I lurched forward as consciousness snapped back into place, breath catching like I'd been dragged up from deep water.
My eyes were open, but it didn't matter—the world was just a smeared mess of light and shadow.
I dragged a hand across my face, rubbing hard at my eyes, scraping away the sticky gunk glued to my lashes. The blur thinned, just enough for warm sunlight to bleed through and make me squint and scrunch my face without meaning to.
A sharp pressure slammed against my skull, making me groan. Instinctively, I lifted a hand to touch it—
"Nnngh…" I winced and pulled it back fast, like I'd brushed a hot stove. but it wasn't my hand that hurt—it was my head. Felt like a cinder block had dropped straight onto it.
"What… happened?" I mumbled, leaning on one arm. My fingers sank into the softness beneath me. "Huh?" I looked around slowly, then behind me…
I wasn't on the cold floor anymore. I was in a bed.
My brows knit together as I looked up, taking in my surroundings: a huge window to my left, sunlight spilling in, and a door maybe ten feet away. But none of that held my attention for long, because the mattress beneath me was ridiculously soft.
Without really thinking about it, I flopped forward and buried my face into the pillow, curling the blanket that had been halfway draped over me when I woke up.
"…A bed," I whispered, faintly awed. "An actual bed…" I shifted slightly, testing the mattress again, like I needed to be absolutely sure it was real. It had been so long since I'd felt anything like this—or at least, it felt that way.
My thoughts went soft around the edges, the bed warm and forgiving, pulling me under and urging me to stay—just a little longer.
Honestly, I would have, if not for the memory that cut through it.
My own bed—how Mom used to try sneaking in when I wasn't around, until the day I came home early from school to buy groceries and cook dinner, catching her in the act. I could hardly believe I'd almost forgotten. My stomach clenched.
"I need to get back to them…"
Suddenly, a faint hum reached my ears. It was distant at first—"hmm-hmm"~—soft and breathy, easy to miss. It wobbled as it drifted closer, a wordless little tune.
"Hmm~ hm-hm, hmm~"
The melody was light and sweet, just a bit off-key, like a young girl happily lost in her own world. Each note bounced gently, filling the quiet with an unconscious, comforting cheer.
Comforting? Cheer? Lately, those words felt closer to their opposites.
I hadn't figured out why yet, but I closed my eyes and let the bed hold me— but not to rest. I lay still, pretending to sleep, like a possum playing dead.
The door creaked open as my eyes stayed shut, then the Soft footsteps approached the bed, barely audible, but there.
"Ughhh~ she's so cute, cute~," she said, pressing what I could only imagine was her soft cheek against mine. "I love how your skin feels… it's so soft!"
I stayed frozen, pretending to be unconscious, while my insides went haywire. Focus, Pondaru… focus. Just stay still. Maybe if I don't move… she'll go away…
She hummed a little tune to herself, hopping from thought to thought like a hummingbird. "No, no… don't… she's still out, so I can't… but she's just so adorable! Ughhh."
There was a brief silence, then a sharp inhale. "...but just a little squeeze wouldn't count, right…? Just to check…no, no! Stay calm… stay calm… But I really wanna know if she feels the same everywhere, maybe just a little poke… No!"
Her voice softened, almost shy, like she was scolding herself under her breath.
"Sakura, you're a good girl, not a bad one, right? Right…?"
A soft tap echoed against something wooden, followed by a tiny squeak.
"Hmmm~? Yahh~! That's it!"
I felt a light pressure sink into one side of the bed. The covers shifted, and a strange crawling sensation crept up my leg. I flinched instinctively, my legs moving outward as the faint warmth of her breath touched my skin, making me realize just how close she was.
"It's okay, we're both girls~" she hummed cheerfully, completely missing my rising panic.
"Wow… you're so warm and squishy, like a little marshmallow!" she murmured, genuinely impressed. Her tiny hands pressed against my legs, the stocking fabric stretching gently along with my skin.
"It's like… one of those memory foam pillows! You push it down, and it just pops right back up… pop! Pop!" She giggled, delighted by the way it sprang into place again and again.
Her small hands pressed along my legs, tugging the fabric as the skin beneath stretched with it.
W-why am I being inspected like… like bedding?! I thought, squirming a little under her hands.
I cracked one eye open just in time to see the blankets shift.
She was definitely under them. Like a poorly disguised ghost at a school play, she wriggled beneath the covers, hovering right over the lower half of my body.
"Alright! Time to get these off—"
I felt a sudden, abrupt jerk at the only thing protecting my remaining manhood, and instinct took over, every survival response snapping into panic.
"WAH—WH—WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" I shrieked, shooting upright and yanking the covers up like a shield. "DON'T TOUCH ME THERE!!"
The girl in front of me had long pink hair tied into twin tails. She looked pretty young, wrapped in a white-and-blue hoodie that looked a little too big for her.
