A Date with Emily?!
The sports festival was over, midterms loomed next week, and the weekend had arrived. Vita had barely slept the night before, lost in the chilly autumn night's sentimental haze.
What should I do...? A feeling she couldn't quite grasp herself. Lately, Vita had been wrestling with these thoughts more and more. She had originally been a boy, lived her whole life as one. But now she'd transformed into a girl and adapted to it. Doubts about her identity crept in now and then.
Is this... right? She was getting used to this life, but the nagging worries were unavoidable. She kept thinking about turning back into a boy. But why? Lately, those thoughts felt hollow, unfounded, confusing. Why had she let Carlyle hold her so comfortably? At some point, her parents had started treating her like a daughter, and she'd asked them about it in confusion.
"M-Mom... I'm not weird, am I?"
"Of course not, dear. You're a girl now, so dating a boy isn't strange at all."
Her mother's response had been just that. It was right to adapt after becoming a girl. If her body was female, it wasn't odd for her heart to follow. Revisiting those words, Vita felt strange. But she pushed the thoughts aside and forced her eyes shut.
And then morning came. Rubbing her eyes as she woke, she saw a new message on her phone from overnight.
Vita's face lit up. "Ah, finally..." A chance to turn back into a boy. It was practically set in stone now.
Don't overthink it. With that resolve, she got out of bed, stretched long and hard, and regretted the pointless words she'd said yesterday defending Carlyle. Well, whatever. Nothing would change. She was going back to being a boy anyway. No matter the reason, she couldn't explain it.
I was originally a boy! That was the only reason.
And another message.
Vita hadn't replied to Carlyle yesterday. "Always spouting nonsense whenever he gets the chance." She wasn't about to respond to drivel. But after hesitating, she typed back now—not so much a reply as a declaration.
She liked Emily. That was the clear, singular truth! Vita still believed her waverings toward Carlyle were just hormones. Not real feelings—they'd vanish once she turned back into a boy.
"Time to get ready?" She had to make the most of it! Especially since she had plans with Emily today. The earlier confusion evaporated like mist, and Vita grinned goofily.
A café in the city. Murmurs rippled through the air, eyes drawn toward her. Emily was used to it by now. She knew exactly how she appeared to others—especially men. Her straight hair flowed like a soft galaxy. She'd carefully applied peach-scented lip gloss. Her pinkish lips glistened moistly. A white knit top, a modestly short checkered skirt, and a beige cardigan. Emily Swan looked every inch the refined lady.
But she let out a deep sigh by the window seat. What's the point...? If she couldn't snag the one guy she liked.
She'd only ever had eyes for one person and had never even dated. Emily liked Carlyle. Her cool, aloof childhood friend. It was recent, but lately Emily Swan had been deep in thought.
Carlyle definitely likes Bianca... That bitter realization didn't faze her much. She'd overheard it, after all.
"Actually, Emily...! I already like someone else."
At least Bianca Shama didn't seem to like her childhood friend Carlyle. Or so she'd thought. Especially when they fought, during those cold wars—she'd been almost certain.
But... it's weird. Wasn't it? The vibe between them lately. So her thinking had shifted a bit.
What if Bianca...? There were signs. Especially around the sports festival. Pure coincidence, but she'd seen Carlyle adjusting Bianca's gym shorts, and afterward, Bianca's raw, unwitting reactions.
That kind of skinship... you can't do it without mutual feelings. And there was this impenetrable wall between them she couldn't breach. Emily bit her lip.
Haa... Her chest felt tight for no reason, so she sucked hard on the straw, cool coffee sliding down her throat. It helped a little.
Bianca Shama was captivating, even in Emily's eyes. No wonder if Carlyle had fallen for her. Pure personality, quirky but cute. They'd grown closer lately, so Emily knew well. But a pang of disappointment lingered—
Back then, you said... you liked someone else. Was it a lie? That's why she'd set up today's meeting—to confirm. Emily had steeled herself.
"Ah, Emily—!"
Bianca Shama approached. Emily stood and greeted her warmly. "Ah, you're here!"
"Did I keep you waiting...?"
"Not at all." Emily smiled back. "I got here early to think things over."
"R-Right."
Vita's heart raced. It was an unprecedented day! From her perspective, absolutely.
Want to study together this weekend?
She'd jumped at Emily's suggestion without hesitation. Study for midterms with her crush? No brainer.
