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It was the dead of night, barely three o’clock, and Chitose had pulled an all-nighter to get her reports ready for a coming presentation. She had finally managed to settle into bed and get comfortable when her phone blared. Under any other circumstance, she would have ignored it. Friends, family, colleagues, they would simply have to wait. If somebody was in a life-or-death situation, they'd just have to fend for themselves for a bit. But she couldn't ignore this, because it was the alarm that was linked to the security system she had set up in her lab, telling her that somebody had entered without permission.
Putting on her glasses, Chitose pulled up a feed of the lab. Two men in black suits were prowling about, searching for something. They took various files and connected devices to the computers, hacking through their security and copying data from the looks of it. She scrambled out of bed, putting on her coat and searching for her car key.
As Chitose left her apartment, she was about to call the police, when she saw something else on the feed: a woman with a bowl haircut and a white lab coat entered the room, saying something to the men. Chitose’s eyes widened and her hand shook as she got a good look at the woman's face, and then the three intruders left with the stolen data.
"If it's her, there's only one thing they could have been after, but how did she know about that medicine?" Suddenly, Chitose felt a chill down her spine. "If they know about the medicine, they must also know about-" She closed the feed and quickly dialled a number, moving faster and tapping her fingers as she waited for the recipient to answer.
Finally, the call went through, and she received a groggy, “Hello?”
“Mihari, I need you to bring your brother to the lab right away. Actually, I’ll come and pick him up.”
She heard a yawn on the other end. “Senpai, it’s three in the morning. Can’t it wait?”
“It’s an emergency, please be ready by the time I get there.”
“Well, that’s gonna be a problem… Onii-chan is in Kyoto right now, on a class fieldtrip.”
Chitose gripped her phone. ‘Bastards! They must’ve timed this!’
“If that’s all, can I go back to sleep?”
“Mihari, your brother is in danger! We have to go to Kyoto right now!”
“… Ehhhhh?!”
“Second day of the class fieldtrip is free time!” Mahiro declared, punching his fist into the air. “That means we’re gonna go ‘round and see all the sights!”
“Yeah!” Momiji, Miyo and Asahi cheered. He felt bad that Nayuta couldn’t join them, but the groups were to be no more than four, and Nayuta insisted that he be with his other friends. She also seemed to want to challenge herself with hanging out with other people.
“Mahiro-chan, you’re surprisingly into this,” Momiji said. “We didn’t even have to shake you awake this morning.”
Mahiro chuckled, wagging his finger. “My dear Momiji, don’t you know? A Kyoto fieldtrip is a staple in any slice-of-life anime! It’s where flags are set and relationships grow, but more importantly-”
“Mahiro-chan’s just excited to try all the local snacks, isn’t she?” Miyo said, and guilt crashed down hard on Mahiro’s head.
“Ah, that figures,” Momiji said, finding Mahiro’s disgruntled response cute. “But Mahiro-chan, you shouldn’t overdo it. If you eat too much, you’ll gain weight.”
Asahi stood proud. “I can eat as much as I want, I never gain any weight!”
Mahiro pinched Asahi’s cheeks. “Asahi, that’s impressive and all, but you gotta be careful saying something like that around girls. They get really sensitive about that kinda thing.”
‘They?’ Miyo wondered. “Ah, but Momiji, wouldn’t it be nice if Mahiro-chan gained a little weight? A chubby Mahiro-chan might be cute, and you could help her get back into shape by working out together.”
Momiji pictured it in her mind. She saw a chubby Mahiro desperately trying to reach her toes, before falling onto her back and struggling like a turtle to get back up. She blushed. “Mahiro-chan, we’re on a fieldtrip, so feel free to indulge!”
“The sudden change of heart has me suspicious,” Mahiro said, then he sighed. “Well, we’ll still be walking around all day, so it’ll be good exercise, right?”
“In theory,” Miyo said, “If you actually last the whole day.”
Mahiro puffed his cheeks. “You have no faith in me, do you?!”
Momiji’s heart fluttered as Mahiro pouted.
The four of them left the inn and toured Kyoto. Mahiro had secured a map of the best snack spots to visit, and they followed that, stopping at a few tourist traps along the way. Mahiro was having a blast at first, until he realised that he had quickly burned through the allowance his sister had given him, and he now had to ration it.
“Mahiro-chan, you really have no awareness when it comes to how much you’re spending, huh?” Momiji asked, patting Mahiro’s head.
“Uhhh, I keep forgetting I no longer have my card.”
“What?”
“What?” There was an awkward silence for a moment, which Mahiro quickly dispelled with a robotic, “Oh, look over there. That looks fun.” And just like that, he successfully(?) escaped raising any suspicion.
As the day went on, Mahiro became less-and-less enthused. Not because the snacks were becoming bland, or because the sights weren’t all that; he was actually surprised by how much Kyoto had changed since his last time here, and how much fun he was having with the activities. No, Mahrio was losing enthusiasm because he had noticed something unsettling. At one of the stores, he saw a shifty-looking man in a black suit standing outside, reading a newspaper.
Innocent enough at first, but he could have sworn that same man appeared again when they were visiting a sweet stand, and again when they went into a toy store, and again as they climbed the steps to a temple!
Even now, as they were walking through some of the quieter, empty streets, Mahiro could feel eyes on him. He looked into the reflection or a car’s side mirror as they passed, and he could see the man in black following them some distance away.
“H-Hey, let’s pick up the pace a little,” Mahiro said, taking Momiji’s hand and moving faster. Momiji had no complaints, matching her speed with Mahiro’s, and Miyo was fine with it because she got to gush over Mahiro’s bold move on Momiji. As they moved faster, Mahiro still felt like he was being watched, and when he looked over his shoulder, sure enough, the man was still there, moving faster to keep pace. And he was getting closer, too.
“Mahiro-chan?” Momiji asked, seeing Mahiro looking distracted. “We passed the turn.”
Mahiro tightened his grip and started running, pulling Momiji along. “Change of plans! We’re having a race back to the inn!”
“Ehhh?!” Momiji ran to keep up with Mahiro, and Miyo and Asahi both started running, too, the former starting to lose her glow, while the latter laughed and cheered.
“W-Why are we racing all of a sudden?” Miyo asked, already starting to feel tired.
“This is fun!” Asahi declared.
Mahiro continued to hold Momiji’s hand as they ran, Asahi and Miyo right behind them. “Hey, why are we running?!” Miyo shouted, her breathing ragged and her face red.
“J-Just don’t stop!” Mahiro said, glancing over his shoulder. The same man was still there, now running after them instead of ducking behind walls and parked cars. They had run so far that Mahiro had no idea where they even were, but that didn’t matter, they just needed to get away from this guy!
A car stopped ahead of them, and the driver got out. He wore the same black suit, and Mahiro immediately veered into an alley, dragging Momiji with him. “This way!”
“Shortcut!” Asahi sang as she followed.
Miyo couldn’t run anymore, stopping to catch her breath. “W-Wait, let’s… let’s take a bre-” A hand clamped over her mouth and she was lifted off the ground, her cries muffled.
Mahiro noticed and stopped for a moment. Momiji and Asahi turned, and also saw their friend being held by the mysterious man.
“Hey! Let her go!” Asahi shouted, charging ahead. Another man came running towards them, and she ducked past him, only to be grabbed by her collar from behind. “Stop! Danger! Dange-” The man delivered a chop to her neck, knocking her out.
“Asahi!” Momiji cried.
“W-What do you want?! Are you perverts or something?!” Mahiro shouted, trying to sound tough. It failed, and the man put Asahi down and walked towards them. Mahiro backed away, still holding Momiji’s hand, when he bumped into something. Turning around, he saw a third man standing behind him, and before he could scream, a jolt of electricity coursed through his body, knocking him out.
