This is the sequel to ‘Since It’s a Rare Opportunity’ and ‘More Girly Than Girls.’
They will become a girl. Please be advised.
The perspective is Toriumi.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?”
Because Maito-san suddenly said that, I wondered what Maito-san was looking at, and when I looked, it was Suzumoto’s hand.
”…Huh?”
”No, I just thought it was beautiful.”
”What is?”
”Your hand.”
I wondered if she might have been looking at something else, but it seemed like Maito-san was definitely looking at Suzumoto’s hand. Hm? Beautiful, huh…? No, I don’t quite get it.
Suzumoto’s hand is, well, a hand. Yeah. It’s big, and the fingers are long, but that’s about it, right?
”I don’t understand.”
”Yeah, well, I figured. Even if someone asked me what’s beautiful about it, I couldn’t explain it well.”
Without touching it, Maito-san just stared at Suzumoto’s hand and tilted her head. I also felt like tilting my head.
”But it looks beautiful to me. Sometimes you guys look beautiful to me too.”
Hm, hmmm? What do you mean? Maito-san, did you get hit by some weird skill or something?
”Are your eyes rotten?”
I was thinking that when Hagasaki-kun bluntly said it. Well, business as usual.
”My eyes aren’t rotten, but sometimes even you look beautiful to me, Hagasaki-kun.”
”They’re rotten.”
“That’s so cruel…”
”They’re rotten.”
”That’s so cruel…”
“Even if you tell Hagasaki-kun that, he has the mental strength to keep denying it endlessly. Even if you become Princess Lola, it’s useless, you know!”
“…Is this something I feel because I’m a girl?”
After about ten rounds of “That’s so cruel…” with Hagasaki-kun, Maito-san suddenly said that and slumped over the desk.
Then, she spoke.
“So, for the boys, do you sometimes look at girls and think they’re beautiful?”
“Well… that… does happen. It happens, but… I think you feel that way too.”
I wanted to applaud Suzumoto for his honesty despite his struggle. Clap, clap.
“For example?”
I also wanted to cheer on Suzumoto, who became even more troubled when Maito-san asked for an example. Hang in there!
“…For example…?”
Suzumoto pondered and pondered endlessly, and since no one else offered him a helping hand, he continued to ponder alone until he finally came up with an answer.
“…In winter. On a snowy day.”
“Yes.”
“Looking up at the sky from the window of an empty classroom, fogging up the window glass.”
“…Yes.”
Yes.
“That’s beautiful.”
“Right?”
…Yes. Yes, yes, yes. No, no, no, no, no.
“Suzumoto-kun, isn’t that a bit of a cop-out? Hm?”
“A cop-out? What do you mean?”
Since Suzumoto was blatantly pretending not to know, here comes the boys’ representative, Toriumi, charging in!
“When a girl who usually wears her hair down ties it up in a ponytail during gym class, it makes you go ‘whoa.'”
“Yes. It does.”
Ah, no good. I was aiming for something that Maito-san wouldn’t understand but wasn’t too risky.
“Um, then, when a girl in a short-sleeve shirt raises her arm and you can see her underarm, it makes you go ‘whoa.'”
“Yes. It does.”
Huh, no luck. …Wait, doesn’t Maito-san have too broad a tolerance?
I tried various things after that, but most of the time, Maito-san ended up saying, ‘I think I get it,’ so I couldn’t really find anything that stood in direct contrast to Maito-san’s ‘Suzumoto’s hand is beautiful.’ Hmm, she’s a formidable opponent. Well, not really an opponent, but you know. Something like that.
“Hmm, I wonder if this feeling isn’t gender-related but just my sense being all over the place.”
“I keep telling you, I don’t know, so enough already.”
Hagasaki-kun had been listening to this exchange the whole time and seemed fed up. If he’s that fed up, he could just leave, but that’s not how Hagasaki-kun operates.
“Hmm, Shachoemon, I want to resolve this question.”
“Did someone call for me?”
The moment Maito-san said that, President showed up, and it was just too funny. President always manages to do something naturally over-the-top like this.
Then came Maito-san’s explanation time, and President roughly understood Maito-san’s main concern. Maito-san’s explanations aren’t very good, but President’s ability to cover for that is impressive, so President seemed to come up with a solution. As expected of Shachoemon.
“I see, I understand. Then let’s do this.”
President stood up and looked our way.
“We should verify this by becoming girls ourselves.”
Hmm, that’s our President for you.
“Please draw lots. There are eight of us guys, so if four of us become girls, it should be just right.”