If we're studying together... Emily's house would have been ideal. Vita smacked her lips but was grateful anyway. She even felt a twinge of shame for her own creepy thoughts. Whatever! With midterms approaching, it meant a truce with that Carlyle guy for a while. She'd even told him no contact. Above all, she didn't want this time interrupted.
Today too... Emily was stunning. Vita swallowed a quiet gasp. Emily dressed so well. And that scent. Her heart pounded.
Yeah, definitely... She really did like Emily. How else to explain the butterflies?
"Sit down, Bianca. Caffè latte okay?"
"Yeah! Love it."
After the coffee arrived, Vita took a sip and spoke up. "You didn't invite Shasha?"
Emily nodded at the curious question. "Nope, today feels kinda like... a date?"
"D-Date?!" Vita's face flushed red. Emily giggled at the sight.
"Well, more than that—Shasha said she had plans anyway."
"Oh, got it."
Great either way. As they sipped coffee, a male server approached, visibly tense. "A table just opened up."
Emily smiled sweetly at Vita. "They have rooms here. I reserved one earlier. Outside's iffy in all sorts of ways, right?"
"Yeah, a bit?"
You're too pretty, Emily.
You're too cute, Bianca.
The boys flock to you. With crossed thoughts, they headed into a small private room.
The room was smaller and neater than expected. A table in the center, even comic books around. "Oh, nice."
"Glad you like it."
They set down their bags and sat around the table. "You dressed up so pretty today, Bianca."
Vita waved it off at the sudden compliment. "Nah, no way!" It felt awkward.
But Emily's expression was sincere. "Really, for real? The stuff we bought shopping last time, right?"
"Yeah."
The ones we picked together. Vita had worn them on purpose, politely.
"They suit you perfectly. So feminine and pretty."
Emily looked pleased, her judgment spot-on. Vita mumbled shyly. "G-Good. I thought they might not..."
"Eh, not at all! Who said that?"
"N-No one. Just me thinking...?"
Emily giggled. "Nope, they look great."
The harmonious vibe eased Vita. We've been texting a lot lately, so no awkwardness. She'd worried a bit about being alone together. But it was fine, smiles flowing easily.
"So, uh... shall we study? What subject first?"
"Math?"
"You knew I'm weak at math, Bianca?"
"Of course!" Vita blurted, then faltered. Emily tilted her head—Did I mention that?
Come to think of it, it was from before, when Vita was still a boy. She'd overheard Emily complaining to friends after finals.
I'm bad at math. She remembered because she liked Emily that much. Her heart thumped just thinking about it.
Alone with Emily. That fact alone tensed her up. She was hyper-aware. Being alone with the girl you like...
Today, I'll get closer to Emily. Her mood floated buoyantly.
Vita was good at math. Emily's weakness was a lucky coincidence.
Teach her problems, score points naturally. Vita smirked confidently as they set books on the table.
Screech— Someone entered the room.
"Ah, you're here."
Emily brightened. Vita, seated by the door, turned and froze in shock. "Wha—?!"
The intruder was nonchalant, clearly expected. "How long you planning?"
Carlyle sat naturally as Emily held up three fingers. "About three hours...?"
"Fine. Three hours is perfect."
Why was he here? Vita panicked.
My... Emily's... alone time—!
"Uh, Emily...?"
Vita stared, puzzled. Emily wore an ambiguous smile. "Ta-da! A trio date!"
"R-Right...?"
That wasn't a date! Emily spreading her arms was cute, sure.
"We haven't hung out as a trio lately. Sports fest prep and all."
But it was Emily's idea. Vita grudgingly accepted. "Now that we're all here, let's study?"
And so, Vita, Carlyle, and Emily Swan began their group study session.
"How do you solve this...?"
An hour into studying, Emily groaned in frustration. Vita couldn't focus worth a damn. Her fiercest rival sat right there. But it was a chance to impress Emily. She couldn't miss it.
Ah, me...! Vita leaned to explain—
"Hey, Carlyle."
Emily was already glued to him. "Can you explain this?"
"You don't know this one?"
Carlyle looked mildly annoyed but explained slowly. "This curve is the graph of that function. The instantaneous rate of change at each point on the line is..."
"So how do you find it?"
"Well..."
Vita paused, watching them huddle close. Wait, I could... explain it too. It had happened three times already this hour. She tried focusing on her work, but couldn't.
It bothers me, somehow. Definitely Emily. It gnawed at her.
Thud— Unbeknownst to herself, Vita's eyes began to waver.