Chapter 6: Feelings for Nobuchika

── Kanata’s View

Early Saturday morning, I slowly drifted out of slumber. When I turned over, my gaze landed on Nobuchika, who was still fast asleep. Maybe it was too hot or he was just restless, but the blanket had slipped off, revealing the outline of his body through his sleepwear — young, slender, and with beautifully feminine curves. His glossy black hair was slightly tousled, giving him an oddly sensual look.

Just then, Nobuchika’s phone above his head started ringing, signaling the start of the day. Usually, the sound would wake me too, but today, for some reason, I decided to pretend to be asleep and wait until he woke up first.

Peeking through half-closed eyes, I saw him stir, stop the alarm, and sit up, stretching his arms above his head. He gave me a glance, muttered something like “Still asleep, huh… well, it’s the weekend,” and then climbed out of bed before leaving the room.

About twenty minutes later, I started hearing the sizzling sound of oil from the kitchen — sounded like he was making tamagoyaki. Nobuchika’s in charge of breakfast today. Probably four fried eggs, miso soup, and roughly chopped cabbage or something like that. He’s been getting better at frying eggs lately… maybe it’s time I let him try sautéing some sausages too.

I sat up, still in my sleepwear, and stepped out of the room toward the kitchen. There she was — a black-haired beauty, standing by the counter in an apron, cooking breakfast. No matter how many times I see it, it always looks like a perfect scene out of a painting. If only that wasn’t sleepwear underneath but a sailor uniform… or maybe just the apron and nothing else… no, sailor uniform… hmm. Hard to choose, really.

While I was busy with such ridiculous thoughts, Nobuchika noticed me and called out.

"Oh, finally awake? Give me a little more time — breakfast’ll be ready soon."

"Got it. I’ll go wash my face first."

"’Kay."

I went to wash up, then sat at the dining table, watching Nobuchika’s back as I waited for breakfast to be served.

I don’t trust women, but that doesn’t mean I hate them. I still like young women’s bodies — that hasn’t changed. What I can’t stand is cheating. I’ve always believed that’s just how women are, and that’s why I can’t bring myself to trust them. People say men cheat too, but my dad never did, and neither have I. Even Ibuki’s boyfriend didn’t, as far as I know. Of course, that’s not the only reason I have this distrust, but in the end, it all comes down to this — I just can’t believe in them, and dating is out of the question for me. No matter how much love you pour in, if you’re going to get betrayed anyway, what’s the point? It’s meaningless — no, worse than meaningless. The scars it leaves are deep, and they don’t heal easily.

And then, suddenly, Nobuchika — as a girl — showed up in my life. At first, I couldn’t even believe it was really him. But as we talked, I realized it truly was Nobuchika. And I thought… he’s having a hard time, I want to help him. That was my strongest feeling. But at the same time, a different worry crept in. He’s a girl now… but will he still stay my best friend? I said I’d accept it, but I wasn’t sure how far I could let myself believe in that. Even so, because he’s my friend, I wanted to do everything I could for him.

Two weeks have passed since we started living together, and I’ve noticed a few things. Sometimes his gestures have a feminine grace to them. Sometimes his thought patterns feel… closer to those of a girl. Maybe that’s because it’s been over a month since his transformation, and with Ibuki teaching him makeup and skincare, he’s been steadily learning. Even with light makeup, his appearance has been evolving into that of a stunningly beautiful girl.

That long, glossy black hair flowing down his back — flawless. His fair skin has not a single blemish or mole. An oval-shaped face, long lashes, sharp and clear-cut eyes, a straight nose, soft sakura-pink lips… and that bright smile suits it all perfectly. His composed, clear voice carries well, effortlessly drawing in anyone who hears it. Long legs, a full chest, and an impeccable figure.

I’ll be honest… I’ve fallen for him. I’ve started liking him. Sure, I’m thirty now, but what can I do? Living together with a girl this gorgeous and not falling for her? Impossible. And besides, this isn’t some random sixteen-year-old whose personality I barely understand. This is my best friend, Nobuchika. To other people, this might seem like a massive red flag, but for me, it’s the opposite. Out of all my friends, he’s someone I genuinely liked as a person — that’s why he’s my closest friend. You could even say this situation is like a wish come true for me.

