I got isekaied but not the way I wanted (wished to be a girl♀ but I’m a guy♂ again)

「Chie」

Hand in hand with Mayumi, we follow the stream of people across the skybridge that links the convention center with the metro, Katsumi at our side. The atmosphere is buzzing, with the convention-goers around wearing costumes and festive clothes, showing off their favorite interests. By comparison, us three are boring. Mayumi's in her typical, a short skirt and loose jacket over a top—all black of course. While Katsumi is in a new dress she bought the other day. A knee-length thing of pink lined in dark green accents, sleeveless. I'm of course, the most boring. Just jeans and a hoodie.

My eye catches on Mayumi, and once again I feel that strange sense that I'm looking at someone else. Her long black hair is gone, replaced by a shorter, chin-length style with an undercut. The change so drastic that when she came home to show me I nearly leaped out of my skin before I realized it was her who came through my door. When I asked her why the change she had replied with, "Hair holds memory," and left it at that.

Gotta say, it does look quite badass.

Beyond the glass, the towering skyscrapers of the business district shine in the midday sun against the backdrop of distant mountains. Then, the bridge links to the building proper. A dark tunnel, and the scene is gone.

"I'm so excited!" I say, nearly bouncing on the balls of my feet as we go. I earn a smirk from Mayumi, but she can't lie. I know she's excited too, just has to maintain her ~dark and angry persona~ so she can't show it.

"It's too bad the others couldn't join us," she remarks offhandedly.

Ha! You can't hide from me!

"Yeah…" Both Haruki and Hotaru had to do something for their respective parents, and so couldn't come. "Even just Haruki woulda been nice."

"What," Katsumi says, "so I can be the fourth wheel instead of the third?"

Mayumi chuckles while I have the decency to look mortified. "Hey," she says. "At least with four we make some kinda fucked up car."

"Opposed to the fucked up tricycle?"

I sputter while both women laugh at my expense.

"You two together are a menace," I say. "Why did I even consider this?"

"Cause you love us," Mayumi shrugs. "Duh."

Katsumi giggles. "The horrors of being cared for."

"You're one to talk, considering we had to basically beat down your door to get you to stop hiding."

"That's different~."

"Is it really?"

"Yeah! Besides, takes one to know one or whatever."

"Right…" Mayumi drawls.

Ahead, the entryway to the convention is a wall of light. Blocking the view of the inside, but it rapidly approaches.

"Sooo…" Katsumi begins, "What kinda convention is this again? Some kind of anime convention, you said?"

We walk into the light. A blink and a massive poster hangs before us, proudly declaring 24th Annual Girl's-Love Convention before a pair of kissing anime girls. With a victorious grin, I hop out before it, hands raised triumphantly in a dramatic pose.

"Its a girls-love convention!"

Katsumi immediately flushes red.

"WHAT?!"

She takes a near-unconscious step back but Mayumi grabs her by the collar of her dress like an unruly cat.

"Nuhuhuh… you're not going anywhere. This is your culture. You're staying."

"But…But…but…"

"If you say what I think you're about to say, I'm'a turn your ass into tori katsu, Katsu-chan."

I snicker. "Cooked."

Katsumi squirms but eventually settles.

"Fine," she pouts. "And I wasn't. Just so you know."

"Right."

Going over and taking her hand I say, "Come on, it'll be fine!" Leading her on, I point out all the stuff I can see in the space. "It's just a con like any other. Ya got people selling manga and doujin stuff and like…" I squint. "Plenty of panels. Pretty sure they got the VAs for Demon Queen's Ascent this year."

"For real?" Mayumi says. "Fuck yeah."

We pass by some more booths, wandering for now to see what's there to see. Katsumi speaks.

"What's that?"

A smile at my lips, oh here Mayumi goes…

"Demon Queen? Its this anime based on this old-old silent film about this woman who leads a revolt at her factory. You know, one of ones banned in the depression era…" Katsumi's expression indicates that she does not know, but Mayumi continues, not noticing. "…before the war and whatever. And they adapted the story so that its this badass demon woman overthrowing this corrupt kingdom while being gay as fuck."

"Woah," Katsumi says.

