Rebel Redux: The Royal Flush

“It’s finally over. It's truly, finally over."

One Ren Amamiya stood in the van’s sunroof opening, feeling the breeze as the Phantom Thieves zipped along the highway in their van to drive him back home. Of course, they weren’t heading straight to his hometown; the gang had surprised him by picking him up in a van, and dropping it on him that Haru had reserved a hotel in Kobe where they would spend a couple of days sight-seeing before actually taking him home.

Even with the agents working for the Conspiracy tailing them, the entire team never gave a damn about their pursuers. They even left the agents sitting back where the gang picked Ren up, due to an *ahem* spark plug. They were laughing about it all the way to the highway entrance.

Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, Makoto, Futaba, Haru…, and of course Morgana. He remembered the first day he was in Tokyo. He never would have realized he was in for a wild ride, and what a ride it has been. He made friends along the way, with bonds that stood many a challenge and threat.

They stole the hearts of corrupted adults, took down a Conspiracy that has roots in almost every aspect of Japanese society, found the culprit behind the mental shutdown and psychotic breakdown incidents, felled a God, and saved Christmas, not exactly happening in that exact order. Though he chose to turn himself in at the end to save his friends, his friends and close confidants rallied behind him to free him from his unjust charges. He wondered what became of Igor and Lavenza. Were they perhaps searching for the next Trickster right now? 

Nevertheless, he would not trade this moment of utter happiness for anything else in the world. This experience would remain in his mind forever. Nothing else can disturb this moment, right? Right?

As he closed his eyes to savor the freedom and wind that blew past him, something felt off. He opened his eyes. Everything was frozen in place, the van and his friends included. He slipped back down. “Guys?! Guys!???”

No use. It seems they couldn’t hear him. They were truly frozen, unable to hear him or feel him shaking them.

Suddenly a tear in the van opened, right where Ren was sitting. He tried to grab a hold of something, but the chasm emitted a strong suction force that he got dragged into it. What is this? Why am I falling right now? The last thought he had was, I hope when I get to the bottom of this pit, I’ll have a gentle landing. He blacked out.

A voice rang out. “Shibuya, Shibuya... Welcome to Shibuya.”

Ren groaned. He opened his eyes. Where the hell was he? He felt weird and lighter. His voice also sounded weird, sounded higher-pitched.

That moment though, all hell broke loose. 

“What. The. Actual. F#$%. Happened?” And why did he sound like a girl? He caught his reflection and gasped. 

Ren didn’t know what had happened while he was in that chasm, falling unconscious. One thing was sure. He had been changed. More specifically, he underwent a sex change. He was now a girl, with dyed blonde hair (at least what he… no, she could see visible outside the cap she was wearing, in a blouse and jeans. She also had glasses and a cap on. The thing is, she knew the glasses were fake because he did wear fake glasses himself previously and her vision was unaltered when she briefly took them off. Of course, that made her wonder why she was wearing fake glasses and a cap in the first place? Was she a delinquent or someone famous?

She shook her head. She didn’t know. She needed to find out as much information as she could; this whole situation was starting to not be funny.

“What is going on here?” She muttered, trying to get to the bottom of what happened. She turned on her phone. Immediately, a sense of dread hit her. The phone’s date read: 4/09/16. She didn’t know what had happened, but two things were sure. First, she was now a girl, for reasons yet to be determined; and two, she was in the past, or to be more accurate, she traveled back to the day that she, who used to be Ren Amamiya, got sucked into this game that Yaldabaoth (curse that oversized sippy cup) concocted, for reasons also undetermined. Of course, it led him to make some great friends along the way, but with this time reset, even he lost them now. At least he’ll be able to see them again, especially Ryuji and Ann soon. 

She sighed. This wasn’t how I expected to be celebrating the end of my probation, by being dragged back to the start of it, in a new body and identity to boot. She took her cap and her glasses off, her hair falling out from beneath the cap. Blonde hair cut in the style of a pixie cut, is that what they call it? What am I, some delinquent? She sighs, fidgeting with her hair as she recounts what she has learned. I’m now a girl who got sent back to the start of my stay in Tokyo, and I have no idea who caused all of this. I do know that if I find that being or god who caused all of this, I’ll punch them in the face for interrupting my quality time with my friends.

