aunt May. It's just… do you have, like, a pad or something? I just need to borrow one…"
The silence on the other side of the door made Peter's face burn with embarrassment and dread.
"…I respect your privacy, Peter, but—"
"No! You misunderstood! That's not what I meant!!"
After a while, I came out of the bathroom. Aunt May was standing right there, looking at me.
"Peter… what exactly did you mean?"
Seeing her eyes made me even more self-conscious.
'Should I tell her? That I…'
Hemorrhoids.
*NO! I'D RATHER DIE THAN SAY THAT OUT LOUD! THIS IS SO EMBARRASSING!!*
"I just… need something to, uh… put under… my butt."
"Oh, hemorrhoids? Why didn't you say so earlier?" Aunt May's gentle smile returned, which only made me want to crawl into a hole and disappear.
"Lucky for you! We might run out of many things in this house, but sanitary pads? We've got plenty! Here, take these!"
She handed me five boxes of Kotex.
"…Why so many, Aunt May?"
"Oh, ask Uncle Ben about that."
"???"
I stared at the five boxes, gritted my teeth, and made up my mind.
First things first — buy hemorrhoid medicine.
Only an idiot would just sit there and endure it.
***
"Phew… calm down… no one's gonna notice I'm wearing a pad… definitely no one will…"
I forced a smile and walked down the hallway.
As usual, when the other students saw me, they laughed. Some even insulted me right to my face, not caring at all.
It's fine. I'm used to it.
…Though hearing it every day still stings.
"Ha!"
A voice rang out as someone bumped into me.
Instantly, I felt it — the slow healing at my butt tore open again.
"…"
I was on the verge of tears. It hurt *so much*!
"Oh, sorry—huh? Oh, it's just Peter. Never mind, then."
That guy sneered at me, not an ounce of remorse on his face.
"…," I gritted my teeth, trying to stand up despite the pain.
He frowned — surprised.
Peter Parker being quiet? That was rare.
Short, skinny, nerdy Peter — the guy who never shut up — suddenly silent?
No way.
Could it be…?!
He smirked, slinging an arm around my shoulder.
"What's wrong, huh? You mad?"
"?"
"Haha, I can tell by your face! Can't believe it — the day's finally come! The day I pissed off the nerdy, wimpy chatterbox! I'm the *first* guy to make you mad, huh?! HAHA!"
"Huh? What's so impressive about that? Did your brain melt into a puddle of pig slop or something?" I shot back flatly.
…
"Ah—" I quickly covered my mouth, realizing what I just said.
Everyone around us froze, jaws dropping.
I never talked that rudely before. (what?)
"YOU!" the guy shouted, winding up for a punch.
'God damnit.'
Just before the blow could land, a hand caught his wrist.
"Did I say you could touch Peter?"
Harry.
"H-Harry! I thought—"
"Thought what? That I wouldn't show up when my friend's in trouble? Watch your mouth."
His glare sharpened as he tightened his grip, making the guy yelp.
"AGHHH! IT HURTS! OKAY, OKAY, I'M SORRY!!"
"Get lost!"
Harry kicked him right in the ass, sending him flying.
Then Harry turned his glare on the onlookers, and they all scattered instantly.
"Phew… Peter, you okay?" he asked, looking back at me.
Harry's brows furrowed.
"Y-y-yeah… I'm fine…" I stammered, sweating bullets.
Harry blinked.
'The fuck? Why does Peter seem… more feminine than usual?'
Peter was a good-looking guy — even with the glasses, his face was sharp, masculine, undeniably handsome.
Yeah, handsome — not pretty-boy, not feminine.
But today…
Why did his face look… kinda cute?
'Okay, that sounds super gay,' Harry thought, shaking his head before glancing back at Peter.
"Huh?" I looked at Harry suspiciously.
Dude, do I look like someone fit enough to play basketball with you? And why today of all days?
"Our team's short on players right now," Harry said, flashing me a thumbs-up and a grin. "Don't worry, we just need someone to fill the spot—you won't have to do much!"
"I refuse."
"Huh?! Why??"
'Dude! I have hemorrhoids!' I gritted my teeth, unwilling to say it out loud.
"Come on, Peter! Please!" Harry grabbed my leg, begging dramatically.
"Let go!" I tried to push him off.
"I won't!"
