Chapter 15: Sibling Gift Exchange

NOZOMU NOZOMI

SIBLING GIFT EXCHANGE

CHAPTER 15, AND THE CONCLUSION, OF THE MANGA

(Story Note---A naming system will be used to eliminate confusion and misunderstanding with whom the characters of the manga have become. The Main Character of the manga, Tao Nozomu, when they adopt and begin using the name "Kanae", they will be designated as such, "Kanae (<Tao) {Kanae formally Tao}" to indicate that they were originally named Tao. When Kanae adopts and begins using the name "Tao", they will be designated as such, "Tao (<Kanae) {Tao formally Kanae}" to indicate that they were originally named "Kanae".)

Tao, wearing the male school uniform, is at school looking out of the second story window, to the school campus below. They soon see Kanae and Shiori walking together, holding hands like a couple of intimate lovers, both in their girl's school uniforms. It is gradually becoming obvious to classmates that those two are developing a girl-with-girl Shoujo Ai relationship between themselves. Tao acknowledges that it has been three weeks since she did a "Coming Out" to both themselves, and to Kanae, as an authentic girl. That makes it **more than 13 months** since she noticed that she had begun turning physically into a girl. Surprisingly, instead of Kanae becoming shocked and apprehensive, instead, Kanae has become even closer to her 'Onii-chan' (lit. 'big brother'), with a new and intense intimacy beginning to form between the two siblings. The school's mandatory swim classes are drawing ever closer, with less than six weeks to go before they start. Tao has still not figured out what to do about that, since if she would ever go swimming again, she would have to wear a girl's swimsuit, what with having small but obvious breasts now.

Suddenly, without warning, Tao is loudly assaulted and glomped from behind. Yasu gives Tao an almighty bear hug, wrapping his arms around Tao from behind, and shouts out---

**"What's with all the gloom and doom, Nozomu ?"**

*STOP IT!*, yells Tao.

Tao somehow manages to wrestle free, pushing Yasu away, as Yasu gives Tao a look of attraction and infatuation. Yasu hazards a guess that Tao is upset and disappointed that 'he' was demoted at the last baseball practice, from being the team's shortstop. Tao says nothing. Yasu tries to offer seeming compassionate solace, saying that it's not that Tao became unusable, but that Ishige had improved so very much, making him a natural for the position. Even Yasu was surprised at the Coach's appointment of Ishige to shortstop. Tao tells Yasu to just **STOP !** Tao already knew what was going to happen, is okay with it, and does not need your sympathy. Your concern is not going to solve my problems, anyway. (Yasu does not know that Tao is a girl now.) With a supposed concern, Yasu advises Tao not to talk like that. We are friends now, really, more than friends after all. Tao returns to looking out the window. Yasu continues with his commentary. Nozomu, you are always trying your hardest. I really don't like to see you looking down and out like this. Tao turns to look at Yasu with a mild surprise and gratefulness in his heart. Yasu goes on to say that there are only four games left before the Coach will announce next year's starting lineup. Well, how about, since I am going to continue to be the Team Captain, I'll appoint you as......the new team's **LEAD FEMALE CHEERLEADER !!!**

***WHACK !!!***

Tao lets loose with a left hook to Yasu's mid-section. Yasu goes down with a thump. Sitting on the hallway floor, he lets out something between a humorous laugh and a sorrowful cry. A voice from down the hallway cries out, "WHAT THE....WHY DID YOU DO THAT, TAO ?" It is Ide-san, wanting to know what the hell is going on ? Tao explains, as Yasu gets up off of the floor, that Yasu told me that I could become the team's female cheerleader, since I can't be the shortstop anymore. Ide-san accusingly shouts Yasu's name at him. Yasu counters, saying that is not what he (supposedly) meant. Ide-san yells at Yasu, telling him that no matter what he meant, that was a bad thing to say to Tao ! Yasu shoots back at Ide-san, telling her to stay out of this 'lover's quarrel' between the best of friends. Ide-san ignores Yasu, turning toward Tao, and telling 'him' to ignore this certified idiot, and to work towards becoming the shortstop again. She will be cheering you onward.