Just them, a cacophony of murmurs emerged. She looked up to see the entire train car crowding at her. She felt unnerved and rather uneasy about this sudden development. “Can I help you?” She nervously asked.

A host of voices then emerged. 

“Aren’t you Yuki Amamiya?” 

“You’re Yuki, right?

“Wow, Yuki Amamiya!?”

“Can you sign my notebook for me?”

“Wow, Yuki Amamiya in the flesh.”

She looked confused. Yuki? That’s “her” name? More concerning was the crowd of people around her begging her for her signature, oozing over “her” like some hot commodity. Now I know what Ann must feel like on her modeling gigs. The question was, why were they crowding themselves around her? “I’m sorry, but I think you have the wrong person.” She, sweating bullets, trotted out the words.

The doors slid open. The crowd looked momentarily confused as she quickly slipped out of her seat and out of the subway train. She climbed the escalator and looked backward. No one had followed her from the subway car. She breathed a sigh of relief as she slid down against a pillar. Was she famous? It could certainly explain why people were crowding around her in the train car. She immediately put back on her glasses and cap. She didn’t need to attract any other people’s attention. She shuddered as she got back up and proceeded out of the station. The harsh bright light made her squint. 

Ah, Shibuya. It felt good to be back, even if she was anxious to return to whence she came, to her former identity of the boy Ren Amamiya. A car honked, as a man shouted. “Are you Amamiya-san? Get in!”

She cracked a smile. Sojiro had come to pick her up. She remembered that previously as Ren, he had to take the subway to get to Yongen-Jaya, and then find Sojiro at his cafe. He seemed nicer this time around upfront too. Sojiro Sakura, the ladies’ man. He did tell me once that he treated women better than men. She then frowned. It was the first time she had found the Metaverse Nav on her phone and saw Arséne. She almost expected it to pop up on her phone just about now, but nothing did. How strange. 

She got in the passenger’s seat. “Thank you, Sakura-san, for coming to pick me up.” She bowed her head; Sojiro was much nicer to her this time around, she almost could get used to it.

Sojiro started the car and pulled away from the curb. He waved his left hand. “Not a problem for a young miss like you. Plus, I promised your parents that I’d take care of you. Considering your past as an idol now on hiatus, I can’t simply let you wander around the city, at least for now. Maybe when you’ve gotten accustomed to living here I’d let you wander around the city, and then maybe later after dark.”

Yuki (damn it, I’m Yuki now, not Ren.) was startled. “Idol?” She did have memories of her own that wasn’t related to her previous life as Ren Amamiya

Sojiro then nodded. “Your parents and I go way back, ages ago. Anyways, your parents gave me the gist of the situation. You used to be part of an idol group. However, you and everyone in your group went on hiatus as of a month ago. You were harassed at your home by some stalker, and so you were sent out here to attend Shujin while your parents and the courts deal with the uncooperative bastard, who’s rather persistent. You also have an older sister who’s a seiyuu, huh? I guess your family comes from new money, considering you two are both in the entertainment industry. He then frowned. “By the way, when are you thinking of dying your hair back? Shujin doesn’t like their students to have any dye in their hair.

Shit. Yuki recalled her disguise and her dyed hair. That was why she was wearing that and had dyed hair. It was so that she’d stay unrecognizable so this girl’s stalker wouldn’t follow her to Tokyo. Yuki stammered, looking to come up with an excuse since she had just been dropped in this body without any prior context up until now. “Well, it’s been a little hectic. I had to move out of the agency dorms and go back home, then that whole thing with the stalker happened. After that, my parents notified me that they were sending me to go to school at Shujin in Tokyo, then I spent a few weeks catching up on academics and then packing to come here. Anyways, dying my hair back is… complicated.”

Sojiro dubiously asked, “How so? Can’t you dye your hair back anyway if you do get called back to the showbiz business?”

