This Gender Reversed World Ain’t for Me (RSM)

"Did you release it?"

"I did."

"How many streams?"

"Zero."

"......"

"Don't sweat it, it's normal." Calista rolled her eyes, smoke billowing from her mouth. "It hasn't even been ten minutes."

I looked at the time again, ten minutes past midnight. Yes, because the release had gone up at midnight, which was Calista's call, not mine. Midnight on a Friday. I stared at the screen. Still zero.

'Is my song that bad?' I asked myself. Objectively speaking, it wasn't anything incredible, but neither was it a flop. The tune was catchy, especially with Calista's edits, and my voice was clean and, well, as perfect as anything else that belonged to this body.

The platform we decided on for the release was SoundWave, a digital streaming service that was popular among artists and music listeners alike. Most of it was free, but it had a subscription for higher-quality audio and a few other features.

Quite like Spotify, though unlike Spotify, it didn't feed you three ads every five minutes of listening.

They have a huge library of music and podcasts, and they're constantly updating their content. It was the perfect place for a new artist to make their debut. The only caveat was that the competition was fierce, and getting noticed was tough. Calista had assured me that we didn't have to worry about that, since I had a... different kind of leverage.

I wondered if that meant I'd have to take off my clothes and pose half-naked on the cover.

That might've boosted the numbers, but I hoped that it wouldn't come down to that.

Maybe I'd have to start an onlyfans on the side.

'No, Damien. Calm the fuck down.'

I took a deep breath, trying to ignore the sound of Calista's cigarette burning and the occasional tapping of her nails against the armrest of her chair.

It was a new song.

A new artist.

No one knew about it yet.

It would take time for people to discover it. I reminded myself that the goal wasn't to become a viral sensation overnight, but to build a steady foundation, a fanbase that would grow with me.

'Still... zero streams is a bit disheartening.'

Should I actually use some of my world's songs? I've held off because I wanted to succeed on my own.

"Stop looking at it." Calista said, blowing a ring of smoke. "It's bad for your mental health."

"I'm not even checking the numbers..." I leaned back on my chair, pouting. "I'm just wondering how long it'll take before someone actually listens to it."

"Don't worry about it." She insisted. "It'll happen."

I turned to look at her. She was lounging back on her chair, one leg crossed over the other, an ashtray on her lap. She looked so calm and composed.

"You're right." I sighed as I stood up; in this situation, it was best to be distracted. Kind of like looking at a download screen? It would only feel like it's taking forever if you just stare at it. If you don't stare, then it will feel much faster.

"Where are you going?"

"To get my mind off of this." I said, grabbing the door handle.

"Well, don't go far. I might need you for something."

"Like what?"

"Like..." She exhaled a cloud of smoke. "Just... I might need you."

I gave her a weird look, then shrugged. "I'll be in the living room if you need me."

I didn't think much of it.

…

Out in the hallway, I nearly collided with a wide-eyed Iris.

She gasped, clutching her chest dramatically. "Damien!"

"Iris... hi..." I mumbled, surprised by her sudden appearance. This late at night, I thought only Calista and I were awake—we weren't even being loud, so slim chances we kept the rest of the house up.

"What are you doing in Calista's room?" She whispered, looking behind me as if expecting some kind of monster to pop out of the door. "Did she let you in?"

"Yes?" I answered, confused. "Why wouldn't she? She was helping me with a song."

"She was helping you? With a song?" Iris' jaw nearly hit the floor, and I had the decency of closing it for her. "You've been making music with Calista?"

"Yeah... it's no big deal." I shrugged, trying to downplay it. She was making Calista sound like some monster.

Iris stared at me for a long moment. "I-I thought we were supposed to make something together too..."

I couldn't tell whether she was genuinely disappointed or if that pout was just for show. "I didn't forget, Iris. It's just... well, I got inspired, and the lyrics are, hmm, let's just say they're not very... safe."

She blinked, eyebrows shooting up to her hairline. "What do you mean not very safe, Damien?"

"It just means that they're not... typical." I scratched the back of my head, feeling a little awkward on how to explain to my sister what I had written. "They're a little... hmm... mature."

