The Key of Change - Chapter 4
The aftermath of the events a few hours before, not so long after Kei - or Keiko - uncontrollably went way further than he thought he would!
Chapter 4: The Aftermath
The mask of Keiko stayed on Kei's face until the very moment Haru left… Then, the sweet shy beauty was staring right at the closed door, eyes opened wide as the consequences of her actions finally reached “him".
Kei of course was beyond confused… Of course he didn't mean to have Haru be made a fool or anything like this but… This had gone from a handjob to all too much! Sure it was strange and a bit overwhelming, and he truly was to blame for even pushing it further but… He truly couldn't figure out why he made this happen. After all this wasn't what he was into, he liked girls… At least he always assumed he did, always fell in love secretly for one and never told them, instead disappearing in a fashion he had cultivated since he was a child. Still that had to count for something, right?
Maybe it was this body's fault? Although he didn't really believe in stuff like body chemistry and all, he couldn't refute the fact that there was some form of attraction, or he wouldn't have done what he did… As the thought of it crept into his mind, his thin digits of one hand rose up to his full lips, caressing them lightly as the memory of that hard warmth pushed between them came right back to him. His cheeks reddened once more as his heart started to race, quickly removing those fingers from his lips before anything worse happened. Those weren't his sensations, they were whatever this body's was… Keiko's sensations. It wasn't like a multiple personality disorder, Kei just removed himself from it, refusing to take responsibility for this body's actions… After all, he didn't feel like he acted all that differently towards Haru. Teasing, snarky, demure at times too but only in situations where he was nervous already. Yet it was an active decision by Kei that led “Keiko" to hold the helm.
He walked back into the bathroom to look at his reflection, seeing that girl staring back at him right in the eyes… If he woke up the next day like this, it was rather obvious that “she" was there to stay. At least until he figured out how to go back to normal… He wanted Haru's help, yet panicked, lacked trust in his own best friend, and made up something on the spot… Every shot he had to tell him after this was cut rather short by what he had done afterwards, as he'd now have to explain why he even did that to begin with. From then on, telling Haru the truth was both admitting he lied to him in more than one way, potentially ruining their friendship… So, for now, it was Keiko's job to make sure everything would be as it once was when Kei found his way “back".
Although that wouldn't happen easily, and definitely wouldn't happen without carving Keiko a place in this world. As he started to try and smile, tilt his head to the side, testing out his very own expressions awkwardly in the mirror, he thought about all the things he needed to do. First of all, spending some of his money set aside from work to buy clothes, that much was obvious. Finding a way to tell College he'd have to take a leave of absence, and maybe manage to have “his cousin" fill up for him at work, just to still have some income. He'd have to change his mindset too, as responding like he used to could lead to some people knowing him to figure this out… and while he was ready before to tell just the one person, he definitely didn't want word of it to come out now. As he pondered on how to think in a girly fashion, his expression training turned into a pouting one, leading him to laugh nervously, before chuckling some more a little bit more heartily… Until he eventually shook his head, before letting out a long sigh.
Albeit unaware of if it was from his own feelings, desires, or this body's reactions, it was rather obvious that his own mind was confused. Kei as a person was flawed, but this part of him was hard to have a grasp on while he was being Keiko. Absolving himself of guilt, and pushing it all on someone he thought was “different" he also was slowly accepting that Keiko had to be the one in control, for his own sanity. It was like… Roleplay. He just had to play this role, like an actor, until he could reach the credits. Everyone did this, everyone tried to be someone else in public just to be appealing to others… His own version was just a bit more… invested.
The decision made, it was now Keiko's ship to run. She raised her head up, stared in the mirror with a look that faked confidence in an almost convincing manner, and nodded to herself. Her first choice was to… Go to bed. After all, there was a lot to do on the next day, and she was exhausted from all the events of the day. The shock, the crying, the further shocks and all had left her an emotional mess. She slipped out of her clothes, giving up on trying to find anything that would fit as a sleeping outfit, and simply laid down on the couch after converting it into a bed. As she made herself more comfortable, she could feel her own body slide more softly into the blankets, all of her shapes feeling so different once more but for once, not in a way that scared her. She turned herself to the side and started to breathe in deeply, slowly, almost certain that she could still smell Haru's cologne. It might be why she fell asleep so peacefully that night.
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Thank you for reading this far, chapter 4 is a bit shorter but sets up some spicy stuff for the next one, Chapter 5: Keiko's Time !