Shiori Novella, a member of hololive English's 'Advent,' wakes up one morning to find her body has turned male. She screams as she sees herself in the mirror. Rushing to the next room, she finds Bijou, now a girl with long flowing hair and a soft feminine figure. They point at each other and shriek in unison.
Nerissa arrives, now a boy, her cool demeanor intact but her voice deeper, and she sighs at her reflection. Fuwa appears as a girl, and even her relationship with Mococo and Abyssgard is
hololive Gender Panic! ~Shiori's Observation Diary~ - During the investigation, a love square explodes!?
I woke up.
My body felt strangely heavy all over.
…No, not heavy—more like cramped.
"Nn…"
Shiori Novella pried her eyelids open and woke up.
She confirmed the ceiling was the familiar one of her own room. Bookshelves lining every wall. A cluttered desk. And then she finally realized she was sitting slumped on the floor.
"…Why am I sleeping on the floor?"
A low voice echoed through the room.
Right. She was currently in a man's body.
Her half-awake mind slowly remembered that fact.
And one more thing.
"…Bijou."
Shiori turned her gaze toward the bed.
There, Bijou Koseki was sleeping.
Black hair reaching down to her waist spread across Shiori's pillow. Soft hair with only the tips curling inward. White skin. Long eyelashes.
"…We fell asleep like that last night, huh."
Shiori let out a small sigh.
She recalled the events of last night.
Finding the old book, discovering that a "confession of true love" was the key to breaking the curse.
The living room erupting into chaos over who would confess to whom.
At night, Bijou coming to visit Shiori's room.
"I, about Shiori-chan…"
She'd started to say that, then collapsed onto the floor and fallen asleep.
"…What was she trying to say?"
Shiori stared intently at the sleeping Bijou's face.
Her violet eyes were closed, her expression peaceful.
(…A beautiful sleeping face.)
The thought came to her suddenly.
And after thinking it, she noticed that deep in her chest, something was just a little restless.
Last night, when Bijou had collapsed.
When she'd lifted Bijou up.
And when Bijou had called her name in her sleep.
This deep part of her chest had been making a strange sound the whole time.
"…What is this heartbeat?"
Shiori placed her hand on her chest.
A hard chest plate, now that she was in a man's body.
Beneath it, her heart was pounding—thump, thump.
"…I need to record this."
Shiori quietly stood up.
She picked up the observation diary placed beside the bed.
An A5 notebook with a leather cover.
The single volume chronicling everything about this commotion, which Shiori had been recording continuously since that morning when their genders had swapped.
She flipped through the pages.
The last written page was last night's record.
"Unidentified emotion, details unknown."
That single line jumped out at her.
"…I need to confirm the true nature of this emotion."
Shiori gripped her pen.
Then, slowly, she approached the sleeping Bijou.
Careful not to wake her.
Careful not to make a sound.
Softly, holding her breath.
"…Sorry, just for a moment."
Shiori gently placed her hand on Bijou's chest.
…No, to be precise, she tried to place it there.
To measure the heartbeat of the sleeping Bijou.
She'd thought she would compare the beating of her own heart with Bijou's.
As a recorder, this was a necessary act of observation.
She told herself that as she reached out.
Her fingertips touched the fabric of Bijou's pajamas.
At that moment.
"…Nn."
Bijou's eyelids twitched.
"…Eh."
Shiori's hand froze in midair.
Bijou's violet eyes slowly opened.
Eyes that were unfocused, as if still in a dream.
Those eyes caught Shiori's face.
Point-blank range.
Shiori's masculine face was so close their noses might touch.
"…Shiori-chan?"
A hoarse, just-woken voice.
"G-good morning, Bijou. Um, this is, you see, part of my records, and by no means anything impure—"
Shiori rattled off excuses in a rush.
Bijou's face turned redder by the second.
"…!?"
Bijou sprang up.
No—she sprang away.
On the bed, she backed away from Shiori, putting distance between them.
Her back hit the wall.
"N-no no no, that's not it! I was really just trying to measure your heartbeat—"
"…"
Bijou said nothing.
She just stared at Shiori with a bright red face.
