"NOW ARRIVING AT: HARMONY PARK. WE KINDLY ASK YOU TO GATHER YOUR BELONGINGS AND PREPARE TO DISEMBARK. NEXT STOP: DOWNTOWN" The vaguely-feminine, metallic voice broadcasted. On cue, the crowd inside the cart got thinner as rows of people rushed to the sliding doors. Should he have rented a Kemonomimi-only cart? Probably unnecessary. Those things were designed for larger templates anyway, and then there was the whole ordeal of trying to avoid bumping against the ass of some 9-ft tall wolf girl throughout the entire ride.

Noah pressed his face against the window, feeling the subtle vibration of the monorail as the sound of metal gliding against metal screeched from below. On his lap, two cat girls fought for attention. One of them was Tanji, a pudgy little tabby with short brown hair and unamused blue eyes. The other was her sister, Tamiko, struggling to stay seated as her long blonde ponytails swung in the air. Neither of them was really "the older sister," since both came out of the same lab at the same time. But the way in which Tanji bullied Tamiko reminded Noah of the way his brother would tease him, subconsciously dubbing her as the older.

Both of them needed to get ready for the event. Imagining Tanji in a bikini was amusing. She would sooner rip it off than be seen in one willingly, likely tying it into knots by accident. Even forcing her to wear pants was a struggle. From the two, Tamiko looked more ready for the beach. He didn't know if she ever went swimming (probably not judging by their hesitance against water) but her skin had a healthy shade of bronze which contrasted against her sister's paler complexion.

"It's a shame that Mirei couldn't come." Noah looked down.

"She was pumped full of immunoboosters. You did all you could." Koko assured. With all the advancements EikōBio made, they still haven't come up with a cure for the common cold.

"It's the least I could do. She was in that rain for a while." Still, he didn't want to dwell on Mirei's sickness too much. The woman was just being dramatic, rolling around the bed and crying about how this was her end. Kemonomimis don't really get sick often, so getting a cold must have been an unpleasant shock to the system. "What do you know about swimwear?" He turned towards Koko like a job interviewer.

"I have done my research." There was a spark of confidence in her eyes as the Kitsune reached into her backpack and took up a rolled-up magazine. It looked to be the tacky ones with fashion advice teen girls would read, and seeing Koko studying one like a novel felt weird considering her aura of maturity. "It's all about body type." She pointed at the page. "I am a pear. Tamiko is an hourglass. Tanji is an orange-" Tanji hissed in objection, jumping onto Noah's shoulder to get a height advantage over the fox. At least she didn't say pumpkin...

"Koko-" Noah grabbed the magazine, bringing it closer to his face and squinting at the overdesigned font. "I am not sure you should take these too seriously." Flipping it over, the man violently pointed at the glossy paper. "On the previous page, there is a quiz about what kind of fried chicken you are based on personality traits." Seemingly interested in that, Tanji quickly snatched the magazine, forcing her sister to ask her the questions.

Noah couldn't help but chuckle as he leaned back again, admiring the view of the Pacific. A few bulky container ships were making their way toward the harbor, but the corporations fortunately managed to limit the naval traffic. It wasn't out of any goodwill—oh no. If the oceans were steeped with chemicals, the people of Japan wouldn't want to take their holidays on the glamorous West Coast. This, combined with the big brother KyotoSynth flooding the shores with their plastic-eating bacteria, actually made the waters of Namiport pleasant. If most of the best beaches weren't privately owned, the citizens would surely appreciate it.

"NOW ARRIVING AT: DOWNTOWN. WE KINDLY ASK YOU TO GATHER YOUR BELONGINGS-"

"That's our stop." His face suddenly got serious. "Stay close. No splitting from the group." In his mind, Noah briefly tried to calculate the possibility of forming some kind of buddy system. With Tanji, Tamiko, and Koko, there was no way to pair the girls without something going wrong.

The monorail platform spilled out into a massive shopping complex, and Noah led his entourage through the crowd. As soon as they exited, they were hit with the warm scent of fried food and sweets while billboards and storefronts begged to be looked at in the background. There was a large fountain at the mall's center—a subtle smell of chlorine wafting through the air. Consulting the digital map, they revealed a path to a clothing store catering to Kemonomimis.

"The Palette..." Koko read the sign, ducking out of the way of a swarm of Nekos with candy-colored hair—an exhausted-looking handler rushing after them.

