The Gender-Swap Curse and the Fact That I Still Like You
Fushi has a secret: an ancient power of regeneration that's kept them alive through things that should've killed them. But when they touch a strange pale-pink flower at the edge of the Kazamidori Forest, they pick up something new—a curse that swaps the sex of anyone it touches. And it's spreading. Fast.
Now the whole city of Takunaha is flipping, and Fushi's best friend Gugu—a burly seventeen-year-old boy—wakes up as a petite girl with the same mask and the same hopeless crush on the beautiful
The Gender-Swap Curse and the Fact That I Still Like You - Episode 3: Through the Knocker Forest — Male Rean's Quick Thinking and the Path to the Flower Field
The sky before dawn was still dim.
The north gate of Takunaha's stone wall creaked open with a heavy groan. A gatekeeper rubbed his sleepy eyes and watched the three travelers off.
"...You're really going?"
The silver-haired boy at the front, Fushi, turned and nodded.
"Yeah. We'll be back soon."
The gatekeeper opened his mouth as if to say something, but ended up sighing and waving them off.
The cobblestone path soon gave way to dirt. The town lights fell behind, and the surroundings shifted from fields to barren land, then to the edge of the forest.
The Kazamidori Forest.
A deep forest of dense evergreens spreading north of Takunaha. Medicinal herbs could be gathered here, but deeper in lurked the Nokkers—a danger zone. Everyone in town said amateurs shouldn't go near it.
"Hey, Fushi."
A voice came from behind.
Fushi turned to see a gallant young man. The long blond hair was the same, but he was tall, with broad shoulders. The blue eyes hadn't changed, but the face was unmistakably a man's. A white shirt and navy jacket. The trousers suited him surprisingly well.
"We're really going through this forest? Leaving the town at night was one thing, but it's still dark even now that it's morning."
The voice was lower too. But at the edges of the words, Rean's usual tone still lingered.
"It's fine. I've been through this path before. The Nokkers only come out deeper in."
Fushi hitched up his shoulder bag. His silver hair swayed in the pre-dawn wind. His golden eyes stared fixedly into the dark depths of the forest.
"Tch, can't be helped."
From the very back, Gugu came walking up.
This was Gugu, now in a girl's body. Short black hair, brown eyes, a mask. A little shorter than Fushi, with narrow shoulders. Yet both shoulders bore a heavy load—water skins for three and a large pack of food, carried with a solid weight.
"You really are strong, huh."
"Of course. The body changed, but inside I'm still me."
Gugu seemed to grin beneath the mask. The voice was high, but the manner of speaking was completely the usual Gugu.
Rean glanced over at Gugu.
"...Isn't that heavy? I can carry some too."
"It's fine. Even in a man's body, you're still frail, aren't you?"
"How rude. I'm actually quite strong, you know."
Rean shot back with a pout. Even on a man's face, the expression was somehow endearing.
Fushi watched the two of them and gave a small laugh.
(Their forms may have changed, but those two are still themselves.)
That fact, strangely, lightened his heart.
◆
Inside the forest was brighter than expected.
The evergreen branches covered the sky, but morning light filtered through the gaps, scattering white spots across the mossy ground. The air was cool and damp, smelling of earth and grass.
"This area should still be fine."
Fushi stopped and looked around.
At the base of a tree, small blue flowers bloomed. Dream Bellflowers. A common flower growing wild throughout the forest. The same flower Rean always carried pressed in her pocket.
"Dream Bellflowers... how nostalgic."
Rean crouched and picked a single bloom.
"We have lots planted in our garden at home. Mother loved them, you see."
"Huh. That mansion's garden is nothing but flowers."
"Yes. But inside the house, it's suffocating. The flowers at least are beautiful."
Rean gently placed the plucked flower into his jacket pocket.
Watching this, Fushi was remembering the night before.
The curse that spread through the town. The people thrown into panic. The fact that everyone's sex had changed because of him.
(If only I'd noticed sooner.)
He clenched his left hand, pressing the flower-shaped mark on its back.
