CHAPTER 1

IRISH POV

“Let go of him, right now.”

A voice came from behind me, but what really slapped me in the face was ‘HIM’. Did he just call me him?

Damn!

Right. That’s who I am now. Not Irish, not a she. I am Idris, a he.

If I want to survive this prestigious college with my secret intact, I need to keep reminding myself of that every single second.

The guy who had been bullying me earlier didn’t wait around. He backed off and went away. I turned slowly, ready to thank my unexpected savior.

Holy God.

This boy… No, this man looked like he walked straight out of a Greek mythology book. He was more than cute, probably the most flawless face I have ever seen.

I cursed under my breath.

How on earth could someone be this unfairly handsome?

“Are you okay?” His voice dragged me back to reality.

Shit. I hoped he didn’t notice the way I had been staring, or worse, drooling. Because that would be next-level awkward.

“I’m good. Thank you,” I said quickly.

“You seem new?”

I nodded, eyes still fixed to the ground. I didn’t dare look up again. Standing this close to him, I felt even smaller than I usually did. I’d always been petite, but next to him, it was like David and Goliath, if David had boobs he was trying to tape down.

“Good,” he said, and then, just like that, turned and walked off.

Leaving me there, with two heavy-ass luggages.

Seriously?

“Couldn’t he have lent a hand?” I muttered to no one.

The main building loomed over me like a maze from a bad dream. Map in hand, I squinted at the lines and arrows like I was trying to decode ancient symbols. I’ve never been good with directions.

After what felt like hours, I finally found my way: Block D, Room 12.

I knocked once. My heart was beating faster than it should. I had no clue what kind of roommate I’d be dealing with. If they found out what I was hiding…

The door swung open, revealing a tall, lean guy with dreadlocks and a mischievous grin.

“Hey. I’m Idris. I was assigned to this room.”

He studied me. I held my breath, praying my voice hadn’t slipped into something too soft, too feminine. I’d practiced deepening my tone for weeks before coming here. Still, it wasn’t perfect.

Then he grinned and slapped my back hard. “Welcome, man! I’m Dave. Finally, I get some company in this lonely-ass room.”

“Ouch!” The word escaped before I could stop it. That hit hurt.

“Sorry, bro! Didn’t mean to go full Hulk on you.” He grabbed one of my bags and pulled it inside. “That’s my bed, and that over there is yours. Bathroom’s through that door, kitchen’s tiny but works. I’ve got football training in a few. Was just heading out when you knocked.”

And just like that, he was gone.

I dropped onto my bed with a heavy sigh. My ribs ached from the chest binder. I couldn't wait to peel it off and breathe like a human again. Thank God my chest was small enough to compress, but my hips and butt? Different story. Thank heavens for oversized jeans.

As I lay there, I heard voices echo in my head. Memories I’d tried to shove down.

“You can’t do this, Irish. What if you get caught? This is impersonation. Irish…”

I sat up fast. I needed a shower.

*********

It was my first official day as a student. I woke up early, earlier than Dave, to shower, bind, and get dressed without any risk.

Apparently, it’s tradition for new students to introduce themselves to the class. Lucky me.

My palms were sweaty as I stood at the front, facing a room full of unfamiliar faces. “Good morning, everyone. We have someone new. He will introduce himself,” the professor in glasses said kindly, turning to me. “Please, go on.”

I stepped forward. My throat went dry.

“Hi… I’m Iri…I mean, Idris.” I smiled tightly. “I’m more than excited to be here.”

The silence that followed was brutal. Eyes roamed over me, dissecting me like a biology experiment. Then someone laughed.

“Is it just me, or does he look and sound like a girl?” the boy snorted. “Oops! We’ve got a mummy’s boy in the building!”

The room exploded in laughter.

Except three people didn’t laugh: The professor, now visibly annoyed, Dave, sitting in the back, fuming, and him, the guy from yesterday.

“Morris!” the professor snapped. “Behave yourself. Idris, please take your seat.”

I turned to find my seat, only to see a girl already in it. She looked at me like I was some kind of dirt stuck to her shoe. I was about to retreat to the back when I heard that voice again.

“Sit.”

He had spoken.

He had made space beside him.

I walked over like I was floating. My heart was in my throat. I sat beside him, stiff and shocked. In my head, fireworks went off. This was peak K-drama. The prince saves the princess, except I wasn’t a princess here, not anymore.

Snap out of it, Irish. He sees you as a guy. That’s the whole point.

The rest of the day went on like a blur. I skipped lunch. Didn’t want to risk running into another bully.

But during a break between classes, it happened.

“Hey… Idris, right?” A girl cornered me, biting her lip in a way that was clearly meant to be cute.

“I think you’re so cute.”

What? Was she… flirting with me?

I blinked. “Uh… Thank you. You’re… pretty too.”

She giggled. “Really? Do you have a girlfriend? I’m 21. Probably the youngest in the class. So, do you like older girls?” She kept going, and going, and half the time I wasn’t even listening. I just wanted her hands off me. The more she leaned in, the more my stomach turned.

This was harder than I thought.

Thank God the bell rang; the break was over, and just a few more classes, we were done for the day.

But just as I was about to leave my seat for the day, it hit me, a sudden cramp. A slow, sinking feeling in my stomach, and then the realization.

No! No! No!

The damn period.

Today, of all freaking days.

And I was wearing white pants.

“Irish… I am so gone.”