One day, my best friend suddenly turned into a sickly girl from the TS - Chapter 3: Still Friends, After All

The walk to school with Yoru was the same as always, but now… she was no longer ‘he’ but ‘she.’ I couldn’t see Yoru as the opposite gender, but the girl beside me was unmistakably female.

“So, I’ve been thinking about a lot of things…”

Yoru talked continuously as we walked side by side. Listening to her and nodding was a familiar scene, the only change being her gender.

The Yoru who once seemed on the verge of disappearing was nowhere to be seen. Her hair, once disheveled, was now neatly styled and fluttered in the wind. The dark circles under her eyes were gone. She wore a girl’s uniform, complemented by a cardigan for the approaching cold weather.

“But still… what’s wrong?”

“…Ah, nothing.”

I shouldn’t have looked away on the spur of the moment.

Seeing me like that at Yoru, she murmured, “I knew it,” and continued.

“Being a guy just a short while ago, and now suddenly a girl… it must be weird, right? I’ve decided to live as a girl… that’s why I’m wearing this uniform… sorry, it must feel strange to you.”

I grabbed Yoru’s hand as she was about to run off.

Honestly, I might have been thinking lightly about it. The changes at Yoru were really big, and my mind was unstable. That’s why I had to support her… Damn it, I shouldn’t be worrying so much.

“It’s not weird at all. The opposite – I was admiring you.”

“…Huh?”

My eyes went wide, and I continued speaking.

“You were a handsome guy, and now, as a girl, you’re incredibly beautiful. Some might say cute, but I don’t find it weird.”

“………”

Yoru looked at me, speechless.

I wasn’t lying. Whether or not I was admiring her, Yoru truly looked stunning now. Even though she used to be a guy, my words were honest.

“…Really?”

“Yeah?”

“Really… hehe♪”

…What’s with that cute smile?

I coughed to hide the heat in my cheeks and started walking again.

“Wait up, Yuki!”

Yoru caught up and walked beside me. As we walked, more students appeared, and their curious glances were drawn to the girl beside me. Yoru, as I mentioned, was quite a beauty.

“Everyone’s staring…”

Yoru clutched the hem of my shirt, seemingly seeking refuge from the gazes. She usually wouldn’t mind the attention, but perhaps this was a side effect of her gender change. I didn’t brush her off despite feeling a bit irritated.

We entered the school, weaving through the curious stares. When we walked into the classroom, many eyes turned toward Yoru, including our friends, who were surprised by her sudden appearance.

“…Yukiii.”

“It’s okay.”

I’m sure Sensei will explain it to her during the morning assembly, but I’ll tell her, too.

“Um… good morning, everyone. This girl here is… Yoru. She has TS disease and has become a girl.”

The classroom buzzed with murmurs at my announcement.

Yoru shrank a little at the reaction, but I continued speaking.

“But she’s still Yoru. My best friend and a member of our class. I don’t usually say things like this, but my important friend has accepted this change and bravely came to school. So please, treat her as usual.”

“…Yuki.”

This is the best we can do for now.

I told them what I needed to say, and then my friends walked up to me.

“I see, so that’s what happened.”

“Don’t worry, Yoru. We’re here for you.”

“Wow, you’ve become so beautiful. Will you go out with me?”

Shindo, Murakami, and Tanaka – these were the friends I mentioned.

Yoru, surprised by their words, nodded and smiled.

“Yeah!”

Their words helped the class accept Yoru.

Interestingly, they refrained from their usual physical gestures, like throwing an arm around her neck, perhaps out of respect for her change.

Surrounded by friends, I left Yoru and went to my seat, where a girl approached me.

“Good morning, Uozumi-kun.”

“Good morning, Kanase.”

Her name was Azumi Kanase, and she was considered the class beauty. Her long black hair exuded cleanliness, and she had a relatively tall stature and an excellent figure for a girl.

“You were cool just now, like a knight protecting a princess.”

“Stop it. I was just doing what’s normal.”

“I know. I know how much you care about Asahina-kun.”

That’s a good way to put it…

In the first place, even from Kanase’s perspective, the fact that Yoru had turned into a woman must have been complicated.

“Maybe I won’t call you Asahina-san from now on.”

“Well, I’ll leave that to you.”

“Got it… Oh?”

“What’s wrong…?”

I turned to see what was wrong and saw Yoru glaring at us, specifically at Kanase. She left the circle of friends and walked straight up to us, standing with her back to me while facing Kanase.

“What do you want with Yuki?”

“Umm…”

Kanase looked at me for help.

I explained what we were talking about to Yoru, who then relaxed.

“What’s wrong?”

“…I don’t know. I just didn’t like it.”

I wondered what that was about.

For Kanase, being glared at by Yoru must have been unpleasant because…

“…I’ll go back now.”

“Alright.”

Kanase had always liked Yoru.