"......"

Iris' expression remained confused. "I'm not understanding...."

"And it's better that way." I gave her a quick smile.

"Does Mom know?"

"Not yet."

"Does Aunt Freya know?"

"Nope." I shook my head.

"Damien..." There was a flicker of concern on Iris' face. "Y-You should tell them..."

It was a big deal, I knew. Maybe I should just tell Mom and Freya, and get this over with, instead of waiting for them to find out on their own. But the fear of their reaction, especially if they didn't like it, kept me from doing so.

It wasn't a normal song, as even Calista kept trying to dissuade me every step of the way.

"I will... eventually." If it got too popular to the point of no return. If it didn't, I'd just treat it as a failure no one really had to know about. "But for now, let's keep it between us. Please?"

Iris pressed her lips together, not fully on-board, but after a moment, she relented.

"Fine."

"Thanks." I smiled gratefully and gave her shoulder a pat before turning to leave.

"But you do intend to do a song with me, right, Damien?"

I stopped. "Sure, Iris."

She caught my hand. "Promise me."

'Mm...'

There was a touch of desperation on her features. Her hands were clutching mine so hard it felt like she wanted to embed her fingerprints on my skin, which... wasn't an unwelcome notion, to be honest.

In a manner most unconscious, almost a little shameful, Iris slipped her fingertips to brush against my palm, curling to wrap lightly around my wrist.

"Yes, Iris. We'll do a song, whatever you want, whenever you want. Alright?"

The answer seemed to bring her immense pleasure, because immediately the sun rose within her and a joyous twinkle lit her up.

"Okay!" Her grin was blindingly bright. "Deal!"

I laughed. "Deal."

"I'll be waiting!" She beamed, squeezing my hand one more time before letting go. "Goodnight, Damien!"

"Night, Iris."

I watched her skip away, her footsteps light and happy. I couldn't help but crack a smile at that. She was the polar opposite of Calista, who was currently busy destroying her lungs and probably shortening her lifespan by five years with every puff she took.

As I approached the living room, I heard a faint noise coming from the direction of the kitchen. I peeked in, curious.

It was Freya, in her nightgown, a glass of water in her hand. She leaned against the fridge, taking slow sips. Her gaze was somewhere on the floor and it seemed like she was deep in thought.

"Can't sleep?"

She jumped a little, startled by my sudden appearance. "Oh, Damien." She put a hand over her chest. "You scared me."

"Sorry." I chuckled. "Didn't mean to."

"It's okay." She smiled, peeling herself off of the fridge door. "I was just getting a drink." She walked over to the kitchen island, where I was now leaning against. "What about you? You should be sleeping too."

I shrugged. "Can't sleep either."

Freya peered at me through half-lidded eyelids. Her body swayed gently, weight shifted on one leg, as her head tilted scrutiny. Then she leaned right across from me. "I hope it's not another nightmare."

"Nah, not a nightmare." I assured her. Yeah, I could only imagine how a 'nightmare' would be a nightmare for them. It was what supposedly made OG Damien do 180, so me having another nightmare would probably reset me back to square one or something?

I shook my head.

"Then what is it?"

"Waiting for something." I replied vaguely.

"Oh? Waiting for what?"

The glint in her eyes and the smirk on her lips were so damn sexy that I couldn't believe this woman probably went on for most her life without a man actually courting her with anything less than a bouquet of fucking gold.

"It's a surprise." I smiled back, puffing up my chest because damn it, I was a pseudo-singer with my first release.

'I should celebrate, shouldn't I?'

Then I was reminded of the brutal zero still waiting for me upstairs.

"Well, you might find out about it soon enough." I ended with a small shrug.

"Hmm... I'll look forward to it, then." She said, taking another sip of her water. "Don't keep me waiting too long, though. I'm an impatient woman."

I chuckled.

She finished her drink, put the glass in the sink, and turned to face me again. "Want me to make you something to drink?"

"I'm good, Aunt." I shook my head. "But thanks."

