Boneca [Doll]

Chapter 52: Pain and Gain

Junko grappled with the realization that her life resembled a stack of chocolate boxes, each holding countless possibilities. Today's revelation hit her as she navigated the challenges of transitioning into womanhood.

Something was amiss.

Clutching her stomach in pain, Junko's lower half felt ensnared by quicksand, impeding her ability to breathe. Coldness gripped her upper half, and a fear of death loomed. Morning after morning, she woke up vomiting violently, but today's piercing stomach pain brought her to the bathroom floor, gasping for breath.

Despite the pain, embarrassment kept her from calling Milada for help. Instead, she reached out to Luuk. Today marked his first day working with Alex at their company, so she tagged along, deciding to spend the week at the Smit mansion with him.

"Junko?" The slamming of the bedroom door startled her more than Luuk's shout.

"Here," she managed, uncertain if he heard, but he entered the bathroom just as she sat up.

His blond hair fell over his forehead as he kneeled beside her. "My Goodness Gracious. Jesus. What’s happened to you? That’s it. I've been listening to your bullshit too much. Let’s go to the ER.”

"I don’t need—" she began, but he cut her off.

"Cut that crap. Let’s go. You're whiter than the floor." Helping her stand, he cursed in Dutch, noticing something on her thigh. "Did you hurt yourself?"

Confused, Junko leaned on his shoulder, shaking her head. The scent of bergamot on him calmed her exhausted mind.

"You’re bleeding. What did you do to yourself?" Luuk's voice shook, his grip tightening on her arm.

Glancing at her arms, she found no wounds. "Eu te disse, nada," [I told you, nothing,] she murmured.

Luuk frowned. "You’re bleeding. What did you do to yourself?" His gaze fixated on her thigh.

Panic surged as she looked down. Blood stained the white marble. "What the hell..." Dizziness overcame her as she realized what Luuk meant.

He held her in place as her body swayed, almost losing consciousness. Grabbing a white towel, he instructed, "Take off your shirt." While doing so, he rubbed her face, neck, and the blood on her thigh, then draped a clean towel over her bare shoulders. "Are you having stomach cramps or anything similar?"

"Quê?" she questioned, nodding in response. How does he know that?

Pushing her sweaty hair away, Luuk stared at her for a moment before stating, "Listen. I think you’re having your period."

Looking at him in disbelief, Junko realized the implications. Period as in bleeding? But I'm a man. Then it hit her—adrenaline surged as she glanced at her thigh, fearing to confirm what she already suspected.

"I... I had never gone through puberty as a girl," she confessed. The tiny spot in her had dreaded this day since stopping testosterone over six months ago.

"Oh, sweetheart," Luuk offered a comforting hug as unwelcome tears flowed down her face. It marked one of the scariest moments in her life. "Let’s clean you up," he suggested, walking to the bathtub and filling it with hot water. "Did you take painkillers yet?"

She gulped down the nauseousness in her chest. "Yes. But I vomited."

Luuk asked her to wait as he went to the bedroom for painkillers and drinking water.

Menstrual cycle?

This time, she felt it. Something flowed out of her, and her chest ached from the pounding of her heart. "Luuk, come back," she cried into her hands.