I woke up to the smell of antiseptic and something sweet, like strawberry candy.
"—ki-kun? Yuki-kun? Can you hear me?"
My eyes fluttered open. I was lying on a bed in what looked like the university's infirmary, and Sakura's worried face hovered above mine. Her pink twin-tails dangled down, nearly brushing my cheeks.
"You're awake!" She straightened up, relief washing over her features. "I was worried I'd given you a concussion on top of everything else."
Everything else. Right. The formula. The transformation. I shot up into a sitting position, then immediately regretted it as my head spun.
"Please be careful!" Sakura steadied me with surprisingly strong hands. "The nurse stepped out, but she said you should take it easy."
I looked down at my chest where the formula had spilled. Someone had changed me into a clean infirmary shirt. "Tell me this is just a weird dream."
Sakura pulled up a chair and sat down, clutching her tablet like a shield. "I wish I could. But..." She turned the screen toward me, showing a complex diagram of molecular structures and what looked like a human silhouette gradually shrinking. "The formula was part of my advanced research project. It's designed to alter physical characteristics at the cellular level."
"But why would you even make something like that?"
She fidgeted with the hem of her dress. "It wasn't supposed to do this! I was trying to develop a treatment for gigantism. The formula was meant to help regulate growth hormones, but something in the latest batch must have been off." Her lower lip trembled. "And now you're going to turn into a tiny girl and it's all my fault!"
I should have been angry. I should have been terrified. Instead, seeing her on the verge of tears made my chest tight in a way that had nothing to do with magical formulas.
"Hey, it's okay," I found myself saying. "I'm sure we can figure something out."
Sakura looked up at me with those violet eyes, now slightly wet. "You're... not mad?"
"I'm kind of freaking out," I admitted. "But getting angry won't help. Can you tell me exactly what's going to happen?"
She nodded, tapping her tablet. "Based on my calculations, the changes will occur gradually over the next seven days. You'll likely notice the first effects tonight – probably starting with your height and general build becoming more... compact."
"Compact," I repeated weakly. "And after that?"
"Well..." She pulled up another diagram. "Your features will become more feminine – though honestly, you're already quite pretty." She blushed as soon as the words left her mouth. "I mean, um, scientifically speaking! The formula seems to work with existing genetic tendencies, and you already have a somewhat androgynous appearance, so..."
Great. Even the girl who was accidentally turning me into a loli thought I looked feminine.
"The final height will be around 147cm," she continued quickly, obviously trying to move past her embarrassment. "Your voice will change, and there will be other... physical adjustments." Her face was practically glowing red now.
"And after the week?"
"The changes should stabilize." She bit her lip. "I'm already working on a potential reversal formula, but it could take time. Months, maybe."
I flopped back onto the pillow, staring at the ceiling. "So I'm going to be a tiny girl for months."
"I'm so sorry!" Sakura grabbed my hand with both of hers. "I promise I'll help you through this! Whatever you need – clothes, makeup tutorials, dealing with monthly... um, never mind that part yet. The point is, I'll take responsibility!"
Her hands were warm and soft around mine, and despite everything, I felt my face heat up at the contact. "You don't have to—"
"I want to!" She declared with surprising intensity. "Besides, you'll need someone to help explain things when the changes become noticeable. We can say you're my cousin who's transferring in! I already talked to the administration while you were unconscious."
I raised an eyebrow. "You work fast."
She gave a proud little smile. "I'm the youngest graduate student in the chemistry department. I have to be efficient." Then her smile faltered. "Though maybe if I'd been more careful with my experiments..."
"Stop beating yourself up." I surprised myself with how firm my voice sounded. "What's done is done. We'll figure this out together."
Her eyes widened, and for a moment, we just stared at each other, her hands still holding mine. Something electric seemed to crackle in the air between us.
Then my stomach growled. Loudly.
Sakura giggled, breaking the tension. "You've been out for hours. Want to get something to eat? I know a quiet café nearby where we can talk more."
I should have said no. Should have gone home and processed all this alone. Instead, I found myself nodding. "Yeah, I'd like that."
As we left the infirmary, I caught my reflection in a window. I didn't look any different yet, but I could have sworn I felt a slight tingling throughout my body, like the calm before a storm.
"Oh!" Sakura suddenly stopped. "I just realized – I never got your full name!"
I couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity. She was right – we'd completely skipped over proper introductions in all the chaos.
"Matsuda," I said. "Yuki Matsuda. Though I guess you might need to help me pick out a girl name soon."
She smiled, and somehow that made everything feel a little less terrifying. "Don't worry, Yuki-kun. We'll figure it out together."
As we walked to the café, I tried not to think about how this was technically my first time going out with a cute girl, or how it took accidentally being turned into one myself to make it happen.
Life had a weird sense of humor sometimes.