“Mahiro-chan!” Momiji shoved the man, but this was only a minor annoyance to him, and he responded by backhand-slapping the girl, knocking her to the ground.
“Take the kids,” he said, hauling Mahiro over his shoulder. “They’ll be our hostages if he doesn’t want to cooperate.”
The other men nodded, rounding up the girls, and they were all loaded into the back of a black car. Miyo and Momiji struggled, trying to get away, but when one of the men showed the gun holstered under his jacket, they stopped. The car door was slammed shut, and the lock clicked.
“W-What’s happening?” Miyo asked, tears pouring down her face. “Where did they take Mahiro-chan?”
“I don’t know,” Momiji said, trying to be strong, but she too was beginning to cry. “Mahiro-chan, please be safe.”
In a nearby van, Mahiro was placed onto a stretcher and strapped-down. “This kid’s really an adult guy?” one of the men asked.
“So they say,” another replied. “Damn, she’s a cutie though. If this drug’s the real deal, we’re gonna be rich!”
“Dumbass, she’s a kid.”
Mahiro groaned as the van’s doors slammed shut, stirring in his sleep.
When Mahiro woke up, he was in an unfamiliar room. No, it was a cell; three stone walls, and a wall of steel bars. He was laying on an uncomfortable bed, and as he looked around the cell, the only other amenities he could see were a toilet and a sink. Like hell he was going to use the toilet in a place like this! There wasn’t even a window, so he couldn’t tell how long he had been out.
Climbing to his feet, Mahiro realised he was no longer wearing his school uniform, but was instead wearing what looked like a hospital gown. Blushing, he reached behind himself to confirm that his butt was indeed out in the open. He walked over to the bars and looked outside. There was a guy in a black suit looking right at him, and then he spoke into a radio. “The kid’s awake.”
Mahiro stepped away from the bars as the guy approached, trying to look tough, but his shaking legs betrayed him. “W-What do you want?”
The man opened the cell’s door and stepped inside, grabbing Mahiro’s arm. “Let’s go, they’re ready for you.”
“Who is?! Ready for what?!” Mahiro tried to pry himself free, but this only earned him a punch to the face.
“They need you alive, not pretty,” the man warned, and Mahiro stopped struggling. He allowed the man to lead him out and through the dark, dingy halls of wherever this place was. “In case you’re slow, we also have your friends. Struggle or try anything funny, and we kill ‘em, got it?”
Mahiro nodded, his body feeling like it was on ice. ‘Why is this happening? Who are these people? Could they be child traffickers?! I’ve heard about them, but to think people like that actually exist?’
Mahiro was led to a large room, one that seemed less like a dungeon, and more like a lab. A bright, clean laboratory, like what you might find at a university or a hospital. A woman wearing with a bowl haircut, and a white lab coat over a black suit, stood next to an operating table, putting on a pair of rubber gloves.
“Get him on the table,” she said, and the man nodded, reaching down to lift Mahiro up. “It’s nice to meet you, Oyama Mahiro-san.”
Mahiro flinched. She used ‘-san’, not ‘-chan’. Why would she be so formal to a child? “H-How do you know my name?”
“Oh, we know all about you from your files.” Bowl Cut stepped closer as Mahiro was laid down onto the table. She attached something to his finger, and another something to his wrist. “Your sister’s new drug is quite the marvel of modern science, isn’t it? Nobody would ever expect you were a twenty year old man. Oh, sorry, twenty-one now, yes?”
Mahiro’s eye shot open, and he tried to get up, but she grabbed him by the throat and pushed him back down. “Gah!”
“Easy now. You’re a valuable test subject, so I’d prefer not to get too rough… but I will, just give me a reason.”
Mahiro began to cry, not just from the fear and pain of being choked, but also from the warmth pooling around his crotch and butt. The man that had brought him backed away suddenly. “You fucker! She pissed on me!” He raised his fist, but Bowl Cut shot him a glare, and he slowly lowered it.
“Your clothes can be replaced, he cannot. Not so easily, anyway.”
“P-Please stop, I don’t know anything about the medicine, I can’t tell you-”
“I’m sure, that’s why we’ll be finding out using our own methods.” The woman prepared a syringe, tapping the end of the needle. Mahiro struggled, trying to get free, but he was held down firmly as she pricked the needle into his skin, injecting whatever was inside into his body.
“Ow! What, what is that?!”
“Just a little something to help you relax. Try lifting your arm.”
Mahiro tried to lift his arm, but it wouldn’t respond. “Huh?”
“Wow, this is potent stuff indeed. With a small body like yours, complete paralysis kicks in right away.”
“N-No way…”
“Now we can run tests on you without worrying about you struggling. In particular, I would love to test the medicine's effects on the mind, but those tests would be best saved for last. Lucky for you."
"E-Effects on my mind?"
"Of course. The medicine turns your body into that of a young girl’s. Who's to say that it doesn't also change who you are? Makes you more what somebody wants you to be?"
Mahiro's eyes shot open, and he tried to shake his head, but he couldn't move. "No! Mihari would never do that!"
"Are you so sure? We've watched you for some time now. You seem to have adapted well to your new body, almost too well. Of course, I have no idea what you were like before the experiments, but what do you think?"
"I... I just..." Mahiro's heart raced. It was true that he had felt he was somewhat different after taking the medicine, but surely that had nothing to do with it, right? No, of course not, Mihari would never...
Never what? Never put a life-altering medicine in his drink? Never doll him up while he's still reeling from the shock of the change? Never pressure him outside of his comfort zone, enrol him back to school without consulting him, or treat him like a child when he's really an adult?
'No, Mihari's just a bit eccentric, but she's not cruel! She wouldn't go that far, this bitch is just trying to get inside my head! I have to believe in my sister, otherwise...' Mahiro's heart sank. 'Otherwise, how could I trust her or anyone ever again?'
"Well, you can say all the words you want," Bowl Cut said, glancing at one of the monitors measuring Mahiro's vitals, "But these readings don't lie. You're not convinced at all, are you?"
"I trust... Mihari," Mahiro said, and he wasn't lying. He was going to believe in his little sister to the end.
“What do you mean, you know this person?!” Mihari stared at Chitose as they drove far beyond the speed limit, weaving between cars along the highway. “Who is it, Senpai?!”
“A teacher of mine, from my college days. I used to look up to her, but then one day she tried to recruit me into an illegal operation she was running. She steals medical research and twists it to something that will sell on the black market. A miracle cure into a poison, or a muscle relaxant into a drug that will completely paralyze the victim. I had no intention of being part of any of that.”
“And then what? You didn’t report her?”
“As ashamed as I am to admit it, back then, I had too much at stake, and without solid evidence, there was nothing I could do. So I kept my head low and graduated without incident…”
Mihari wanted to scold Chitose further, but she knew that would do no good now. “So this former teacher of yours is trying to steal our drug now? Why?”
Chitose’s face was grim, and she kept her focus on the road. “I’m sure you can think of all sorts of buyers that might want a drug like that, that can turn an adult into a cute, young girl.”
Mihari’s face flushed red from anger, and her stomach wretched at the revolting idea that her medicine would be used for such disgusting means! “We have to stop them! And save Onii-chan! Are you sure they’ll be targeting him?!”
“No doubt; he’s the only active test subject we have right now, and if they already knew about the research we were doing, it’s certain they’ve had their eyes on Mahiro-kun for some time, just waiting for an opportunity to strike. It’s no coincidence they only attack our lab when your brother was all the way in Kyoto.” Mihari bit her lip, her knees trembling. “We’ll save him, I promise.”
