Bianca's New Life and the Promised Duel
Bianca Shama mumbled, "Um, you know. Honestly, about turning into a girl..."
The conversation between Vita and the school nurse boiled down to this: "Even if it's true, I recommend checking out a big hospital first. Got it, miss?"
"...Yes, ma'am."
The kind-hearted nurse had softened her words, but Vita suspected the "big hospital" she meant was a psychiatric one. In the end, Vita had no choice but to leave the nurse's office. A sudden wave of gloom made her sigh deeply.
"Haa—"
Of course. If she were in the nurse's shoes, she'd find the story hard to believe too. Still, the nurse had tried to take her seriously, so Vita felt a bit grateful.
"Why... why me?"
How had she woken up as a girl overnight? And with no clear way back, her body now fully female. Vita's vision darkened at the thought.
What if she went to sleep and woke up normal? What if it was all just a bizarre dream? She'd run through every possibility, but none of it mattered. Her decision was set: she had to tell her family about the change.
Her ultra-strict father's reaction scared her a little. If a grown son pulled some stunt and ended up a girl... 'He might actually kill me.' Vita's face paled, then blanched green, over and over. But she couldn't hide it from her parents.
And sure enough, they arrived just two days later.
"What in the world is going on here?"
Just as Vita predicted. Her stern father, Maximilian Shama, wore a chilling expression.
"Well, Father..." Vita explained the whole ordeal, tense as could be. She'd already told them over the phone: the weird drug she'd gotten, why she'd taken it, the changes after, and the nurse's assessment.
"So, to sum it up. You ate some strange drug to beat that rival of yours?"
"...Y-yeah."
It sounded pathetic even to her, but she had to be honest with the parents who'd raised her. Her father clicked his tongue.
"You brought this on yourself."
"...Yeah. I know."
"Lucky it's vacation, or heaven knows what would've happened mid-semester."
Vita had to agree. Maybe this was the price for letting her competitive fire blind her to bad judgment. But really, she had wanted to beat him. So badly she'd stooped to unfair tricks. She hung her head, spirits sinking. Even her tiny hands, right there in view, felt alien, deepening her gloom.
"That's enough, dear."
Thankfully, her mother, Emma Shama, always took her son's side. With her curly brown hair and plump, kindly face, she chimed in, "He's already the most upset about this. Why crush his spirit more? Look at it this way—we've gained a pretty daughter. It's not so bad."
Was it her imagination? Mom seemed genuinely pleased.
"Don't worry, Vita. Your parents always wanted a daughter too."
"What kind of nonsense is that?" Father shot back.
"Be honest—you like it too."
"Huh? Me?! What are you talking about? Did you eat something bad for breakfast?"
"We ate together, remember? You even said it wouldn't be so bad if she turned into a girl."
"Hey now, woman...?"
Their sudden marital spat caught Vita off guard. Father cleared his throat awkwardly, his face tinting red. Vita blinked in confusion. What was this about? She had no clue, but the lighter atmosphere eased her tension a bit. They were probably just trying to comfort her. Deep down, they must be disappointed in their son.
"Thank you, Mom. And you too, of course, Dad."
Vita's chest warmed as she spoke. Mom chuckled warmly. "Oh my, even your voice is so pretty now."
"Enough of that nonsense. Here, take this."
Vita accepted the envelope Father handed her. Inside was a new ID.
"Bianca... Shama...?"
"Anyway, since it's done, you need to adapt properly."
Father was always thoroughly prepared. "I brought some clothes too."
A bag burst open, spilling out heaps of women's outfits.
'...When did they get all this?' It was an absurd amount—surely prepared in advance?
"Th-thank you..."
Should she be grateful? Vita's mind spun. What she didn't know was that her parents were whispering to each other while watching her flustered reaction.
The Shama family had four sons and no daughters. They'd once dreamed of a little girl and tried for one, but before they knew it, they had four boys. That old wish was now fulfilled in the strangest way imaginable—totally unexpected.
Of course, worried sick for their child, her parents dragged her for a full checkup that afternoon.
No issues whatsoever.
Perfectly healthy, and a complete female body. The big hospital's final verdict left Vita despairing, but it was irreversible reality. Amid the chaos, everything got sorted: school approved the transfer under her new identity, and Mom offered to stay awhile. Vita firmly refused her parents' suggestions.
No, it's fine.
She understood their worry, but she planned to keep attending this academy. Transferring just because she'd become a girl? That'd make her look like a total loser. No way.
"Anyway, Vita. Now that you're a girl, be extra careful with how you carry yourself."
"Call Mom anytime if something comes up!"
With those earnest reminders, her parents left. They always respected their child's will.
That deep night, Vita lay alone in bed, pondering. Huh. Easier than I thought.
'I figured I'd get reamed.'
Disorientingly so. They were probably just pretending to be okay out of consideration. No way they'd actually be thrilled about this.
'Oh, right...'
Then Vita remembered something she'd forgotten: the day of her promised duel with him had arrived.
A new day dawned. St. Antiope Academy was structured around three distinct dorms. New students underwent aptitude tests upon enrollment, then got assigned to the dorm matching their personality.
First, the Reindeer Dorm, symbolized by a reindeer emblem—home to the passionate and spirited. Vita Shama belonged here, filled mostly with emotionally rich students strong in humanities like pure literature and social studies.
Second, the Libra Dorm, with its scales emblem. A haven for quirky intellectuals who prized knowledge and inquiry, mostly into tech and magic studies.
Last, the Ouroboros Dorm of freedom and infinity, marked by a coiled black snake. It was the noisiest of the three, out on the academy's edge where student brawls weren't rare. Owners of free spirits—or troublemakers, depending on your view.
But someone had tamed that chaotic, survival-of-the-fittest world.
Carlyle Schultz.
"Never lost once, they say?"
"Oh, him...?"
Rumors swirled that he'd crushed anyone who picked a fight. It happened just a week after his transfer. And there were more reasons Carlyle was a cheat.
Top scorer last year. He'd bumped Vita Shama—perennial first in overall rankings—down to second.
"A delinquent who aces exams too!"
"Isn't he dreamy...?"
Squealing girls eyed the figure drawing all the attention. The classic "bad boy" archetype: ash-gray hair, golden eyes. His half-lidded gaze screamed bored panther, lazy yet lethal. Towering height, handsome face, chiseled build—it drew gasps.
Carlyle Schultz leaned against a tree. Why? Well, he had a duel scheduled soon with some hot-blooded kid named Vita or Vitamin or whatever.
That must be it.
"Kyaa—! Carlyle!"
A big crowd had gathered. Vacation or not, this was prime entertainment.
Murmurs rose.
He was used to the stares—numb to them, even. But why was his opponent late?
"Did he chicken out?"
"Nah, no way."
The whispers grew. Carlyle frowned, slowly opening his eyes. As the crowd waited for that one arrival...
"Hey, let's fight!"
A clear soprano voice rang out across the open field.