“Ha-ji-me-ma-shite?” Noah responded to the query, his answer posed as a question. The Kitsune teacher looked at him with a face that hid disappointment. This was only the beginning. There was no need for him to get upset yet, right? That being said, perfecting Japanese was something he was going to need to do sooner or later; looks like Mike was correct all along. 

He took a deep breath, trying to repeat the sentence while glancing down at the paper. Koko’s handwriting was really nice, with both the sentences and their translations having a geometric elegance to them. But despite this, he couldn’t appreciate the lesson, overhearing Tanji’s laugh. She did try to block it out, but it seemed to slip through her fingers into a feline mockery. Having half a mind to pick her up and shake the woman like a snow globe, he decided against it. She must also be struggling to learn English under the watchful eye of Koko. From what he had heard of her attempts, they were just as unfruitful as his (if not worse). 

“And that’s the time we have for today.” Koko nodded while looking down at her beeping watch. “Your progress is roughly on schedule.”  Despite sounding like an euphemism of some kind, the maid wasn’t really a person to say stuff just to make him feel better.

“Anything else is on our planner for today?” He asked, looking over his learning notes one last time before pocketing them away in a drawer. 

“The owner wanted us to look through potential apartments.” Koko responded, climbing down her stool. “While we are in the center, we could also think about buying Tanji a collar. In case she gets lost.” She added, with the cat-girl already scrunching her nose at the proposition. 

“Potential apartments?” He questioned, knowing very well that even continuing the collar discussion would be disastrous. 

“Yes, master. Now that the smoke has blown over, the owner sees it fit that you be transferred to a higher-quality living area. In case other ‘mimis are assigned under your care, this place is not spacious enough to accommodate them.”

“More ‘mimis, huh?” The man exhaled while reaching for his jacket. The prospect of having another animal girl around the house seemed less scary than it did at the beginning, but there was still hesitation associated with it. Right now, he has a nice balance of the brash Tanji and the polite Koko. Any new guest would shatter this comfortable dynamic. 

Perusing apartments, there was a clear pattern to the places they’d been shown. Each of them was better than the one before; Matryoshka dolls of luxury. “With a sprawling 4,000 square feet of living space, it boasts four ensuite bedrooms, each with its balcony offering panoramic sea views.” The guide recounted the various promotional material—the ‘mimis by Noah’s side assuring her that he was an affluent buyer. The man wasn't even asked to show any credentials, being simply allowed to waltz in here. “The interior features hand-painted frescoes, marble fireplaces, and a gourmet kitchen.” She turned back to him, sliding the doors open. “A highlight is the expansive terrace that includes a jacuzzi and a cozy outdoor lounge area, perfect for watching the sunset over the sea.”

Placing his hands on the railing, Noah took a deep breath. The sunset hadn’t shown itself yet, but he had a feeling that the guide wasn't lying. Koko stood by his side, her face pressed to the glass. She was analyzing the potential gunning positions while Tanji looked at the jacuzzi, disappointed that there wasn’t any water inside. 

“What do you think?” He asked, not taking his eyes off the city. 

“Decent location. Not too far from anything important. Good advantage point. Security in the buildings is average, but will be capable of slowing down any potential threat.”

Shaking his head, the man let out a chuckle. “I mean the accommodations. Do you like it?” 

There was a pause before the woman looked up at him, letting out a weak smile that nonetheless felt meaningful. “It is very nice, yes.”

“Will I be able to buy it?” Noah already knew the answer. This place purposefully appeared like a lesser version of Hiro’s apartment—both praising the man for his effort and asserting his superiority as his boss. When he walked inside, the same feeling of awe and luxury washed over him, one promising a better life. Hanging around with your successful friends, family, or coworkers tended to have a similar effect. This entire day was designed to make one truth clear to him: if he wanted to get a place like this—if there ever was a chance of getting a place like this—he needed to go through with the job.

“No currently, no. But my owner did mention that he was willing to provide you with some financial leeway if you were to take the next assignment.” 

