Chapter 90: I am not in that world.
[eighteen]
Morofushi Sora'aki quietly finished breakfast with his beloved mother, then went to his room.
So, the reason he couldn't send the shrunken Morofushi Hiromitsu from the other world to the Gender-Swapped World was actually because the Hiromitsu in the Gender-Swapped World was over-limited?
Morofushi Sora'aki thought about it carefully. Many things don't happen out of thin air. Then he recalled his conversation with his brother.
Oh, right, I did promise my brother I'd take him to play together.
Morofushi Sora'aki: "..."
Morofushi Sora'aki: "..."
Morofushi Sora'aki, holding the amulet, said, "Next time, remind me first about something like this."
"Alright, take me to find my brother."
[nineteen]
Gender-Swapped World.
After Morofushi Hiromitsu made his outrageous remarks, the three women present were stunned.
Bourbon's reaction was the most obvious.
Akai Shuu responded, "...Shouldn't I be the one surprised now? Bourbon, what are you getting so worked up about?"
Bourbon: "I find it unbelievable that you would go after your own relatives. Just when I thought you were annoying enough, you always told me you could go even further."
Akai Shuu: ...This person really hates me more than just a little bit.
Just then, they heard noises outside again.
This time, the noise wasn't coming from Scotch's room, but from outside the door.
There was probably no immediate response from inside the room, because the knocking stopped, and instead, the rustling sound of someone picking the lock could be heard.
The few people who were about to speak shut their mouths and stared warily in the direction of the door.
Then, just as Bourbon picked up her gun, the door was pushed open from the outside, and a black-haired head poked in, giving Bourbon no chance to fire her bullet. "Excuse me, my brother is missing. Have you seen him?"
Everyone in the room: "..."
Morofushi Hiromitsu sighed: "Prying the lock is wrong, it's too easy."
Morofushi Sora'aki obediently lowered his head: "I understand."
The other three: ...Wait a minute? So this is the important part?!
Akai Shuu then retorted, "...Another one, Scotch. How many brothers and sisters do you actually have?"
Scotch: ...I really only have one older sister, right?
[twenty]
Seeing his older brother tied up, Morofushi Sora'aki didn't react in any other way, but said, "I don't know what kind of play you're playing, but Mom is calling you home for dinner, brother."
Morofushi Hiromitsu: "...Let me explain, brother isn't—"
Morofushi Sora'aki: "It's alright, I don't mind, brother."
Morofushi Hiromitsu: I know you don't mind, but I do!
Akai Shuu: "Can you let me go before we start playing house?"
Bourbon: "Shut up, Rye."
"Touko's personality is definitely not your true personality." said Morofushi Sora'aki. "What will it take to release my brother?"
Morofushi Hiromitsu: Ah, this line, has Sora'aki read some hero saving princess comic again?
Bourbon, arms crossed, said, "Then give me a reason to release him."
Morofushi Sora'aki thought about it seriously for a while, his upturned blue cat-like eyes appearing exceptionally clean, just like his blank mind. Morofushi Sora'aki took a step back: "Sorry to bother you, I can't think of anything."
Morofushi Hiromitsu: "...Are you serious?!"
Morofushi Sora'aki said seriously, "I only know that my brother and Rei-nii are close, but I don't know what kind of relationship you have with Touko."
"Besides, in comics, heroes always have to go through countless hardships to save princesses; it's impossible for them to release the princesses right from the start."
Morofushi Hiromitsu: "You really have been reading too many comics... I'm not a princess, Sora'aki."
Morofushi Sora'aki: "You are... I still have a video of my brother wearing a princess dress."
Morofushi Hiromitsu: "..."
Morofushi Hiromitsu emptied his mind.
He had no desire to know what kind of colorful life his younger brother had experienced.
[twenty-one]
"Sora'aki, don't say anything. I'll handle this myself... Can you wait for me outside?" Morofushi Hiromitsu sighed.
He realized he couldn't let his younger brother continue talking; the more his brother said, the more complicated the situation became.
Morofushi Sora'aki obediently walked out, and neither Scotch nor Bourbon stopped him, probably because they had received too much information that night.
