Over twenty minutes had passed since Hiroki and Najimi started their jog through the neighborhood. The blond boy had initially planned to maintain a gentle pace to keep up with her without leaving her exhausted. To his astonishment, however, Najimi's speed far exceeded his expectations, forcing him to pick up the pace.

Save for a few words at the beginning of the route, they jogged the rest of the way without exchanging dialogue. Even so, unspoken run shared between them was comfortable and light.

The only point of discomfort for Hiroki was:

As a little tease, Najimi liked to make sudden sprints, leaving him behind.

Which wouldn't be a problem in itself, of course, if it weren't for the view he had from behind. The leggings further accentuated the prominence of every delicious curve and the muscle tone of that violet-haired beauty, turning the run into a relentless ordeal.

To escape his own hormonal bursts, Hiroki accelerated and pulled up alongside her every time Najimi took the lead. Unfortunately for him, however, she seemed to be genuinely enjoying that "chase."

Peeking out of the corner of his eye, he caught the exact moment a mischievous smile formed on her lips.

"Not again..." Hiroki grumbled out loud, which only served to widen Najimi's smile even more.

But Hiroki wouldn't let it slide this time. Sporting a smug smile that mirrored Najimi's, it was the blond's turn to accelerate, demanding the absolute most from every muscle fiber in his femoral region. The sound of a startled "H-hey! That's not fair!" echoed right behind him as he took the lead, drawing a laugh of pure gratification from him.

He persisted in this sequence for two or three minutes, distancing himself further and further from Najimi.

"I suppose that's enough of a lesson for her." he mused, slowing his pace and allowing the lilac-eyed girl to catch up as best she could, panting for air. While he waited for her to reach his side, Hiroki's blue gaze drifted down unconsciously. His eyes moved past her abdomen, protected by the white t-shirt, and parked a little further down.

There was a small bulge between her legs.

"....."

Reevaluating, there were 3 bulges. The first was elongated, about the size of a thumb, positioned a bit higher up. The other two, side by side, had a noticeably spherical shape.

Conclusion: Najimi was biologically a man.

(I should feel stunned, but I'm not. To tell the truth, I even find that bulge...)

He continued to stare at the center of Najimi's pelvis, watching it bounce with every step taken on the concrete.

"...very seductive."

"What?" Najimi asked.

"Huh?"

Hiroki blinked, Najimi's porcelain face inches from his own. He had completely lost track of time staring at her "package," and hadn't noticed the moment she approached so invasively.

Najimi scrutinized the teenager's expression until anchoring her gaze on Hiroki's oceanic orbs. It didn't take long for her to notice the exact trajectory they were pointing at, her cheeks flushing slightly red.

But then...

A brazen and mischievous smile broke out.

(I'm screwed.) That was Hiroki's mental conclusion.

"It's rude to stare at other people's private parts. Or are you openly a shameless pervert?"

"I'm not! And th-that's not the point!" Hiroki stammered, trying to defend himself. "It's just that I thought you were a girl! I mean, you're as pretty as one!"

"So what?" Najimi countered, raising an eyebrow. "Astolfo's case is the same as mine, and you're more than aware she also has her own little 'sword' down there, otherwise, I doubt you'd be dating her." Najimi fired off, not mincing words and wearing a smirk.

"...You got me there. I can't argue with that." Hiroki admitted in a good-natured tone.

He had already composed himself, and the embarrassment from moments ago now seemed completely extinguished. Hiroki straightened his posture and continued with a more direct curiosity.

"But seriously... do you also identify as a woman, Najimi-san?"

"Is it just my impression, or are you a little too interested in that particular data?" Najimi retorted, letting out a malicious giggle. "Watch out, or I'll tell Astolfo you've been unabashedly checking me out, huh?"

"Please, don't even joke about something like that! The inherent risks such a thing would entail... She'd slice me to pieces!" Hiroki shuddered, the hairs on his body standing on end just imagining the scene. "It's just that, much like I do with Astolfo, I want to show my respect and consideration for you and how you identify."

The blond's response was something Najimi definitely hadn't expected. From her perspective, she assumed Hiroki would just play along with the joke and the subject would die there, however, the purity and seriousness with which he expressed his desire to respect her integrity and her innermost "self" were touching, to say the least.

An unexpected palpitation, stronger than usual, hammered against her ribs.

(Hm? What a weird tingle...) Najimi pondered, uncertain of where this sudden phenomenon came from. Even so, she decided not to dwell on it, it couldn't be anything deserving more than a brief thought and had already died out.

She rallied her gaze and looked back at Hiroki with a prodigious unflappability.

"Until about three years ago, I only saw myself as a boy who crossdressed because I found the style more charming and cute. But right after I fell in love with my best friend, I had an identity crisis and began to discover myself. I felt the desire to be like a real woman grow every passing day, which brought me to who I am today, identifying as 'she' instead of 'he'."

"You fell in love with your best friend? And how did that turn out? Are you two in a relationship with each other?"

Najimi slowly shook her head.

"No. I even went as far as confessing my feelings, since I knew it would be corrosive to keep everything bottled up inside my chest, but he rejected me with all the care in the world. After all, he was already dating a friend and classmate of ours... a total sweetheart, by the way." she recounted, her gaze lost on the horizon.

Najimi might have accepted the end of her first love, but acceptance isn't always synonymous with completely moving on, the weight of that memory still affected her, even if only minimally.

"Oh..." was all Hiroki could stammer.

He desperately searched for the right words to change the subject, but nothing came to mind. The silence grew heavy. He didn't want the atmosphere to become tense, but his mind, previously so agile with jokes and different topics, now felt like a complete desert.

It was then that, after a minute where no sound was uttered by them, it was Najimi who took the initiative.

"Just for the record, Felix also has a 'surprise' attached between her legs. I figured it was best to let you know right away so you don't end up getting another shocking revelation, just so you don't end up finding out in an unusual situation."

Hiroki stared at her with a neutral expression, which quickly dissolved.

He then laughed out loud.

It was a lively sound that gained body and soon turned into genuine guffaws. He truly didn't know what he was expecting or hoping to hear from Najimi when she decided to break the ice, but without a shadow of a doubt, it wasn't about Felix's specific anatomy.

Either way, the change of subject worked. The air between them became light, and both began to look at each other with contented smiles on their faces.

"We stood still longer than we should have. Let's get back to exercising before our bodies cool down and our energy runs out." he commented, kneeling down and standing right back up, his knee joints popping in protest.

"Right, let me just take a sip of wat-"

Before Najimi could finish her sentence, Hiroki shot off with explosive speed, gaining meters of distance in a matter of seconds.

"See you at home, turtle!" he teased, delighting in hearing the indignant scream Najimi let out before launching into pursuit with all her vitality.

A Change Of Life: From Being Betrayed To Acquiring a Femboy Harem - Chapter 22