The timeline is around the usual.
The perspective is from Hariu.
Kadomi-kun has a terrible experience.
“Kadomi-kun is cute!”
“O, I’m cute…?”
“Not ‘ore’! ‘Watashi’! Yes! Repeat after me! I (watashi) am cute!”
“Wha… I, am, cute…?”
…Kadomi-kun.
Kadomi-kun is… being brainwashed!
It all started, well, a bit complicated.
That day, surprisingly, I got a message from Utagawa-san. I couldn’t imagine there would be trouble at George-san’s place, so I thought maybe it was something like ordering a dress from Maito-san or something.
But the content of the message was… simply put, “Tonight, in the underground social world, I want you to forcibly steal an otherworlder slave who belongs to a prominent noble.” Oh boy, it was a really dangerous request. Hahaha. I mean, it’s not funny.
So, all of us, while going to have fun at Deichemall, decided to go to George-san’s shop and hear the story directly from Utagawa-san.
“I’m sorry to ask you this. You were surprised, weren’t you?”
“Yeah, a bit, no, I was extremely surprised.”
Utagawa-san looked so apologetic that we couldn’t say anything. I mean, where do we even start?! What, underground social world?! Belongs to a noble?! By force?! What?! What is this?!
“So, please tell us more about this underground social world.”
But here we have a reliable President! Thank goodness he helps get the story back on track.
“Yes. The underground social world, as the name implies, is a gathering held by the nobles of this country for events that are not permitted publicly. And this time, it’s… a slave showcase.”
“…It’s pretty disgusting what the nobles of this country do.”
“It can’t be helped. That’s the world here.”
Suzumoto doesn’t seem too happy about these topics, but well, I guess when in Rome, do as the Romans do, right? Actually, there is a way to help! Right! Stay positive! We’ve got to keep it positive!
“So, we infiltrate there and ‘use force’ to take the slave from the nobles, is that it?”
“That’s right.”
“Can’t it be settled with money? George-san can provide as much as needed, right?”
“I’m sorry. I tried negotiating and even prepared to offer a considerable amount, but no matter how much was offered… they refused to sell.”
Well, they say some things can’t be bought with money. It’s not strange to have such people. Yeah. Besides, Utagawa-san and the others have been doing their best so far. In this context, it’s unavoidable to resort to force in one or two cases.
“…So, I’m sorry, but I’d like to ask you, Tsuge-kun and others. You have the capabilities, and…”
“And above all, if a ‘mysterious armed group unrelated to Utagawa-san’s people’ took the slave, it wouldn’t affect Utagawa-san’s future negotiations. That’s the idea.”
“It’s helpful that you catch on fast.”
Right. Our president is famously a bit too quick with his talking. Haha.
“…So, may I ask for your help?”
Utagawa-san looks worried, but our answer is pretty much decided, isn’t it?
“Of course.”
“Absolutely.”
“Well, okay then.”
“Leave it to us.”
“Okay.”
“Okay!”
“Sure.”
“I’ve got this!”
“Understood.”
…No. The responses were surprisingly varied. Hahaha.
“By the way, Maito-san, are you okay?”
“Eh? Me? Why?”
But as we quickly agreed, Utagawa-san turned to us with an incredibly anxious face. This gave me a bad feeling too.
“Um, the underground social world, you know?… It’s a rule that men and women must accompany each other.”
…
“Eek!”
Yeah. Maito-san has messed up once in the past.
This is… this is just… ahaha, I can only laugh at this…
We immediately went back and started planning, but right from the start, it was a tough ask.
“…Maito.”
“Yes?”
“Just to confirm. Are you confident you can be on the battlefield and not die?”
“About the same percentage as tritium in natural hydrogen.”
“…So, practically zero?”
“It’s 10 to the minus 16 percent, so yeah, pretty much. That’s quite an effort for Maito-san, don’t you think?”
Yeah, well, Maito-san has messed up before… or rather, has been messed up… yeah. Anyway, we really don’t want to put Maito-san out front. Never again, no thank you.
“But it said men and women must accompany each other. That’s how it is in the underground social world.”
But however. Reality is cruel.
All of us, apart from Maito-san, are men. So it comes down to either dragging Maito-san along by force or borrowing someone from the drama club…
“So my job is to make someone cross-dress, huh? Yeah yeah, I can work with that.”
