My Best Friend Is a Cross-Dressing Pro

(Sun Yao)

"...Cross-dressing."

After showering, it felt strange to keep wearing that dress, so I stored the Battle Dress back in the Star Crystal. Wrapped in a bath towel, I left the bathroom, intending to borrow an oversized men's T-shirt from Yezi. At least it would be more comfortable to sleep in. But when I opened his wardrobe, the first thing I saw was a pure black ruffled skirt with buckles.

That skirt seemed somewhat similar to Miluno's Battle Dress.

I took another step back and looked over that corner of the wardrobe.

Four or five coordinated outfits—women's clothing that, in my opinion, showed pretty good taste.

Panties and socks were neatly folded in storage boxes. They even had a faint fragrance. Looking at this part alone, it was completely a girl's wardrobe.

Ahahaha, could Yezi actually be a girl?

No, that was obviously impossible.

If those clothes were his, then... oh no. It seemed I had stumbled upon some incredible secret.

"Don't open that!"

Just as I had no idea how to react, my good brother Yezi rushed in with a wail. There was a rare look of panic on his face, making me feel as though I had done something wrong again.

Unlike a shut-in loser like me who only knew how to cause trouble, he not only had the handsome looks every social butterfly needed, but also an exceptionally dependable personality.

If he hadn't been keeping me company, he definitely could have found himself an amazing girlfriend...

Wait, could these clothes belong to Yezi's girlfriend?

"Um, Yezi, could it be that while I didn't know, you already got a g-girlfriend?"

I could barely get the words out, like a goldfish blowing bubbles.

"...Yeah!"

Looking at that delayed response, though, he didn't really seem like someone who had a girlfriend.

Come to think of it, we had been best friends since childhood. He had spent every day of summer vacation hanging around with me. Wouldn't I know whether he had a girlfriend?

I raised a hand and placed it on his shoulder.

Then I asked with concern, "Yezi, when did you start having this kind of interest?"

He turned his head away, seemingly unwilling to look at me.

"W-what interest are you talking about?"

"Cross-dressing! Since you don't have a girlfriend, these clothes can only be yours, right? Or are you secretly a magical girl too, so you keep some women's clothes around for private activities?"

Of course, the second half was just a joking guess.

"That's right, these women's clothes are mine..."

I hadn't expected him to admit it.

"...You really cross-dress?"

With a dark expression, he explained, "But I didn't buy them recently. These are clothes from middle school, and I didn't wear them willingly. My mom forced me to wear them... If you don't mind wearing clothes I've worn before, you can try some on... though you can forget about the underwear."

Yezi's shy look as he pressed his lips tightly together was kind of amusing.

"Huh? Auntie likes making her son wear women's clothes?"

"...Well, she's my mom."

As he said that, he gave a dry smile.

Thinking about it carefully, it actually seemed pretty normal for that woman to have such a hobby.

After all, she used to go on and on about how it would be perfect if either Yezi or I were a girl. We could just make a pair, no need to waste public resources; our two families could handle it internally.

...Wait, I was a girl right now.

I was a magical girl, but once I dismissed my Battle Dress, I was no different from an ordinary girl. Apparently, I could even get pregnant and have children, so getting married was also...

Wait, wait, what was I even thinking?!

How had I somehow started thinking about marrying Yezi?!

Once Miss Heat Haze got out of the hospital and the public backlash died down, I was still going to change back!

Sun Yao! Get a grip!

I patted my burning cheeks and asked again, "Was it cute?"

"What are you talking about?"

That had probably come out of nowhere.

"I mean, were you cute when you dressed as a girl?"

"How am I supposed to answer that?"

"Didn't you keep any photos or something? I want to see!"

I really did want to see what Yezi looked like in women's clothing. His face was delicate enough that it probably wouldn't look particularly out of place...

"Before that, shouldn't you put some clothes on?"

He picked out a dress from the wardrobe and held it in front of me.

"And forget about this, A-Yao. Everyone has one or two embarrassing memories they don't want to recall... You of all people should understand that now, right?"

As he said that, the shadows on his face suddenly seemed heavier, more weathered.

It looked like there really was some miserable past he couldn't bear to remember...

"You want me to wear this dress?"

"Any one is fine. At least put something on, okay? You ran out wearing nothing but a bath towel. If you won't consider yourself, at least consider how I feel."

Because of how I looked right now, he was even too embarrassed to look at me.

And I had just come out of the bathroom. This body had such a good figure to begin with.

I had also done that kind of thing in the bathroom. My face must still have been flushed with that alluring, suggestive redness, right?