Tao smiles sweetly at Ide-san, silently telling herself that she doesn't get that tight, queasy feeling in her heart towards Ide-san anymore. Not since she found out that it was not her that Ide-san is infatuated with. Tao thinks to herself that the only 'love vibes' that are on her radar lately have been coming from Yasu, for whatever unearthly reason. Is Yasu a boy who is attracted to other boys ? Tao silently acknowledges that supposedly returning to being a boy with a boy's feelings, and receiving and acting upon another boy's romantic vibes, is a line that she will never see as valid or legitimate, let alone cross. Doesn't being a girl with a girl's feelings and a desire for real, honest love mean anything anymore ? Suddenly, Tao points their finger right into Yasu's face, and belts out if he has thrown away that picture in his school I.D. folder ? What picture, inquires Ide-san ?

Later that afternoon, after school, Tao is walking home. Thinking to herself, she remembers that she had great respect and friendship with Kouji-senpai, as he was a mentor to me with regard to becoming interested in and participating in baseball. And Yasu used to be just a male friend and team mate, nothing more. Yet, over the last year, my feelings have changed, with regard to friendship, companionship, and intimate love. She acknowledges that she is still romantically attracted to girls, and has developed a special, intimate love affection toward her sister, Kanae. But so much about love and devotion is still unanswered in my life. My love and attractions are still evolving away from masculine, and toward the feminine. Will I have a real boyfriend ? Or more likely, will I have a real girlfriend, a girl-with-girl romantic shipping ?

Tao is now at home, and has changed out of her male school uniform, and wearing a boy's t-shirt and pants. Tao notes that Kanae has not come home from school yet. Where could she be ? After a while, the phone rings; Tao answers, it is Kanae. Kanae wants to know if Mom is home, as Dad would be at work now.? Both parents wouldn't be home until late today. Kanae then says that it is okay for Tao to enter her bedroom, and change into her girl's clothes. And when Kanae gets home, we can talk about how to address the upcoming swim classes at school. Sure. Tao wonders what that was all about ? In Kanae's bedroom, Tao changes into a white, short puff sleeved shirt, a two-tone solid green / white with green polka dots cami over the shirt, and a brown mini-skirt with medium gray knee socks. Tao wonders why did Kanae call to tell her that ? Was it supposed to be just chit-chat ? She then puts on her white headband with bunny ears.

After quite a while, Tao hears Kanae's voice, saying that she is home. In a little bit, Kanae comes into her bedroom, to find Tao already dressed as a girl, and with a surprised look on her face. "Welcome home.....KA.....KAN....????", spits out Tao. Kanae had gone into Tao's bedroom, changed out of her school uniform, and dressed herself in Tao's t-shirt and pants. But that is not all ! Kanae has had her hair cut, *and styled exactly like the way that Tao wears their hair !!!* "So, do we look the same, or similar ?", questions Kanae. ***OMG, WTF, Kanae ?*** Tao is bursting with shock and surprise, as Kanae is 'cool as a cucumber'. Suddenly, as if remembering something, Kanae turns and goes downstairs. Tao follows. Kanae says that we had better call Mom. This she does, as Tao looks on in confusion and without any understanding of what is going on. When Mom answers, Kanae pretends to be Tao. Kanae says, "It's Nozomu here ! There is a big problem. Kanae has got her hair cut, and guess what.....*she looks the same as me, the same haircut and everything !!!*

Back in Kanae's bedroom, Tao is still mesmerized and disconcerted. Tao is standing, while Kanae is sitting on a chair. Sweating up a storm, Tao asks Kanae what she thinks she is doing ? Kanae replies that there is no other way to address the troubles that we both have been going through. Kanae removes the t-shirt, and continues to sit on the chair, now with a bare, flat chest, and wearing only their boy's pants. Kanae casually remarks that from now on, I will become 'Tao Nozomu', and you will become 'Kanae'. We both are physically the same now, and that makes us look all the more the same now. The burden of hiding my physical sex will now fall to me. It is as simple or as complicated as that ! And now that I am Tao (<Kanae), I can go bare-chested, just like a boy can. You should call me, 'big brother' when Mom gets home. Kanae (<Tao) protests, saying that you can't just do this right out of the clear blue sky ! Do you really want to renounce being a girl ? Tao (<Kanae) answers. Even if I wanted to stay a girl, that is not in your best interests, nor in mine. We can trade places until one or both of us become legal adults. When that time comes, we can address what to do from there. Until then, I have no idea of any way else of solving your and my dilemma. You want to be a girl, and I want to be a boy. And so it comes to be. How is that such a bad thing ? Kanae (<Tao) admits that it is fine. You, Tao (<Kanae), have become just as stupid as the guys at school and on the baseball team ! "That just now makes us equal ! The two of us are just two stupid kids!", replies Tao (<Kanae) !

