Chapter 6: I Love You

A CHERRY BLOSSOM RIPPLING IN THE WIND

I LOVE YOU

CHAPTER 6, AND THE CONCLUSION OF THE MANGA

Onee-chan ushers Kazuhiro through the front door and into the house. She asks him to stay in the foyer, while she goes and looks for Ren. Ren is in the front room, sitting on the couch, somber, and cured up in a ball. Having taken off the male school uniform as soon as they got home, they are, surprisingly, again wearing girl's clothes; a hoodie, booty shorts, and thigh-high stockings, despite saying that they would not do so anymore ! Seems that Ren is alone, as Mom is nowhere to be found. Making coffee, Onee-chan hands a cup to Ren. Sweet, like how you like it, Ren ? Because you always make it sweet, retorts Ren, lately I have been drinking it black !

Sour grapes, much ? Onee-chan asks Ren if they are angry about what happened yesterday ? Not really; you're just being your usual, obnoxious, nasty self, same as always, Onee-chan. Listening in the hallway, Kazuhiro cringes. Continuing, Onee-chan explains that she has come to understand something, since you left me that note saying that you would give up dressing as a girl. I have always been jealous of you, Ren. You are small and cute. You look better than I do in just about any style of girl's clothing. You are allowed to choose your own style of clothes, and freely wear them out in public, as well as wearing the female school uniform at school. You have a wonderful boyfriend. You must be in 'Seventh Heaven' ! "Yeah ....", begins Ren, "But you're naturally a girl, Onee-chan. Between the two of us, we're not even on a level playing field."

"Yes we are, Ren !", confesses Onee-chan, "Because, like you, ***I was also born perceived as a male, too !!!***

***"W - WA - WHAAAAATTTTT ?!?!?!?"***, loudly screeches Ren.

Onee-chan reveals that she had transitioned from male to female when you, Ren, were too young to understand what was going on. So that is why we never shared baths ? So that is why the toilet seat was always left down, like how a girl leaves it ? Yeah ....! In that case .... IN THAT CASE .... stammers Ren, it would be natural for you to always be angry at me, as I am 'trespassing onto your sacred gendered territory' ! And with that, Ren bursts into tears, and bolts upstairs, only to lock themselves in their bedroom. Onee-chan follows to the locked bedroom door, and speaks through it, saying that this revelation is nothing to get upset about. Yet, only loud whaling can be heard behind the door. Oh well, explains Onee-chan to Kazuhiro, she has said all that she wanted to say. It had to be eventually told to Ren, anyway, after all. We can make up later, so the rest is up to you, Kazuhiro. With that, Onee-chan takes her leave.

Kazuhiro waits a while until the loud crying begins to subside. He then calls out Ren's name. "Kazuhiro-kun ?", surprisingly, comes the response. Let's talk, even if it is through the door. Silence. After quite a while, Ren only states dryly that there is nothing to talk about ! Silently thinking to himself, Kazuhiro rejoices that Ren at least responded. Now, just try to keep her talking, talking about anything ! "Why do you say what you did, Ren ? Please, I want to know !", beseeches Kazuhiro. Ren lets the floodgates open, and spills her heart out---

"I have always been thinking only of myself ! Everything that I have been doing, including dressing like a girl, and going out with you, has been all about me and me alone ! When I dressed as a girl, I craved being told that I was cute and adorable. As such, I felt warm affection, I am at ease, and it feels just wonderful ! You even treated me well, knowing that I was a Trans Girl. We kissed. That felt so good ! Just to let you know, that First Kiss set my soul on fire !"

"That's true for me, too !", responds Kazuhiro.

"However, I was just using your feelings for my benefit alone, Kazuhiro. That alone makes it such that I have no right to expect you to be interested in me, let alone to love and respect me.", confesses Ren.

"Ren-chan .... even so .... ", pleads Kazuhiro. But he is cut off as Ren talks over him---

"You know .... I have never thought of myself as lacking in feminine abilities, even though I have been handicapped by having a 'male' body. One day, I dressed in my female sailor suit school uniform, and went downstairs to confront Dad, telling him that I was a girl, and therefore, needed to begin attending school as a girl, wearing the female school uniform ! He was shocked and surprised, but it ended up that he did not stop me. I know now that it was because earlier, Onee-chan probably did the same thing. Wearing the sailor suit to classes was great, and continues to be the norm for me now. But if I take off the uniform, I am still a girl, a Trans Girl. Clothes are just clothes. So I could not understand what my older sister was saying to me; to take off my girl clothes because then I would no longer be a girl. Wrong ! I am always a girl, even without clothes on. I thought that she would eventually accept me as a girl, like so many others have done so already. Further, despite her annoying and irritating comments, deep down, I thought that Onee-chan was actually trying to help me, albeit in a backhanded, disagreeable way."

