After grabbing her towel, Joseph's next stop was the bathroom.
This would be her first time bathing in her new female form, and while Joseph had 19 years of experience taking baths, that was back when she was a "he." Now, with this sudden transformation, it felt like she was about to witness a stranger's birthday suit.
Standing inside the bathroom, Joseph felt her head spin at the thought of what was coming next. Slowly, she began to peel off her clothes, piece by piece. The white t-shirt went first, followed by her shorts, which she tossed to the side. Her underwear followed suit, landing somewhere in the corner.
Now, with nothing left to block her view, Joseph knew it would feel strange—maybe even a little wrong—to look at her own body in such a lewd way.
But she couldn't help it!
From the long, silky hair to the delicate features of her face, she couldn't deny that she was... well, attractive. At least, that's what she thought.
Luckily, the bathroom had a medium-sized mirror. Joseph seized the opportunity to inspect every inch of her new body.
As expected, once she caught sight of her reflection, she couldn't look away. It was like Narcissus staring at his own reflection in the lake, though instead of lust, all she felt was admiration. Was it weird to feel this way about her own body? She couldn't deny that she was undeniably appealing.
Her gaze drifted downward. Aside from her long, silver hair, the second thing she noticed was her breasts. They weren't exactly large, but they weren't too small either. When she reached up to cup them, they fit perfectly in her hands—soft yet firm. Curiosity got the better of her, and she gave them a gentle squeeze.
Squish squish
"A-Ahn~"
Joseph's hand flew to her mouth. Did she just—? No! Nooo!!! That was so wrong on so many levels! Even back when she was a guy, she never made a sound like that when touching herself. And yet... Guhhh...
Her face burned with embarrassment. She couldn't believe she was this flustered over her own body. Overwhelmed, Joseph squatted on the bathroom floor, burying her face in her hands.
"Joseph, what're you doing in there?"
Ackk! Her mom must have heard her!
"N-Nothing, maa! Nothingg!" she stammered.
"Take a bath already!"
"Okayyy!"
Hngnnn! So embarrassing! Maybe she'd explore more when she was home alone. After all, she was a NEET—she had plenty of time on her hands.
Once she heard her mother's footsteps fade away, Joseph stood up and walked over to the water faucet. She turned it on, letting the water flow into a large plastic pail. Once it was full, she grabbed the tabo floating inside, scooped up some water, and poured it over her head in one go.
"AHH! Too coldd!"
she yelped.
"You should've heated some water first!"
her mother shouted from the living room.
Right.
She could've used the kettle to heat the water.
Or maybe there was hot water in the thermos! Ahhh, regret always comes too late!
But there was no turning back now. With a heavy heart, Joseph continued to pour the cold water over her body. While it was freezing—so cold that her nails turned violet and her body shivered uncontrollably—it was also a refreshing way to wake up.
Her hair, now longer than she was used to, took forever to wet thoroughly. As she stood there, Joseph realized something: she wasn't a man anymore.
That meant her shampoo and soap routine would have to change. She glanced at the assortment of bottles on the shelf.
Most of them were for men, with only a few belonging to her mom.
"Maaaa! Can I borrow some shampoo?"
Joseph called out.
"Haa?"
her mother shouted back from the living room.
"I said, can I borrow some shampoo?!"
Joseph yelled louder.
"Whatever you want, but make sure to use conditioner too!"
her mother replied.
Yup, that was how they communicated in this house—by screaming. It couldn't be helped. At least the place was lively.
"Now, time to try a new shampoo..."
Joseph picked up the shampoo container and examined it. Sunsilk... Smooth and Manageable? she read. The bottle was a pleasant shade of pink, compact and easy to hold. Not bad at all.
She squeezed a moderate amount into her hand and worked it into her hair. Her hair was already silky, but Joseph wasn't about to take any chances. She'd read enough forums and articles to know how tricky long hair could be to maintain. Better safe than sorry.
As she massaged her scalp and ran her fingers through her strands, a delightful blend of rose, jasmine, and a hint of vanilla filled the air. Wow, this smells amazing, she thought, hoping the fragrance would linger throughout the day.
With a satisfied nod, Joseph reached for the tabo and poured water over her head.
"Brrr... cold!"
She shivered, closing her eyes and tucking her hands under her arms to warm them up.
Next up was her body. Joseph glanced at the soaps lined up on the shelf and, without much hesitation, grabbed the trusty Safeguard bar. Fancy feminine soaps weren't really an option—her family didn't have the budget for that. Besides, Safeguard smelled just fine.
She lathered up, noticing how smooth her skin felt. Oddly, some areas that usually had hair were now hairless. Weird, she thought, but didn't dwell on it too much. Maintaining this new body was going to be a challenge, and the thought alone made her feel lazy. Responsibility is such a... responsibility.
Once she finished her bath, Joseph quickly towel-dried her hair and body. The cold water had left her shivering, and she half-joked to herself that any longer and she might've gotten hypothermia. Probably an exaggeration, but still.
With her body dry and her hair slightly damp, she headed to her room. Opening her cabinet, she was met with the same old selection of plain clothes: printed t-shirts she once thought were cool, hoodies, and shorts. It was her go-to "basic drip," but now that she was in a female body, Joseph felt the urge to experiment. Maybe she could explore fashion, or even try streaming! But then again, thinking about the future was exhausting. She was pretty, sure, but ambition required effort.
Slipping into yet another plain t-shirt and shorts, Joseph flopped onto her bed and stared at the ceiling. Her life had changed in the most unexpected way, yet deep down, she was still the same Joseph—just in a different package.
"Hayst..."
She sighed. Procrastination was both her greatest strength and her worst flaw. It makes her life into a stagnating mess.
"Josephhh!"
Her mom's voice echoed from the living room.
Joseph sighed again. "Yes, Ma?"
"Are you done with your bath?"
"Yes, Ma."
"Good. Come with me this afternoon. We're buying you new clothes."
Well, maybe her life wasn't as stagnant as she thought.