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Haman Karn has been thinking about Judau Ashta a lot lately. Not in a romantic sense, at least mostly not! No, she has Reccoa, and she's loyal, after all! But, well… When Judau does come to mind? There's always a sticking point.
After all, she often imagines him in a dress for a reason. And it's not because she likes men in dresses. Well, she does, but that's not what the case is here! No, when she thinks of Judau's high school crossdressing or the fantasies of her sweeping him off his feet.
Haman Karn is quite certain Judau Ashta is what one would call an egg.
Now, usually, she would let that be. No matter how badly she wants to help crack open that shell, it's something that needs to be done at Judau's pace! Better to only offer help when it's needed, when the chick needs it most, right?
But it's driving her crazy. She wants Judau to be able to live his (her? She'll stick with him until she's certain rather than just quite certain) best life! Even if her romantic focus is on Reccoa now, she can't just sit by and let his youth pass him by, dammit!
So here she is, casually checking her phone while she hopes Judau is about to clock out. Play it off as just running into him and musing about… You know, life and things. Her own gender to show Judau she was someone safe to talk to. Things like that! Hopefully.
Judau is a good egg (heh, get it?), so he would no doubt work with her on it! Yes, it would be perfect!
"Heya, Haman-san!" Judau chirps. "What are you chuckling about?"
Crap, was she laughing out loud?! This was already off to a bad start! She needs to save it, save it…
"Ah, Judau-kun," she pushes her hair behind her ear. "Just thinking about my younger years, as one does."
Nailed it. Probably.
"Oh!" Judau nods. "I'm sure you were an adorable child, hehe, I was a rabblerouser myself…"
He rubs the back of his head, and Haman wants to keel over from how cute he is. But she needs to focus! This is her chance, her in! He was talking a bit about his own childhood, so she could do the same…
"I was cute when I realized some things about myself," she says as she starts walking alongside him. "When it turned out I wasn't just girly but a girl? A whole world opened up to me."
Judau hums, suddenly looking serious. "When you realized you were a girl… I understand."
Her heart skips a beat. "You do?"
"I do!" He nods, brows furrowed as he thinks. "When you see someone who isn't just, what's it called Roux said it once… Gender non-conforming! But just. Are straight up the other gender!"
"Transgender," Haman supplies, nodding excitedly (despite the mention of her rival).
"Transgender…" He sucks in a breath and takes Haman by the hands. "Haman-san! I… I need to ask you for help with something important! Do you think you can do it?"
"Happily! I would be happy to help you!" She shouts just as loudly as he does, her heart beating heavy in her chest.
This was the best night of her life!
This was the strangest night of her life.
She doesn't know why they're at an apartment building, Judau knocking loudly on the door in front of them. Had he forgotten his keys and needed Leina to let him in? Or he was involving another girl in his transformation?!
Oh, making it a girls' night could be fun! As long as Roux wasn't the other girl. Too bad Reccoa wouldn't be too interested in participating (though she'd no doubt listen to Haman gush about it later)… That could be more than fun.
The door opens, and she straightens up a bit. Standing there is one of Judau's friends from the beach. Namely, a boy one. Or, given the conversation they had had before coming here…
No. It couldn't be. Had Haman identified the wrong egg?! That couldn't be… Maybe it was something else. Maybe--
"Iino!" Judau points at his friend, puffing out his chest. "I haven't been on a date in months! We should change that!"
Iino blinks. Haman blinks. What?
"Judau? I know you swing both ways," Iino starts, and Haman makes another tick mark on her mental bisexual counter. "A-and we've been friends forever, but I'm not sure I'd be a fun date partner."
"You would be," Judau nods seriously. "Especially if you go out with me as a cute girl."
Okay. What the fuck was Judau doing?! Haman looks between them, noting the way Iino's cheeks flush at the comment. She thinks she saw him in the background of the Judau crossdressing pictures… He'd worn it well! It fit him!
Fit… her. Her, if what Judau was doing was what she thinks he's doing.
"B… but I'm a boy," Iino's voice cracks. "I couldn't--"
"You could!" Judau turns and strikes a pose, gesturing to Haman. "We have an expert lady here to help you transform into the cute girl I know you are!"
"J-Judau, what brought this on?!"
"I've been thinking," Judau puffs out his chest. "And I'm tired of watching you deny yourself, Iino! So go on a date with me as a girl, just feel it out! Okay?"
