In the evening, as the sun slowly sank toward the horizon, its orange glow painted the sky in warm colors. The moon had already begun to peek through the fading light, faint but clearly visible.
Inside the house, the soft clatter of utensils echoed through the dining room. Hanae stood near the counter, carefully preparing dinner. Everything felt peaceful until Yuuki stepped quietly toward the doorway.
Her shoulders were slumped, and her expression looked unusually gloomy.
"Mom… I'm going to take a bath. But—"
Yuuki stopped mid-sentence.
Hanae paused what she was doing and turned around. The moment her eyes landed on Yuuki's face as she understood. A gentle smile appeared on her lips—a smile full of concern.
"Sweetie,"
Hanae said calmly, "I know it's really hard for you right now. Everything must feel different." She leaned slightly toward Yuuki. "But if you want… I can help you."
Yuuki's eyes widened in shock.
"Huh? Help me? But how?"
Hanae tilted her head and answered without hesitation.
"By taking a bath together, of course!"
She said it with a sparkly, cheerful smile,
"You need to learn about girls' health properly," Hanae continued. "Mom will help you with everything."
For a moment, Yuuki was completely frozen.
Then she sighed deeply. The kind of sigh that carried annoyance with tiredness.
"Ehh?! No, thanks!" Yuuki said quickly. "I'll… I'll learn it on my own, mom."
Having said that, she immediately turned around and left the dining room.
Behind her, Hanae raised a fist excitedly.
"Good luck, Yuuki!!"
Yuuki gritted her teeth as she walked away.
"Man… why are they all so happy about this?"
She rubbed her forehead in frustration.
"Even my father said, 'I have to wait for months.?"
Still lost in thought, Yuuki was just about to enter the bathroom. Suddenly, a hand grabbed her shoulder.
"—!!"
Yuuki trembled and spun around.
"Uhm..sorry if I scare you."
Einosuke stood behind her, holding something in his hand.
"You forgot to take your towel," he said awkwardly. "Here… sis-brother, your towel."
Einosuke handed her a neatly folded white towel.
Yuuki blinked, then smiled faintly.
"Ah… okay. Thanks."
She took it and nodded.
"I'm going in first, alright?"
Einosuke nodded back but added casually.
"But make sure you don't come out with just a towel after your bath."
"HUH?!"
Yuuki stared at him, completely confused.
Einosuke let out an exaggerated sigh and rolled his eyes.
"Well, you see… you've got oppai now."
He shrugged.
"And they're kinda big though."
"Yeah, fair point—"
Yuuki replied instinctively but she froze mid-sentence.
…Wait. What?!
Her brain finally caught up.
Without a second of hesitation, Yuuki snapped.
She grabbed Einosuke by the collar with terrifying strength.
"STOP STARING AT MY THINGS, IDIOTTT!!!!"
"WAAHH!! I'M SORRY!!"
Einosuke screamed. He immediately regretted every decision that led to this.
Inside the bathroom, soft yellow light filled the room, reflecting gently off the tiles. Steam rose lazily into the air as Yuuki sank into the bathtub. Warm water surrounded her body, relaxing muscles
She closed her eyes.
"Haah~…"
A soft smile appeared on her face.
"The bath feels so good…"
Yuuki wiped her forehead with the white towel resting beside the tub. Slowly, her gaze drifted downward.
Her chest was hidden beneath the surface of the water. Seeing this Yuuki's cheeks flushed faintly red as he shallowed hard.
"…It's really hard to live like this after all," she muttered quietly.
"Now I get it… why people say a warm bath feels better in a girl's body."
She exhaled softly.
"But still… I prefer my old one."
KNOCK! KNOCK!
The sudden noise jolted her, as she looked at the door.
A shadow appeared behind the bathroom door.
"Who is it?"
Yuuki asked cautiously.
"It's me, Einosuke," his voice came through the door.
"How long are you gonna take, huh?! It's already been twenty minutes!"
Einosuke said with an annoyed voice.
Yuuki's face instantly flushed red.
She grabbed the towel and hurriedly covered herself barely.
"W-Wait! I'm coming!"
Her voice cracked slightly.
"I was just tired, okay?!"
She quickly wiped her body and opened the door.
Einosuke stood there wearing a simple black shirt and half pants, holding a fresh set of clothes and another towel.
"I'm done! Happy now?! Go!"
Yuuki snapped irritably.
Seeing Yuuki like this, Einosuke didn't move, he completely froze.
His eyes were locked on Yuuki—her chest barely covered by the towel, her thighs almost completely exposed. A dark shadow formed over his eyes as his expression turned serious.
"…Brother," he said slowly.
"Didn't I tell you not to come out wearing just a towel?"
Yuuki's cheeks burned with both blush and fury.
"Damn it… how could I forget that?!"
She realized all over again that her body had really changed.
With a death glare to Einosuke, Yuuki stormed past him toward her room.
"Shut up, pervert!!"
"…Even my brother thinks I'm a pervert,"
Einosuke muttered as he entered the bathroom.
"Am I really that pervert…?"
The next morning, the sky was a clear blue, dotted with soft white clouds drifting lazily overhead. Bright sunlight poured into the principal's office.