Would that give him the wrong idea?

But if it was Yezi, he probably wouldn't care... or would he care too?

Someone like me really wasn't suited to possess the Star Crystal. I was frivolous and careless. This wasn't the magical girl I had dreamed of becoming.

My overheated head was filled with chaotic logic as I took the light blue spaghetti-strap dress from him.

Then I asked, "Yezi, are you curious about girls' bodies?"

"...What are you trying to say?"

"Well, it's not often that someone becomes a magical girl, and I'll turn back later anyway. Don't you want to take this chance to learn about a girl's body?"

The words I barely managed to force out made even the roots of my ears burn.

"...A-Yao, we can't do that."

"No, um, that's not what I mean... It's just that my body is really nice! No, that's not it either... It's just... I was exploring what a girl's body feels like in the bathroom too... Does that make me seem really lewd?"

Even though I was rambling incoherently, Yezi still rubbed his forehead after hearing me out.

He thought silently for a while. He had probably understood the reason for my confusion, then tried to put it into words.

"A-Yao, you think magical girls are heroes who save the world, pure beings like idols. They can't have any stains on them, and they have to be careful about everything. You don't want to ruin the image people have... no, that's not it. You don't want to ruin the image of magical girls in your own heart."

Yezi was right.

The magical girls in my dreams were perfect beings, almost divine. That was why I admired Miluno so much—pure and powerful as she was.

"But I know you're A-Yao, my brother. If you want to maintain the image people have of you, then do it. But in front of me, you can put down all those burdens. Your anxieties, your complaints, your lewd thoughts about girls, or even your exploration of your own body... No matter what awful things happen, you can tell me. Whatever emotions you have, you can come talk to me."

"After all, I'm the only one who can let you take off your mask now, aren't I?"

He had seen right through me.

That only made me feel even more ashamed.

I hugged the dress against my body, not knowing what to say.

Then I felt a gentle pat on my head.

What was this feeling?

"I can understand it all. I'll accept every part of you, so you don't need to feel uneasy."

The happiness in my heart was impossible to calm. Even after I had become a magical girl, Yezi's attitude toward me hadn't changed.

I even felt a little, just a little like crying.

"Yezi, thank you."

"Idiot, what are you thanking me for? If you still think of me as your brother, don't be so polite. Get changed first. I still need to clean up the room for you."

With a smile that made me feel warm inside, he closed the door and left.

"Ugh, what was that?"

The moment the door shut, all the emotions I absolutely couldn't show in front of him came flooding out. I buried my face in the dress and threw myself onto the bed... The mattress was soft, and it smelled quite a bit like Yezi.

I had never noticed it before.

But from a girl's perspective, he was basically the perfect boyfriend!

"Calm down. I should get changed first."

There were other women's clothes in the wardrobe, but for sleeping, this relatively plain dress was more suitable.

But just as I untied the bath towel around my body, there was movement at the door again.

Knock knock—

"W-what is it?"

Yezi's sudden knock made me tense up.

He had pulled the second bedroom door shut when he left, but it wasn't locked. I was completely naked right now, and I was genuinely afraid he might suddenly barge in.

He only spoke through the door. "A-Yao, why don't you sleep in my room tonight? I'll sleep in my parents' room."

I let out a breath of relief.

"What's wrong with the guest room?"

"I only found out after cleaning it that the air conditioner is broken. You'll suffocate if you sleep there for a night."

Mid-July was the hottest time of the year. Spending a night in a room without air conditioning really would be unbearable.

"But Uncle and Auntie's bedroom hasn't been cleaned in a long time either, has it?"

It was a three-bedroom apartment, but the guest room and master bedroom were basically kept shut all year round. Yezi's parents were much like my old man—people we wouldn't see once in an entire year. The two of us had basically been left to fend for ourselves.

If the guest room hadn't been maintained for so long, the Other Side was probably the same. The bed probably had enough dust on it to make cement unnecessary if you wanted to dance on it.

"It won't take long to clean it. Worst case, I can sleep on the couch."

"Don't do that. Let's just sleep in your room together."

"...Th-that wouldn't be good, would it?"

The voice behind the door sounded hesitant.

I slipped on the dress, but going without underwear seemed a little inappropriate, so I summoned part of my Battle Dress—the underwear portion.

Only after getting properly dressed did I open the door.

"If it really comes down to it, we can make a bed on the floor. You might not dare sleep in the same bed as me, but don't tell me you aren't even willing to sleep in the same room as your brother?"