"EH—NO—WAIT—AH—!" she squeaked, panicking so hard she almost bounced on the spot. "I wasn't touching you! I mean—okay—I did, but—but—but—!" She waved her hands wildly, words tripping over each other like a jumbled puzzle.
"It was just—because—well—KORAI SAID YOU PEED YOURSELF and I thought you were still sleeping, so I was gonna help! I didn't want you stuck in yucky undies, that's gross, and everyone deserves to be comfy when they wake up!"
"…It– it's not that!," I snapped, my face turning redder than a stop sign. "I… I spilled juice on myself!"
"Ohhh. Gotcha~" she said, nodding with a bright, satisfied smile, like this explained absolutely everything.
I'd lied to her. I hadn't even felt it at first, but… I guess there was no denying it now. It was totally pee. My body still couldn't hold it in during sleep, apparently. Before I could even finish thinking a hundred more thoughts about how humiliating this was, her voice cut in.
"I'm Sakura!" she squealed, practically bouncing on the balls of her feet. "What's your name?"
"Pondaru," I said, instinctively apologizing. "I'm sorry for shouting at you like th—"
"Pondaru,,,?" she chirped, suddenly leaping up and hugging me like a stuffed animal. "Pon-chan! Pon-chan! You're so cute! I just can't help it!"
Her hair brushed across my cheek as she nestled her head against me, snuggling in like it was the most natural thing in the world.
I basically froze—this feeling of being hugged by someone, was something I'd thought I'd never be able to experience again…
It should have been simple, ordinary… but to me, it felt impossible, like a dream I wasn't allowed to have. My chest tightened, and for a moment, I just wanted to stay like that, let myself be held.
Instead, gently, I eased her off of me and opened my mouth to ask for help getting home, but then nothing came out.
"I already know what you're gonna ask, Pon-chan! Here!" She leaned down, holding out a pair of blue-striped panties with a proud grin. "These are Juna's. I'd let you borrow mine, but they're way too big! When I measured your waist, I checked, see?" She tugged lightly at her own waistband to show me.
"Ehh… er… no, it's okay! I'm fine," I said, backing away, forcing an awkward smile. "Thanks anyway…" My wet spats were unbearable—but there was no way I was doing that!
Before I could move back anymore, she jumped up on me, tugging at the back of my spats and exposing my upper buttocks, mooning the world with a breeze, and I froze, completely mortified.
"P-please—stop!" I stammered.
"You have to… gugh… put them on!" she grunted, trying her hardest to stop me from running. I couldn't—she was small, but still bigger and stronger than me.
"I won't let you walk around like that, Pon-chan! Geez, stop resisting, or I'll change you by force!"
"Or?!" I sputtered, my face burning. "You're… you're already doing it!"
"B-because you're still resistinggg!!!" she yelled, grunting as she tried even harder to hold me in place.
My arms gave out, collapsing forward. The spats had already slipped halfway down, but I quickly yanked them back into place. "I'll—ugh—I'll put them on myself! J-just… please, stop already…" I gasped trying to catch my breath.
"Fine, I'll let you be a big girl like me and do it yourself," she said, finally releasing me.
She stepped back a few paces, plopped onto the floor, and tilted her head, eyes bright and expectant—like a little kid watching a puppy try a new trick.
"…Umm… could you… please wait outside?" I asked, my face still burning from what had just happened.
"R-right! Heehee~" she replied, hopping in place.
"You must change becuase juice can make your skin all sore and icky… and you have really nice skin, Pon-chan!" She said as she made her way to the door, skipping lightly past me. "So… pleeease take care of it, like a good girl, okay?" She added, shutting the door behind her.
I froze, cheeks burning, my fake smile slipping off my face. My first instinct… was to run.
I edged toward the window beside the bed, fingers fumbling at the latch. My arms, small and weak, barely reached. I pushed, pulled, flicked the lock—nothing. The window refused to budge.
I leaned closer, eyes squinting, trying to see outside.
Dust. Dirt. Barren ground stretching as far as I could tell. Not a city street, not even the faint outline of alleys or buildings from before.
My heart sank. Escape wasn't so simple.
I slid back against the bed, letting out a shaky breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding.
"Where the hell am I…?" I muttered, glancing out the window again. "This… this is way out. Past the city… maybe even farther than the outskirts. Even from the edge of the city, it'd take at least thirty minutes to get back… and I might be even farther than that."
I pressed my palms to the bed, trying to steady myself. Everything felt wrong—too quiet, too empty, too far from the world I knew.
The only sign of life so far was Sakura… and asking her for help felt impossible. It would be like relying on a little girl to lead me out of a massive, unfamiliar supermarket—
She might know directions in theory, but she wouldn't actually be able to get us anywhere. And I still had no clue where I even was.
The thought of being completely stranded made my skin crawl—and not just from helplessness. The damp spats were starting to itch, sticking unpleasantly to me.
