Ch.60 The Medicine in Question. A Dangerous Ability in Many Ways (Mahiro is Dead)

And so, after all that happened, the lessons continued, as lunchtime arrived.

I tried to quickly make my escape and head towards where Kengo and Yuya were, but...

"Oh, Mahiro-chan, we'll have you talk about that matter, so let's have lunch together, all six of us, today, okay?"

I got caught.

In response, I did not run away.

"……Yes."

I could only reply with my head bowed in disappointment.

◇◆◇

Given the nature of "that matter", we could not eat in the classroom or cafeteria, so we went up to the rooftop.

Mashiron and Yui-nee were already sitting in a corner of the rooftop.

"My apologies, did I keep you waiting?"

"...It's okay. But I'm hungry, let's eat quickly."

"It is okay. I was able to talk to Mashiro-chan, after all~."

"I see. Good for you. ...Well, it looks like Mashiron has already met everyone ja. Ah, let me introduce to to Miho and Aria. This is Sakurakoji Yui. I call her Yui-nee because of our past relationship, but you can call her whatever you like. She is quite a gentle and laid-back person."

"I see. ...Um, I'm Otoda Miho. Nice to meet you."

"I'm Tokino C. Aristia! Nice to meet you, Yui-san!"

"Nice to meet you—. I am Sakurakoji Yui, the older sister that Hiro-kun introduced to you—. We will be spending time together as husbands from now on, so there is no need to use polite language—. Best regards~."

Uumu, she really is so gentle and laid-back...

If this is how she talks in Japanese, I wonder what it was like when she was at a university abroad noja? It would be quite interesting if 'twas similar when she talks in English.

"...She really does seem like a very gentle and fluffy person."

"But Yui-san seems like a kind person."

"Yes, I feel so relieved."

"...Actually, kind. Yui-sab gave me some sweets. A nice person."

"Is Mashiron's standard for a 'good person' not a bit low?"

"...People who give you food are good people!"

"I'm surprised Mashiro-san hasn't been kidnapped until now."

"...I have a good eye for people. I can easily tell if someone is a good or a bad person just by looking at their demeanor and eyes."

"Well, judging from your experience, I suppose that is probably the case."

"...Fufun, amazing?"

"Umu, you are amazing, Mashiron."

'Tis genuinely impressive, so I will give her some credit for that.

Besides, even though Mashiron might make a smug face when praised, she does not get carried away.

"By the way, I wonder why we all gathered here~?"

"Ah, yes. For now, how about we talk while we eat lunch? Right, Mahiro-chan?"

"U-umuu..."

I really have no desire to tell them that though...

◇◆◇

After everyone finished their lunch and chatted normally for a while, Mizuki brought up 'that matter'.

"So, Mahiro-chan, could you tell us about that medicine?"

"Ugh... Can I just, not talk...?"

"No, that won't do. So, could you please explain this medicine to us?"

"Wait, you brought it?!"

"I thought we'd need the actual product. Also, I have the instruction manual, so please take this."

"...Sigh, I suppose there is no other way. For now, I will just tell you what I know..."

'Tis a topic I would rather not discuss if possible, but if I keep quiet and create unnecessary friction, I will be dead. Sexually.

My husbands are all like that, you see...

I am still not sure about Yui-nee though.

"...Or rather, I think it's going to be a pretty outrageous and extremely vulgar noja...is that okay?"

"""""OK''''''''

"Yui-nee too...?"

Unuu. Are girls really that interested in this kind of thing...? Or is it because 'tis me? Is it that thing where you want to know everything about the person you like?

"...To be honest, I am incredibly embarrassed noja. But I will tell you because I know not what you all will do if I do not..."

"Just get on with it. I know the general idea, but I don't know the exact effects."

"Well, I know not the exact effects either. ...But, to put it simply for Yui-nee and Aria, who probably does not understand it very well... 'Tis... A-a growth stimulant, ja. H-honestly, there is no other way to describe it."

Ah, what is this mysterious feeling of embarrassment...?

Given the sensitive nature of the topic, whenever I got to that part, my face would turn red as I spoke. And not only did my face turn red, but I also started stuttering...

"Growth? Um, Mahiro, what is going to grow?"

"...I wish you could have understood without me having to say anything..."

I do not really want to say it directly...

After teasing me so much, are you clueless about things like this...? Or are you simply slow to catch on...?

Ununu.