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

The night before the swim classes were to begin, that night, Kanae (<Tao) could not sleep very well. She lay awake a long time before she finally fell asleep. During that time, her mind and emotions just would not shut down. Kanae (<Tao) remembered all that she had gone through lately. In the last month or so, Tao (<Kanae) had surprised me so much. He is so cleaver and resourceful now adays. On that night when Tao (<Kanae) revealed his plans to "exchange gifts", that is, exchange places, we both agreed that a transition period would have to take place. We both agreed to begin wearing boy's clothes, in the same clothing style, making it vertually impossible to tell us apart. Mom and Dad certainly could not do so ! However, during the transition time, both of us were very careful and discerning, and became very adept, in wearing the school uniforms of our former selves at school, but both wearing boy's clothes at all other times. Then, on the Friday that was exactly one week before the Friday of the swim classes, we exchanged places at school. Tao (<Kanae) began wearing the boy's school uniform, and began attending all of Tao's classes at school. I began wearing the girl's school uniform at school, and began attending all of Kanae's classes at school. This will be a real challenge, because Kanae is a year behind Tao in school. But it had to be done this way.

The following morning, Kanae (<Tao) dressed in her female school uniform for the very first time, and then for swim class, changed into the school's official girl's tank swim suit in the girl's locker room. Wearing the swim suit among all the other girls, showed them that Kanae (<Tao) had finally begun to grow breasts. Her 'muffin tops' could be plainly seen under her tight fitting swim suit. As the weeks went by, Tao (<Kanae) had to struggle to keep up with what was being taught in his classes. But at school and at home, the two siblings became hard and fast study partners, much to the amazement of both the teachers and the parents. Both did reasonably well in school.

The other 'gift exchanges' that the two siblings made included baseball practice, wherein Tao's (<Kanae) performance began to fall off little by little. Kanae (<Tao) continued as the team's assistant manager, under Ide-san. Clothing styles for Tao (<Kanae) remained the same, with him wearing boy clothes all the time. However, Mom was surprised, yet thrilled and overjoyed, when Kanae (<Tao) suddenly discarded wearing boy clothes, and began wearing all the cute, adorable ultra-feminine styled clothes that Mom had amassed for her over quite a long time. Kanae (<Tao) ended up looking so increditablly cute in whatever she did, and wherever she went. Both siblings agreed to keep the same friends. Kanae (<Tao) was drop-kicked into a girl-with-girl romantic relationship with Shiori. However, Shiori remarked to Kanae (<Tao) one day that she seems to be shifting her personality away from being a boy, and becoming more and more feminine. Shiroi said that was a surprise to her, but Kanae (<Tao) being an interesting blend of masculine and feminine, instead of all tomboy, was a different and refreshing change for her. And she confessed to still being very much in love with Kanae (<Tao), moreso than ever. Tao (<Kanae) became close to, and a very good friend of, Shiori, too. Many more difficulties come up practically every day, but the two met them head-on, helping each other to acheive their own gender goals and purposes.

One day after school, about two months after the big change for the siblings, Kanae (<Tao) is walking outside on the school campus. She is carrying her bookbag, and musing that the daily routine that her and Tao (<Kanae) have worked out is probably the best that can be expected under such unusual and challenging circumstances. Their routines now have to be 'steady as she goes'. Kanae (<Tao) rounds a corner of a school building, only to see Yasu leaning against the brick wall. Yasu offers an innocent greeting of---

"Hey, *Nozomu* ! Going home now ?"

Kanae (<Tao *Nozomu*) off-the-cuff replies, "Yeah, you too, Yasu?"

"I knew it ! You are 'Nozomu'!"