Yuki shook her head. Coming up with logical excuses when she didn’t know the background really tired her out. (She did have memories belonging to this girl, but she had little time to reference them.) “I cut and dyed my hair so I wouldn’t get recognized out here, though I’m not sure if some people on the subway recognized me earlier. I did throw them off, but I don’t know if they believed me. I just don’t need this stalker to follow me to Tokyo, since he’s been very persistent. My hair is kinda really damaged right now from repeated bleaching anyway since I’ve been in the entertainment industry for a while. I think what I’m going to do is either maintain the dye or let it grow out and then cut it. Either way, I don’t think I’m going to be able to until the latter happens, which will take months to grow to shoulder length.” That should hopefully be a good enough excuse; she hoped Sojiro wouldn’t pry any further, because honestly, she wouldn’t have any more decent excuses to give.

Sojiro looked as if he wanted to say something but he didn’t pursue it. “Well, I can see that you’re serious about not damaging your head again with hair-dying. I see your point with the stalker and the information about your agency.  I assume because you’re an idol, you’ve had to keep in trend with teen fashion, and your agency has complete control over your image, which includes your looks, so I understand. I’ll make sure to bring it up tomorrow when we head to Shujin to meet the staff and teachers.

Yuki nodded. “Thank you, Sakura-san. By the way, where are you taking me?”

Sojiro smiled, but it was filled with sorrow. “You’re living with me at my house. It’ll be me, you, and my daughter. However, the latter is… complicated. She’s shy and completely isolated herself. If you can, please give her the space she needs. If not, then… become a good friend for her.” He then cleared his throat. “Your parents paid me good money to take care of you, so I made some decent accommodations available for you. Your parents also gave me money to furnish the room you’re staying in, not that I didn’t already have furnishings for you.”

Sojiro added. “They wanted to get you your own little studio apartment, but… you’re still too young. So they asked me to help with housing and feeding you. Since your parents and I are friends, I accepted.”

Yuki smiled. Futaba Sakura was indeed living at Sojiro’s house even when he first got to Tokyo the first time around. She was extremely happy in this particular instance that she was living at Sojiro’s house; it might mean that she would be able to befriend Futaba sooner than the previous time; of course, that didn’t discount the fact that Futaba remained a total shut-in and it took a lot of effort to help Futaba overcome her fear of crowds, for one thing.

After an hour stuck in traffic, they finally made it to Yongen-Jaya. Sojiro parked the car as she got out. Sojiro led the way; she perfectly knew where Sojiro’s house was, but she chose not to raise any questions if she found it on her own.

Sojiro opened the gate and then the door. “This is my house. It’s not as extravagant as your house, but it’s still home for you for the next school year. Shoes off, please.”

Yuki took off her shoes, as she stepped in. This was the fourth time she’d been in Sojiro’s house, the first time as someone staying there.

Sojiro led her upstairs to a room in the center-middle left of the hallway. She idly noted that Futaba’s room was still at the end of the hallway, evidenced by the large KEEP OUT tape signs she kept strapped to her door.

Sojiro opened it and presented her room. “There’s a bed, a bookshelf, a dresser and closet, a chair and a table, a lamp, and a nightstand. Your parents did send me money to help furnish your room, but I’ll leave it up to you how you’ll want to decorate or additionally furnish your room. Your luggage has already been brought up here this morning by me. I’ll be cooking dinner, so it’ll be done roughly later. I suggest you take this time to unpack and prepare your stuff for school. Tomorrow we’ll be heading to Shujin to introduce yourself, seeing as you’re a transfer student who transferred in just before the new term starts.”

Yuki nodded. Sojiro then smiled. “I’ll see you later, kid. You better be packing an appetite.”

Yuki closed her door and flopped on her bed. She cracked a very big smile. Well, it seems my luck has finally turned around. I’m not a delinquent, and Sojiro has been nice to me since the very beginning. Time to see what I packed. No, that isn’t right. I wasn’t there mentally when I, I mean this girl, packed her stuff. Sojiro didn’t look or appear any different; I wonder why I’m the only one who’s been changed.

Yuki then realized something very important. Ugh, I remember I’m a girl now. So there’ll probably be underwear and lingerie in my luggage. Not to mention that I’ll have to strip naked to change. This is going to be awkward.

