“Guys,” the “girl” says after a while, the others look at her, “I… I’d like to get some fresh air. I feel a little weird, a little dizzy”.
“Seems like you really haven’t yet fully recovered from your journey,” Carolina says, “why don’t you head into the garden? Do you want someone to come with you?”
“Actually,” “Mayumi” says, “I’d like to be alone for a few minutes”.
Jane looks at “Mayumi”, “you sure? What if something happens?”
“I’ll be fine, Jane,” the “girl” says, getting to her feet, “I just need a few minutes for myself”.
“Okay, I think we all should stop playing the game,” Jane says, “why don’t we order the food and set everything up for the movie?”
“Sounds good,” Carolina says, she then looks at “Mayumi”, “anything you’d like?”
“Food does sound good,” the “girl” says, “I think I’ll have a salad and a Pineapple and Ham Pizza”.
Carolina nods, “okay, we’ll come and find you when the food has arrived and we are ready to watch the movie”.
“Sounds good, you know, I actually would like to go for a walk around the block, don’t worry, I have my phone on me, so just call me when the food is there. I need to get my head cleared and a walk will do the trick,” “Mayumi” replies, the girls all nod, “see you girls later,” she then heads out of the room.
Jane looks after “Mayumi”, ‘Jeff is acting super weird,’ she thinks to herself, ‘I hope the transformation has not in someway gone wrong. I better keep my eyes on him, I really don’t want him to be by himself in his current state, but I also don’t want to start a fight, so I’ll respect his wish for some alone time’.
Raúl is still lying on his bed, when he hears the front door open and close, the boy gets off of the bed and walks to his window and spots Mayumi walking down the path. “Mayumi,” Raúl calls and waves, “are you leaving,” he then asks when the girl stops and turns to look at him.
“H-hey Raúl,” “Mayumi” says, sounding nervous, “no, I just feel weird, kinda confused and dizzy, so I decided to go for a walk”.
“Is it okay if I join you,” the boy asks.
“Mayumi” hesitates, on the one side, she’d like to have some company, especially as the light is starting to fade, but on the other side, she is afraid of what might happen. ‘I’m not really a girl,’ she thinks to himself, ‘no matter how handsome Raúl is, I don’t want to risk anything… I am NOT gay!’
“Mayumi,” Raúl asks.
The “girl” blinks, “s-sorry… I… I honestly would like to be alone,” she says.
“Are you sure,” Raúl asks, “I don’t think that is wise. I mean, you don’t know your way around and it is starting to get dark. I’d rather accompany you, I don’t want anything bad happening to you!”
“Mayumi” feels conflicted, after a while she lets out a sigh, ‘I guess he is right, it’s not that I don’t know my way around, since I still have my old memories, but right now I am a weak girl, I think it would be best if he’d tag along. While I’m in this body I am to weak to fight of anyone, should something happen,’ she thinks to herself, ‘besides, I don’t think he’ll try something, so I shouldn’t be so worried and nervous. IF he should start to, like, flirt with me or do anything… weird, I can stop him and simply say that I am not interested’. The “girl” looks back up at Raúl, she then lets out a sigh, “okay, fine,” she says, “I guess you have a good point. Actually… it would be nice to have someone to talk to”.
Raúl smiles, “I’ll be right down,” he says, stepping away from his window and closing it. The boy smirks to himself as he grabs his jeans and shirt and quickly puts them on, ‘first step of my plan was a success,’ he thinks to himself, ‘I need to take my next approach wisely and not rush it, I need HER to trust me and get the feeling that I’m there to protect her. Hehe… I can’t believe that I am so excited about having a relationship with a hot Japanese girl who is actually a 16 year-old boy! Hehe… I know that I’ll have so much fun and that I’ll enjoy every second… and so will SHE!’
‘Was it really wise to allow Raúl to accompany me,’ “Mayumi” thinks to herself as she waits for the boy, ‘I mean… he is handsome and seems like a kind guy. But… I am not really a girl, I am a boy who has a 16 year-old girlfriend. Come on Mayumi… stop worrying so much… everything will be fine’. The front door then opens and Raúl steps out, the boy walks towards the “girl”, a smile on his face, ‘fuck me… why does his smile have to be so amazingly beautiful,’ the “girl” thinks to herself, “h-hey Raúl,” she then says, when the boy reaches her.
“Hey… Mayumi,” Raúl says, smiling, but soon his smile fades and his face takes on a serious and worried expression, “you okay? You kinda look like you have a mental break down”.
