Chapter 7: Relaxing After a Bath

After getting out of the bath, I grabbed a cola from the fridge and a glass before plopping down on the living room sofa. I poured the drink from the bottle into the glass and took a sip.

"Mmm… Nothing beats an ice-cold cola right after a bath…"

"What is this!? It’s bursting in my mouth—but it’s so cold and delicious!"

"This is called cola. The carbonation makes it all fizzy and tasty, right?"

Now that I thought about it, I must’ve been really thirsty. My body was craving more fluids. I got carried away and tried to chug it like I usually would, but Alicia’s tiny mouth couldn’t handle it the same way, and I ended up coughing.

"…What are you doing, Onii-chan?"

Yuna, who had just come downstairs, looked at me with exasperation.

"It’s been a while since I had cola, so I got a little carried away…"

"…Ugh, at least don’t get your clothes dirty. And Onii-chan, you’re a girl now, so you’ve gotta act more ladylike, okay?"

Her tone made me chuckle.

"Wow, coming from the Yuna who was constantly scolded by Mom to ‘be more ladylike’—this is rich."

"…That was a year ago. Things are different now."

Seeing her puff up her cheeks in a pout brought back a wave of nostalgia.

…I really am back, huh?

"Anyway, we’ve still got time before Mom gets home. What do you wanna do? I’m gonna go buy stuff for dinner."

"Hmm, what should I do…? It’s too early to sleep…"

"Wanna watch some anime? I recorded a bunch from the past year that I thought you’d like."

"Seriously…?!"

An untouched mountain of unwatched anime—this was pure bliss.

"Fufu~ You’re allowed to praise me, you know?"

"My goddess, my Buddha, my Yuna-sama!"

"If you’re really grateful, call me ‘Onee-chan’ in Alicia’s voice."

"Thank you, Onee-chan! I love you!"

"Gyaaah, so cute…!"

Yuna practically melted. Given how happy I was right now, a little flattery was nothing.

Yuna pulled out a DVD case from the glass shelf under the TV and set it in front of me. I took out the discs and flipped through the file-style sleeves one by one.

"…Whoaaa, this is—!"

Each sleeve held two DVDs with their titles neatly labeled. The first few were shows I’d only seen a couple episodes of before I disappeared, but further in were titles I didn’t recognize—some based on manga and light novels I knew. My excitement was through the roof.

"This got an anime too… Hmm, which one should I watch first?"

"Ikuto-san, what is ‘anime’? And what is this silver disc?"

"Hmm, it’s easier to show you than explain… Oh, I know! Let’s go with this one!"

Then, I spotted a DVD that caught my eye—it had the title of a web novel I used to love.

"Here, let me put the DVD in for you, Onee-chan-style."

Yuna stood up and slid the disc into the player. After the loading screen, the story began.

Vast nature, monsters and magic, status bars—this was a story set in a VRMMO world. Alicia was completely enthralled by the stunning visuals and immersive sound, bombarding me with questions nonstop, which I answered one by one. I couldn’t watch it leisurely, but this was fun in its own way.

Due to her duties as a shrine maiden, Alicia had few chances to play with friends her age, so she spent most of her free time lost in books. No wonder she was completely captivated by the vibrant animation unfolding before her.

The protagonist of the story was originally a guy but ended up turning into a girl. He carried emotional scars and gradually healed through his friendships in the VRMMO world. Eventually, he fell in love with his childhood friend—a guy.

"This protagonist’s situation is a little similar to yours, Ikuto-san."

I’d been thinking the same thing. That was part of why I chose this. Back when I read it, I enjoyed it as pure fantasy—never imagining something similar would happen to me.

"…Do you think you’ll ever fall in love with a man, Ikuto-san?"

"Hah!? Why would that happen!? I’m a guy!"

"But you’re a girl now, right? Some people do like the same gender, but if you think about having children, wouldn’t it make more sense to end up with a man?"

End up with a man… For a second, I imagined Alicia—me—being held by some stranger, and my brain rejected the thought entirely.

—I don’t have an NTR fetish, damn it.

"Give me a break…"

That was a plea straight from the heart.