“Onii-chan, please stay safe. For once, I hope you’re just lazing around in your room…”
“Hmmm, perhaps that’s all the data we’re going to get for now,” Bowl Cut said, looking displeased as she studied her laptop. Various wires were attached to Mahiro’s body, which had been stripped completely naked, and vials of his blood sat on a trolley to the side. His arms and chest were marked where he had been pricked and where skin samples had been biopsied. X-ray printouts hung on a board behind Mahiro, and he groaned as the machines monitoring him were detached.
Bowl Cut rose to her feet. “It’s about time for the relaxant to wear off anyway, and another dose so soon might send you into shock, if not outright kill you.”
Mahiro felt some feeling returning to his arms, but not enough to move them yet. “C-Can I go now?” he asked, knowing it was likely futile. ‘No, more importantly…’ “At least let my friends go. I can’t fight back when I’m like this, see? So there’s no reason for you to-”
“True, you’re helpless as you are now… but this way, we can guarantee you won’t fight or run away. And besides, you’re too valuable to us, so we can’t have you trying to kill yourself, either. Do you understand? Do something stupid, and it’ll be those kids that pay the price.”
“You… You’re monsters!”
“It’s just business, Oyama-san, it’s nothing personal. Now…” Bowl Cut closed her laptop and picked up a surgical knife, and approached Mahiro. “If you want them to live, keep being useful to us, by providing us with valuable information.
Mahiro panted, his chest heaving. Then his breathing stopped for a moment when the woman placed the knife to his chest. “Please don’t,” he begged, his voice shrill.
“One of the questions our buyers have about this drug, is if it can make scars and bruises go away. It’s a good question, one we’ll find out now.” She drew the knife along the middle of his chest.
“OWWWWW! STOP IT! STOOOOOP!”
“Oh, right, you can still feel pain like this. Well, this should be enough. This’ll definitely leave a permanent scar.” The woman put down the knife, and then picked up a vial beside it. “This is the antidote we’ve put together, using Chitose-kun’s data. With this, we’ll turn you back into your true self, and see if the wound heals when you take the medicine again.”
The woman held Mahiro’s chin and placed the bottle into his mouth, forcing it down. She held a hand over his mouth until he swallowed, and then she waited…
…
…
…
“She’s not changing,” the man standing off to the side said.
Bowl Cut checked the instruments and hummed. “There’s definitely an effect, but it’s not instantaneous. Well, I need to analyse this data anyway, so return him to his cell for now and update me on any changes.”
The man nodded, and after Mahiro was put back into his hospital gown, he was carried back to his cell over the man’s shoulder, his legs trembling as feeling started to return to them.
When Mahiro was in his cell, he collapsed to his knees. His body shook, his stomach churned, and he couldn’t keep himself from crying. ‘I can’t do anything. My body won’t move right, and even if it did, there’s no way I can fight my way out of here. Momiji, Miyo-chan, Asahi, they’re all gonna… gonna…’ Feeling hopeless, Mahiro fell onto his side. He managed to move just enough to curl himself into a ball. ‘I’m sorry! It’s all my fault!’
“LET US OUT! LET US OUTTA HERE!” Asahi screamed as she swung from the bars of their cell, attempting to pry them off with nothing but her own strength. “We ain’t done nothing wrong! You can’t prove it! We want our lawyer!”
“Will you shut it already?!” the man watching them shouted, drawing and pointing his gun at the girl. She fell silent quick, backing off and whimpering as tears formed in her eyes. “That’s better. We don’t need all of you alive, y’know? Keep making a racket and I’ll make an example outta ya.” The man holstered his gun and returned to his post, and Asahi fell to her knees, crying.
Momiji quickly hugged Asahi, shushing her. “It’s okay, Asahi, it’ll be okay. We’ll get out of here somehow, I promise.”
“Where could they have taken Mahiro-chan?” Miyo asked, barely holding it together as she watched Asahi bawl into Momiji’s chest. “And for what reason?”
“We have to get out of here… We have to find her!” Momiji declared. She looked around for anything they could use to escape. She wandered over to the bars and peered outside. There was only one man guarding them. She looked around the cell, and her eyes fell on the one bed in the cell. She held the sheet, and then looked back at the bars of the cell. “I might have an idea,” she said, “But it could be dangerous.”
“Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” Miyo asked. “It might best to wait for rescue-”
“There’s no telling what might happen to Mahiro-chan by then.”
“Asahi just wants to go home,” Asahi said, wiping her tears away. “But… saving Mahiron is important, too. Asahi will trust you, Momiji.”
“Then, help me move this.” The three moved the bedsheet onto the floor of the cell, lining it up against the entrance, being sure not to lay it completely flat. “Okay, now pretend you’re unconscious, Miyo-chan.” Miyo lay onto her side, closing her eyes. Momiji braced herself, and cried, “Help! Miyo-chan’s passed out, she needs a doctor!”
Nothing happened right away, but then the man approached the cell, glaring inside. “What the hell do you want now?”
“Our friend, I think she has heatstroke! Please do something!”
The man sighed, unlocking the door and stepping inside. “Freakin’ kids, why do I have ta-”
Momiji, Asahi and Miyo all grabbed the bedsheet, and yanked it hard together. The man cried out the sheet was pulled out from under him midstep, resulting in him tumbling backwards. Asahi charged the man and rammed her head into his crotch, and he fell back, hitting his head hard against the bars of the cell.
Miyo cringed as she watched the scene unfold. “I-Is he…”
Momiji cautiously approached the man, pressing her fingers to his neck. She breathed a sigh of relief. “He’s not dead.” Asahi and Miyo were also relieved.
“Momijirou, nice one!” Asahi cheered as Momiji peered out of the cell, making sure that it was clear. “Let’s hurry, Mahiro-chan could be in serious trouble right now!”
Mahiro hadn’t moved since curling up into his ball. His body had stopped aching, and he could move everything freely now, though he still felt cold, and he had a bigger problem too: his precious comrade had returned. For once, he didn’t feel happy about it. His mind kept wandering to his friends, hoping that they were okay. If they hadn’t been killed yet, was there anything he could offer in exchange for their lives? Anything he had that he could bargain with?
“Hey, here’s some water!” the man standing guard shouted. He threw a bottle of water into the cell, and it rolled over, tapping Mahiro’s foot. “Drink up, we don’t want you dying of thirst.” Mahiro didn’t respond, and the man clicked his tongue, unlocking the cell. “Fine, I’ll force it down ya then.”
Mahiro listened as the man stepped closer, and closer still. He sat up, and the man stopped. “I’ll drink if you let my friends go.”
“You’re still on that?” The man asked, glaring down at Mahiro. “Fine, we’ll let ‘em go. Now drink.”
It was so obviously a lie, but Mahiro had to believe there was even a small chance that he would actually honour his agreement. He reached for the bottle and unscrewed the cap, dropping it from his shaking hand. As he brought the brought the bottle to his lips, something caught his eye: Momiji’s face, poking out from around the corner outside his cell, meeting his gaze with a concerned look. His eyes widened in shock, and he almost wanted to call out to her, but he restrained himself.
“Hurry it up, will ya?!”
Mahiro threw the bottle at the man’s face. He blocked it reflexively, and while he was distracted, Mahiro jumped to his feet and delivered a kick to the man’s ball. The man’s legs shook and he nearly fell to his knees, but he managed to stay upright as he glared at Mahiro with murderous intent. Mahiro, surprised to see the man still standing, lost whatever strength his sudden action had just granted him. “Ah…”
The man stood tall again and raised his fist, ready to strike, but he suddenly felt two large weights on his arms. Momiji and Asahi had come out, each grabbing one of the man’s arms, whilst Miyo stood back, looking unsure of what she could do. “Damn brats! How’d you get out?! Let go!”
Asahi bit into the man’s arm, and he tried to shake her off as he screamed. Momiji clung to the man’s other arm for dear life, keeping him from hitting Mahiro. “Mahiro-chan, hurry!”