Iino glances at Haman, and she lets her own panic and confusion wash away. She stands up straighter and gives Iino a smile and nod. A bit of assurance that she wasn't alone in this; any help Haman could give, she would.
Solidarity for her baby trans sisters, after all!
"O-okay," Iino turns back to Judau after a moment, giving a small nod. "Just… give us some time to get me rady, then…?
"Got it!" Judau nods and turns to sit next to the door. "Make Iino as cute as you can, okay, Haman-san?"
"I-I'll do my best!"
Haman watches the way Iino's eyes fill with tears, and she's glad she keeps waterproof mascara on her rather than something else. She puts her hands on her shoulders and smiles wide, proud of her own work and proud of this near stranger at the same time.
She wonders if this is what it feels like to be a mother? Maybe a weird train of thought, actually. She'll drop it for now. She wasn't even sure Reccoa would want children, after all! Was it too fast to think about that, too?
She shakes her head and focuses back in on Iino. "Well? How do you feel?"
"Just as good as when I dressed up for the pageant in high school," Iino admits, her lips wobbling with emotion. "I kind of wish I still had the wig."
"You look adorable even with your hair like that Iino-chan~❤" She hopes she's not laying it on too thick, but she deserves to hear it! She could grow out her hair after this, after all. Better to make her comfortable for her date with Judau…
To think, she was helping another woman have a good night with that cutie… Small price to pay, she supposes. Small price for such a large reward. Ahh, she's so glad Iino had some dresses in the back of her closet! She wears it so well!
"Y-you really think so?" Iino reaches up and plays with the end of her hair. "I'm not sure…"
"You're going to make Judau-kun faint from how beautiful you are," she winks. "I just know it."
She's bright red when she looks at her lap, and Haman laughs. Ahh, youth…
…Was she getting old? She hopes she's not getting old.
"I…" Iino looks back at her reflection. "I look a lot like a girl like this, don't I?"
"You do," Haman nods. "And if you really like it, there's more you can do to continue down this path."
"There is?" She asks, perking up more. Ahhh, adorable…!
"There is!" Haman chirps. "We should exchange numbers before you go on your date, so I can help you out in the future!" She pauses, is she laying it on too thick? "I-if you want, of course!"
Iino beams at her. "T-that would be nice. When we were younger, Elle and Leina were the only girls I was really around. Roux-san a little later. S-so it was hard to explore… all this. Having someone… experienced with it…"
"Hm?" Haman smiles, raising a brow and giving her a moment to think.
"It's nice," Iino admits. "I-I'll be in your care, Haman-san. S-so…!"
"Anything you need, Iino-chan!"
Ah, she was in heaven! Iino was an angel, just like Mineva! She was the luckiest woman in the world… Or, well, right now? She might be more the second luckiest. Iino was having an incredibly important moment, after all.
"Here," she hands her the fresh tube of lipstick she'd pulled out, still giggling a bit to herself. "I think you should have this. A start to your girlhood."
Iino holds it to her chest and nods. "Yeah!"
Ahh, life was good!
"Thanks again," Judau grins at Haman, face still red from seeing Iino (as Haman was right, as usual). "You're a lifesaver, Haman-san!"
"I'm just glad it worked out," she chuckles, shaking her head. "I was afraid this was going to be a dud…"
"Hm?" He tilts his head to the side. "A dud?"
Had she said that loud enough for him to hear?! Dammit! Dammit! Curse her mumbles and chuckles and everything else that makes her seem like a weirdo!
"Truth be told…" She feels her own face heating up. "When I was talking about my own realizations… I was trying to help you break out of your shell. But it turns out, you're just a good man. Rare nowadays."
"Oh," Judau points to himself. "I'm a woman, too."
"Eh?!"
"You mostly see me at work, and it's just easier to be a man there, you know?" Judau rubs the back of his head. "You and Kamille-senpai probably have to jump through so many hoops to be who you are at work."
Kamille was transgender? Huh… Tracks.
But not the focus right now! She blinks once, twice, three times to refocus herself.
"So you're… You…"
"I'm a man, and I'm a woman," he winks and blows a kiss. "We'll have to do a girls' night sometime, when it's not Iino and me time, right?"
Haman's face is bright red and her brain is shut down when she nods.
Just what was going on in her life to suddenly make her a queer magnet?! And why doesn't she mind it at all?!
She watches the happy maybe couple head off on their date and collapses. Reccoa is not going to believe this.