When I woke up again, the ceiling was the first thing that came into view. It was warm. What was this? —A blanket. Someone put a blanket over me. It seemed I was lying in a bed.

  I was saved...

  I had a faint memory of a girl giving me water. I tried to sit up. My arms felt weak, and my head was pounding. Managing to pull back the covers, I realized my clothes had changed.

  Instead of the men's jeans and torn shirt I had been wearing, I was now dressed in a white nightgown—women's sleepwear.

  Did someone change me? Was it that girl?

  ...To think I'd end up wearing women's clothes.

  Since I was a woman now, it was only natural to be dressed like one. But it still felt strange. I tried my best to get up, but I swayed and couldn't stand properly. I hadn't eaten in days, so it was no wonder.

  I decided to sit quietly on the bed.

  The soft, warm bed. This room. And above all, the existence of that girl with reddish-brown hair who saved me. The obvious fact hit me. As I realized it, joy welled up inside me.

  There are humans like me on this planet! I wasn't alone.

  Thank goodness... thank goodness...

  I had been so worried. What if there was no one? What if they were completely different from me? Overwhelmed with emotion, I squeezed my eyes shut, savoring the joy for a while. I felt like I had become unusually sentimental lately.

  Eventually, as I calmed down a bit, a question arose.

  Why could I understand that girl's words? Why did it sound like Japanese? My consciousness had been hazy, but I remembered that she understood my words perfectly too.

  ...There's no way she speaks Japanese. Is it being automatically translated?

  Did I awaken to such a convenient ability when I received my powers? What in the world was going on?

  Just then, the door at the back opened. It was the girl who had saved me. Seeing that I had regained consciousness, her face lit up with genuine happiness as she rushed over.

  "Thank goodness! You're awake!"

  She gazed at my face, then looked me over from head to toe. Her stare tickled a little. After checking me thoroughly, she seemed relieved and let out a big sigh.

  "Oh, thank goodness. I was really worried."

  "...So it was you who saved me."

  "Yeah. Along with Aln."

  "Aln?"

  "Oh, Aln is the name of the bird we keep at home. He's big enough for a person to ride. He flew at full speed just for you."

  I see. So thanks to Aln carrying me, I was saved.

  "I should thank him later."

  "That's a good idea. He's a smart boy, so I'm sure he'll be happy."

  She laughed brightly. She was lively, and I thought she had a wonderful smile.

  "By the way, your clothes were tattered, so I changed them for you. I washed your old ones and put them aside, so don't worry."

  I knew it. She changed me.

  ...That means she saw everything. Yeah. Of course she did...

  I felt a little embarrassed. But I was glad we were both women. If either I or she had been a man, I might have wanted to die from shame. Being the opposite sex would have been awkward for her too, so maybe it was good that I collapsed as a woman.

  She lowered her gaze to my chest and smiled, looking slightly troubled.

  "That's my nightgown. Sorry if you don't like it."

  "Don't like it? Not at all. More importantly, thank you so much for saving me. Honestly, I thought I was a goner."

  "No problem. You're welcome."

  Then, she held out her hand. I thought it was a handshake, but it was different. She extended her index and middle fingers together, keeping the others curled. Like a closed peace sign.

  "I'm Alice. Alice Luckin. Would you tell me your name?"

  Judging by her name, it seemed naming conventions here were Western-style. As I was about to introduce myself, I realized that my name, Yu, could be used for both genders without issue.

  What a coincidence. I smiled bitterly inside. Even my name fitting both sexes felt somewhat ironic.

  "I'm Yu. Yu Hoshimi."

  Imitating her, I extended the fingers of my right hand in the same way. It wasn't a handshake, but I vaguely thought it might be a similar custom. It seemed I was correct; she intertwined her two fingers tightly with mine.

  A "finger-shake," perhaps?

  "Nice to meet you."

  "Nice to meet you too."

  Alice. I was truly happy that my first acquaintance in this other world was such a warm person.

  "By the way, Yu. There's something I wanted to ask you when you woke up."

  "What is it?"

  Her expression turned serious.

  "Why were you doing something so reckless like staying alone in the middle of the Plains of Death?"

  "W-well..."

  Now, what should I say? This was trouble. If I said I came from another planet and got stranded, she would definitely think I was crazy. And "Plains of Death"? That place had such a disturbing name. No wonder there was nothing there.

  As I struggled to come up with a good excuse, she rested her chin on her hand, staring intently at my face.