The store was well-lit, with rows upon rows of clothing and accessories separated by template type. Despite not knowing anything about fashion, he couldn't help but admire the selection. All the underwear and pants had tail holes in them, and the hats had ones for ears. It almost made him feel bad about forcing Tanji to wear his old snapback when he first found her.

Before his eyes, the girls scattered, disappearing into the distant corners of the store. He could only hope that collecting them would be easy. There were those leather stools here, but just lounging around felt pointless. Noah began pacing around, occasionally catching some flashes of his or somebody else's 'mimis. As much as he would have liked to take a hands-on approach to the situation, the point remained: he really knew nothing about swimming suits.

Turning a corner, he noticed a small cozy display elevated one foot above the floor. At first mistaking it for some miniature model, he soon realized that it was part of the actual store. A tiny girl—surely no higher than 4 inches—paced between the racks, humming a tune to herself while rearranging the hangars. She had a silver piercing in her large, brown, mouse-like ears which glinted in the display light. Her hair was fashioned into rather professional-looking short bangs, with a purple shirt announcing that she was an employee.

"Can I help you, sir?" The woman approached the edge of her little area, waving at Noah as if he had somehow missed her. "Something for your Nezu, perhaps?"

That's right. This was the section for Nezumimi. Why else would he be here? Just to stare?

"Yes." He looked over the tiny metal racks, having to squint to even focus on the details. "I am looking for—uh—a swimsuit." There was no reason for his voice to sound so shaky. He was buying it for himself. A part of himself? It was complicated. In his mind, there needed to be a distinction between Naomi and Noah. He did all he could to see this woman—this persona—as something distant and foreign. It was a suit he put on when the company asked. It was a role he played when it benefited them. It was a concession. It was-

"Sir?" The voice of the employee and the click of her shuffling through the hangars forced him back into the present. There he went again—worrying over nothing.

Shaking his head, Noah clasped his hands together. "Apologies. You were saying?"

Dealing with customers was just a part of her job, and there were people a lot ruder than this kid. She simply politely repeated. "Anything particular your Nezu has in mind?"

"She..." Even saying it felt weird. "...would like something classy?" It sounded more like a question.

"Classy..." She repeated, ruffling her hair. "I will see what I can do." The tiny woman then disappeared into the miniature labyrinth of clothing racks, leaving Noah standing awkwardly in the aisle. When she finally emerged, she did so with a bunch of fabric thrown over her arm. The first was a sleek, black one-piece with a small silver accent on the side. The fabric looked both comfortable and durable—for what it was worth.

"What's up with that hole?"

"The one in the back is a standard tail hole." She explained. "And that's called a cleavage window, sir."

"Oh, it wouldn't be necessary. My Nezumimi doesn't really have a-" The shop attendant gave him a scary look, warning him to tread carefully. "You know they're...small."

She crossed her arms in disapproval. "I don't think you should dismiss your 'mimis wonderful, budding breasts like that, sir." Budding? There was nothing "budding" there! Naomi was just flat. "There is a real beauty to be found in Nezumimis and their delicate profiles. As an owner of one, I thought you would appreciate that."

"Alright, alright! I'll take it." By now, it was just a matter of getting out of there as quickly as possible. Noah pinched the tiny fabric, rolling and putting it in his pocket. It had intricate detail for such a small thing, but still felt overpriced. No matter. He had money to spend. Waving her a half-hearted goodbye, he began rounding up the menagerie.

Sitting in front of the changing room, the man put one hand on his chin while using the other to click the pen resting on his lap. Professionalism. This is what they needed right now. Every part of the corporate world needed to be calculated and direct. Getting invited out for a dinner or an event was never about just having fun. There was a purpose behind it all—there always was. But he could indulge himself just a little bit.

Koko was the first to exit, presenting a one-piece swimming suit. It had a similar shade of dark blue to the logo of Genovista, but it's not like they owned the copyright to that hue...at least, Noah didn't think they did. She seemed confident in the display, shifting from pose to pose.

Tanji was next, emerging with a scowl on her face. She wore a simple black two-piece mini-bikini. "What do you think? Do you like it?" Noah tried to gauge her reaction.

"It's a sunburn waiting to happen." She grumbled, crossing her arms.

"Maybe you should get something that covers a little bit more skin, then?"

