While we waited Hadashi-Sensei checked me over again while chatting to me about being a kemoman some more, giving me some hints and tips on how to deal with the increased attention I’d be receiving.
“Oh and one more thing,” he said, brushing some of my hair aside, “You might want to consider how you’d like to hide your human ears.” I stared at him blankly and he smiled, continuing “Kemonomimi don’t have human ears usually. There are a rare handful that do, but they tend to draw attention due to how rare they are, so it’ll be easier for you if you hide them.”
“How?” I asked.
“Some use hats, scarves or headbands or the like. Myself,” he brushed aside his shoulder length hair to reveal one of his human ears “I prefer wearing my hair long to cover them up.” He studied me and my scruffy mop of hair and said “You should be able to manage that with your hair for now, but it could do with being longer to be more effective.”
I nodded and said “Guess that’ll save me some money not getting haircuts for now.”
“That’s the spirit,” he grinned. “One more thing, while I think of it, your new ears and tail nub won’t be the only physical changes you’ll experience.”
“The pheremones? Am I going to grow glands to produce them or something?”
“Heh, that’s not what I was refering to.” He pulled out his phone and scrolled through looking for something. Handing it to me he said “This is me when I was your age. Compared to them how would you describe me?”
I looked at the picture on the phone and back at him. The kid in the photo looked much like me, fairly average guy, no great looker, but not unattractive either. Plain maybe? Compared to Hadashi-Sensei his jaw looked slightly squarer and overall he now looked slimmer with more delicate features.
“Uh I guess I’d call you bishie now,” I replied finally, knowing that as he was half-Japanese and because he supervised the after-school Anime club he’d be familiar with that term. From his smile and head tilt I could tell I’d guessed right. And with that pose I could easily imagine him bishie sparkling if that was a thing in real life. I filed that notion away for later - I did have a wishing stone after all.
“A quirk of being a kemoman is that we tend towards summer physiques and our facial features to bishie aesthetics.”
“That’s, uh, actually kinda cool.”
“I know right?” We grinned at each other. “Also our metabolisms run faster which helps keep the fat off, and we don’t need as much exercise to stay in shape.”
“So I’ve got an excuse to slack off in gym.”
“Yes but you didn’t hear it from me.” We chuckled.
“Anything else I should know?”
“Hmm, over the next few days you should notice an increase in senses; smell, sight, hearing. That’s perfectly normal; it’ll take some getting used to but shouldn’t be an issue.”
I nodded then gave the air a sniff, I could swear I smelt a hint of something, and could swear it was coming from Hadashi-Sensei. Noticing he smiled again.
“I see your nose is starting to kick in, those are my pheremones you can smell.”
I nodded, then paused. If I could smell his pheremones then surely he could smell mine? “Wait,” I said “If we have stronger noses does that mean you’ll be swooningbover me too?”
He laughed and shook his head. “Another quirk of being a kemoman. The pheremones work differently on us for some reason. Instead of attraction they make us feel more fraternal affection for one another.”
I lay back and said “That’s a lot to take in Hadashi-sensei.”
“Please Jon-kun, in private feel free to call me Rin-kun.”
“Isn’t that a bit forward?”
He chuckled and shook his head. “Like I said, we’re going to feel fraternal affection for one another now.” He gave my shoulder a squeeze “That means your my little brother from now on.”
I smiled but before I could reply there was the sound of the infirmary door opening and I heard people entering.
“Where’s our son? Is he okay?”