"...Y-you see, you know, that symbolic thing of a manhood, 'tis a medicine that makes it grow ja."

"A symbol of manhood... ah, a —"

"Do not say it!"

"Huh? I've only said the 'a' part though."

"That is not the point! I am just embarrassed!"

"Mahiro-kun is embarrassed~? Hmm, but, a pe—"

"I said stop it! 'tis making me embarrassed!"

It would be one thing if I said it myself, but 'tis just plain embarrassing when these fellows say it. Is it because I used to be a man? Or is it because the other side are my husbands (women)?

"I don't know why Mahiro-kun won't let us say it, but I understand the effects of the medicine! But what about those effects?"

Wow... what pure and innocent eyes...

"W-well, so... how should I put it..."

"Oh, this is so frustrating. Basically, if Mahiro takes that medicine, it will become possible for women to have children together!"

Uwa, she said it! Well, I was not really keen on this whole thing, and I did not want to say it noja.

I feel a little better, but... You know.

"Wait, two girls can have a baby?"

"Apparently so."

"Oh, if that's the case, I'd like one boy and one girl!"

"Are you not getting ahead of yourself?!"

"Huh? Really? If it's about having children with someone you love, I don't think there's such a thing as too soon or too late."

"Certainly, that may be true, but still...!"

But why did the conversation turn to that?

...Or rather, is it normal? For a woman, that is.

I wonder...

"For me, maybe a girl~?"

"I'd like a boy."

"I want lots of girls."

"... If I had to say, a girl."

"Wait, wait, wait! Why are you all so hasty?! Think about it. Except for Yui-nee, we are all high school students right now. Mashiron... well, you are in your third year, so you might be a university student come next April, but that is still a student ja."

"I guess that's true."

"Right? And besides, knowing you guys, you would probably think of doing it all at the same time. In that case, the burden on me alone would be far too great. Financially."

"""""Certainly"""""

There is no way I could support 5 people at once.

And there is one more important thing left.

"This medicine only works on me. That means 'tis not me who will give birth to the child, but you all will."

"""""Oh, I see..."""""

"Wait, you guys were planning on having me give birth to them?!"

"""""Of course, you're the wife after all."""""

W-what a horrifying thing to say...!

The thought of a former man giving birth to a child is terrifying! I have heard that childbirth is incredibly painful...

Apparently, women can endure that because they are women, but I do not believe that I, a former man, could handle it. I would die from the pain. I would die of shock.

"Honestly... Well, let us concede for the sake of argument that having children is fine. But this is a drug that only I can use, you know? What good would it do if you all used it—"

"...Wait a minute."

"What is it ja, Mashiron yo? I was in the middle of talking."

"...Mahiron just said that it's something only she can use."

"Mu? Right. What about it?"

"...Read this instruction manual."

"The instruction manual? Well, I do not mind, but..."

Mashiron handed the manual to me, and I start reading it.

"Hermaphroditism drug [usually known as: a fut*nari drug]"

Wow, 'tis already mind-blowing right from the start...

Actually, is that name not a bit too straightforward?

...No, let me try to read ahead first.

"This drug was created to address the accelerating decline in birth rates and aging population caused by same-sex marriage among individuals with 'TSF syndrome.' Its effect is to temporarily create female genitalia in men and male genitalia in women. By using this drug, same-sex couples can conceive children. If possible, we ask that you use this drug to mitigate the acceleration of the declining birth rate and aging population. Please note that this drug is only available to couples where one partner is 'TS.' Creator, O3 Affiliation: Yakushi Souichi"

'Tis a bit too blunt, but the content is serious, is it not? Yes. Serious.

Judging from the creator's name, she is probably a woman who used to be a man.

Fumu, I wonder if this is the fellow who provided me with hangover medicine the day after the gathering?

Well, I will look into that at the next gathering, I suppose...

"I have read it for now."

"...Mahiron said earlier, 'This medicine only works on me.'"

"U-umu, that is right."

"...But this instruction manual doesn't say, 'This only works for those who have developed the illness.'"

"......W-Wait, seriously...!"

I-impossible!

This medicine is only supposed to work on those who have the symptoms... Wait, did Kami ever say anything like that?

Maybe I just misunderstood something on my own?

...N-no, not yet. I have not asked her directly yet!

"I-I will call Kami!"

Having said that, I stepped away from Miho and the others and made a phone call.

My hand holding the smartphone is trembling slightly, and I sincerely hope that my earlier statement was not a mistake.

