“Hey, Yuuji. Is this your natural hair color? Or did you dye it?”
It’s the morning of my second day back in this world.
When I left my bedhead as it was, the three sisters berated me with a unified “Not cute!” and now, my hair is being gently brushed by Ryou-nee.
“I think it’s my natural hair. I became a girl about twenty—no, twenty-one days ago, and I’ve looked like this since then.”
The Last Magic.
A forbidden spell that exchanges the caster's life for a power far greater than their natural limits. The Demon King, who already possessed overwhelmingly destructive magic, used this spell in his final moments.
Honestly, it’s a miracle I survived...
No, even then, it was more like I was allowed to live. Hero Linus, who delivered the finishing blow, and Saintess Mariabelle, who was nearby, both died—twisted into monstrous shapes by the final magic.
My survival was just pure chance...
“Yuu-chan? What’s wrong? You’re making a scary face.”
“Nah, I was just thinking... I’m probably gonna be forced to buy women’s underwear soon.”
“We’re not making you pay for it. We’ll use emergency funds—it’s not your money, Yuu. If anything, it’s more like you’ll be made to wear it.”
“Mika-nee, could you go easy on me, please?”
My dignity as a man is being shaved away—no, scraped away to the point there’s not even broth left. Honestly, just what I’m wearing now already counts as bullying.
This morning, I woke up to Mika-nee saying, “Yuu-chan, wear this today,” and was handed a white top and a navy skirt. Unlike yesterday, the bottom was indeed a skirt.
Of course I resisted, but since I had no other clothes, I reluctantly put it on.
…I tried insisting on wearing the clothes I had from when I was still a guy, but the three sisters all vetoed that idea. I did try them on, but they didn’t fit at all—no way I could walk outside in them. I'd look like a total creep.
Even my underwear... well, let’s just say I’m wearing a camisole with a double-layered chest section—not something any man would ever wear. I resisted that too, but they told me I couldn’t walk around town like that without it, so I had no choice.
And after that, when I was done cross-dressing (wait, does it even count as cross-dressing if I’m a girl now?), they insisted on brushing my hair.
I told them it was unnecessary, but they didn’t listen.
Then came the comments:
“Your hair quality is so nice, but you’re neglecting it.”
“We’ll have to teach Yuu-chan proper hair care.”
“So how about we set up a rotating schedule...?”
...I could hear all of that loud and clear.
My appearance changed drastically due to the Demon King’s final spell, imbued with the concepts of “Reversal” and “Fusion.”
Normally, in that other world, magic needed a clearly defined effect like “Do X” to be powerful. Vague things like “Reversal” (reversing what?) or “Fusion” (fusing what?) would just waste magical energy.
But when fueled by the Demon King’s magic in the form of Last Magic, things were different.
Linus, our dependable leader, was turned into a horrific mess—bones and flesh mangled, organs and skin reversed—and died.
Mariabelle, the very image of what a saintess should be, had all her joints twisted backwards, and then only her skin melted off. She died too.
The World Tree, source of all life and the foundation of the world, once lush and vibrant, withered and died.
I had acted as a shield for Linus, so he could deliver the final blow. Just before the Last Magic activated, I was blown away by a massive shockwave from the Demon King.
While flying, I ended up colliding with Letina, the mage who was in the trajectory of my flight. We both rolled and tumbled until finally coming to a stop.
Because of that, when the spell went off, we were fortunately far away.
Spells like that weaken dramatically with distance. Plus, I was wearing a miraculous outfit that automatically healed wounds and a crown from the Fairy King said to repel all curses. Thanks to those two effects, I survived—the curse weakened, my body began to heal even as it melted.
The miracle outfit and crown were both destroyed in the process… but still, I lived.
Though honestly, I might have merged a bit with Letina while our bodies were dissolving...
So yeah, Letina and I both probably survived thanks to the reversal magic. Though our appearances and sexes got swapped—I'm now a girl, and Letina became a boy.
“Hey. Yuu, your hair’s kind of a brownish... wait, no, this is flaxen, right? Anyway, in fantasy settings there are people with red or blue hair, right? Did you see any?”
“Oh yeah. At least in the world I was in, people had gold, red, brown, blue, green, white, pink—very colorful. Black hair was actually rare and really stood out.”
Now that I’m back, I’m grateful I didn’t come out of that with some bright red or blue fantasy hair.
Currently, I have flaxen hair and pale skin—probably would be considered Slavic over here. But my facial features are more Japanese or Asian overall. To put it bluntly, I look like a mixed-race kid.
