Leaving the bustle of the city and winding up mountain paths, an old shrine appears, veiled in thick fog. It was a mysterious place, seemingly cut off from the world, untraceable on any map. Yet, it was located on a precarious boundary; not so remote as to be utterly isolated, occasionally found by the stray hiker. An invisible boundary extended around the shrine, and within this boundary, the maidens belonging to the shrine could freely transform their bodies into any form, including inanimate objects.
Even more astonishing, once transformed within the boundary, their altered form remained even if they stepped outside it. Of course, they could not revert to their original form until they returned inside the boundary, but thanks to this ability, the maidens no longer aged or died. Basic needs such as eating, drinking, or sleeping for the maintenance of life had long become unnecessary. They were beings who had chosen to live as immortal guardians of the shrine.
The deepest secret of this shrine lay in the shrine buildings themselves. The colossal wooden pillars, magnificent roofs, and every intricately carved pattern were, in fact, the body of a maiden who had transformed long, long ago. The other maidens called her the Great Maiden. To prevent the younger maidens from being confused by her being a building, the Great Maiden had created a separate avatar within her own body to function as her proxy. Her avatar walked the shrine like any other maiden, guiding them and overseeing all shrine affairs. This shocking secret was never to be revealed outside the shrine. For it was clear that if it were to be exposed to the world, uncontrollable chaos would ensue, thus the shrine strictly forbade entry to outsiders. Only maidens could enter the shrine, and this secret was thoroughly, meticulously hidden.
The girl lived in an ordinary city. It was an ordinary day, and she was on her way home from school. It was then. A beam of light poured down from the clear sky, and a distinct voice echoed in the girl’s mind.
“Come to the shrine. Your destiny awaits there.”
At first, she thought it was an auditory hallucination. However, the voice grew clearer with each passing day, carving a powerful pull into the girl’s heart. Ultimately, without informing her family, the girl was drawn by an unknown force and set out, guided only by instinct. After wandering for days and nights, traversing winding mountain paths, the shrine, shrouded in fog, appeared before the girl’s eyes. The moment she crossed the shrine’s threshold, a strange energy enveloped her entire body, and she realized the voice of the vision had not been false.
Upon entering the shrine, women in white robes greeted the girl. They seemed to already know she would come, naturally guiding her to the maidens’ living quarters. The girl knelt before the Great Maiden’s avatar and formally pledged to become a maiden. Immediately upon completing the oath, changes began to occur in the girl’s body. She felt an unknown energy overflowing from her fingertips to her toes, and experienced her entire body’s senses becoming heightened. The girl was now no longer an ordinary human.
After the sacred ritual concluded, the girl was given a new name: Lua. Along with other novice maidens, Lua learned about the shrine’s rules and the life of a maiden. She began training to freely transform her body within the boundary. At first, even changing a single finger into a branch was difficult, but with time, she gradually became accustomed to it.
Most surprising was the buddy system with fellow maidens. Lua was assigned a fellow maiden to accompany her on outdoor missions. During external activities, they were to transform into each other’s clothes, ensuring they were never apart for a moment. One would become the clothes of the other, forming a part of their body, so the two maidens had to move as a single entity. This was a crucial means for the maidens to carry out their duties without exposing the shrine’s secrets to the outside world. Lua’s partner was a calm and wise maiden, Shizuku. Shizuku would transform into Lua’s black hair tie, and Lua would transform into Shizuku’s collar. Thus, they learned to permeate each other’s existence, like a single shadow, moving in and out of the shrine, ready to perform their duties. Lua had just begun a new life.[1:1]
Lua was gradually getting used to the shrine’s daily life. Even amidst the sacred and solemn atmosphere, the maidens’ lives were far more practical and flexible than she had imagined. What particularly caught her eye was the way maidens transformed their bodies within the boundary. Beyond simply changing into animals or plants, maidens would transform into various household items as needed, alleviating inconveniences within the shrine.
