One day, my best friend suddenly turned into a sickly girl from the TS

“…So it’s just regular drinks and cake, huh?”

“Yeah, pretty much.”

We had been excited about what a ‘couples only’ menu might offer, but what arrived was just juice and cake. The price was a bit cheaper, though… and what’s with this juice?

“Wow, look at this straw. I’ve only seen these on TV.”

“Me too.”

As we sit across from each other, I stare at the juice in my glass… I mean, the straw stuck in it. What’s with this winding, heart-shaped shape and stretching out to each other…? I’m surprised you make straws like this.

“Well, since I asked you to, let’s have fun.”

“Yeah.”

That’s true.

Under normal circumstances, we wouldn’t have experienced a ‘couples only’ menu. Being able to do this was thanks to Yoru… It may not be something to be thankful for, but it’s definitely because of Yoru.

“…Yum.”

“…Delicious.”

The strawberry shortcake, just a typical one, was surprisingly good.

Then came the moment for the juice… meant for two people to drink together. I bravely put my lips to the straw on my side.

“I’ll have some too.”

Yoru did the same, putting her mouth to the other straw.

As we sipped from the straws, our eyes met. It wasn’t extremely close, but the shared drink made it embarrassingly intimate.

“………”

“…!”

…Please, Yoru, don’t look away shyly like that!!

Despite the embarrassment, we continued to sip the juice. Each time, our eyes met, and then shyly darted away.

“What’s up?”

“What about you…”

…Let’s just quietly drink the juice.

After a while, we got used to it, and the embarrassment subsided. Having enjoyed the juice and cake, a waitress approached us.

“How was the menu?”

“It was delicious.”

Yoru responded with a beautiful smile.

The female waitress blushed at her smile… Even as a woman, Yoru still had the charm to captivate others. Jokes aside, the waitress then made a suggestion.

“Since you’re here, how about taking a photo together? It’s not unusual for couples, but it could be a nice memory.”

A photo, huh? That’s a good idea; we have countless photos together already.

“…A photo… Sure, let’s take one.”

“Really?”

“Why not? It’ll be a memory.”

If Yoru want to take a photo, I’m all for it. The stylish decor of the café made a great backdrop as the waitress took our picture.

“Could you get a little closer, please?”

“Understood.”

Yoru moved closer, our shoulders touching, and our faces just inches apart. Trying to ignore the sweet scent emanating from her, we posed for the photo.

“Thank you for visiting! We look forward to seeing you again!”

After that, we left the store.

It dawned on me that this was the first photo with Yoru as a woman. It’s a memory worth keeping.

“…Hehe♪”

Yoru seemed pleased with the photo, which made it all worthwhile.

“Thanks for today. It was a good experience.”

“Me too. To avoid embarrassment, I kept telling myself, ‘Yoru is still a guy.”

I admitted to Yoru, who then pouted slightly, looking slightly displeased.

She carefully put the photo in her bag and looked at me.

“…Yeah, I’m like a guy, I guess.”

“Yoru?”

“………”

She seemed momentarily upset, but that quickly passed.

Lowering her head, then looking up with a mischievous smile, Yoru suddenly closed the gap between us and took an unexpected action.

“Whoa!?”

“I’m like a guy, right? So this shouldn’t be embarrassing.”

Yoru took my hand and pressed it against her chest.

The softness was startling, distinctly feminine despite her words. The sensation was undeniably that of a woman’s breast.

“Wha… what are you doing!?”

“Aren’t you embarrassed? You said I’m like a guy.”

Yoru’s face was as red as mine. She inched even closer, gripping my hand tightly against her.

“Come on, admit it’s embarrassing.”

“…Grrr!”

Should I let Yoru have her way? No way!

This is Yoru, after all! With that thought and a bit of a counter-attack in mind, I put a little pressure on my hand, touching her chest. My fingers sank into the soft flesh, and I was momentarily lost in the sensation.

“Hyauh?!”

However, Yoru let out a cute yelp and sat down abruptly. I panicked and immediately apologized, but Yoru laughed it off.

“Don’t worry about it. I was just surprised, that’s all.”

She said with a laugh, but her cheeks remained red.

We started walking back, but our conversation could have been more sparse.

“…Hey, Yuki.”

“What is it?”

Yoru stopped and said something that made me pause.

“…I’m a woman now. I can’t go back to being a man… How long will this relationship last?”

“…That’s…”

Honestly, I didn’t have an answer.

But as long as Yoru wants, I want to be there for her. That’s what best friends do, right?

“I’ll be by your side as long as you want.”

“…Really?”

“Yeah.”

“……as long as I want……Yuki will be by my side.”

The gender difference is indeed significant.

But Yoru and I will always be best friends, no matter what. That’s something that will never change… So this relationship won’t change either; at least, that’s what I believed.