Her feline ears perked up, sensing an opportunity. "What's wrong? Is it distracting? Does it bother you?" Noah winced, watching Tanji trying—and failing—to imitate one of the girls from the display. "Come on, you've seen more of me." She pulled on one of the straps, allowing it to snap back into place. "Seriously, you are pretty gross-"

Taking a step closer, Noah lifted Tanji by her armpits. "You're the one who picked this." It was a quick way to shut her up. He watched as she wiggled in his grasp—her short legs dangling in the air. "Now stop messing around. If you want to stay at home, you can."

She wanted to say something, but bit her tongue, turning away from embarrassment. "Bastard...fine. But I am not playing any beach games." Noah let go, watching as the woman plummeted to the floor just to catch herself at the last second. Despite having seen it many times before, he could never get used to how graceful Tanji moved considering her appearance.

Tamiko was a lot more agreeable. She picked a simple white bikini with frills and a floral pattern. Being seen in it just felt natural to her, like an animal desensitized to human presence. If he had not told her to take it off, the woman would surely leave the store like this. This carefree attitude was just one of the things that came with being what was essentially a purse 'mimi before getting turned over to Noah. He did have Echelon I Corpo Immunity, and the standard for what 'mimis could wear in public was considerably more lenient, but there was no need to risk it.

"Master! Master, do you think this is cute?" Tamiko asked, smiling and doing a little twirl.

"Looks good, Tami." Noah reached down to pet the woman, just to have Tanji pulling her away by the strip of the bikini—almost ripping it off. Tamiko just yelped while turning around to face her sister.

"Don't encourage her!" Leaping onto his shoulder, Tanji leaned in to whisper. "She's already on her way to becoming some call girl!" Normally using simple words, Noah had a feeling that she had looked that up specifically for the occasion.

"...what?" Of course, Tamiko overheard their conversation. What Tanji understood as a whisper was more like a muffled shout. "What does that mean?" That was more than enough proof that her older sister was wrong. Tami was innocent—too innocent for her own good.

"Don't worry, Tamiko." Koko petted the confused Neko, giving a wide, sincere smile. "Just remember your duty to the master, and there will be no shame in your actions."

Noah pushed Tamiko back into the changing room. "Enough of that. Get dressed. We are leaving" This was getting more awkward by the minute.

"THANK YOU FOR TRUSTING THE YŪGEN BANKING GROUP." A flash of text appeared on the small digital display as Noah swiped his (read: company) card. Putting the large paper bags around his wrists, they left the store.

"I don't get why we're doing this. It's just a beach day." Tanji complained, her tail swaying with annoyance. "Do you really want to stare at half-naked girls that badly? If yes, just go to a club!"

"It's not just a beach day. It's an event, Tanji—a corporate event." Noah explained, his eyes scanning the crowd for threats or familiar faces. "And we are there to maintain a professional image. Remember, it's not about us. We're representing EiB."

"That's absolutely correct." Koko nodded vigorously, seeing Noah finally acting as the model employee the company always needed.

"But we can still have fun, right?" Tamiko questioned, staying close to her sister.

"Having fun is part of our duty." The Fox girl stated with utmost confidence.

"Corporate-mandated fun..." Noah tried to laugh it off.

As they waited for the monorail, Koko glanced at Noah. "Do you think everything will go smoothly at the event?"

Noah sighed, thinking about the countless corporate gatherings he had attended. "Smoothly? No. But as long as we don't draw too much attention, it should be fine. Just need to stick to the script, smile for the cameras, and make sure everyone sees that EikōBio is still in business."

"Will you go as Naomi?" Tanji asked, already grinning at his expense.

"Oh, the mouse girl! I think...I think having her at the beach would make the day special!" Instead of a cruel grin, a warm smile appeared on Tamiko's face.

A lump appeared in his throat as Noah exhaled through his teeth—hissing like the approaching train. "I will bring her out. Don't worry."

"NOW ARRIVING AT: THE GLADE." Back to the suburbs. Back to his natural habitat.

Holding tightly onto the wooden railing, Noah made his way up the stairs. "Can you check on Mirei?" He gave an anemic order to Koko before retreating to his room. Surely enough, he heard her whine and cough while walking down the hallway

"He-ey!" Tanji stood in front of his door, her tail wagging with excitement. "You wouldn't mind if I dropped by your room tonight, would you? Tamiko is way too clingy." This all seemed to be some part of the game she liked playing. In public, he was called a bastard. In private, he was her bedmate. It was an act of defiance on her part. Kemonomimi didn't typically sleep with their masters, being expected to have their separate beds. And Tanji loved to mess with the norms.