One day, Lua was tidying up the document archives deep within the shrine with the Great Maiden’s avatar. In a corner of the room, filled with ancient books and scrolls, several old bookshelves caught her eye. These bookshelves were none other than the transformation of the maiden Miho. Miho had transformed into a bookshelf, necessary for storing the shrine’s history and knowledge. She would use her finger, transformed into a thin bookmark, to help Lua find specific books, and sometimes freely expand the shelves to accommodate more books. Lua vaguely sensed that Miho’s transformation was not merely into a bookshelf, but based on a deep comprehension of the bookshelf’s structure and storage efficiency. She was amazed that Miho’s transformation possessed a functional completeness beyond mere changes in form.
The nights at the shrine were quiet, yet sometimes unexpected noises could be heard. They came from the space where the maidens rested. There was a maiden named Aki there, who often transformed into a television. Lua could barely suppress her astonishment at first. A television deep in a mountain shrine? It was unimaginable.
When Aki transformed into a television, news from the outside world flowed across the screen. From news to dramas, even animations. Through the videos Aki displayed, the maidens stayed connected to the world and obtained external information. Lua saw that Aki wasn’t merely displaying images; she skillfully changed channels, adjusted volume, and even manipulated the screen’s aspect ratio, just like a real television. Once, when the screen momentarily flickered, Aki mumbled, “The vertical blanking frequency was slightly off. I’ve adjusted it.” On another day, when the screen suddenly froze, she skillfully resolved the error, saying, “Hmm, it seems the ATSC protocol was unstable. I’ll fix it right away.”
Lua couldn’t precisely understand Aki’s words, but she intuitively sensed that Aki had a complete grasp of even the television’s mechanical operating principles. Aki’s transformation was not merely mimicking a shape; it was at a level that perfectly replicated the television’s essential functions and technical attributes. Aki possessed an unrivaled level of talent in inanimate object transformation.
This way, the maidens’ ability to transform not just into clothes but into various items for their convenient living greatly fascinated Lua. She once again pondered her own body, which held infinite possibilities within the boundary. Would she someday be able to perform functional and practical transformations, beyond simple forms, like Aki and Miho? Lua felt excitement as she opened her eyes to a new world.[1:2]
One clear afternoon, Lua was strolling in the shrine courtyard with the Great Maiden’s avatar. While sitting on the sun-drenched veranda, drinking tea, Lua suddenly posed a question that had been on her mind.
“Great Maiden, why did the Divine create such a special boundary? I’m curious about the reason for us being able to freely change our forms and live eternally.”
The Great Maiden took a sip of tea with a gentle smile. Her eyes seemed to hold a story as deep as the shrine’s ancient history.
“Lua, this boundary is not merely to grant you special abilities. The world is constantly changing, and to protect the shrine’s existence amidst the tides of change, special wisdom and power were required.”
She paused for a moment and gazed at the distant mountain peaks.
“Humans are finite beings, and within those limitations, they tend to forget and lose much. But the shrine plays a role in preserving the world’s fundamental wisdom and spiritual balance. For this, beings who can transcend time and adapt to any environment were necessary.”
The Great Maiden looked at Lua again.
“You maidens, by being able to free yourselves from the constraints of matter and transform within this boundary, are not merely transcending the limitations of the flesh. This means acquiring the ability to flexibly respond to worldly changes, obtain necessary information, and sometimes perform the shrine’s duties without being revealed to the world. For example, just as Miho becomes a bookshelf to preserve knowledge, and Aki becomes a television to read the world’s currents. You are beings who will exist eternally and continue the shrine’s wisdom.”
Deep trust and responsibility were evident in her voice.
“This boundary is the infinite possibility granted to us by the Divine, and simultaneously, the most powerful tool to safeguard the shrine’s reason for existence. Your obtaining eternal life is also to allow you to focus solely on the shrine’s role, unbound by death and time.”