…Reality is cruel.
“Ah, then there’s no problem. We’ve recently developed a drug that can change one’s sex.”
Reality is! Cruel! Ahahahahaha!
“Eh… why me…?”
“Because you’re the cutest.”
“…Cu… cute?”
“Because you’re cute.”
And the chosen one was Ayataka, or rather Kadomi-kun.
Haha, sorry! It was a unanimous decision for Kadomi-kun, so no room for complaints! Sorry!
“…stop it.”
“Not stopping! Cute!”
Kadomi-kun looked troubled, but Maito-san was oddly enthusiastic, pushing him around. Kadomi-kun has a personality that easily gives in when pushed. Can’t help it. Ahahaha. It’s fun watching from the other side.
“Maito, maybe you should stop there?”
Maito-san was having fun, but Hagasaki-kun pulled her away, and for the moment, Kadomi-kun was saved. Fundamentally, nothing was really saved though.
“Um… well, Kadomi-kun is, you know, not harmful or anything… yes, well, he’s a good person. Among perverts and weirdos, I think he’s on the cute side.”
Kariya tried to follow up, but it didn’t change the fact that Kadomi-kun was feeling down. Well, it’s depressing, being called cute all the time. Ahahaha.
“Then, Kadomi-kun! I’ll make your dress! What color do you like!?”
“Any color is fine… I mean, is it decided that it’s me…?”
“Yes.”
“Well.”
“Yes.”
…Well, yeah. Sorry, Kadomi-kun, but you’ll have to be the sacrifice! Sorry!
A few hours later, Maito-san came back with the dress. It was oddly fast and kind of creepy. How does she know the size?… Ah, right, the last time she changed genders, she sewed clothes for eight people overnight without taking any measurements. Ahaha.
“Sorry to keep you waiting! Now now, Kadomi-kun, try this on!”
“No, this definitely won’t fit…”
“Then hurry up and become a girl.”
“Eh…”
“Become one. Preparing as a girl takes time. It takes time to get dressed and tie up the hair and make you look super cute. So, understand and just give up and become a girl.”
“No…”
“Become one.”
Eventually, pushed into a corner, Kadomi-kun became a girl due to President’s gender-changing drug.
“It hurt.”
“It was creaking… sounded painful…”
The gender-changing drug is fun and all. But transforming with your body creaking and morphing is pretty tough. Poor Kadomi-kun.
“Alright! You’re a girl now! Then it’s time to change clothes! Off to another room!”
“Eh… I can change by myself.”
“Do you think you can, you fool! I haven’t made a dress that someone who’s never worn one can put on by themselves! You’ll also need to wear a corset! It’s laced up at the back! It’s impossible to put on and take off by yourself! So, give up and off to another room!”
And so, Kadomi-kun was dragged away by Maito-san to the chemistry lecture room.
“…Why is Maito having so much fun?”
“I don’t know… none of our business.”
Yeah. I don’t know either!
“Maybe it’s because they’re both girls now. Good for you, Maito-san.”
“With Kadomi-kun becoming a girl, Maito-san got to have her fun with another girl for the first time in a while… That’s a nice story…”
“Hmm? Is it a nice story?”
Yeah, well, it’s nice that Maito-san seems to be having fun. At the same time, I feel sorry for Kadomi-kun. Ahahaha.
…And then, some tens of minutes later, Kadomi-kun was brought back, completely transformed.
“Wow—”
“Ooh—”
Honestly, that’s the only reaction I can think of.
I mean, he just looks like a normal girl.
No, no, he really does look like a girl now. Kadomi-kun has turned into a girl. But it’s not just that, he looks like a girl! It’s amazing! It feels so weird! Amazing!
“The dress is a calm dark blue! For the underground social world from evening to night, the dress is roughly a backless halter neck! But it still manages to make his toned back and waist look elegant! The design is mature yet the hem flares out cutely! The accessories are kept minimal, favoring lace and ribbons over metals and jewels! Dark blue with off-white lace stands out! It balances sophistication and cuteness! Cute! And cute again! Ah, I’ve done a good job! Really good job!”
“Yeah, well, good job.”
“Maito-san’s enthusiasm is kind of scary!”
