03. A Girl In Training
You might at this point be asking yourself, 'What’s wrong with this guy and his obsession with becoming a girl?' And I'll tell you there is nothing wrong with me, it’s the world that’s wrong!
Who would even want to be a boy? A guy? A dude? Like seriously!?
Men are the worst! Why would you want to be one?
First of all, they're gross and smelly and they push themselves on others—which, isn't okay! And then they domineer every conversation with the most boring shit imaginable, and they think themselves better, and they never shut up, and they never listen!
They're so fucking annoying!
I mean I could probably have a more productive and interesting conversation with a pigeon! Or a wall! Or a pigeon on a wall!
But girls?
Well they're… I don’t know, they're just better!
In every way!
I’ve met so many incredible girls and I aspire to be like them, not like… this!
Also girls get to have soft bodies that probably are so much nicer to have—bodies that don’t make them uncomfortable all the time.
If I were a girl, I’d be able to be the way I want to be.
But I got cursed with being a guy for a SECOND TIME!!!
This is so unfair!
Whoever is responsible for this, I will find them and put an end to it.
No more getting reincarnated as a guy, nope not happening, ever again, to anyone, I will not allow it.
And no spawning in mid way, because what’s that even about? It’s unjust and confusing. Let people start over and not get settled with the baggage of another.
And while we are at it; if it’s not too much to ask I would like to request a pamphlet of pretty boy’s most important memories, so I don’t come across like complete idiot, thank you.
────୨ৎ────
Over the past week I have accumulated a treasure trove of boxes.
Their mere presence in my tiny apartment has me excited. My first pretty girl outfit and it’s so freaking pretty! It’s unreal! ₊˚⊹♡
At first I thought going all out on quality fabrics and manufacturing was a mistake, but having it now between my fingers it’s just fantastic. Good thinking on my part.
I’m going to wear this thing a lot, so having it be comfortable and durable is definitely a plus.
I lay it out in front of me.
Everything's ready, I give myself a thorough cleaning.
Luckily, pretty boy doesn’t even have peach fuzz.
I had to shave daily in my old life.
We start simple with basic underwear.
I bought some cosplay bra fillings because… well, there isn’t anything there. Which is disheartening, but I must keep faith. I going to become a girl, this is only temporary. I am committed to the cause.
I will succeed!
I have to!
With the necessary reverence for such an occasion, I begin to put on my outfit. One has to cherish such moments.
It’s similar to the that of the shrine maidens I know from my old world, a plain white short sleeved top which I bind tightly, yet instead of red hakama, this one has a long dark gray skirt fastened with a similar bow.
In the days of old it was said that a shrine maiden who had dedicated her service to the hunting of demons would dye her skirt with the blood of an ink demon she had slain personally.
This was probably the boring industrial kind of dye tho.
I continue.
Make-up was the next step.
I've gotten really good at it over the past few weeks, even started experimenting with lots of tutorials I found online. Pretty boy’s androgynous face was such a great canvas. I've come to really appreciate it.
I finish with the wig. It’s a bit tight. Hopefully that means I won’t lose it mid battle. Long flowing black hair, it's well suited for a future girl like me.
I will put it in a nice …
『 error 』
『 … 』
『 !!! 』
I stare.
That’s me in the mirror.
The really good looking girl!
She's frozen, still shocked by her own reflection.
A statue.
But she's there.
Not simply a feminine face. No, that of a girl framed by silky strands of her raven hair. Her tall, slender physique accentuated by the cinched waist and the hint of a modest bust under her blouse.
I need to animate her, a girl like her should be smiling.
A twist and twirl and I watch the skirt dance with me.
This is unreal.
But I can’t deny it.
This is too good.
That’s me.
That girl is me!
Oh no!
I’m crying.
Who the fuck cries in such a moment of triumph!?
Get it together man.
With a swift bow I sit down.
This is a lot to take in, I may still be a guy underneath all this, but:
WOW!
I mean, I know this is what I want, but to have a first—if imperfect—glimpse at it?
This high surly is something else.
But I must not lose sight of my goal.
I have a mission.
Okay, so—I need to redo my make-up and get my nerves under control, I’m basically shaking, and then fix my hair into a braid and then go out.
Wait.
If I go out like this, people are going to mistake me for a girl.
That feels wrong, because I’m not a girl, I’m a guy.
I didn’t think this through, did I?
To be fair I hadn’t expected to look this much like the real deal.
Yes, I may have poured all my dedication into it, because yes I want to get it right for the sake of future girl-me, but… come on! I wasn’t expecting THIS!
Maybe I should go back to the drawing board?
I don’t want to deceive people, that wouldn’t be right.
But this feels so incredibly nice.
No, I’m sticking with it.
I need this kind of training, and one could argue that I’m not actually lying, because I am going to become a girl once I get my hand on that restricted gear.
A sudden noise startles me.
Off to the side I watch my phone crawl across the floor, blinking and vibrating.
Who calls pretty boy this late at night?
『 ? Big Sis ? 』
Oh, pretty boy was such a nice, innocent young man, shame I took over.
