Chapter 5: Bye-Bye

A CHERRY BLOSSOM RIPPLING IN THE WIND

BYE-BYE

CHAPTER 5 OF THE MANGA

The next school day, after the two friends talked on the swing set at the playground, Kazuhiro is on the train going to school, as usual. The next stop coming up is where Ren gets on the train. He is waiting in keen anticipation for her presence. He silently thinks to himself that Ren is going thorough some tough times right now, but he will help her, and settle any possible misunderstandings between us, today, right now on the train ! Kazuhiro further imagines in his mind what it will be like. Lovingly taking her gentle hands into his, and looking into her big, innocent eyes, he will tell Ren that he will always love her from the bottom of his heart ! Ren will put her arms around his shoulders, and emphatically state that she is so happy to hear that, and for Kazuhiro to always cherish her. "I LOVE YOU, KAZUHIRO !", is uttered with sincerity and conviction. You can do anything with me, coos Ren ! And then we will kiss, a kiss that is long, passionate, and so very provocative ! Why, I can hear Ren's voice right now; she must be on the train this very moment ! "Good morning, Ren !"

Kazuhiro catches sight of Ren, but not the Ren that he has come to know and love ! Ren is dressed in the *male school uniform, and has a drab and mournful expression on 'his' face !* " .... good morning .... ", mumbles Ren. WHAT GIVES ?, blurts out Kazuhiro.

" .... I have decided to stop dressing as a girl .... Here, I will give you this .... " Ren hands a medium-sized paper bag to Kazuhiro.

"Wait .... What is this ? Ren-chan .... ", squeaks out Kazuhiro.

"Kazuhiro-kun .... Bye-bye !" And with that, Ren walks away, into the next train car, and disappears from view. Dumbfounded and stupefied, Kazuhiro is frozen in place, silently grieving, staring at the closed train car door that Ren just passed through.

Sitting at his desk in homeroom class, Kazuhiro has his head down, and looks like 'death warmed over' (Kazuhiro and Ren attend different schools, Kazuhiro is in high school, Ren in middle school). His eyes are like stagnant pools of brackish water, and seemingly a thick, black cloud hovers just above his head. Does what just happened mean that I have been dumped again ? Two male classmates walk by his desk. One states that Kazuhiro must have been canned again, as he is acting just like he did that one other time, when the girl called him a JERK, and blew him off ! Yeah, and we thought that this girl would stick with him; too bad ! The things in the bag that Ren had given to him were the female sailor suit school uniform pieces, the wig, and the twin tail hair extensions with the bows. Wonder what this all means ? The two boys continue staring at Kazuhiro. He's crying his heart out onto that paper bag ! Yeah, it sure looks considerably worse than last time. Maybe we should leave him like this. The two boys walk away.

After school has ended, Kazuhiro has calmed down somewhat. He leaves the school building with a renewed spirit. Nothing can be accomplished until he meets with Ren, and has a long, heart-to-heart chat with her. Going out the front gate, a familiar voice greets him. It is Ren's older sister. She wants to talk to Kazuhiro, intimately, and all alone. She leads him to the very playground wherein Ren and herself had that rather explicate disagreement between themselves. Both sit down on a park bench. A rather awkward silence engulfs the two of them for a while. Finally, Big Sis says that the truth needs to be told. Kazuhiro practically 'jumps out of his skin' ! *Calm down, will ya !*

Big Sis shows a handwritten note that Ren had left her this morning (see picture above). Do you know anything about this ? Kazuhiro offers that Ren left him with this paper bag, that is all. "ISN'T ALL OF THIS BECAUSE YOU SAID THOSE AWFUL THINGS TO REN, Onee-chan (lit. *Big Sister*) ?" Onee-chan admits that she did say some harsh and unjustified words to Ren yesterday. So you left Ren 'in the lurch', huh, Onee-chan ? It isn't good for Ren to stay that way, ya know !

For some unexplained reason, Onee-chan takes her hand and places it upon Kazuhiro's hand. She comments, you're a weird kid, but maybe that is just like you. Then Onee-chan takes both their hands and places them on her breast. She then offers a cryptic comment, "Are you not *interested in girls ?*", inquires Onee-chan ? Instinctively, Kazuhiro squeezes her right breast, then violently pulls his hand away. That feeling about her breast right now, what was that ? Kazuhiro is puzzled, and shouts not for her to do that again ! A very surprised Onee-chan states that *you sure startled and astonished me !* Kazuhiro frankly mentions that your boob felt like it split into two pieces ! That's because I am wearing silicon pads, confesses Onee-chan ! Why ? Does that mean .... ? Yeah, admits Onee-chan---

"Just like Ren, **I was born perceived as A GUY !!!**"

Kazuhiro is shocked and dumbfounded beyond belief ! "You .... you're .... you're a .... a GUY ???", stammers Kazuhiro ?