“It’s strange. There’s a girl in front of me who shouldn’t exist in this club.”
“Honestly, it might be better than what Maito did.”
“Right? Right?! Hahaha! Kadomi-kun is cute! He’s cute!”
Maito-san is energetically off in her own world. Being called cute has made Kadomi-kun even more bashful. Ah, that kind of gesture really fits the bill. Maito-san doesn’t blush when she’s dressed up… just stares with dead-fish eyes… lacks the girlish vibes…
…It’s kind of refreshing to see a girlish girl (…not that he’s one, but well, his body is).
…And back to the beginning.
“Yes! I am cute!”
“I am cute…”
“I am! Cute!”
“I am cute…”
Kadomi-kun began to be brainwashed.
No, I thought such things weren’t necessary. According to Maito-san, “If he were just doing a normal girl’s role, he could be portrayed as a tomboyish, somewhat clumsy beautiful girl. But if he’s to play a lady in the social world, he must be able to act the part.”
…As a result, for the remaining time until the social event, poor Kadomi-kun was undergoing something like manner training.
It started with changing the first person pronoun from ‘I (ore)’ to ‘I (watashi)’ in a more feminine form.
Then, his walking style was corrected. (Even though it’s a low heel, training to walk in heeled shoes is already quite a challenge, I think.)
Lastly, training on movement and gestures.
And.
Kadomi-kun became able to act quite like a girl.
…It’s amazing, really. Maito-san herself isn’t that type at all, but she has the knowledge to instruct others. Impressive. The fact that she doesn’t practice this knowledge herself is so Maito-san.
“Well then, I’m off. I’ll come to pick you up with ‘Transfer’ at an appropriate time, so be ready.”
“…Going, right?”
“I’ll wrap it up quickly, so be ready.”
Thus, with Toriumi who is familiar with using the Transfer bracelet and has high communication skills, and Kadomi-kun, who had completely become a girl, and Hagasaki-kun, who was chosen as the slave (he could fight without obvious weapons but complained a lot about it), and me, hiding behind Kadomi-kun! A total of four people infiltrated the underground social world.
Hmm, at times like this, I really think I’m quite useful. Hahaha.
“Um, Kadomi-kun, are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m okay, I guess…?”
“…I think it’s okay not to push yourself, you know?”
“I, I’m not pushing myself, okay…?”
…I’m really worried (mostly about Kadomi-kun’s mental state), but well, all we can do is hope for the best and go on.
What I thought was just the underground turned out to be literally underground.
“This way, please.”
We went to the location Utagawa-san had mentioned, said the password to someone who seemed like a receptionist, and were then led deep inside the building. We passed through a secret passage to enter from the back. It felt kind of like a ninja mansion. I get somewhat excited seeing this kind of stuff.
…So, we entered a large room hidden at the back of the building, where a slave appraisal event was already taking place.
There were people who looked like nobles, parading around others who clearly seemed like slaves. Yeah, I didn’t really get what was going on.
“Um, now that we know where everything is, I’ll ‘transfer’ the others here.”
“Go ahead.”
“Hurry back.”
Not really understanding the venue, Toriumi quickly left. Well, that’s his job.
“…We should probably look for the person we’re here for in the meantime.”
“Oh, right…”
So, while waiting for Toriumi to return, Kadomi-kun and Hagasaki-kun began searching for the slave we planned to retrieve—either a classmate or someone junior or senior to us.
…It’s crowded here.
The population density isn’t exactly conducive to searching for someone.
Since standing in the same spot and looking around didn’t seem to help, I drifted through the shadows to scout the room, and Kadomi-kun and Hagasaki-kun also started wandering around inside.
After about five minutes of wandering, we found someone who looked promising.
Kind of like someone I’ve seen somewhere at school. According to prior information, there was supposed to be one male and one female.
We found our target safely, so now it was just a matter of waiting for Toriumi’s ‘Transfer’. Nice!
Thinking it best to let Kadomi-kun and Hagasaki-kun know where the target was, I headed back when…
“Oh? Are you someone I haven’t met before?”
“Um, that…”
“Is this… oh, a slave from another world?”
“Uh, well…”
The charm of the girl Kadomi-kun has become was striking. Despite the strange context, it was hard not to see the allure.
