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Translator's note: So he's mentally male with a female body? Well, I got a friend IRL who's actually like that.
Luffy's rambling corner: Oy, oy, oy, is this turning into yuri? No, wait... they were male before, and now they're getting attracted as fellow females? So, what genre does that make this? đ”âđ«
âSo, howâs it feeling?â Bai Yu asked, her voice casual but her eyes sharp, studying me.
âWowâpretty great, actually! I could practically bounce around!â I stretched my arms and rolled my shoulders, double-checking everything worked right before grinning at her.
Bai Yu sat on a nearby bench, watching me with a flicker of something complicated in her gaze. From behind, I probably still looked a little like the old meâthe boy I used to be. But now? My hair spilled longer down my back, my chest had a subtle curve, and⊠well, everything else had shifted too.
Sheâd braced herself for chaosâtears, denial, maybe even a meltdown. But none of that happened.
Instead, Iâd taken it all in stride, accepting this new reality like it was no big deal. More than that, I couldnât hide the spark of excitement in my voice. I even cracked a joke, deadpan, just to mess with her.
Meanwhile, I was buzzing, practically vibrating as I explored my new body.
Sure, the moment that mana core got shoved into me had been brutalâsharp, searing painâbut Bai Yu had knocked me out fast.
By the time I came to, the worst was over. All that lingered was a faint ache, like Iâd slept weird.
A few stretches, and even that was fading.
I didnât bother hiding how I feltânot from her. Why would I? It was just Bai Yu, my big sis in every way that mattered, more reliable than anyone Iâd ever known.
Back when I was still a guy, I hesitated, clung to some dumb sense of pride. But now? That was gone.
I was a girl!
And honestly? It was awesome. A little weird, sureâmy hair kept brushing my shoulders, and the strands tickling my forehead in the breeze were annoying as hell.Â
But the stuff that made me a boy? History. We were out in public, technically, though it was just us. Still, with Bai Yu right there, I wasnât about to start poking around to âtest the waters.â
One thing bugged me, though: my chest wasnât exactly⊠impressive. There was something there, a slight swell, but when I gave it a light tap, it didnât have much give.Â
[Luffy: ⊠my sympathies ]
Guess this whole âwitchificationâ thing didnât come with a perfect makeover. A tiny letdown, but I was still thrilled.
âWhatâs that look?â Bai Yu said, snapping me out of it. She adjusted her tone, trying to match my energy.
Clearly, all her worrying had been for nothing. âAlready obsessing over your figure, huh?â
She grinned, leaning in mischievously. âYou know, I hear giving it some regular attention helps things along.â
âWait, really?â My eyes lit up, and my hand twitched upward before I caught myself. Heat rushed to my face as I froze mid-motion. âUh⊠haha, just kidding! Wanted to see if it worked, thatâs all.â
Bai Yu laughed, but her voice turned mock-stern. âItâs fine, but youâre a girl nowâwatch yourself. No messing around like that in public, got it?â
âGot it!â I flashed an exaggerated thumbs-up. âIâll save it for when no oneâs around!â
âEnough goofing off,â she said, grabbing my wrist and pulling me along. Her grip tightened for a second, like sheâd noticed something.
My skin wasnât rough like beforeâit was soft now, smooth in a way that surprised her.Â
She brushed her fingers over it, almost lingering, like she couldnât quite get over the change.
Bai Yu knew her own struggles with witchification had only deepened over timeâespecially when it came to her sexual orientation.
Sheâd dodged that truth for years, clinging to the hope that staying close to me, back when I was still a boy, might anchor her.
Maybe itâd remind her what it felt like to connect with someone different, to keep that part of herself alive.
But it didn't work. The more time we spent together, the more it felt like⊠buddies. Pure, platonic friendship, nothing else.
And now? That lonely, awkward boy was gone, replaced by this bright, bubbly girl who somehow hit every mark on Bai Yuâs aesthetic checklist. It was almost unfair how much she wanted to claim her, to keep her close.
At that moment, Bai Yu realized their friendship had shiftedâtwisted into something she hadnât expected.
âSiiis~ â I chirped, scooting up beside her like always. âWhatâs next on the agenda?â
Ever since Iâd become a girl, the old barriers between us had melted away. I didnât think twice about closing the gapâphysically or otherwise. Am I her bestie now? Her confidante? I grinned at the thought.
âWeâve got to⊠uh, measure you for a uniform,â she said, her voice catching as my closeness threw her off. âThen register your ID and grab a student card.â
My âsisâ had hit her like a spark, rattling her in a way she wasnât used to.
Back when I was a guy, thereâd always been this faint distance between usâunspoken, mutual, like we both knew to keep a little space. But now? That was gone. Completely gone.
âUniforms?â I tilted my head, curiosity piqued. âThe Witch School has required uniforms?â
In my mind, uniforms were the ultimate buzzkillâboring, generic, a total style downgrade. But maybe this place was different. More⊠open? I crossed my fingers for a skirt. I was dying to rock one, to dive headfirst into this whole âgirlâ thing.
Too bad I was broke. My luggage held a few cheap guyâs outfits and not much else. Still, I was optimisticâlife would get better.
Staying pumped and enjoying the ride was the key to pushing forward, right? I just hoped the grind wouldnât wear me down too fast.
âThe uniforms arenât mandatory,â Bai Yu explained, snapping into her patient big-sis mode. âTheyâre basic enchanted gearâstandard alchemical stuff. Easiest way for newbies to get something decent without paying a price. Plus, they scream âWitch School studentâ to anyone who sees you. Helps you out early on when things get rough.â
She led me to the uniform station, where a small crowd of new studentsâgirls, all of themâchattering away, buzzing with energy.
I scanned the group, wondering if any of them had started out like me, a guy secretly thrilled to end up here.
Then I paused. Wait, wouldnât that make them kinda weird? âŠOh. Maybe I wasnât so different.
Better just blend in. I had no clue where âboy-turned-witchâ ranked in this place. Awkward outsider? Total outcast? No idea. But if I kept my past under wraps, whoâd dig deep enough to care?
I didnât exactly stand outâat least, not for being new. My bargain-bin clothes, though, drew some stares.
A few girls whispered and pointed, probably clocking how out-of-place I looked in ill-fitting guy stuff. Whatever. This was the uniform spot; Iâd get something that fit soon enough.
Iâd figure out girl clothes eventually. Bai Yu could helpâshe had to know her stuff. Worst case, Iâd play dress-up doll and let her style me however she wanted.
Of course, Iâd need cash first, so that plan was on hold.
I couldnât help wondering: by the time I had money, what would I even look like? How much more would I⊠develop?
The thoughts snuck up on me, and suddenly, I was way too curious.