Under Kazue’s overwhelming presence, Eiko—who secretly harbored Katakura Hayabusa’s soul—lost the dignity she’d once had as an older brother. She unconsciously hunched her shoulders. Now that she’d become a woman, even her entire demeanor had undergone a dramatic shift.
“You said you’re my brother?”
“Ahem… yeah.”
Kazue stormed into Katakura Hayabusa’s room. It was perfectly empty.
“How could I ever believe such a clumsy lie! Do you think I’m just a little kid who’s easy to fool? There’s no way the real world has some manga plot where you go to sleep and wake up as a girl.”
“But that’s exactly what happened,” Eiko said, on the verge of tears. “Believe it or not, I’m your brother, no doubt about it. You think I wanted to turn into a woman? Boobs just get in the way of fighting. Dragging around this heavy stuff is a total pain, okay?”
“Hmph. Quit lying. Where did you hide my brother?”
Kazue bent down to check under the bed—no brother. She flung open the wardrobe—still no brother. It was like she was catching a cheater, and she had no intention of letting Eiko leave unless she handed over her brother. Over this period, Yajima Miyo had always looked after Kazue like a virtuous sister-in-law, and Miyo’s own younger sister Junko had become a close friend with whom Kazue could talk about anything. As a result, Kazue absolutely would not allow her brother to fall in love with another girl.
“How about this, Kazue. Your brother Hayabusa is an illustrator, right? If I can draw exactly like him, that proves I’m your brother. That should settle it, shouldn’t it?”
“Can you really draw like him?” Kazue frowned.
“That’s what I’ve been telling you—I am your brother.”
With a resigned expression, Eiko turned on the laptop and picked up the tablet pen with practiced ease.
At first, Kazue truly didn’t believe that this woman calling herself Eiko was her brother. But the moment Eiko gripped the stylus, she radiated the very same aura as her brother. Her eyes locked onto the screen, and she began to draw, her plump, snow-white legs crossed and her body unconsciously leaning to the left—exactly the same posture her brother Hayabusa always had when he drew.
Could it be…
Kazue rubbed her eyes. Her brother’s silhouette and Eiko’s silhouette overlapped completely. The illustration was of the heroine Rosa Silverbud from 《In the Name of the Maid》. She was a petite Blood Clan beauty with silver hair, but beneath her loli figure lay the unyielding dignity of a king. Her slender, jade-like finger pointed at the screen, and behind her a terrifying dark-red spear was depicted.
It was truly beautiful, every bit the equal of her brother Hayabusa’s skill. As she drew, her gaze never wavered from the canvas, transforming empty space through color and line into a vivid, living world. Kazue’s initial doubt faded right along with Eiko’s superb draftsmanship.
When Eiko finished the final stroke, the illustration figure Silverbud sprang to life, poised to attack any lowly maid who might steal her beloved retainer. It was fierce and chilling, yet the breathtaking beauty that blossomed amid such deadly danger was so entrancing that anyone who saw it would be completely spellbound.
“Phew, done.”
“So you really are my brother…”
Eiko bit her lip gently and nodded heavily.
“Yeah, Kazue. Your big bro just went to bed last night and woke up looking like this. Pretty ridiculous, right?”
“No, not ridiculous at all. Big bro is so cute.” Kazue hugged Eiko from behind and nuzzled her little head against her. “From now on, you shouldn’t be called Brother, but Sister. I’ve always wanted an older sister.”
“Sigh. With a body like this, how am I supposed to protect you, Miyo, and the kids on the floor below…”
Just standing up, she could feel those two useless lumps of flesh pressing down heavily on her shoulders. If she ever had to fight, could this body swing a baseball bat for long? Could she smash an enemy’s skull with all her strength?
And Miyo—if she knew I’ve turned into a woman, would she still want to be my lover?
Come to think of it, Teacher Gao Sijin once mentioned that his country’s website had a genre called gender-bender yuri, and it was even a popular one. What was that website called again? Honeydew Light or something? She really couldn’t remember off the top of her head.
She wanted to call and ask, but she was afraid that Teacher Gao Sijin would pick up on something odd in her voice. She felt that turning into a woman was just too humiliating. Even though Teacher Gao Sijin was a kind and gentle person, she still wanted to keep it hidden for now.
“Kazue, for now, my name is Katakura Eiko. I’m your brother’s distant cousin. As for where Katakura Hayabusa went, just say he went off on a solo trip.”
Until she could fully gauge Miyo’s feelings about her turning into a woman, Katakura Hayabusa decided to live as Eiko. Maybe things would work themselves out naturally. Maybe after sleeping tonight, she might wake up and turn back into a man.
“I’ll keep your secret, Brother. Anyway, let’s go have breakfast, Brother.”
“Ahem.”
“I mean, Sister. Oh, Sister, you’re still wearing my brother’s clothes—that’s men’s clothing. To hide your identity, I think you really need to wear a skirt.” Kazue’s eyes sparkled with a strange light as she stared at Eiko’s body, making Eiko’s hair stand on end.
Why did Kazue suddenly seem a bit black-bellied?
“I’ll just wear men’s clothes…”
“If you wear men’s clothes, it’ll be too suspicious. Besides, you don’t want anyone else finding out you’ve turned into a girl, right?” Kazue smiled sweetly, two dimples appearing at the corners of her lips.
“Just something gender-neutral will do. I’ll buy a few well-fitting pieces later.”
After changing from Katakura Hayabusa to Katakura Eiko, she’d become noticeably shorter. Her height, which used to be close to 180 cm, had shrunk to only about 168 cm. She really couldn’t understand the principle behind it.
She pulled out her phone and opened Line.
Regards: Teacher, I’m going traveling for a while. Going forward, my distant cousin Katakura Eiko will be fully in charge of illustrations.
Ai: Where are you planning to go?
Ai: Didn’t we agree to meet up properly after Golden Week in May?
Regards: Sorry, Teacher. Something came up recently, and I want to travel to clear my head. If you need illustrations, just tell me. Even while traveling, I’ll get my main work done. Don’t worry.
Ai: How can I not worry? What happened to you lately? Is there anything I can help with?
Ai: If you consider me a friend, tell me what’s on your mind.
Regards: Thanks, Teacher. It’s not really a problem. I’m just tired from drawing and want to travel.
Ai: I’m heading back to Tokyo from Karuizawa today. Can I see you one more time before I go?
Regards: Next time. By the way, where were you writing again before?
Ai: Pineapple Bun Light Novel.