“But you too are quite charming. Is your partner somewhere else? Then, would you keep me company until they return, miss?”
Kadomi-kun.
Kadomi-kun was being hit on.
Next to him, Hagasaki-kun was trying so hard not to laugh he looked like he was in vibration mode, but the guy hitting on Kadomi-kun had eyes only for him, so he didn’t notice. Lucky for Hagasaki-kun.
“Um, that, that…”
“How may I assist you, miss? Are you feeling unwell? If so, perhaps a rest in another room…”
“It’s not that!”
Finally, Kadomi-kun managed to muster some proper words, raising his voice a little, which seemed to slightly intimidate the other party. Good! This might work!
“…I need to think about what to say… please, wait a moment…”
…Well, yeah.
That’s fine, I think. It’s Kadomi-kun, after all.
Ah, Hagasaki-kun started coughing…
Eventually, Kadomi-kun ended up having a very slow-paced conversation with the guy who hit on him, and it seems he quite charmed the guy.
…Hmm, I kind of get it. Imagine a girl, overwhelmed by trying to think of what to say, blushing and hesitantly speaking in bits and pieces. Plus, with the exotic beauty of someone from another world.
That would indeed be somewhat endearing. Yeah. Though it’s complicated because it’s Kadomi-kun inside.
But because it is Kadomi-kun, the conversation remains innocuous, he seems unworldly, slightly off in a natural way, and the effort he puts into not appearing unnatural makes his interactions quite favorable… Certainly, this is somewhat cute. Yeah. It’s still Kadomi-kun, but…
Then for a while, I watched from a distance as Kadomi-kun played the sacrificial lamb (Hagasaki-kun kept his distance. Since I was in Hagasaki-kun’s shadow, I naturally stayed back as well).
Then, suddenly, the venue went pitch black.
“What’s going on!”
“Where are the guards!?”
Naturally, the venue was thrown into panic. This place was set up like a hidden room, and there were guards present. But to a person from another world capable of “transferring” directly into the venue, such details hardly mattered. Ahaha.
…Well, when it goes dark, that’s my time to shine. I have “night vision” so I can see in the dark, and in darkness, a ninja really comes to life.
So I moved quickly, approaching the two student targets, ready to act at any moment.
Then suddenly, the lights came back on.
…And who was there!
“Muahahaha! You tasteless nobles of the venue! Rejoice, for this place has fallen into our hands!”
It was Kariya, dressed in demon army gear.
Meaning, he looked super suspicious. Ahaha. And the lighting? That was Kariya’s light magic—a self-illumination. I can’t help but laugh at that alone.
“All the treasures of this venue will now be taken by us!”
As the venue focused on Kariya and buzzed with confusion, suddenly, a scream.
But since the venue was almost completely dark, it was unclear what was happening, which only added to the panic.
Screams were coming from all over, but I could see everyone moving around. It seemed like the plan was to steal other slaves as well, not just the otherworlders, to avoid suspicion.
I quickly destroyed the targets’ collars with “Shadow Edge” and secured the two, retreating immediately.
By then, guards or similar figures began to attack, but we’re not otherworlders for nothing. I countered with “Shadow Edge,” aiming for stun effects, while the rest of the team, blending into the darkness, used non-lethal blows, froze the ground underfoot, fired beams, and so on, stirring the venue into a frenzy while effectively handling both defense and offense.
When it seemed about right, Suzumoto, carrying Hagasaki-kun and Kadomi-kun, joined all of us at Kariya’s brightly lit location.
By this time, everyone else had various items, like accessories that looked like they belonged to slaves or nobles.
Once everyone had visibly shown off what they had “stolen,” Toriumi gave the OK signal. (And, amusingly, I noticed Toriumi had also changed into demon army gear at some point.)
“Then farewell!”
Kariya burst into loud laughter, and at that moment, Toriumi executed the “Transfer.” We successfully escaped the scene! Mission complete! Well done, everyone!
The “Transfer” destination appeared to be in Kukurtz. They had apparently bought a house there just for this purpose.
Why go through all this trouble? It was all to help the slave women escape.
“Ah, you all can disperse from here… Um, thank you for your hard work.”
Kariya said this with a sudden drop in the quirkiness of his earlier demeanor, exiting the house and leaving the slave women thoroughly bewildered.
