Honkai: Star Rail: I Can Fix This Gender-Bent World — Chapter 37

Chapter 37: Bathing with March 7th

The sound of the door creaking open seemed to echo in the steamy air. March 7th, however, didn’t stop what he was doing, nor did he even bother to turn his head.

He simply angled his face halfway toward the entrance and called out, his voice full of casual urgency.

“Chen? What are you doing just standing there? Get in here! The hot water costs a fortune!”

His tone was crisp and utterly straightforward, betraying no sense that there was anything remotely improper about the situation. In his mind, sharing a bath with a buddy in the men’s bathhouse was the most natural thing in the world.

“…Oh. Coming.”

Chen snapped out of his daze, offered a quick reply, and stepped inside. He slid the door shut behind him, sealing out the last of the biting cold.

He forced himself to look away, his gaze deliberately finding a wooden stool a safe distance from where March 7th was. As he began to quickly strip off his clothes, his mind was a chaotic mess.

Rationally, he was perfectly aware that the person inside March 7th was a teenage boy. The visual impact, however, was another story entirely.

That body, without a doubt, was the spitting image of a young girl. His skin glowed with a delicate luster under the dim yellow light, made all the more radiant by the swirling steam. Every movement he made, every casual stretch, possessed a natural lightness and the vibrant energy of youth.

This jarring split—the chasm between what his eyes saw and what his brain knew—was laid bare before Chen with excruciating clarity. It plunged him into a subtle trance, a feeling of deep displacement he couldn’t quite name.

This damn world, he thought with a grimace. Even taking a simple bath was a test of his cognitive fortitude.

“Ahhh, this water is so hot! So good!”

The sound of a body splashing into the pool came from March 7th’s direction, followed by a deeply satisfied sigh. He was completely oblivious to Chen’s brief, composure-shattering crisis.

He even offered a friendly tip. “The faucet on your side might be a little rusty. Turn it slowly, and watch out for the spray.”

“…Got it.”

Chen took a deep breath, forcibly clearing the static from his mind. He shed the rest of his clothes and slipped into the pool.

The warm current of water was a welcome embrace, instantly melting away the day’s chill and fatigue. He leaned against the stone edge of the pool and closed his eyes, letting the heat seep into his very bones. The rising steam created a welcome veil between them, separating their figures and easing the last of Chen’s discomfort.

He could hear March 7th lightly splashing around on the opposite side, occasionally humming a tuneless, cheerful melody. He sounded completely relaxed.

“By the way, Chen,” March’s voice drifted through the steam. “Where should we start asking for information tomorrow? The tavern? The market? This city is freezing, but there seem to be a lot of people around.”

The shift to business helped Chen focus. He opened his eyes, and the two of them began discussing their plans for the next day in low, conspiratorial tones.

The soothing heat of the water and the focused discussion made time fly. The exorbitant fee for the bath at least guaranteed an ample supply of hot water, and it wasn’t until their skin was flushed a rosy pink that they realized they had been soaking for quite some time.

“Okay, that’s probably enough, right?” March 7th said, his voice echoing slightly. “Any longer and we’ll be boiled like chickens.”

As he spoke, he stood up from the pool with a great splash of water. The movement caused the thick steam around him to part for a moment.

Hearing him, Chen also prepared to get up and had just opened his eyes.

He saw March 7th slicking back his soaked, pink hair with one hand. Then, with a casualness that was almost painful, he began wading through the water directly toward him, apparently planning to climb out from the edge of the pool on Chen’s side.

The distance between them closed in an instant.

The steam was still hazy, but at this proximity, certain details became impossible to ignore. March 7th’s body was on full display in the dim, warm light. Water droplets traced paths down his slender neck, rolling over a chest that was so utterly flat there wasn’t even the hint of a curve, before finally disappearing into the rippling surface of the bath.

His body did, in fact, have the skeletal structure and skin texture of a young girl—fair, smooth, and tinged a faint pink from the hot water.

But there was absolutely no trace of any secondary female characteristics. He was as flat as an undeveloped boy.

Chen’s gaze swept over him uncontrollably, his eyes subconsciously locking onto that stark flatness.

A single, grief-stricken thought screamed through his mind.

‘Too… too flat!!!”My Little March!!!”That lively, cute, energetic… okay, not exactly broad-chested, but at least perfectly-sized March 7th!!!”Wuwuwu… this damned world! This is the laziest, most pathetic modeling bug in existence! They just slapped the female skin onto the male model! Lead modeler, get out here and take this beating! You deserve it!’

Chen’s heart shattered. He felt a deep numbness wash over him as his worldview was ravaged for the second time that evening.

March 7th, for his part, remained blissfully unaware of the massive spiritual blow he had just dealt his companion. He reached the edge of the pool, pushed himself up with his arms, and nimbly vaulted onto the tiled floor. The motion sent a spray of water arcing through the air, a few drops spattering against Chen’s frozen face.

