"Ray. Are you really sure about this?"
"I don't mind. This is exactly why I negotiated in the first place."
"Even so... only one hour a day. It's a shame, really. A real shame."
"It can't be helped. Securing permission at all was a major success."
We were holding our final meeting in an empty classroom.
After I received permission from Abby-san, the ban on my cross-dressing was officially lifted. I had only sought her approval because Amelia had pleaded with me so earnestly.
That story began just a few days ago.
"Hey, Ray. I have a favor to ask."
Cultural Festival preparations were almost complete, and I was about to head back to my dorm room when Amelia called out to me.
"What is it, Amelia?"
"Um... I’ll just be blunt. I want you to cross-dress, Ray!"
I had a feeling this conversation was coming eventually. However, Abby-san had previously told me to restrain myself because that particular appearance was far too conspicuous. That order applied to the Cultural Festival as well.
I had more or less given up on the idea, but Amelia was staring at me with dead-serious eyes.
"Please! If you participate, Ray, I know our Maid Cafe will be even better!"
Amelia bowed her head.
She loves cute things, and the Maid Cafe project seemed like an extension of that passion. Even so, I knew how hard she had worked to ensure everyone in the class would have a good time.
Amelia herself had said it. In the past, she hadn't been able to enjoy these events from the bottom of her heart, but she wanted this year to be different. She wanted to enjoy it with everyone.
I wanted to make that wish come true.
Looking at her bowed head, I realized that I should face her request head-on rather than simply resigning myself to the Headmaster's orders. Her single-minded devotion deserved a proper response.
"Please, raise your head."
She did so, looking up at me with moist, wavering eyes. She was clearly anxious, knowing full well that I might turn her down.
But I felt a growing desire to repay her.
"As I mentioned before, the Headmaster told me to refrain from cross-dressing."
"I see... I guess that makes sense."
"However—"
Amelia, who had slumped in disappointment, snapped her face back up.
"I also dislike the idea of giving up without even trying."
"Then..."
"Yes. I’ll go and negotiate directly with the Headmaster."
"Are you sure!?"
"You want to make this Cultural Festival a success, don't you?"
"Y-Yeah!"
"Then I will put in the maximum effort. I’ll talk to her and see if we can find some middle ground."
"I-I'm counting on you, Ray!"
"Leave it to me."
In truth, I had hesitated until the very last moment. I didn't want to break my word to the Headmaster, and my internal conflict was exactly why I’d waited until that rainy day to finally approach her.
Ultimately, I chose to act of my own will. I no longer needed to wait for someone else to give me orders.
After that exchange, I managed to squeeze a small window of permission out of Abby-san.
And so, here we were. With it being the day before the Cultural Festival, I needed to show my appearance to my classmates. If I suddenly debuted on the day of the event, the shock would be too much for them.
"Alright☆ Caro-caro is going to give it her all!"
Carol was the one handling my makeup. I’d told her I could do it myself, but she had insisted on being the one to do it, so I left it to her. Naturally, I didn't have to agree to any "conditions" this time. Since I wasn't the one pleading, I wouldn't be repeating the mistake of that day ever again.
"Just like Amelia-chan requested, we’re going with the refined look today!☆"
"I’ll leave the details to you."
"Wow... Professor, you’re really good at this."
"Hehe... Caro-caro’s skills aren't just for show!☆"
Wearing a proud expression, Carol continued her work. As she said, the theme was "refined," a decision reached after she and Amelia had consulted with each other. Carol seemed incredibly motivated, acting even more high-spirited than usual. Though, come to think of it, she was always like this.
The truth was that Abby-san had forbidden Carol from doing the makeup for the students in maid outfits on the day of the festival, so she had begged to be allowed to do it just this once. I wondered if she simply wanted to help out in her own way.
I still didn't quite understand this idiot woman, but lately, I felt like I was starting to see some of her better qualities... maybe.
"There! It looks great!☆ I went with a straight, black-haired wig!"
"I see. A fine choice."
Once the makeup was done, I put on the wig and changed into the maid outfit.
"Wah! You're changing right here!?"
"My apologies, Amelia. I forgot you were there. Please look away for a moment."
"Wait... is the professor okay to stay?"
