The change feels strange. Strange in that same way that magic always seems to – a kind of slippery, odd feeling. She can feel her form moving, even if it's lightning quick, her flesh changing. She closes her eyes, wondering if it's worked.
"Is this…?" She stops. "M-my voice?" She stammers. It's changed. A breathy, ethereal voice, but one she doesn't have to force or change. She keeps her eyes resolutely shut. She needs to do the second bit first and then she'll look at herself.
She picks the soap up, peeking at it momentarily to make sure it's the right stuff, then uses the bucket and tap to lather herself with the cold water. It feels strange and she flushes when she lathers the soap around her chest, which feels stranger and she tries not to think about the new sensations and the way the flesh feels different.
Eventually she thinks she's done enough, rinses it off and steps out of the cubicle, picking up a towel and wrapping it around herself.
Then she stands in front of the mirror and properly looks at herself.
A hand goes to her cheek. She's lost some height as near she can tell, but not a great deal. She's still thin in the same way she is in her original body. Her eyes are still the same colour, but her hair is a soft lilac that she runs her hands through.
Her face is – softer. Cute, but still thin. Her eyes bigger, her eyelashes much bigger. Still surrounded by dark circles, but she's long since used to that.
She pulls off the towel and then looks at herself, flushing and trying to fight off the feeling that she's doing something wrong, even though she's not.
She's shaped right. Something feels like it's clicked in her and as she looks at herself, she decides that this is how she was supposed to be.
She's not as… stacked… as Saotome is, but she's certainly healthy. She sighs even as she feels somewhat pleased.
Azusa is going to be incorrigible. She doesn't know her new friend so well yet, but judging by how she's been today… yeah.
A knock comes to the door. "Hikari-chan?" Comes Kana's concerned voice. "You okay? You've been in there for a while."
Hikari realises she's been staring for several minutes and shakes her head, clearing her throat. "I… Um, yes I'm fine." She says in her breathy, perfect voice. It's a little thick and her eyes are burning a little, but she tries to keep those down.
She can hear a gasp. "It worked then? You sound different!"
"Ah… yes! It did!" She calls back.
"Well, get yourself dressed!" Kana calls. "Azusa and I'll be waiting in my room!"
"Okay!" Hikari says, then looks at her garments. Feeling a strange sense of joy, she removes the shapewear from the pile, gently wrapping the breast forms up and stowing them in their box that she'd brought, the other padding going into its own container and into her bag.
She pulls on the underwear, feeling strange to be wearing so little now that she hasn't to use the shapewear or extra for a tuck. Again, there's that joy, and she realises she shouldn't be feeling strange about it. That implies there's something wrong with it, and this… This is extremely right.
She flushes as she pulls on the bra, only to find that while the band size seems about right still, if perhaps a little loose, she doesn't exactly fit into the cups, spilling out a little more than she thinks is appropriate. A frustrated noise escapes her as she realises that, like Saotome, Jusenkyo obviously has a type that it creates when bestowing a female form.
In the end Hikari manages to stuff as much of her chest in as she can and realises she's going to have to talk to Kana and see if any of their cosplay stuff includes a bigger brassiere.
Azusa's going to be even more insufferable when she hears that. Hikari smiles to herself about it a moment, shaking her head.
Pulling on the rest of her clothes, Hikari looks at herself properly with them on. She's only gone for a frilly purple button-up tee shirt with a skater skirt in black, but even with the aforementioned issues with her chest she looks… cute. Adorable, even.
It's so strange to look at herself and like what she sees, even if she manages to almost do so every day.
She puts her hand to her face again, drinking in her reflection. She'd never considered what she'd do when her reflection showed who she is inside and yet…
How is this a curse? Is it the water magnetism? Is it supposed to be karmic?
Saotome, she knows, was raised to be a 'man amongst men' and when he first showed up definitely showed a misogynistic streak a mile wide. But as he grew used to his cursed form that appeared less and less.
A curse to teach a lesson, perhaps? Karmic curses aren't outside the bounds of what Hikari knows of, and the ones she knows of are certainly appropriately ironic. Overly affectionate Amazon becomes a cat, the one thing her beloved cannot stand above all else. The pig-headed lost boy becomes a pig. She can't think of how the duck-boy's curse affects him – she doesn't know whatshisface too well, but she'd bet it's appropriate.