(Ren Amamiya has always been a gentleman at this point, and though he has seen girls naked in underwear and bikinis, he hasn’t seen the vagina at this point, but he has seen breasts covered in bras when he was at the beach in the summer when Futaba joined the team. So not much actual exposure for him.)

Yuki shook her head. No use getting nervous about it. I’ll have to get used to the fact that I’m… a girl now. She shuddered. Is this how Ann must feel when she gets leered on by some dudes? I even remember that in Futaba’s palace, I looked at Ann’s lingerie, which was only possible because of the heat. Ryuji got the brunt of that scorn for that though, and for that, I am eternally grateful to him.

Yuki shook her head. I have to change my… undergarments, and even learn how to reuse the bathroom. Oh, gods, I forgot that I don’t have a *&^% down there anymore! How the hell am I supposed to do my business!?

Yuki slapped herself in the face to snap herself out of it. Fuck, I was about to psych myself out there in a second. I need to get unpacking. She began looking through the suitcases, curious as to whatever was packed inside. It was mostly outfits, outfits, outfits. She had packed half of a suitcase with blouses alone, another half with skirts, and then an entirely separate suitcase for sweaters and jackets, along with nightwear. She also seemed to have packed a yukata and kimono along with her clothes and most importantly her school uniforms, though this confused her. I was in juvenile hall at the end of last year, so I wasn’t there for New Years, but even for fireworks, they didn’t wear kimonos, only yukata. Also on her mind: This makes me wonder how Ann’s wardrobe is, considering she’s a model. She must have a lot more outfits than I can see right there.

“Huh, women must really like to change it up.” She, when she was still Ren, had packed only one single box of everything he needed; she, as \ Yuki, had four suitcases and a large box. The third suitcase (more of a medium duffel bag) held makeup, scarves, and berets. It also held her… undergarments. Speaking of that large box, she opened it to find… shoe boxes neatly arranged, and some supplies for… what exactly? The last suitcase (also a duffel, but smaller than the first) held some memorabilia for when this girl used to be an idol and a laptop, perfect for school and the web.

Yuki laughed. “At least I’ll have plenty of clothing to not feel bored changing it up. Though I’m worried that Ryuji and Yusuke might perv on me too this time around though.” She shuddered; just then she realized how gross that sounded and how Ann also felt at some points.

She began hanging up her clothes and folding her… undergarments away. Man, she was never going to get used to being a girl, this just was too weird for her, who used to be a dude. She wondered if she could hold herself in once she stripped down and showered, or changed.

She decided to make her bed after this, only to find that her bed was a bit shorter than the futon she used to have in LeBlanc’s attic. She looked on her phone to search for information on herself. Yep, she was inhabiting a body around 5 cm shorter. She sighed. Well, at least I don’t look weird. I look just as attractive compared to when I was Ren, but I mean this person used to be an idol. What idol wouldn’t? She internally groaned at realizing she was now expected to maintain a certain level of attractiveness even as an idol on hiatus, and now has to learn how to apply makeup and the like. 

I need to change. Yuki looked visibly uneasy, but she managed to set a rule for herself. Lay out the clothes and garments on my bed in an easy way to identify them, close my eyes, and then just… change. Yeah, that’ll work. She laid out a pair of athletic sweatpants and a t-shirt, then changed while she tried her best not to open her eyes. She twirled and preened. She looked not half bad; she did realize at some point she’d have to get over that hurdle, but for today it was too soon. She’d change out of her undergarments later; she still had to take a shower, which she chose to postpone until later at night. She decided it would be best to explore the house; while she had been to Sojiro’s house plenty of times in the past, she only knew the foyer and the route to Futaba’s room. She first wanted to peek if Futaba was awake. She tip-toed her way to Futaba’s door and put her head against it. Except for the low hum of her PC setup, nothing else was discernible. Must have passed out. I wonder if she heard Sojiro and me come back. She then looked around. Across the hallway, there was a bathroom with a full kit and shower. Sojiro must have another bathroom downstairs near his room. 

