21 - What if your best friend suddenly turns into a girl?

After talking with Akane, I became even more certain that it was highly likely Yuichi wouldn't be able to go back to being a man.

I really hate to think pessimistically, but that's just how it is.

What can I do? Wishes can only be made to certain falling stars. Not to mention I have to compete with the wishes of other 8 billion people. There's no guarantee our wish will be once granted again...

I walked to the nearest vending machine and inserted three 100 yen coins into it. After I finished making my selection, two cans of drinks fell through the hole at the bottom.

"Does Yuichi like coffee? Hm... But I already bought two..."

Out of the blue, a random image crossed my mind; what if Yuichi grew up to be a wife?

After a tiring overtime shift, I was finally allowed to go home by my boss. I then took a ticket for the train, while I also had to endure the pungent body odor while squeezing in with other commuters. After a long journey, I finally arrived home.

When I got home, I felt like I just wanted to jump onto my bed. But as I opened the door, I found Yuichi waiting for me at the front with her apron on.

"Welcome home, my sweet heart handsome husband, Nagi! Tonight, do you want to have dinner first, take a bath, or me? ♡"

ARGH!

Why am I suddenly thinking about that?!

I took a deep breath. I slapped my own face because I couldn't stand the embarrassment.

Lately, my thoughts have been filled only with Yuichi; I don't even understand why. She is indeed beautiful; I can't deny that. Is that possibly the reason..?

A guy suddenly appeared from behind, and without hesitation, he wrapped his arm around me. "Hey, Nagi. What are you doing zoning out in front of the vending machine? People have been staring at you."

"Who's staring? I've only been here for a few minutes. Besides, aren't they looking over here because of you, Kaito?"

This bald-headed guy is Takeda Kaito, one of my friends from high school. He's about 185 centimeters tall. His tall and big frame, combined with his goofy face, makes him stand out among others. Plus, his extroverted personality makes it easy for him to make friends.

"Hehe. Is that so? Sorry for being so tall," he said with a smug laugh. I just sighed, watching him continue to show off his height.

"Yeah, yeah." It really is annoying to see him keep boasting. Especially since there's a significant height difference between us— about 7 centimeters.

Even though I often consume high-protein and calcium-rich foods, I still can't compete with him... Truly, genetic strength shouldn't be underestimated.

Kaito looked at me while tilting his head down, making me seem shorter, even though I'm still of average height.

"Kaito." I glared at his eyes.

"Hey, hey..! Don't be so serious. I'm just joking, Nagi."

I sighed. "Come on, what do you need?"

Kaito nodded appreciatively, as I figured out his true intentions. "Nagi, are you really not interested in joining the basketball club?"

I shook my head quickly. "Kaito, this is the fifth time. Don't pretend you don't know, I've already joined a club."

Kaito looked dumbfounded for a moment. "Ah! You mean the spiritual club? The one with only popular girls?"

"That's... Akane-san and Yuichi-san, right?"

"Yeah."

Kaito sighed in envy. "It must be nice to have a harem..."

Well, it would be nice if reality were as good like Kaito said. But in reality, Akane only has feelings for Yuichi, while Yuichi keeps teasing me 24/7. It's more like I'm caught between two troublemaker girls.

I sighed.

A girl seemed to approach us from a distance. Though she was more feminine, her face has some resemblance to Kaito. "Big brother! Are you bothering Nagi-san again?! How many times do I have to tell you, Nagi-san isn't interested in a basketball club full of delinquents?!"

"HA? What's delinquent club you mean?! We've never smoked or blackmailing anyone!"

Kaito's younger sister... Takeda Chiharu. Her personality is so different from her brother's that it surprised me when I found out they shared the same surname.

The girl with long brown hair, in contrast to her brother, always speaks kindly and elegantly to others, and also has the ability to read the mood and is a good listener, unlike her brother...

Her beautiful face also allows her to stand alongside the popular girls at this school. Unfortunately, she has one flaw— she shares the same level of intelligence as her brother.

