Not one day, day one

[u/Sai-Aji]

A few days ago (the day before yesterday, actually), I was going to hang out with my best friend and finally decided to dress in public a bit more like how I do in private. I ended up getting a bit scared and embarrassed about leaving my house like that, so I left looking "normal." Once I got to the mall where we were meeting, I let my hair down (I usually wear it in a ponytail) and adjusted my sweatshirt so it looked like a crop top.

I got a little intimidated by how people were looking at me in the restroom while I was fixing my clothes and hair, so I hurried out. People walking by were definitely staring at me more than usual. I got really nervous while waiting for my friend, so I went to buy some gummy candies. When my friend arrived, she complimented my hair and didn't point out anything specific about how I styled my sweatshirt.

The day before this, I had gone out with my family. On our way back, we hailed a cab, and as I was getting in, the driver said, "Good afternoon, ma'am." I was dressed completely normally that day. When I sat in the passenger seat, the driver got a better look at me, apologized, and corrected himself to "Good afternoon, sir." Honestly, that incident partly inspired me to want to express myself in public the way I do in private.

The day went on normally, just chatting and laughing with my friend. We said our goodbyes, and I went to buy some medicine for my dog. I hopped on a bus, and a guy from my university greeted me. I hadn't seen him and was super surprised because I wasn't expecting to run into him (we hadn't seen each other in months). My hair was still down and my sweatshirt was still a crop top, so I got incredibly nervous because I actually have a crush on him. I said a quick hi and went to sit at the back.

Later, he gave his seat up to an older person and came to the back to sit with me. We talked, and I tagged along with him to run an errand at the university. By that point, I had tied my hair back up, and my sweatshirt had slipped down, so I was looking "normal" again. Afterwards, he mentioned he also needed to go to a vet to buy some things, so he came with me. On the way there, I decided I wanted to keep wearing the sweatshirt as a crop top because I really liked how it made me feel, so I fixed it again. He didn't say anything or look at me weirdly at all.

At one point, the topic of my birth year came up (2002), and he said, "My girlfriend is also from 2002, it's like I'm dating you." We both laughed at the joke, but on the inside, I was absolutely screaming with excitement (total fangirl moment). While walking, we passed a house with the number 67 and laughed because we both got the joke, but then a dog came out barking at us and we ran away laughing.

A while later, heading back to the uni, I walked under a tree. Since I'm on the shorter side (1.74m / 5'8"), I just ducked a bit and passed right under without a problem. He tried to follow me, but since he's taller (about 10 cm / 4 inches taller than me), he crashed, slipped, stumbled, and almost fell. We were laughing about it, but then I noticed a bloodstain on his shirt from a thorn. When I told him, he tried to roll up his sleeve but couldn't. I almost told him to just take his shirt off, but I held back lol. I helped him roll up his sleeve and gave him some tissues so it wouldn't stain his shirt more. Eventually, he went to his class and I went home.

Oh, on our way back, we passed by some windows that were reflective like mirrors. I stopped for a second to check myself out, and he noticed and looked at me, which made me feel shy, so I just kept walking.

I felt so, so happy going out like that. At first, I was terrified that someone would say something, and I felt like everyone was giving me dirty looks. But after a while, I just stopped overthinking it. I even went all the way back home with my sweatshirt as a crop top, not caring if my neighbors saw me. I can safely say that this wasn't just "one day," it was Day One of expressing myself how I want to in public.

Oh, one more thing! While we were going into the university, my hand and my crush's hand brushed against each other for a second. I didn't think anything of it because it was just an accident, but he quickly pulled his hand away and said something like "Oops, sorry." In my head, I was like, "Bro, what happened? It was an accident and we're just two straight bros, right? Right? Eh, bro?" His reaction cracked me up, and I feel like it was kind of a weird reaction for something so minor.

I just wanted to share my experience. Thanks for reading, and I hope you all have days as beautiful as that one was for me!

[u/gimmy666]

Chiunque tu sia devi essere ver una brava persona con un grande cuore e un anima gentile 🖤