Crossdressing Con...test (2)
Crossdressing Con...test (2)
My hair had grown longer. I was so startled at first that I leaped in place, but after giving it some thought, it wasn't that shocking.
'I already knew my body wasn't normal...'
My hair and nails didn't really grow, and I produced almost no bodily waste.
Besides, I'd given up on understanding my body the moment my torn-off leg regrew on its own.
Back then I'd been lost in delusions about having a special constitution or being an alien, but by now I at least partially understand the reasons.
'So what's this? Homogenization?'
I awkwardly touched the ends of the hair. It reached a little past my shoulders. The sensation coiling around my fingers felt strangely unfamiliar.
"Now that you mention it, a horn grew on your forehead and dog ears sprouted on your head. So lengthening your hair is probably just as possible... By the way, Ha-yul, isn't this a Unique Ability?"
"...No, it isn't a Unique Ability."
I shook my head as I sensed Ellia's touch stroking my hair with her eyes wide.
Physical changes through Homogenization—
Manifesting a unicorn's horn or a dog's ears are examples of that. Compared to those changes, having your hair grow longer is nothing to be surprised about.
But the problem was that this was happening even though I hadn't particularly used Homogenization.
I just thought about it, and my hair arbitrarily lengthened... no, it grew out on its own.
This isn't particularly temporary. If I wish it, it'll stay like this.
'What about the opposite?'
I turned the thought over for a moment. I pictured my usual short hair and wished for it to return.
— Swish...
"Oh. It's getting shorter again."
Ellia let out an admiring exclamation. As if time were rewinding, the hair was shortening back.
She stroked the hair that was gradually slipping from her hand with regretful touches.
Soon the shortening stopped. It had returned to its original state. Truly nothing short of miraculous.
'Is this a fairy trait? Or a function of my body?'
I couldn't tell which. I should go back to the mansion, gather the fairy children, and ask them. Fairies have spirit-body characteristics, so it might be easy for them...
"Ha-yul, is there something you've forgotten?"
"Huh?"
As I was fiddling with my hair and lost in thought, Ellia placed her hands on my shoulders—thump—and asked.
Strangely, my body stiffened rigidly. Her chatty voice embedded itself in my eardrums, and the hands on my shoulders felt as heavy as if I were shouldering Taesan.
'Forgotten something?'
I didn't know. Thanks to Ellia saying that of all things, my mind spun itself into a loop. Rustle— Even calmly retracing my memories, there wasn't any special promise I'd made.
"...I don't, know..."
"Now, now, we shouldn't let bad words slip out."
"Mmmuup..."
A finger slowly approached and firmly pinched my lips shut.
'Ah.'
— [Fuck?]
The voice spat out by the Confession Necklace right in front of me. My eyes went round.
"Thah, wuzzn muh mouth... (That, wasn't my mouth...)"
"Tsk! That doesn't mean you can just swear carelessly."
Ellia firmly cut off my objection and shook her head. At that reaction, the mouth that had been mumbling excuses clamped shut of its own accord.
Unlike her usual benevolent and cozy presence, the current Ellia exuded an intangible pressure that made me dare not resist.
Under that pressure, the Sky Wing Feather fluttering behind my back drooped limply, and my head lowered by itself.
"I'm sorry..."
In the end, the words that came out were unconditional surrender.
As I murmured while furtively lowering my eyes, Ellia's pressure softened. Soon a gentle touch stroked my head.
"Mm, thank you for saying that. Ha-yul, you don't like it when Yeon-hwa swears, right? It's the same for me."
The hand that was stroking my head came down and gently cupped both cheeks. Lifted by that touch, my gaze met those bright yellow eyes.
"How much it hurts my heart when ugly words come out of a pretty mouth like this. Of course, I can't help what you think to yourself, but no matter the route, I'd like you to avoid saying bad things as much as possible."
Ellia's fingers caressed my lips. Then she asked with a rather worried expression.
"That didn't upset you or anything...?"
"Nnn... no, it didn't..."
I shook my head back and forth at Ellia's concerned words. I was the one at fault, and she had scolded me with proper words—how could that possibly upset me?
Then Ellia smiled brightly and briefly pressed her lips to mine. Smooch—a tantalizing sensation moistened my lips.
ㅤ[Clench]
"Hm?"
And, although this sounds a bit perverted, I even liked being scolded like this.
It was a feeling similar to when I got spanked and scolded by my teacher in the past.
It's a selfish thought, but I liked being worried about and told off...
I shook my head to clear the thoughts and hugged Ellia tightly.
My face was buried deep in her voluptuous softness, and the faint scent of milk filling my nasal passages spread to its limit.
Ellia's eyes widened before she smiled gently and opened her arms wider so I could nestle more comfortably.
"Heh heh, when we were little, after my younger siblings got scolded, they always scampered over and latched onto Mom. You're a bit similar, Ha-yul."
