The Pink-Haired Junior's Shock

Already such whimsy. “Senior! Senior-!” The sound of knocking at the door. Her consciousness gradually returns.

Vita slowly lifts her eyelids in a daze. …What is it, who’s there? The question floats up, but then she just rolls around in bed. “Gasp-!” She suddenly snaps fully awake upon grasping her situation. Right now, she’s in none other than a woman’s body. And on top of that, all through last night… As she sits up, her bare body comes into view right below her eyes, turning Vita’s face bright red. “…Ah, no way.”

How deeply immersed had she been to pass out asleep without even putting on underwear? A glance at the clock shows it’s already nearing noon. Who could it be? On a weekend like this? After a moment’s hesitation, Vita grabs her phone first. A magiphone, simply put, is an incredibly convenient communication device. With just this one thing, you can reach out anytime, anywhere.

Situation grasped. The guy outside right now is surely her close junior, Lou Millionaire. No doubt about it. Vita’s underclassman from the same semester, belonging to Libra Dorm. The dorm for quirky students whose slogan is intellect and inquiry—and sure enough, that junior is quite the unique one. Recalling that fact, Vita throws on some clothes and starts cracking her knuckles. Perfect timing, you.

After all, Lou’s the one who introduced her to that drug in the first place. Of course, if you think about it, he was just trying to help, so he’s not really at fault. Still, she can’t help feeling a bit resentful, right?

Vita sends the reply and immediately opens the door. “Coming in, Senior?” Lou enters soon after, looking around curiously. For a guy, he’s got an unnecessarily cute face. Light pink curly hair, big green eyes. He’s so short, he’s almost the same height as her now-feminized self.

“Whoa—huh…!” Vita pounces on the back of Lou’s head like a cat. You’re getting a hit first. Even after turning into a girl, her agility is unchanged—thanks to years of training. “Wh-who are you—?!” Lou, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the male student from Libra Dorm, is genuinely flustered.

“Figure it out or die.” “Eek, what?!” He’d definitely come to Senior Vita’s room, but what’s with this mysterious beauty? “No, who are you?!” He’s practically losing his mind. It’s an armbar, but it doesn’t really hurt. Instead… the soft feel of a girl’s skin and her scent hit him all at once. For Lou, who has zero immunity, it’s way too much stimulation.

“Does it hurt, huh?!” No matter how you look at it, this situation screams the classic lucky perv trope?! As she applies the hold, her top rides up slightly, revealing pale skin. Lou’s green eyes fill with panic. How defenseless and natural is this pose? His face turns tomato-red in no time, and he yells out. “It h-hurts—!” “Why are you such a wimp?” Vita releases his arm. Still, she can reveal the truth to this guy. He’s the closest one, and the culprit involved from the start.

“It’s me, Vita.” As Vita states the truth, Lou’s expression goes blank. “Eh, ehhh…?” “I’m your senior, Vita.” Lou furrows his brow. “…Don’t lie.” Pink short curly hair, gentle green eyes. At a glance, cute Lou has a bit of a unique personality. No wonder he ended up in Libra Dorm. Even with his face flushed, he stubbornly says his piece. “There’s no way a stunning beauty like you is my otaku loner senior…!”

Smack— She’s asking for it. Just like that.

“What, loner?” “Y-yes… sorry.” Lou’s kneeling after taking a solid knuckle rap on the head.

“Loner my ass. Model student’s more like it.” Vita’s lofty self-esteem couldn’t tolerate that label. Sure, her social circle wasn’t huge—surprisingly narrow, even. But there’s a world of difference between “a” and “the.” She’d just been busy with studies and had no interest in pointless connections.

“So-called friends? Some are just words with no meaning, others aren’t. There are real bonds that truly support each other.” Dozens of shallow acquaintances versus even one genuine friend.

“So Senior’s the latter type?” Vita nods, quite proudly. “Yeah, exactly. A bond of men.” That’s how she truly thought. Unaware, of course, that this mindset had built an iron wall around her. Facing this lengthy rationalization for her friendlessness, Lou tilts his head. That baseless confidence, innate ego.

“That line just now was totally…” Like Vita Senior. Vita just sighs at Lou’s gaze. Of course it’s hard to believe. Your close senior suddenly turns into a girl? Cognitive dissonance city. She gets it, plenty.

“You don’t believe me, Lou?” Then proof it is. “I turned into this because of that damn weird potion you introduced me to.” “Th-that… no way.” A strange silence settles between them. No one else knows about the drug anyway—except the two of them.

“No way, for real…?” Recalling that, Lou’s expression shifts. Looking again now, the hair and eye color match the senior he remembers. “Wait, your little sister…?” “You know I’m the youngest in a family of all boys, right?” “What’s your favorite anime?” Lou hits her with a sudden question. Vita answers instantly. “Magical Girl Eve Rosalind.” “Favorite scene?” “The protagonist awakens in front of the villain Jackal. I told you about it.” “Why that part?” “Because the protagonist who never gave up gets her reward.”

Lou keeps firing questions with a tense face, but after a dozen perfect answers, Vita drives it home. “Believe me now? We went to Comic Fest together last time. Took a pic with cosplayer Lara too.” He even knows cosplayer names. Otaku instincts confirm: this is definitely one of us. Shared memories, mannerisms just like the senior he knew. After a long hum, Lou accepts it. “Really… Vita Senior?” That close senior turned into a girl?

Lou and Vita were close. Both otakus, for starters. They’d met by chance at Comic Fest. Birds of a feather, shared woes? Both short for guys with cute looks as a complex—they hit it off. So Lou had thought the recent rumors were fishy. In his mind, anyway.