“How did it come to this? President. Why does it always end up with such weird logic? Or is there something wrong with my head?”
“Let’s say it’s a bit of both.”
No, it’s definitely President’s logic that’s weird, but well, it’s interesting, so I’ll keep quiet. Yeah, yeah.
“…Is this the same drug we took before?”
Called out and told to draw lots and that those who lose would become girls, Kadomi-san, who hadn’t fully grasped the situation yet, looked at the medicine on the desk and tilted his head.
Hmm, Kadomi-san is tilting his head, but I also feel like this drug is different from the ones we had before. I don’t think the previous ones sparkled this much.
“No, it’s different.”
As expected, it was different.
“This time, the drug doesn’t just swap physical genders. This one…”
As I played a drum roll in my head, President made the announcement in the middle of it. So fast.
“It also swaps the gender of your mind.”
“…That’s terrifying! No way! Are you seriously going to make us take that!? No, no, no, no way am I doing this!”
“Rest assured, there are no side effects.”
“Like I can trust that.”
“I have tested it on myself.”
…Wow.
The drug’s effect is already shocking, but the fact that President conducted human experiments on himself is even more so. Seriously, President is something else.
“Um, what exactly does it mean to change the gender of the mind…? If it means my personality will disappear, I’d definitely want to pass on that.”
Even with my comprehension skills, I couldn’t understand the effect of this drug. What exactly is the gender of the mind supposed to be?
“The human mind is influenced, to some extent, by the body.”
And so began President’s lecture time. All of us took our seats, ready to learn. Students should be like students, after all.
“For example, it’s known that sex hormones affect thought processes. There have been reports of men who consumed excessive amounts of isoflavones, which have effects similar to female hormones, developing more feminine thought patterns.”
“Fe…feminine thought patterns? What does that mean?”
“For instance, they may become less competitive, improve their social cognition, become worse at negotiation, and exhibit more altruistic behavior.”
Huh. Well, there’s a lot said about differences in brain structure, but if hormones can cause these changes, it’s fascinating.
“So, the gender-swapping drug we used last time can also affect the mind if taken for a long period. However, that carries too high a risk, so we’ve prepared a different drug this time.”
“Is this the drug that changes the gender of the mind as well? The risks seem the same to me.”
“No. The fundamental concept has changed.”
President’s beaming smile is quite scary. Yeah.
“The main effect now is resetting the body after the transformation.”
And so began the terrifying lottery.
No, this is scary. No matter how much President has tested it on himself, this is still frightening.
Body reset? I have no words!
We did the lottery with a simple string-pulling game, but the tension was intense. Yeah.
“Um, I am… yes! Safe! Yes!”
“Oh, I’m safe too. I did it!”
“I’m safe as well. I wouldn’t have minded taking it again, though.”
“…I’m safe too.”
…Oh.
“With a lottery where four out of eight lose, if the first four draw safe lots, the remaining four will have a 100% chance of losing.”
In other words, the remaining ones are me, Hagasaki-kun, Suzumoto, and Kariya. We’re the unlucky ones this time!
…Well, yeah. It can’t be helped. What’s decided is decided. Let’s just enjoy it.
“We decided by lottery, but what about you, Maito-san? There’s no female comparison target, so it’s up to you.”
“Hmm, since it’s a rare opportunity, maybe I’ll take it too. The effect lasts one day?”
“It doesn’t last a day. At most, half a day or so.”
“Alright then. I’ll take it too.”
Maito-san is out of her mind!
“Hey, Maito. No matter how you look at it, this is a potent drug.”
“Yeah. But since half of you guys are taking it, it won’t matter if I take it too. It’s just a small difference.”
Someone, please teach Maito-san the meaning of ‘small difference’!
And so, we drank it. We drank it, drank it. Down in one go. Courage is key for men. Yeah. Well, I’m already turning into a girl. Yeah. So, since I’m a girl, maybe charm is more important? Well, these days, even girls need courage. Yeah.
“…Has my thinking changed? I don’t feel any different…”
“Yeah. Neither do I.”
So. Here’s the important part: although the four of us were supposed to become girls in both mind and body, we don’t feel any different!
Moreover, even though Maito-san has become a boy, she doesn’t feel any different either!
What’s going on here? I’d love to fly to the Amazon to solve this mystery, but there’s no Amazon in this other world.
“Well, while the drug affects the mind, it doesn’t change the core personality itself.”
“Hey. If your thinking changes, isn’t that almost the same as changing your personality?”