But then again, what if someone purposely curses themselves? Is it just a transformation magic then? Would the spirits of the springs be angry or happy about that?
Another knocking comes from the door. "Hikari-chan, come on, we're dying to see you out here!" Azusa's voice is teasing. "You can play with your new boobs later when you've got time to yourself and the privacy of your own home!"
Hikari flushes bright red and lets out a squeak. "I-I… Coming!" She manages, stuffing her uniform into the bags along with the shapewear and opening the door. Azusa and Kana peer at her as she emerges, shuffling, and gasp.
"Oh wow." Kana says, a flush of red on her cheeks.
"Looks like you win, Kana-chan." Azusa grumbles. "Tiny and cute."
"I don't think I lost that much…" She pauses as she looks at the other two. Looks up, to be more precise. "Oh." She finishes lamely.
"Hm, maybe a bit less than Saotome loses." Kana muses, checking their relative heights with a flattened palm. "It isn't like you were majorly tall to begin with…" Azusa nudges her.
"We were right on the money about the rack, though."
Hikari flushes, twiddling her hands together. "I…I… Ah… Yeah, about th-that? Um, my… my bra doesn't-"
"Fit?" Azusa guesses. "Yeah, I can tell. Jeez, I thought your fakes were optimistic. Turns out not as optimistic as magic. Got any of that powder spare? Think it'll work on me?"
Hikari flushes and shakes her head. Kana takes her arm. "Ignore her, Hikari-chan, you look wonderful. Very cute, even with the, um, huge…"
"…Tracts of land." Azusa finishes. She follows the pair to Kana's bedroom and grins as Hikari sits down, grunting and rubbing at her chest. "Uncomfortable?"
Hikari nods. "I… um, they're a bit… big."
"Don't think they're as big as Saotome's but then again, I think the only one bigger is that Chinese cat girl, whatsherface."
"Shampoo?"
"Something like that, yeah." Azusa waves a hand. "Kana, mind checking the tag on her current bra? We can see if you or maybe your mom has one spare."
Hikari feels Kana's hand on her back and her friend murmurs. "Sorry about this, Hikari-chan, but it really isn't healthy to wear a bra that's too small."
"I-I know, it's kind of painful."
"Definitely not good."
Kana lifts the back of her tee and then checks the tag on the bra. She relays the size to Azusa, who starts hunting in Kana's underwear drawer.
"Yeah, you won't find one bigger in there." Kana says, going pink. "Maybe try the cosplay ones? Might have a spare in the ones we were designing for some of the models. Hirano-chan was quite big, wasn't she?"
Azusa rummages in a box, then pauses. "I guess we could go shopping on the weekend. Take miss melons here to go get measured."
Hikari plays with her fingers. "I'd… I'd like that." She admits quietly. Kana shakes her head.
"We can't, we've got that trip planned." Hikari's heart sinks until Kana perks up. "We could take her Friday after school though, then bring her along on Saturday? I bet she'd fit right in at Harajuku, Azusa-chan."
Azusa perks up too. "That's not a bad plan. You busy on the weekend, Hi-chan?"
Hikari shakes her head. "Not really. I've got to finish studying but I guess I can do it all Friday night."
"That's our Hikari-chan," Kana says, a fond smile on her face. "Studious and serious about it."
"Well, she's definitely ours now, Kana." Azusa says, grinning. She pulls a lacy brassiere from the box. "Huh, this one looks like it could be a decent size." Tossing it to Hikari, she grins. "Should do you until we can get you something pretty."
Hikari takes it, looking it over. It's lacy and purple, but it looks like it'd fit better. She stands and moves back to the bathroom, taking off her tee shirt and then replacing her straining brassiere with the new one. It fits better, though it's a little large. Still, slightly too large is better than way too small. She returns and her friends nod at her.
"Better?"
Hikari nods. Azusa walks over, pulling up the back of her tee shirt and then working the straps and, whispering an apology, the cups so it sits better. Hikari's face is flaming the entire time.
"It's different when you're wearing fakes as opposed to having real ones." The taller girl explains, stepping back. "They sit different. Have a friend going through HRT who got her own and it took some doing. You might meet her on Saturday if you come along."
"In the meantime," Kana smiles, stepping back to join Azusa and looking Hikari over, "I think we can look at costume stuff. You came out super cute, Hikari-chan."
Hikari flushes. "I-I did?"
