Night fell on the park before we knew it. We held hands and walked along the road, which was lit only by faintly glowing streetlights. The scent of the familiar flowers, the road we’d walked down many times before—something about today made them feel brand new.
We returned to the apartment complex where we both lived, but not to the secret garden.
How many years has it been since I was last in Riku’s room?
It was the quintessential high-school boy’s room. Everything in it was basic, from the desk to the bed to the curtains. It was a little messy—there were disorganized piles of Riku’s things on the floor, and the manga in the bookcase was haphazardly arranged.
There was no trace of sweet perfume here; the room just smelled like Riku’s natural scent.
We didn’t say a single word until the door shut behind us; we remained quiet even after Riku locked it. As we stood in the still silence permeating his room, it felt like all it would take was to speak one word, and this world would crash down around us.
We exchanged kisses so naturally, it didn’t seem as though our first kiss had been earlier that day. It was like we already knew how each other’s lips would feel, and we were just confirming that knowledge. It seemed almost incomprehensible that we’d never tried it until now.
The room was dark, but the moonbeams flooding through the window illuminated us in silvery light. Riku touched me with the care of someone handling delicate sugar candy. Though he said nothing, his eyes, now completely devoid of eye shadow, spoke volumes. He was being incredibly considerate, but his gaze concealed a sharp glint.
I reached out for him, my fingers tangling in his hair. His wig was slipping, and he tossed it on his bed without a hint of concern, revealing his true face. There was no trace of the feminine Riku to be seen.
Why were we born into different bodies?
Riku caressed me again, his touch exploring each curve of my form. Our bodies had been the same when we were children, but his touch spoke to the fact that our chests, waists, and butts were completely different now.
Still, the feeling in both our hearts was the same.
Riku’s body was different from mine. Even when I grabbed his toned underarm, he didn’t flinch. The strength of his embrace took my breath away, but he was always gentle enough to loosen his grip immediately.
“Ichika.” His whisper seemed to penetrate me. “You’re beautiful.”
You’re beautiful too, Riku.
Before I could put my thought into words, he kissed me again.
We were searching for each other, doing whatever we could to find the truth that lay within us both, trying to become one.
Why were we born into different bodies? To seek something out that we both shared? Something eyes couldn’t see, that only existed deep within our hearts?
We pursued the answers to those questions as we explored the comfort of each other’s warmth for the first time.