My looks are probably above average, but since it’s me, I don’t feel happy about it.
My hair goes all the way down to my waist. Honestly, I want to cut it. Back in that world, long hair was considered sacred or magical for women, so I couldn’t cut it (they wouldn’t let me). But here, it’s fine. I should hit up the local barbershop.
My height is just under 150 cm. Japanese women average just under 160 cm, so I’d like to grow another 10 cm or so.
Body-wise, I’ve got a childlike figure. I look younger than my real age of 18, but some parts of me are starting to round out. Based on what Ryou-nee said, there’s even a chance I physically regressed in age. Hard to say for sure.
“Alright, we’re done brushing for now. When we get back, I’ll properly teach you hair care, so be ready.”
I don’t need proper hair care. I’m not planning on styling or tying it—leaving it as-is is easiest.
“You don’t know how hard it is to maintain natural-looking straight hair like that.”
Well, I was just born with it like this, so…
“Wait, don’t tell me you used some kind of magic for beauty care?”
Never heard of anything like that. If anything, we were jealous of this world’s hair products and cosmetics.
“Hey, Ryou-nee! What are you doing with my hair?!”
“What? You looked cute, so I thought I’d try braiding it a little.”
“Quit messing around!”
“I’m not messing around. This style suits your outfit better.”
“Well, I’m off to college. It’s the last day before summer break, so there’s a drinking party tonight. I’ll be back late, and don’t worry about dinner.”
With a satisfied smile after playing with my hair, Ryou-nee left the house.
“She’s really good with her hands, huh?”
“And she’s got great style too. Yuu-chan, you look super cute now.”
Objectively speaking, I have to admit I look shockingly cute—even to myself. This world has way more beauty tools and options compared to the other world (over there, you were lucky to brush your hair and maybe tie it with a ribbon or string).
Just changing my hairstyle has this much impact? With Ryou-nee’s skills, I’ve basically transformed into a level where I might actually think “Wait, am I a beautiful girl now?”
But still. I’m a man. I’m not happy about it.
“Okay, Yuu. Let’s confirm your story for today.”
“My name is Yuri. I came from Europe to visit Tachibana-san’s father. I studied Japanese, so I can speak it.”
This is no joke. With my current looks, there’s no way I can pass for a native Japanese person. And this is my hometown—there’s a real risk I could bump into an old classmate. Not to mention, my disappearance was a big local deal. If the sisters accidentally call me “Yuuji” in public, it could cause a scene.
So we came up with a plan. I’m not Yuuji—I’m “Yuri,” a visiting girl from Europe, and we’re going shopping under that identity.
Since “Yuri” shortens to “Yuu,” it makes sense if the sisters call me that. I can also respond naturally, just like usual. Not a bad setup.
Of course, I could’ve just let Mika-nee and Hina go shopping alone. But then Mika-nee flashed this big smile and said,
“Since Yuu (Yuu-nii) asked, I have to go. I’ll pick out some cute clothes that totally suit you, okay?”
That made me change my mind. If I let them go alone, they’d probably only buy outfits that would destroy my sanity.
By the way, I can speak English. With my current looks, I can totally pass as a foreigner. I got into English back in grade school because of a TCG called Magic World that Ryou-nee and I got super into.
Although there were Japanese translations, they were always slow and didn’t cover all the cards. Wanting to use the newest cards, we imported the English ones and used dictionaries to translate them. Eventually, we even enrolled in an English conversation class. That’s how we both got good at English.
“Alright, let’s head out. But Yuu, don’t sit with your legs spread like that—girls don’t sit that way.”
Mika-nee scolded me as I flopped into the backseat.
“Yuu-chan, you’ll totally stand out if you sit like that.”
…I suddenly remembered Letina, who went from girl to boy. That definitely stood out—and not in a good way.
“I’ll try my best. If I do anything weird, just say it’s because I’m a foreigner and cover for me.”
And so, the car carrying us departed, headed toward a massive shopping center.
And thus, from the very first move in the shopping center, I was utterly defeated.
Right out of the gate, the pastel-colored final boss shattered my mental fortitude, and I was on the verge of a KO.
The name of that final boss? A women’s lingerie specialty store. A place I never should’ve had any connection to in the first place.
While I stood frozen at the entrance, Mika-nee was talking with a store clerk.
“Well, you see, she’s never worn a bra before. She’s definitely grown enough, but… could we start by getting her measured?”
It began with that.
“Oh dear? That is a little late for a debut, isn’t it?”
the clerk said with a wry smile.
