Part 58: A plan is put into motion to change the past once more

"Umm, what did she say?"

"Hehehe, Assistant of mine, no, Cristina!"

"I told you, I'm not Assistant, nor am I Cristina."

"You're making a decisive mistake!"

"Mistake?"

"Don't you understand, Cristina? You don't do you? And that's simply because your eyes are clouded over by wicked thoughts!"

"Wh-What do you mean?"

"Then allow me to tell you. You called Rukako here 'a weak and innocent girl'. But he's not a girl at all. He's a guy!"



"It's not a joke, but the unshakable truth clearly specified in the Akashic Record! Fuhahahaha!"

Kurisu looks at Daru and Mayuri's faces as if seeking help, but since both of them naturally know he's a guy, they nod with an I-know-how-it-is look. As for Rukako himself, he's just hanging his head in shame.

"...Are you guys trolling me?"

"Eh?"

"Eh?"

"...Eh?!"

As if taken aback, Kurisu diverts her eyes from me and approaches Rukako.

"Urushibara, is what Okabe says true?"



"I... am a guy..."

"N-No way. Such a cute kid can't be a boy--"

"No, it's the opposite. What you should say is 'Such a cute kid can't be a girl'."

"That's not what I meant."

By 'That's not what I meant', does that mean Kurisu knows the meaning of the phrase "Such a cute kid can't be a girl"? So she's a @channeler after all...



"At the same time, neither I, nor any of us, will deny your wish!"

"Can you quit emphasizing 'nor any of us'?"

Unable to calm down after learning the truth, Kurisu starts palpating her own face and takes out a hand mirror to check her hair.

"No need to be hasty, Cristina. Is it that much of a shock that there was always a man who was more womanly than you?"

"I admit it... compared to her... I mean, him, I talk more rudely and my attitude is way worse... This shock is on the level of a three day coma."

It looks like she's seriously depressed.

"Cris is cute too♪"

"I don't need your followup. It'll just make me more miserable."

"Humans who can reflect on their own faults are those who can become stronger. Cristina, you may one day become a splendid woman. You're still just young."

"I didn't ask you to preach at me."

"I take it back! Those who don't reflect on their own faults are intolerant bastards!"

"Shut up. I don't want to hear it from you."



Ruka bows his head for some reason. His eyes are already red. With such a cute girl - er, boy - bowing his head with teary eyes, Kurisu and I can't say a thing.

"Welp, better get my favorite camera..."

"Don't try to sneak up a photo session, pervert!"

"Sensei, I want to be a low angler..."

Even so, my whim of asking for Rukako's wish just for the sake of asking ended up with unexpected results. So that's how Rukako thinks of himself...

"But Rukako, just how serious are you about that wish of yours?"

If he can't choose a way to do it, then I think having a sex-change operation would be the fastest. Judging by how he looks now, postop Rukako could become a star in Shinjuku's LGBT community. No, screw that, he could even become a TV talent.



"Ahaha, I dream to much... don't I?"

Mmmnggh, stop it with those super shy puppy dog eyes! Are you that Chihuahua from a certain popular commercial?!

"Haauuw, Ruka, you're so cute♪"

"S-So cute..."

Looks like Kurisu's been struck by Rukako too. In the middle of his high-exposure cosplay session, too. That attack can throw any opponent into a sea of moe. The opponent dies.

The scary part is that after being thrown into the sea of moe, the opponent will want to grant Rukako's wish at any cost. But, as Rukako said, it really is difficult to find such a dreamy, maidenly way. And then, Kurisu clears her throat.



"Explanation line for the win!"

"Looks like there's a common saying that if you eat a lot of meat, you'll give birth to a boy, and if you eat a lot of vegetables, a girl."

"Sauce? Minmei Shobou?"

(No idea. Anyone?)

"Saw it on the internet."

"You're replying like that, huh... well played..."

"Wh-What are you talking about?"

Quite a dubious common saying.



Only Mayuri's impressed.

"Mayushii only eats juicy karaage number one, so will her future child be a boy? Hey, hey, do you think bananas count as vegetables?"

Let's set aside Mayuri's serious affliction for now.

"In that case, what about the primitive people who subsisted on hunting? If they naturally produced only men, then wouldn't the sex ratio balance be one-sided? It would be doubtful that humanity prospered thus far."

"I never said it was correct. I just remembered it. Don't snap at every little thing."

"I didn't snap. Cristina, feel like verifying that theory?"

"...What do you mean?"

"Remember. We have the Microwave Ophone (Temp) in our possession, do we not?"

"If we warm it up, we can tell if it's a boy or a girl?"

No way in hell.

"No, wait, ah, I see..."

Looks like Kurisu's got it. Her quick understanding means they don't call her a genius for nothing.



"Indeed. Something like 'Eat more vegetables'!"

Rukako, who doesn't know what D-mails are, and Mayuri, who's naturally a dumb girl, tilt their heads in parallel.

"Don't you think it's worth a shot?"

"Well..."

"Don't try to smooth it over like a hypocrite now, Cristina. I know that you have the characteristics of a mad scientist, for you are an experiment-loving girl!"

"Who are you calling an experiment-loving girl?!"

"Am I wrong?"

"...No, you're not, but..."

It's decided!