Her violet eyes were glistening.
"Bijou?"
"…S-sorry!"
Bijou leapt off the bed.
And like a fleeing rabbit, she bolted out of Shiori's room.
Bam!
The door slammed shut.
Silence returned to the room.
"…Eh."
Shiori stared blankly at the door left open.
"…What was that just now?"
She opened the observation diary still in her hand.
She ran her pen across the page.
"Bijou saw me at close range, blushed, and fled. Cause unknown. I was only trying to measure her heartbeat."
"…Cause unknown, huh."
Shiori placed her hand on her chest.
Her heart was still pounding.
"…My heart is also cause unknown."
A while later, when Shiori came down to the living room on the first floor, three figures were already there.
Bijou was in the kitchen preparing breakfast.
Nerissa was sitting on the sofa, looking at her smartphone.
Fuwawa was slumped over the table, still looking sleepy.
"…Good morning."
When Shiori called out, Bijou's shoulders jumped.
"G-good morning, Shiori-chan…"
Bijou replied in a small voice without turning around.
Her ears were red.
"…What's with that reaction?"
Nerissa directed a sharp gaze at Shiori.
Her deep purple-black hair was tied back into a single tail. Her reddish-brown eyes were partially hidden by her bangs over her left eye.
Since becoming a man, Nerissa's voice had dropped even lower.
"It's nothing."
"…Hmm."
Nerissa looked at Shiori suspiciously but didn't press further.
"Shiori-chan, breakfast's ready! Today it's ham and eggs and toast! And salad!"
Fuwawa lifted her face from the table and said cheerfully.
Her fluffy silver-white hair bounced. Her large light-blue eyes sparkled.
"Thanks, Fuwawa. …Wait, you made it?"
"Nuh-uh. Bijou-oneechan made it! I just set out the plates!"
"I see. Bijou, thank you."
When Shiori called out, Bijou finally turned toward her.
"…You're welcome."
Her face was still a little red.
"…Um, Shiori-chan."
"What is it?"
"…About this morning, um, I'm sorry. For running out so suddenly."
Bijou hung her head apologetically.
"It's fine. I'm the one who should apologize for trying to do something strange to you while you were sleeping."
"…Eh? Something strange?"
Bijou's face turned red again.
"I was trying to measure your heartbeat. As part of my records."
"…Records."
Bijou's expression clouded over, just slightly.
"…What's with that face?"
"…No, it's nothing."
Bijou shook her head slightly.
Nerissa watched this exchange intently.
"…What are you two doing from the morning?"
"Nothing."
"…Hmph."
Nerissa snorted in displeasure.
The four of them gathered around the table and began eating breakfast.
Ham and eggs and toast. Plus a colorful salad.
"…Delicious."
"Good. The eggs turned out well today."
Bijou smiled happily.
Seeing that smile, Nerissa's expression softened just a little.
"…It's good."
Nerissa muttered quietly.
"Nerissa, do you like your egg yolks hard or soft-boiled?"
"…Soft."
"Hehe, then I'll make them soft next time."
"…Yeah."
Nerissa turned her face away, embarrassed.
Shiori jotted this down in her observation diary.
"Nerissa rated Bijou's breakfast as 'good.' She tends to soften her voice only with Bijou."
"…Oi, record freak."
"What?"
"What are you writing in that notebook even during meals?"
"Records. This is my mission."
"…Hah."
Nerissa let out a deep sigh.
"By the way, everyone."
Shiori set down her fork and looked across the three faces.
"What is it?"
"I'm thinking of doing a bit of an interview investigation to identify the confession target."
"…Hah?"
Nerissa's eyebrow twitched.
"Because, to break this curse, we need a 'confession of true love,' right? But if we get the wrong person, we can never return to normal. So we should properly investigate who likes whom."
"…You're planning to do that at the breakfast table?"
"Yes. As a recorder, information gathering is fundamental."
Shiori opened her observation diary and readied her pen.
"Then, let's start with Bijou."
"…Eh!?"
Bijou's hands stopped dead.
"Bijou, have you ever liked someone?"
It was a direct question.
Far too direct.
The air in the living room tensed in an instant.
