I finally found a box of women’s underwear in the drawer by the bed.

“Wow, Rinka’s got quite the collection…”

There were all kinds—classic cotton, sultry black lace, cutesy ones with little bear prints, and oh, the classic blue-and-white stripes!

Talk about a lack of consistency.

Come to think of it, all the clothes in this room are from back when she was still a guy, right?

Which means these panties had once hugged his little teapot… But going commando isn’t exactly an option here, and besides, they’ve been washed and smell totally clean, so it should be fine… probably.

Sniff, sniff. Yeah, no odor… but still, do I really have to wear these?

Whatever. We were all men once. Nothing to fuss over!

With that thought, I shoved my legs through a pair of plain white panties and yanked them up around my hips.

They looked pretty new.

Thanks to my original body being a towering 190 cm, I still stand out even in this girl’s body—probably even taller than Commander—so Rinka’s old “guy-sized” clothes actually fit me just right.

As for what to wear… I’d already made plans.

…

Oh right! Plans!

I don’t usually use that word, but this time it really is a plan!

Operation: Infiltrate Biyang Girls’ Academy

I pulled a summer uniform off the rack: a crisp white short-sleeved blouse and a red-and-black plaid skirt. Biyang’s British-academy-style uniforms are the holy grail among certain… underground enthusiasts. Priceless and in high demand.

I once blew an entire month’s part-time salary bribing the boss of the manga café to get me two sets. And then that cold-blooded judge Yan Liuzhuan confiscated them. They're probably still gathering dust in the student council office.

Then again, knowing that demon, he might’ve already burned them.

Looking back now, dropping cash on school uniforms seems like a pretty dumb move. But it still hurts to remember how my hard-earned money went up in flames.

Men are idiots. And my original self is the biggest idiot of them all.

The black knee-high socks with the embroidered school crest completed the look. With these legs of mine, long and slender thanks to my height, they fit perfectly.

I rolled the skirt up a little for a short-skirt look, paired it with the socks to show off a sliver of bare, pale thigh—the legendary absolute territory. Perfect.

No point stressing over assets I don’t have. Better to focus on showing off my actual strengths.

Shoes were trickier. No matter how well you crossdress, male and female shoe sizes are just different. Rinka’s shoes were too big, so I had to tighten the laces on a pair of sneakers and stuff some tissue in the heels. They stayed on, but it wasn’t exactly comfortable.

I gave myself a twirl in the full-length mirror. Yep, there’s no way anyone would doubt I was a Biyang girl now.

Even without makeup, I looked pretty decent—though still a bit childish. Just going by the face, someone might mistake me for a kid. (Well… or just a simpleton.)

My brows were long and slender like willow leaves, and the ends lifted slightly, giving me a lively expression. My hair had grown a fair bit too—might be long enough for a braid or something fancy… if only I knew how to style it.

I knew I owed this look to Commander’s divine notebook, but still, I couldn’t help but admire myself a little. I took a few selfies and sent one off to him.

【Mm. Very cute. But you’re not allowed to go out.】

Eh? Did he catch on already?

Well, as long as I’m back before school lets out this afternoon, it’ll be fine!

If nobody finds out, it’s like it never happened. Just like eating at a fancy restaurant—if you didn’t take a picture, it’s like the meal never happened. Okay, maybe not exactly the same, but close enough!

I crouched and crawled out of the fire cabinet. The temperature difference between the air-conditioned room and the hallway hit me hard.

The fifth floor only had the student council office and some rarely-used utility rooms. And since it was still class time, there shouldn’t be anyone around.

I had my stealth route all planned out: sneak out of the school building, dash along the windowless east wall, cross the field, slip into the grove behind it, and scale the artificial rock wall—then I’d be in the girls’ campus. Same route for getting back.

And if I did get caught? Easy—run! Melos!¹ If I run fast enough, no one can catch me. I don’t officially exist, so they can’t track anyone if they don’t catch me!

Technically, I could walk in through the front gate, but only for the girls' campus. The boys' side still has guards I can’t get past.

Climbing that fake mountain would’ve been easy for my original body, but I wasn’t sure this one could manage it. I’ve got decent coordination, but not much upper body strength.

Why go to the girls' campus, you ask? Not for anything shady, if that’s what you’re thinking. Partly because I was bored, figured it’d be a fun little field trip—but also out of pure stubborn pride.

My original self failed to infiltrate it so many times. I couldn’t just let that stand.

Operation: Infiltrate Biyang Girls’ Academy—MISSION START!

Of course, real life isn’t like video games. Hiding in cardboard boxes won’t keep you from getting caught. Even getting downstairs required caution. Sometimes the admin staff wandered the halls on inspections, but in this heat? No way they’d leave the comfort of their AC.

Most classrooms and offices had windows facing the hallway, but they were all high up—just needed to crouch low enough and I’d be out of sight.

“Teacher, I really need the money. If I don’t work part-time, I won’t be able to go to college…”

I was sneaking through the third-floor corridor to get to the eastern stairwell when I overheard a familiar voice from one of the offices. I pressed myself to the wall and listened in.

“The school forbids part-time jobs because we worry about your safety—and your grades! You’re in your final year! This is no time to be thinking about work!”

That raspy voice must be his homeroom teacher.

Peeking over the window ledge, I saw exactly who I expected—Senior Li Jianlian. And he looked worn out.

“I haven’t been neglecting my studies, really. I just sleep a little less every day… there’s always time if you squeeze hard enough.”

“Squeeze my a̲s̲s̲! Are you trying to kill yourself?” The teacher banged a stainless-steel mug on the table. “You’re so stubborn! Look at your face—you’re paler than me! How am I supposed to feel okay about this? You think you’re some kind of modern-day Lu Xun²?!”

Actually, a lot of us take on part-time jobs. Even Commander and I have done day work before. As long as it’s short-term, the school usually doesn’t catch on.

But somehow, his job got exposed. And since he’s in his final year, of course it became a big deal.

He lowered his head in silence as the teacher calmed down.

“I’ve been your homeroom teacher for three years. You’re a serious student—I respect that. If things are really that bad, I can lend you your tuition. There are scholarships in college too. There are always other ways.”

Then he scowled again.

“I’ll let it slide this time. I’ll talk to the admin office. But don’t count on getting lucky again. Got it?”

“…Yes, sir.”

“Good. Get back to class. Don’t fall behind.”

By the time he left the office, I was already hiding in the stairwell. He looked drained, like the whole world was weighing on his shoulders. No wonder he seemed so out of it yesterday.

Since Commander’s whole deal is turning unfortunate souls into girls—ugh, no, wait—I mean, helping the unfortunate become happy, as a god (apprentice)… then as his divine emissary, it’s my duty to carry on that mission! I have to find a way to help senior!

I really wanted to say something to cheer him up, but I was barely holding it together myself. I’ll pass the word to Commander later.

I made it down to the first floor without running into anyone, pushed open the emergency exit, and peeked out at the field. The sun was roasting the asphalt track, and the whole place was deserted. With heat like this, gym classes are held indoors.

I sprinted toward the grove behind the field—

Okay, maybe “sprinted” is too generous. I couldn’t really run without my skirt flying up, so it was more like a brisk power-walk.

Kind of regretting rolling the skirt up so much now.

Everything was going according to plan. I made it into the grove. All that was left was the final challenge.

The almost vertical fake cliff face.

Can this body… really climb it?