Balance Policy: Chapter 2

BALANCE POLICY: CHAPTER 2 OF THE MANGA

Video game music and sounds tell the whole story of what has been happening. An exasperated voice rings out to confirm the obvious---

" **AHHHHHHHH!!!** Crap! *I died!!!* "

Kenji flops down prone onto the floor, crying out her anguish, and asking how many times has she died now? Masaomi answers with a grin on his face that it is now 15 times. He goes on to comment that Kenji really sucks at video games, and what else is new? Kenji coyly rolls on the floor to face him with a inquisitive look on her face. Masaomi stares back with a blank expression on his face, as if to imply that he has no idea what she is getting at. Kenji scoots over to be next to Masaomi, and holds her arm up to his face.

" Look......My skin's really smooth now, right? A girl's skin is much more sensitive than a boy's. I'm still not used to it." Masaomi modestly looks away, as Kenji drops her arm and with her hands lifts her bare leg up to his face. " Even the skin on my legs is different from yours. See? " Masaomi still looks away, as he nonetheless states that he understands. Kenji continues, " I'm not going to get used to this just by moving my fingers on a game controller! "

After a while, both friends are outside. Both have on baseball gloves, and Kenji has a baseball cradled in her glove. She does the windup stance of a pitcher. Masaomi is crouching down in a catcher's stance. Kenji throws the ball with an almighty thrust, but it only bounces a couple of times on the ground, then rolls on the ground right by Masaomi. Kenji yells at him to come closer; he protests that she was the one who told him to back farther away! The two friends reposition themselves at half the distance between them from before. Kenji belts out a fast ball. **"Strike!"**, shouts Kenji. Masaomi has to reach far to the right to catch it, and proclaims that it was definitely a 'ball'. Kenji then matter-of-factly asks Masaomi if he knows something? "What?" Kenji confidently states that her new body costs as much as a fighter jet. And maintaining it over time costs as much as a fighter jet, too!

"Isn't that cool?", invokes Kenji.

"Yea, that's cool.", offers Masaomi.

"Do we humans have to live on badly enough to forcefully turn boys into girls?", Kenji adds as an afterthought, as she gazes intently at the baseball in her hand. She then contorts into a forceful pitcher's stance, warning Masaomi of the impending super, ultra, miracle, golden, special hellfire bat buster ball to be thrown........As she winds up, she kicks her straight leg into the air, and her sandal promptly flies off her foot. She releases the ball, as she shouts, **"WHAT THE HELL?"** Kenji's whole body rotates, twists fitfully and awkwardly, as she pivots on her other foot, now coming off of the ground, and discharging the sandal on that foot, too. Kenji falls downward; landing on her back, with her arms and legs flailing wildly in the air.

" Oof...", moans Kenji.

" ***KENJI !!!*** Are you alright? ", screams Masaomi.

" **Crap!** They said that my skeletal and nervous systems got messed with.....Nothing moves the way it should. ", pleads Kenji.

Just then, Masaomi's Onee-san (big sister), carrying a plastic bag with something in it, comes up to Masamoi, who is standing, and Kenji, sitting on the ground with her legs crossed. Onee-san speaks to Kenji---

" You're Kenji....right? "

Kenji, as soon as she sees who this person is, jumps up from the ground, runs away from this person, and hides behind Masaomi. She grabs Masaomi's shirt, and tries to pull it outward to hide herself from view. Onee-san speaks carefully---

" It's been a year, hasn't it? It's me, Chitose! "

Kenji says nothing, and buries her face into the backside of Masaomi, pulling the back of his shirt over her face. After a few moments, Kenji bolts toward the open sliding door of the house. She scoots inside, and drops to the floor, sitting with her back against the lower part of the door. "Kenji, wait!", cries Chitose. " Jeez! ", expounds Masaomi. He pleads with his sister that she is embarrassing 'him'. "How? I even brought a watermelon!" Masaomi says that he will give it to Kenji, and urges his sister to just leave. This she reluctantly does.

Meanwhile, Kenji is sitting and leaning on the sliding door, with her legs propped up, and her crossed arms resting on her knees. She has a puzzled and slightly tormented look on her face. After a long silence, Masaomi stands on the porch, facing the open sliding door, and respectfully asks if Kenji is okay? Big sis has placed the watermelon in the plastic bag on the porch. Kenji's sorrowful voice asks where is Chitose? Masaomi answers that she already went home, but she left a watermelon for the both of us. Kenji reminiscences that Chitose is nice, cute, good-looking, and exceedingly kind. Isn't that right? Chitose is just amazing! " Amazing? ", questions Masaomi.

After another long, silent pause, Masaomi sits down on the porch, propped up by the outside of the sliding door, opposite of Kenji on the other side of the door. Kenji finally speaks, asking why is it that people stopped being born? Masaomi offers; who knows? He certainly doesn't know. Kenji continues to muse. She adds that especially girls are not being born, and then boys are being changed so that they can have children just like girls do.

" I wonder why I fit the profile.....? ", questions Kenji.

Changing the subject, Masaomi tactfully remarks, " Kenji, you still like my sister, don't you! "

" What did you expect? ", comments Kenji, as tears begin to form in her eyes. " My body has changed, but my brain and feelings are still the same. "

Soft, hushed, tragic noises begin to be heard from the inside of the door.

" Kenji, are you crying? ", quietly offers Masaomi.

*" I'm not crying! The hell I'm crying !!! "* , bursts forth from behind the door.

Kenji begins to quiver, and soon is sobbing uncontrollably, as big, clear tears form in her eyes, and begin to roll down her cheeks. Masaomi silently listens to the anguish and turmoil that has enveloped Kenji. Masaomi yearns to help somehow, but can't think of anything to do. Kenji is obviously and seriously heartbroken.

After what seems like ages, Kenji finally is able to speak in a broken voice, "Ma.......Masa......Masaomi........Don........Don't tell anyone........that I cried!!! Got it?"

" I won't. "

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Click on Chapter 3 to be taken to the next chapter.