Balance Policy: Chapter 4

BALANCE POLICY: CHAPTER 4

The two friends arrive at the 'secret base', a full-sized clubhouse that the two would come to in order to play and have fun together. Masaomi and Kenji are on the outside of the 'secret base' clubhouse. Masaomi is looking around at the newly grown foliage, whereas Kenji is wringing the wetness out of her skirt, this from falling in the stream earlier. Kenji comes over to where Masaomi is, and blames him for her damp and wet clothes. Masaomi retorts that you, Kenji, are the one who lost balance and fell into the water! Kenji 'lightens up' by saying that the secret base looks like it is doing just fine. Masaomi remarks that he has been cleaning it and taking care of it all the time that Kenji has been gone. Masaomi invites Kenji to go inside. She starts to do so, then stops in dismay. She has taken note of the sign posted on the front door---

**"NO GIRLS ALLOWED"**

She was the one who put it there to begin with, so there's no way she could break her own rule! Masaomi tells her to go in anyway, as she used to be a boy after all. This causes Kenji to become irritated, as she wants the rule to be enforced here and now, nonetheless. However, at that instant, a cloudburst of rain begins falling. Probably just a light shower. So rules be damned, and Kenji quickly walks up the steps and into the clubhouse, followed by Masaomi.

Stretching her arms out in the front room of the clubhouse, Kenji proclaims 'Base, sweet base' (Home, sweet home)! The movie posters of celebrity anime girls are still hanging on the one wall, so Kenji introduces herself to them all over again. Masaomi sits down on a pillow already left on the floor, as he says that Kenji is finally acting like their old self again. This is corrected as Kenji states that she is 'not acting', but is her real self now. Kenji is now on the floor, on her hands and knees, inspecting a movie poster. Masaomi says that he knows that, and that he did not mean it in a bad way. Kenji gets up off of the floor, and opens a window, looking at the pouring down rain. Staring outside, she tells Masaomi that she is not surprised by that remark. After all, a guy that you have been hanging with all this time, ever since you can remember, suddenly is turned into a girl. Kenji sits down on the couch just under the open window.

Masaomi becomes distracted, looking at Kenji with her still damp skirt positioned such that it is not covering most of her slim, bare legs. He looks again at the damp shirt, also still showing off the outline of her small boobs. Kenji soon realizes what Masaomi is looking at, and nonchalantly says that he still doesn't get that she is "Kenji", does he? Masaomi quickly says that is not true! Kenji counters by saying that knowing that in your head in not good enough, and to get used to all of it. "Easier said than done!", as Masaomi catches a glimpse of Kenji's white panties. Kenji points out that she is doing all she can to get used to her own new body, the least Masaomi can do is to do so likewise. A long silence ensues. After a while, Masaomi looks away, yet says that he will try to do just that, but gradually. Kenji tells him to return to looking at her! To add emphasis to her words, and to refocus Masaomi's attention and understanding, Kenji says that she will show him who she has become. And with that, she carefully unties her sailor tie, then removes her wet sailor shirt.

"The Kenji you knew doesn't exist anymore, Masaomi! This is the 'new me'. Take a good, long look!" The rain continues to pour down. Kenji continues, " Did you know, Masaomi? The scientists and medical professionals in charge of changing boys into girls are really just a bunch of freaks! They spend day after day bent over their instruments trying to produce "The Perfect Girl" ! Head to toe, skin to skeleton, they insist on tweaking every last detail. That's who I am now. If they really only wanted ones to have the ability to have kids, they would not have to go so far. " Masaomi continues to quietly sit on the pillow, with his legs propped up, and his arms resting on his knees, looking intently at Kenji.

Again, a long silence settles down on the two friends. Rain beats on the roof with soft pelts. Suddenly, Masaomi becomes ill. He slaps his hand across his mouth, as he begins sweating profusely. Odd noises begin to be emitted from his covered mouth. Kenji asks if what he is seeing is too strong for him to grasp, and if he is okay? Masaomi begins to sob mournfully, as he quivers and convulses. " Masaomi? ", inquires Kenji. Masaomi gets down on his hands and knees. Kenji asks why is he the one who is crying? But he only continues to do so, dripping tears on the floor. Kenji doesn't know what to think or how to act, so she blurts out---

" GHAAA! QUIT IT ALREADY! WHAT IS UP WITH YOU? "

Masaomi withdraws back to the pillow, and resumes sitting with his legs up, and his arms resting on his knees, and his face buried in his hands. Kenji just makes matters worse---

" IF YOU'RE CRYING BECAUSE YOU FEEL SORRY FOR ME, IM'MA GONNA KNOCK YOUR BLOCK OFF ! "

Masaomi says nothing, but continues to softly cry to himself. Kenji slowly becomes sympathetic, and begins to show some empathy. She realizes that she has only been adding fuel to the fire. So, she meekly crawls over to Masaomi, places her two hands so that they are cupping his downward facing head, and quietly and thoughtfully asks, "What is wrong, Masaomi?" He only continues to innocently cry. Kenji then places her cheek on the top of his head, with her arms encircling the sides of his head. She pleads---

" Please, stop crying, okay? "

The two intimate friends are now walking back home, walking the bicycle with them. Masaomi sincerely apologizes to Kenji. He said that he started crying when he began thinking that you, Kenji, would keep on changing into someone else, and the long and fast friendship that we had and treasured would end up disappearing entirely. Kenji poses a thought back to him, stating, so it is the case that if Kenji 'disappeared' entirely, Masaomi would be so lonely without his intimate friend, that he would break down and cry? Masaomi affirms that yea, he would be that lonely. Eventually, the two come upon the same stream wherein Kenji fell into earlier in the day, when all Kenji wanted was a drink of cold, country water. This time, Kenji suggests that Masaomi wash his unsightly face, made messy from all that crying earlier, in the clear, cool water. This he does, or at least tries to. Masaomi steps out into the stream on a series of exposed rocks, but makes a false step and slips. Remarkably, he falls backward, and making a 180 degree turn in the air, legs up and head down, lands with his head in the stream of water. He then tumbles over so that he ends up sitting in about a foot of water. Kenji at first giggles, then erupts in full-blown hearty laughter. Inbetween the peals of laughter, she shouts to Masaomi, wanting to know how did he manage to trip like that, with that being *so awesome!* Kenji is all smiles and giggles now, as Masaomi silent takes note that this is the first time that he has seen Kenji laugh or make merry in more than a year.

When Kenji is finally able to speak, she tells her friend that her stomach aches from all the laughter, and that she is crying tears of joy and pleasure. Masaomi stands up and slowly walks through the water to the shore, commenting that it seems that Kenji really has not changed all that much from a year ago. Here stands the same Kenji that he always knew. Masaomi, now on dry ground, breaks out into smiles. " What? ", puzzles Kenji. Masaomi only states---

" Welcome back home, Kenji !!! "

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

Click on Chapter 5 to be taken to the next chapter.