Kanae (<Tao) responds by asking what are you talking about Yasu-senpai ? (Kanae (<Tao) addresses Yasu as 'Senpai', as she is a school year behind him.) I cut and styled my hair like Tao's, and you get such crazy and inconsequencial ideas ? Yasu says that it is so obvious that you're Nozomu. Wanna bet ? Kanae (<Tao) asks if something is wrong in your head ? Since I am biologically a girl, how could I be my brother ? Sure....sure....you are so desperate about that. Yasu surmises if he really did have such horrible senses and perceptions over the last few months ? He remarks that he does not know the reasoning or understanding behind all of this. Suddenly, he reaches up and grasps Kanae's (<Tao's) boob. He exclaims, since you mentioned biology---

"You have real boobs ! Kanae is flat as a board !"

***WHACK !!!***

Yasu hits the ground like a sack of potatoes. He sits up, and points a finger at Kanae (<Tao).

"That....that left hook....**I WAS RIGHT ! YOU ARE 'NOZOMU' !** Kanae would have kicked like a mule !"

Yasu then comtemplatively looks at his hand. Your chest.....so soft and squishy.....real boobs.....but you are obviously 'Nozomu' ! You said you were biologically a girl. REALLY ? Kanae (<Tao) only silently looks at him.

Yasu and Kanae (<Tao) retire to a set of steps leading up to one of the school buildings. Both are sitting down next to one another. Kanae (<Tao), bears her soul to him. In a lengthly summary, she recounts all that has happend to her from a little more than a year ago. Yasu listens intently, but says very little. She explains that she is a girl now, both in Gender Identity, and in Gender Expression. Absolutely and completely feminine. When all done, Yasu only says, "I see...." Kanae (<Tao) then mentions that as friends, we should keep all of this as a secret between us. Friends trust each other about important things. So I am counting on you, as a friend, to value and protect this information about me.

Yasu then takes time to also 'bare his soul' to her. He begins by stating that according to his personal beliefs and understandings, you, 'Nozomu', were born a boy ! You were raised a boy ! You currently are boy, regardless of what you physically look like ! You have been a boy, are now a boy, and will be a boy the rest of your life ! But that is okay. I have always liked boys. I love being with boys. I am romantically attracted to boys, especially you, 'Nozomu'. So it has come to this, of course. These circumstances are such that we could become more than just friends. He romantically puts his arm around her and hugs her so very intimately. Let's use this opportunity to our advantage. We could be intimate lovers. There is a whole wonderful world of B.L. and Yaoi, where we could be together and explore. We could be boy-with-boy lovers, just like one can see in Yaoi manga and anime......

***WHACK!!!***

A firm and steady hand connects with Yasu's cheek, sending him realing, and soon bringing about a very red and sore cheek. Kanae (<Tao) gets up from the steps and begins to walk away.

"WAIT, NOZOMU !", Yasu calls out.

Kanae (<Tao) responds by pointing out; do you say stuff like that to all the other boys that you probably have been interested in ? Yasu responds that, of course, if it wasn't 'Nozomu' that I am talking about, I would not say anything romantic to anyone else. I'm not a idiot. Kanae pauses in her retreat, thinking to herself that today, here and now, being wrongly thought of as still a boy, that is the last line of reasoning and understanding of masculinity to be breached and broken. If Yasu can't or won't understand that I am an authentic girl, now and forever, than there is no possibility of any real, meaningful realtionship with him. Besides, I am only romantically interested in other girls. In fact, there is a girl who is romantically shipping with me right now. And the most loved of all of my relationships has to forever go to my sibling, who helped and loved me unconditionally during all of the time that I have been transforming.

Yasu calls out to reconsider. Kanae (<Tao) retorts; that you believing that I am an immutable boy is even worse than your romantic asperations. She then follows up by saying that even if I never return to being a boy, I wouldn't go out with you or date you if you were the last boy on Earth !!! Yasu cries out to her one more time, but to no avail.

Kanae (<Tao), resolutely walking away, reconfirms in her mind, heart, soul, and spirit---

"Let Yasu do his worst about 'exposing me' as a trans girl, if he wants to ! I don't care anymore who knows or does not know about what happened to me. Today, here and now, I have for the first time completely, absolutely, undeniably, and beyond all doubt and challenges, accepted in my very soul and being, *that I will live the rest of my life as a proper female, as a proud and authentic woman !!!"*

**(THE END)**

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_