Chapter 28: A Beautiful Girl, Enjoying Golden Week?

Golden Week was already halfway over, and yet here I was again, wondering why I’d come to this place once more.

I was back at the large shopping mall, “Mama Port”—the same place I’d visited not long after turning into a girl.

The difference this time was the company. With me were Sakurako-chan, Moeka-chan, and Moeka-chan’s younger sister, Aika-chan.

It took quite a while to get here by car from my house, but since there’s a direct bus from the station, we managed to come just the four of us.

The whole thing had started with a conversation during club activities.

"It’s really starting to get hot, huh?"

Moeka-chan muttered as she mashed butter in a bowl.

Since this was our first club activity, we’d decided to make cookies. While the girls chatted and laughed cheerfully, Ryoji and Togo were wasting time playing mobile games in the clubroom.

According to them, they were just here to eat—but come on, if you joined the club, at least help out a little. Still, they did split the cost of ingredients, so I decided to let it go. Money’s important, after all.

Especially with baking—most leftover ingredients almost never get used again. Cookies are nice that way: simple ingredients, all easy to reuse.
Except for vanilla essence. You’re hopeless, vanilla essence...

"Yeah, you’re right. It’s almost pool season too," Sakurako-chan said, adding sugar to the bowl.

The pool, huh. Even before Golden Week, the temperature sometimes climbed close to thirty degrees. I couldn’t blame her for wanting to cool off.

"But is there even a pool anywhere around here?"

"Huh? You don’t know, Ayumi-chan? It’s a bit far, but if we take the train, there’s a big leisure park with one!"

"Oh, really?"

Back in middle school, all my outings were within bike distance. I never took the train anywhere just for fun, so I didn’t know much beyond my neighborhood.

"Then let’s go sometime!"

"Yeah, going together could be fun!"

Sakurako-chan agreed with Moeka-chan’s suggestion.
But then, a horrifying realization struck me.

"But… a pool means swimsuits, right?"

The two of them gave me a look that clearly said “obviously.”
I know! That’s exactly the problem! I don’t want to wear a swimsuit!

I didn’t own one, and I definitely didn’t plan on buying one.

"I don’t have a swimsuit, so I’ll pass."

For a brief moment, both their eyes sparkled ominously.

"Then let’s go buy one♪"

"Yes, let’s absolutely go buy one!"

"Wh-why!? You two can just go on your own! I don’t even want to go to the pool!"

"Why not! I wanna see Ayumi-chan in a swimsuit!"

There were two reasons I didn’t want to go to the pool.

First, I couldn’t swim. Humans aren’t meant to float! I couldn’t even dog paddle—a certified non-swimmer among non-swimmers.

Second, well… the swimsuit itself. I’m a girl now! Wearing a girl’s swimsuit is a psychological hurdle all on its own.
How is it that walking around in underwear is considered indecent, but walking around in a swimsuit is totally fine? Who made that rule?

"Come on, Ayumi-chan, please?"

Even those teary eyes won’t work on me.

I’ve built up resistance to girls lately. After all, I’ve already been toyed with countless times in the locker room before gym class—and seen things I definitely shouldn’t have seen. Honestly, even if I somehow turned back into a guy one day, I’d probably be socially dead anyway.

"No. Way."

I smiled sweetly as I said it.

Moeka-chan deflated before my eyes. Sorry, but there are some lines I just can’t cross.

"Ayumi-chan, could it be… you can’t swim?"

My hands froze mid-mix, the whisk clinking against the bowl of egg yolk.

"Really? That’s so cute! Then let’s practice swimming together!"

"N-no thanks! I don’t need swimming practice!"

"Are you sure? You’ll get a failing grade in swimming class if you can’t swim, you know?"

"Wh-what!? There’s a swimming class!?"

I—I didn’t know that! I was already terrible at sports, and now there’s swimming too!? My P.E. grade would be doomed!

If I scored a one or two out of five, Mom would definitely scold me—and probably cut my allowance too.

"R-right, Moeka?"

"Uh… yeah, there is!"

"S-seriously… what should I do?"

"That’s why we should practice together!"

"B-but I’m a slow learner. It’ll be a pain to teach me."

"Just being able to go with you makes me happy, Ayumi-chan. So it’s totally fine!"

