Just For One Week, Right?

Tsukihito woke up slowly.

For a few seconds he didn’t move. He just stared at the ceiling and listened to the quiet of the apartment. The light coming through the window was soft and pale, the kind that made the room feel calm.

Then he remembered everything. And the fact that he had turned into a girl. He sat up quickly.  Long hair slid over his shoulders and brushed against his arms. “…Right,” he muttered.

Tsukihito rubbed his face and swung his legs over the side of the bed. His feet touched the floor and he sat there for a moment, trying to wake up properly.

Across the room, the mirror reflected someone else. He stood up slowly and walked over to it. Arakuri stared back.

Her hair was long and dark, falling neatly down her back. Her face looked softer than his usual one, and her eyes seemed slightly larger. The school uniform he had worn yesterday still fit, but the shape of it looked different now.

Tsukihito leaned closer to the mirror. “This is still weird,” he said quietly. He lifted a strand of hair and let it fall again. It felt completely real. Yesterday had been a blur. One minute he was walking toward his friends, and the next he was on the ground in front of Cookie Palace with a different voice and body.

But the strangest part hadn’t been the transformation. It had been everyone else. None of them recognized him.

They had just looked at him and asked his name. Tsukihito crossed his arms. “I should probably change back,” he said to himself. His fingers touched the pendant hanging from his neck.

It was small and smooth, shaped like a pink apple blossom. It didn’t look special, but yesterday it had slammed against the ground when he fell.

“…But what if I don’t?” The thought surprised him. He looked back at the mirror. Arakuri looked calm. Yesterday, when he had been walking around the mall with everyone, something had felt different. Lighter.

People weren’t looking at him the same way. They weren’t expecting him to act a certain way or say the right thing. They weren’t treating him like Tsukihito.

They were just treating him like Arakuri. Tsukihito sat down on the edge of the bed. His parents were gone. Everyone kept reminding him of that. Teachers had said they were sorry. Neighbors had said he must be strong. Relatives had looked at him with pity.

But when he thought about it, he didn’t feel what everyone expected him to feel. Mostly he just felt empty. Yesterday had been the first time in a while that he hadn’t thought about it the entire day.

Maybe because he wasn’t being himself. “…Maybe I could try it,” he said quietly. The room stayed silent. Tsukihito scratched the back of his head. “Just for a week.” 

One week as Arakuri. 

One week to see what this was like.

One week to figure out why the pendant had done this to him. After that, he could decide what to do. He nodded to himself. “Yeah,” he said. “Just one week.” The smell of miso soup drifted from the kitchen. Aunt Saeko was already awake. Tsukihito walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table. Saeko stood at the stove, calmly stirring a pot.

“Morning,” she said.

“Morning,” Tsukihito replied.

She placed a bowl of rice and soup in front of him. They ate quietly. That was normal for them. After a minute, Saeko glanced at him. “You look different today.” Tsukihito almost dropped his chopsticks. “What?” Saeko looked at him for a moment, then shrugged.

“Maybe it’s just the light.” Tsukihito let out a small breath and kept eating. When he finished breakfast, he grabbed his bag and headed for the door. Saeko stood nearby with her coffee. “School again already,” she said. “Yeah." She nodded once. “Just do your best.” Tsukihito slipped on his shoes. “I will.”

The walk to school felt normal. Students passed by in small groups, talking about homework or complaining about classes. A few shop owners were opening their stores for the morning. Tsukihito kept brushing his hair away from his face.

It was longer than he expected. “How do people deal with this every day?” he muttered. Halfway to school, he stopped at the small shrine near the road. Kiyuri had made him stop there before. Tsukihito stood there awkwardly for a moment before bowing slightly. “I guess… wish me luck,” he said quietly.

Then he continued walking. The gates of Kagetsu Private Academy were crowded. Students gathered in groups while waiting for the morning bell. Tsukihito spotted his friends near the wall. Masaki was leaning against it while Hiro talked loudly about something. Kira and Kiyuri stood nearby. Kiyuri noticed him first.

“Oh! Arakuri!” Tsukihito froze for a moment. Right. Arakuri. He walked over. “Morning,” he said. Masaki waved. “Hey. You made it.” Hiro grinned. “I was wondering if we’d see you again.” Kira crossed her arms. “You kind of appeared out of nowhere yesterday.” Kiyuri smiled warmly. “I’m glad you came today.” Tsukihito rubbed the back of his neck.

“Yeah… me too.” Masaki looked curious. “So are you transferring here or something?” Tsukihito hesitated. “Something like that.” Hiro laughed. “That’s the most suspicious answer ever.”

Kira shrugged. “It’s fine.” Kiyuri nodded. “You can hang out with us.” Tsukihito blinked. “…Really?” Masaki shrugged. “Sure. Why not?” Hiro pointed toward the building. “Come on. We’re going to be late.” The school day passed slowly. Teachers called on him because they didn’t recognize him. A few students whispered about the “new girl.”

Tsukihito tried not to draw attention to himself. At lunch, the group sat together outside. Masaki took a bite of his sandwich. “So, Arakuri,” he said, “what’s your story?” Tsukihito looked up. “My story?” “Yeah,” Masaki said. “Where’d you come from?” Tsukihito thought quickly.

“A nearby town." Kira nodded. “That makes sense.” Hiro leaned back. “Well, welcome to Kagetsu Academy.” Kiyuri smiled. “We’re glad you’re here.” Tsukihito felt something strange in his chest. “Thanks.”

That evening, Tsukihito sat on his bed again. The pendant rested in his hand. He looked at the mirror across the room. Arakuri looked back at him. Today had been strange. But it hadn’t been bad. Actually… it had been kind of nice. He placed the pendant back around his neck.

“One week,” he said quietly. Seven days as Arakuri. Then he would decide what to do next. For now, that was enough. Tsukihito turned off the light and lay down. 

"Just for one week, right?"