But there’s a problem… his gestures, his thought process — he’s becoming more feminine by the day. If this keeps going, I can’t shake the fear that Nobuchika will become a girl not just physically, but in his heart too. And if that happens… our friendship’s over. Even if somehow we start dating, I’ll end up being betrayed anyway. Or worse, I’ll be unable to trust him at all because of my distrust toward women. Either way, things won’t be the same.

That’s why I’ll keep these feelings to myself. Telling Nobuchika would only trouble him, and I don’t want that. Besides, from his perspective, I’m a thirty-year-old man — there’s no way he’d ever see me as a romantic option. If anything, he’d probably find it creepy if I confessed. All I can do is support him until he finds a job and moves out.

"Oh, sorry to keep you waiting. Looks like all the tamagoyaki turned out fine today. What do you think?"

His voice snapped me out of my restless thoughts, and I pulled myself together.

"Oh, looks good from here. Well then, let’s dig in."

"Go on, enjoy."

"Let’s see…"

A quick look told me there were no issues this time. Usually, Nobuchika would get distracted while cooking, cutting vegetables or doing something else, and end up burning the tamagoyaki. But today, they were all perfect. I decided to try one half with a bit of mayonnaise this time.

It was great — mayonnaise actually goes well with this. The miso soup, though, was a little too salty. Probably a small slip-up there.

After finishing breakfast together, we each went about our own tasks. Nobuchika washed the dishes while I started on the laundry.

At home, laundry gets done three times a week: twice on weekdays and once on the weekend. Since Nobuchika isn’t working right now, he handles the two weekday loads, and I take care of it on weekends. For now, I’ve been washing my stuff and Nobuchika’s new “girl clothes” together in one batch… though eventually, we might start handling our own separately.

Oh, that reminds me — I read somewhere that when drying women’s clothes, it’s better to mix them in with men’s clothes. Makes sense; if our little beauty here starts attracting attention, that might matter. With looks like hers, it wouldn’t surprise me if we eventually had underwear thieves to worry about. Not that I’m too concerned — we’re on the 4th floor of a secure apartment with auto-locks, so chances are slim.

Anyway, laundry’s done. Can’t stay in sleepwear forever — time to change. And I should probably let Nobuchika know when I’m heading out, too.

"Hey, Nobu, I’m heading out around eleven."

"Got it!"

He glanced at the clock and went back into the bedroom. Before closing the door, he threw me a warning: "I’m changing, so don’t peek, got it?"

It’s not even like this trip’s anything special… but since he didn’t ask where I’m going, I haven’t told him either. If I dress too much like it’s a date, it’ll just feel weird, though… Wait. A date? No, no, no. It’s not a date. I never said anything about that. Get a grip, idiot.

There’s no way Nobuchika’s thinking about this as a date either. Don’t get ahead of yourself, you moron.

Who the hell wants to imagine two grown men going on a “date” together, anyway? …Seriously, if I’m already spiraling like this, the future’s looking rough. Keep it together, Kanata. Keep it together.

Sighing, I shook the thoughts away and changed into my usual casual outfit — just a T-shirt with a jacket thrown over it. Simple. Effortless. Adult. Comfortable. Perfect.

Forty minutes passed. Almost eleven. Kinda felt like he was taking too long, but maybe he was being extra careful with his outfit today. And hey, if it’s a girl getting ready, I shouldn’t comment on how long it takes… Even if that “girl” is Nobuchika. …Actually, no, he’s Nobuchika, my best friend. I can comment. Yeah, that’s right. No reason to tiptoe around it. I’ll call him out.

At least, that was the plan. But just as I was about to, the bedroom door opened — and Nobuchika stepped out.

I turned, ready to make a snarky remark… and my words died in my throat.

Because standing there… was a breathtakingly beautiful girl. No — the most beautiful girl I’d seen in my thirty years of life.

A simple white blouse paired with a long, cream-colored skirt — elegant, modest, and delicate, yet somehow radiating brightness. A white hair clip with gold trim sat in her glossy black hair, and her lips had a soft sheen, maybe from a touch of light pink gloss. Altogether, it drew out an effortless, natural charm.

It was simple, yes. But that simplicity brought out her natural beauty even more.

And just like that, I fell for her. Again.

How many times am I going to fall for her, I wonder? And each time, I’ll have to lock it deep inside. But this time… this time, it felt like my chest couldn’t hold it anymore. Like it was spilling over.

I couldn’t speak. Couldn’t even move. I just stared, mesmerized — completely captivated.

Nobuchika was the one who moved first.