Love Horizon

LOVE HORIZON

STORY NO. 9 FROM THE *DENSEN COMPLEX* SHORT STORY COLLECTION AND COMPILATION

A ONE-SHOT SHORT STORY COLLECTED BY AKIRA KIZUKI

**Story Designation---Canon**

**Synopsis**

A young woman is going to have her high school crush, and the one who was her First Love, visit her after an absence of several years. She is at the airport to meet them, but by chance, she notices that something is now very different about 'him'.

**Character Profiles**

Yuko-chanAiku-chan
**Love Horizon**, a short story collected by Akira Kizuki

A young woman, out of college and working her first real job, is at the airport today. She is waiting for a delayed flight, one that is bringing to her a past high school friend and schoolmate. In fact, this person was the young woman's crush and First Love. However, they went their separate ways after high school graduation, and she has not seen them in several years. Finally, after more than an hour delay, it is announced that this particular fight has landed, and the passengers are disembarking. The young woman waits in the baggage claim area. One by one, the passengers retrieve their luggage, and leave the area. A person comes walking by the young woman, gives her a side-ways glance, and continues walking by. Puzzled, the young woman wonders if she somehow knows this person who just passed her by ? As this person of interest walks away, the young woman has to make a snap decision; it's either call out to this person, or let them walk away forever. She calls out---

"M .... M .... MA .... MATSUNO-KUN ??"

The person turns to look behind them.

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Later, the young woman is seated at a table at the local Starrocks coffee bar, inside the airport. "Here you go, Aiku-chan !", as a cappuccino is handed to her. "Since when did you become this way ?", a greatly embarrassed Aiku timidly offers, "Since when have you been .... been .... a .... a girl ?" "Since forever .... ", is the cryptic reply. Confused, Aiku recalls that you used to be a boy, when you were in high school ! Right ? Yeah, but I was a coward back then, doing nothing more than pretending to be my birth sex of male. I was scared of being bullied by Miyata's gang; those degenerate boys were the ringleaders of trouble in the class, ya know ! But I was a girl at home, and elsewhere, too. Every day after school, I would go home and change out of my male school uniform, and into a pretty dress, or a blouse and a short skirt. From early on, my whole family knew that I was a girl inside a boy's body, and they accepted me for who I knew I was.

Aiku is silent for a long time, absentmindedly stirring her cappuccino. Finally, the Trans Woman speaks, saying that she is different now from the person that she was back then. She then asks Aiku how did she know that it was me, when I walked by you in the baggage claim area ? Aiku replies, "I .... I knew .... because .... because of .... what happened back then .... ". Aiku tears up with emotion, and can't finish her thought.

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Later that afternoon, the two women are window shopping at the local mall in the business district. They come upon a fabric display. Different kinds of fabric and shades of color are lined up in the spectrum of a rainbow. "So cute !" "Yeah !" Aiku says that this yellow fabric really suits you. You think so ? Of course, because yellow was always your favorite color. "Should I buy this bolt of cloth, Aiku ? I could make it into a pretty sundress !"

"Matsuno-kun (kun=masculine) .... uh .... Matsuno-san (san=gender-neutral) .... I .... I .... "

Once again, Aiku can't complete her thought. The Trans Woman explains, "I've taken the 'Yu' from my former masculine birth name of 'Yuji', and adopted the feminine first name of *Yuko*. You can just call me that, "Yuko". What's up ? What were you going to say, Aiku ? Awkwardly, Aiku asks---

"So .... Yuko-chan .... You .... you really are a girl, right ? So it is rather obvious that this is not the case of you merely liking to dress up in female attire, you know, as a hobby or for an emotional thrill ?"

"Yup ...."

"Back in high school, I had surmised that you were merely cross-dressing for emotional thrills, but I never let on that I knew you wore girl's clothes away from school.", confesses Aiku, "So .... were you freaked and grossed out when I told you back then that I liked you, that time when I was trying to do a Love Confession to you ? It really hurt me that you never did give me a proper response to my confession. But I was still deeply in love with you at that time, anyway !"

