Chapter 15 - The Blossoms of Mecchen House (cont.)

The uncharted expanse of a dark and mysterious landscape lay before me, all the while co-existing so near to me. I could feel no familiar landmarks to grasp. Even my odor seemed different. Sumi had mentioned cherries but, as I inhaled through my nose, the fragrance was layered. Some of it could have been Ms. Ishida, but I felt an intimate sense of a girl almost right on top of me. She wasn’t a distinctive girl. She only had a faint odor of soap and yet there was something fresh about her. I’d caught hints of this scent before, but it was like an incomplete picture finally filling in.

And that image would be mine.

Ms. Ishida reminded me again of my mother. The sight of her was still strangely hazy but every sensation of Ms. Ishida seemed to evoke her presence. I had no idea what I would say to my mom about all this. That assumed I could make sense of all this and find a way home. If I stayed a girl in my home universe, no one would know me.

My hair would probably be a lighter, more realistic shade of red, and my eyes would be a good deal smaller.

I’d walk up the steps of my parent’s house. I knew the general shape of it. Fresh grass, an oscillating sprinkler, a white picket fence. and a large knocker on the door.

I’d knock twice, and a warm face would peer through the screen door, wiping her hands with a towel and wearing a large, pink apron and a caring smile. It’d take a few moments for me to tell her my name. She’d look perplexed but concerned. I’d tell her something only I’d remember. Which wasn’t much at this point, but I’d still tell her it.

Then I’d say, “Hi, mom. You have a daughter instead of a son.” Or I’d say something like that. But the word ‘daughter’ would be there.

I would be her daughter.

That sent a shiver through me which echoed back all the new sensations. Ms. Ishida seemed to feel it. She started to rock me gently with her arm.

“It’ll be okay,” she told me. I hoped my real mom would hold me just like this. One more little shiver passed, and I finally spoke, “It’s all just so much. Who or what am I now? What do I do?”

She just listened and rubbed at my shoulder and hand. Miki and Tara walked over from the hall. Both offered sympathetic smiles. We were all girls. I curled my legs a little, which didn’t help.

Miki said, “Your other friend insisted on clearing the table. But he said he’ll be over in a bit along with Nathan. He wanted to put the leftovers away.”

Tara tipped left and right and looked me over. “Keli-kun! What happened? Please be okay! I’m scared…”

Ms. Ishida offered her reassurances of my health, and I nodded my head as best I could. So far as telling her what happened, I brushed my legs together and said, “Well. It feels like I’m a girl now. In a critical place.”

It still felt so distant to hear that in words. Tara looked at me curiously. I had to figure she had some understanding of boys and girls. It just took her a moment before her eyes went wide and she responded, “Oh, wow! You’re a girl now, Keli-kun?”

I gave a little nod. She rushed over, wrapped her arms around my mid-section, and said, “You’re just like us now, Keli-chan! We’re gonna have so much fun! Aww, but you’re flatter than even Katsumi.”

I blushed and softly said, “Well, we’ll see. It’s probably not over yet.” I wasn’t thinking that far ahead, but it was sure to come as well before long.

Tara looked up at me and proclaimed, “I know you’ll be very pretty! And I gotta teach you the secret handshake for all girls. I hope Jamie-kun gets to learn it soon too!”

The other girls started making their way over. Sumi and Mami arrived first and sat on the other couch. Sumi gave me a look as she passed by which made me blush. Mami crossed her legs and asked, “So, what happened?”

Tara slipped to the other side of me and chimed in, “Keli-kun is Keli-chan. She has girl parts now.”

Mami leaned forward, and Sumi traced her mouth-line with a finger. Miki stood off to the side with her arms folded. Ami, Nana, and Katsumi came over next. Katsumi whispered to Miki, who whispered something back. Then, Katsumi looked at me.

I just wanted to be invisible. This was too much attention for me. Ami and Nana stood still next to one another. The group gave off a warm murmur of curiosity. Ms. Ishida leaned over my ear and asked, “Would you like me to ask the others to leave, or would you like to go somewhere quieter?”