Mahiro knew they wanted him to run, but like hell he was going to do that! He rushed forward, grabbing the Taser strapped to the man’s hip, only to receive a boot to his chest, knocking him down. “M-Miyo-chan!” He slid the Taser along the ground, and it hit Miyo’s foot. She looked down at it, afraid. “Use it!”
The man finally managed to throw Asahi off, and with his free hand, he grabbed Momiji by the hair, prompting her to let go, and then he threw her to the ground as well. Before he could make any further moves, he felt a powerful shock through his body, and then collapsed. Miyo stood behind the man, panting as she held the Taser in both hands.
There was a long moment of silence as the four of them collected themselves. Asahi and Momiji groaned as they rubbed their sore spots, Miyo dropped the Taser and let out an involuntary laugh, halfway between proud and ashamed at what she had just done, and Mahiro climbed to his feet, pulling down his hospital gown as much as he could to protect his modesty.
As they stood facing each other, Mahiro just couldn't believe his eyes. They were all safe, they'd managed to escape, and instead of running away to save themselves, they came for him. Mahiro felt like something was tugging at his heartstrings, and he willed himself not to cry.
"Mahiro-chan," Momiji said, with a warm smile that almost melted away all the pain he was feeling. "I'm so glad that you're safe."
Mahiro started crying, running forward to throw his head onto Momiji's shoulder. "Momijiiiiii! I'm so glad you're safe, all of you! If something had happened to you I, I..."
Momiji patted Mahiro's head. "There, there. You're safe now. It must have been so scary by yourself."
It dawned on Mahiro that he was being comforted by a middle schooler, but he was too overwhelmed with joy to care about that at the moment. He only pulled back when he remembered his current condition, blushing furiously.
“Mahiro-chan, are you okay?” Momiji asked, looking down.
“Don’t look!” Mahiro shouted.
“Butt!” Asahi declared, staring and pointing at Mahiro’s behind. “Mahiron’s butt is exposed!”
“IIYAH?!”
Miyo quickly pulled Asahi back. “D-Don’t do that, Asahi-chan!”
Momiji began to unbutton her shirt. “Here, you can use this.”
Mahiro blushed and quickly looked away. “I-Idiot, then you’ll be exposed!”
“It’s okay,” Momiji said with a smile. “I’m wearing a vest underneath today, see?”
Mahiro dared a peek, and saw that Momiji was right. With a reluctant sigh, he accepted Momiji’s shirt, putting it on over the gown. It didn’t cover everything, but it certainly felt nicer than having his entire backside completely exposed. “Thank you,” he said bashfully. “Let’s go, before someone else shows up.”
The four of them hurried out of the cell and through the facility, looking out for other people prowling around. As they moved, Mahiro felt his chest beginning to tighten, and his body began to sweat profusely. His body felt heavier, and he was sure he was getting taller. ‘No, not now! Don’t transform back now! If they see me, we’ll never hang out again!’
“Where do we go?” Miyo asked, looking worried.
Mahiro noticed something as he looked at the ground, and he tried to speak, but his breathing was too ragged. He took a deep breath, and managed to blurt out, “Tire tracks.”
Miyo and Asahi looked down, and saw that there were indeed tire tracks along the ground, turning the next left. “Good spot, Mahiro-chan!” Miyo praised. “If we follow these, we can reach outside!”
Momiji was focussed more on Mahiro than the tracks. “Mahiro-chan, are you sure you’re okay?”
Mahiro bit his lip. “There’s no use worrying about that right now. We just need to get out of here, fast.”
“But-” A explosion rang out, and Momiji jumped as a loud clang struck the wall beside her. “EEK?!”
“GET DOWN!” Mahiro tackled Momiji to the ground as another explosion sounded. Miyo and Asahi took cover behind some crates. “Are you okay, Momiji?!”
“I-I am, but what about you?!”
“Don’t worry, they won’t shoot me,” Mahiro said, only half-confident in that. It turned out to be correct, as there were no further gunshots. Instead, footsteps came closer to them. Mahiro looked over his shoulder to find another man in a black suit approaching them, holding a gun with it pointed up at the ceiling.
“Honestly, you wanna be the hero that badly?” The man pointed his gun at Mahiro. “Fine, I’ll let the brats go, but not you. Come over here with your hands raised. I can shoot without killing ya, y’know, but I’m feeling generous right now.”
“Mahiro-chan, don’t! It’s definitely a lie!” Momiji said.
“I know, I don’t need you to tell me that.” Mahiro swallowed. “You start running, all three of you.”
“Eh? No, we’re not going to-”
“I’ll go a different way. I’m the one they want, and they want me alive. I can outrun him and catch up to you later.”
“But what if he catches you?”
Mahiro put on his bravest smile. “This is our best chance. I’ll be fine, promise.”
Momiji wasn’t convinced, but Mahiro made the decision for her, standing up with his arms stretched out defiantly. “Go, Momiji! Please!”
Momiji crawled to the crates to join Miyo and Asahi. “We’ll send help!” Momiji promised, and the three of them started running.
The man tried to aim at the three, but when Mahiro suddenly ran towards him, he was too distracted and missed his chance. Mahiro turned a corner, running down a separate corridor, and the man hesitated before giving chase after him.
Mahiro could only run so far before his legs felt like lead, and his chest felt constricted. He rounded a corner, finding a hallway full of crates and barrels, and he ducked behind a random crate, panting heavily. He heard footsteps approaching him. “End of the line. It was a nice try, but you’re out of your league. In that small body of yours, there was no way you were gonna escape.”
The man stepped closer to the crate where the fabric of a shirt was poking out from the side, laughing. He put his gun away and cracked his fists, ready to teach the brat a lesson. He placed a hand on the crate and spun around it, his fist raised. He was not expecting the fist of a full-grown man to come flying at his face, and was caught completely off-guard as it crashed into his nose. As he stumbled back, dazed, the man’s other fist uppercut him.
As the man fell, Mahiro stood, dropping the hospital gown and shirt that were now too small for him. “Gotta hurry,” he said, feeling a cool breeze over his naked body. He blushed, turning to his downed assailant. “Maybe a quick change of clothes, first.”
Momiji ran as fast as she could, desperate to leave this place as soon as possible and find somebody to help Mahiro. She knew that Mahiro wasn’t very good at running, and she already looked like she was suffering! “I should’ve gone with her,” she realised, but it was far too late for that now, so she ran faster.
“M-Momiji-chan, wait!” Miyo struggled to keep up, her stamina reserves already depleted. The world spun around her as she was suddenly swept off her feet, being carried bridal-style by Asahi. “A-Asahi?!”
“You’re heavy!” Asahi said, shocking Miyo. “But Asahi will carry you out of here, for sure!”
Miyo blushed, averting her eyes. “T-Thank you, Asahi… chan…”
“Ah.” Asahi came to a stop, sweat dripping down her head. Ahead of them, Momiji had also come to a stop, as the way forward was blocked by a group of black-suited men, armed with knives and pistols. In the centre of the group was a woman with a bowl cut.
“End of the line, kiddos,” one of the men said, stepping forwards and holding out his knife threateningly.
“I do not appreciate distractions while I’m working,” Bowl Cut said. “Where's Oyama Mahiro?"
"W-We won't tell you!" Momiji said, sounding far braver than she looked.
"Fine. Two of you can die, and the third can help me lure him out. He seems the type to give himself up easy for others." The girls all trembled, completely frozen as the knife-wielding man closed the distance. “In fact, we’ll start with killing you, since you’re the one he seems to have grown closest to.”
Momiji gasped. Her legs refused to move even as Asahi shouted at her to get away. The man raised his arm, and everything seemed to slow down as she closed her eyes, bracing herself for what was to come.