"Born a guy, but not now !", confidently replies Onee-chan, "I'm a full-fledged, authentic Trans Girl ! Have been for quite some time now !"

***"W - W - WHAT ???"***, stammers Kazuhiro. He is even more surprised now, than he was when Ren told him that they were born perceived as a male. He continues, trying to make any sense whatsoever out of all of this---

"If what you say is true, Onee-chan, then why did you say such unkind and disapproving things to Ren yesterday ? Look at you ! You are so beautiful and feminine now, Onee-chan, but for you to say that Ren should be denied the same transition that you enjoyed is a real tragedy, and .... "

Interrupting, Onee-chan states, "Why you ask ? Why ? Because as I grew up, I knew who I was deep down in my heart. I was a girl ! I hated being forced to wear boy's clothing. I loved girl's lacy, sparkly, showy, ultra-feminine dresses, blouses, and short skirts. Yet at every turn, I was denied wearing such, by family, friends, and the teachers and classmates at school. I had to go through much blood, sweat, and tears, through 'hell and high water' to even begin to wear gender-neutral clothing, let alone my desire for real girl's clothing. Plus, no one would understand my feelings, or make any effort to acknowledge my correct Gender Identity of female. It wasn't until I graduated from high school and entered college that Dad finally reluctantly consented for me to identify and present as a girl, and wear the girl's university uniform, and girl's outfits on campus. Then, just like that, Dad gave permission for Ren to begin wearing the female school uniform in middle school. Why should Ren have a transition handed to them 'on a silver platter', without all the horse manure that I had to wade through ? That just doesn't seem fair or right to me !"

"Onee-chan .... ", begins Kazuhiro. "I can imagine all the difficulties that you have overcome. Taking that a step further, it seems as if you have become envious of Ren's smoother and more well received transition. I can't really blame you all that much, as I probably would have felt the same under those circumstances. However, those difficulties that you endured, is not justification to place similar restrictions upon Ren. You, Onee-chan, had strong motivations to see you through your troubles and tribulations. Likewise, Ren has a cherished motivation to spur them on to their goal of transition, too. Namely, their relationship with you, sister with sister, and the memory of that time when the both of you spent a day having fun together, as well as *when you told Ren that she was **cute, wearing that dress that you had bought for her**!* I have told Ren repeatedly how cute she is. But I am no match for you, Onee-chan, if you would tell Ren how pretty and adorable she is when she is presenting as her correct female identity. The reason that Ren cried so much yesterday, and subsequently stopped dressing as a girl, is not because of any supposed discipline, correction, and logic that you placed upon her, but because *she was told to stop by the older sister who she loves, cherishes, and respects !!* That love and respect for you, Onee-chan, apparently overrides Ren's desire to dress and present as a girl. That is saying a lot ! Really, just what are you doing to Ren, Onee-chan, putting her 'through the wringer' ?"

"I see .... I sorta understand .... ", meekly states Onee-chan, "Plus, I kinda know now why Ren consented to go out with you and begin dating you. You call me 'Onee-chan' and have treated me with dignity and respect, this all the time knowing how I acted yesterday, unkind and belligerent, toward Ren and yourself, Kazuhiro. Very few people have I ever met have had that kind of perception and understanding of such human emotions, reactions, and conduct. I admit, I was envious of Ren. I had to cut and hack my way through the tangled forest of disbelief, opposition, and ridicule when I transitioned. So now Ren can walk that same path without a care in the world, all due to my unsung efforts. Ren has always had this sweet, adorable, yet provocative and erotic smile on their face. That alone provoked a dark, jealous feeling in my heart. But that was just a shallow, unworkable, and unstainable feeling. I see that now. What I have always cherished and wished for, deep down, was for the two of us to be close, intimate, even slightly romantic, sisters who really love and care for one another. Seems like I have not paid any attention to all that, like it was buried underneath my resentment of Ren's idealistic transition."

"So deep down, you really don't resent Ren, or me for that matter, do you, Onee-chan ?", offers Kazuhiro.

"Of course not !", apologically states Onee-chan, "Because Ren is my precious, likeable, adorable, **Imouto** (lit. *little sister*). But how can I convey that to Ren, after all this time and all that has gone down lately ?"

Kazuhiro gently takes Onee-chan's hand into his. "It's okay !" He states that he has something that he has to talk to Ren about. So, let's go together, to tell Ren all that is on our minds and hearts. And with that, Kazuhiro pulls Onee-chan up from her seat, and they begin walking briskly, romantically hand-in-hand, toward Ren's home. While walking, Kazuhiro confesses that he is a little scared for what he is about to do. He acknowledges that he is no match compaired to Onee-chan, when it comes to getting into Ren's mind, heart, and spirit.

Onee-chan replies that things might have been different, if she had experienced having a loving companion when she was transitioning, as Ren has now in the person of you, Kazuhiro !

"Did you say something, Onee-chan ?"

"Nah, I didn't say anything !"

(End Chapter 5)

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