"I guess my sister knows more than anyone how to transition, and do so under the most difficult and oppressive conditions. Maybe she was thinking of me all along, either to spare me the pain of transitioning by discouraging me from doing so, or to force my transition into the painful kind that she had experienced. Either way, she thought she was helping. I have to give her credit for that. Both ways, I ignored what she said, went about my own ways of transitioning, and probably hurt her for her efforts. I must have really run roughshod over my precious sister's feelings and loving concern. I have to pay for that, for doing just so. That is why I have decided not to dress as a girl anymore !"

Kazuhiro silently thinks to himself that those two sibings---they are "two of a kind" ! He then talks through the closed door to Ren, sitting down on the floor in front of the door. He relates that you don't have to be so hard on yourself, Ren. You gave me your clothing and wig this morning, right ? At first, I could not figure out what was going on with you. But now I think I understand. Those clothes were your precious treasures. They are symbolic of so much more about you, Ren. They embody the very essence of what makes you happy, plus all the things that make you a real girl, a special girl, a Trans Girl. True, like you said, you are an authentic girl even when you are unclothed. But when you decided to not dress as a girl anymore, you entrusted them with me, and did not just throw them away. That made me really happy, your confidence in me. So you don't have to worry about the repercussions of your 'back to being a boy' proclamation. All of your girl hopes, dreams, and concerns are safe with me for the time being ......

Kazuhiro is cut short by a loud screech from behind the door. Suddenly, the door swings open, and Ren is standing in front of him like a statue ready to be knocked down with a wrecking ball. ".... damn it all ...." , mumbles Ren, as she sinks to her knees in front of Kazuhiro and quickly embraces him with her arms around his upper body. She bursts into tears, and nuzzles his chest, wetting his shirt with her tears. "Ren-chan .... Ren-chan ....", soothes Kazuhiro. He waits until there are no more tears. Then without provocation, Ren backs away a bit, and shouts out---

***"IDIOT ....!!!*** I've used you, said a lot of selfish things to you, pushed you around socially, hooked you into a date, pumped you for compliments, and dragged you into a family quarrel ! I suddenly stopped dressing as a girl at school, said 'bye-bye' to you with finality, and now I'm continuing to reject you through a closed door. If you, Kazuhiro, say you are okay with someone like me, even given the perception that I was born a **boy**, then all I can say about you is that you are an ***IDIOT ! A COMPLETE IDIOT !!!***"

Inching forward, Kazuhiro gently places his hands upon Ren's upper arms in a loving embrace. He begins by gently saying that he is not an idiot. You, Ren, accepted my feelings first, by means of accepting my Love Confession, so likewise, I should properly accept your feelings, too ! This I have done, am doing now, and will continue to do so. "You really are going to accept all of me .... ?", whispers Ren.

"Yeah ...."

A silence ensues, with the two of them slowly moving ever closer to one another. When their lips are only about an inch apart, the two go in for a kiss ! It is long, succulent, wet, rapturous, sweet as sugar, and erotic as hell ! When they finally separate, both are breathing heavily. In a short while, Kazuhiro, softly intones---

"I love you, Ren !"

She begins crying again, and again, Kazuhiro holds her in his arms, and waits for her, until there are no more tears. With her face still wet from crying, but now with tears of happiness, Ren coos, "I love you, too, Kazuhiro !"

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TWO YEARS LATER

It is the morning of the beginning of the new high school term. Ren will be entering high school for the first time today as a First Year. It is the same high school that Kazuhiro attends, now as a Third Year ! Ren comes down from her bedroom, dressed in the high school's female school uniform, one that looks like a lady's business suit with a plaid, pleated mini-skirt. She is greeted by the family with 'Good Mornings' all around. Onee-chan comments how perky and excited Ren seems to be. Well, she must be thrilled to be attending the same school as her boyfriend. Soon, Ren announces that she is leaving. Starting today, she will be getting off of the train at the same stop as Kazuhiro does. Dad smiles and wishes her well.

Walking to the train station, Ren ponders her situation now. She wears girl's clothes all the time now, and behavies just like a typical teenage girl does. This because such is exactly what she wants to do. That is her perogative of being a Trans Girl. Ones have told her that she can't continue on like this, as it is not sustainable. But, according to her way of thinking, if that special person in her life accepts her, and stays by her side, then nothing can come between them, and their lives will only be enriched the longer that they are together. There is nothing to be concern with, because the love that we have for one another can last forever !

Ren enters the front door of the train station. Waiting for her is Kazuhiro, also in the male school uniform.

"Good Morining, Ren, my Cherry Blossom ! You sure look cute today, as always !", remarks Kazuhiro.

Ren's heart flutters at the compliment. "Good Morning, Kazuhiro, my Lover ! ", replies Ren.

(THE END)