"Not that. I mean, your faces look like delinquents, especially yours, big brother! Students who want to join your club will immediately run away when they see your face!"

"There's no way! Clearly, they're mesmerized by my face," Kaito protested.

...

Am I forgotten here?

I looked at the drink cans I had just bought. Then, I put my remaining money back into the vending machine, but this time I chose milk.

After a while, the drink finally fell through the hole at the bottom. "Kaito, and Chiharu-san." I then pressed the two types of coffee and milk drinks against the cheeks of the older and younger siblings.

"RAAAAAAH!" Kaito screamed exaggeratedly. Meanwhile, his sister didn't say a word.

"Please don't overact, mr. Kaito."

"I'M NOT OVERREACTING!"

Ignoring Kaito's protest, I chose to continue speaking. "I'm going to give both of you these drinks. But in return, how about you listen to my rant for a bit?"

Kaito and his sister exchanged glances in silence for a few seconds before finally agreeing to my request.

***

I invited them to sit at one of the tables in the corner of the cafeteria. I did this to avoid unnecessary attention because the topic I was going to discuss with them might be a bit sensitive.

Especially since the cafeteria was packed during the break; we were still quite lucky to find an available spot.

The two siblings looked at me seriously while drinking the drinks I had just bought for them.

"Kaito, and Chiharu-san."

"What do you think if your male best friend suddenly changes gender to female?"

I reflexively closed one eye out of embarrassment. I was afraid to see how they would react to my question.

"Nagi... Are you— perhaps drunk?" Kaito said with a sudden low tone.

"What do you mean?!" I shouted angrily.

Chiharu looked hesitant to answer. "Well, I didn't expect to hear a question like that."

"You too, Chiharu-san?!"

Was my question that strange..? But— it really happened!

I leaned my back in my chair at the cafeteria.

"Okay, okay! I won't deny what you said... My question does sound strange, but— I really want to hear your answers."

"Well, how do i need to react? Like... Get surprised?" Kaito said without thinking twice.

"I don't have a male best friend. But if I did, and their gender changed, I would still be friends with them," Chiharu answered.

That's a very normal answer... Alright, I'll change the question. Maybe this time it will be more "sensitive."

"What if that friend starts to like you?"

As soon as Kaito heard my question, he immediately spat the coffee he was drinking from his mouth and nose. Meanwhile, his younger sister maintained her calm demeanor, though her hands were clearly shaking.

"Nagi-san, sorry if I'm rude. But... is this your fetish?"

GAH!

I had already expected that I would get a question like that from them. But... Why is whenever I talk about a girl, everyone always associates it with my fetish?!

"NO. I swear. I'm just asking!"

"Well, if he's already become a cutie and doesn't have... Um.. That "thing" anymore, then it wouldn't be a problem right? If it happens to any of my friends, i would immediately date him without a doubt." Kaito said while scratching his wet nose.

After hearing Kaito's opinion, it was now Chiharu's turn to answer. "Sorry if my answer is not up to your expectation. But since we're both girls now, I would definitely reject her if she confessed her feelings to me."

I nodded in understanding.

After seeing the issue from Kaito and Chiharu's perspectives, I didn't get a single SATISFYING ANSWER at all.

I don't know why I thought I could hope for them from the beginning.

Forget it. But one thing is clear— I realized that Yuichi's behavior has been acting strange lately when she's around me.

Maybe Yuichi still hasn't realized it and keeps thinking of me as a dense guy with a dull brain.

But, as I said earlier. I'M VERY AWARE. I've often set traps or rather "bait" to see how her expression changes when trying to handle those situations.

However, her expressions and behavior look more like an ordinary teenage girl in love, rather than a guy whose gender suddenly changed.

Could it be that Yuichi likes me?

But I could be wrong... This thought frustrates me.

Suddenly, the image of Yuichi waiting for me at the door after I got home from work, with her apron and soft smile, suddenly flashed back into my mind.

"Welcome home, my sweet heart handsome husband, Nagi! Tonight, do you want to have dinner first, take a bath, or me? ♡"

A—!

TO BE CONTINUED.