“So, assuming for a moment that you are Yuuji, I’ve got a question for you. Where the hell have you been and what have you been doing from June two years ago until now?”
Ryou-nee fixed me with a glare so sharp it almost made a 'shing!' sound.
Well, it seemed they’d at least tentatively accepted that I was Tachibana Yuuji. Next came the explanation part.
“It’s a long story—”
“Then give it in three lines!”
This time it was Mika-nee who cut in.
Okay, fine. If I had to sum up everything that happened in three lines…
“1. I was suddenly summoned to another world of swords and magic.
2. Fought hard for two years, defeated the Demon Lord, and saved that world.
3. I turned into a girl, but I made it back safely.”
“Yuu-chan. That doesn’t explain anything.”
My little sister Hina let out a sigh and said it flatly.
“Wait, Hina! What’s with that ‘Yuu-chan’?!”
“Well, I can’t exactly call you ‘Yuu-nii’ looking like that. You’re shorter than me now!”
Guh…
Two years ago, Hina was thirteen and still a kid. Now she’d shot up nearly ten centimeters and passed 170 cm. Meanwhile, my old height of over 180 cm had shrunk to under 150 cm.
For reference:
-
The tallest one here is Mika-nee, in the upper 170s.
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Second is Hina, slightly over 170.
-
Third is Ryou-nee, just shy of 170.
-
And last is me, barely scraping 150—with rounding.
So yeah, all three of them are over 20 cm taller than me. And on top of that, I’m sitting in seiza on the living room floor (as punishment for vanishing without notice), surrounded by three women standing over me. It’s more than a little intimidating.
From an outside perspective, it probably looks like three tall Japanese women interrogating a tiny girl. Not a great look.
“But seriously, you’re so small. In a family where both our parents and all the sisters are tall, you’re the only one under average.”
“I used to be above average too, you know!”
“Ah, but wait. What if you’re still in your pre-growth spurt phase? I mean, you’ve got a really baby face now.”
“…You might be onto something. If gender-swapping is possible, age regression wouldn’t be that surprising.”
Oh no. I’ve got a very bad feeling about this. My instincts from being this woman's brother for 18 years (even if we didn’t see each other the last two) are screaming.
“Yuuji. Take off your clothes.”
“Goddammit! I knew Ryou-nee was gonna say something messed up!”
“Just the bottom is fine.”
“That’s the part I don’t want to take off! And why the hell do I even need to strip?!”
“To check your physical development. Generally, pubic hair starts to appear around age ten, and by—”
“There are other ways, right?!”
“Sure. For example, tooth development can also be a good age indicator. But I’m not trained to assess that.”
“I’m not taking them off!”
“This is our home. Only family’s here, you know? No need to be embarrassed.”
“That’s not the issue!”
With Dad away for work 80% of the year, and the family lineup going: eldest daughter, second daughter, son, and youngest daughter—it’s no surprise that the women basically dominate the household.
And it seems like they’ve stopped seeing me as a guy altogether, considering how little modesty they show.
“Mika. Hina.”
“Aye aye!” “Okaaay~”
Mika-nee charged at me like a linebacker.
“!!”
After surviving two years in a world of actual life-or-death battles (well, the first year was the real hell), my reflexes almost made me throw her over my shoulder on instinct. But the thought that I might hurt her made me hesitate.
And that hesitation got me pinned instantly.
“Phew, that was close. You’re still sweet, Yuu.”
Mika-nee had gone to nationals in both the Inter-High and Spring High tournaments and was admitted to a top athletic university on a full scholarship. Actually, didn’t someone say earlier she got picked for U23?
Anyway, this athlete of a sister seemed to pick up on the fact I held back.
“Then maybe get off your sweet little brother already.”
“Aww, so cute! Like a kid!”
While Mika-nee held down my upper body in a mount position, Hina mercilessly pulled down my underwear. So breezy down there…
“It’s not shaved, so it’s natural. Judging from genital development, I’d say you’re around upper elementary to early middle school level.”
Ryou-nee gave her clinical diagnosis in her usual cool voice. Honestly, I wanted to cry.
grrrgle~
But my stomach beat me to it.
That seemed to break the tension. The sharp edge in Ryou-nee’s tone softened.
“Heh. Let’s stop teasing you for now. Yuuji, you’re all dusty. Go take a bath. I’ll cook while you’re in there.”
“What’s on the menu?”
“Spring rolls.”
Ohhh! That’s my favorite! She remembered!
Just as I was getting up, excited, Mika-nee and Hina hugged me from either side.
“Welcome home, Yuu.”
“We were really worried about you.”
“Sorry. I made you worry.”
With Mom gone and Dad rarely home, our sibling bond had always been really strong. Seeing Mika-nee and Hina force a smile through teary eyes made me seriously regret my thoughtlessness—even if it was technically out of my hands.
As I was heading to grab a change of clothes before the bath, Ryou-nee called out one last thing:
“Yuuji. I don’t know when you started this whole gender-swapping thing, but it’s your body now. Make sure you wash properly down there. You’ll get sick if you don’t.”
…Yeah, okay, I have been avoiding that area out of embarrassment. But I’ll have you know, I was almost a clean freak in the other world.
You think the hygiene standards from this world just carry over into a fantasy realm? Think again.
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