Lua nodded as she listened to the Great Maiden’s explanation. She realized that the boundary’s meaning went beyond simply granting abilities, encompassing a deeper, more sacred purpose. She gained a new understanding of the shrine she belonged to and her life as a maiden.[1:3]
Lua quietly watched Shizuku preparing to go out. The maiden uniform, while within the boundary, existed like a part of the body, like skin, but the moment they left the boundary, it vanished without a trace. Therefore, for external activities, another maiden always had to transform into clothes for them. Today was Lua’s turn to take on that role. Shizuku smiled faintly at Lua, as if in gratitude.
“Lua, please take care of me.”
Lua took a breath and composed herself. She brought to mind the image of the casual clothes Shizuku would wear: a warm cream-colored knit sweater and soft jeans. She vividly imagined not just the simple form, but the texture, the creases of the clothes, and even each individual fiber.
Her body began to change. The transformation began first from her toes. Her toes disappeared, and her instep smoothly flattened, transforming into the soft hem of the knit sweater. Her calves and thighs slowly took on the shape of jeans. The uniquely rough yet soft texture characteristic of blue denim could be felt. The waist naturally settled into the form of belt loops and pockets.
Her torso became a knit sweater. Lua’s skin transformed into a mass of warm cream-colored yarn, and the sensation of each individual cell being reconfigured into a dense knit fabric surged through her. Her arms elongated into sleeves, and her fingers became soft, enveloping cuffs. Her neck became the neckline of the knit sweater, and her hair naturally finished off like flowing threads of yarn.
Upon completion of the transformation, Lua realized she had become an entire outfit. Shizuku slowly picked up Lua, that is, the cream-colored knit sweater and jeans. Lua felt a momentary dizziness, but soon the familiar sensation of clothing enveloped her. As Shizuku’s hands held her and she was worn as clothing, Lua felt a peculiar sense of stability, as if she had become another layer of skin.
Though Lua had become clothes, her five senses remained vivid. The sensation of touching Shizuku’s skin, the rustling sound with her movements, and even the subtle vibrations felt when Shizuku walked, all were transmitted to Lua. She could see the world through Shizuku’s eyes and hear sounds through Shizuku’s ears.
Shizuku’s voice echoed clearly in Lua’s mind. It was telepathy. From the moment Lua transformed into clothes, a silent channel of communication had opened between them.
“Yes, Shizuku-san. I’m not uncomfortable at all. In fact, seeing the world this closely is quite a new experience.”
Lua’s thoughts were transmitted directly to Shizuku. Shizuku nodded and stepped out of the shrine. Lua, now a part of Shizuku, stepped out into the outside world. As clothes, she was ready to protect Shizuku and act as her eyes and ears, perceiving external information together.[1:4]
Having left the shrine, Shizuku walked along the mountain path as usual. Lua, being Shizuku’s clothes, vividly felt every one of her movements. The damp smell of the forest path and the rustling of leaves were fully transmitted to Lua through Shizuku’s five senses. Everything was fresh and wondrous.
But the peace did not last long. As Shizuku descended the narrow mountain path, she suddenly lost her footing. “Ah!” With a short cry, Shizuku’s body swayed, and the jeans Lua had transformed into were instantly dragged across the rough dirt ground. The moment a sharp branch brushed past the jeans, Lua recoiled, her entire body cringing at the raw sensation, as if her own skin were being scratched. Fortunately, Shizuku did not fall, but a short scream erupted in Lua’s mind.
“Shizuku-san, just now… my body got scratched!”
Lua’s flustered cry echoed in Shizuku’s mind. Shizuku chuckled and stopped walking. “It’s alright, Lua. Clothes are just like that. They get dirty, and they get scratched.”
At Shizuku’s words, Lua sighed in relief, but the tribulations had only just begun. As they left the mountain path and reached the edge of a small village, a dog suddenly darted out and sniffed at Shizuku’s leg. Soon, the dog urinated on the jeans Lua had transformed into.
“Ugh! Shizuku-san! Just now… something warm and wet on my body…!”
Lua almost screamed, but fortunately, her silent cry was transmitted only to Shizuku. Shizuku, without a hint of embarrassment, gently pushed the dog away with her foot and bent down to inspect the jeans. “Oh, dear. It’s alright, Lua, this can be wiped off quickly.” Shizuku took a handkerchief from her pocket and casually wiped off the dog’s urine from Lua’s body—that is, the jeans. Lua shuddered at the sensation of being wiped. She had never imagined experiencing such things as clothes.