"She's so hot." I add. "Just this massive demon woman with these big wings and a glare that can kill. And its soooo good. Despite how short it runs. Sapphic stuff never gets a good budget…"

I finish on a mumble.

Sounding a little breathless, Katsumi asks, "How is there a whole convention for this?"

"What do you mean?" I reply, looking over. "There's a million sapphics in this city. Plenty enough for a con."

"A MILLION!"

"Roughly, according to the last survey."

"Which is prob bullshit," Mayumi grumbles. "People are worried about saving face. Don't know why. It isn't like, forty years ago when this would get you made a pariah."

Katsumi goes quiet, seeming to be lost in thought. Its strange, but I soon get distracted by a table of light-novels. Looks they got all the good stuff, and as I look through it I point out one to Katsumi, Kitsune Love.

"You might like this one," I tease.

She blanches at the cover of the two fox-girls holding hands, and I giggle. Hehe, finally got you back, Miko. I pass over the stacks, pointing out several more titles. We haven't been able to really talk about fun stuff since most of our meetups have been business. I don't even know what she likes to watch or read, so I'm hoping to learn a bit about what she likes. Only each one I mention to her gets a blank stare that is quickly followed by a look of embarrassment. After the fifth one I leave her be. She clearly doesn't know any of them and with her discomfort keeping this up kinda feels mean.

I didn't realize how… sheltered she was, but given her behavior… it makes sense.

I pick up a few volumes to buy. We'll rectify that mistake.

On her other side, two girls slide right next to Katsumi, wearing very revealing cosplay. And… that's some great work on the costumes, geez. It looks professional. My eyes flick to Katsumi though who has gone stiff, going red up to her ears.

With a hand on her arm I swap places with her while I pay. Mayumi smirks, clearly holding in her laughter. As we continue on she says, "Relax, Miko. They're just tits. We all got em."

Katsumi's voice comes out as a mumble.

"It feels like I'm not supposed to be here…"

That makes me frown. Cause that I get. Back in high school I felt like a perv all the time for the crime of liking women. I draw alongside her. "Hey, you renounced boyhood to become a girl. And really, I'd argue that you were always a girl, but even if you don't agree with that, you've put in a lot of work to get this far. You've earned the right to be here."

A thoughtful expression quirks her sharp eyebrows. And sure, this is a bit of a roundabout way to think about everything, but knowing how she thinks about her gender and all, its the best I got.

She drops into thoughtful silence.

"Come on," I say, "Lets get some fatty con food."

We find the area selling snacks and such pretty quick, and Katsumi seems much more relaxed with a cup of ice cream in her hand. I walk away with some fried-thing-on-a-stick while Mayumi simply picked up some candy. We hang out off to the side somewhere, watching the people go by.

"So uhhh… I have this problem," Katsumi begins, swishing the skirt of her dress back and forth, looking away. Both of us look over. "I want to tell Hikari about… well, me. And… I don't know what, like, I should wear. Cause its—if she sees me dressed as a girl then she'll know and I can see how she'll react and like… go from there, but… what would be best?"

My answer is quick, "What you feel most comfortable in," I say around a mouthful of crunchy food. "Doing hard stuff sucks, so why be uncomfortable when you do it?"

"But you wear casual clothes all the time," Mayumi observes.

"Exactly! Everything is hard so I'm comfortable all the time."

Mayumi snorts, then kisses the top of my head. I lean into her, humming.

"Nah," she says. "You see, clothes, shits like armor. You want something that makes you feel powerful. Invincible. 'specially when you're baring your soul and all that."

Katsumi hums thoughtfully.

"And it doesn't gotta be like…" Mayumi picks at her dark jacket. "I know a few girls that got a real nice dress that they keep for when they wanna feel powerful. Elegant and shit, ya know."

That makes her nod seriously, and her and Mayumi talk about the intricacies of dress styles that fit the criteria of, elegant and shit.

Afterwards, we wander for a bit more until Mayumi pulls us into the voice actor panel for Demon Queen. While my girlfriend is engaged with the materiel it falls to me to explain the context of everything that's being spoken of, and between it all Katsumi actually looks interested. The lead VA is hilarious and the event is even better because the Demon Queen's love interest is voiced by the lead VA's girlfriend. The two are so cute together!