"Carol is a childhood friend, so I don't really mind. Or rather..."
"That’s because Ray-chan and Caro-caro are close enough to have shared a bath!☆"
"A bath!?"
Amelia reacted with exaggerated shock, but that had happened nearly a decade ago. Carol really needs to learn when to keep her mouth shut.
"What Carol is talking about happened ten years ago. Please don't take it seriously."
"I wouldn't mind doing it again now, though! In fact, right now would be better!☆"
"Just shut up, Idiot Pink."
Despite the minor commotion, I continued dressing. After attaching the garter belt, I used it to lock my black stockings in place. Then I donned the maid outfit that Elisa had spearheaded. The size was a perfect fit—I wondered when she’d even had the time to prepare it.
According to Amelia, they’d planned this from the start. When she’d asked me for my height, shoulder width, and waist measurements, I’d had a suspicion, and it turned out my hunch was correct.
The skirt of this maid outfit was quite short, making things feel a bit breezy... but since design took priority over functionality here, I suppose there was no helping it.
I spun around to check the overall balance in a full-length mirror.
With its abundance of frills and short hemline, it was a fairly provocative design. However... it wasn't bad. Finally, I placed the white brim headpiece on my head, and I was finished.
No matter how one looked at it, I appeared to be nothing but a maid. I’d even used Metamorphose to adjust my physical balance. It was a perfect transformation. Now I just had to reproduce this on the day of the festival.
Just establishing the baseline made today’s fitting worth the effort.
"..."
"..."
Amelia and Carol stared at me, completely stunned. Amelia’s mouth was even hanging open slightly.
"Did something happen, you two?"
When I spoke, Carol began hopping up and down with excitement, while Amelia’s vacant eyes seemed to pierce right through me.
"Ray-chan! This is incredible! We’ve reached a new frontier!☆"
"..."
Carol made a bubbly fuss and tried to hug me, but I naturally fended her off. I grabbed her head firmly to keep her at a distance. I squeezed my fingers as a warning, but she didn't seem to care at all, pressing forward even harder. I suppose the fact that she’d survived scraps with Master and beatings from Abby-san meant she was made of sterner stuff.
Meanwhile, Amelia was completely paralyzed.
"Amelia? Are you alright?"
"...Perfect."
"Hmm?"
"So cute! I knew I wasn't wrong! Gh... fuhehe... Ray, you’re so cute... no, you’re Lily-chan... guhehe..."
"Wait! Are you serious!?"
Since I was busy restraining Carol, I couldn't react to Amelia in time. She began to fondle my body without mercy.
T-This technique... it was borderline criminal!
Amelia had completely lost her mind, utterly obsessed with my cross-dressed form. Since I still had to hold Carol back, I was powerless to stop Amelia’s advances.
"Ah! Amelia-chan, no fair!"
"Haa... haa... this is bad. Ray is so cute. So cute... A new door has opened! A new world is here!!"
"U-Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!"
I finally understood how Elisa and Clarice felt... I’ll never be able to get married now. Sniff...
"Hey, what’s White’s cross-dressing supposed to be like?"
"It’s definitely been the talk of the class."
"Does anyone actually know?"
"I saw a glimpse, and he was seriously super cute!"
Inside the classroom, our classmates were eagerly awaiting my appearance. The three of us walked straight through the door.
"Eh?"
Almost every voice in the room overlapped in a single sound of confusion.
I walked to the front without hesitation and stood before the blackboard. I decided to ask for their honest feedback.
"I am Ray White. What are your impressions?"
In that instant, an explosive roar of sound filled the room.
"Wha—Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!!?"
I see. This isn't a bad feeling at all. It was proof that the quality of this cross-dressing was exceptionally high. I felt quite satisfied.
"Are you serious!?"
"No way, the bone structure is totally different!"
"Is that even the same person!?"
"But that voice...!"
"Man... I think I might be okay with it even if he is a guy..."
"Stop right there! That path leads only to hell!"
"But... that charm clearly transcends gender...!"
The boys’ reactions were overwhelmingly positive. Meanwhile, the girls swarmed around me.
"Whoa!"
"You're so cute!"
"Say something! Use the voice!"
