Adapting to a New Body (3)

Ah, right, I haven't showered.

I should shower first.

'I have a spare set of patient clothes, so I can change into these... And I have spare underwear...'

When I entered the bathroom to shower, I found it was laid out like a regular home bathroom.

I guess they made it fairly large since this is a private room for long-term patients.

I took off my patient clothes, undid the hooks, and removed my bra, making my breasts sag.

'Ugh... This is embarrassing...'

I wasn't that embarrassed taking off my panties since they don't show anything, but my breasts... they're incredibly embarrassing.

Maybe it's because of their size and weight, but also because they're a part that wasn't originally there and impossible not to pay attention to...

When I turned on the shower and wet my body, I could feel the water hitting my breasts.

'Gasp... This feels strange...'

After wetting myself, I put body wash on a shower towel and lathered up my body.

'They said to wash that area with water only, so I need to be careful...'

After rinsing my body, I put the showerhead, with warm water running from it, against my head to wash my hair.

'Ugh... It's long, so this is going to take a while. It would be nice if I had something to catch the water in.'

After thoroughly wetting my hair, I applied shampoo and washed it.

My hair had originally been short, so now that it had become long, even applying shampoo took quite a while.

A few swipes had been enough before...

After rinsing every nook and cranny of my hair and drying my body, I came out and checked the clock; it was already almost time for bed.

Come to think of it, my body odor seems a little sweet now...? Did I eat too many sweets...

When I lay down to sleep, my bra was more uncomfortable than I'd expected. The pressure made it seem hard to sleep like this...

Should I take off just my bra before bed? That was probably best.

'It's late anyway, and no one's coming over...'

Just as I was undoing the buttons on my patient-clothes top one by one and unfastening my bra, the phone rang at the worst possible moment.

"Huh...? What?? I can't answer right now??"

This was bad. Hyunwoo, my friend, was calling.

The hospital had asked my family not to contact me, so I hadn't been receiving calls from them, but I'd forgotten I needed to do the same with my friend.

He probably thought I'd just come down with a bad flu... If I ignored him, he'd worry more and might even come to the hospital.

But answering the phone didn't seem like it would solve anything.

Let's imagine calling a close friend who had been single his entire life, only for a woman with a voice he'd never heard to answer.

He might be startled and ask who I was and whether this was OOO's phone, then hear that it was OOO's phone but he had stepped away for a moment.

I could make that excuse, but he might also just hang up, saying he was sorry and had dialed the wrong number.

If the call ended like that, I wouldn't even get the chance to make an excuse, and my friend might brand me a traitor.

A traitor who had hidden from his close friend that he was seeing a woman, whether a girlfriend or just a female friend...

Sadly, that wasn't true at all, but misunderstandings only grow if you don't prevent them or clear them up quickly.

'The call's going to end like this...! I'll just answer it!'

"H-Hello~"

"Huh? Is this Han Jihoon's phone?

"Y-Yes, it is, but Mr. Jihoon stepped away for a moment."

"Ah~ So you're a nurse~"

"Ah, y-yes. That's right. Mr. Jihoon is much better and will be discharged soon."

"Yes. Thank you~ I'll hang up~"

"Yes~"

I answered in a trembling voice and hung up.

'Phew... I lied... What do I do? What if he comes tomorrow??'

This was a disaster... I took off the bra slipping from my shoulders, buttoned my patient clothes, and set my phone on the table.

Whatever. It was a complicated illness, and if I gave him a vague explanation about how it was hard for me to meet people, that should work.

Then I'd have to come up with an excuse for not answering calls too... but I really had no idea what to say.

When I lay down as usual, my breasts spread in every direction, making the pressure intense.

'How do women sleep...? No, wait. Even if sleeping is uncomfortable because of their breasts, there probably aren't many people with breasts this big...'

At this size, sleeping on my stomach or back was impossible; I'd have to sleep on my side no matter what...

I couldn't even choose my sleeping position freely anymore...

Still, I must have been tired from shopping, because my eyes soon closed.

Just as I'd noticed earlier, I felt a slight tingling not only in my lower abdomen but also in my breasts...

If this were a growing body, I might understand, but this was a fully grown body, so I had no idea... Could it be a side effect?

Surely they aren't going to grow any bigger. If they get any bigger, I really won't be able to live normally...

I'd drawn the curtains before going to sleep, but I woke up because of the dazzling sunlight.

"Ugh... It's so bright..."

"Oh my, was the sunlight too bright?"

"Jiyeon...? Are you already at work?"

"After talking with the doctor yesterday, I decided it would be good to take care of you, Jia, so I'll come in a little earlier and leave a little earlier."

"Ah, I see."

"How are you feeling?"

"My breasts tingle a little... Maybe it's a side effect? I feel it overall, too..."