  "With that hair color and those strange clothes... You're not from around here, are you?"

  "W-well, I guess you could say that..."

  Yeah. Definitely not from around here. I'm Japanese, after all.

  "I knew it! So, why were you in such a... terrible state? Your clothes were torn..."

  She looked at me with pity. She seemed deeply worried.

  "Did something happen? Hey, did you encounter something terrifying? Could you tell me about it? I might not be able to help, but..."

  Terrifying things. Yeah. The worst kind. Mainly him, and him, and him...

  Just remembering what he did made my body tremble. It was too repulsive to put into words, so I fell silent. The reality I experienced was probably far different from whatever she was imagining.

  Still, seeing me likely looking like I had swallowed a bitter bug, she seemed to understand something. She stopped pressing. And kindly said:

  "I see... It's something you really don't want to remember. Then I won't force you. You can tell me when you're ready."

  I was grateful for her consideration.

  "Thank you. And sorry. I can't say anything."

  "It's okay. It was wrong of me to ask."

  Perhaps feeling awkward, she quickly changed the subject.

  "By the way, this is Sacris, my aunt's house. I'm going to enter the Magic Academy soon, and I'm staying here until then."

  "Is that so."

  So this place is Sacris. But what caught my attention more was the word "Magic Academy."

  Magic. I never thought the day would come when that word would appear naturally in conversation. However, I realized this wasn't the first time I heard it outside of fantasy.

  Ena. I'm pretty sure she mentioned something about magic. Magic, huh. I see. Maybe I understand now.

  I didn't understand why she suddenly swung a staff at me or muttered things before attacking, but now it makes sense. It's a stereotypical image, but wizards use staffs. She was trying to eliminate me back then. Maybe she was trying to use magic. Magic meant to attack me.

  But for some reason, the magic didn't activate. That's why she was confused. If the magic had worked, I probably wouldn't have been able to deal with it. I would have died right then and there.

  Was I lucky? Or...

  『If you don't die here and now, you will surely regret ever having lived.』

  Was I unlucky? For now, I don't know.

  Traveling through unknown stars might indeed be harsh. But being able to experience things no one else can... I can't believe it's all bad. I still don't understand why she went that far. Does it have something to do with what he said about "understanding eventually"?

  "Hey. Yu."

  Alice's voice brought my thoughts back.

  "You've been treated properly, so I think you're out of danger. But you're still very weak. If you like, would you like to stay here until you recover?"

  "Is it really okay for you to do that much for me?"

  "It's fine! I'd be happy to have someone to talk to, and I'm sure my aunt will agree. Ah, of course, only if you have nowhere else to go."

  Of course, I have nowhere else to go. Not knowing right from left, and with my physical strength so low, refusing this wonderful offer would be nothing short of suicide.

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  If I could stay in this house, I wouldn't have to worry about living expenses for a while. Plus, just by listening to her talk, I could safely gather information about this world. And since she wanted it too, there was no reason to refuse.

  "Well then, I feel bad imposing on you further, but could I ask you to let me stay?"

  At that, she showed a genuinely happy smile. It was endlessly bright, almost dazzling.

  "Really!? Yay! Now I won't be bored! Let's get along for a while!"

  "Yeah. Likewise."

  And just as a warm atmosphere enveloped us...

  Grrrroooooooowl.

  A massive sound erupted from my stomach, echoing through the room.

  Ah. I haven't eaten anything in forever...

  I turned my face away in shame, looking down. An awkward silence filled the room. Alice broke it, acting exaggeratedly cheerful to cover for my blunder.

  "That's right! I completely forgot even though you woke up! Sorry. You must be hungry. There's some soup my aunt made left. I'll bring it right away, so wait here!"

  "Y-yeah... thanks..."

  Wow, that was embarrassing. My face must be bright red right now...

  A little later, Alice hurriedly brought a warmed bowl of soup. The soup was red and contained vegetables I had never seen before.

  Seeing that, my urge to jump at it hit a brake. Wait. Is this safe? Could there be something in it that's toxic to me since I'm from a different planet? At first, I was scared and couldn't touch it.

  "What's wrong? Is there something in it you don't like?"

  "N-no. It's not that."

  Urged by Alice, the good smell of the rising steam, and my extreme hunger won over. Fearfully, I took a sip.

  ...It's delicious!