Yuuki sat quietly beside her father, Ryuji, on a pair of chairs near the desk.
Across from them sat the principal—a man with half-black and half-white hair, round glasses resting on his nose, and a brown coat paired neatly with a blue tie.
Yuuki wore the black-and-blue Sacred Path School uniform with a short black skirt. Ryuji sat comfortably in a red shirt, his arms crossed.
"So, Mr. Ryuji," the principal said,
"Who is she? Is she your relative?"
While speaking, his affectionate gaze was clearly focused on Yuuki.
Ryuji smiled calmly and opened his spellbook.
"Actually…Synaínesi!!"
Ryuji said it louder while raising a finger.
A warm blue light spread through the room, wrapping everything gently before fading away.
Yuuki blinked with shock as she looked at Ryuji.
"Dad… what was that?"
Ryuji leaned closer to Yuuki and whispered into her ear.
"Son, it's a spell that lets you become a student without any documents."
"Eh?! Really?"
Yuuki's eyes sparkled.
The principal suddenly blinked as if waking from a sleep.
"Haha… sorry. I suddenly felt strange."
The Principal smiled awkwardly.
"Anyway, back to the topic."
"Yes!! It worked!"
Ryuji thought proudly.
"Sir, this is my daughter. She wants to transfer to this school."
"Oh?"
The principal looked pleased.
"Well, it would be wonderful to have such a cute girl here. From today on, she's officially a Sacred Path School student."
"…That was way too easy,"
Yuuki thought awkwardly.
In the classroom, students were seated, chatting in soft bursts of conversation. Sunlight filtered through the windows, dust particles floating lazily in the rays. An older teacher, bald with a few white hairs at the edges of his head, wearing a blue sweater, entered.
"Good morning, teacher!" the students called.
"Good morning, students," he replied with a smile. "I have good news today."
Excitement spread immediately.
"A new student?"
"I hope it's a girl!"
"If she's cute, perfect!"
"Nah, it will be a guy, I think."
The teacher clapped to quiet them.
"Everyone, meet our new student. Yuumi Takaichi, come in."
The door slid open. Yuuki stepped in slowly, careful, her long black hair shining in the sunlight. Her soft black eyes scanned the room, her face delicate, almost ethereal.
The boys' jaws dropped. The girls stared, some envious, some admiring.
"I already know this… now me, Yuuki Kaito will be forgotten now," she thought with a forced smile.
"Good morning, everyone! I am Yuuk—Yuumi Takaichi, a transfer student. Pleased to meet you all."
The boys' hearts collectively melted.
"Yuumi Takaichi, take your seat," the teacher instructed.
Yuuki froze internally. Her gaze fell upon Reika Emi, Kaito's girlfriend, sitting directly in front. Long black hair, deep blue eyes, a calm smile. Panic rose in Yuuki's chest.
"Oh shit… this is a bad place. Emi chan is in front of me!!"
" How do I even explain this?"
A gentle smile rested on her as she focused on the board. Yuuki's face turned pale as she looked at Reika from behind.
"How can I even say this to Emi? She won't believe me, or she might become distant from me."
Yuuki stayed lost in thought, her hand pressed lightly to her jaw.
At lunch, students talked and ate. Two girls approached Yuuki. Izumi, with blunt black hair, and Haruko, blonde with a ponytail.
"Hey, Yuumi Takaichi. Are you new here?"
Both of them asked as they leaned toward Yuuki.
"Yes… um, I'm new here. Nice to meet you," Yuuki replied, polite but nervous.
Haruko sat closely, cheerfully beside Yuuki.
"I'm Haruko Tamayo! Nice to meet you!"
"And I'm Izumi Michi."
" Such cute names… I hope we can be friends," Yuuki said with a gentle smile.
(Inner: I already know both of you… please go!)
From a little distance, two boys lounged on the chairs, casually observing the scene before them. One of them, Jinpei, with short black hair and sharp, obsidian eyes, couldn't take his gaze off Yuuki and the two girls. His cheeks burned a deep crimson. Beside him, Mitsou, with wild, deep yellow hair that seemed to defy order, sipped his juice calmly, unbothered… or at least pretending to be.
"Bro, look at the new transfer student. She's like an actress, don't you think the same?" Jinpei whispered, his voice almost trembling with excitement.
Mitsou paused mid-sip, the straw hovering between his lips, his golden eyes narrowing slightly as he followed Jinpei's gaze toward Yuuki.
"Yeah… she really is. But her face… it reminds me of someone else…" Mitsou murmured, a frown tugging at his features.
Jinpei's eyes widened, shock flashing across his face. "Remind someone? Have you ever met her?"
Mitsou shook his head slowly, the straw now forgotten. "Well… I don't think I ever saw her before. But… someone's face is kinda…" His gaze lingered on Yuuki as she laughed lightly, chatting effortlessly with Izumi and Haruko.
Her expression, so natural and bright, tugged at a faint memory he couldn't quite place.
"Her face… it's truly so similar… well, maybe I'm just overthinking it." Mitsou let out a small, contemplative smile, the kind that hinted at a memory long buried,