She then made her way downstairs. There was the entrance. There was another hallway past the stairway, which must lead to Sojiro's room. Just a few steps past the stairway and past that horizontal-jutting hallway, there was a living room with an attached kitchen. The dining table happened to be situated right near the TV. Sojiro was there, cooking. Even from where she was standing, she could smell Sojiro’s curry. It was truly one of his prized creations. In 

Sojiro heard her coming in. “Oh, Amamiya-kun. You’re still quite early. I take it you finished unpacking?”

Yuki shook her head. “I’ve unpacked most of it and organized some things, but there are still some other things I have to unpack. I want to arrange those separately since I’m not entirely sure how to do so. I was hoping I could get to explore the neighborhood while you finish cooking. I honestly already know my way around, but Sojiro would find it suspicious that I knew my way around without even pretending to explore. 

Sojiro stroked his beard. “Alright, you can go. Just make sure to leave your phone number so I can call you when I’m done cooking. Also, if you need me, here’s my phone number too. Don’t be out too late.”

Yuki promised Sojiro she wouldn't, then headed back out to put her shoes on and headed out. The sun was just beginning to set. The sun was beginning to set. She figured she’d pop by Takemi’s clinic, or the batting cages to work off some steam. As she walked around, she could notice how heavy her chest area was. She noticed it earlier too, but frankly, she was still too freaked out earlier that she was a girl in conjunction with that crowd of fans in the subway earlier, possibly following her that she paid it little mind. Great, just another reminder of who I am now and another… aspect of my femininity that I need to ignore if I don’t want to look crazy in public. At least until I’ve gotten used to being a girl.

She stopped by Takemi’s clinic. It looked rather menacing the first time he came here, but she knew how kind Takemi was, even if she had been a little rude to her as Ren the first time around when they had just started the clinical trials. She opened the door. I wonder if I can form the Death confidant earlier this time around.

Tae Takemi looked unperturbed as usual, sitting in the reception desk. Glad to see someone hasn’t changed one bit. Her eyelids gazed at Yuki’s. “Can I help you, miss?”

Yikes, she’s just as scary as I remember she was. She quashed her fear of Tae, as she said, “Could I get an appointment? My body feels uncomfortably lethargic. Ugh, the same excuse this time around. I need to be better at making excuses. 

Tae cast a smirk at her, then said, “Please head to the examination room.” Uh, what? The first time around, Tae was uneasy the first time around. I wonder what changed.

Yuki looked intrigued by this sudden development and headed in. Takemi soon followed and gestured to the patient’s chair. “Sit.”

Yuki sat down as Takemi pulled up a different chair. “So you feel lethargic, huh? Can you give me some context?

Yuki tried her best to stammer. “Well, it started only recently. Ever since a month ago, I’ve suddenly felt more tired. I used to be pretty active and fit with activities, but now that those activities are no more, I feel even more tired than if I was still doing those activities. I’ve been trying to work out to see if that would help, but it hasn’t.

Takemi gave a “huh” sound. “What kind of workout do you partake in?”

Yuki internally cringed as she realized she was clueless on how to answer. “Um, ...pilates, yoga, and jogging, mostly.” She just spouted whatever came to her mind at that moment.

Takemi then sported a wide smile. “Right. Well, I can see that you seem to exercise pretty regularly. Have you had a decent sleep schedule or diet?”

Yuki couldn’t help but feel flabbergasted. “Well, um, only recently I’ve started adjusting my sleep schedule. I used to have less time to sleep up until recently. My diet recently has been starting to get better, though previously it wasn’t.”

Takemi then laughed. “I see, Yuki Amamiya. I see.”

Yuki then realized that Takemi had been setting her up. She already knew who she was. “Busted. How did you know it was me? I’m pretty sure I changed up my looks to stay incognito, though I guess my face is still recognizable.”

Takemi then waved her clipboard. “I’m a regular at Sakura-san’s cafe. About a week ago, he mentioned he was taking a girl in because of a stalker. Couple that with the information you told me and the news that a certain idol had just gone on hiatus as of last month and was being plagued by a nasty stalker… well, it doesn’t take too much to connect the dots. I do admit I wasn’t a hundred percent sure until you gave me that information. Well, I will commend your effort to stay under-the-radar. You do look very different compared to the pictures of you on the net, but that face… it’s not easy to mask that from the public. Maybe try using a face mask; it helps with concealing the lower part of your face, and you won’t inhale any nasty pollution. A win-win.”

