Seraphim is a Bystander

Alternating Days
 
 
Still stunned, I let Mom dress me up however she pleased. Then she said, “Your ride’s already here~” and sent me out the door, where Katagiri-san was waiting in the parking lot.

"…You are Aoi-sama, correct?"
"…Yes, that’s right."
For once, Katagiri-san, who was normally emotionless, widened her eyes when she saw me and asked that question. Even though this wasn’t by choice, having someone I know see me—a boy—dressed like this was seriously awkward.

…And after this, I’ll have to face my classmates too.
Well, I guess it’s still better than skipping school entirely…
While I was lost in those thoughts, Katagiri-san returned to her usual expressionless face and spoke again.
"I was surprised when I received a call from Yuuka-sama, but now that I see you, I can tell it’s definitely Aoi-sama."

"Huh? Even though I look completely different, you can still tell?"
"Of course. I’ve been watching over you since you were little, after all."
I had assumed she’d ask a lot of questions, but she didn’t. Katagiri-san just quietly drove me to school like always. …Though I did feel like I was getting more stares than usual.

Even in the car, I kept checking my reflection in the window, still not used to what I saw.
Eventually, the car pulled up at school.
"…Well then, Aoi-sama, please take care and have a good day."

"Thanks, Katagiri-san. I’m off."
“Okay, Aoi-kun, come on in now~”
While I was lost in thought, mentally replaying the chaotic events of the morning, the teacher's explanation had apparently ended, and I heard her call out to me from inside the classroom.

I felt bad for leaving the ridiculous job of explaining “the boy Aoi has turned into a girl” to the teacher, but I grabbed the classroom door handle anyway.
"..."
I could already hear the slight murmuring from inside, and it made the door feel heavier in my hand.
"…G-Good morning."

"""………"""
As I stepped into the classroom and greeted everyone, every single person turned to stare at me and froze.
Yeah, I figured this would happen. Who’s gonna believe I’m Aoi like this?
Ignoring their stunned faces, I walked over to the teacher’s side.

"Um… I know I don’t look like # Nоvеlight # it, but I’m still Futaba Aoi. I don’t fully understand what happened myself, but I think it’s probably related to my ability."
As I began speaking, my frozen classmates started to stir. Some whispered to the person next to them, and those who were close to me looked like they had a million questions.
"Alright everyone, settle down~. Aoi-kun only found out this morning, so don’t overwhelm him with questions, okay~?"

At the teacher’s words, the class grew quiet again, and once more all eyes were on me.
Even I haven’t accepted this yet, so it’s only natural they wouldn’t either. …Just gotta hold out until Seras-san comes back.
"I think I’ll be back to normal soon. Even though I look different, I’m still me, so I hope you’ll treat me the same as always."

"Alright! That’s the deal, so let’s all do our best~. Aoi-kun, go ahead and take your seat, okay? Then we’ll start homeroom…"
The homeroom went on in a clearly unsettled atmosphere, and once it ended, the teacher left the room.
Even after she was gone, the class was still in a weird limbo—like no one knew if it was okay to talk to me or not—until a few people cautiously approached.

"Ao, uh… are you really okay?"
"You really are… Aoi-kun, right?"
The first to speak were Ken and Runa-chan. Behind them stood the other members of my school trip group, looking worried or surprised.
"Yeah, I’m totally fine. And yep, I’m still Aoi."

I get that it’s hard to accept right away, but… I really hope I can go back to hanging out with everyone normally.
While I was thinking that, Ken suddenly relaxed his expression and said:
"Hmm… well, if Ao is Ao, then it’s fine. So, what the hell happened?"

…Eh?
"Geez, Katsura! You don’t have to be so blunt! I’m sorry, Aoi-kun—you’re going through a lot already…"
Ken, treating the situation like it was no big deal, casually asked the question. Meanwhile, Runa-chan genuinely worried about me. …It was the same as always.

"…Hehe."
The others, too, seemed a little surprised or concerned, but no one looked at me like I was some stranger.
…Honestly, it made my earlier anxiety feel kind of silly.
"…Runa-chan, I’m really okay. I even have a good idea what caused this, so I think I’ll go back to normal soon."

"Oh, that’s a relief…"
"Make sure to tell me the details later, yeah?"
"Yeah. Anyway, class is about to start, so let’s take our seats."

And so, even though I had expected everyone to be more shocked, I ended up being the one surprised.
Just like that, my short school life as a girl—with Seras-san missing—quietly began.
…Seras-san, please come back soon...