"…Th-that's…"
Bijou's cheeks flushed red.
"It's for my records. I won't force you, but I'd appreciate your cooperation."
"…Um, well."
Bijou looked down.
She clenched both hands tightly on her lap.
"…I, about Shiori-chan…"
It was a small voice.
But everyone in the living room heard it clearly.
"…I've been curious about you for a long time."
A trembling voice.
Bijou raised her face.
Her violet eyes stared straight at Shiori.
"Back when Shiori-chan had just started streaming. I was a huge fan of your streams. As a 'recorder,' you worked so hard to record all sorts of things and turn them into books. I really admired that about you."
"…Bijou."
"When I joined Advent and got to meet you… I was so happy. And as we spent time together, I started wanting to know more and more about you."
Bijou's voice gradually grew louder.
"I wonder if this is love. I don't really understand it myself. But when I see Shiori-chan, my heart races. And now that Shiori-chan has become a man, it races even more…"
Crash.
The sound of dishes breaking.
Nerissa had dropped the plate she was holding onto the floor.
"…Nerissa?"
Nerissa stared expressionlessly at the shards of the plate scattered on the floor.
"…Ah."
Meanwhile, Fuwawa—
"Pfft!?"
She spectacularly sprayed her apple juice.
"Fuwawa!?"
"C-cough! Hack! B-because, Bijou-oneechan, so suddenly, like that!"
Fuwawa frantically wiped the table.
"…Shiori-chan."
Bijou looked at Shiori again.
"I've been… curious about you for a long time."
Those words were far too close to a confession.
"…Eh."
Shiori was at a loss for words.
The pen in her hand slipped from her fingers.
It clattered as it rolled across the floor.
"…Bijou, that's—"
"…Sorry. For suddenly saying something so strange."
Bijou hung her head in embarrassment.
"…But it's the truth. I don't know how Shiori-chan feels about me. …But my feelings are real."
Silence fell over the living room.
The one who broke that silence was Nerissa.
Clatter.
Nerissa stood up noisily.
"…Nerissa?"
Bijou looked up at Nerissa in surprise.
Nerissa wordlessly approached Bijou.
And then, from behind, she pulled Bijou close as if embracing her shoulders.
"…Eh?"
Bijou's body settled into Nerissa's arms.
"…Nerissa, what's wrong?"
Nerissa didn't answer.
Instead, with her free hand, she slammed it against the wall beside Bijou's face—thud.
The so-called kabedon.
"…I'll protect Bijou."
A low voice echoed through the living room.
"…So don't do anything reckless."
Nerissa's reddish-brown eyes stared straight down at Bijou.
"…Nerissa-chan?"
Bijou stared back at Nerissa in surprise.
Her eyes slowly took in Nerissa's arm against the wall and Nerissa's figure standing so as to enclose her body.
"…What is this?"
"…What do you mean, 'what is this'?"
"…I haven't done anything that needs protecting, have I?"
"…You have. You just said something outrageous."
"…Outrageous?"
"…You told Shiori you like her."
Nerissa's voice trembled, just a little.
"…That was, um, not exactly 'like,' I just said I was curious—"
"…Same thing."
"…Nerissa-chan, why are you so angry?"
At Bijou's question, Nerissa bit her lip hard.
"…I…"
Nerissa started to say something.
"…I, about you…"
At that moment.
Everyone in the living room understood.
The meaning of Nerissa's actions.
Nerissa's feelings for Bijou.
"…Ah."
Bijou let out a small sound.
She stared at Nerissa's arm against the wall, then at Nerissa's hand holding her shoulder.
"…Nerissa-chan, could it be—"
"…Don't say it."
Nerissa cut off Bijou's words.
"…Don't say it. …Not now."
Her voice sounded pained.
Fuwawa watched the scene with both hands pressed over her mouth.
Her large light-blue eyes were wide open.
"…Nerissa-oniichan."
Fuwawa's chest felt restless.
She didn't understand why.
But seeing Nerissa pinning Bijou against the wall made something deep in her chest ache.
"…What is this?"
Fuwawa placed her hand on her chest.
Her heart was pounding.
But it was a diffe
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