“I… I’m fine,” “Mayumi” says.
“You don’t look fine to me,” the boy replies, sounding a little worried.
“Mayumi” looks at the boy, she senses that he is someone who knows when someone is lying, so the “girl” lets out a sigh, “I guess, it won’t do any good if I’d continue to lie that I feel fine”.
Raúl nods, “it is always best to tell the truth,” he says, “even if it isn’t easy. I know a place where we can talk more privately, it’s not far from here”.
“Mayumi” shrugs, “I guess it won’t hurt,” she says, “at least I’ve got someone to talk to and maybe you have an idea what might be going on, or at least know how to help me”.
Raúl smiles, “I promise,” he says, “you can trust me, and I’ll do anything to make you feel better. But let’s get to my secret spot first”.
“Mayumi” follows the boy down the street, both walking in silence, but the “girl” can sense that Raúl is attracted to her, but that he is trying his best to hide it, at least she knows that he won’t try and force her into anything. The “girl” can’t help but feel amazed at Raúl’s self control, ‘I think Raúl is the right person to talk to,’ she thinks to herself, ‘I believe I can trust him, he’ll help me to feel better’.
Raúl leads “Mayumi” into the park, which is ten minutes from his house, and guides her towards the very back where there is a tall chain-link fence, beyond which the “girl” notices a dense forest. The boy leads her to a hole in the fence, “through here,” he says and crawls through the hole.
“Mayumi” hesitates, staring at the dense and dark forest, feeling a sense of fear grow in her, ‘so weird, as a boy I never got scared of entering the forest,’ she thinks to herself.
“Mayumi? You coming,” Raúl asks.
“Mayumi” blinks, “um… a-are you sure it’s safe,” she asks, “I mean… it’s so dark in there, what if we get lost? What about wild animals?”
Raúl chuckles, “don’t worry,” he says, “I’ll protect you, and I promise that we won’t get lost. My secret spot is not that far away”.
The “girl” stares at the treeline, ‘I really don’t want to enter the forest,’ she thinks to herself, ‘but I trust Raúl… He’ll keep me safe,’ so after taking a deep breath, “Mayumi” follows Raúl through the hole.
Raúl then leads “Mayumi” into the forest, after a ten minute walk, the two step out onto a small clearing.
When “Mayumi” steps out into the clearing her eyes widen, “it’s… it’s beautiful,” she says, the clearing is surrounded by the dense forest, the clearing itself is one big field covered with beautiful blue flowers and a huge tree in the center, a really romantic scenery.
“I’m happy you like it,” Raúl says, stepping to her side, he then turns to look at the “girl”, “let’s sit by the tree, then you can tell me what is bothering you”. They head towards the tree and sit down, “so, tell me,” Raúl says, “what’s wrong?”
“Mayumi” is sitting with her knees pulled up to her chest, her arms wrapped around them, she looks over at the boy, then back down at the ground. First she doesn’t say anything, “h-how should I say it, without sounding weird,” she then says.
“Just tell me,” Raúl says in a quiet and calm voice, “I promise, no matter how weird it might be, I’ll try and believe you and I promise that I’ll help you figure something out”.
“Mayumi” again stays silent for a while, she then takes in a deep breath, “I… I just feel confused,” she says, “first I have this feeling that I forgot something important, that “Mayumi” isn’t my actual name… that it should be something else… more… boyish?”
Raúl smirks inwardly, ‘looks like my editing of HIS file has worked,’ he thinks to himself, he then puts on his best “what do you mean” expression, tilting his head and raising his eyebrow, “what do you mean,” he asks.
“Mayumi” continues to stare down at the ground, avoiding the boy’s eyes, “I… I don’t know, I… I can’t explain it myself. The only thing I know… and this will sound weird… is that I am not really a girl. I remember being Jane’s 16 year-old brother who she transformed into her pen-pal from Japan, but if that is the case… why can’t I seem to remember my real name? I feel so confused!”
“Hm… maybe you are suffering from some type of hallucination,” Raúl suggests, “maybe the flight has been just stressful on your mind, so much, that it became all muddled. It would make sense, I’ve heard of a case of someone who also went on a long trip and suddenly couldn’t remember his last name and he thought he was someone else”.
“That doesn’t sound so good,” the “girl” says, “I… I don’t want to lose myself!”
Raúl lies a hand on the “girl’s” shoulder, “listen Mayumi,” he says, the girl looks up at the boy, “I promise I won’t let that happen. But I feel that there is something else bothering you”.