…
Momiji opened her eyes when nothing happened, and she saw a blonde-haired man standing in front of her, holding the arm of her assailant. He kicked the man, pushing him back, and then stood with his arms outstretched. He was almost wearing the same suit as the bad guys, but without the jacket or tie, and his shirt was untucked.
“Nobody shoot!” Bowl Cut shouted in a panic. She then turned to Momiji’s saviour. “Idiot! Don’t risk your life so needlessly, not when I still have tests to perform!”
“Run! Get out of here!” the blonde man shouted.
Momiji took a good look at the man. His hair, his face, the way he stood to shield them from harm, they all seemed so familiar. They bore a striking resemblance to… “Mahiro… chan?”
Mahiro bit his lip. “I’m Mahiro… ‘s older brother,” he said. “My sister is safe, now go! I’ll hold them off!”
“But-” Momiji began, but Miyo grabbed her arm as Asahi ran by. “Wait! Onii-chan is-”
“Covering us so we can escape!” Miyo told her. “There’s nothing we can do, Momiji-chan, and besides, we have to find help, remember?!”
Momiji hated it, but she knew that Miyo was right. Miyo released her arm, and both Momiji and Asahi kept running.
Bowl Cut’s gaze followed them as they ran. “They won’t get far, you know. Of course I didn’t leave the exit unguarded; one way or another, they won’t escape, and neither will you.”
Mahiro raised his fists, even as the men came closer and laughed. They had all put away their weapons, but they still outnumbered him. Even if it was one-on-one, Mahiro doubted he could take any of them, but the alternative was letting them go after the others, and he just couldn’t let that happen.
Bowl Cut laughed at Mahio’s determination. “Make him pay, but don’t kill him.”
One of the men cracked his knuckles. “You got it, Ane-san.”
As Momiji and Asahi ran, Momiji just couldn’t help feeling guilty. “There were way too many, there’s no way Onii-chan could take them all on alone.”
“What can we do though?” Miyo asked. “Asahi, I think I can run again now.”
“We have to try!” Momiji stopped. “You two go, I’ll help Onii-chan! Mahiro-chan would be sad if anything happened to him!”
“We’re not leaving you alone, Momiji!” Asahi declared.
“If you’re going back, then we’ll go too,” Miyo said as she helped herself to her feet. “We can be more help together!”
“Oh, it’s you guys!”
The girls all shrieked as a voice called out to them. They started to run, but a hand grabbed Miyo’s collar before she could get far. “N-Not agaaaaaain!”
“Miyo-chan!” Momiji and Asahi turned, but relaxed when they saw a familiar face; Nayuta’s big sister, Chitose was standing before them. “Onee-san?! What are you-”
“We’re here to get you out,” Chitose said, releasing Miyo. “I don’t know how you got out yourselves, but good job! The exit’s just up ahead, we cleared out all the guys so you can just leave. The police should be here soon.”
“‘We’?” Momiji asked. She then noticed that Mihari was also there, a little behind Chitose.
Mihari looked between the three girls anxiously, and then asked, “Where’s Mahiro-chan?!”
Meanwhile, Mahiro was doing his best to dodge and block the attacks as they came. Even when he blocked a punch or a kick, the impact was so strong against his weakened body that it hurt so much.
‘D-Damnit, I should’ve grabbed that guy’s gun after all! Then again, would I even have been able to use it right?’ Mahiro managed to land a blow, but that only seemed to make his opponent angrier.
The man threw a stronger punch, connecting with Mahiro’s face, and then he grabbed Mahiro’s shirt and pulled him closer for a headbutt. When Mahiro fell to the ground, the man kicked him repeatedly. “Damn bastard! Don’t get so cocky just ‘cause you landed a punch!”
Another man stepped in to stop him. “Easy. Remember, we don’t wanna kill this one.” He knelt, grabbing Mahiro by the hair. “I’m sure he’s ready to cooperate now. Ain’t that right, pal?”
Mahiro spat in the man’s face, and he slowly wiped it off with his thumb… before punching Mahiro’s face hard. “Fucker! You wanna die that bad?!” He pulled back his fist for another punch, only to feel a hand grabbing his wrist.
“Take your own advice, and take it easy,” Bowl Cut said, taking a syringe out of her pocket. “You know, Oyama-san, I was trying to be nice, but now you’ve asked for it.” Mahiro was pinned-down, his head tilted to expose his neck. “Just a small dose, and the effects are temporary, but a large enough dose will leave you completely disabled for the rest of your life.”
Mahiro’s heart raced as she knelt before him, the needle drawing closer. “S-Stop,” he breathed, but it was clearly no use. His vision was blurry, and it became difficult to breathe. He closed his eyes. “M-Mihari… save…” He felt pathetic, calling to his younger sister for help, but as he thought on all of the people in his life, she was the only one who he could think to lean on. He felt a hand on his head, and the prick of a needle against his neck.
“GAAAAAH!”
Mahiro opened his eyes, and saw a bright light flashing. He heard the clanging of the syringe hitting the ground, and turned his head to find Bowl Cut, and all of her goons, crying out as electricity coursed into them through the air. He blinked, confused, and then followed the electricity to its source. A figure was standing there, holding something, but he couldn’t tell who it was.
The electricity stopped, and another figure ran towards him. “Onii-chan!” His sister, Mihari, knelt down beside him, lifting his head onto her lap. She had tears rolling down her face. “Onii-chan, please be okay! Onii-chan!”
“M-Mihari…” He closed his eyes. ‘I get it, I’m dying, and this is the last thing I see.’ Mahiro reached up a hand, and Mihari took it. “I’m sorry… I’m sorry I was such a useless older brother. I’m sorry you had to keep saving me. It should have been the other way around.”
“That’s not important now! Hang in there, please!” Her tears dropped onto his face, and he opened his eyes. He realised then that he wasn’t dreaming, or hallucinating; Mihari was indeed right there, crying for him. “Please, Onii-chan. I need you…”
“Mihari?” Mahiro struggled to sit upright, turning to face her. “Mihari, why are you-”
“Onii-chan!” Her face brightened, and she pulled him into a hug. “You had me so scared! If, if something had happened to you, I don’t know what I would have…” She squeezed him, and he choked out a gasp.
“T-Too tight! Can’t breathe!”
She quickly released him, and as he grasped for air, she unbuttoned his shirt. She only wanted to make it easier for him to breathe, but as the shirt opened, she saw the long cut along his chest. Her face darkened, and she rose to her feet.
“Mihari?”
“You?” she said, stepping past her brother, towards the woman that was groaning helplessly on the ground. “You did this to my big brother? You were responsible?”
Bowl Cut shuffled back, feeling a kind of fear that rivalled that of prey cornered by a predator. “S-S-Stay back! I’ll have you know that I have connections with the yakuza! You mess with me, and you’ll regret it!”
Mihari took something out of her lab coat. A gun, Mahiro realised. She pointed it at the woman, and she panicked, begging for mercy.
“No, please! Don’t do it! We can work out a deal! You want money?! C-Come work with me on the drug, we can change the world together!”
Mahiro tried to get up, but it took too much effort. “Mihari, don’t!” he shouted. A hand touched his shoulder, and he looked up at Chitose, Mihari’s senpai.
“Just watch,” she said.
Bowl Cut noticed Chitose standing behind Mihari, and she grit her teeth. "Y-You?! How did you-"
"We tracked Mahiro-kun's phone. You may have thrown it away, but just working from its last location, it wasn't hard to deduce where you'd holed up. It's been a long time, Sensei."
"I should've killed you all those years ago," Bowl Cut said through gritted teeth.
"And I should've done more to stop you back then. I think it’s time I fix that mistake." She nodded to Mihari. “Do it.”
Mihari pulled the trigger. “Bang.”