"Fushi."
Gugu came to his side and lightly tapped Fushi's shoulder. A girl's hand, yet its strength was as strong as ever.
"It's not your fault. Don't worry about it."
"...Gugu."
"Besides, I actually kind of like this body. It's light, easy to move in."
Gugu said this and spun around on the spot.
"See? Nice and nimble."
"What are you doing?"
Rean said with an exasperated look.
"Come on, it's fine."
"I give up."
Rean turned away with a huff. His ears were just slightly red.
Fushi gave another small laugh.
◆
As they pressed deeper into the forest, the air changed.
The trees grew denser, blocking out the light. The ground was damp and soft, swallowing their footsteps. Not even birdsong could be heard.
"...It's quiet."
Fushi murmured.
That was when it happened.
Rustle.
The leaves shook, though there was no wind.
"What was that just now?"
Rean stopped in his tracks.
Fushi strained his eyes, peering into the dark depths of the forest.
Something was there.
A translucent thing was coiling around a tree trunk. Thin tentacles like blood vessels. They were slowly, steadily reaching toward them.
"Nokker...!"
The instant Fushi shouted, the tentacles snapped into motion.
Whizz!
The sound of air being torn. Fushi dodged on reflex. A tentacle stabbed into the trunk right beside him. The trunk split with a splintering crack.
"Whoa!"
"Fushi!"
Gugu threw down the luggage and leaped in front of Fushi.
"Get back! I'll handle this—"
Before he could finish, another tentacle burst from the ground.
Gugu crossed both arms and caught it. The tentacle wrapped around the slender girl's arms.
"Ngh...!"
But Gugu didn't fall.
"You think this is enough to stop me?!"
Gugu poured strength into his arms and tore the tentacle apart.
With a rip, the translucent tentacle was shredded. The severed end fell to the ground, writhing.
"Amazing..."
Fushi's eyes went wide.
(Even in a girl's body, Gugu is still Gugu.)
But there wasn't just one Nokker.
From behind trees, from within the bushes, translucent tentacles appeared one after another. Five, ten—no, more. From all over the forest, countless tentacles stretched out to surround the three of them.
"There are too many...!"
Fushi thrust his left hand forward.
Deep within his body, the power of regeneration swirled. The power to heal wounds. But now he'd use it to attack—to repel the tentacles' tissue the moment they touched him.
"Stay back!"
A pale light radiated from Fushi's hand.
The tentacles that touched the light burst apart with a crackling sound.
"I did it...!"
But new tentacles grew back immediately.
There was no end to them.
"Fushi, on your right!"
At Rean's voice, Fushi looked right.
A thick tentacle flew straight at Fushi's head from the side.
He couldn't make it in time—
That was when Gugu lifted a fallen tree.
"Uwoooooooh!"
A thick fallen log that even a grown man couldn't lift—Gugu swung it effortlessly in that delicate girl's body.
Thwack!
The log mowed down a cluster of tentacles all at once.
"You okay, Fushi?!"
"Y-yeah. Thanks, Gugu."
Fushi caught his breath and looked around.
The tentacles were still there. But there were fewer than before.
"...Wait. Look at that."
Rean called out from a short distance away.
At some point, Rean had climbed onto a large tree branch. Using the man's body to its advantage, he looked down at the battlefield from above.
"Did you figure something out?"
"Yes. The Nokker tentacles—they're all stretching in the same direction."
Fushi looked where Rean was pointing.
Sure enough, the tips of the tentacles were all facing the same way.
"What's over there?"
"A patch where Dream Bellflowers grow in clusters. Look, over there."
Where Rean pointed, there was a place where blue flowers grew in a dense patch.
"The Nokkers are drawn to the scent of Dream Bellflowers. I'm sure of it."
"So they're following the scent of those flowers?"
"Yes. And they show the opposite reaction to the scent of Tentengrass—they avoid it."
Rean took the Dream Bellflower he'd picked earlier from his pocket.
"I'll test it."