  I was an idiot for worrying. It tasted gentle, like pumpkin soup, and it was incredibly delicious. I was moved. This is exactly what they mean when they say something permeates every fiber of your being.

  From then on, I gave in to my surging appetite and devoured it. Honestly, I didn't have the composure to care about my surroundings. Alice was watching with an amused smile.

  "Hey, hey. No need to rush, there's more."

  "Mhm. Mhm...!"

  "Fufu. You really eat like it's the best thing in the world."

  In the end, I drank it all in one go and even got a refill. Still, it was delicious. Truly delicious. If I hadn't been starving, I might never have appreciated food this much.

  After eating, I talked with Alice about various things. Talking with her, we found out we were likely the same age, which got us excited.

  She was very lively and a good talker, and I opened up to her immediately. Even though my identity and everything else were unknown, she treated me like a friend. I was truly happy to have made my first friend in another world.

  However, there was a small problem.

  Since I couldn't transform in front of her, I stayed a woman the whole time. So naturally, she thought I was completely female. The topics often drifted to girl talk.

  But in reality, I was half-man, and as a woman, I was practically born a few days ago. Unfortunately, I didn't understand those topics well. I managed to get by with polite smiles and nodding, but I painfully realized I lacked the experience points to handle girl talk smoothly.

  Eventually, Alice's aunt came home. Her aunt was a kind person with a very gentle atmosphere. Apparently, she was the one who called the healer and paid for the treatment. I expressed my deep gratitude to my other lifesaver. When Alice told her I would be staying for a while, her aunt readily agreed, just as Alice had predicted. It was truly a grateful story.

  And then, as the night deepened. A terrible incident occurred.

  Somehow, it was decided that we would take a bath. Yeah. If it were just me, it would be fine.

  But. I'm with Alice.

  Ah! Idiot! I should have predicted this possibility the moment I said I'd stay! If I had known, I might have been able to deal with it before it became a situation I couldn't refuse!

  ...Somehow, I feel like... Even seeing a woman's naked body in this female state, I probably won't feel anything. I mean, looking at my own chest was fine. Yeah. So I don't think anything weird will happen.

  But still. I feel like I'm deceiving her, and I feel guilty... Because of that, I haven't been able to make much eye contact with her for a while.

  But Alice, being overly friendly, mercilessly initiates skinship. I'm in trouble. What should I do?

  "You have a nice figure, Yu."

  "You think... so?"

  True, the girl I saw in my dream had a pretty good figure. Since I am currently in front of her in that very girl's form, it might not be strange for her to have that impression.

  "And you have boobs too~"

  With a mischievous smile, Alice poked the tip of my chest.

  "Hya!"

  A ticklish, somewhat pleasant, first-time sensation. Before I knew it, a pathetic voice escaped my lips. Reflexively, I covered my chest with my hands and turned my face further away from her.

  She seemed satisfied with my reaction, which was, even to me, incredibly innocent.

  "Heh. I thought you weren't very ladylike, but you make such a cute face."

  "D-don't touch me so suddenly! You startled me!"

  My heart is pounding. Is a woman's body this sensitive?

  "Saying that while looking away with a bright red face isn't very convincing~ Yu-chan?"

  "Haa..."

  It's no use. She's completely enjoying herself with me. Her curiosity, or rather the flow of events, didn't stop. Things advanced further, and she started kneading my chest.

  When her hands touched me, what he did suddenly flashed through my mind. My shoulders jumped, and I almost braced myself.

  No, calm down. It's a girl. She's doing it out of skinship. Seeing me flinch, she probably just thought I was ticklish, so she continued her prank without concern. Honestly, I was relieved. Because unlike him, her touch was gentle.

  See? There's nothing to be afraid of. It doesn't hurt at all. Conversely, it feels good, or rather, it gives me a strange, restless feeling...

  "Nn..."

  Just now, a weird voice came out. Bad. This is getting dangerous in a different way. Ah, wait. This is... bad. Seriously. Um, Alice. Miss Alice? Don't put so much effort into it. I feel like I'm going crazy!

  "Wait... Alice, stop!"

  "Here, here~ Is this your weak spot, Yu?"

  "Ah... nn... nnn... idi... ot, stop it!"

  I pleaded in an almost tearful voice.

  "Ahaha. Maybe that was too much stimulation."

  Finally, Alice laughed and loosened her hands.

  "Haa... fuu... Geez, you're terrible."

  "Ahaha. Sorry. Your reaction was so cute, I couldn't help it."

