One day, my best friend suddenly turned into a sickly girl from the TS - Chapter 2: Changing Daily Life

As Yoru, now a girl, led me out of the room, I was invited into her bedroom. We sat around a table in the middle of the room, enveloped in an inevitable silence.

… We exchanged glances, unsure of what to say. Despite everything, I could still recognize that the beautiful girl in front of me was Yoru.

“…Say something.”

“You’ve gotten cute.”

“Shut up!!”

I really didn’t mean it like that!

She threw a tissue box at me, but thankfully, she didn’t throw it too hard. I placed the box down and looked at Yoru again.

“Can’t sleep? You’ve got serious dark circles.”

“…I haven’t been able to sleep. I’ve only slept for about two hours today.”

“Seriously…?”

It must be the anxiety and changes overwhelming her. I never expected Yoru to contract TS disease right after our conversation. Who could have predicted that?

“This disease is insane. It’s not physically harmful, but how everyone looks at me has completely changed. My mom, my dad… everyone… everything has changed.”

“………”

“Even though everyone’s trying not to make me anxious and to reassure me, I still feel this indescribable sense of guilt.”

…In a way, there’s no helping that.

I’m also confused, and I want to know if how we used to interact is still okay. Yoru and I are no longer the same gender… But it’s strange, in the face of such a significant event, seeing someone who looks more troubled than I am somehow makes me feel calmer.

“…Yuki.”

“Yeah?”

“Can I… believe what you just said? No matter what happens, it won’t change… Even if I believe what you say about us being best friends.”

Oh, that. I nodded.

“Of course. But of course, I’m surprised and confused. But even so, at Yoru, you’re my precious best friend. That won’t change even if you become a woman.”

When I told her that, the anxiety lingering in the Yoru seemed to have been removed.

“…Even if I become a woman, it won’t change… It won’t change… Hehe, I see.♪”

“Oh, you finally smiled.”

“Shut up.”

…I’ll have to keep an eye on her, but it looks like she’ll be fine.

I half-expected Yoru to jump out as a guy again, saying it was all a prank. But as we talked, Yoru started to doze off.

“I’m sleepy… but I don’t want to sleep… What if this is all a dream?”

“What? You don’t have to worry about that. It’s not a dream.”

I won’t say that becoming a girl has made her weaker. Sometimes jokes are fine, but it’s important to read the room.

“Go ahead, sleep. Then wake up in the middle of the night and regret sleeping now.”

“Is that supposed to be comforting?”

Yoru laughed heartily.

When I put my hand on Yoru’s shoulder, she flinched… right, I have to keep remembering she’s a girl now.

“Sorry.”

“No, you don’t have to apologize… I was just surprised.”

“…I see.”

I can’t say it’s hard to grasp the distance between us…

Just like that, I somehow managed to push my shoulders to the bed and watch her lie down.

“…Hold my hand.”

“…Yeah.”

…There’s nothing I can do about this.

I understand she feels vulnerable. I couldn’t refuse and held her hand. It was no longer rough but soft and small, like a girl’s.

“Hey, Yuki… We’re best friends, right? We’ll always be together, right?”

“Of course. We’ll always be together, so relax.”

“…It’s a promise, okay? I won’t forgive you if you break it.”

“Yeah. You can punch me if you want.”

“Yeah… I’ll remember that.”

With those words, Yoru closed her eyes.

Her steady breathing reassured me, and I quietly left the room. Yoru’s mother was waiting in the living room, curious about our conversation.

“Actually…”

She seemed relieved when I told her what I told her at Yoru. But she did seem to feel some sort of guilt.

“We… my husband and I… changed how we looked at Yoru after the change. We understand, but we can’t help feeling confused because of the gender difference.”

“I get it. It’s completely understandable.”

Accepting someone’s gender change so easily would be more alarming. I advised her to treat Yoru normally, gradually allowing changes to happen.

“Yuki, you are amazing. Yoru have always said since middle school that you’re the best friend ever. It’s great that Yoru has a friend like you.”

“…No, I should be the one saying that.”

It was embarrassing but heartwarming to be called the best friend by Yoru’s mother.

I went home only a short time later. I had permission from Yoru’s mother to tell my parents, and they were deeply concerned when I did.

“Right, I’ll do more for them.”

I hadn’t yet told them about TS disease, but I asked them to treat Yoru normally. My intuitive but caring friends agreed to trust me without probing too deeply.

The Yoru I saw today seemed on the verge of something drastic. I might be overthinking, but her expression was that severe.

A few days later, Yoru texted me before bed.

“Sorry for worrying you. If you’re going to school tomorrow, let’s go together.”

“Of course,” I replied.

The next day, as promised, I went to Yoru’s house.

“Hey, good morning, Yuki.”

“…Good morning.”

As expected, Yoru appeared wearing the girls’ school uniform.