"I guess your brain is adapting to your new body. With breasts that large, the mammary glands are bound to be large, too."

"Mammary glands...?"

"Yes, they're a type of exocrine gland found inside the breasts that produces milk. You need them for breast milk to come out."

"Ah, I see..."

"If you still feel pain after about a week, it won't be too late to come to the hospital then."

"Ugh, I need to use the bathroom for a moment."

"Oh my, I'm sorry for bringing this up first thing in the morning. I'll come back later~"

"Yes, see you later~"

I hurried to the bathroom and said goodbye to Jiyeon.

'Ahh... That feels so much better...'

When I spread my legs and relieved myself, I thought maybe I'd been holding it in too long, because this was... wow.

Even the sound was completely different from a man's.

Since a man's urethra extends a long way outside the body, even if he holds it this long, more urine just comes out; it doesn't spread this much...

If I don't spread my legs, it gets on more places, so I do spread them, but even then... it gets on a lot...

No wonder the lines for women's restrooms are so long.

Whenever I went somewhere like a baseball stadium, there was always a line for the women's restroom; the men's line disappeared quickly no matter how many people came, so you only saw one during the peak rush...

Now that I think about it, shouldn't men wipe with toilet paper too?

Most people just shake it off and finish, but unless their control is really incredible, one or two drops must remain...

'I really think about the strangest things...'

After cleaning myself thoroughly, I came out and put my bra back on—the one I'd taken off before bed.

"I got it in one try!"

After struggling and grunting, I managed to fasten the hooks in one go.

"Knock, knock, knock"

"Eek!"

"Um, excuse me... It's breakfast time."

"Ah, right. Thank you."

My face felt hot again.

Luckily, I'd thrown on my patient clothes and fastened the hooks; I had almost ended up excessively exposed...

'Wow, beef-and-radish soup looks delicious.'

Gulp. It smells really good.

"Slurp, ahh... This is the stuff~"

I had always eaten quickly and suffered from acid reflux, but even when I wanted to eat that way, this body wouldn't let me.

My mouth seemed a little smaller too.

Thinking back to when I ate yukgaejang yesterday, maybe I had become more sensitive to spicy flavors; it hadn't seemed that spicy, but it tasted fairly hot.

'It's delicious, hehe... Oh, right, I need to brush my teeth too.'

I went into the bathroom and started brushing my teeth.

Maybe because I'd accidentally squeezed out too much toothpaste, the foam overflowed more than expected.

'Huh? Ah... If it drips from my mouth, it'll get on my breasts now...'

I wiped it off with a wet wipe, finished brushing my teeth a little later, and came out to check my phone when a notification sounded.

It was a text telling me to wait in my room because I needed to fill out some paperwork.

Fifteen minutes later, the doctor and Jiyeon came to see me carrying the paperwork.

Reading it carefully, I found it was a form stating that after discharge, I'd come in regularly for outpatient tests and that 90% of the cost would be covered by insurance.

90%...? Did the agent arrange that yesterday...?

'He was tall and pretty handsome... Though he was wearing sunglasses...'

??? Why am I thinking this? Oh, but he was handsome.

Good-looking people catch your eye at least once, regardless of age or gender.

"By the way, do I only need to come in once a month for outpatient visits?"

"Yes, if there are no unusual problems, once a month should be enough."

"I understand. Should I make my first visit in February?"

"I'd appreciate it if you came once in mid-February."

"Yes."

Once the doctor and nurse left the room, I wondered how I was going to kill time.

It was already ten... I'm bored... Should I go out for a walk by myself?

I should go out once. It's cold, so I'll put on my padded jacket...

Just as I opened the hospital-room door and stood in front of the elevator,

"Oh? Are you going out?"

"Yes, I'm going to take a walk before lunch."

"I see. Have a safe walk~"

"I'll be back~"

I waved to Jiyeon, who gave me a bright smile, took the elevator down to the first floor, bought a drink at the convenience store there, and went outside.

A nearby park seemed like a good idea, so I headed toward the park near the hospital.

'? Why is Hyunwoo over there...? Could he have come because I didn't answer his call?'

This was bad. If Hyunwoo came into the hospital to see me like this, they'd find out I wasn't there, and after my lie was exposed, wouldn't they also find out that my body had changed like this?

If Hyunwoo went into the hospital and said, 'I came to visit a friend, and the patient is named Han Jihoon,' they'd probably direct him to my room, still registered under Jihoon's name,

and even if he met Jiyeon, if he said he was my friend, there was a chance she'd help him find me.

There was no way I could let that happen. We'd been friends for nearly ten years; if he found out, he was sure to tease me, saying, 'This bastard turned into a chick, lol.'

As I walked around the park, breathing in its phytoncides, my brain froze.

Hyunwoo called me.