"Alright." She nodded, and then, without warning, she reached out and smoothed my hair, her fingers gently brushing through the strands. "You should get some sleep. You need your beauty sleep."

"Beauty sleep?"

"Of course." Freya smiled. "All men need their beauty sleep."

I laughed. "You think I need it?"

"I think you could use it." She teased. "Though I doubt you'd look any less handsome even if you didn't sleep for days."

"Ah, yes, my unaging, pretty boy genes, at your service." I flashed a crooked grin.

Freya made a tsking noise. "Go to bed, handsome. Unless you're still waiting for something...?"

I glanced back at the hallway where Calista's room was. It's been fifteen minutes. No updates yet.

I sighed. "Not at all. I'll go soon."

"Then hurry along." Freya patted me on the cheek, chuckling.

"Good night, Auntie. Sleep well."

"Good night." Freya murmured back with a small yawn. She gave me one last drowsy, heart-stopping smile before walking down the hallway, presumably towards her own bedroom, then stopped halfway. "Right, I forgot." She turned towards me.

"Yes, Aunt?"

She made an inquiring hum, looking at me through half-closed eyelids. "Tomorrow don't go to the gym."

"Why not?"

"What do you mean? We have to go there to donate."

"Donate what?"

I frowned.

"Your sperm, obviously."

Freya said it like it was the most obvious thing.

"Wait, what?" I shot her a confused, almost offended look. "Why?"

"Because it's your duty to reproduce." She stated plainly, as if the mere concept of me not giving up my seed was the most absurd thing in the world. "You're a man, Damien. Your genetics are valuable. Also, this isn't the first time you did it, so what's the big deal?"

Not the first time, she says.

I can't fucking remember it, though!

I was so dumbfounded that I barely managed a response. "But... I thought it wasn't mandatory?" I didn't even know what I was saying anymore; I remembered that brief petition online by, what, 180 thousand women?

A petition, which meant it hadn't been implemented yet. A request, not an order.

"Well, you're a registered male, with all the benefits and privileges that entails, and one of those benefits is the responsibility to donate. Unregistered males don't have to, but likewise, they also don't get the same perks. Think about it~ there are many men out there who don't, hmm, how do I put it in a less crude way? Well, they're not really interested in going all the way with a female, so the state relies on donation centers."

I blinked slowly, processing the information. "So you're telling me that, on a regular basis, I'm supposed to go to some clinic or donation center to jizz in a cup for the sake of... procreation?"

"Pretty much." Freya nodded, unfazed by my bluntness. "It's not that hard. They'll give you a cup and some videos, and you just... do your thing."

I stared at her in disbelief. "Just do my thing."

"Exactly. Oh, and it's not really on a regular basis."

"What do... what do they do with it?"

A dumb question, I know, but I wanted to hear it from Freya's mouth.

"They're sold." She explained. "That's how you get your Male Welfare Stipend, after all."

My stomach dropped.

"You're saying that all my, my... sperm, is sold to women who want to have a child?"

"Well, to those who can afford them." Freya winked. "You are, after all, a highly sought after specimen. That's why, try to get some sleep, alright? You need your energy for tomorrow. We'll go in the morning, bright and early. It won't take long."

I stared at her, mouth agape. She just patted my cheek and walked away.

"......"

I've been so caught up in the whole gender dynamics and societal norms that I completely forgot that my sperm was treated like gold in this world.

I was left there, wondering for how long this farce had been going on, and how deep I've been in this shit without knowing.

'Am I actually a father? How many children do I have?'

I think I'm going to be sick.

Shit, I just wanted to celebrate my song's debut, why the fuck did Aunt Freya have to drop this bomb on me tonight?

I rubbed my forehead, trying to ease the sudden headache. I needed to sit down. I needed to process this. I stumbled back into the living room, my legs suddenly feeling like jelly.

As I sank onto the couch, I pulled out my phone, opening the SoundWave app. I needed a distraction. Come on, at least one fucking listener. Just one!

I checked the statistics.

"......"

One look at the screen and my breath caught in my throat.

One thousand streams.

I couldn't help but let out a disbelieving laugh.