I pressed my palms against the bed, trying to ignore it, but the more I tried, the worse the irritation felt, gnawing at my focus as if the world itself was pressing down on me.
As I sat there, I knew I had no real choice but to take them off, and the thought of walking around completely exposed… made my stomach twist.
So, with a heavy sigh, I slipped the soaked spats down and off, shivering slightly at the cool air against my skin. My cheeks burned, but I focused on the practical side: I had to cover up.
The panties Sakura had left for me sat neatly on the bed. I hesitated, glaring at them like they were some kind of trap, then reached for them reluctantly. I slipped them on a little faster, hoping that moving quickly might make the embarrassment sting less.
I was halfway up, mostly turned away from the door, fumbling to pull my waistband into place when I suddenly heard a faint creak that made me freeze. A sickening jolt hit me as I realized I was in the worst possible position—my backside was completely on display, exposing the stripes of the underwear.
"Wh-wh-whaaa—!" Out of the corner of my vision, I saw Sakura halfway through the door.
Her eyes landed on me, and my heart slammed against my ribs, my cheeks burning as I jerked upright in a frantic panic. I nearly tripped over myself, twisting away from the door, hands flying as I scrambled to straighten up and fix my clothes.
"Oh! Pon-chan! You're dressed! I—I was wondering—!" She clasped her hands together, practically bouncing on her toes, as if she didn't quite understand how embarrassing the moment had been.
"Do you wanna help me make breakfast? Together?" she blurted. "I mean—only if you want to! But it's more fun with two people, and you can stir things, and I can show you the pans, and—oh! We could make eggs! Or toast! Or both!! And… um, we're making it for the others too, so they'll be happy!"
I hesitated. "…The others?"
"Yah! Me, you, the twins—oh! and—" Her words tumbled out, but I barely heard the rest. My mind froze on the bigger picture. So… there are more people. Maybe even a nice grown-up. I let the rest of her chatter drift into background noise as I thought about the possibilities.
Maybe… someone here could help. Someone who knew where we were. Someone who could tell me how to get back. How to find my family.
Finally, I shook my head lightly, forcing the thought aside for now.
"S-sure… b-but next time, p-please knock or at least ask if I'm finished before just opening the door like that," I said.
"Oh! Right—right!" she said quickly, nodding hard. "Sorry! I'll wait for you! But—um—don't take too long, okay?" she added, grinning ear to ear. "Breakfast buddy!"
She scampered back out, the door clicking shut behind her.
"…What the heck is wrong with that girl?" I muttered to myself, tugging the borrowed panties into place. "I've never met anyone so clueless… She doesn't seem like a bad person, but she really doesn't know how to read the room either."
Her words were still bouncing around in my head.
Breakfast buddy?
Cooking wasn't something you shared. It was just another responsibility. Another thing to get done before the day began. Two people with different minds trying to make something edible? That'd be like two opposing military generals trying to coexist on the same battlefield—utter chaos.
At least, from what I knew. I'd tried it before… with my sister. We were obviously way younger, but we ruined all our pots and burned what was supposed to be the perfect dinner for Mom and Dad. The more I thought about it, the more it sounded like a nightmare just waiting to happen—all over again.
Still… Sakura looked so excited, like this was some kind of event, not just breakfast.
"…Guess I'll just make sure nothing catches fire," I muttered under my breath, exhaling softly as I headed for the door.
The underwear I'd just put on felt off—too tight and bunching in all the wrong spots. I frowned, slid a finger under the leg opening, and tugged it into place, smoothing it down with a practiced motion.
I paused after that… my thoughts snagged, pulling my attention completely away from the breakfast. I dropped low, hugging my knees to my chest, an uneasy tremble crawling through my hands and legs as my breath shook, struggling to hold myself together against the sudden, crushing truth.
What if someone discovered what I truly was… The thought alone hit me hard, the weight of it pressed down on me like a stone.
"She… looked at me like I was just another kid. And somehow… just accepted me, without a second thought…"
My fingers rubbed the soft fabric of my stockings over my kneecaps.
"But the others…" I whispered. "They might not be so easy. They might stare… ask questions I—I still don't know how to answer… or worse…" My voice faltered. "Decide I don't belong at all. That I'm not… real enough."
I hugged my knees tighter, letting the thoughts crash over me in slow, relentless waves.
The room felt impossibly quiet, like the world had paused just to listen. I stayed frozen there, unsure which way to move—or if I even could.
But I knew I couldn't stay like this forever. I couldn't keep hiding, lost in my own head, not when my family needed me. Not when standing still felt just as terrifying as moving forward.
Slowly, I let go of my knees, my fingers brushing the floor as I pushed myself up.
Then I gripped the door handle, drew a deep breath, and told myself, I'll figure it out, like I always did. Stepping out, I hoped breakfast might open a door I don't yet know how to knock on.