I took a calming breath. I appreciated that she asked and said a soft, “I think I’ll be okay.” Tara leaned in and said, “You’ll be okay, right, Keli-chan?” I gave her a little nod.

Ami moved closer and asked, “What happened?”

Before Tara could give the details again, I tried the words, “I’m...essentially a girl now.” It felt as strange as ever to say, but at least it felt like I was actually the one saying those words.

Sumi smirked. “Well? Let’s see it then, girlie.”

I flared bright-red and said, “I’m not going to show that. No way.”

She traced her leg with her fingers. “Ah, feminine modesty. How quaint. Reminds me of Miss Luscious.” Katsumi turned away as Sumi glanced at her.

Mami set her arms at her sides. “Wow. You’re gonna need some panties, right? Fortunately, I offer fair prices for that and other feminine accessories.”

“There’s plenty of unisex clothes I can wear. It’s not that different.” I called upon boxer shorts primarily. Katsumi came forward.

“You are a girl! Face it. If you’ve changed how you claim, then you’re one of us. I would’ve put you in dresses before, but now they’re absolutely meant for you.” I felt the Katsumi energy of before in full force.

Ami swung on the other side. “He’s just been pushed deeper into an illusion. Kelly has every right to any style of clothing, no matter his or her or any gender. I would gladly lend my every resource to clothe him as he wishes.” I felt relieved there was no lingering ill-feeling in Ami’s words about what happened in her room.

Nana found a seat and watched me from the far side of the space.

Katsumi returned the comment as though she were batting back a tennis serve. “An illusion? The only one holding onto an illusion is yourself. Look at the changes that have happened, not only to this one but those other two as well. I made a promise that I would see their manhood decimated and replaced with soft girlhood, and while I didn’t cause it, I fully approve of the result. I just wish I had some better pictures of the process. They can try to dress in manly outfits all they like, it won’t ever change or escape what their bodies have become.”

Ami clenched her fists. “I hate you! You go around saying who or what people can be as if it’s you who decides everything. Well, it’s not. You’re just a weak little pretender. You’re all talk. And I hope you’re happy, because our friends are suffering while you consider it a game. I still believe you’re somehow responsible for all this.”

Katsumi glared back and retorted, “You’re over-righteous and flat-minded. You can’t bear the idea of boys ever becoming girls, because you’re selfish. If I did this, it would be all over for every single man. And this is not a game, this is my lifeblood. You’re the one who just talks. I was fair to you. Who listened to you the most when you felt alone in the cold months?”

Ami lifted a hand up. “Ms. Ishida, followed closely by Miki.” Miki leaned her head back against a wall. Ami and Katsumi traded nasty looks ‘till Jamie and Nathan showed up with clueless expressions.

Sumi was the next to speak, watching my roommates. “Well, have you two plopped down your pachinkos yet?”

Nathan and Jamie looked at each other but only Jamie asked, “Huh?”

“The red passion flower,” said Sumi with a sly look.

“Am I missing something?”

“That’s what everyone here wants to know…” She chuckled and leaned on her hand.

Tara jumped up and hugged Jamie. “Jamie-kun! Keli-kun is Keli-chan!”

I expected the blank, confused look on Jamie’s face.

It took Tara explaining, “Keli-chan is a girl now… you know where,” for the light to turn on in Jamie’s eyes. Nathan covered his mouth with his hands.

His first words to me were, “Are you sure?”

“I’m not certain but… it sure seems like it.”

“You have to check. Come on. We’ll go find out.” He gestured for me to stand up. I stared at his small, open palm. Despite all appearances, I knew he was still a boy. I wasn’t sure if it was feminine modesty as Sumi said but, right at that moment, I felt more comfortable with Ms. Ishida than anyone else. I shook my head and said, “I’d like Ms. Ishida to go with me.”

She gave my hand another gentle touch and nodded. “You’ll need some help getting up.” Tara scooted away a little to give me space. Jamie turned his head. Katsumi and Ami assassinated each other with their eyes, and Miki rolled hers as she passed them by and offered to help.