By the end of it all we plan to watch it all together. Me and Mayumi share a conspiratorial smile as we exit the room. Our plan for this whole day was to introduce Katsumi to the finer points of sapphic media, and its working like a charm.

As I look away though, my eye catches on a flicker—a sparkle—of what I've been seeking this whole time.

"Is that…" I gasp. "Star Sailor merch?!"

That shit's vintage too! I can tell even from here!

I start forward but Mayumi holds me by the back of the neck. "Please have some dignity."

Katsumi giggles.

"Ugh, fine," I pout, walking over with ~dignity~ or whatever. The selection is amazing. They have little figurines of Captain Hoshiken and Hanako—one with them embracing. Oooh I need that.

Out of the corner of my eye I see a dark shape.

"Hey," comes a sultry feminine voice. I look up to see…

No way.

Its the woman who stole our kill!

She stands tall, looking down on Katsumi with an easy smirk and sparkling eyes. One hand rests atop the table and another in the pocket of her dark slacks. Her dark silk blouse is open, revealing the plane of her chest and just a hint of cleavage. She seems to almost have her own gravity in this space. Around her, many pairs of eyes wander to her from the people passing by.

"Hi," Katsumi squeaks.

I snicker, and the woman's dark eyes wander over to me, stealing my breath. However, her lip curves down, just barely, but noticeable.

"It is wonderful to see you here, Katsumi. I see you're still with your… girls, though."

The way she says girls sets me on edge, like its an insult. Katsumi retaliates however, scowling with the best villainess glare she can muster, though the flush on her neck detracts from it. With a little step, she stands before me and Mayumi.

"I am. Lady Kodoku."

The woman's lips twitch into something like wounded displeasure.

Interesting.

"I see," she says. Glancing down, she picks up a manga from the table, holding it out like a peace offering. "Here. You'll like this one. It's my favorite."

Katsumi glances down at it curiously, then back up. "What's it about?"

"It involves a girl rescuing another, all the while falling in love with her. A beautiful story. I reread it often."

Katsumi tilts her head, her interest peaked. Lady Kodoku flips to the end. The way her slender fingers work and spread the pages has something deeply sensual to them. A true apex predator.

"And—if you don't mind the spoiler," she says, her lips lifting into a small smirk as she places it into Katsumi's hands. "This is my favorite part. They get married at the end."

Katsumi's eye go wide. I look over her shoulder to see the two characters holding each other in their wedding dresses, looking so happy they could explode. This close I can feel the heat radiating off her. Mayumi might just get her tori katsu at this rate.

"That's a nice fantasy…" Katsumi mutters absentmindedly, a little sadly too. Her thumb brushes the image. I share a look with Mayumi.

"What do you mean?" Lady Kodoku asks, brows narrowed.

She receives a shrug. "It would be nice if girls could get married. But…"

The Lady Kodoku blinks, while I seem unable to do, well… anything. We probably would have sat in silence until it became uncomfortable if not for Mayumi's obnoxious:

"Huh?"

"What?" Katsumi asks, looking back.

"Uhhh…" Mayumi swallows, her confused expression speaking to my own. "Katsumi… women can marry each other."

The realization is slow to hit her, and I watch it wash over her like a slow-moving syrup. She blinks slowly, before her eyes widen and her lips part.

"W-what?"

"Yeahhh…" I say. "For like… A while now."

That seems to send her into meltdown, the book going limp between her fingers while she stares at the floor, eyes darting about wildly. Mayumi comes alongside her.

"Shit, Miko. I knew the nobility was repressed, but I didn't know it was this bad."

Lady Kodoku slips the manga from her fingers, passing it and a credit card over to the person working the booth. "Most are," she says. "But I'm surprised, Katsumi. Your father is a progressive in the House of Peers, is he not?"

She looks down at Katsumi with a worried crease to her brow. Katsumi though appears unable to speak, staring up at her with something approaching fear. Mayumi comes to her rescue.

"Wouldn't be the first time the nobility didn't practice what they preach. The only reason they existed was to hunt demons and look, they can't even do that."