About ten minutes later, Morofushi Hiromitsu emerged, rubbing his wrist, and asked, "Have you been waiting long, Sora'aki?"
"It's alright, let's go home, brother," said Morofushi Sora'aki.
Morofushi Hiromitsu smiled and said, "Okay."
Morofushi Sora'aki: "So, brother, do you want to see a video of yourself dressed as a woman?"
Morofushi Hiromitsu's smile froze for a moment: "No, thank you."
Morofushi Sora'aki: "What about Hagiwara and Matsuda?"
Without hesitation, Morofushi Hiromitsu replied, "Look!"
[twenty-two]
Home World.
When Morofushi Hiromitsu woke up in bed, he rubbed his shoulders, which felt unusually tired for some reason. Just then, a phone call came in.
Morofushi Hiromitsu yawned as he answered the phone. It was Furuya Rei's voice on the other end: "Hiro, are you out yet?"
Morofushi Hiromitsu was taken aback. He glanced at the time and realized it was almost time for him to go to work. He immediately said, "Sorry, sorry, I didn't realize the time. I'll be leaving right away!"
[No rush—I meant if you haven't left yet, how about you and Fujino switch shifts today? He suddenly has something to do tomorrow, so he asked me for a day off.]
Although both Furuya Rei and Morofushi Hiromitsu are public security officers, one is from the Metropolitan Police Department and the other from the National Police Agency. They only teamed up for a special undercover mission before, and they haven't disbanded their team yet; they're still working together.
"Tomorrow? I'm not busy tomorrow, so taking a day off is fine." Morofushi Hiromitsu was relieved and said with a smile, "Speaking of which, I had a rather interesting dream last night."
"Hmm?" Furuya Rei asked in a nasal tone.
"I dreamt that Zero turned into a girl, and you were so cute!" Morofushi Hiromitsu said with a smile.
Furuya Rei instantly bristled: [Hiro!]
"Haha, I'm not kidding anymore. Good luck with your work, Zero."
After hanging up the phone, Morofushi Hiromitsu opened his bedroom door and bumped into his mother as he went downstairs. His mother exclaimed in surprise, "Oh? So you're home, Hiromitsu."
Morofushi Hiromitsu: "Huh?"
Where else could I be if I'm not home? That was the meaning in Morofushi Hiromitsu's eyes.
Mother Morofushi breathed a sigh of relief: "I was worried something had happened when I saw you weren't in your room... Anyway, it's good that you're alright."
At that moment, Morofushi Sora'aki descended the stairs, saying, "Good morning."
Good morning, it's bright and clear.
"Brother, shall we continue?"
"...Continue what?" Morofushi Hiromitsu suddenly had a bad feeling.
Morofushi Sora'aki replied, "To go play with Rei-nee and the girls?"
Morofushi Hiromitsu: "...So, that wasn't a dream at all, but reality?"
Morofushi Sora'aki took out his phone: "...If brother needs evidence..."
Morofushi Hiromitsu waved his hand to stop him: "No, no need! Sora can keep it himself!"
Morofushi Hiromitsu carefully recalled what had happened the night before. He saw his gender-swapped self, Zero, Akai, and a photo on Sora'aki's phone of himself with Hagiwara Kenmi and Matsuda Jinko...
"Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever met you, Sora'aki—I mean, the other gender of you."
Morofushi Sora'aki replied calmly, "I don't exist in that world, but if you're curious, brother, it's not impossible for me to become a girl."
Morofushi Hiromitsu paused: "What did you say? Sora'aki?"
Morofushi Sora'aki: "If you wish, brother, I can become your sister—"
Morofushi Hiromitsu: "I meant the sentence before that."
Morofushi Sora'aki: "That world doesn't have me?"
Morofushi Hiromitsu didn't answer. His blue cat-like eyes were no longer as relaxed as they had been during their casual conversation. Morofushi Hiromitsu stared at his younger brother for a long while, opened his mouth, and finally, under the puzzled gaze of Morofushi Sora'aki, reached out and patted Sora'aki's head: "It's nothing, Sora'aki, you're almost late."
Morofushi Sora'aki muttered to himself: Isn't it all because you suddenly disappeared, brother?