I didn’t mind the aid, and Miki stood in front, just in case, as I got to my feet. Ms. Ishida led me alone to the restroom on the other side of the dining area. She stopped before I entered and asked, “Will you be alright… with the mirror and everything?”

I promised her I wouldn’t break it, no matter what I saw. She latched the door behind us. The sink mirror was too high for my purposes, but it was good enough for me to check my face. My glasses were huge across my eyes and completely covered them. The features on my body were so tiny. I carefully slipped off the girl-jeans Katsumi had given me. Even looking through my crinkled underwear, I could tell something had happened. Only the springy waistband fit, the rest was like a folded drape. I slipped them off with a sigh and held up my shirt.

I bent over and stood with my legs apart. Any microscopic chance of compression was long gone. The slightest glimpse of pink, flowering flesh made me blush, like being caught watching something naughty. But it also looked so beautiful, like a tentative first blossom of spring. It hid again with a motion of my legs.

Ms. Ishida brushed my shoulder and, for some reason, I asked her, “Does it look normal?” She reassured me it looked fine, for a girl. But she said if I wanted to, “I can recommend a very nice doctor to make sure.”

I wasn’t nearly ready for that, but I thanked her for the concern. She offered to find a pair of underwear that would fit me better than what I had been wearing. I nodded and held the jeans in front of me. She carefully slipped out the door.

I got a satisfying ‘crack’ from stretching my neck and watched the image in the mirror. I gave a frown, and the anime girl frowned back with comical exaggeration. I grinned, and the girl had a higher-than-a-kite expression of joy. I gave an angry look at the mirror which looked anything but intimidating on her features. I tried to look surprised with a wide ‘O’ of a mouth. So innocent… I pulled at my face, and let my tongue hang out like a colorful little bud. I lost it when I saw that.

I laughed.

I felt pulled into a sweet torrent of giggles flowing over and over. They were my giggles. I felt them surging out of my chest. I leaned against the wall for support.

The door swung open. Ms. Ishida rushed in with a handful of underwear clutched tight to her. I assured her I was fine with an embarrassed smile. She returned the gesture and offered the selection to me.

I flipped through them. Most were a soft gray to white, with little bows on the front. One was blue with sheep. Another was satiny (and very tiny), fringed with lace and flowers on the material and bows where the material narrowed. One looked like a bikini bottom. I looked to Ms. Ishida. She bowed with a sweat-drop look and offered, “My apologies. I just grabbed things in what I thought was your size.”

The tiny ones and those held together with bows were right out. They looked too complex. I was left with an assortment of functional briefs. My eyes settled on the softest-looking one. Holding it in front of me, I knew it would be a good fit.

The only wrinkle was they were a very feminine shade of pink, but I gave them a try. I set the jeans aside and carefully stepped into the underwear. They were stretchy so I’d be fine even if my hips really spread out. The material didn’t irritate anything sensitive either.

I turned to look at myself. Ms. Ishida gave a pleasant clap and smiled. I gave the leftovers back to her. I watched myself again. I was wearing pink panties that fit me well.

I’d never felt more like a girl in all my life, not even when Katsumi glued breasts to me. A bit of air wafted around me.

I slipped my jeans back on and turned in front of the mirror. It looked like an anime girl posing.

I was that girl.

Sure, I was flat on top and had narrow hips, but there were enough little hints that no one would ever mistake me for a man. And they would be dead right.

I looked at the face in the mirror. The girl’s face. My face. And my body. Somehow, this was my reality now. I took a deep breath. I still felt anxiety. Not even Ms. Ishida’s presence could completely overcome that. I’d have to deal with the fact everything had shifted. All the ideas, all the social features, all the perceptions that applied to women, now also applied to me.

I took a few deep breaths before I was ready to leave. Jamie and Nathan lingered nearby. Jamie laid his palms out, encouraging me to tell him the details. I managed a confirming nod but turned away in embarrassment. They were still boys, and I felt a strange gulf between them and myself. They were the other gender.

Jamie grabbed my shoulder. My head jerked around. I saw him as an incomplete work. I would fix him and make him right.

I blinked.

I had no idea where that thought came from...