Takemi then got serious. “Hey, I have a proposition. I’ve been looking for a test subject for one of my trials recently. You certainly have the physique I’ve been looking for, even if you are a former idol. Even if your diet and sleep schedule have yet to adjust to living a normal life, the fact remains that I need help. If you help me with this, I’ll give you access to more experimental medicine I have lying around that could help you with adjusting to your civilian life. Idol life, as I remember it, is tough on adults, even more so on kids. Even if you’re on hiatus as of now… it must be rough for you to adjust. The prior constant maintenance of a slim diet and workout… I’ll also supply you with better vitamin supplements to help you than what you can find in the typical pharmacy, and give you routine checkups regularly. What do you say?

Yuki smiled. Broke my record. Now I wonder if I can establish a bond with Sojiro earlier as well too. “Dr. Takemi, it is most certainly a deal. I’ll need all the help to adjust to living a normal life, going to school, and such. At least I won’t have to worry about my health while I live a more casual life.” 

As the contract in her mind formed, Yuki was relieved and surprised that she hadn’t even met anyone from the Velvet Room before making the contract.

Dr. Takemi cracked a smile. “Alright, I’ll message you when I’ll need help.

Yuki got out of the clinic and was surprised to see that the sun had set further down. She checked her phone. No messages from Sojiro yet, but it was best she headed back before it got dark out. She walks back along to Sojiro’s house.

“Sakura-san, I’m back!

Sojiro responded. “Dinner is almost ready! Sit at the dining table. I’ll be ready in a jiffy.” She made her way to the dining table and sat down. Sojiro finished stirring his curry and made his way with a plate. “Hang on, let me give my daughter her meal first. I’ll be back in a moment.”

Yuki watched as Sojiro carried a meal tray up the stairs and out of her sight. I guess Sojiro was right about her still keeping herself locked up in that room. It’s still a couple of months behind July when I previously knew about Futaba. She sighed. I wonder if I can help Futaba, but maybe it’s too early to push things. Right now, I just barely met Sojiro, and I’m staying under his care.

Sojiro came back down. “Sorry for the wait. I’ll get our portions.” He strode back to the pot and came back with two plates of curry rice. Just smelling it made Yuki salivate. Weird, I already know how Sojiro’s curry is, yet I’m still salivating. Must be a hint of nostalgia along with this body not having tasted this curry before. 

They began eating, the clinking of spoons and forks masking their hunger. 

Once the plates were cleaned, Yuki smiled. Just like the good old days. She commented, “That was excellent curry. Thank you for the meal.”

Sojiro smiled. “Thank you. It’s a staple of my cafe, along with my coffee.”

Yuki nodded. “You own a cafe? By the way, that curry had hints of nutmeg in it. Was that your secret ingredient?”

Sojiro looked impressed. “I’m surprised you could guess the ingredient I used. I change it up daily though.”

Yuki nodded. Time to ask ‘that’ question. She had a gut feeling this would turn out well. “Could you teach me how to make that curry, and maybe the coffee too?”

Sojiro had a look of shock. “You want to be a barista, not to also mention be my apprentice?”

Yuki shrugged. “Sure, I know first-hand just how much learning how to cook is very important, and I haven’t tasted anything like your curry in ages. Back when I was still an idol, I didn’t get the chance to eat as much as I have today, not to mention that I usually skimped on meals to keep within my agency’s diet guidelines for me.” This she gleaned from the girl's own memories. Though I bet Sojiro’s going to be surprised when he starts teaching me how to make curry.

Sojiro smiled and nodded, extending his hand out for a handshake. “Alright, little miss, you win. I’ll teach you how to make my coffee and curry in exchange for you helping out at the cafe I own.” Yuki smiled and shook his hand. “It’s a deal, Sakura-san.”

As the contract for the Hierophant arcana formed, she became nostalgic about her previous relationship with Sojiro as Ren. This time around, I even was on his good side from the start this time around.