The phone rang twice, and the call connected before the 3rd ring.

[Hello, is that Mahiro-kun? It's unusual for you to call me. Is something wrong?]

"I-I have something I would like to ask you!"

[You sound quite serious. I'll answer anything you want to know. I can tell you my measurements, my type, or even my erogenous zones.]

"Now is not the time to be talking about such nonsense! I mean, what are you even saying noja?! Are you an idiot?!"

[Hahaha, I was just messing around a little.]

That is even worse.

Also, I am just not interested!

[So? What is it you want to ask?]

"Two days ago, you told me about a medicine that allows same-sex couples to have children, and then you sent it to me, did you not?"

[Ahh, right. Oh, has it already arrived?]

"Not only did it arrive, my husbands took it before me!"

[Husband? ...Ah, in your case, you're the wife, and the other women are the husbands. Hohou, so it's in their hands now. Is there a problem with that?]

"If I had to choose between yes or no, the answer would be yes. But that is irrelevant right now. What I want to know is whether that medicine works on everyone."

[I see, now that you mention it, we didn't talk about that. I have work to do, so I can't chat leisurely, but let me just say this: Yes.]

'Tis over...!

I can sense a hint of amusement in her voice on the other end of the phone... which means she has a pretty good grasp of my situation and is enjoying it!?

[So, you can be the father, or you can be the mother. I don't really mind either way. Well, in terms of collecting data, it would be more helpful if you were the mother. After all, there are actually very few children born to a 'TS' person with a female body.]

"That is your own problem ja!"

[No, rather than just mine, I'd say it's all the researchers working on the study of 'TSF syndrome' problem.]

"There is nothing but mad scientists there..."

Are there no decent people among researchers...?

...Perhaps one could even say that science has progressed precisely because the researchers are not sane. What a strange thing to say.

[Well, that's the gist of it. Oh, and by the way, I'm not saying this because of the medicine, but to help me further my analysis of your 'growth regression,' I have a few questions I'd like to ask you, if that's alright?]

"Well, that is fine, but... I myself find that thing a mystery..."

'Tis more reliable to have a specialist, someone like Kami, to investigate such matters.

If she needs my information, 'tis nothing to worry about.

[I see, I see, that's good. So, let's start with one question. Have you had your period since you transformed into that form?]

"Period? No, it has not come yet, is that normal?"

I vaguely remember learning about this in health class, but I was mostly just listening passively so I do not quite remember.

[I see, so it didn't come after all. If it had come, my hypothesis would have been wrong, but since they didn't, it might have been correct.]

"What ja? What kind of connection do they have noja?"

What does having or not having my period have to do with my ability?

It does not seem like there is any connection whatsoever though...

[Ah, well, regarding your ability, I'm wondering if perhaps you're not freely manipulating growth and regression, but simply moving time forward and backward.]

"Mu? What is the difference noja?"

[Well, if it wasn't time manipulation, I think you'd probably be having your period. You know, you were around high school age when we did the test, right? So I naturally assumed that your internal environment would continue in that state...]

"I think period happens once a month, right? Now that you mention it, it would not be strange for it to come by now..."

However, I cannot help but feel that the evidence is rather weak.

[Right? And as I said earlier, I thought that being able to freely control growth and regression simply means making things like the skeleton, muscles, defects, and internal organs smaller.]

"No, that sounds scary."

...No, that might actually be true.

Actually, that sounds like a drug that appears in some detective manga. (TL: Detective Conan's reference)

[So, according to this theory, your physical age should be the same as your actual age. But your physical strength will either decrease or, conversely, improve, right?]

"That is true. As I grow, my athletic ability improves, but..."

[Hmm. Well, then my hypothesis is probably wrong. Even when we talk about abilities, they're not all-powerful. There are hits and misses. I think yours is definitely a hit, though.]

A hit, is it?

To be honest, my abilities have some pretty strong quirks.

It makes me hungry, if used for a certain period of time, it will turn me into an animal, and the color I change it to cannot be reverted after a day.

Umu, quite a drawback.

"However, according to the hypothesis you just rejected, would that not mean that everyone else's physical age and actual age are the same?"

[Oh, that's right. There are people like you who turn into lol*s or shotas, but every single one of them ends up with the same physical age as their actual age. Ah, and of course, their athletic abilities don't change much either. It's a unique disease, so common sense doesn't apply. Well, their appearance is a bit different, though.]

"I see... So, what about me?"

