Balance Policy: Chapter 13

BALANCE POLICY

CHAPTER 13, AND THE CONCLUSION, OF THE MANGA

The next day, as he has been doing about mid-morning, Masaomi visits Kenji at her home. But when he dismounts from his bicycle and begins walking it, he notices something is wrong ! There are several cars and mini-vans parked by the front of the house. Many strange people are milling around the front door of the house. Masaomi deftly makes his way to the open front door, and looks inside. In the front room is Kenji, naked except for a towel wrapped around her mid-section, sitting scrunched down on her legs, on the floor. Two male doctors are with her, busy doing a manner of things. One doctor is telling the other one that a complete examination is necessary, as even a small hemorrhage is troubling for a transformed girl. Masaomi can also see in the adjoining room. Both Mom and Dad are sitting on the floor, and either talking, or praying. Masaomi silently watches for quite some time.

Suddenly, Masaomi hears his name called from nearby. He did not notice Mi-Ko sitting on the edge of the porch by the front door, until she called to him. "What the hell is going on ?", blurts out Masaomi ! Mi-Ko merely states that Kenji was out last night and collapsed on a sidewalk. Why, Masaomi wants to know ? You don't need to know, and it's none of your business anyway, retorts Mi-Ko. Masaomi becomes indignant, saying that he is Kenji's closest friend. Suddenly, Kenji herself, dressed in a white boy's shirt, but still wearing the white, pleated mini-skirt that she had on last night, walks to the front door and addresses Masaomi, acknowledging that he came today. Masaomi wants to know if Kenji is okay after collapsing ? Well, sorta....! Overheard the doctors saying something about you bleeding ? Are you injured, Kenji ? Not exactly....! Mi-Ko stiffens her arm and wacks Masaomi in the back of his neck ! Kenji thanks Mi-Ko for her quick action. Masaomi wants to know what that was for ? Kenji only explains that we can't play together today. She is not feeling too good right now, maybe later.

Walking together, on Masaomi's way back home, and not knowing how much he knows about a girl's reproductive systems and health, Mi-Ko tries to explain to him in the simplest terms possible what is happening to Kenji. Kenji is 'becoming a woman' now. Masaomi remarks that the way people were talking and acting, he thought it was way worse than that. Mi-Ko remarks that he is completely clueless. All this means is that Kenji's body is ready to get pregnant and carry a baby to full term. The bleeding has signaled that. Masaomi says that, of course, he knows that. That was the whole purpose of altering Kenji in the first place ! Taking that as a rebuke, Mi-Ko kicks Masaomi in his behind.

Meanwhile, back at Kenji's house, several doctors and medical professionals, and a couple of government officials, want to have a private word with Kenji's parents. Kenji, herself, is laying down on the floor of the front room. She can see the group of people outside by looking out the front door. The conversations are highly animated, and go on for quite some time.....

Later that afternoon, very unexpectedly, Kenji, wearing a white cami, the white mini-skirt, and a jacket, shows up at Masaomi's house. "What's wrong ? Weren't you feeling sick earlier, Kenji ?", inquires Masaomi. Kenji only states that she wants to see and talk to Nee-chan. Is she here ? Masaomi leads her to Nee-chan's bedroom door, bangs on it and repeatedly yells that she has a visitor, but there is no answer. Kenji says not to bother, as they both know that she is in there, but will not respond.

Walking back to Kenji's home, both friends are in an unsettled mood. After a long period of silence, Kenji finally confides that she really does not know what she is supposed to do as a girl, or what is expected of her ? Masaomi states that if you really want to know, just ask Mi-Ko or Nee-chan what it is like to be a girl. Kenji remarks that she doubts that she could understand anything that they would tell her, even though she has a fully functional girl's body now. Masaomi offers that boy or girl, or any combination of such, is not revenant. You, Kenji, just need to be whoever yourself is, whoever your mind, heart, and spirit tell you who you are. Kenji stops walking and looks at her hands. She counters that she doesn't even understand herself, not at all. How can she be what she doesn't understand ? She wonders what she will become ? Or what will become of her ? Does it really matter, remarks Masaomi ?

Looking beyond Kenji standing on the sidewalk, Masaomi sees the group of adults and mini-vans collected around her house. They must be waiting for Kenji to return home. He can see both parents in the forefront, with troubling and exasperating looks on their faces. Kenji now begins to cry. She confides that she was told that her heart could fail due to the extreme changes made to her body. Now they tell her that her heart was not all that strong to begin with. Her first period, and the prospect of becoming pregnant, will be an even more strain on her heart. Yet she was the last one to know about this. They are going to take me back to Tokyo "for a little while".....!

Masaomi becomes indignant, wanting to know why Kenji did not tell him all this earlier ? How could she tell him something that she did not know or suspect herself ? Masaomi goes into a quandary. What to do now to help Kenji ? What to say ? What should be said ? He has no idea. Kenji sadly turns to go, saying, "See ya, Masaomi." Masaomi rushes forward to hug Kenji. It dawns on him that this is Kenji silently saying 'goodbye' for the last time. Masaomi begins to cry himself. He tells Kenji what he will wait for her to return. Kenji perceives Masaomi as becoming all mushy, wimpy, and sloppy. She doubles up her hand into a fist, and plunges it into Masaomi's lower abdomen. He lets out a loud yelp. Kenji boldy tells him---

"BE A MAN, MASAOMI ! Be a man for my sake ! Be a man who can offer his hand to a girl in distress.....!"

Masaomi calls out Kenji's name, but she does not look back, walking tiredly toward the people and mini-vans. Masaomi, with all his might, yells after her---

**"I WILL BE WAITING RIGHT HERE ! I WILL WAIT FOR YOU FOR AS LONG AS IT TAKES !!!"**

Kenji steps up into the back seat of one of the mini-vans, and the door closes. As the procession of vehicles drives off into the distance, Masaomi tells himself that he is sure that Kenji will eventually return....

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Years later, Masaomi remarks to himself, that is what he thought to himself the day that Kenji left for Tokyo. But in the end, Kenji never returned........

**(THE END)**

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Click on Balance Policy: Chapter 14 to be taken to the Epilogue of the manga story.