Since they asked, I decided to oblige. This time, I used my normal male voice.
"Will this suffice?"
The girls erupted. They grabbed each other's hands and started hopping up and down, much like Carol had earlier.
"Kyaa!"
"It really is White!"
"So cute! This is way too cute!"
"It’s criminal! No wonder they put a time limit on this!"
Amidst the chaos, Amelia made a suggestion.
"Ray. You can do a feminine voice too, right? Why don't you try that for them?"
Amelia, having already had her fill of me earlier, was now strangely composed. Her skin seemed suspiciously radiant, though...
Following her lead, I performed Tuning on my voice. Once it was set, I struck a pose and delivered the line.
"Welcome home~☆ Master☆"
I mimicked Carol’s slightly flashy tone. The classroom turned into a madhouse. It was already like a festival, even though the actual event didn't start until tomorrow.
"I'm a changed man..."
"Yeah... there's no doubt about it..."
"That's a woman. The cutest girl in history. I give up. If it's this cute, gender is a trivial detail!!"
"W-Wait! There's even more of them now!"
"Kyaa!"
"Just stay like that forever!"
"Seriously, you look amazing!"
The classroom didn't calm down for a long time, and my cross-dressed image was burned into everyone’s retinas.
The interior was finished, the food was ready, and the fittings were complete. After sharing the schedule for the following day, the class finally disbanded.
The Cultural Festival was finally here. I couldn't stop my heart from racing with anticipation.
And so, the curtains rose on the fateful Cultural Festival, a stage where various agendas were destined to collide.
"Heh heh heh..."
Night had fallen.
A single female student sat in a dark room, staring intently at a notebook.
"With this, Elisa will finally... Heh heh heh..."
She let out a wicked chuckle. It was her. The woman who loved twin tails and was loved by twin tails in return.
Clarice Cleveland.
A mug of hot milk sat on her desk next to her notebook. After taking a long sip, Clarice reviewed her plan one more time.
"...Fufu."
She couldn't help but admire the brilliance of her own scheme. Clarice wasn't the smartest, but she was no fool. And this time, it was for revenge.
Until now, she’d felt a sense of kinship with Elisa Griffith, as they had often been fellow victims of Amelia’s "fits." They were comrades-in-arms who had survived hardships together. Clarice had truly believed that Elisa was a kind, saintly woman filled with motherly compassion... until that day.
"Nyahaaaaaaaaah! H-Help me, everyone! It’s a fit! Amelia’s started another fit!"
"..."
"Are you ignoring me!? E-Elisa...! You’re right there, so do something about Amelia!"
"..."
"Guhehe... Clarice has a great body as always... Being petite has its own special charm... guhehe..."
"Gyaaaaaaaah! I'll never be able to get married now!!"
She had desperately called for help. Once, Ray and Evi had tried to intervene, but they had given up in the face of Amelia’s terrifying determination.
Clarice and Elisa had made a pact to help each other. Elisa had agreed... or so Clarice thought.
And yet, Elisa had abandoned her.
That betrayal had planted the seeds of revenge in Clarice’s heart.
Of course, Elisa had apologized profusely afterward, claiming she simply couldn't do anything against Amelia in that state. But that didn't matter. While Clarice had smiled and forgiven her on the surface, inwardly, she had sworn vengeance.
"I’m going to scare Elisa senseless in this haunted house!"
Her revenge involved using her class's haunted house project to target Elisa specifically. She had planned it meticulously.
In truth... rather than actual malice, Clarice just wanted everyone to have fun. Since they were in different classes, she wanted to make sure her project was a success for everyone, while she planned to enjoy the Maid Cafe herself. She felt a bit lonely being apart from her friends, but there was no helping that.
She truly wanted everyone to enjoy themselves, but perhaps her inability to be honest about her feelings was simply part of her nature.
"...Heh heh heh. Ahahahahaha!"
Immediately after her laugh, a loud thump hit the wall from the next room—a neighbor telling her to be quiet. Clarice instantly slumped. Her high-spirited twin tails drooped like the branches of a weeping willow.
"Fine. I’m going to bed."
It was ten p.m., her usual bedtime. Clarice went to sleep, eagerly awaiting the start of the Cultural Festival.