—Hey, heard? Vita Shama ran away.
—Some girl showed up in his place instead?

Exactly. Who’s Vita Shama? The incarnation of competitive spirit wouldn’t run. “To think… that was you, Senior.” “Yeah, it was me.” A solemn mood settles. Lou knew well how much Vita pursued masculinity, her fierce drive to win. Had he caused her trouble?

“…Sorry, Senior.” Lou knew when to drop the cheekiness and apologize sincerely. And now was that time. From Vita’s view, it looked like a pink fuzzy ball bowing deeply. Too cute for a boy, softening her resolve. With a sigh, Vita speaks. “No, Lou. Thinking about it, it’s not really your fault. Who can I blame?” All her own doing. She’d dared cheat in a sacred duel and got punished. Just the price of desperation.

“So, get up.” But Lou doesn’t budge. Head still down. “Hey, what’re you doing?” “Pfft—!” Moments later, seeing Lou’s panicked, shaking pupils, Vita’s face flushes. Realizing the situation. No way… She’d hastily stuffed her scattered underwear under the bed while dressing earlier. And right where Lou had his face planted…

“S-Senior… not on purpose!” “Die, just—!” Another lump forms on Lou’s round head. First one, now this. Vita pauses, wondering if she hit too hard. Then Lou, wincing, drops a bombshell. “Sniff sniff… Senior…?” “What now?” “For some reason… there’s a weird smell in the room…” She can guess what smell. Vita flinches and screeches. “Seriously! You don’t go saying a girl’s room smells weird! That’s rude.”

“But what am I supposed to do if it smells?” Libra guys really lack empathy, huh? No sensitivity at all. “Sigh… Lou, that’s why you’ve never had a girlfriend.” Vita overreacts, feeling a bit guilty. Should’ve aired out if she knew he was coming. Silent Lou pouts and mutters timidly. “…Senior’s never had one either.” Vita Shama was a total nerd with girls too. Awkward in that department—common knowledge among friends.

“…This guy, seriously.” “Then be my girlfriend from now on, Senior.” “You nuts?!” “Joking, joking.” Before another lump, Lou changes the subject. “Anyway, Senior. What now? Does everyone know?” “Family does, of course.” No plans to tell other friends. “Besides two or three like ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you I see often, who could I even tell?” “Yeah, fair.”

Vita sighs and shakes her head. “What can I do? Live like this for now, then turn back into a guy.” Lou hesitates, fidgeting. Not getting it, gearing up for nonsense… “But Senior, living as a beauty this time might not be so bad…” “Treating me like a girl now?” Smack— Another lump on Lou’s head. But rubbing it, Lou thinks inwardly. That drug is scary. Got knuckle’d for saying the room smelled like a girl’s earlier, now again for treating her like one.

…Already so moody. Scary, Senior. Looks like his senior really became a girl. Vita has no clue about his thoughts.

After Lou leaves again, Vita calms her mind.

—So, Senior. How’d the duel go? Now knowing the rumored girl was Vita, Lou asks. Vita brushes it off vaguely. A draw, she says. No evidence otherwise, so not wrong? Yeah. Not a mental victory. But Lou pesters about what event, how it ended in a draw. Face red, Vita kicks him out forcibly. Nosy questions.

“Ha—” Sighs are piling up lately. She’d revealed the truth to Lou unexpectedly, but he’s her closest anyway. If picking one bestie from the academy, it’s him. …Probably fine. He’s tight-lipped despite looks. She believes so. Lying on the bed, Vita mulls things over. Memories of the past two days sprout anew. Forget it, forget. Just lost her head to base urges, she rationalizes desperately.

A sudden thought hits; she opens the window. Time for some airing. Feeling the crisp autumn breeze on her bare face, she steels herself. Until I turn back into a guy…! No more giving in to urges. Never again, she vows firmly. Only then does a worry pop up—

“Ah… right.” She’d forgotten, but the calendar confirms: school starts tomorrow. Forgetting that unconsciously shows how slothful she’d been lately. Vita reflects anew. And feels lost. She’s gotten somewhat used to using the bathroom, but not to womanly life overall. She’d ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠worn guy clothes even meeting Lou earlier. What now? Live as a real girl? What about the dorm?

“Ugh…” Endless worries, no answers. And if… What if I can’t go back…? If she has to live like this forever. Darkness closes in. She doesn’t want that. Clutching her head amid anxieties—

—Ah, ahem… The broadcast chimes.

A call from the faculty office.

At that moment, on the academy sports field. Under the clear autumn sky, shirtless male students sweat it out. Two-bounce game. Dribble twice max, then shoot—fast-paced, skill-heavy.

“Hey, block him—!” All eyes on the court are on Carlyle now. Sweat-soaked black hair flashes golden eyes; loosely tousled locks flutter in the wind. Like a predator on the hunt. Lightning speed and superior physique dodge two in a flash, fake out the last. Then, shot— “Ah, damn.” “How do you beat that?” “Ugh, as expected.” Naturally, it goes in. Amid mixed reactions, Carlyle high-fives teammates, then gulps water bare-chested. Someone approaches. “Hey, Carlyle—! Faculty office is calling you?”

Brushing back sweat-damp bangs, Carlyle pauses. Game’s not over, but he knows why. He’d heard a name in the earlier campus broadcast. Bianca’s at the faculty office now…? Probably. Decision’s easy. He sets down the bottle, grabs his clothes amid surprised stares. “What, you leaving?” “Yeah, good work.” My way or the highway. Even a faculty call might not have budged past Carlyle Schultz. But not this time. Well, truth is… he can guess why they want him. Walking off, Carlyle unwittingly smiles.