I Became a Beautiful Girl, but I’m still an MMO Junkie - Chapter 85: Creeping Thoughts

Chapter 85: Creeping Thoughts

The principal introduced Sister Leanne briefly and in a very administrative manner.

“It is necessary for her to be present. Come on, both of you, please sit over there,” he said. With that, the principal stood up from his chair and settled into the sofa that would likely be used for discussions. We were also prompted to sit on the sofa facing him.

My sister, who seemed unhappy and dissatisfied, sat in front of the principal, emitting an aura of displeasure. I quietly sat next to her.

“This is the approval form for enrollment procedures from the city hall. And here are Jintarou’s health certificate, insurance renewal certificate, and affidavit of legal education for gender conversion,” my sister said, unfolding a clear file from her bag and placing the four documents on the table in front of her.

After seeing the documents, the principal muttered, “Is this for enrollment procedures…”

As for me, the principal was a teacher whom I had no emotional attachment to whatsoever. I only thought of him as someone who spoke to the whole school during morning assemblies. His speeches were known for being “concise, easy to understand, and short,” and students generally liked him. In short, he was a teacher who had almost no involvement in my school life.

However, he was now looking at the documents my sister presented with a stern expression.

“As your sister knows, without the consent of the representative of the school in the Affidavit of Legal Education for Gender Conversion, the enrollment procedures cannot be updated. Do you understand this?” he asked.

“Of course, I do. That’s why I came to get the principal’s approval stamp,” my sister replied.

“First, let me confirm the will of the person in question. Do you want to enroll in this school?” the principal asked me.

I nodded firmly in response. “Yes.”

Upon hearing my answer, the principal’s expression turned bitter. I couldn’t help but notice Sister Leanne’s cheerful smile as she stood silently next to him.

“To be frank with you…” The principal looked back at the documents and paused for a few seconds before sighing deeply. “I cannot stamp my approval on this.”

“What the…?”

My sister seemed to want to ask him something.

She rose halfway out of her seat and leaned forward, as if about to pounce on the principal. However, she seemed to realize that losing her temper would not improve the situation, and she quickly regained her composure, letting out a sigh and straightening her posture.

Silence descended on the place.

‘Why exactly am I not allowed to continue my studies? What is the reason? Will I end up going back to elementary school like this?’ I became filled with anxiety, not knowing what to do. ‘Will I no longer be classmates with Kouya, Yuuki and Akane-chan?’

Negative emotions swelled up inside me, making it hard to breathe. The sound of my breathing passing through my mouth and throat became so loud that I could no longer understand how I naturally breathe.

‘But I have my sister with me. Surely, surely… everything will be okay.’

“However, it is customary to respect the person’s wishes.”

As I wished, my sister began to negotiate in a slow tone of voice.

“Is it customary…? The education law regarding gender conversion has only just been established.”

“However, it is based on actual cases and is a measure taken by the country.”

“That’s true. However, there are cases where exceptions are allowed in such vague and newly established laws.”

“What do you mean by that?”

The voice of my sister, who asked for the true intention of the principal, was so freezing that it made the listener’s liver shiver.

“Excuse me, but…”

The principal cleared his throat with a “ahem,” glanced at me, and then returned his gaze to my sister, who had just asked a question.

“Jintarou’s body is said to be that of a ten-year-old girl, based on the hospital examination results.”

“But his age and memories have not changed. He’s 16 years old,” my sister responded immediately.

The principal nodded calmly, as if he knew that already.

“We are well aware of that,” he said, and then gently denied my sister’s statement.

“However, his body is that of an elementary school student.”

There was no trace of kindness in the principal’s eyes as he looked at me. I couldn’t help but be scared and feel pathetic under his gaze.

Just like my sister, who was frowning like a Noh mask with anger, the principal received her anger without any visible expression on his face. He responded to the conversation with a sense of obligation, as if it had to be that way based on his tone and attitude.

“Under the regulations of the Legal Education for Gender Conversion Act, enrollment in the originally belonged educational institution should be respected according to the wishes of the individual. However, Jintarou’s case is a special one. After all, he has become six years younger physically.”

My sister had no argument against that. What the principal said was true.

“The issue of safety concerns if something happens.”

‘I see…’

It was about my safety.

Certainly, I can understand the principal’s concerns.

The difference in physique between a teen and a tween was clear. Being in the same space, there might be carelessness or an accident.

“In a school where young people gather, there are bound to be some squabbles among the students. Jintarou’s mental state may also be unstable,” the principal said.

“…”

Well, even if my body was not in this condition, I couldn’t say for sure that I wouldn’t get into a fight.

“While taking these points into consideration, I regret to say that we cannot guarantee Jintarou’s safety and security in our school’s facilities and environment.”

Perhaps they were worried about me, but from the school’s perspective, it would be too late to take action after something happened. It would affect the school’s reputation, and the case of gender conversion was a topic that easily attracted attention. It would be a good bait material for the media, and it could cause many other troublesome issues.

It was an adult’s situation…

“The safety of Jintarou’s family is also at risk, isn’t it?”

“…”

There was no way out… to think that my sister, who was most concerned about my well-being, was hit by such a reasonable argument.

“That’s why I can’t stamp my approval on the enrollment procedures form.”

My sister froze.

I was also at a loss for words, unable to come up with a good retort.

‘Am I really going to transfer to a different school like this…?’ The anxiety that perhaps had only been a vague concern until now was becoming all too real, and I couldn’t help but hold my breath as I gazed fixedly at the principal’s mouth.

“Unfortunately, Japan doesn’t have a system for skipping grades… If it were an overseas school, I think there might be institutions where Jintarou could receive an education appropriate for his mental age after taking an exam, but there would also be language barriers to consider,” continued the principal, oblivious to my ears.