Better take that call, before his—I mean my family comes snooping.
“Hi big sis.”
“What’s with the cheerful greeting Katsumi?”
Ouch! Her voice has enough windchill to freeze someone’s nose clean off.
“Dunno.”
“What? Don’t try to play reformed. That ship has long sailed Katsumi. You didn’t call Aoshi. Not a single peep. You vanished of the face of the earth and as much as father may like to pretend that this is a favorable outcome; I know you, you little cockroach. Where are you?”
“Uhm … in my flat?”
“Your flat? Who do you think I am? Think you can lie to me? I know you're in all likelihood staying with one of your rotten friends.”
“Nope. I got a job at a konbini and I got my own little flat.”
Brrr.
Even thinking about pretty boy’s friends makes my skin crawl. The worst of the worst spoiled rich douchebags with a serious case of too-dumb-to-function.
They showed up shortly after my release from the hospital.
Don’t want to think about them ever again.
Those cretins are best forgotten.
“Come again?! A konbini? You?”
“Father said it was about time that I took care of myself. And that’s what I’m doing.”
I take another good look at the pretty girl in the mirror.
“Whatever you say Katsumi. As long as you know your place. Bye.”
Call over.
What a lovely guy my pretty boy must have been, to have such a wonderful relationship with his family.
Glad you’re gone fucker.
I sigh and turn to the girl in the mirror.
“Glad you're here.”
────୨ৎ────
I’m not sure if it’s the adrenaline of what I’m about to do, but suddenly I have no difficulty summoning my sword. Maybe that's the secret ingredient? The threat of physical injury?
My pale blade shimmers with a rainbow-like glow and the twinkle of stars.
With a smile I let it fade again.
Traveling a little outwards into the districts more neglected by hunters, I start working my way through the back alleys. Narrow corridors between the residential blocks and loading areas of shuttered shops.
The city is almost quiet out here at this time of night.
The ever present wall of noise a distant curtain.
I check the app on my phone again. No wonder I’m all on my own.
This place is down right infested with reports of F-class demons.
Ideal for the likes of me.
Whatever they are, I'll face them head on.
Nothing can stop me in my quest to become a girl!
And this skirt and get-up is so nice.
(≧ヮ≦)
I feel unstoppable.
Okay, the scenery might be actually scary.
Dark high concrete walls, old trash, grass sprouting from cracked asphalt.
This is not the nicest neighborhood.
I wander deeper.
Round the corner I spot it.
An odd disgust immediately takes hold of me. This thing is revolting in a very unnatural way.
A black chitinous shell with an oil like sheen. A giant beetle the size of a cat, munching on a trash bag.
Slow and steady, with my sword out, I approach.
It whips around. Burning red eyes.
With a screech it lunges at me and I dodge to the side. As it swipes past me I get a good look at its grotesque human like face.
EWW! That thing needs to die!
What little training I have, I put to good use, and jump after it to take a stab at its backside. It goes wide.
The demon beetle gives me another look and takes off down the alley.
Hey not fair!
I give pursuit.
This wasn’t how I imaged this going! One swipe and it flees?
I leg it. I won’t let it escape!
The buzz of its wings fills the concrete canyon.
Another corner and a dead end.
Pressed against a delivery entrance and a green dumpster pockmarked by rust, the demon has nowhere to go.
In reality, it isn’t that fast if a rookie like me is able to keep up.
Sword in front I close in. Then I hear more buzzing.
To my horror, five other similar beetles cross over my head and join my mark.
Strength in numbers won’t cut it against me! One good hit and any one of those fuckers goes down.
This is still doable.
A red glow engulfs the skittering mass at the end of the narrow space and the six beetles dissolve in a red goo. It coalesces into a figure over two meters tall. A giant demonic beetle with a human face and burning embers for eyes. It stands upright on its hind legs.
SHIT!
With the huge black beetle in front, I take position. Both hands on my sword. Give me your worst Mr. Beetle!
Closing the distance, I dodge and weave as if it were a dance. I won’t let it have an opportunity to hit me! I’m grace incarnate! A shrine maiden of old come to excise demons from this realm! I think of the girl I saw in the mirror and in my periphery I watch my skirt twirl as I dodge two of the beetle’s blows. Its long spindly arms reaching for me and grasping nothing but air.
I'm close enough.
My glowing blade hits its armor and cuts it like butter.
The demon screeches in pain. I weave back, out of its range. Return to my position from before at the mouth of the backstreet.
This is how I’ll win.
In and out.
Back and forth.
Yellow oozing blood drips off my blade as I stare at the creature. It waits nervously, never standing still, erratic movements shaking its torso.
I hear something behind me.
For a second I dread even more of its siblings arriving, but then I hear the voices of two girls.
“OH shit, they fused already!”
They move fast, one already beside me. She looks down on me—oh she's tall—with a handsome grin that strikes me still.
"Looks like we were already beat." On her shoulder she hefts a massive rainbow ōdachi. "Mind if we join this dance, pretty girl?"