Then followed a one-on-one crash course on how to wear a bra.
“Yuu-chan, try this one too! I think the size will fit!”
Even my little sister was getting in on it, wearing down my psyche like a relentless boss fight.
After what felt like an eternity of torture, it seemed we’d finally reached a conclusion.
“Alright, that’ll be the size, and next…”
“Mika-nee, what about a night bra?”
“Let’s skip that for now. She’s not that big yet, and if Yuu says she wants one later, we can get it then. You don’t wear one at night either, right, Hina?”
“Some of my friends do, though.”
“Well, in our house, only Ryou-nee wears one. Must be tough when you're big.”
“But Mika-nee, you’re a D-cup. If you call that small, someone might actually stab you.”
An ominous conversation, but if everything’s decided, then let’s just take it off and—wait.
“Oh, excuse me. About her bra, could we just check out with it on?”
“She really needs to get used to it, or she’ll be the one in trouble later…”
…Apparently, this cursed piece of equipment can’t be unequipped.
Next, per my request, we headed to a well-known fast fashion store. If possible, I wanted to switch over to something safer—like shirts and pants. Ideally, just those.
But I was naive. Even in a fast fashion store, the goods in the women’s section were completely different from those in the men’s. Well, technically, my size isn’t even in the women’s section—it’s in the juniors or girls’ category.
What’s with all the one-piece dresses…
“Well, things like socks are cheaper if you buy them here.”
“Yuu-chan, Yuu-chan! Try this on!”
I wanted to resist. I really wanted to. But after last night:
“We were so, so worried about you.”
“It wouldn’t kill you to give in to your little sister’s whims once in a while.”
I had no room to refuse.
In the end, even this supposed “home base” became an ambush. I ended up with knitwear, skirts… all surprisingly foreign items. I did manage to resist and grab some shirts and pants (okay, they were actually culotte shorts, but I pretended otherwise), but they were clearly the minority.
After further shopping that eroded my dignity, lunchtime arrived, so we decided to grab a bite to eat. The food court was an option, but we had room in the budget, so we headed to the restaurant floor of the same shopping center.
Sure, food courts offer variety, but is it wrong to think that specialized restaurants—Japanese, Western, Chinese—serve better meals?
“So, what do you two want to eat?”
Mika-nee, the mature one, starts by asking for our opinions.
“I want pasta!”
Hina, the youngest and boldest, has no hesitation. Not surprising.
“If it’s pasta, then Italian it is. Sounds good to me.”
I had no plan, so there was no reason to object.
“So, the recommended items here are the Margherita pizza and the tiramisu!”
…Wait, sis. What happened to the pasta?
“I’m getting pasta. But it’s Yuu-chan’s first time here, right? That’s why I’m recommending those!”
I see. I had never been here. It opened just last year, so there was no way I could’ve visited it.
“Then, I—I’ll have the recommended Margherita pizza and tiramisu.”
…I’m doing my best to use feminine speech whenever I’m not monologuing.
“I’ll have the mushroom spaghetti and tiramisu.”
“Cream risotto and panna cotta for me. And let’s share a mozzarella and tomato salad.”
The Italian place Hina recommended was seriously good. Not something we could afford all the time, but worth visiting once in a while.
In the afternoon, we continued buying clothes for me (including shoes and bags), browsed swimsuits since Hina’s going to the beach with friends during summer break (though she didn’t just browse—she actually bought one… seriously, my sister’s grown), and picked up a stack of manga released over the past two years at the bookstore. By then, it was a good time to wrap up.
“Oops, we still have one place left to visit before we go.”
At this point, it didn’t matter where we went. Nothing could top the pastel-colored final boss (the lingerie shop) or the pink major boss (the fancy goods store from earlier).
“Heh… hehehehe…”
“Yuu-chan, you’re completely broken, huh.”
“Yeah, that’s why we saved this one for last.”
On the ride home, I was a hollowed-out shell, my self-esteem shattered into fine powder (yes, that’s redundant, but accurate).
I… I never expected a hidden white boss to appear there…
“Yuu, sorry to interrupt your daze, but once we get home, we’re going to teach you how to use the sanitary products we bought earlier.”
“Guh—!”
Apparently, the battle with the hidden boss isn’t over yet.
“I-I mean, isn’t it still too early…?”
“Sure, it could wait until it actually happens, but realistically, it’ll start within ten days, so you should be prepared.”
“Hey, just wondering… did women even have periods in the other world?”