My heart sank into darkness. I thought it was hopeless, and I painted my own field of vision black because I didn’t want to see anything more. I turned my ears away from the information I didn’t want to hear and tried to endure it by looking down. This was reality, and no matter how much I wished otherwise, the principal’s argument was correct. All I could do was give up.

“Principal, may I interject for a moment?”

At the brink of despair, a third party’s dignified voice echoed. It was Sister Leanne’s kind voice.

“In fact, Jintarou-san is here with us now and has been actively devoting his time to our congregation during summer vacation. He willingly took on the role of a priest, equivalent to a deacon, under Deacon Diesc, who is a priest,” she explained, smiling softly.

I stared at Sister Leanne with wide-open eyes, wondering what she meant.

“I never expected to meet him here either, but this, too, must be the will of the Rainbow Goddess,” she declared, forming the prayer gesture with her hands in front of her chest.

For some reason, I followed suit and moved my right hand as she had taught me, offering a prayer. I felt a little ridiculous asking for God’s help after taking action on my own, trying to master alchemy in the game world. In reality, I was so fragile. If there was anything I could hold on to now, it was probably just God.

Feeling conflicted about my own contradictory behavior, I slumped my shoulders slightly.

“In my capacity as bishop, I approve his enrollment in the high school affiliated with the Saint Iris church,” said the bishop.

It was Sister Leanne who suggested a new path for me.

“So that means enrolling in the school that belongs to the Saint Iris Church?” the principal pondered.

“Yes, and how about sending him as an exchange student to this high school, which would be ideal in maintaining the relationship with the Saint Iris Church,” Sister Leanne proposed.

“An exchange student… However, it would be difficult for this school to add the teachings of the Rainbow Goddess to its education policy,” said the principal.

“Your school will be a new sister school of the Saint Iris Church. We hope to be friends,” Sister Leanne explained.

“But even so, we need a guarantee of safety,” said the principal.

“No student who is a scholarship recipient of the Saint Iris Church would do anything harmful. Besides, any wrongdoing against the Goddess’s followers would result in severe punishment. Furthermore, the church will take responsibility for the safety of church-related personnel, so there will be no blame on the school,” explained Sister Leanne, her strong tone conveying a sense of something that would mercilessly crush evil.

“I see…” The principal’s expression showed his complete understanding.

In other words, it seemed that the most significant obstacle was the responsibility of the school if something happened to him.

“With passionate faith and treatment for students who face difficulties due to gender dysphoria, what kind of leader will people consider to be in that school? Even if the plan to build a missionary house and a chapel on campus is delayed, we can’t help but feel a strong bond with this school that will accept exchange students,” Sister Leanne said, smiling at the principal.

“…Ahem. If that is what the friend of our school’s board chairman says, then let us allow Jintarou to attend our school as an exchange student.”

The principal responded with a dramatic change of heart.

“Just a moment…please wait,” my sister interrupted, putting a stop to the conversation that was progressing without our input.

“So, you’re saying that in order for Jintarou to attend this high school, he would have to transfer his school registration to another school?” she asked.

“That’s correct,” the principal affirmed, and Jintarou’s sister looked to Sister Leanne with suspicion.

I had long since noticed that my sister harbored doubts about her faith in the Rainbow Goddess.

However, she seemed to understand that this was the only way for me to attend school with my friends without changing grades, so she refrained from expressing any objections and watched the situation unfold.

Moreover, my stepsister, Michelle, had been attending this church for some time, so it was unlikely to be a strange organization, and Sister Leanne’s personality was no different.

She had helped him when he collapsed from heat stroke and was now extending a helping hand to him again in his time of need.

Considering all these factors, she seemed trustworthy.

“Alright then…it hasn’t been decided yet, but could you please provide us with information about the school that Jintarou is planning to attend, as well as information about the Saint Iris church?” My sister requested.

“In that case, here it is,” Sister Leanne said, producing a pamphlet and placing it gently on the table.

“Can you discuss the details with Jintarou’s sister and I? Also, here are some materials regarding the newly established sister school exchange student program,” the principal said, opening the pamphlet and handing several sheets to my sister.

She read them intently, not missing a single word.

“Principal, if Jintarou were to join our church officially, there are a few things we would need to give him and some information about our doctrine that we would like to share,” Sister Leanne said.

“In that case… Jintarou, please come here and listen to our request.”

While reading the documents, my sister coldly spoke without even looking at the sister.

“I’m going to re-measure the size of the sister’s clothes. The growth of the body at this age is remarkable. Regarding the disclosure of the doctrine, it is the intention of the church to give priority to the thought of the person before entering the school operated by the church. It is one of the necessary obligations for him to establish his own will and enter the school.”

It’s a statement that implicitly repels my sister, who is an outsider of the church, but every organization probably has a little secret matter.Besides, I don’t want to measure my clothes in front of the principal.

As for the doctrine, it would be unpleasant to enter without any explanation about the teachings of the Rainbow Goddess and later find out there are strict rules and commandments to follow, and not complying with them.

“Aneki, I will be fine,” I said.

“If Taru says so,” my sister reluctantly agreed after a slight pause.

“If anything happens, I’ll contact you right away on my phone,” I said.

“Okay, I’ll leave the documents to you,” my sister replied.

When I turned my gaze to Sister Leanne, who had silently watched our short exchange, she smoothly took out a piece of white clothing with gold embroidery here and there. ‘Wait, did she just take out the clothes from nowhere? No, that couldn’t be right.’

I was a little slow to notice, but her movements were similar to when I took out an item from the storage in Clan-Klan. Maybe it was just a mistake on my part.

The principal replied, “Please use the changing room for female faculty members next door, Sister Leanne.”

For some reason, the principal’s face, smiling with politeness towards the sister, seemed ominous.