I went back to my room to grab some clothes, then headed straight for the bath. I never thought about it when I was living here, but over there, a large amount of hot water and soap were luxuries. Only royalty and nobles could afford that stuff. Now I could use them freely—after washing myself thoroughly, I collapsed into the tub.
“Phew...”
I’d heard that Japanese people have loved baths since ancient times, and after experiencing the magic of a hot soak, I could completely understand why. Just then, I heard someone step into the changing area.
“Yuu-nii, you’ve been noisy this whole time.”
My little sister, the same one who said I was too small to be called “Ani (big brother)” and called my lower half “cute,” was now back to calling me “Yuu-nii,” perhaps because she couldn’t actually see me this time.
“Let me be. It’s been ages since I had a real bath. Let me enjoy it a bit.”
“Ages? You didn’t bathe over there?”
“Not didn’t bathe—couldn’t bathe. Do you have any idea how hard it is to heat enough water for one person to enjoy a proper bath?”
“But it’s a world with magic, right? Couldn’t you just solve it with that?”
“I’ll explain later, but just because there’s magic doesn’t mean it can do everything. Over there, this world was considered the magical one.”
“What do you mean by magical?”
“Everything. Fridges, washing machines, TVs, air conditioners, smartphones—not to mention medicine and agricultural science—all considered magic.”
“Wait, were you even that knowledgeable about medicine to be teaching people?”
“Not really. But even stuff from this world like ‘grandma’s home remedies,’ if explained properly with a reason, was enough to get me treated like a god.”
“Seriously?”
“Seriously. Anyway, Hina, did you need something?”
“If you can’t wash your body properly, I thought I could help you.”
“No thanks. I already scrubbed myself thoroughly.”
“Just kidding. Ryou-nee said dinner’s ready and told me to call you.”
I glanced at the bathroom clock. I’d been soaking for almost an hour.
“Got it. I’ll get out. Now get out of there.”
“Okay. But if you need help with anything, just call me, okay?”
I waited until I heard the sliding door to the changing room open and close, confirming she had left. Then, as I stepped out of the bath—
“HINA! YOU LITTLE—!”
“Yuuji, even at home, walking around naked is bad manners.”
As I burst into the living room, Ryou-nee only gave me a quick glance before returning to plating the food.
“I’m not naked! Can’t you see I have a towel around my waist?!”
“You’re a girl now. Cover your upper half properly too. Got it?”
“Besides,” Hina added with a smug grin, holding up one of my old T-shirts, “no way that huge thing fits you now. You should be praising me instead of getting mad.”
This T-shirt was something I had pulled out of my own dresser for the first time in two years. Hina was practically boasting about her good deed.
“Just give it back already.”
“You really should face reality.”
Reluctantly, she handed it over. I slipped it on immediately—but…
“How unsightly.”
“You shouldn’t.”
“Told you so. You should’ve just worn what I prepared.”
The T-shirt that used to fit me perfectly was now far too big. The collar was so loose it could almost slip off both shoulders. If I hunched a bit, I could probably peel it off through the neck hole. The hem reached all the way past my knees.
“Yuu-chan. The outfit I left in the changing room wasn’t that girly, was it? Just a basic white cut-and-sew top with a little pink and glitter, and some culottes.”
Sure, it had some pink and sparkle, but it was basically a plain short-sleeved top, and the culottes were close enough to half-pants. It was clear Hina had tried to be considerate. However—
“I could deal with those. The real problem is the underwear!”
Yeah. That was just too much. Even I have a sense of modesty.
“Yuuji, you’ve got it backwards. Underwear is exactly the thing you need to wear according to your current body and gender.”
“But still—”
“The Yuuji I know is smart. You’re not so ignorant or foolish that you don’t understand why men’s and women’s underwear are different.”
That shut me up. Both Ryou-nee and I are pretty weak when it comes to logic.
“Oh, are you worried they might be hand-me-downs? Don’t worry! The panties were a wrong-size purchase from online shopping. They’re brand new!”
“So the camisole is a hand-me-down. Got it.”
“I barely wore that one! It’s basically unused! I mean, everything I’ve worn since birth—aside from panties—has pretty much been hand-me-downs anyway!”
…How is that supposed to make me feel better?
I kept arguing, but there was no way I could win a three-on-one verbal battle. In the end, I gave in before the food could get cold.
Back in the changing room, I changed into the clothes Hina had prepared. This is just clothing. Just clothing. I kept telling myself that. It’s not my sister’s old clothes. I’m not thinking about it. I braced myself and endured the embarrassment.
As for the future? These clothes are technically still boyish, so it’s fine. For now.
Still, even these felt a little big on my current frame. When I got back to the living room, I planned to file a complaint—
“Oh wow, that’s nostalgic! I wore that back in elementary school.”
“Same! That was one of my elementary school outfits. I was gonna throw it out soon since it didn’t fit anymore.”
“I’m surprised you still had it around. Usually we just toss Hina’s old clothes right away.”
…So that’s why it looked so childish.
Apparently, the outfit I was wearing now had once belonged to both Mika-nee and Hina when they were in elementary school.
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