Bowl Cut flinched, but rather than an explosion, she heard more of a quick whooshing sound, and felt something prick her neck. In seconds, her eyes had closed, and she collapsed into a heap on the floor.
“Idiot, of course I’m not gonna kill you,” Mihari said with a sigh.
Chitose grinned as she approached Mihari. “Looks like the tranquilizer works pretty well.”
Mihari put the gun away. “I wanted to slap her around a bit, but she already looked so pathetic, it wasn’t worth it.”
Chitose laughed. “Don’t worry, they’ll all get what’s coming to them. They messed with the wrong mad scientists.”
Mihari saw Mahiro climbing to his feet behind Chitose, and she ran to him, holding him steady as he stumbled. “Onii-chan, don’t push yourself!”
Mahiro wrapped an arm around Mihari, pulling her into a hug. “Mihari, you shouldn’t have had to come to such a dangerous place for me. What kind of big brother relies on his little sister so much?”
Mihari closed her eyes, sinking into the embrace. “Things like that don’t matter. If you’re in trouble, of course I’ll save you. You’re my big brother, the only one I have.”
Mahiro sniffed, the tears flowing freely now. “Mihari!”
“Onii-chan!”
Chitose hummed as she watched, giving an approving nod. “Precious sibling love in its purest form…” ‘Or it would be, if she didn’t likely have a brother complex. Oh well, none of my business.’
Mahiro’s strength left him then, and he began to fall. “Suddenly, I’m feeling really tired.”
“Onii-chan, hang in there!” Mihari pleaded, but it was no use, and she had no choice but to help lower him onto his back. “Onii-chan…”
“Let him rest,” Chitose said. “After the day he’s had, as well as the effects of the medicine wearing off, it’s amazing he was able to move at all, let alone save those kids.”
Mihari chuckled, brushing her brother’s hair out of his eyes. “You hear that, Onii-chan? You’re not useless; you saved your friends’ lives.” Mahiro was already snoozing away, so he likely hadn’t heard. Mihari leaned down and gave him a kiss on the forehead, a hero’s medal for one who fought so bravely, and his lips curved into a smile.
Mahiro awoke in what appeared to be a hospital room, a gentle breeze blowing in through an open window, and the pleasant scent of flowers at his bedside. He felt groggy, and curled himself under the blanket to get more rest.
"It's just she says," a voice said, accompanied with some laughter, "You are a master of hibernating; you wake up, and then go right back to it."
Mahiro bolted upright, facing Chitose, who was watching him with a teasing smirk. "Chitose-san?!" Mahiro's body suddenly ached, and he sucked in air as he tried his best not to cry out in pain.
"Ara, so formal. I wouldn’t mind if you give me a nickname, like you do Nayuta-chan."
Mahiro recalled his last moments before passing out. "Where’s Mihari? She was there, right? Is she okay? What about the others, did they get out?" Chitose chuckled under her breath. "W-What?"
"You went through the worst of it, you know. Even with all our care, your body is still in bad shape, and I'm afraid that scar will be permanent.” She watched as Mahiro looked under his shirt, her mood falling as he frowned. “Yet you're worried about others, in your condition?"
Mahiro blushed, looking away. "I know I'm okay, and it's not like I do much more than laze around all day anyway. The scar’s embarrassing, but at least I can hide it.” He turned back to Chitose. “But if something happened to Mihari or the girls, they’d actually be affected by it, and I’d feel like a failure of an adult…"
"Don’t worry, they're all okay. Nobody but you got injured."
Mahiro breathed a relieved sigh. "That's good...” Calming down, Mahiro now realised that he was wearing his old pyjamas, from before he first transformed, and he scurried back, covering himself. “W-W-W-Who changed me?!”
“Oh, that would be me. We couldn’t exactly keep you in those dirty clothes.” Mahiro’s response was garbled nonsense. “It’s okay, nothing I haven’t seen before.”
“Why didn’t you just let the doctor do it?!”
Chitose chuckled. “He did. I’m just teasing you.”
Mahiro grumbled, and took a deep breath to calm himself down. “… Thank you. It was you that saved me, wasn't it?"
"Don't thank me. It was my fault that all this happened to you." To Mahiro's surprise, Chitose removed her glasses, then bowed her head. "It was my lack of foresight that caused all of this. I knew from the beginning that our research would catch the interest of unsavoury groups, but I was careless with our security. Because of that, you were put into a dangerous situation. Please accept my sincere apologies, Mahiro-kun."
"S-Stop," Mahiro said, scratching his cheek. "I don't know how to act when somebody apologises to me so earnestly. It's usually the other way around; I'm the one always screwing up and making things harder for people. What happened to those people, anyway? The ones who kidnapped us?”
“I called in a friend of mine from Interpol. This group has been on their hitlist for a while now, so they were promptly arrested, and their whole operation has been disbanded. Of course, I also requested that you be let go without questioning, so there’s no worry about your life as Mahiro-chan getting out.”
“I-Interpol?! I know you’ve arranged some crazy stuff, but just how far do your connections run?”
Chitose wagged her finger. “If I told you that, I’d have to kill ya.” She laughed. “Well, no, you’re too valuable a test subject. I’d just kidnap you, so that you couldn’t tell anyone.”
Mahiro shivered, only half-convinced that she was joking. “That joke’s in poor taste, given what I just went through.” Chitose cleared her throat, looking ashamed for a moment. ‘Huh, so she can feel embarrassment.’
“Anyway, since it was my fault you were put into such a dangerous situation, please let me make it up to you in some way.”
"… Well since you’re offering, there's something I want to ask you." Mahiro gripped the bedsheet. "The medicine, it doesn't... mess with someone's mind, does it? Make them think and feel things they normally wouldn’t?"
"Ah, you're referring to how your 'girly' side comes out when you're Mahiro-chan?"
Mahiro nodded. "I really don’t mind being Mahiro-chan that much anymore. I know that one day, I'll have to say goodbye and leave my new friends, so until then, I want these days to last as long as they can. But I don't want to lose myself in the process…"
"Well rest assured, the medicine has no such effects on the mind, at least not directly. The difference in hormones may affect your emotions and your interests to a minimal degree, but ultimately, whatever thoughts and feelings you have as Mahiro-chan were already part of you. Most likely, they just bubble to the surface easier when you're in a body that has different societal expectations." Chitose saw that Mahiro still seemed concerned, and a little lost. “I’m saying that, subconsciously, you’re embracing your girlish side because you have the chance to, not because the medicine is making you do so.”
"So these... things I've felt, wanting to look cute and enjoying shoujou manga and all that, that’s always been who I am? Does that mean that I'm..."
"Not necessarily," Chitose said. "Cases of men exhibiting feminine traits, or women exhibiting masculine ones, aren't inherently tied to gender dysphoria, though it can certainly feel that way. It’s best not to jump to conclusions either way, but… you've spent several months now as Mahiro-chan, so you tell me, does that body feel like the right fit for you? Or do you prefer the one you're in now?"
Mahiro looked out of the window beside him. "I’m not sure I care either way. I mean, I'm happy now because I have friends, and a stronger relationship with Mihari. I just want to make the most of the time I have with all of them, before I have to say goodbye. It doesn't matter whether that's as a boy or a girl."
"I see. Then what if you could keep this life in either form, there would be no judgement, and nobody would treat you any differently? Which would you choose?"
Mahiro turned back to Chitose, smiling. “In that case, I think I’ll just stick to how I am now. It’s the most familiar to me, and I won’t have to worry about not making it to the bathroom again.” He donned a cheeky grin, and added, "Besides, I do feel happy whenever my ‘partner’ returns."
"That's sexual harassment, Mahiro-san."
"I thought we were having a serious talk here!" Mahiro sighed. “That’s just a what-if though, isn’t it? In time, I'll probably return to being like this for good, but until then, I don't mind being Mahiro-chan, if it means I can keep these fun days going."