Upon entering the village market, even more embarrassing incidents followed. Shizuku stopped in front of a street food stall. The savory smell of oil and spicy seasoning stung her nose. Shizuku picked up a skewer and took a bite. Just then, a drop of red sauce splattered and fell onto the cream-colored knit sweater Lua had transformed into.
“Aaaah! Shizuku-san! On my body! A stain…!”
Lua almost shrieked. Seeing the clearly embedded red spot with her own eyes was utterly dreadful. Shizuku sensed Lua’s distress and chuckled softly. “Oh dear, I’m sorry, Lua. It’s alright, we can just wash it when we get home.” Shizuku nonchalantly resumed eating her skewer.
Lua was thrown into confusion. Inside the shrine, she was an immortal being, maintaining a perfect form without fear of scratches or dirt. But the moment she became clothes, experiencing scratches, being urinated on, and getting stained—all of these experiences were a great shock to her. Experiencing the ‘tribulations’ of being clothes firsthand, Lua gained a new understanding of her transformation ability, while also unable to hide her unexpected and visceral dismay.[1:5]
Even on the way back to the shrine from the village, Lua still couldn’t shake off her embarrassment. The stain on the knit sweater, the dog urine on the jeans, and the scratches kept bothering her. The series of incidents she experienced in the form of clothes felt to her as if her soul had been wounded.
“Shizuku-san… is this really okay? My body… getting so dirty and damaged…”
Lua’s anxious voice echoed in Shizuku’s mind. Shizuku walked silently along the quiet mountain path, then gently stroked Lua’s collar—that is, the knit part Lua had become.
“Lua, I completely understand how you feel. Everyone feels that way at first.”
Shizuku’s voice was calm, but imbued with a warmth that seemed to soothe Lua’s distress.
“I was very surprised too, just like you, at first. Was it a few years ago…? Back then, I transformed into a teacup to serve the Great Maiden.”
Lua listened attentively to Shizuku’s story. A teacup, she thought. What else could have happened?
“The Great Maiden was drinking tea in the courtyard, when suddenly a gust of wind blew. Because of that wind, I—that is, the teacup—fell to the ground. The moment it shattered, I felt a pain as if my entire body was shattering into pieces. It truly hurt. The sensation of my body scattering into hundreds, thousands of fragments… is still vivid.”
Lua shuddered just at the thought. Transforming into a glass shard and then shattering—that would be an extreme experience even for an immortal being.
“At that moment, the Great Maiden carefully picked up each of my fragments. She brought the largest glass pieces back to the shrine. And the moment she stepped inside the shrine, as if by magic, my body came back together. Into the perfect form of a teacup, without a single trace of being broken. And soon, I was able to return to my original form.”
Shizuku finished speaking and gently tugged at the sleeve of the knit sweater Lua had become.
“No matter what form we take outside the boundary, no matter what we experience, the Divine’s blessing is always with us. The moment we return inside the boundary, we revert to our original, perfect form. So don’t worry. Your body will be perfectly fine.”
No sooner had Shizuku finished speaking than the shrine’s boundary was felt. Lua felt her vision momentarily waver, and soon after, the sensation of the knit sweater and jeans that had enveloped her entire body disappeared. When she opened her eyes, she was wearing her original maiden uniform again.
Lua quickly examined her body. Her scratched leg, her urinated-on thigh, the part of her chest where sauce had splattered—all were clean and perfect, without any trace. As if nothing had happened at all. Lua sighed in relief and looked at Shizuku in wonder. Shizuku, as if reading Lua’s mind, smiled.
“See? I told you.”
Lua once again felt reverence for the boundary’s mystery and the Divine’s blessing. Realizing that the minor tribulations she had experienced were in fact nothing, she was able to alleviate some of her anxiety about experiencing the outside world as clothes.[1:6]