Lady Kodoku frowns again.

"There are a few of us who still uphold the old traditions. Protecting the weak, holding the demons at bay. So unlike…" Her gaze passes over me and Mayumi. "The hunters of today. Self serving mercenaries, all of them. They only care for money and themselves."

Mayumi scoffs.

"Easy for a spoiled noblewoman to say. Ya know, this might come as a surprise to you, but down here with the plebs we gotta do this crazy shit called 'eat' and 'pay rent'."

"And what would you know about that, Miss Iwamoto?" Mayumi startles. "Yes, I know of your family. Your father makes enough to sponsor your little… team. Yet you still hunt for money."

Mayumi's response is a growl. "Tell me, do I look like Mr. Iwamoto?"

A single eyebrow goes up in response. "I don't understand."

"Its a straight question. Do I look like my useless ass father?"

A twitch of lip. "You do not."

"Then how the fuck do you think I have access to his bank account?"

Lady Kodoku's lips press into a line, yet some flicker flashes in her eye. Respect, or appraisal. The charged moment is interrupted by Katsumi's soft yet firm voice.

"Miori. Enough."

The Lady—Miori—nearly snaps to attention. Locking eyes with Katsumi. Something passes between them, and Miori nods. Then, she holds out her hand expectantly. The booth worker passes her a bag, which she hands to Katsumi.

"For you. You'll have to tell me what you think during our date."

"Our what now?!"

"Date. Though in all honesty the more accurate word would be sparring session. You are woefully…" Her eyes pass over her from head to toe. "…underdeveloped. A pure conviction alone won't save you. I will teach you. To see you suffer injury due to inadequate training would be enough to break me."

The way she said that, so earnestly, there is no doubt to her sincerity. It seems to disarm Katsumi entirely, the defensive tension of her body melting. With a graceful motion, Miori takes her hand and presses a kiss to the back of it.

"Call me tonight. I'll send you the address."

With a polite nod towards me and Mayumi, she walks off.

Its a few seconds before Mayumi grumbles, "I hate that bitch."

"Aww," I tease, "You're just mad that you have competition for your title of tall dark and lesbian."

Mayumi flips her short cut. "Please. Miss haughty noblewoman isn't anywhere near my level."

"Honestly I think you two are in different categories," I joke. Turning I ask, "What do you think, Katsumi? You taking her up on her offer?"

"I don't know. Probably. She'll just come annoy me again if I don't."

"Oh wow," Mayumi says, "A woman who can't take a 'no'."

"Well… I never told her to go away… so…"

She shrugs.

Looping my arm through hers I lead her away to get us out of the way of any others who might want to look at that booth. "I mean if you wanna hang with her that's okay. You do have quite the roster of admirers though. Who knew you had such game?"

I giggle, though she appears mortified. "I don't have that many…"

"Oh my fuck…" Mayumi mutters.

"Come on," I prod. "Beyond miss haughty noblewoman who just asked you out for the second time, there's that one coworker you keep talking about. Hikari? Then that guy friend with a motorcycle-"

"That was not a date!"

"Sure~" Mayumi says.

"…and then Haruki's telling me that you're bringing another guy on your hunts now."

She groans. "That was not… He didn't even come on that for me! He wanted to talk with Haruki!"

"For what?" Mayumi asks, suddenly serious. I feel myself frowning as well.

"He just wanted to be her friend. Like, he thought she was cool and a good hunter and wanted to learn from her or something."

"Huh," I say. "That's it?"

"Yep. And I didn't know that… like, Haruki told me about how men… expect things if you're just… nice to them, and ugh! They're so annoying!"

I nod sagely, but get interrupted by a sound like the opening to a dark theater play. Mayumi pulls out her phone, putting it to her ear. "Speaking of—Hey babe, what's…"

She goes silent as a muffled Haruki speaks. Then her jaw drops.

"No fuckin way."

"What?" I prompt.

She holds up a finger. More muffled words come through before she ends the call with a, "Got it. Love ya."

Both of us look at her expectantly. Her expression becomes grave.

"So those muhōmono we got arrested? A B-Class attacked the jail where they were being held. They're dead."