Moeka-chan puffed out her small chest proudly. And just to be clear, small chest here doesn’t mean anything perverted!

Still, hearing her say that so earnestly kind of warmed my heart.

"F-fine. Let’s go practice together next time."

I nodded reluctantly.

"Then let’s buy swimsuits during Golden Week and go!"

Golden Week, huh. It’s practically around the corner… I pictured the calendar in my head as Sakurako-chan spoke.

Come to think of it, I usually spent Golden Week doing nothing but sleeping in.
So maybe—just maybe—if it’s something like buying swimsuits, this year could actually be a little more fun than usual.

And that’s how I ended up here again, at Mama Port.

"So, um… why’s Aika-chan here too?"

"When I heard Ayu-chan was going swimsuit shopping, I just had to come!"

"I don’t think it’s that big of a deal, though…"

"It is a big deal! Just imagining you blushing at a risqué swimsuit is enough to make my appetite skyrocket!"

"Right? When Moeka wears one, she just looks like a scrawny little kid—but when you wear one, Ayumi-chan, you become divine."

"Th-that’s true… even if that stung a little, it’s true! Waaah, Sakurako-chan, that was so mean!"

"In your case, Onee-chan, it’s not even ‘slim’—it’s straight-up flat."

"You’re one to talk, Aika! You’re not that different!"

"Too bad! Mine are bigger than yours, Onee-chan!"

"Grghh…"

So Moeka-chan lost to her little sister in the chest department… how tragic.

"Waaah! Ayumi-chan’s giving me that ‘poor thing’ look!"

Yeah, Moeka-chan’s definitely settled into the role of the group’s punching bag lately.

"Well, putting aside Moeka’s lifelong misfortune, let’s go find Ayumi-chan’s swimsuit."

Sakurako-chan grabbed my hand as she said that. At this point, I’d gotten used to it—it was just how things always went with her.

When we arrived at the store, it was a dazzling sea of colors.

Even buying underwear had been awkward enough, but this place gave off an even heavier “do I really belong here?” kind of aura. Honestly, these swimsuits barely looked any different from lingerie. Who on earth, in what era, looked at these and thought, yeah, I’ll wear this to swim in? I’d love to travel back and interrogate them personally.

And yet, somehow, here I was—shopping for women’s swimsuits. I’d come along on impulse, but now I regretted it deeply. Sure, I’d started adjusting to life as a girl, but I’d lived way longer as a guy. Things meant for girls still made me uneasy.

...But sometimes, resistance is meaningless.

Even though I had zero intention of picking anything out, my basket was already overflowing with swimsuits. The three girls in front of me were happily bouncing from one rack to another, chattering about what would look best on me. There was no stopping them now. Were they really here just to pick my swimsuit? Were they not going to buy anything for themselves?

"Ayumi-chan, how about this one?"

"That’s not a swimsuit—that’s just strings!"

"Aww, but I thought it was cute!"

Strings aren’t swimsuits, Moeka-chan. Please don’t hang up a bunch of string on a rack with a price tag and call it one.

...Okay, technically it is a swimsuit, but still! I refuse to accept it!

"Stop going for the blatantly sexy stuff, Onee-chan! Ayu-chan needs something like this!"

Aika-chan confidently thrust a swimsuit toward me.

It was… a white school swimsuit. Why was that even in this store? It’s not like we were shopping for uniforms.

And white? That’s just plain pervy!

"Yeah, no thanks. It’s not like I’ll only be swimming at school, right? And our school doesn’t even have a designated swimsuit. There’s no reason to wear a school swimsuit at all!"

"Grr… but it’d be so cute…"

"Then how about this one? It’d bring out your cuteness perfectly."

Wow. Frills. Ruffles. Cartoon prints.

That’s not a high schooler’s swimsuit—that’s for kids under ten! What age do you think I am, Sakurako-chan!?

"Rejected! I can’t even fit into something that small!"

"R-really? Well, if it’s a little tight, that could be cute too…"

Yeah, no. I should really pick one myself. I don’t know much about swimsuits, but at least that way I might end up with something normal.

"Wait, wait, wait! Ayumi-chan! It’s not our fault—we don’t know your size!"