“Perhaps. But the fundamental aspects of a person remain, regardless of gender. Whether those aspects were formed without gender distinctions is unknown.”
Well, there’s no point in overthinking it. Since it’s a rare opportunity, we should enjoy it as much as we can. Yeah. While it’s worrisome, just worrying about it is a waste.
For a while, we played some analog games.
“…This really has a huge impact.”
Hagasaki-kun, or rather Hagasaki-chan, was in despair.
So, we played One Night Werewolf.
Maito-san was the lone werewolf, but she pretended to be the seer and claimed, “There are two werewolves in the center! So it’s a peaceful village!” Then, the rest of us—me, Suzumoto, Hagasaki-kun, and Kariya—discussed it back and forth, but in the end, we decided to go with the peaceful village.
…Yeah. Well, the possibility of a peaceful village wasn’t zero, and we were kind of okay with losing if that happened. Yeah.
But now that I think about it, the very thought of “it’s okay if we lose” was a bit unlike Hagasaki-kun. I often think that way, but Hagasaki-kun always goes all out in competitions. So, it was quite unusual for him to go along with the peaceful village.
“Is this the difference between genders… Maito’s power has increased significantly too.”
“Yeah. I was surprised at how much I could lead the discussion.”
Also, Maito-san talked a lot. Normally, Maito-san doesn’t talk much in werewolf-type games. She only speaks at crucial points and doesn’t take on the role of leading the discussion. So this was unusual too.
I guess these things show up in games too. This is interesting.
“We got utterly defeated.”
“Serves you right.”
Next, we played the majority vote game. The rules are simple: the parent asks a question that splits the answers into two choices, and the children vote. The people on the side with more votes score points.
…When we played that, Maito-san was surprisingly weak.
“Why? I can’t read this at all.”
“On the contrary, I somehow got a read on it… I used to be bad at this game.”
Suzumoto, on the other hand, scored decently, and even though I usually struggle with this game, I ranked higher today. It might just be a coincidence, but maybe it’s also the effect of the drug.
“…But the strongest is Kadomi-san…”
“I won.”
The most interesting part is that Kadomi-san remained the undefeated champion of the majority vote game, regardless of being a boy or a girl. This is fascinating.
“I feel like things are stabilizing now. How about the former guys?”
“It feels like things are settling down.”
“I feel great! I think I’ll just become a girl from now on!”
“Stop it. You won’t be able to come back.”
“Wouldn’t that make things peaceful in its own way?”
So, after playing a bunch of games, we moved on.
“Now, let’s move on to the verification!”
It’s Maito-san’s problem-solving corner. Let’s do this enthusiastically!
First, let’s address Maito-san saying Suzumoto’s hand is ‘beautiful.’ How about we start there?
…Except, Suzumoto is a girl now. Oh well. We’ll have to use someone else’s hand. Hey boys, show us your hands!
“…Nope, I can’t tell.”
“Same here as Suzumoto.”
“Yeah. No good. I can’t tell either.”
“I sort of get it, but to be honest, I already understood it even when I was a guy!”
Kariya is kind of an outlier, but yeah, that’s about it. Yeah.
“So, does that mean it’s just my nature that makes Suzumoto’s hand or Hagasaki-kun’s neck look beautiful?”
“Huh? Are you a pervert? Stop it. Don’t come near me.”
“Waaah, Hagasaki-kun is so cold.”
Hmm, I can’t quite understand Maito-san’s feelings. I thought maybe I would understand those things if I became a girl, but I’m a bit disappointed.
That’s what I was thinking. Yeah.
“But, I see. I’m a bit relieved. It’s just that I’m a little weird. If that’s the case, it’s fine!”
When I saw Maito-san (as a guy) laughing and brushing his hair back, I couldn’t help but notice things like his hands, hairline, and neck.
…Something about this is DANGER, my sixth sense is telling me!
Meanwhile!
“Th-this tickles. Stop it.”
“Oh, sorry… I just thought since you’re a girl now…”
“That doesn’t mean you have to touch me.”
“Your skin is so smooth and soft. It’s really beautiful.”
Suzumoto-chan, blushing, fled to me after having her cheek touched by Kadomi-san.
Meanwhile, Hagasaki-chan was frozen under Katori’s intense gaze, and Kariya-chan was desperately trying to avoid being undressed by Hariu’s “since it’s a rare opportunity” excuse. Yeah.
And then.
“…This is bad.”
Maito-san.
“When I see Suzumoto clinging to Toriumi, something, something stirs inside me.”