Chitose laughed. "This project was only supposed to help you rehabilitate to society, but it seems to have gone beyond that."
"It was an odd way of going about it from the start! Honestly, what was even going through Mihari's head when she thought of this?"
'Maybe I shouldn't tell him that I'm the one who convinced her this would be a good plan.' "Thank you."
Mahiro tilted his head. "For what?"
"For this talk, it's been long overdue. I feel I've learned a lot about you, and my impression of you has certainly gone up." Chitose smiled. "I might have even fallen for you."
Mahiro blushed immediately. "E-Eh?! I mean I'm flattered but, we don't really know each other that well and I think we should keep our relationship professional and-"
Chitose laughed. "I don't mean like that, I simply mean as a test subject, nothing more."
Mahiro breathed a relieved sigh, though he couldn't help feeling a little irked that he was 'just a test subject'. "I see where Mihari gets it from now, that teasing attitude of hers."
"Hmm? I wonder. Speaking of Mihari, she’s been dying to see you, but I asked that she let me go first, to make sure you’re okay.”
Mahiro fixed Chitose with a stern stare. "There is just one thing I’d like to verify, before you go.”
“Oh? The atmosphere feels more serious all of a sudden.”
“The research you guys do, it's all on the level, right? You're not getting my sister involved in anything bad, are you?"
Chitose hummed, meeting his stare with her own. "Well now, would that be a problem?"
"Of course it would!"
"Even though for many years, you completely ignored your sister and the outside world?"
"..."
"Now you have the gall to act like a big brother? To look at me with such threatening eyes?"
Mahiro didn’t realise he looked ‘threatening’, but he wasn’t about to stop without a straight answer. "I know I messed up before... That's why I'm saying this now: if this research is going to put Mihari in danger, or if you're planning to use it for evil things, like those bastards-"
"Yes?" Chitose asked, bracing herself.
"I'll stop you myself."
A long silence passed between the two as their eyes remained locked, until finally, Chitose broke it. "You needn't worry," she said. "I may be in it purely for the science, but even I have a code of ethics that I follow. And just so you know, it’s Mihari who spearheaded this project. She has the final say in how this medicine is used and distributed."
Mahiro wasn't sure if that made him feel better or not, but at the very least, he trusted Chitose's words. "Okay, I'll leave it at that then, for now." And with all of the tension gone, Mahiro fell onto his back, finally releasing his breath. "That was too much! Being a big brother is exhausting!"
"Oh my, it seems it took everything you had to make that threat. Do you really think you can protect Mihari like that?"
"I don't think I could even lift a finger against you, you're way too scary. But if Mihari's in trouble, then I’ll do what I can, even if it’s hopeless.” He mumbled under his breath, “It’s the least I can do to make up for how I acted before.”
‘I see, so this is a big brother's love for his siblings. Mihari, maybe you never even needed that drug in the first place…' Chitose adjusted her glasses. “Well then, if that’s all, I’ll be excusing myself.”
“Yeah, and thanks again, Chitose-san.”
“Come up with a cute nickname for me by next time,” Chitose said as she turned to leave. When she opened the door, Mihari sprang into the room.
“Onii-chan!”
“Mihar-” Mihari smothered Mahiro before he could finish getting her name out.
“You scared me! Why did you go and pass out like that?! I’ve been beside myself with worry!” Mahiro’s response was muffled as he flailed his arms. He eventually managed to pry himself free.
“Careful! Can’t you see I’m injured?!”
Mihari puffed her cheeks. “Stupid!” She rested her head on his lap. “Don’t do that to me again…”
Mahiro sighed, his anger fading. He lay a hand on Mihari’s head, stroking her hair gently. “I’m okay now, see? Thanks for coming to save me, Mihari.”
Mihari relaxed, a smile forming on her face. “Heh, it’s been a while since you’ve been bigger than me.”
“I guess it has. Did you miss it?”
“Nope!”
Mahiro felt a stab through his heart. “So cruel!”
Mihari giggled. “I’m not against it, though.”
‘Was my little sister always tsundere?’
“Oh, I got you something.” Mihari sat up, rummaging through her purse, and she presented Mahiro with a box of chocolates. “Here, a Kyoto delicacy!”
Mahrio threw his hands into the air, almost leaping for joy. “Yay!” He fell silent. Mihari fell silent. The two stared awkwardly at each other, and then in one instant, Mahiro was buried under the covers, hiding from the world. “I can’t believe I just did that in this form!”
“I-It’s okay, Onii-chan! It was super cute!”
“That doesn’t make me feel better!” Mahiro grumbled. ‘Apparently, that’s just who I am. I wanna be cute? But that’s just wrong; I’m her big brother, so I gotta show my cool side, too!’ Mahiro took a breath, and then climbed out of the covers. He flicked her hair aside and flashed Mihari a handsome smile. “Thank you, Little Sis.”
Mihari tilted her head. “Onii-chan, go back to being cute. Cool doesn’t suit you.”
“Crushed!” Mahiro hung his head, whining. “At least humour me a little. What a cruel sister you are…” Calming himself, Mahiro raised his head, and asked, “So what’s happened with the school trip?”
“Senpai talked to your teachers. She said you were hit by a car and had to receive surgery, and she convinced your friends not to say anything about the kidnapping.”
“How on Earth did she manage that?” Mahiro leaned closer. “She didn’t blackmail them, did she?”
Mihari leaned closer, too. “No, no, I doubt she’d go that far. Maybe.”
“Well, I guess it makes things easier for me either way.”
“There’s still time to enjoy the rest of the trip, if you want to.” Mihari took out a bottle of the medicine. “Senpai checked you over and said it would be safe once you woke up.”
“After all that’s happened, I kinda wanna just go home…” Mahiro took the bottle, staring at it warily. “But I can’t just leave Momiji and the others hanging like that. They must be worrying so much right now.” He noticed Mihari giving him a cat-like smirk. “W-What?”
“‘Momiji and the others’?”
Mahiro blushed. “W-What about it?”
“Onii-chan, don’t forget that Momiji-chan is underage.”
“Idiot! I didn’t mean it like that, it just came out that way is all!”
“Sure, sure. Just don’t do anything illegal.”
Mahiro’s eye twitched. “I don’t wanna hear that from a mad scientist who spikes her own brother’s drink.” Mihari booped herself on the head, sticking out her tongue. “That’s not cute!” Mahiro thought for a moment, and realised he was in the perfect position to get some long-awaited revenge on her. “Besides, if anyone here’s a lolicon, wouldn’t it be you?”
Mihari’s face lit up fast. “W-What?!”
“Well, think about it: aren’t you always so eager to dress me up and see me in embarrassing positions as Mahiro-chan?”
“That’s because I’m your sister, it’s okay to do stuff like that! It’s not weird at all!”
“You even have me wear cute panties, and you wash them personally, don’t you?” Mahiro mock-shuddered. “Maybe I should be more careful around you.”
Mihari’s cheeks inflated to dangerous levels, and she began bopping her brother. “Stupid Onii-chan! Pervert! Ecchi! Lewd!”
Mahiro blocked with his arm, laughing. “Didn’t you enrol me in middle school just to see me in uniform?”
Mihari bopped him faster. “Noooooo! Stupid stupid stupid stupid!”
When Mihari finally wore herself out, Mahiro sat triumphantly on the bed, though his arm was throbbing from pain. He reached out a hand and pet her, and she settled down. “Alright, alright, sorry for teasing you.”
Mihari turned her head away with an indignant huff. “You’re lucky you’re injured, or I wouldn’t have held back.” Mahiro laughed nervously, not entirely certain she was joking. She got up suddenly. “Where are you going?”
“You’re gonna use the medicine, right? Or do you want me to watch you transform?”
