The morning began with a strange sensation, as if Mahiro's body no longer belonged to him. The blanket felt shorter, the pillow felt lower, and when he reached up to rub his eyes, the movement felt heavy in a way he hadn't experienced in a long time. His breath hitched for a moment when the voice that came out of his throat was no longer the soft tone he heard every day, but the slightly raspy voice of a teenage boy—young, yet distinctly different.
Mahiro slowly sat up, his heart racing. His hair no longer fell to his shoulders. He looked down—larger hands, broader shoulders, and his pajamas felt tight in certain places. Without thinking, he scrambled out of bed and ran toward the mirror, his steps so hurried he nearly tripped.
In front of the mirror, a young man stared back at him.
The face was the same—soft eyes, a slightly lazy expression, and a familiar aura—but it was clearly him from before everything changed. Mahiro touched his own cheek, trying to confirm the reflection wasn't just a dream.
"...I'm a guy again?"
The words came out softly, as if he couldn't believe it himself
For a few moments, he just stood there in silence, trying to process the situation. He had promised to meet Momiji and the others at the park today. If he didn't show up, they'd definitely worry. But if he showed up like this… the secret he had been keeping all this time might be completely exposed.
Mahiro let out a long sigh.
"I can't run away forever…
PART 2. :3
That evening, a gentle breeze blew through the park as usual. Momiji was already sitting on the bench, swinging her legs while waiting with a relaxed expression. When she saw someone approaching, she immediately waved cheerfully.
"Mahiro-chan, you're late—"
Her sentence cut off mid-way.
A young man stood before her. Short hair, a relaxed posture, and an awkward expression. But those eyes… Momiji blinked several times, trying to make sure she wasn't seeing things.
"...Mahiro-chan?"
Mahiro scratched his cheek, clearly uneasy.
"Err… yeah. It's me."
Momiji froze like a statue. Her brain tried to piece the facts together, but everything was a jumble. A few seconds later, she let out a loud scream.
"EHHHHHH?!"
The scream sent Asahi and Miyo, who had just arrived, running over with shocked faces.
"What happened?" Asahi asked.
Momiji pointed at Mahiro with trembling hands.
"Mahiro-chan… became a guy!"
Asahi went silent, staring for a long time before her eyes slowly widened.
"...So all this time…"
Mahiro took a small breath.
"Yeah… I was originally a guy."
Miyo stepped closer, observing intently, as if calmly analyzing the transformation.
"Interesting… your expression is still the same. Only your physical form has changed."
Momiji still hadn't recovered from the shock.
"Wait… so all the times we hung out, walked around, played… you were actually—"
Mahiro quickly shook his head.
"Back then, I really was a girl! This only just happened this morning!"
Silence followed. The evening breeze felt more pronounced. Mahiro waited for their reaction with a pounding heart, afraid they would find him weird or distance themselves.
However, Momiji finally let out a long breath and gave a small smile.
"...I guess I don't really mind."
Mahiro froze. "Eh?"
"Because you're still Mahiro-chan," Momiji added softly. "Just… the male version now."
Asahi nodded in agreement. "Your personality hasn't changed. You're still the same as always."
Miyo added in a calm tone, "We just need some time to get used to it again."
The tension in Mahiro's shoulders slowly faded. He smiled slightly, a sense of relief washing over him.
"...Thank you."
Momiji suddenly leaned in and looked at his face with deep interest.
"But honestly speaking…"
Mahiro stiffened. "What?"
"You're still pretty cute."
Mahiro's face instantly turned bright red. "Don't say things like that!"
They all laughed, and the atmosphere returned to its usual lightheartedness. But the day wasn't over yet.
When Mahiro arrived home, he stood in front of the door for a long time. This would be the hardest reaction to face—his own sister, Mihari. She was the one who understood his changes best. If she was shocked… Mahiro didn't know how he'd explain it.
He finally opened the door slowly.
"...I'm back."
The male voice echoed through the quiet house.
A few seconds later, a bedroom door swung open.
"Mahi—"
Mihari stopped dead in her tracks. Her eyes widened, her face shifting from casual to utter shock. She looked Mahiro up and down repeatedly, as if trying to verify something impossible.
"...Onii-chan?"
Mahiro gave an awkward smile. "Yeah… it's me."
Mihari immediately ran over, grabbing his shoulders and turning him left and right in a panic.
"Why did you change back?! Did the medicine run out?! Are there side effects?! Did you eat something?!"
The questions came rapid-fire until Mahiro felt dizzy.
"Calm down! I don't know either!" Mahiro answered quickly.
Mihari paused, taking a deep breath. Her expression turned serious, but she wasn't angry. She looked at her brother closely, as if comparing the two versions she knew.
"...Even like this, you're still my brother."
Mahiro was slightly surprised. "You're not mad?"
"I'm just… used to seeing the girl version of you," Mihari replied softly. "But this male version… still looks soft."
Momiji, who was standing behind, gave a mischievous grin. "I thought so too."
Mahiro covered his face, clearly embarrassed. "Why is everyone saying the same thing…"
Mihari suddenly smiled slightly, her eyes sparkling as if she had an idea.
"...This is interesting."
Mahiro got a bad feeling. "What do you mean?"
"I want to test if your personality changes now that you're a boy again," Mihari said with a mix of seriousness and excitement.
Mahiro let out a long sigh.
Even though he had returned to his original form, it seemed his life wasn't going to get any quieter. But seeing them all accept him without hesitation, he realized one important thing—
No matter what form he took, he was still the same Mahiro.