"So that's what you call friendship, huh?! Ignoring my decisions?!" I glared at him, fuming.
"But… we've been friends since we were kids…"
"…"
Okay, this relationship was way past normal friendship now.
Just a little more push, and this totally straight bond would start looking… colorful.
"No means no—"
"Welcome to the basketball court!" Harry clapped my shoulder as I suddenly noticed everyone around was already in basketball uniforms.
"Huh?? Since when??" I looked down at the uniform I was somehow wearing, then at the cheering crowd.
HOW?!
"Well, well, if it isn't Peter!"
A familiar mocking voice rang out.
It was Flash Thompson, my number one bully.
"Flash," Harry said coldly, glaring at their team, "Peter's just standing in for now. I suggest you don't target him."
"Nice joke, Harry," Flash sneered. "But this is a battlefield—and the weak die first!"
IT'S A BASKETBALL GAME, NOT A WAR!
"The match begins!" the referee shouted.
"HEY WAIT, I DIDN'T EVEN AGREE—"
"WHAT ARE YOU STANDING AROUND FOR, KID?! GET OUT THERE OR I'LL BREAK YOUR LEGS!" the coach barked right in my face.
"I SAID I WANNA SI—"
Before I could finish, Flash charged toward me with the ball like a wild animal.
"DIE, PETER!"
He shoved me hard, sending me crashing to the floor.
Of course, the crowd burst into laughter.
My team sighed in defeat, theirs jeered in triumph, and Harry rushed toward me—
while Flash leapt up to dunk the ball.
…Man, this is just unfair.
And then—something fell out of my pants.
Everyone froze.
"TAKE THAT!" Flash shouted, slamming the ball through the hoop. His team get a score—
but the crowd didn't cheer.
"Ha! See that, Harry? You brought this weakling Peter and now I'm already ahead! You should just give up on your friendship with—"
Flash stopped. The whole gym was silent. Both teams stared—not at him, but at me.
"Huh? What's with you guys? Why're you all looking at the weakling? What, is he crying or—"
Flash cut himself off.
His eyes widened when he looked down.
Lying there on the floor…
was a blood-stained sanitary pad.
"…"
"…"
"…"
I tried to stand up, trembling, blood trickling down my leg.
"I… I can explain—" I stammered, panicking.
Because if I didn't… everyone would think I was some kind of freak!
"I—"
"Peter."
Harry's voice trembled slightly.
"W-what is it?" I asked, terrified. I could feel everything between us about to collapse.
"You…" Harry stepped closer, eyes wide.
"I'm not—" I started to explain—
"You've been a girl this whole time, haven't you?"
"…Huh?"
Huh? What are you even talking about? Do I look like a girl to you?
Seriously—everyone could literally see my chest through this basketball jersey.
How the hell do I look like a girl??
"Harry—"
"Peter… you don't have to say anything. I just… didn't expect you'd been a girl all this time…"
"Dude, I'm not!"
"I understand… I understand."
YOU UNDERSTAND NOTHING!
"Wait… that blood, could it be…?"
"No mistake—it's her period. Menstrual cycle, ovulation, whatever."
"So… the person we've been bullying all this time…"
"Now I feel awful…"
Voices whispered all around the bleachers. I was sweating buckets.
The coach—who had been screaming at me like a demon just minutes ago—was now looking at me with immense guilt.
"…I'm sorry."
"…Uh, yeah. Okay."
Both my teammates and the opposing team looked at me like they'd just kicked a puppy.
Then the referee marched toward Flash, who was still frozen in place.
"Flash, I'll be reporting this to the principal. You're suspended."
"W-WHAT?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN?! WHY ME—"
Thunk!
A soda can hit Flash right in the head.
He turned toward the stands, but the faces staring back were furious—like they all wanted to skin him alive.
"See? Think about what you've done during your suspension," the referee said, patting his shoulder as Flash turned pale.
After Flash was escorted out, the match resumed…
But the mood was completely different.
Everyone was gentle now.
The opposing team even *passed* me the ball and let me score.
My own team supported me constantly—handing me water, wiping my sweat.
Harry even lifted me up so I could dunk the ball.
Sure, it was cheating… but no one said a word.
We crushed the other team by a massive margin.
They didn't complain—in fact, they left quietly, even handing me bottled water on their way out.
Everyone cheered for our team's "victory."
"…"
…Do I really look that much like a girl?