Mahiro blushed, scratching his cheek. “Uh, right. Please give me some privacy.” He gave her a pout. “I mean it, no peeking.”
“Ohhhh? You sound like a girl already,” Mihari said with a grin. Mahiro threw his pillow at her, and she got the message, leaving the room. As soon as the door closed, she covered her face with her hands and sat on the floor. ‘Onii-chan’s both cool and cute! That’s not fair!”
Moments passed as she waited, until eventually, she heard a trembling voice call out, “Mihariiiiiiii…”
She got up and entered the room, finding Mahiro sitting on the bed, his face crimson as he held the covers tight around his now-female body.
“D-Did you bring my uniform, by any chance?”
“… Ah.”
“Mahiro-chaaaaaaan!” Momiji rubbed her face against Mahiro’s, while Miyo watched with stars in her eyes. “I’m so glad you’re okaaaaaaaaaay!”
Mahiro didn’t make any attempt to resist as Momiji’s cheek smooshed against his own, though he did have to resist the urge to complain as his body ached all over. “H-Hey, there’s no need to be so dramatic. I’m all good, really.” ‘Please stop! You’re gonna kill me!’
“Alright, enough,” Mihari said, wrapping her arms around Momiji and pulling her back. Momiji’s little arms flailed as she tried to reach Mahiro, but she was pulled too far away, so she was forced to surrender with a saddened whimper. “Give her some space, or you’ll smother her.”
Mahiro looked around the room. It was the room he and his friends were using at the inn, and they were all there, already dressed in their pyjamas. In contrast, Mahiro was dressed in his adult pyjamas, which were so baggy that, even rolled-up and tied, they still hung loose. He felt like he’d just been Detective Conan’d.
“M-Mahiro-chan!” Nayuta bowed her head low. “Please forgive me! I should have been there to help you!”
“Don’t worry about it, Nauytan. I don’t think there was anything you could’ve done in that situation, anyway,” Mahiro said. “Really, don’t mind, don’t mind.” ‘Plus, if you were there, Chitose-san probably would’ve killed those guys, and then you’d have an entirely different problem to worry about.’
“Mahiron, what’s with those clothes?” Asahi asked.
“Ahh, O-Onii-chan leant me his.”
Miyo tilted her head. “His pyjamas, though?”
“Uhhhh, that is, I…” Mahiro bit the bullet, deciding he’d have to sacrifice some of his dignity to keep his secret. He put on his best doe eyes, and said, “I asked him to. They remind me of Onii-chan, so… it’s like he’s here, holding me…”
Everybody’s hearts melted, save for Nayuta, who was staring blankly at Mahiro, wondering if he was perhaps beyond saving at this point.
“Oh, that’s right!” Momiji, still draped over Mihari’s arms like a cat, clapped her hands together. “We were saved by your big brother, Mahiro-chan!”
“Ehhh? Is that right?” Mahiro said. “I was surprised to find him there.”
“Asahi never knew you had a big bro!” Asahi said. “Big shock!”
“He must really care for you,” Miyo said. “To go to such a dangerous place to save you!”
“Such an admirable big bro!” Asahi agreed. “Mine would never do that! He’s a coward!”
Mahiro laughed. ‘Yikes. Sorry, Asahi’s big bro.’
“I heard he got hurt though,” Momiji said, frowning. “We wanted to visit him, but Mihari-san said he’d already moved back to his college.”
“A-Ah, yeah, he’s real busy, y’know?”
“He put himself on the line for us. So brave.”
Miyo nodded in agreement. “It’s not what I’m into, but he was an ideal big brother.”
“So cool!” Asahi said.
Mahiro stood proudly, laughing. “He is, isn’t he?!” ‘That’s right! Praise me more!’
Mihari watched with an amused smirk. ‘Onii-chan’s really soaking up all the praise he can get.’
“What’s name?” Miyo asked, and both Mahiro and Mihari froze.
“Ah, errrr, his name, it’s… Luhigi?”
There was a silence. ‘Onii-chan, why are you like this?’ Mihari thought, feeling second-hand embarrassment.
Finally, Momiji broke the silence. “Onii-chan it is,” she said. “I’d like to meet him properly one day, so I can thank him. He seems like such a nice person, and he was kinda cute, too, just like Mahiro-chan.”
Mahiro blushed at that, scratching his cheek. “Eh? You think?” ‘Does that make me happy? I guess? I sorta have mixed feelings about it.’
Mihari chuckled, seeing Mahiro’s expression moving from proud to embarrassed.
“But he was also handsome,” Momiji continued, “and he looked so reliable.” Momiji’s eyes glazed over as she stared off into space, her cheeks turning red. “I wouldn’t mind being his little sister, actually.”
Miyo gasped in shock as Momiji strayed from the light, and Asahi simply tilted her head, confused. Nayuta took note of the new development, and Mihari was struggling not to laugh.
“H-Hey!” Mahiro cried, grabbing Momiji’s arm and shaking her. “You’re only supposed to say stuff like that about me! Besides, Onii-chan is way too old for you!”
‘He’s you, though,’ Mihari thought as she watched the exchange.
Miyo’s nose bled as she watched with delight, as the jealous Mahiro tried to shake Momiji out of her trance. ‘Fighting for Momiji against her big brother?! This is peak! Fight the good fight, Mahiro-chan!’
“Mahiro-chan, Onii-chan,” Momiji muttered dreamily, and then she buried her reddened face into her hands. “Noooo, you’re turning me into a delinquent!”
“Why do you look so happy?! Hey, look! Aren’t I way cuter that Onii-chan?! Momijiiiiii!”
‘I think we might need to examine Onii-chan’s brain,’ Mihari decided. ‘It must have taken some damage.’
Nayuta watched with fascination as she continued taking notes, while Miyo had to sit and rest, before she died and ascended to Heaven. And so, the rest of the fieldtrip continued, just as fun and rowdy as ever. And since Mihari was already there, she decided she might as well tag along and enjoy herself, too.
“Like hell you will! Go home already, Mihari!”
“Ehhhh?! So mean!” Mihari slumped away, tears in her eyes as she entered Chitose’s car and left. “Is this what they call a rebellious phase?”
“Now now, it’s not exactly a good look for a grown-up to be escorting a bunch of kids on their fieldtrip, anyway,” Chitose said, and then she asked, “Are you a lolicon, Mihari-chan?”
“I’m not!”
Days later, Mahiro was back home. His body had recovered quickly, thanks to the medicine, but as predicted, the scar remained. Mihari expected him to be sadder about it, but somehow, he didn’t seem to mind so much. Apparently, Momiji had said that it looked cool.
“Well, I’m glad to hear the recovery wasn’t an ordeal. Keep an eye on him though, and let me know if any developments occur. He’s our valuable subject, after all. Oh, and I guess your big brother, too.”
Mihari laughed. “I don’t think there’s anything to worry about.”
“So? What is he up to right now?”
Mihari glanced to her side, where Mahiro was posing in front of a mirror in a fashionable one-piece dress. “Right now, he’s doing something dumb… Yeah, speak to you later.” She hung up the phone, and watched as Mahiro tried on a different dress, one with extras frills and ribbons.
Mahiro gave himself an approving nod as he stuck out his butt a little. “Yeah, cute! This’ll win over Momiji for sure!”
“Onii-chan, you realise you’re competing against yourself, right?” Mihari said with a sigh.
“It’s the principle of the thing! I can’t lose, even to myself!”
“Your logic literally makes no sense, and it’s hurting my brain trying to even process it.” Her words were ignored as Mahiro tried on even more dresses, determined to find the cutest one to impress Momiji so much, she’d forget Onii-chan. ‘Well, whatever. I get treated to this adorable sight, so I’ll just let him keep being stupid.’