CH 7

“…”

Time is oddly drifting slowly, and I can feel it.

Well, no, time itself has been constant.

I suppose it’s merely my inability to face and grasp the reality that has resulted in this, as my brain is seeking time to collect its thoughts.

Yeah, but you know what? Despite this change in my chest, as long as that part of my body is intact, I may be able to maintain my manly dignity in all sorts of ways.

It might also restore my spirit.

“…”

[Hmm?]

So for the time being, I press down on the magnificent size breasts, which are both extremely soft and at the same time firm and resilient, and check out my crotch area.

“…”

[Oh, you’re awake.]

I have a feeling that I can hear Ys’ voice, but I disregard it for now and confirm it thoroughly.

“…”

[Well, it seems that both Akira and I have been saved somehow. I am glad.]

After confirming the fact, the only thing I dare to say is that there are only white, almost invisible hairs though I don’t want to describe them in detail.

“…”

[So, why are you staring so intently at your own nether region, Akira?]

As it turns out, my important thing is not there.

While I have never seen it, I suspect it is the same as a woman’s vagina.

“Well, yeah… I had a hunch of something like that when such a splendid breast emerged, but still, I would say that more than the presence of breasts, as a man, the loss of something that should be there, the absence of an easy-to-understand symbol that makes a man a man, is…”

[What?]

“I want to cry. But more than that…”

[What’s wrong with you, Akira? You’ve been rescued at the last moment…]

The fact that Ys’ voice is heard suggests that Ys is awake as well.

The reason behind this change in me is clear.

Or rather, there is one other thing that comes to mind as a possible cause, but I intuitively have an understanding that is not the cause.

At any rate, for now…

[Hey…]

“Ysssssssssss…”

[!?]

Reaching out towards the presence of Ys, I stifle my pain and grab their little head and bring it up to my face.

[Wait a minute!? Forced materialization!? What kind of power are you using!?]

“Excuse me…”

Ys is fussing about something, and it looks like someone has entered the room, but that’s none of my business.

The only thing I have to do now is to vent my feelings.

“Damn you! What the hell is this! Why did my body change from a man’s to a woman’s!? Return it to me! Give me back the symbol of my manhood right now! Or better yet, let me break our contract! I want a cooling-off period, screw you!!”

[It… hurts… don’t shake me so much…]

“Hello?”

My voice is raised as high as I can while intensely shaking Ys’ body back and forth, and I give Ys a yell.

“Hey!? You! Settle down!”

“Shut your mouthhhhhh!!”

[… (Fainting)]

“Medic! Medic!!”

“You are the doctor, right!”

“Huh? Where did it go? I thought for sure she was holding onto it…”

And here I am seized and tied to the bed by the people who I assume are doctors in white coats that entered the room. Once Ys is separated from my body, the materialization of Ys will be undone and I won’t be able to touch them.

Ughhh… I will remember this… or rather, you absolutely owe me an explanation later on for how this happened. 

“Good grief, everyone was saying that when you were sleeping you were like Sleeping Beauty, but when you woke up, you were an unruly girl.”

“Hahhh!?”

Who are you calling Sleeping Beauty! Who the hell is Sleeping Beauty! I am a man… I may be physically a woman now, but I am essentially a man!!

“Okay. Please calm down. Oh, and all the men, except him, please leave at once. You’re getting in the way.”

“Excuse us when you just woke up, but could you answer a couple of questions for us?”

“Hmm?”

The other doctors and nurses walked out of the room, leaving behind four people: a female doctor, two female nurses, and a mature man wearing the uniform of the Security Organization.

“My name is Otachi Yuzuru of the Security Organization, what’s your name?”

“My name? My name is Whiteice Akira.”

“Hmm…”

After hearing my name, Yuzuru-san seems to be pondering something, and once he gives me a nod of affirmation, he starts throwing questions at me one after the other.

His questions range from my name, address, occupation, what happened that day, what was the lizard in my hand earlier, whether I remember what transpired right before I collapsed, where I was born and raised, and so on. Thanks to the fact that the questions are asked in an easy-to-understand manner and with occasional breaks in between, I do not feel any fatigue. After about an hour of answering the questions straightforwardly, the line of questioning that seems to be an interview comes to an end.

“I understand now. I am sorry for putting you through the questions for so long. Well then, let me be excused.”

“Uh, yes.”

“You look after things for me, okay?”

“I understand.”

And then Yuzuru-san walks out of the room, leaving me feeling completely drained of fury.

Yeah. I wonder, how much difference is there between the current me and the old me in terms of appearance? Depending on the magnitude of the difference, I don’t suppose they would recognize me as the same person… Ah, no, in the first place, the greatest and most obvious difference is the gender, so they might not recognize me as the same person and treat me as a child in pain.

Somehow, it makes me feel like wailing…

“Now then, since you are wide awake…”

“Hmm?”

The woman doctor begins to direct the two nurses with only her hands, and the two who receive the instructions start to act quickly and efficiently.

…I have a very bad feeling about this.

“You’re going to have to rehabilitate gradually, but first your bandages have to be changed. Although the wounds are well closed, you can never be too careful with 12 lacerations all over your body, and one of them went right through your heart.”

“…”

By changing the bandages, that means… that the only other people present are women… but essentially I’m a man, no, physically I’m a woman, but mentally I’m a man.

“So shall we take your clothes off?”

“Wait…”

“Let’s do it and be done with it.”

“Hold on…”

[[There you go.]]

When the doctor snaps her fingers once, I have no time to run away nor to resist, and my bandages are changed by the two nurses.

If embarrassment could kill me, I would have died. In fact, I am so mortified that I wish they would let me die.

Sob… Seriously, how did this happen… I will most certainly confront that Ys fellow about this… 

——————

T/N:

Otachi Yuzuru is not a direct isotope of Otachi Mamoru from Kurokiri’s world (Outer World Story: The Black Mist that Devours) but is believed to be related to him in some way or anothe