Sojiro then cleared his throat. “You can call me Boss. I expect you to use that while you’re working in the cafe.” Yuki saluted. “Yes, Boss.”

Sojiro hid a smile as he said, “I’ll be cleaning up here. You make sure you get ready for tomorrow. We’re heading straight over to Shujin straight in the morning, so get a good night of sleep. There’s a bathhouse near my cafe or you could use the shower here, your choice. Just make sure you have some cash on you if you do go to the bathhouse.”

Sojiro took the dishes and headed back to the kitchen. Yuki headed back to her room.

As she sat on her bed, wondering whether to go to the bathhouse or not, her mind lingered on something. When I made the confidant with Takemi, there were different circumstances this time that led me to make those bonds. Same with Sojiro. At least they didn’t look any different. I wonder what else has changed.

Yuki then flushed. Anyways, what should I do? I would like to go to the bathhouse, but at the same time, I need to remain on the down-low if this girl’s stalker finds out where she (well, I) am. Additionally, I don’t exactly feel comfortable yet going to the public bath, even if there is a separate women’s bath.

Yuki shook her head. Ugh, I should just use the shower here. Maybe tomorrow I’ll have the courage to use the public baths. Maybe. Though I highly doubt I’ll get used to the female anatomy this body now presents me with.

She gathered some… undergarments and laid them on the bed, grabbed a towel and a sponge, and headed out. She noticed that Sojiro was kind enough to have stocked the bathroom with essential toiletries, including toothpaste, a brush for her, and one for Futaba (she guessed), shampoo, conditioner,  soap, and skin moisturizer. He even bought some facial cleanser for her. Huh, just how much money did this girl’s parents send Sojiro just to make her comfortable? 

She shook her head. Ren Amamiya now inhabited this girl’s body, and it was weird referring to the previous owner in the third person. It’s her body now, anyways. 

She unstripped, closing her eyes. Stepping into the shower stall, she turned on the shower. She began scrubbing with her soapy sponge everywhere except her… private parts. Not yet. 

Once she finished, she let the shower run for a little bit. She steeled herself for the hardest part: washing her female body parts and not getting turned on. If she could do this, then she knew that she would do fine in regards to her new body, not needing to keep her eyes closed. This was the true test of wills: not getting turned on by her own body, as someone who was a dude previously. She began gently scrubbing her chest area, her breasts to be more exact. It didn’t help that this body was rather well-endowed in that regard; she had rather perky ones, though she was sure Ann had bigger. 

As she scrubbed here and there, there were a few sensitive spots where she couldn’t help but moan a little, but all-in-all, she did a pretty decent job of not turning on herself. This is the easier part, now comes to scrub… down there. Sex education did say that the vagina was very sensitive, so I should be gentle. Hopefully, I don’t hit the G spot and cause an orgasm. The last thing I want is Sojiro deciding that maybe he shouldn’t have taken me in because I was acting all kooky in his shower.

She gently started scrubbing down there. Between scrubbing and the shower water running, she was thankful that she had something to snap her out of her indecisiveness. She then touched her vagina accidentally. It was sensitive, but thankfully not enough for her to elicit any sort of sexual reaction. She finished bathing and stepped out, wrapping the towel around her chest. She opened her eyes. 

“Well, that wasn’t so bad…” She stopped as she could instantly see her bust jutting out. Even with the towel, it was still quite noticeable how prominent her breasts were. 

She looked in the bathroom mirror. She looked gorgeous that even she lost herself for a moment as she stared at her reflection. She shook her head. She headed back to her room to dry her hair with a blowdryer, before looking at her bed.

Various varieties of undergarments laid on the bed, but she took notice of her selection of bras and panties. As she undid the towel, she grabbed a pantie and began slipping it up. She threw her clothes that she wore that afternoon into a collapsible laundry basket. She then looked at her bras.

Now that she was a girl, she had the more complex choice of whether or not she wanted to go commando with just a nightgown and pants. If she decided to go get a glass of water in the middle of the night and Sojiro happened to come in as well, then there would be a lot of awkward explaining. If she wore a bra she wouldn’t have to worry about that.