Yuko-chan confesses that she never thought that anything that you said or did, Aiku, was gross or cruel. Aiku relates that you were so nice to me as a friend, Yuko. Yet, I was such an idiot back then. I took your feelings the wrong way. I believed that you were rejecting my love for you, and forever imprisoning me in the cage of friendship-only. "I wish you had told me that sooner, Aiku, like back when we used to go on 'friendship dates' together.", expresses Yuko-chan. Aiku tears up again, begins weeping, and turns to briskly walk away. "Wait a second !", yells Yuko.

Yuko catches up to Aiku, and grabs her wrist. Yuko humbly, once again, tells Aiku that she was not grossed out by her Love Confession. Yuko-chan continues---

"Actually, your Love Confession had made me so very, very happy. I never told you this, Aiku, but all through high school, you were my 'role model' for how to be the perfect girl in both mind and body. I wanted to be so like you, yet was forced to pretend to be a boy at school. Talking, acting, and dressing cute, ultra-feminine, and adorable like you, was way 'off limits' of what I could do in front of everyone in class. It was a struggle being perceived by others as my birth sex of male. I never told anyone, but I experienced, at school, a couple of brushes regarding thoughts of suicide. I hated myself for that. But your love for me is what saved me. I'm so sorry that I never let on that I loved you back as much as you loved me. *I'm so very sorry, Aiku, for what I put you through !* "

"Sorry ? What for ?", inquires Aiku. Both women go down an escalator.

"For suddenly becoming this way .... transitioning from male to female .... and never telling you back then, or now, until today. It was a huge relief to do a "Coming Out" to family and friends, and beginning to live full-time as a female. That didn't happen until I graduated from college. But since then, almost everyone seems to be socially uncomfortable around me."

Aiku replies, "No ! That's not it ! I was a little hurt earlier, because I felt rejected by someone who I had loved deeply; seemingly they just up and turned into a girl. I never suspected or knew that you were transgender ! But you are still you, inside. I can tell. So, let's be friends, and pick up where we left off during the last years of high school !"

"Friends .... ?"

"Yes, friends. Friends without the baggage of misunderstandings !"

Both wander into the casual women's clothing section of the store. Off the cuff, while she inspects a casual dress, Yuko remarks that she wants to have Gender Corrective Surgery some time in the future. Surgery ? Fer real ? Continuing the thought, Yuko says that she is already getting female hormone injections for now. Plus, she already has a diagnosis of "Gender Dysphoria" (Gender Identity Disorder), which separates me from those who only cross-dress for thrills and sexual encounters. The diagnosis is yet one more step for me to be qualified for surgery. Aiku wants to know if she is scared ? Of course ! The surgery and aftermath can be quite painful for a long time. The hormones that I am taking right now have troubling side effects, too. Transitioning to one's correct Gender Identity may not be all that pleasant, but it is necessary for some like me.

Wait, begins Aiku. I thought that you could not get that kind of surgery in Japan. Right ? It depends on several circumstances and conditions, offers Yuko. One has to go through numerous tests and trials, similar to a gatekeeping system, and then every year only a relative few are approved for the surgery by the Japanese National Health System. It is less expensive, and with more advanced techniques, in Thailand. Yet, I feel there is a relative significance to doing the surgery in Japan, so that more people can see and understand the gravity of one's gender concerns, the impact on one's life, and the necessity of this procedure for transgender people.

"I think you have become so much stronger as a person, Yuko !", confesses Aiku. Well, maybe, replies Yuko. There is so much more that I have to overcome. Even if I am successful in having the surgery, and become an anatomically correct female, there is still the problem of society in general not accepting me as female. My birth certificate, family registration, work documents, and personal identifications all have to be changed. Not an easy task. Even if I am successful in changing all of that, my past history as a perceived male will always be with me, like a black cloud over my head. "Wow ! I never thought about all that ! I see that I have to become stronger, too, to help and encourage you along the way !", remarks Aiku. Why do you think that, Aiku ? You are strong, already ! I can see this by how you are interacting with me as a calm and mature person, and not going bananas over meeting with me today. You think so ? Yeah, I know so !