“Eh?”
“Um…”
“Why…?”
The confusion of the women was quite justified. But, well, hope they’ll forgive us.
“Here, use this for your new life. I think you can sell these in Kukurtz without any trouble.”
Toriumi handed over some of the stolen jewelry to the women, then picked up the male student slave and made his retreat.
“If you need cash, please take these as well.”
President then gave each of the women ten silver coins and picked up the female student slave before making his exit.
“This house is no longer needed. The deed is yours. Do as you like with it.”
Suzumoto passed the deed to one of the women, then, carrying Kadomi-kun, made his exit.
“Make sure you don’t get caught again.”
Katori, carrying Hagasaki-kun, made his departure.
“See ya.”
“Wait!”
As I was about to leave empty-handed, one of the women caught me.
“What are you people?”
…Uh.
“We’re just some strange passersby!”
Well, with all that strange acting, being strange is definitely a given. Ahaha…
…Afterward, the two students who had been enslaved safely joined the others at the gym, and we all returned safely! Well done, everyone!
“Welcome back, miss!”
Maito-san, who greeted us, was incredibly pleased.
“…I’m home?”
Ah, right. The whole “welcome back, miss” thing isn’t something Maito-san had much experience with.
“Well, let’s not dwell on it. Kadomi-kun, let’s get you changed. The rest of you, snacks are ready so take a break.”
Maito-san hurriedly started to move Kadomi-kun along.
“Are we changing him back already? I was starting to enjoy seeing Kadomi-kun as a girl.”
Toriumi was reluctant to let go, but it was a bit surprising. Given Maito-san’s character, I’d have thought she’d want to see Kadomi-chan for a bit longer.
“That’s what I thought too, but the medicine’s effects will wear off soon. If he’s still in the dress when that happens, the mental damage to Kadomi-kun could be significant… it just seemed too cruel…”
Ah… yeah, that makes sense. My imagination hadn’t stretched that far.
“Aaaaaah, but he’s so cute… so cute… Kadomi-kun is so cute… it’s a waste… a waste to change him back!”
But Maito-san was surprisingly hard to convince. I can understand the sentiment, though.
She even started patting Kadomi-kun’s head. I get it, I do. But still…
“Um, Maito, I know it’s late, but I am a guy, after all.”
Finally, Kadomi-kun managed to pull away from Maito-san, showing some resistance. It might be a bit late for that, but yeah.
“It’s really, um, troublesome when you keep calling me cute…”
“Ah… yeah, you’re right. Sorry…”
Even Maito-san seemed genuinely remorseful. She stepped back slightly, looking apologetic, but then glanced back at Kadomi-kun once more…
“…but he’s still cute.”
Aaaaaah! Kadomi-kun looks like he’s about to cry; please stop!
The next day.
We went to report back to Utagawa-san. They were the client, after all. We had to provide a proper report.
…And then this happened.
“There’s been rumors in the noble circles about a ‘phantom thief’ appearing. What did you guys do?”
That’s it! Yeah! We did steal, but still!
“We played the phantom thieves, yes.”
“And there’s a rumor that several slaves and a noble’s beautiful girl were abducted…”
“Ah, that would be about Kadomi-kun, it’s all good.”
“Was he in disguise!?”
“No, we used a drug to change his gender.”
“There’s such a drug!?”
Well, it’s a special concoction by President. Hahahaha.
After reporting, Utagawa-san seemed really serious and worried… then said:
“…By the way, I have another request for you, and it also involves infiltrating a location where mixed-gender pairs are required… would you be mad if I asked?”
Everyone looked at Kadomi-kun. Yeah.
Kadomi-kun looked troubled. Yeah.
I thought maybe someone else would draw straws this time, but then…
“…It’s fine…”
…Huh? He’s okay with it?
“I don’t want anyone else to go through that…”
Wow, wow, that hits right in the conscience! What’s this? Kadomi-kun’s conscience is attacking ours!
“Then we’ll ask Kadomi-san again. Thank you in advance.”
But President seems to lack a conscience! Classic President!
…And so, at a later date, Kadomi-kun was sacrificed again.
Well, they say there’s nothing sweeter than another person’s misfortune. We had fun though. Hahaha.