Chapter 25: Sweet Things

It was a Saturday.

I was standing in line with Nyako at a café rumored to have the fluffiest pancakes in town.

"I’m not really into waiting in line, you know..."

"Put up with it. I’m treating you, nya."

Well, I guess it’s fine. Kana-chan’s out with her friends today, so I’ve got nothing better to do anyway.

"Why pancakes, though? Feeling nostalgic for the hotcakes we used to eat?"

It wasn’t exactly the kind of place a guy—or rather, a girl now—walks into alone, but with Nyako here, it felt okay.

"Wrong, nya. I’m taking photos to post online, nya."

"Business promotion again?"

"That’s right, nya."

"Don’t you have anyone else to take photos of you, Nyako?"

I mean, Shachou is Shachou, and Chihirochi’s still underage, so I get why she wouldn’t ask her.
But… does she really not have any other friends?

"I told you before, didn’t I? Tama cut off all human relationships, nya."

Oh, right.
Because of that whole lottery mess, she even cut ties with her parents.

"What about your idol group? Don’t you usually do promo stuff with the other members?"

"It’s not like we hate each other, but, you know… there’s competition within the group. Things get tense, nya."

Yeah, that definitely sounds like hating each other.

"So you can’t ask them?"

"Honestly, Tama’s character type makes other girls dislike her, nya."

I’ve gotten used to it by now, but yeah… she can be kind of annoying.
Cutesy, overly flirty—definitely the type of idol who panders to guys.

"Why not just be yourself?"

"If I drop the act, my true self slips out, nya. If I make a face or click my tongue during a handshake event, my popularity tanks instantly—and I’ll be 'graduated' out of the group, nya."

Makes sense, actually…
Come to think of it, Nyako’s always talked like this, and she uses 'watashi' for herself.
I realize I’ve never actually heard her speak the way she did when she was a guy.

"Nyako, try talking normally for a bit."

"Why? No way."

She says that—yet immediately switches to masculine speech.

"You like pancakes?"

"How would I know? Never had one."

Yep, this must be Kitayama Tamaki’s real tone.
Back when she was still male, she probably used 'ore' instead of 'boku.'

"You can go back to Nyako now."

That was… kinda scary.

"That so, nya?"

Kitayama Tamaki switches back into Nyako mode.

"Yeah. You’d totally get fired from being an idol."

"That’s what I said, nya."

"Why’d you even become an idol anyway? You said you were scouted, but is it really that profitable?"

"Maybe we’re underground idols, but still—everyone’s really cute, nya."

Huh?
Well, I mean, Nyako is cute herself.

"And then?"

"So, like, our dressing rooms are always these tiny storage rooms or cramped spaces, you know?"

"Uh-huh."

I nod, curious where this is going.

"And everyone changes clothes together in that tiny space, nya. It’s heaven, nya."

Amazing!
Now I want to become an idol!

"Nice!"

"And when Tama and the others go on tour, we travel in a van. Things get… all tangled up, nya."

"You perv! You damn pervy Nyako!"

"Well, Tama’s struggling with inner conflict in the middle of all that, though, nya…"

Wait, what? Where’d that come from?

"Inner conflict?"

"I don’t really get turned on by it."

Ah… right. Nyako’s complicated tastes.

"Hmm… then maybe you should just let some handsome guy hit on you and go for it. Open a new door."

"And you’re the one standing right behind that door, nya. No thanks, nya."

Rejected, huh…

We got a few odd looks from the women in line around us, but we waited patiently until finally getting seated.
We ordered pancakes, and after a while, the plates arrived—two servings.

"Finally… but wow, that looks like a calorie bomb…"

They looked insanely sweet.

"Tama aside, you don’t really need to worry about that, do you, nya?"

Nyako, being an idol, probably had to be careful about that stuff.

"Well, guy or girl, you start to worry about it eventually. I’ve been eating a lot of sweets lately."

"Kana-chan?"

"Yeah. She’s been making them for me. When we were eating together, she told me she never gains weight no matter how much she eats. I couldn’t help thinking, ‘Says the girl with those huge boobs.’"

"Well… I guess that’s where all the nutrition goes, nya."

Not that I’m complaining—if anything, I’m grateful.
Once I’m a guy again, I’m definitely going to ✕✕✕✕ her.

"Anyway, Nyako, take the photo already. I wanna eat."

"Right, right, nya."

Nyako points her phone at the table—and at me.

"You could just grab a picture from the internet, you know."

"That gets spotted right away, nya. Okay, done. Let’s eat, nya."

"Mm, delicious."

"Already!? Nya, that was fast…"

Come on, do you even realize how long I’ve been waiting for this?

"Hey everyone, have your tastes in food changed at all lately?"

The day after going to the pancake place with Nyako, I asked the three of them while munching on fries at our usual family restaurant.

"Food? Hmm, I don’t think so. Why?"

Shachou tilted her head.

"Well, yesterday when I went out for pancakes with Nyako, I realized I’ve been eating a lot of sweets lately."

"Ah, I know what you mean. I get gifts pretty often, and those kinds of things have definitely increased."

So even Shachou had noticed it.

"How about you, Nyako?"

"In a way, it’s changed, nya. I’m on a strict diet, nya."

I don’t know how she keeps that up…

"Pretty impressive for an A."

"You’re a B too, nya. And with this kind of thing, it all goes to the stomach, not the chest, nya. Kana-chan’s just a special case, nya."

That girl is the angel God sent to me…
Nope. Too creepy. Forget I said that.

"How about you, Chihirochi?"

"My whole social life’s changed, actually. I used to go out with the guys for ramen or okonomiyaki, but now that I’ve got more girl friends, I end up going to those same places with them instead."

Yeah, that makes sense for a student.

"Hey, Chihirochi, you should make as many girl friends as you can while you still can."

"I was thinking the same thing. Especially cute ones."

"I agree, nya."

Shachou and Tama seemed to pick up exactly what I was hinting at.

"Why’s that?"

"Because right now, you can get close to them naturally. And even if you turn back into a guy, the bond you’ve built won’t just disappear, right? That’s a huge advantage."

"Yeah, plus you’ll be used to being around girls."

"A true lady’s man who understands the female heart, nya~!"

For us adults, stuck in small social circles, it’s probably too late.
But for Chihirochi, whose daily life is half made up of schoolgirls, it’s a big deal.

"I-I see..."

"Go become a total player."

"Just don’t get stabbed."

"And use protection, nya."

Important advice, really.

Wait… where did that thing I bought at the convenience store go?

"I’ll do my best!"

Yes… do your best indeed.