Of course. This is what this has all been about. Getting him to participate in this next ”mission.” Turning into a mimi…Just the thought made him sick in the stomach. The pool would change him, and despite the process being (allegedly) completely reversible, he would spend time as not himself—as something else.

As he gazed at the palm of his hand, a certain thought persisted in the recesses of his mind he had already poked at. Did he even enjoy being himself? Who was he, really? It felt like every action thus far has been driven by some animalistic need for comfort—for a better life. The image of his own face was hazy in the man’s mind as he clenched his fist. “Alright.” He grinned. “Let’s do it.”

Back at the lab, Dr. Galloway was giddy with excitement. The fact that there wasn’t any paperwork for him to fill out was unnerving, but that’s just how the clique worked. Sitting on a stool, his leg bounced up and down as the doctor imputed his biometrics into the machine, meticulously filling out a new form. 

“So, is this safe?” He asked, wanting to start a conversation even though he probably shouldn’t have distracted her.

“Mhm? Oh yes, perfectly.” She responded, using the moment as a little break for her fingers. “Do you want me to prove it or something? I can still make Tanji-”

“No, it’s fine.” Fidgeting in his chair, the blue glow of the pool shined with energy, bringing back the memories of the night before. It seemed painless when Tanji was put under the machine, but her transformation was minor compared to what they were doing here today—something that the doctor was willing to admit. They weren’t growing a new leg or an arm, but restructuring a human body into that of a ‘mimi. Nearly every single cell needed to be changed. 

Grabbing the edge of the pool, he hesitated before heading in. He compared it to going to a dentist—an appointment that he wasn’t excited about but needed to get done nonetheless. Slowly, as if getting into a cold lake, he allowed himself to descend into the water, a breathing mask fastened around his face. The sensation of floating on its surface was relaxing—the reassuring embrace of the warm water blanketing him from every direction. 

Thud. Noah clenched his chest, feeling a powerful pulse coming from his heart. It was like one of those chest pains that goes away after a few seconds but is enough to cause a fright.

Thud. It happened again, his body getting warm as he clenched his teeth. The mask placed over his chest began fogging up, with his half-opened eyes squinting as the white light above him and the blue light below became unbearable. 

Thud. Something was changing within him, even if he had no way of fully comprehending it. 

He was shrinking, that much was clear. It was like going up an extremely warm elevator, the pressure pulling him inwards and towards his aching chest. The compression became faster, with it eventually being replaced with that of accelerating into nothingness. The mask slipped off his face, being too small for him to wear anymore. No matter. It was no longer needed.

Noah felt his chest beginning to swell, forcing him to take off his hands to relieve the pressure. Two small buds of flesh grew from within—the petite chest matching his new dimensions. He wanted to moan, but couldn’t, the surrounding liquid filling his mouth as the shrunken man began sinking to the bottom of the pool. 

The burning sensation spread to his penis, with it slowly taking up less space. When it finally disappeared, a different sensation replaced it—like something opening. There was a space growing inside of his lower abdomen, quickly taking up the volume as if it always belonged to it. The opening to this new cavity twitched in anticipation, waiting for him to act despite his lack of experience.

As what was once a man thrashed around the water in search of an answer, he felt something else growing on the top of his head. Two round, mouse-like ears soon decorated his scalp, their sensitive flesh overloading his tiny brain with information as warm water ran past them. At the same time, a tingling sensation manifested just above his butt, with his tailbone extending into a long, pinkish tail. 

The process had made him weary—not entirely conscious. Stuck in a space between the real world and dreams, he could feel his eyelids getting heavy. The last thing he saw looking up was the hand of a giant reaching down to pick him up, cloaking him in the darkness of its warm embrace. 

When he awakened, the implications of what had just happened failed to register in Noah’s groggy mind. The way in which it computed his surroundings seemed alien, with the attempts to get a grasp slipping through his fingers. Sitting up, he found his yawn to be oddly high-pitched, smacking his lips before inspecting the foreign landscape. The lab had grown in proportions, with it appearing like some strange military hangar. The towel draped over his shoulder fell to the ground. When he reached to pick it up—feeling the cool air on his smooth skin—he noticed the effects of his transformation.