Ellia let out a laugh and calmly swept my hair back.
ㅤ[Mom...]
"Yes, that's how it was back then. Or maybe not? I wonder if he still does— the youngest was still little even now."
Resting her chin on the crown of my head, Ellia murmured affectionately. Now and then she rubbed her cheek against my hair or pressed a kiss to the top of my head.
In response to those overflowing gestures of affection, I buried my face even deeper into her embrace and tightened the arms wrapped around her waist.
— ...For real? Physically, you look about fourteen, maybe fifteen...? Your mind seems even younger... and you're a bit short.
The words of the 5th Iteration suddenly came to mind.
Setting aside the estimated physical age, they'd said my mental age also looked very young.
...When I thought about it carefully, that did seem to be the case.
Without even comparing myself to anyone else, hadn't I changed enormously compared to my past self?
I was now casually committing embarrassingly shameful thoughts and actions that I couldn't even have imagined in the past.
This is mine, and it's a kind of greed I don't want to give to anyone else.
'...Whatever.'
I didn't pay much attention to it.
Many things have changed compared to my past self, but that doesn't mean I want to let go of what I've painstakingly gathered.
— Wooooong...
A mana resonance came from the ceiling. Soon the magic activated, and an announcer's voice rang out.
— The Siyoram Cross-dressing Contest and Male-dressing Contest will begin shortly. Participants, please come up without your disguises. Once again...
ㅤ[Ugh—]
Between the warm happiness, icy reality came burrowing in...
.
.
.
An event for laughing, chattering, mocking, and giggling.
As if to demonstrate that intention, the proceedings of the event were absolutely vicious to the extreme.
"Allow me to first offer my greetings to everyone who has honored this precious occasion with your presence."
The host on stage bowed to the audience with a lively expression.
The event venue was a temporary facility set up before the Birth Festival. But it wasn't a shoddy setup, and had everything necessary.
"In truth, there's no need for any grandiose program explanations, is there? You all came knowing what this is about, didn't you?"
Just as the host said, there was no trace of doubt on the faces of those seated in the audience.
Quite the opposite; most were busy with their eyes sparkling as they watched the people who had come up on stage.
There was nothing special about the first segment. It was a procedure to show the cadets' original appearances before they disguised themselves.
A large hologram appeared in the air, displaying the figures of the cadets standing on the stage.
— Wooooong...
Additionally, near the ceiling of the venue, broadcasting drones buzzed around in flight. Not just one—there were three or four of them.
For a moment I considered blasting them all away with magic, but I suppressed the impulse with the thought that I shouldn't cause trouble for others.
The pigs brought before slaughter... no, the participants who had come up on stage were introduced.
Of course, not everyone wore a deathly expression.
Some had composed faces like Yeon-hwa, and others laughed as if they didn't care, like Baek A-rin.
But most were sullen or looked half-dead, just like me.
But why was it that the more the expressions of those on stage clouded over, the brighter the faces of the audience became?
This reality of mocking others' misfortune was unbearably miserable.
ㅤ[Herk]
As I was sullenly waiting for my turn, I flinched at a presence that suddenly intruded.
There were cadets I'd happened to meet while going about life at Siyoram, and Lee Ji-yeon, who had apparently come to watch with her friends, was also staring at me with an odd expression.
I quietly opened my trembling eyelids.
Within the information conveyed by Observation, the people who had been glancing or staring at me widened their eyes.
Among those visible to sight, beyond the veil of mist, I spotted my teacher and Professor Liana.
Our gazes met.
My teacher stood with arms crossed and let out a faint laugh, and Professor Liana smiled brightly and waved her hand.
That wasn't all.
Seo-yul was sitting on Professor Liana's lap, and the fairies perched on Liana's shoulders and atop her head were looking around in every direction with curious eyes.
Naturally, they were all wearing perception-obstruction magic tools, but that didn't put my mind completely at ease.
— Gasp...
ㅤ[Dismay]
Why had they all come to watch this? I couldn't understand. There were so many other fun and enjoyable events besides this one.
Why, of all things...
My breath caught.
Seo-yul, and the kids who treated me like their king—they're all looking this way...
"Now, next cadet!"
Before I knew it, my turn had come.
I slowly stepped forward on trembling legs.
At the same time, my image appeared large on the hologram.
— Waaaaaah!
A playful roar of cheers erupted. At the intense noise, the eyes I'd managed to keep open squeezed shut.
I wanted to run away. Might as well go do some training at this hour, I thought. Of course, this was a request from Yeon-hwa, so I couldn't really do that...
— Thump...
ㅤ[?]
In that moment, something throbbed powerfully in my chest. A small vibration, like a portent of something to come.
A rather familiar sensation, and one that hadn't flared up recently, made my eyes go round.
＊ ＊ ＊
[Unique Ability 'All-Rounder' grows]