Yuki fidgeted with her fingers. Well, what does the net say? She looked on her phone to see opinions on the matter, but it was pretty much split. Aaaagh, screw it, I’m going to be as comfortable as I can. Screw the possibilities; I’m not wearing that kind of harness to bed; it’s already difficult enough feeling two breasts protrude from your chest while awake, and I can’t imagine doing the same on the bed. Best make myself as comfortable as possible.

She laid on the bed, thinking back to that afternoon. To think one moment, he was in a van with his friends celebrating his return home by driving him back (but not before going to do some sight-seeing), then the next he was stripped from that happy moment and placed into a girl’s body, in the past right when he first came to Tokyo. He wondered if this was some sort of alternate timeline or some Kingdom Hearts bullshit constructed in real life; even the way she established confidants with Sojiro and Takemi this time around were affected by different circumstances. She wondered if this time around because she was here under different circumstances if things would also be different, even though Takemi and Sojiro didn’t act or look any different. 

As she drifted to sleep, she wondered how the gang is in this reality if they were as changed as he was right now as Yuki Amamiya, idol now on hiatus. She also wondered what her position in the Velvet Room now amounted to, as she closed her heavy eyelids.

As she dreamed, she could feel a tug. She decided to follow it. She woke up in an unfamiliar room. Her eyes snapped on to the old man seated across from me

That man’s voice rang out. “Welcome to the…”

That was all he managed to get to before Yuki lunged for Igor. In her eyes she saw Yaldabaoth, once again manipulating her from a position of implied trust. “Yaldabaoth!!!”

Two voices rang out. “Master!!! Restrain yourself, Trickster!”

Yuki couldn’t recognize one of the voices, but the other she knew only recently, from the future. “Lavenza??? So then… you must be the real Igor.”

Igor waved his hand. “Please sit. I forgive you for what happened just now. It only naturally stands that you would be wary of me when I called you in here. You must have been reminded of when that God, the Holy Grail, deposed and sealed me away, and impersonated me. I truly apologize for that; however, as you can see, the Holy Grail this time around has not gotten the better of me. I saw fit to not allow Yaldabaoth to subvert the Velvet Room this time, along with my two attendants. You have already met Lavenza, but I will allow my other attendant to introduce himself."

The male Velvet attendant standing opposite Lavenza bowed. “Greetings. I am Felix. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, miss Amamiya.” Felix was relatively tall, with the silver and yellow eyes characteristic of all Velvet Room attendants. He donned a blue hat and a blue uniform, but he had piercings in his ears, along with ring piercings in his nose. Yuki thought he looked a bit too much like a rock star, if not for the silver hair and the 1900s bellboy costume.

Lavenza elbowed him. “You do know she was my previous guest, and she was he in another reality. Even if that accursed god robbed me of all that time with him by splitting me in half and sealed away Master Igor, I still spent time with him as Caroline and Justine, and their memories of him also constitute my memories.”

Felix muttered. “I wonder when you were split in two if you were twice as annoying as now.”

Lavenza grew furious. “I heard that, brother. Should I fight you, or will you concede?”

Felix snorted. “Please. I’m certainly no slouch in that department. And I can always call on Margaret to come to help me. Even if Elizabeth is gone, I’m sure Margaret would love harassing you right now.”

Lavenza and Felix bickered on. It was hard for Yuki to not feel as if she was a spectator to a slowly-emerging train wreck. She would admit that she found their bickering with somewhat of a morbid fascination, considering each wields power far greater than hers at the moment.

Igor cleared his throat. “Lavenza, Felix, back to the subject at hand. We don’t have plenty of time left to help our dear Trickster for tonight.”

Lavenza and Felix muttered, “Sorry, Master.” They both bowed. Yuki took this as an opportunity to get some answers.

“What happened to me? I thought my journey as the Trickster was over last time around, but it seems now that I’ve just been dragged back to the start, albeit in a different body. Is this a different reality?”

Igor crossed his fingers. “The explanation will be long, but we should have enough time to fully answer whatever queries you still have in the time left. Are you sure?”

Yuki leaned forward. “Absolutely. Please, Igor, tell me EVERYTHING.”