Mai Sakurajima slowly opened her eyes.
The first thing she saw was Ryuichi, now sitting up in bed. His bare upper body looked toned and balanced, skin unreasonably smooth—almost unfairly good-looking, the sort that made even girls jealous. His dark hair was a little messy, lending him a lazy, irresistible charm.
When memories of last night flashed through her mind, Mai's face warmed instantly.
"Why are you staring at me like that?"
Her voice was soft, almost shy. Even after everything they'd shared—every intimate moment—being gazed at so directly by her lover still made her self-conscious.
But Ryuichi's head tilted slightly, a strange look flickering across his eyes as he murmured under his breath, "That face... those marks I left... this is my Mai, no doubt about it. But then, why..."
"What? What are you mumbling about?"
Mai sat up, only to realize with a small squeak that the blanket had fallen. She hurriedly pulled it back over her chest, cheeks flushed rose-red.
Ryuichi pressed his lips together in faint confusion, then said quietly, "You'd better look in a mirror."
"Huh?"
Startled, Mai blinked at him. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed something odd—golden strands of hair trailing down her shoulder.
Her expression stiffened. Without another word, she stumbled over to the mirror above the dresser.
And froze.
The reflection staring back at her—was Kazuka Toyohama.
Her younger sister.
What... what the hell? I'm Mai Sakurajima!
Shock coursed through her. Instantly she understood why Ryuichi had looked so unsettled.
The face in the mirror—a golden-haired girl with pale, delicate shoulders still faintly marked by the purple shadows of last night's passion—was unmistakably her sister Kazuka.
But the soul inside that body was her.
How... how could this even be happening?
Her thoughts spun into chaos. Still, instinct kicked in; she yanked open the wardrobe, grabbed a loose shirt from inside, and hissed toward Ryuichi, "Don't you dare look!"
Ryuichi sighed. "..."
He obediently turned his head away, though part of him was thinking—wasn't that a bit late for modesty? They'd already crossed every imaginable line last night.
But seriously, what was going on here?
He couldn't make sense of it either.
Behind him, the sound of frantic rustling filled the air as Mai hurriedly dressed. Maybe it was all the shocks she'd been through lately—devils, magic, danger, and now this—but she managed to pull herself together surprisingly fast.
Even so, realizing she'd appeared naked before her boyfriend in her sister's body was enough to make her heart pound wildly. Once she was decently dressed, she tried her best to calm her racing mind.
What kind of disaster have I just stumbled into?
Ryuichi quickly dressed as well. The initial shock had already passed; his composure returned faster than hers.
"It seems your external appearance changed, but everything else—your aura, your soul signature, your energy—it all still reads as Mai Sakurajima," he said thoughtfully.
That statement made Mai's expression shift again. She remembered every mark he'd left last night, now belonging to her sister's body. Just the thought made her want to sink through the floor.
"You really have to point that out right now?" she snapped in embarrassment.
Ryuichi raised a hand helplessly. "Hey, I meant your soul contract."
Right—she had made a soul pact with him. As her summoner and contracted Devil, he could sense her soul directly. Which meant he was certain: this was indeed Mai, only with a different shell.
That reassurance steadied her a little. If her soul had changed too, she would've lost her mind completely.
"But how did this even happen?" she asked. "Did you do something?"
"Me? Please. I don't even know any illusion spells," he said, waving his hands. "And this isn't illusion magic anyway. Your body's actually changed."
He frowned. "Besides, even if I could do something like that, why would I? My girlfriend Mai Sakurajima is already the cutest and most gorgeous, so why would I trade her for anyone else?"
His meaning was clear: he'd never choose any other girl over her.
...Still, realizing how that sounded, he coughed awkwardly and added, "Of course, I also love what's inside—you know, your personality."
She gave him a look somewhere between exasperated and amused. "I wasn't asking for a declaration of love…"
Turning back to the mirror, she studied the face reflected there. Every feature—every detail—was identical to Kazuka's.
"Wait a second," Ryuichi said suddenly. "If you've turned into Kazuka... then where's the real Kazuka right now?"
They both froze. The same uneasy thought popped into their minds at once.
And right on cue—a high-pitched scream rang out from the neighboring bedroom.
"EHHHHHH—?! WHAT—WHAT IS HAPPENING—?!"
Ryuichi winced and clapped his hands over his ears. "Yup... that sounded about right."
Just from hearing her voice, he could already picture Kazuka's face—shocked beyond reason and teetering on the edge of panic.
Well, he thought, at least her reaction's the normal one. Mai's calm through all this is straight-up terrifying.
You really are amazing, Mai.
Ignoring Ryuichi's half-amused grin, Mai shot to her feet and rushed out of the bedroom toward the sound.
Her brisk footsteps echoed through the hall. Ryuichi, hands stuffed in his pockets, followed behind at a leisurely pace.
In the living room, they found Kazuka stumbling out in confusion—except now she bore Mai Sakurajima's face and figure.
When she saw her sister—no, herself—walk into the room, Kazuka's jaw dropped.
"Sis—Mai?! Wh-what is going on?!"
"It's me," Mai said quickly, her voice low and steady. "Kazuka, calm down first."
Though her heart was a storm inside, Mai's tone carried that practiced maturity that always made her seem older than she was.
From behind, Ryuichi strolled into view.
The instant Kazuka—now looking like Mai—spotted him, her eyes went wide again. "Why are you here?!"
Ryuichi exhaled heavily and cast her a sidelong glance. Seeing her sister's image looking back at him again made him sigh helplessly.
"Take a breath," he said simply. "Sit down. Let's talk."
"..."
…