  "Good grief."

  Seems Alice is quite the prankster. She still seemed to have lingering attachments to my chest. Her gaze remained fixed there.

  "But it's nice. I wonder what you ate to get breasts that big."

  "Who knows."

  I don't know. When I became a woman, they were already inflated. Then, she suddenly pointed at herself. She raised her voice in a somewhat resentful tone.

  "Hey, hey. Look! Look at me! I'm flat as a board!"

  Told so, I couldn't not look. Apologizing in my heart, I steeled myself and faced her.

  As I thought. Seeing a woman's naked body didn't trigger any wicked thoughts that would naturally occur if I were a man. Even though the guilt was overwhelming, in a sexual sense, I could look at her with a calm mind.

  Yeah. Certainly small... or rather flat. But combined with her lithe, healthy body, I think it suits the energetic Alice very well. I stated my honest impression.

  "It might be small, but I think that's lovely in its own way."

  "Hmm. Spoken like someone with margin to spare~ Good grief, I'm jealous."

  No, I have no margin to spare. I might have margin in the chest area, but I'm dying from guilt and embarrassment here...

  We soaked in the tub together. Avoiding her forever would be weird, so I had no choice but to give up on various things. Trying to act natural. The fact that I'm desperate enough to think about that makes it clear I'm not okay.

  My fidgeting seemed incredibly cute to Alice. Amused, she entangled her body with mine more and more, disturbing my heart even further.

  After being thoroughly enjoyed to her heart's content, the pranks finally settled down. After that, we chatted plenty until the water cooled. Eventually, the topic turned to my future.

  "So, Yu. What are you going to do once you recover?"

  "Who knows. What will I do?"

  I don't know. How should I live from now on?

  "What do you mean 'who knows'? It's about you."

  That's true. I know I have to do something. Everything is so different from before, I don't know where to start. But, that's right. If there's something I can do for now...

  I asked her, who was looking at me with an exasperated face.

  "Alice. Can anyone use magic?"

  Through this distress, I realized I needed to gain power no matter what. However, even if I train this ordinary body in ordinary ways, I'll hit a limit soon. But if I could use various magic. When I get into a pinch like this again, my options should expand.

  Besides, if I stay powerless... if I meet him again... I shuddered. No, no. Don't think about him anymore.

  "Have you never learned magicology?"

  "Actually, I don't know anything about magic."

  I've been in a world of science, after all. Alice seemed quite surprised that I knew absolutely nothing about magic.

  "That's rare. Magic can only be used by those with Magic Power (Mana), like me."

  "Do I have that Magic Power?"

  She kindly taught me with a slightly proud face.

  "If you want to know, you can use the measuring device at the public office to see how much Magic Power you have."

  "Hmm. There's something like that?"

  "Yeah. Magic Power is the ability to take in Magic Element (Mana particles), so there are quite a few individual differences depending on your constitution. If you have too little Magic Power, unfortunately, you can't use magic. I wonder about you, Yu."

  "I see. So, what is Magic Element?"

  "Of course, it's that Magic Element that makes up 70% of the air. Wait, I think this is common sense. Yu, you really don't know anything, do you?"

  She narrowed her eyes slightly and gave me a suspicious look. Is she wondering why I'm so ignorant? A-anyway, let's laugh it off bitterly. Did I deceive her properly? Ahaha.

  Still—Magic Element. Makes up 70% of the air, huh.

  On this planet, it seems Magic Element exists in the position occupied by nitrogen on Earth. If so, that emerald green sky might be due to the Magic Element overflowing in the world. I understood a little about magic. I'm also curious about how they study it. Here, it's probably best to ask Alice honestly.

  "Alice, you're going to attend Sacris Magic Academy, right? What kind of place is it?"

  "It's the biggest magic school in this town. There's a swordsmanship school next to it, and they are run jointly by the town. Once you enter, you are divided into classes and study magic for four years. The school culture is apparently good, so I'm looking forward to it."

  "Heh. That sounds nice. I wanted to have a proper high school life too..."

  After all, I was sent to another world less than a year after entering high school.

  "What? What's a 'High School' (Koukou)?"

  "No, it's nothing."

  Haha. Right. There are no schools called High Schools here...

  "School, huh. If I can learn magic in a proper place, that would be best."

  "Wait, do you want to become a mage too?"

  "Yeah. Only if I have Magic Power, though. But I have no money or home, so I was thinking of learning on my own."