"Even without knowing my size, all three of your choices are ridiculous!"

"Ugh, but we can’t pick properly without knowing! Now come on—tell us your three sizes!"

The three of them started closing in on me, step by step. I backed away nervously.

"N-no way! That’s embarrassing!"

"Kyaa, Ayumi-chan, you’re so cute! Girls who still get shy like this are so rare nowadays!"

"Well, Onee-chan wouldn’t understand. She’s got no shame. The only shame she has is that sad excuse of a chest!"

That was… harsh.

Honestly, I didn’t think Aika and Moeka looked that different, but maybe even a few centimeters makes a world of difference to them.

"Aika, I can get angry too, you know! Ayumi-chan’s chest isn’t that different from mine anyway—probably!"

I remembered how, during our last physical checkup, I was literally groped all over. Oh man… what a disaster that was.
After all that, even though my body was practically manhandled, I never got the chance to touch either of their chests. Damn it—thinking back now, I should’ve fought back! …Not that I’d ever actually have the guts to do that, though.

"Moka, the difference is that Ayumi-chan’s has this divine glow to it."

Divine glow? What kind of adjective is that for boobs?!
Also, could you please put those wiggling hands down before they come anywhere near me?

"Ugh… I can’t even deny that…"

You’re accepting that?!
Moeka clenched her fists tight and looked down, frustration clear on her face.

"But if Ayumi-chan’s about the same size as you, that actually makes it easier to choose, doesn’t it? We can just pick something close to your size."

"True enough. Then I suppose we’ll go with Moka’s measurements."

"Ehh?! You’re seriously using mine!?"

Moka-chan, please make this noble sacrifice for my sake. Amen.
I pressed my palms together in silent prayer.

"But Ayu-chan clearly doesn’t want to, right? It’s kind of cruel to force her."

"I—I don’t wanna either!"

"Well, Moka, that’s just kind of your role, isn’t it?"

"Waaah! Ayumi-chaaaan! Everyone’s bullying me!"

She threw herself at me, and I gently patted her head.
Ah—this is the first time I’ve been the one patting instead of being patted. Maybe I should just run away with Moka-chan at this point…

"Ah, Moka, you don’t have to tell me anymore! Aika-chan already did."

"Whyyy! My own sister betrayed me! You’re the worst, Aika!"

I felt kind of sorry for her… though honestly, knowing her measurements meant my swimsuit shopping would continue, so in the end, I was the truly unfortunate one here.

How many swimsuits had I tried on by that point?
Apparently, you try them on over your underwear. First time hearing that.
Well, as a guy, I never had to deal with swimsuit fitting before.
Honestly, I could’ve gone my whole life without learning that piece of trivia.

I’m exhausted…

Moka-chan and Sakurako-chan were bursting with confidence, each insisting their pick was the best, while Aika-chan proudly defended her own “perfect” choice.
Because of this deadlock, I ended up trying on outfit after outfit, over and over again.

In the end, the final verdict was… to buy both.

"Then I’ll buy the second one for you, Ayu-chan!" Aika declared with mysterious passion.

Of course, I couldn’t let my younger friend pay for it, so I ended up buying both myself.

The one Moka-chan and Sakurako-chan chose was a white bikini with a short skirt attached. It’s… cute. If only I weren’t the one wearing it.
Meanwhile, Aika-chan’s pick was a pink polka-dot bikini with a pareo skirt.
They were practically the same style, so why not just one? But apparently, there was some unshakable conviction behind their choices. Not even their own swimsuits, and yet they were this fired up…

"Just imagining Ayumi-chan blushing in that swimsuit… ugh, I can’t, I’m done…" said Sakurako, looking positively overwhelmed.

"Sakurako-chan’s really lost it lately. The moment Ayumi-chan’s involved, she completely breaks down," Moka sighed.

"But Ayu-chan has that dreamy, spacey vibe, so if she’s not careful, she’ll get hit on in no time," Aika added cheerfully.

Me? In a girl’s swimsuit, getting hit on by some guy, having a summer fling…
Just picturing that was horrifying.

"A-Anyway! I’ll just go buy these!"

I hurried off toward the register to escape.

…Whoa, they’re actually really expensive.
Guess I won’t be buying that bike anytime soon…