'Ah, I'm screwed.'

I switched to silent mode right away, but the moment he called, the phone of a woman standing nearby began to ring...

Wouldn't Hyunwoo have more than enough reason to suspect something and approach her, saying, "Excuse me, could you be...?"

My heart pounded wildly. I was so nervous. If I got caught, my life was over...!

I squeezed my eyes shut. My phone was still vibrating.

'I hope he doesn't hear the vibration...! Please...!'

Unable to calm my pounding heart, I stood there tense, unable even to open my eyes.

"Jia~!"

It sounded like someone was calling me, but I didn't know any women...?

Was I so nervous that Hyunwoo's voice sounded like a woman's voice?

"Jia!"

When I opened my eyes, Jiyeon was holding my shoulders and shaking me.

"Huh? Jiyeon?"

"I got a short break, so I came to talk to you."

"Ah, yes. Sure."

I nodded several times, then sat on a bench with Jiyeon.

Only then did I notice how thirsty I was, and I gulped down the drink I was holding.

"Cough, cough"

"What's wrong? Drink slowly."

Jiyeon said this, patting my back as I choked.

"Th-The man who keeps calling me... he's my friend..."

I whispered into Jiyeon's ear.

"I-I see. That must be difficult."

Jiyeon seemed to understand only then why I was acting strangely, and nodded as she spoke.

"Ahem, anyway, Jia, the agent contacted me earlier. Would you like to go to school?"

"S-School?"

"Yes, I think it would be good for you to attend school and make new friends. If you apply to change your name and update your ID card next Monday, it should still be completed within a few months. You could transfer to a school. The agent will help with the paperwork."

"It would be nice to make new friends in this body. But..."

"You're afraid of an all-girls' school, right?"

"Y-Yes... I had a hard time even at an all-boys' school, so I think an all-girls' school would be even harder... If possible, I'd like to go to a coed school."

"You'll need to go to court next week to file the application, and you'll also need to meet with the agent and talk things over, so you can tell them then."

"That sounds good."

After checking the time, Jiyeon returned to the hospital. I sat and drank my beverage, then kept walking around the park, doing my best to ignore Hyunwoo's calls, threw the drink into a trash can, and headed back to the hospital.

"Excuse me!"

"Excuse me!"

"Yes??"

I spun around in surprise and saw Hyunwoo standing there.

'!!!!!!'

This was really bad, wasn't it? H-He hadn't figured out who I was, had he??

"C-Could I help you...?"

"Um, did you just get a call on your phone?"

"Ah, I set it as an alarm, and it's going off now, haha..."

I knew Hyunwoo didn't know who I was, but feeling my old friend sneak a glance at my breasts filled me with self-loathing.

Hyunwoo's eyes had only dropped for a moment—just a moment—but honestly, with breasts that large right in front of him, not many people could avoid looking at least a little.

"I'm sorry if this is intrusive, but are you very sick...?"

"What? Sick?"

"Well, you're wearing patient clothes..."

"Ah... I'm being discharged this afternoon."

"Haha, I see. That's good. I'm glad you're being discharged."

"But did you need something from me...?"

"Ah, no, it's just that something was bothering me. I'm sorry if I offended you."

"Oh, no, it's fine. Well, I'll be going now."

"Yes, goodbye!"

Holding my breath, I turned around and only managed to exhale after leaving the park.

'Phew... I really thought I was screwed... He didn't find out, did he?'

When I returned to my room, I saw a comb and a note on the table.

'What's this...?'

The note was from Jiyeon; she said she'd noticed my hair was a little messy and had gone to buy me a comb.

My heart warmed at the note, and I opened the package and combed my hair.

Remembering an internet post saying that brushing too vigorously and irritating the scalp could cause hair to fall out, I slowly brushed my hair straight.

"Ow!"

Ugh... So that's why I need to brush it properly... It hurts so much when it gets tangled... Ow...

After combing my hair well, I picked up the hand mirror that had come with the comb to check, and a woman's face that still wasn't mine looked back at me.

I knew this was my body now, but how could I completely forget overnight the male body I'd lived in for over twenty years, completed my military service in, and graduated college in? It was impossible.

I knew I had to get used to this body, but it felt like neither my brain nor my mind had accepted it yet.

Would I feel better once I started attending school, whether in March or April?

No matter how quickly the name-change process went, it seemed like it would take at least three months...

When would I start attending school? Jiyeon said she'd help me for now, but maybe she was only helping me as part of her job.

I was a rare-disease patient, and something that should only have been possible in a science-fiction novel had happened in real life.

I think the government agent said as much, too. I should probably think of Jiyeon as helping me in a professional capacity, so I won't become dependent on her and can learn to live on my own...

I didn't have any friends now, so I thought it would be good to at least go to school and make some.