Azusa snorts. "Heck yeah you did, not that you didn't manage pretty with the other body but you're really cute now. Those big eyes are gonna be killer with the right makeup. I think if you went into school all gothed up like you have been doing, only looking like this, you might literally kill every lesbian in class. Just kapow! Stone dead and leaving a lake where they died." She shoots finger guns at her.
Hikari goes more red, looking down, and she feels Kana sit on the bed next to her. "It's alright, Hikari-chan. I know this is all new, but you really have come out well. How does it feel for you, though?"
Hikari takes in a breath. "It's… it's like I can see for the first time? Like, I can breathe, I can feel. Like I'd been wearing heavy gloves and just took them off. I was…" She pauses, swallows. "I was on HRT before… but this…" She sniffles. "It's… It's perfect."
"Hey, don't cry, Hikari-chan." Kana soothes, putting an arm around her.
She can feel tears rolling down her chin. "Why…" She asks, wiping her eyes with a hand. "Why am I…? I'm happy. Why…?"
"That's how it is, sometimes." Azusa says, sitting on Hikari's other side. "I've seen it before. When you've been emotionally numb so long that when you can feel, it's overwhelming. Hanako-chan was very much the same, though hers was after all the acceptance we gave her. You've had that, but then this probably smashed your self-control away a bit."
"I… I…"
"It's okay, Hikari-chan, let it out." Kana smiles. "If it ruins your makeup, it ruins your makeup and we can always redo it. That'll even be fun!"
Hikari slumps down and lets the feelings out, wiping her eyes every now and again while Kana just holds onto her, making shushing motions, Azusa's arms around the two of them reassuringly.
Eventually she sits up, feeling oddly, deeply calm. "I… thank you, Kana-chan, Azusa-chan." She says quietly.
"Anytime, Hikari-chan." Kana replies, smiling softly at her.
"You're one of us, Hi-chan." Azusa grins easily, but her tone's soft.
The evening passes amicably after that. Hikari manages to keep herself under control and helps the other two study, the gimlet eye of Kana's mother watching her daughter study with evident relief.
Eventually it's over and Hikari and Azusa leave Kana's porch with a promise to her mother to return and help her study some more. Azusa stretches as the two walk along in the quiet twilight of the evening.
"So…" Azusa comments, turning to Hikari, who's still trying to adjust her gait. "Feeling good, yeah?"
"Mmm." Hikari replies, concentrating on walking properly.
"Geez, celebrate some, huh?"
Hikari looks up. "O-oh! Sorry, I was-"
"It's fine." Azusa waves her off. "So! You and Kana, hm?"
"Me and… Kana?" Hikari asks, puzzled.
"Yeah. Getting real lovey dovey there, Hi-chan." Azusa grins, turning to face Hikari as she walks backwards. "Almost felt like a third wheel some of the time!"
Hikari blinks, goes red and then starts waving her hands. "O-oh, I hadn't meant to… I mean, I don't want to exclude… I… You're my friend, too, Azusa-chan!"
Azusa's smile turns more genuine. "I know." She says gently. "Don't worry, I'm only teasing. Besides," she adds, "it's probably good payback for Kana-chan. She's usually third wheel for me and whichever girlfriend I've got at the time."
Hikari blinks, staying red. "W-wait, Kana-chan and I aren't… we aren't dating…"
Azusa's grin turns teasing again and she moves to walk next to Hikari, nudging her. "But I bet you wouldn't mind, huh?"
"I-I mean… No." Hikari admits. "Kana-chan's… very nice." She sighs. "But we've only really been friends for such a short while…"
"Eh." Azusa shrugs. "I dunno about how much time matters – look at Saotome and Tendou." She snickers. "I could tell theywere gonna eventually boink the moment I clapped eyes on the two of them. Just have that energy, you know?"
"I… I guess."
"Hey, look, about that whole Tendou thing? If it's not meant to be, it's not meant to be." Azusa smiles at the shorter girl. "Isn't the end of the world. Maybe it's better you not be one of the idiots drooling over Tendou or Saotome anymore and look at something closer to home. I know Kana's had the biggest crush on you forever."
Hikari blinks. "E-even when I w-wasn't… I mean, out or…?"
"What can I say? That gal has an excellent transceiver." Azusa gives a florid shrug.
Hikari stares at her, nonplussed.
