Mio's alarm shrieked, a banshee in the morning stillness. She slammed it off, wincing as pain jolted through her muscles like a bad electric current. Every inch of her body screamed in protest, a harsh reminder of yesterday's brutal training. She groaned, dragging herself upright with all the grace of a newborn giraffe.
It took her a moment to recall why she had set the alarm for such an early hour, while the sun still slept. Living with a group of girls meant facing one of her biggest fears: using communal showers. As a boy, this thought would have excited her like any adolescent boy, but in her current body, she felt like an outsider.
"Hopefully it's early enough that the other girls are still asleep," she muttered to herself, squinting at the pre-dawn darkness that enveloped her room.
She shuffled to the locker room, her steps heavy, her mind still foggy with sleep. The plan had been simple: beat the rush, avoid the awkwardness. But plans, as always, loved to fall apart.
The locker room was alive with movement, girls bustling about in various stages of undress. Some wore towels wrapped around their bodies, while others seemed unbothered by their nakedness. Mio's cheeks flushed as she avoided looking at any of them, her gaze fixed on the floor.
The air was heavy with the scent of soap and shampoo, mixed with a hint of sweat and body spray. The overwhelming smell of femininity filled the room, making Mio acutely aware of her own gender.
Oblivious to Mio's inner turmoil, the room was abuzz with chatter, girls gossiping and laughing as they hurriedly got ready for the day. The sound of hair dryers and shower heads could be heard in the background, along with the occasional shriek or exclamation.
Mio's heart raced. She inched towards an empty locker, praying to any deity that would listen for invisibility. No such luck.
"Hey, new girl!" A cheerful voice chirped. "Master Kojima's granddaughter, right?"
Mio turned, coming face-to-face with a perky redhead. Naked as the day she was born. Mio's eyes bulged. She whipped her head away so fast she nearly gave herself whiplash.
"Y-yeah, that's me," Mio stammered, her voice cracking. She fumbled with her locker combination, desperate for a distraction.
The redhead laughed, a tinkling sound that echoed off the tiled walls. "I'm Rin. Don't worry, you'll get used to it. We're all girls here, right?"
Mio managed a weak smile, her cheeks burning. "Right. Girls. Totally."
She peeled off her shirt, hyper-aware of her new curves. The sports bra felt like a straitjacket. She'd never appreciated how complicated women's undergarments were until now.
As she shimmied out of her sleeping shorts, the redhead—Rin came up from behind and cupped her breasts with a whistle of admiration. "I've never seen such large ones before!"
Mio yelped, jumping back like she'd been electrocuted. Her elbow slammed into the locker, sending a fresh wave of pain through her already aching body. Her cheeks heating up like a hot furnace. "What the hell?!"
Rin giggled, unfazed. "Sorry, couldn't resist. You're built like a goddess!"
Mio glared, backing away. "Hands off, perv."
She grabbed her towel, wrapping it around herself like armor. The other girls watched with amusement. Mio wanted to sink into the floor.
"Aw, don't be shy," Rin teased. "We're all friends here. Right, girls?"
A chorus of giggles erupted from the other girls. Mio's face burned hotter. She clutched her towel tighter, knuckles white.
"I'm not shy," Mio growled. "I just don't like being groped by strangers."
YOU ARE READING
Whispers of the Yokai
Teen FictionIn an alternate world where Yokai exist, there are special humans who are able to see them; and Mio Kojima is one of those unlucky few. At fifteen years of age, he's just started his first year of high school and is looking forward to spending a rel...