“But, what should I tell Jane,” the “girl” asks, “what if it is true? What if I am really her transformed brother and not “Mayumi Mamoto”?”
“I wouldn’t tell her anything,” Raúl says, “not until you are absolutely sure who you really are yourself!”
“Mayumi” thinks about it for a while, “I… I guess that would be the best choice,” she says, “okay, I won’t tell her anything,” she then looks at Raúl, “promise me to keep it to yourself”.
Raúl smiles, “you can count on me,” he says, “I won’t say a word, everything we discuss here and in the future will stay between just the two of us. Now, what else is bothering you?”
“Mayumi” blushes a little, “th-this is a little more… um… personal,” she says.
Raúl tilts his head, “meaning?”
“It… it’s about my sexual orientation,” the “girl” says, “I… I never have been interested in boys, I always preferred girls over boys. But… after I met you… I… I started to think… in certain ways… about you”.
Raúl grins inwardly, ‘hehe that App is amazing,’ he thinks to himself, “like what?”
“Mayumi” gulps, “l-like… how handsome you are,” she says, “h-how well your body is trained, how beautiful your eyes and smile are”.
Raúl can’t help but grin, “thanks,” he says, “do you feel attracted towards me?”
“I… um… I think so,” the “girl” says, “I… I mean… um… I… I can’t stop wondering… how… how you’d look like… without… um…”.
Raúl chuckles, “you know, you are really cute when you are so nervous,” he says, causing “Mayumi” to blush even more, the boy then smiles at the “girl”, “since you’ve been honest to me, let me be honest with you: from the second I saw you… I fell in love with you!”
“Mayumi’s” eyes widen in shock, “I… why me?”
Raúl smiles, “you are exactly the type of girl I’m attracted to,” he says, “tell me… are you single?”
“Um…,” the “girl” says, “I… am not sure!”
“What do you mean,” the boy asks.
“I… I mean… as “Mayumi Mamoto” I am single… but, as the… brother of Jane… which I still am convinced I truly am… I am in a relationship with a girl”.
Raúl tilts his head, “you really shouldn’t focus so much on that,” he says, “I mean… as I said before: your mind could have suffered under the stress of the journey”.
“Mayumi” lets out a sigh, “I… I guess you are right,” she says, “I hope it’ll be back to normal tomorrow or in a few days. I really do not want to end up as someone who I am not!”
Raúl smiles, “I promise to stick with you all through it,” he says, “I will support you and be there for you! I promise, I’ll do anything to help you feel better and become yourself again”.
“Mayumi” looks at the boy, “I… I believe you and I trust you, Raúl,” she says, “but, why do I suddenly find boys attractive?”
Raúl shrugs, “maybe you just hadn’t found the right boy, or you had some bad experiences with boys, that caused you to focus on girls,” he says, “but when meeting me, you sensed that I was different than the boys you have dated so far. That I am more trustworthy, that I’ll protect you and keep you safe, that I am the right boy for you!”
“Th-that actually makes sense,” “Mayumi” says, “I do trust you and I know you’d protect me and keep me safe”.
Raúl smiles, “so, does that mean we… I mean…”.
“Mayumi” hesitates, “I don’t know,” she says, “let’s… let’s take it slow… I mean… we just met”.
Raúl nods, “I understand”.
“Besides,” the “girl” says, “I am only visiting for two weeks… I don’t know if a distance relationship would work. Also, what IF I am really a boy? I… I don’t want you to think I… we… you…”.
Raúl chuckles, “calm down, Mayumi,” he says, “I really doubt that that is the case. As for the distance relationship, I believe that won’t be an issue!”
“Y-you really want a relationship with me that bad, that distance won’t be an issue?”
“Of course,” the boy says, “let’s at least give it a try”.
“I… I don’t know,” the “girl” says, “I… I’m a little scared. Y-you’d be my first real relationship!”
Raúl’s eyes sparkle, “a-are you a virgin?”
“I… yes,” “Mayumi” says, blushing.
Raúl smiles, “I promise to not rush you into anything,” he says, “I go at your pace”.
“Then… then I guess we can try,” the “girl” says.
“Sweet,” the boy says, “but, let’s keep our relationship a secret from everyone, until we both are 100% certain that we’ll be together for a long long time”.
“Mayumi” nods, “I agree,” she says.
Raúl smiles, “Mayumi,” he asks, the “girl” looks at him, “m-may I kiss you?”