Maito-san’s eyes were sparkling as she stared at us! This is bad! And being stared at like this makes me feel like something is really off! I can’t tell exactly what, but it’s definitely bad!
Let’s calm down for a moment. There’s no need to panic just yet. Ahhh!
“…I see. Maito, I hate to say it, but I understand now. Why you’re always so close to us. …Women have a narrower personal space.”
Saying that, Suzumoto was currently clinging to me. I’m a perfect cushion right now. What is this? But, being clung to doesn’t feel unpleasant at all. Seriously, what is this?
“Yeah, I’m glad you understand… and at the same time, I now understand why you guys don’t hold hands or hug each other…”
Maito-san seemed to be getting a sense of what it’s like to be a guy. Yeah. Well, guys don’t usually hug each other. Most of the time.
“It’s quite fascinating to observe firsthand how women are less averse to physical contact with others.”
President was amused, but we’re all at our limit here!
This feeling of your sense of self disappearing, of changing, is incredibly scary. It’s just scary. Sure, it’s interesting and fun, but?
“Last time, when we only changed our bodies to girls, we were all over each other, but now… I don’t feel like letting anyone touch me. I feel a strong resistance to taking off my upper clothes.”
Yeah, I thought that too.
…I mean, we’re boys. Last time we used the gender-swapping drug, we were like, “Since it’s a rare opportunity, let’s touch!” and had a field day with boobs. But now, I don’t feel like touching my own boobs, and I definitely don’t want any guy touching them. This is amazing.
“And… when Kadomi-san touched me… I couldn’t stop thinking about his hands. I understand a bit of what Maito was saying… And now, I realize that I’m a woman.”
Suzumoto was holding her head. Yeah. Hang in there.
“…Sorry.”
“No, it’s fine. It was educational. Really.”
In front of Suzumoto (which means, also in front of me, since Suzumoto is clinging to me), Kadomi-san was flustered. Yeah, I get it. Sorry.
“…Can I touch you a bit more?”
“Please don’t!”
It was funny to see Suzumoto this flustered, but at the same time, I felt like saying, “Hey boys, stop bullying Suzumoto-chan.” This is scary. If I were still a guy, I’d probably be more actively trying to touch her. Probably.
“By the way, right now I think Hagasaki-kun’s small butt is cute because of the curves.”
“Stop it!”
Hagasaki-chan rushed over to me to escape Maito-san. Yeah. Doesn’t her personal space seem small? Why is everyone clinging to me?
“And I can’t help but notice Kariya’s chest bouncing every time he moves. My eyes keep going there. It’s amazing.”
“Ugh, I’m turning into a girl.”
“You already are a girl…”
Eventually, even Kariya ended up clinging to me.
…What is this? Some new fusion technique or something?
Well, yeah. Anyway.
Afterward, we decided to just enjoy ourselves and kept playing around until the drug’s effect wore off.
…Then we all snapped back to reality, and there was a lot of chaos and confusion. Yeah.
Today, I understood what Maito-san was talking about, and I also realized there are things I wish I hadn’t learned. But, it was educational, I guess.
…Probably, Maito-san’s sense is quite unique.
We turned into girls this time, but even though we felt a bit startled or scared when looking at the guys, we never felt that ‘beautiful’ sensation. Yeah. I think Maito-san’s sense is a bit special.
On the other hand, Maito-san, now a guy, was grinning and saying he understood the appeal of girls’ thighs. Is that really the main takeaway?
But I’m a bit envious. Having the ability to appreciate ‘beauty’ is amazing. While Maito-san might have gained that sense because she was a girl, it seems not all girls have it. That kind of sensitivity is probably valuable, regardless of whether it’s good or bad. The sense of ‘beauty’ isn’t a bad thing. Yeah. Maybe I’m a little jealous.
“It seems there are no lasting effects, but maybe we should consider modifying the drug to erase some memories as well.”
“No, we don’t need any modifications. We’re never using it again.”
“I agree. This needs to be buried in the dark. It’s a heavy burden.”
President remains unfazed, but honestly, this experience was quite taxing on our minds. I can’t imagine using it again. Yeah. It was fun, but the idea of changing into someone else is extremely scary. That’s my takeaway. Yeah, something like that.
…And one more thing.
“Hey, Toriumi, what’s up? Opening the window?”
“Yeah, just thought I’d get some fresh air.”
I felt like my sense of smell got sharper when I became a girl. Specifically, the chemistry lecture room we always hang out in smelled a bit off.
…Yeah. Maito-san didn’t mention it, but I’ll be more mindful in the future.