Rean threw the flower toward the Nokker tentacles.
The flower fell to the ground.
Instantly, the nearby tentacles all turned toward the flower at once.
"Just as I thought. They're reacting to the Dream Bellflower scent."
"Then if we had Tentengrass petals, we might be able to keep the Nokkers away!"
"But Tentengrass only blooms in the flower field. It's not here."
"No, it is."
Fushi placed a hand on his own body.
"I've acquired Tentengrass. I might be able to release the scent of its petals from my body."
Fushi closed his eyes and concentrated.
Deep within his body, the power to swap sexes swirled. At the same time, he felt the sweet scent of flowers overflowing from within him.
"...How's this?"
When Fushi opened his eyes, the surrounding tentacles were clearly cowering.
The translucent tentacles slowly retreated, as if avoiding Fushi.
"It's working...!"
"You did it!"
Rean leaped down from the tree.
"Fushi, keep releasing that scent. Gugu and I should be safe as long as we stay close to you."
"Got it."
"Tch, finally a breakthrough."
Gugu tossed aside the fallen log and came to Fushi's side.
"You really are amazing, Rean!"
Gugu, excited, grabbed Rean's hand.
In the girl's body, he nearly threw himself into an embrace with the man-shaped Rean.
"W-wait, Gugu!?"
Rean's face went bright red.
"Ah, my bad...!"
Gugu too realized what he'd done and hurriedly let go.
An awkward silence flowed between them.
"...Let's go."
Rean faced forward and started walking. His ears were bright red.
"R-right."
Gugu was clearly blushing beneath the mask too.
Fushi watched the two of them and gave another small laugh.
◆
The three advanced through the forest, clustered around Fushi.
The Tentengrass scent emanating from Fushi's body kept the Nokkers at bay. The tentacles peered at them from behind the trees, but wouldn't come closer than a certain distance.
"Amazing, Fushi. You're like a walking flower field."
"You think? I can't really smell it myself."
"I can. It smells sweet."
Rean said.
"I don't mind the Tentengrass scent. It feels somehow nostalgic."
"Nostalgic?"
"Yes. It's similar to a flower I used to grow in the garden alongside the Dream Bellflowers when I was little. I forget the name, though."
Rean smiled a little sadly.
"...Maybe that was Tentengrass."
"Really?"
"I don't know. But Miranda said it's a flower that's grown around here since long ago."
"Huh."
Rean looked up at the sky.
Through the gaps in the trees, blue sky was visible.
"...Hey, Fushi."
"What?"
"Since I got this body, I've been thinking about a lot of things."
Rean gazed at his own hand. A man's large hand.
"That men see the world so differently. They're strong, they run fast, their voices carry. And also..."
Rean glanced at Gugu.
"I feel much closer to Gugu than before."
"Rean..."
Gugu stopped walking.
"So I absolutely want to change back. I want to return to being a girl, and there's something I need to tell Gugu properly."
Rean's blue eyes looked straight at Gugu.
Gugu couldn't say anything.
"...You two, it'll be okay. I'll definitely change you back."
Fushi said quietly.
"I believe you."
"Of course. If I didn't trust you, I wouldn't have come all the way to this forest."
Gugu lightly tapped Fushi on the head.
Fushi felt a warmth spreading gently through his chest.
◆
They emerged from the forest when the sun was directly overhead.
Their field of view suddenly opened up.
"...Wow."
The words slipped out unbidden.
A sea of pale pink.
The Shararaka flower field.
Each time the wind blew, the entire field swayed softly. A sweet scent mixed with the forest's cool air and drifted toward them. The same rich floral fragrance as that day when Fushi first set foot in this place.
"Beautiful..."
Rean, still in the man's body, was captivated by the flower field.
"So this is Tentengrass."
Gugu gasped beneath the mask.
The flower field was about two hectares. Pale pink Tentengrass stretched on endlessly.
And in the center of the field.
"...That's it."
Fushi pointed.
One Tentengrass plant, a size larger than the others, its color deeper.
The single original flow
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