“What are you spacing out for? Come on, the water’s getting cold!” March 7th called out. He casually grabbed a large towel to wrap around his waist and, while vigorously drying his hair, shot a strange look back at Chen. “You look a little weird. Getting dizzy from the heat?”

“…N-No, it’s nothing.” Chen snapped back to reality.

‘Forget it, just forget it,’he told himself.’Look on the bright side. At least the person inside is still the same March 7th. His personality hasn’t changed…’

When the two of them had finally washed away their fatigue, changed into clean clothes, and walked out of the bathroom, their spirits were visibly lifted.

In the hallway, Dan Heng and Qiong were already waiting for them.

“It seems the hot water was worth the price,” Dan Heng stated, his gaze sweeping over their much more refreshed complexions.

“It was way too expensive!” March 7th immediately shot back, his face a mask of anguish for their lost credits.

Qiong looked curiously from Chen to March 7th, as if comparing their pre- and post-bath states.

Chen, having mostly recovered his composure, let his gaze fall on Qiong. He noticed a few strands of damp, gray hair stuck messily to her forehead. The hair at the back of her neck was even more haphazardly scattered; it looked like she hadn’t dried it properly at all. She, however, seemed completely unconcerned, her attention captured by the mottled old posters plastered on the hallway wall.

“Qiong,” Chen said, walking over. He naturally reached out and gently brushed the wet strand of hair from her forehead. “Your hair isn’t dry. You’ll catch a cold like this, and it can’t be comfortable.”

Qiong tilted her head up to look at him, obediently holding still as she blinked.

Chen felt around in his pack, found a clean, soft spare towel, and moved to stand behind her.

“Let me help you dry it,” he explained. His movements were gentle as he wrapped the towel around her long, wet hair, carefully patting and squeezing to absorb the moisture.

Qiong stood quietly, letting Chen do as he pleased, even lowering her head slightly to make it easier for him. A faint warmth still radiated from her, mingling with a light, clean fragrance to create a scent that was uniquely hers.

Dan Heng stood to the side, watching them without a word. His gaze lingered for a moment on Chen’s careful, focused movements.

March 7th, having momentarily forgotten his financial woes, leaned over to watch with open curiosity. “Whoa, Chen, you know how to do this, too?”

“Just basic life skills,” Chen said vaguely, his hands never stopping. He wiped her hair carefully, his fingers occasionally combing through the strands, feeling their smooth texture.

When her hair was about half-dry, he paused. Looking at the soft, gray mass, a new thought surfaced.

‘How about… I tie it up?’

He suggested it aloud. The image that flashed through his mind was of the cool, capable high ponytail from countless pieces of fan art. Seeing Qiong in this gender-swapped world, a high ponytail would… it would just look more right, wouldn’t it? It was a small, personal indulgence, but one he felt he’d earned.

Qiong didn’t object, just offered a soft “Mm.”

Chen then used his fingers to comb through her hair. His technique wasn’t particularly skilled, but he was more than careful enough. He gathered the majority of her hair at the back of her head and, using a simple hair tie he’d gotten from the inn, deftly secured it in a high ponytail.

After tying it, he made a slight adjustment to its position, nudging it up to make it look a bit more upright and perky. Then he stepped back half a pace to examine his handiwork.

Without the damp hair obscuring her features, Qiong’s smooth forehead and the graceful lines of her face were completely revealed. The high ponytail added a touch of heroic neatness to her appearance, yet the inherent innocence and purity in her eyes remained, creating a uniquely charming contrast. The gray ponytail swayed gently as she tilted her head.

“All done.” Chen nodded, deeply satisfied. It looked so much better, so much more correct. It was even pleasing to the eye.

This was probably one of the few moments since arriving in this gender-swapped hellscape that had genuinely made him feel delighted.

Qiong raised a hand to touch the ponytail at the back of her head, the sensation clearly novel to her. She turned toward Chen, her eyes seeking his for feedback.

“It looks very good,” Chen praised her with complete sincerity.

A small smile touched the corners of Qiong’s mouth, and then she nodded.

“Wow!” March 7th leaned in closer, sizing her up from head to toe. “It really is good! You look so much more energetic! Chen, your skills are pretty decent! How about you do a hairstyle for me next time?”

Dan Heng’s gaze lingered on Qiong’s new hairstyle for a moment before shifting to Chen. His cool voice cut through the air. “It is indeed more conducive to action. It’s getting late. We should rest.”

The small interlude had softened the atmosphere in the chilly inn hallway.

Chen watched Qiong’s back as she walked toward her room, her familiar yet fresh high ponytail swaying with each step. The gloom that had settled in his heart—born from the expensive bathwater and the world’s general wrongness—had dissipated considerably.

At least, he mused, some beautiful things, even in this upside-down world… could still exist in another form. They could still bring a little bit of solace, a little bit of motivation.

Tomorrow, he would have to officially start facing this frozen city and the unrecognizable old friends within it.

Hopefully, everything would go smoothly.

With that thought, Chen turned and returned to his own room.