  Hearing that, her face lit up.

  "Then it's fine! Sacris puts so much effort into swordsmanship and magic that it's also known as the 'Town of Swords and Sorcery.'"

  "Town of Swords and Sorcery?"

  That sounds strangely direct and fantastic.

  "Yes! They have a strong policy of encouraging the study of swordsmanship and magic. The support is generous too!"

  "H-heh. Is that so?"

  You're suddenly leaning forward a lot...

  "It is. As long as you have Magic Power, you can easily transfer into the Magic Academy if you wish, and there is a scholarship system for those without money. There's even a dormitory with three meals a day, so you don't have to worry about a place to live. I'm planning to enter the dorm too!"

  She spoke excitedly, slightly out of breath. Pushed by her intensity, but listening to her story, I couldn't suppress the hope welling up inside me.

  "Easy transfer. Scholarship system, and a dorm with three meals!?"

  This is exactly what "a boat when you need to cross" means. If so, I won't have to worry about living for a while, and I can study magic to my heart's content. And safely.

  Attempted murder, rapist bastard, distress. Luck might finally be turning for me, who had been at the bottom of misfortune! The answer was already decided.

  "Alice. I've decided. I'm going to enter too! The Magic Academy!"

  "Really!? I can't believe you're joining me, Yu! I'm so happy!"

  Alice hugged me with enough force to splash the bathwater. Our bodies pressed together, chests crushing against each other. I tried to pull away in surprise, but her grip was strong. More than anything, seeing her unusually serious face, I decided to let her hold me.

  "Actually, I was worried... If left alone, I thought you might die somewhere again. You don't seem to know anything about this area."

  "Alice... I see. You were worried about me... Thank you."

  It feels like it's been a long time since someone hugged me tightly. I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her back. For once, I didn't mind that we were both naked.

  Leaning on her neck, her reddish-brown hair tickled my cheek lightly. Soft. Warm. Touching human warmth, I realized painfully that I was indeed very anxious and lonely.

  Just having someone who accepts me by my side makes me feel so safe. As I relaxed, tears unexpectedly started streaming down my cheeks.

  —Ah. Again. To cry so easily. What's wrong with me.

  I tried to turn my face away in shame, but she noticed immediately.

  "Oh, Yu. Are you crying?"

  "...I'm not crying."

  "Ufufu. You don't have to act tough. You're crying, aren't you?"

  "...Ngh... I'm not crying!"

  The last bravado shown as a man's pride. But it didn't seem to work on Alice at all.

  "Ah..."

  She gently stroked my head. Tracing the surface of my black hair flowing to my shoulders. Maybe because I'm a woman now. My existence felt excessively small and unreliable. And she, who wrapped me in warmth, felt even larger and more reliable. So I couldn't act tough anymore.

  "It's okay to cry. You were alone and scared, right? You were lonely."

  "...Yeah."

  "It's okay. It's okay now. I'm here."

  "Yeah... Thanks."

  In the end, I honestly let myself be spoiled until I calmed down. Alice didn't tease me weirdly and just kept hugging me.

  Ugh. I showed my weakness unintentionally...

  But thanks to that, I feel like the distance with Alice has shrunk considerably. She seemed to feel the same way. Alice, who seemed relieved about various things, showed a carefree smile.

  "But I'm relieved. If you get in, let's do our best together as girls!"

  "Yeah. That's right—hm?"

  Together... as girls? Did I mess up something... Ah. Aah! There, I realized I had made a huge mistake.

  Crap! With this flow, I have to attend school as a girl forever...! What do I do!? I hadn't thought about staying a woman for that long!

  Ugh. I could say I changed my mind and enter the Magic Academy as a boy... But that would make Alice sad. I don't want to do that when she's so happy. But, but... Uuu.

  And the dorm, come to think of it...

  "Um. About the dorm..."

  "Don't worry. Of course, it's the girls' dorm!"

  She delivered the finishing blow casually! I knew it. It's the girls' dorm after all... Ah. The sin is heavy. My heart is heavy.

  "Let's get along from now on, Yu!"

  "Haha, ha..."

  "What's wrong?"

  "Nothing. It's nothing..."

  If I get in, I'll spend my time there properly as a woman. Then there's no problem. There shouldn't be.

  Because I! With this body, I am undeniably a woman!

  Hugging myself tightly with both hands as if to confirm that frail female body, I made that resolve.