"Maybe later." He stepped over Tanji, twisting the doorknob.

"Aww, come on!" She began tapping her foot against the floor so rapidly that it looked like she was trying to drill through it. "Can't you do it tomorrow?"

Stepping through, he shut the doors closed. "I just..." Noah stopped for a moment, taking a deep breath. "I need to sleep through the initial haze, okay?" A package made of dull gray plastic awaited on the desk. Ripping it open, he found several small plastic capsules in the container. Each housed the necessary microcomputer and other technology Noah couldn't even begin comprehending. The one in his palm had the profile of Naomi on it.

A small, curved screen showed the figure of a naked 5-inch tall mouse girl with two large white ears and matching ivory hair. Although it never actually looked as tidy as it did on the display, always ending up messy and uncombed. The show pose was also confident and exhibitionist, whereas the real Naomi spent most of the time clinging to her tail. At least one thing was accurate. Her two red eyes seemed to pierce the glass and glow brilliantly despite being shown on a disposable, dim screen.

This new design was certainly more portable than the huge facility Dr. Galloway had him using in the past. At least without the beeping of machinery and the stench of disinfectant, it felt a lot less cold and clinical. He could actually become Naomi right here, right now. All that he needed was a body of water and some kind of electrolyte. Their bathroom was large, and the bathing salt the company provided would do nicely.

After the transformation, there would still be a Noah, of course. His genome was locked safely away in a company data fortress. But this consciousness...it would become something else. The transition between the two was seamless, but the man didn't want to think about it. No, he couldn't think about it. The water soon turned a pale shade of red, with steam and the smell of oranges coming from its warm surface. Cracking the capsule open, Noah allowed it to soak before settling in himself.

Thud. A sound echoed in his ears. No, it wasn't just a sound anymore—it was a sensation pulsating through his entire being. It felt like a force originating from his chest expanded outwards. The water seemed to vibrate with this newfound energy, embracing him.

Thud. The rhythm intensified. His limbs felt weightless, and he sensed a lightness in his chest as if something ethereal was taking root. Two small buds of flesh grew from within—ones filled with hope for the future. The rest of his features were also softened and rounded by the same unseen will.

Thud. He tried to open his eyes, but the world was a blur of colors and shapes, dancing in harmony with the tiny heartbeat that was now his. A space grew inside of his abdomen, quickly taking up the volume it believed belonged to it.

The changes were not only external—oh no. Within, a web of chemical regulations took place. From the largest organ to the smallest protein, everything needed to be altered. Old links were broken. New links were established. It took a moment for the body to realize what it was becoming, but it was soon accepted as the one universal truth.

Was he supposed to do something? The process would make him pass out soon. Maybe count down to it? Or somehow brace himself? Too late. He was already knocked out cold.

Forest. Impossibly tall birch trees decorated with crimson leaves as far as he could see. Some of them have fallen, forming a red carpet. A wind blew without direction, for this place had no edges. There was a path here once, but it had been lost. It felt like being inside a kaleidoscope; focusing on anything for too long made his head spin.

In the distance, he could see a fountain. Surrounding it were the wrecks of old cars. And at the top, the stranger sat. Her legs were crossed, dangling sneakers off her feet. The woman's ivory hair was disturbed by two black horns protruding from the top of her skull and pointy ears. She wore a business suit that was in a state of disarray, with holes and rips in its gray fabric.

"What kind of fucked up 'mimi are you?" For some reason, speaking became difficult, with him choking on the cold air as if it were a liquid.

"Aren't you the charmer." The woman placed both hands on her knees, staring at him in dismissal with her scarlet eyes. "We can stop this charade. I don't care how much you change. I will always exist." There was a flash, with her getting closer. "I am tired of existing only as a template. Do you understand that?" Her hand tightened around his neck, the slender fingers pressing deeper into the flesh. If breathing was difficult before, it now become impossible. The light was getting dimmer. 

She lifted her pale, petite hand, using it to block out the harsh light coming from above. It was warm and yellow like the sun itself. "Is this...?" Her voice was high-pitched yet gentle. This must have been Naomi, then. The world dissolved, and the woman found herself naked in the steamy water of the bathtub—the cracked capsule floating beside her. What was once a tub now resembled a huge swimming pool, and the "sun" was nothing more than a large bulb. The room was silent, the only sound being the distant dripping of the tap and her heartbeat.