The two are walking together. Suddenly, Yuko flinches. It feels like a bug is crawling up the back of her left leg. She stops and looks behind her. A very noticable wide run in her pantyhose has worked it's way from under her left heel, up to the center of her left calf. What's the matter ?, inquires Aiku ? Yuko wails, a 1,200 yen ($ 8.51 USD) pair of pantyhose just got ruined ! Do you have a spare pair ? Yes, I do ! I always carry extra pantyhose, I would be dead without them ! Then let's head to the ladies room, replies Aiku.

The two find the restrooms down a narrow hallway in the mall. Wait here for me, says Yuko. No, I'll go in with you, counters Aiku. I have been 'holding it' for a while now ! After the two women have 'done their business', they meet at one of the sinks. "You have such nice long, slender legs, Yuko. That sexy barely-black pantyhose looks good on you.", shyly remarks Aiku. Aiku then refreshes her lipstick. "Oh, is that the new color that is so popular right now ?", exclaims Yuko. "Yeah, do you want to try in on, too, Yuko ?", offers Aiku. Very much so ! Aiku carefully watches Yuko as she applies the lipstick to her lips. With both women sporting fresh lipstick, and looking so attractive, Yuko can't control herself. She slyly and defly leans over to Aiku's face, and gently kisses her in a rather erotic fashion on her lips. When they separate, Yuko is bursting with joy and contentment, whereas Aiku has a puzzled and nonplussed look on her face. Reality hits Yuko like a ton of bricks !

"OH ! SORRY ! *I'M SO SORRY !* I JUST .... IT'S THAT .... YOU .... *YOU WERE JUST SO, SO CUTE !* I violated your safe space. I'm so sorry, please forgive me !"

"Huh ? By any chance do you like me, Yuko ?", calmly utters Aiku.

"Well, yeah .... "

"WHAT ??? I don't get it !", gushes Aiku !

"To tell the truth .... ", continues Yuko, "I have liked you all along. I really don't have a preference on the gender of the person that I like .... so when you just now told me that you liked me, that made me so very, very happy. Happy enought to kiss you as a token of my joy. But I can only love you as a female. It would be a girl-with-girl romance. Yet I had, up until now, assumed that you would not want to love me, as you had loved me as a teenage boy back in high school. I will never be that 'boy' again, you know."

"Shouldn't I be the one to decide who I am going to fall in love with ?", questions Aiku, "Boy or girl ?"

"You're right, Aiku !", fervently replies Yuko, "But if you came into the ladies room with me, without any qualms, doesn't that imply that you have, to some degree, accepted me as a genuine woman ? That being the case, let me do this right here and now ! ***I confess to you ! I am in love with you, Aiku ! Always have been ! So let me do a Love Confession to you ! Please accept my love, and let's begin dating one another romantically, girl-with-girl !"***

**"I DON'T KNOW !!!",** confesses Aiku, "I never even thought of that possibility, even though that is what I had hoped and prayed for that you would do back in high school."

"Of course. Of course you would not have imagined this would happen here and now .... "

"I never though anyone, even you, would want to do a Love Confession to the likes of me !", implores Aiku, **"NEVER !** But .... but .... I-I .... I could give it a try .... "

A long pregnant silence follows. Eventually, both women tear up and begin crying. Yuko embraces Aiku with a loving hug. Both have a wonderful, soulful cry together.

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The two lovers had to overcome many trials and tribulations over the next several years. But after all that .... at the end of the summer of 2000, both remembered that day where they first met after such a long time. The tears on that day were both warm and happy !

(The End of the Oneshot story)

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**Story Lookback, Commentary, and Opinion**

phoenix ir

Messages: 2,293

Jul 14, 2019

Aww. This brings warmth to my heart !

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Quelandoris
Member

Messages: 176

Jan 1, 2021

Cute, wholesome [story !]

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weganizm

Member

Messages: 27

Sep 1, 2023

That was beautiful,

[However,] when [yo]u [are] on hormones for a while, [yo]u will become infertile !

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rotationplus

Messages: 113

Yesterday at 4:06 AM

*There are no horrible side effects to hormones [for most Trans Women].*
The only sort of neutral effect is loss of [male] muscle mass, but that's affirming too.
Everything else is just feminizing effects.

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