"You know, like a gaydar, only for trans… Damn, it really is less funny if you have to explain the joke. I think she'd thought you might be for a while, but even so she's still kinda bi. Prefers girls but has a thing for prettyboys too. Not like me, I'm definitely in the category that Sappho would have been best friends with."
Hikari shakes her head. "I… don't know."
Azusa puts her hands behind her head. "Well, she's definitely fancying you. Can't hurt to see where it goes. Just be." She snorts. "I was about to tell you to 'be straight with her', but I'm pretty sure that's literally impossible."
Hikari giggles along with her.
"Your voice is super breathy like this, Hi-chan." Azusa grins. "It's cute. Wonder if it'll be the same when you're screaming Kana's name."
Hikari flushes again.
"You're so easy to tease." Azusa snickers.
"Are you always so…" Hikari gropes for a word.
"…Horny? Eh, kinda. I keep a lid on it at school – rather blend into the background of the general insanity, thank you. But yeah, I'm a lot freer with my opinions and wants outside. What's the point in pretending to be something I'm not? Besides, it's fun to scandalise people."
Hikari shakes her head, and they walk on in a companionable silence until Azusa speaks up again.
"Well, hope you're having fun, Hi-chan."
"Wh-why 'Hi-chan'?" Hikari asks, confusion in her voice.
Azusa grins, making the hiragana symbol ひ in the air with her finger. "Because you've smiled way more since you came out and became our friend, and 'hi' looks like a smile." She pauses, looking around. "Well, this is my turn-off." She says, coming to a halt on a street corner. "Watch yourself, Hi-chan. And don't forget to decide what you want to do with regards to Kana-chan. She's pining for you, it's only polite to let her know what's happening as soon as possible, yeah?"
"I'll… I'll try. I'm still… Not sure, but I'll try."
"Atta girl." Azusa ruffles Hikari's hair and then walks off whistling. Hikari watches her go, pondering in her mind as she then turns to head to her own home.
"Tadaima!" She calls, stepping into the house.
"Who is… Hikari?!" Her mother nearly drops the bowl of something she's mixing as she catches sight of Hikari in her new form. "Is that… you?"
"Yeah, Mom." She says. "It's me. I… I'll tell you in a moment."
Her mother bustles around, sitting Hikari down. It strikes Hikari how much more she resembles her mother in this form than she had before. The dark circles under all their eyes and the pasty look notwithstanding, her mother is pretty when she leans into it. Given some of the photographs Hikari's seen of both her parents dressed up in the same black makeup, she's willing to think they leaned into it too.
She's interrupted by the sound of her mother coming up to her, the older woman staring at her a moment. "Is this one of those magical things?" She asks, lips pursed.
Hikari nods. "Y-yes. Saotome – the boy at school you met with that whole armour thing – has a curse where he changes forms with water. There's… there's temporary ones, which are like a powder and he gave me some… I'm sorry."
"What for, dear?"
"I… didn't ask. And It sort of… negates the hard-"
She's interrupted by her mother taking her hands. "Dear, you're you no matter what, and while we have put effort and time into your transition with you, I don't think your father or I will be angry you found a faster way."
"I-It's only temporary, so…"
Hikari's mother smiles, squeezing her daughter's hands. "I'm sure you will find a way to make it permanent. Speak with your friend, make sure to thank him. And try to get the address to order more from, hm?"
"I… I'll try." Hikari says, smiling through her happy tears at her mother.
"Good. Now who did that lovely makeup?"
"K-Kana-chan and Azusa-chan."
"Well, make sure to bring your friends here, too. I'd love to meet them." Her mother comments as she lets go of Hikari's hands and pushes a cup of tea into them instead.
Hikari ponders. "Th-they invited me to come with them to Harajuku on Saturday after a little shopping…" She mumbles.
"Shopping?"
Hikari flushes and motions to her chest. "M-my bras don't…"
Hikari's mother laughs softly. "Sounds like a good problem to have until you get the back pain." She says. "Alright, I'll get you some extra allowance from your father for underwear." She pauses. "…This might sound like an odd question, but does your friend – the one with the curse – have a cycle?"
Hikari flushes but shrugs. "I-I don't know." She replies, softly.
"You should ask. Just in case you do end up with one in this body."
"A-alright."
"And why not have them both pick you up from here? We're closer to the train station than they are."
Hikari smiles at her mother. "Alright." She says, taking a sip of her tea.