Probably. I never asked directly, but the women traveling with me had certain days when they acted distant, and I did see bloodstained clothing (not that I was trying to, of course).
Still, today was mentally exhausting. How many pieces of my dignity as a man were destroyed today?
Once we got home, I put away my new belongings (not that I wanted them), and before dinner, Mika-nee and Hina began the “How to Use Sanitary Products 101” lecture.
At first, I hated it from the bottom of my heart.
“Yuu, I know it’s embarrassing and uncomfortable to talk about this, especially since you were a boy until recently. But it’s important, so please listen seriously.”
When Mika-nee said that with a serious face, I came to my senses.
After all, it must be just as awkward for her to talk about this with me, who was a guy not long ago. And yet, she was making the effort. It’d be rude not to listen.
Seeing my attitude shift mid-lecture, she sighed but patiently continued to explain everything in detail.
“Well, I know we went over it, but hopefully you won’t have to use it for a while.”
As we poked at the main dish—marinated summer vegetables—I mumbled to myself.
…Not to brag, but I really nailed this dish.
“True, but if nothing happens after a month, that’s a problem too. By the way, this is good. How’d you make it?”
Mika-nee smiled wryly. Seems the marinade turned out well. When I told them I’d changed the vinegar-to-oil ratio and the blanching technique, both of them praised it.
The other world I went to didn’t have much of a culinary culture. Honestly, the food sucked.
That’s why I worked hard to develop one, and through trial and error, I ended up improving a lot myself.
“By the way, Yuu-chan, how did you handle things like… bodily needs over there?”
…
“You really want to talk about that during dinner? Fine. First of all, that world didn’t have flush toilets everywhere. Most of them were latrines. And during outdoor activities, there were no toilets at all. On top of that, no toilet paper, culturally speaking. Use your imagination.”
“Ughhh…”
And while we’re at it—underwear over here is so much better.
That world didn’t have rubber (or if it did, it wasn’t processed for use). So underwear was either tied shut or wrapped and secured in place. And that’s with their already-primitive toilet culture.
…Tokugawa Ieyasu reportedly recommended pale yellow fundoshi to hide stains, and now I understand why. On my first day back here, Ryou-nee told me, “Make sure you wash down there properly,” but I really wanted to shout, “Don’t judge by modern Japanese standards!”
We’d decided at yesterday’s family meeting to save my otherworld adventure story until all four of us were together, so for tonight, we just talked about random stuff on TV and in magazines. Just a bath and bedtime left.
Or so I thought.
“Why are you in here!?”
“To give you some female education, of course.”
Hina entered the bathroom after me.
“And you’re okay with that!?”
“Yuu-chan, if you walk around looking shabby, it reflects poorly on the rest of us too. We’ll be embarrassed. So as much as it’s a pain, I’ll help you.”
“No, I mean—aren’t you embarrassed to bathe with me!?”
“That’s why I’m wearing a swimsuit right now.”
Indeed, she had on the one she bought today.
“But honestly, I probably didn’t even need it.”
“Have some modesty, will you!? Even family has limits!”
“Come on, Yuu-chan. There are three girls in this house, and there’s only one bath. We’ve been bathing together forever. Why start getting shy now?”
“I’m still a guy—”
“You were literally just in the middle of a period product lecture.”
Guh…
I had, under the guidance of Mika-nee and Hina, received a full course on how to use sanitary products. A humiliating public shame play, really.
“By the way, Yuu-chan, how long are you gonna stand there frozen? If you don’t hurry, Mika-nee will be right behind you. Or do you want to bathe with her too?”
Apparently, it was already decided we’d bathe together. Hina smiled wickedly. Damn it. Fine. I’ll wash up and get out fast.
“No no no! Don’t scrub your hair that hard! Be gentler!”
“Ugh! Not like that! Why are you so rough!? You’ll hurt your skin!”
“Listen! This is how you wash your face!”
A full hour later, I dragged myself out of the bath with Hina, both of us completely worn out.
“Good work. That must’ve been tough.”
Mika-nee gave me a sympathetic smile. No kidding. I’m exhausted. I—
“I figured, but wow. It’s gonna take at least a month before she can bathe on her own.”
That’s not what I wanted—
“Thought so. We’ll have to form a three-person rotation and teach her every day until she gets it.”
Wh-What are you people saying!?
“Um, Mika-san, Hina-san… this pink one is supposed to be my pajamas?”
“Yep. We bought it together earlier, remember? Did you forget?”
I didn’t forget. I erased all memories of that fancy shop.
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