The man ran up to a tall glass of water which acted as a makeshift mirror to examine himself. He threw his hands up in confusion, with the distressed reflection following as if to prove that this was indeed him. Where once was Noah, there was now a tiny mouse girl—no taller than 5 inches. She had short, messy white hair and a pair of matching ivory ears. With pale skin and bright red eyes, he was clearly an albino. Whether this was out of necessity or simply a design choice, he still found his appearance jarring. Turning around, there was a cute pink tail hanging from his lower back. Despite expecting to hate it, Noah found it oddly comfortable, with the tail providing some much-needed stability to his new body. The same could not be said about the mouse ears, with the looming feeling that he would never quite get used to them. 

“Why a mouse!” He squeaked out, the same high-pitched voice from before still present. Making a few random noises with his mouth told him that it was not going to go away anytime soon. 

The sound of something moving in the distance made Noah’s ears perk up, with the sight of the giantess form of Dr. Galloway and the two ‘mimis following behind. Koko was currently holding Tanji tightly around her chest, with the Neko trying to escape her grasp. When she saw the first glimpse of Noah, she froze, her eyes turning into thin slits. Typically, he found it cute. At this height, however, there was some primal fear within him which made the man freeze—his tiny body shaking as the doctor reached down with a doll-sized dress for him to wear. What made it worse is that these slits did not fade away, her carnivorous gaze continuing to pierce through him. She wasn’t actually going to try eating him, was she? It was best not to take any chances. 

“There you are.” The woman responsible for all this pointed towards a set of tiny clothing. He lifted it, his jaw tightening. Couldn’t she have picked something other than a pastel-blue dress? Something more androgynous, perhaps? At least he didn’t need to wear a bra. Noah should have been happy about it, but for some reason, he couldn’t help but feel the tingling of envy.

“Why did you turn me into a mouse?” He repeated, sliding on the dress—his tiny red eyes occasionally glancing at Tanji. Why did she have to stare?

“It would be better for transport.” The doctor suppressed a smile while looking at his tiny body, wanting to say something cute but fearing that it would be improper. She was a professional, after all.

“Transport?” Outstretching his arm, Noah gave the dress a swirl. “Transport to where?”

“Osaka, Japan. The flight is leaving at the end of the week.” Forcing an oversized thermometer down his throat, Noah felt himself choking on the thing before it was taken out. 

“Japan?” He squeezed out between gasps for air. 

“You will receive more information when the time is right, don’t worry. That’s just in case anyone tries to kidnap you or something.” Her matter-of-fact tone didn’t even try to hide how easy he was to carry away right now. All it would take would be a plastic bag, a few holes, and crackers for him not to starve to death. “What I can tell you is that you will be sent to a private ‘mimi resort. The mistress managing it has deep pockets and ways to contact EikōBio for a special order. Let’s just say that we have intercepted that order and—congratulations—you are now the product!”

“And I am going there alone?”

“Oh, no.” She shook her head. “You will be sent alongside Tanji.”

“Tanji!?” He yelped, beads of sweat forming every single time he looked at the woman. She looked ready to pounce, continuing her staredown. By now, she must have fully calculated the strength and distance required to dive for Noah to land perfectly down her gullet. 

“The order was clear.” Waving a piece of paper in his face, he could see data for two individuals: one Nekomimi named Tanji and one Nezumimi called Naomi. Again, couldn’t she have picked a more neutral name like Alex or Jack or Kai? But no. He was going to be a woman for now, whether he liked it or not. 

“Can’t you just make me human until then?” He pleaded, his eyes looking very cute despite him not even trying to use emotional manipulation. Not yet, at least.

“Aww~” The doctor couldn’t help herself, bringing her face closer to the mouse. “Sorry, little one. We need you to get used to his new body.”

“Wonderful.” Naomi pouted, puffing her cheeks and bringing her arms together. She wanted to make her life more comfortable, but it looked like things were going to get a lot more chaotic. At least that answered the question of who the 3rd ‘mimi was going to be: it was her.