[Hmm, you haven't had your period yet. To be honest, if it doesn't come for a while, there's a good chance that your physical age has reverted.]

"Uumu, 'tis still a bit hard to understand."

I kind of understand it, but I would not say I perfectly grasp it.

[Well, there are a lot of things I don't understand either. For now, let's put that aside and just talk about what would happen if this hypothesis were true.]

"U-umu. What is it ja?"

So, 'tis on hold after all?

Well, I hear there are a lot of things about abilities that are really inexplicable.

To begin with, 'tis impossible to explain them scientifically. How do you even explain magic?

But what would happen if the hypothesis were true...?

[Women, well, can't have children until they've had their first period.]

"..."

I froze.

Wait, that information is dangerous, no...?

I have a really bad feeling about this.

[And one more thing. If this ability of yours is to reverse or advance time, then even if you're no longer a virgin, if you revert your body back to how it was when you were little, you'll probably become a virgin again.]

"......"

Wow, that is the most blatant, explicit vulgar joke I have ever heard.

Wait, is it a vulgar joke? If anything, it sounds closer to a health lesson...

But that is not it. The biggest problem here is whether I can maintain my virginity, is it? If this hypothesis is true, I think I am going to have a really hard time...

I hope her hypothesis is wrong.

[So, in your case, it seems you have five female husbands, and I suspect you might even play by changing your appearance depending on the situation, so be careful.]

"Seriously, stop saying weird things! I mean, wait, how do you know about the fifth person?!"

[We've been keeping a close eye on you. Wow, you're amazing. Your natural gigolo skills seem to be exceptional. With this, we might be able to resist the declining birthrate to some extent. If other people with the condition could just get multiple partners like you, everything would be solved...]

"...In Japan, polygamy is extremely rare. I am the only one who is weird, and 'tis normal for everyone else, right...?"

Actually, if there are other people like me who have this condition, I would love to be friends with them.

If they'm are someone with experience in that field, I would like to get some advice on how to live such a foolish life.

[That's one way to look at it. Oh, I should probably get back to work now. Anyway, it's fine if it's only from time to time, but I'd like to investigate your abilities a bit more, so would you mind coming to the lab?]

"I do not really want to though..."

[Don't say that. Of course I'll pay you. It's not like it's unpaid. Besides, there are some things that you should know. It will make it easier to deal with any unexpected situations that may arise due to your abilities. So, I'd like to ask you to do it.]

"You are just saying all that nicely, but are you not actually trying to investigate it to satisfy your own intellectual curiosity?"

[That is not true.]

"What a monotone delivery."

Seriously. She is such a mad scientist.

However, even if 'tis just to talk someone into something, there is some truth to what she was saying.

Abilities are said to be quite mysterious.

I suppose I should probably try to figure it out to some extent.

"...Well, fine. I suppose I should let you investigate it."

[So, will you let me do research?]

"The moment I heard those words, I did not want to go anymore."

[Hahaha, sorry. As for looking into it... considering my work schedule, it will probably be late May. I'll contact you once I know a possible date and time.]

"Understood ja."

'Tis a bit of a hassle, but there's no other way.

[Well then, good luck. With your everyday life, and with your nighttime activities.]

"……Ah."

I got sidetracked and forgot!

[Well then, I'm going back to work. Farewell!]

"Ah, wait, Kami?! Kami?!"

She... She cut it off.

Oh, that bastard, saying something so outrageous!

She is a much more troublesome fellow than I expected, seriously.

"Are you done, Mahiro-chan?"

"Umu. 'Tis done... wait, M-M-M-Mizuki!?"

I was surprised to see Mizuki suddenly appear behind me, and I quickly stepped back.

Th-that is scary! suddenly appearing behind me like that is way too horrifying! And what is more, I did not even notice she was there.

"Please don't react like you've seen a ghost."

"M-my apologies. You suddenly appeared behind me, so I just..."

"That's fine. ...Now, let's hear about your conversation earlier, shall we? Oh, and of course, there's no hiding anything."

"……Yes."

Seriously...?

Should I, tell them that as well...? But 'tis just speculation at the moment...

But I suppose there is no other way to talk about the medicine issue.

Damn it.

◇◆◇

After this, the effects of the drug were revealed, and the husbands who found out about it...

"I want to try doing things like a husband does (implying something suggestive)."

That is what they said.

In other words... that is what it comes down to.

For now, let me just say that, as usual, I went through hell.

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