Chapter Text
Chibita couldn't believe it. That face in the mirror stared back at him. It wasn't his, but it certainly looked like him, the markings on the cheeks, the shape of the nose. Yeah, definitely him.
He takes a deep breath. Waking up like this wasn't what he expected. Maybe it was just a weird dream, and he'd soon wake up. He holds the breath in, three, two, one... still a girl.
He thinks about work. Maybe he could skip it for today. He was his own boss, after all. But the bills are getting harder and harder to pay. He couldn't take the luxury of days off.
Taking another deep breath, he got ready for the day. He could just pretend to be someone else if anyone gets suspicious, and so he did. After his stand was open his usual clientele showed up, all confused with this "new person" in charge; he made up a lie in the spot, about being a cousin or something and something about him being too sick to work. To anyone who actually knew him, that excuse was kinda wonky, but it was enough to get them to stop asking.
Just as the day of tiring lying was ending, the worst outcome happened: someone who actually knew him showed up. As he saw the man approach the oden stand, he sighed, strangely out of relief, he was alone, which meant way less prodding and questioning.
"Hel-....." Karamatsu paused immediately at the sight of the unfamiliar face, sliding his shades down the bridge of his nose, probably because it was getting too dark to see in those. "Oh, my... what do we have here?" He raised one of his thick eyebrows, his voice as low and sweet as ever.
"Oh, me?" Chibita giggled falsely, trying his best to keep his accent in check, one slip up, and all is over. "Poor Chibi is really sick, I'm his cousin, don't worry about it..."
"And how should I call you, my angel?"
"Uhh...Ch...Choko." Even though he had spent the whole day lying like this, it felt weird doing it while being hit on. He felt his eye twitch.
"Tell me... have I seen you before, my Choko-late beauty? You look quite familiar." He fully took the shades off now, his dark eyes staring deep into Chibita's face and very much through his facade.
"Haha... what are you talking about?? I've never seen ya in my life."
"Really? The way your body moves reminds me of someone."
Chibita stared at him. "My body language?" He thought to himself, "My god damn body language?!! How?!! How can this id-"
"And those whiskers... and height... face shape." Karamatsu interrupted him, keeping on listing features.
"Dammit." He admitted defeat. "Yeah, it's me."
"What?"
"What do you mean what? Ya won, it's me, alright."
Karamatsu blinked at him, slowly processing the new information, Chibita could swear he heard the gears turning inside his head. He was actually being sincere. He didn't know who he was but felt something was off.
"Idjit." He sounded more disappointed than mad.
"Chibita?!!"
"Took ya long enough!!"
"How did you- Why- uh...congratulations? I'm glad you finally came to terms with it. You make a beautiful woman." He smiled sincerely, voice fluctuating between his usual deep confident one and a flustered, high-pitched tone.
"What the hell?? I didn't transition!!"
"My bad-"
"I woke up like this, ya idjit." He sighed, although he didn't mind the compliment he was, in fact, a pretty woman now.
Karamatsu's expression turned into one of absolute bafflement, mouth slightly agape as he processed that bombshell.
"You... woke up like this?"
"Yeah, genius, like magic or somethin'. One second, I'm me, next thing I know I'm... this!" Chibita gestured at himself in exasperation, knocking over a skewer in the process.
He analyzed the view for a moment, his usually bald head was now full of messily tied brown hair, the rest of the body was still very similar, apart from the chest, which was more prominent, and hanging slightly with the absence of a bra.
"That's... amazing."
"Amazing? It’s a freakin' nightmare!"
"But you're thriving, my dear Choko."
"Don't call me that!!" He felt his cheeks getting hotter.
"You invented the name."
"Yeah, to keep nosy weirdos like ya from askin' too many questions!"
Karamatsu leaned an elbow on the cart, smiling softly. "Well, I'm glad I asked."
Chibita stared at him, bewildered. "Why? Ain't it weird for ya? Ain't I weird like this?"
“No,” Karamatsu said simply, “you’re still you.”
Chibita blinked. That wasn't what he expected. Not from Karamatsu. Not from anyone.
"I don’t get ya, man."
"I don’t get me either," Karamatsu said, chuckling, "but if the universe gave me a chance to meet you like this... then maybe I should be thankful."
Chibita looked away, cheeks burning. "Yer cheesy."
"Only for you."
Chibita groaned. "Okay, seriously, tone it down. I'm already dealin' with enough! Ya know, it's me, not some random girl. Stop the flirtin'..."
"Fine, fine," Karamatsu held up his hands in surrender, but his grin never faded. "Just don't disappear. I wanna see where this goes."
Chibita looked back at him, eyes narrowing. "This?"
"This," Karamatsu said, gesturing between the two of them. "Whatever it is."
For once, Chibita didn't have a comeback. He just sighed, flicked a fishcake over the heat, and muttered, "Idjit."
But he didn't kick Karamatsu out.
And maybe... maybe he didn't really want to.
"Ya gonna order or just keep starin' at me?"
They both tried to act as normal. Karamatsu ordered the usual, Chibita already knows he won't pay but prepares the order anyway. It doesn't take long to the subject to come back, though.
"Should I call you a she now?"
"Huh?" Chibita stared at him like he just said something absurd. He was sure the subject had died out now.
"When talking to other people who don't know, should I keep pretending you're 'Choko'?"
"I guess. Makes it easier for me."
Karamatsu nodded thoughtfully, twirling a chopstick between his fingers. "Got it. Choko it is... for now."
Chibita sighed, ladling some broth into the bowl. "Just don’t get used to it, alright? I still dunno what's goin' on. For all I know, I'll wake up tomorrow back to normal."
"But if you don't?" Karamatsu asked, tilting his head. "If this is you now?"
Chibita paused, hand hovering over the daikon. "... Then I guess I'll deal with it."
Karamatsu smiled again. "Hair looks good on you."
"Shuddup." Chibita muttered, stuffing a boiled egg into the bowl and sliding it across the counter, "I'm chargin' ya double now."
Karamatsu took the bowl without protest, still looking at him with that dumb dreamy look in his eyes. "Worth every yen."
Chibita rolled his eyes so hard he almost saw his brain. "Yer impossible."
"I'm persistent," Karamatsu corrected with a wink.
They fell into a comfortable silence for a moment, the steam from the oden rising between them, warm and fragrant. It felt oddly normal, even with the strange new reality Chibita was trapped in. He caught his reflection again in the boiling broth, same unfamiliar softness in the eyes, same damn whisker marks.
He still wasn't used to it. Probably wouldn't be for a while. But Karamatsu sitting there, being his usual annoying, ridiculous self... helped, in a weird, awkward way.
"Hey," Chibita said suddenly, voice a little quieter, "yer really not freaked out by all this?"
Karamatsu shook his head. "Not even a little. It's still you. And I like you either way."
"...Tch." Chibita looked away quickly, stirring the pot with more force than necessary. "Yer such a cornball."
"But I mean it."
"I know."
Karamatsu smiled to himself, sipping the broth. "So… same time tomorrow?"
Chibita hesitated, then gave the tiniest nod. "Yeah. Just… don't bring ya whole fanclub next time."
"No promises."
"Idjit." And for the first time that day, Chibita actually smiled... just a little. "Didn't even pay..."