I stared at my reflection for far too long.
The person in the mirror wasn't a stranger – not yet – but the differences were undeniable. I looked like myself, but softer. Younger. My cheeks were rounder, my chin just a little more delicate. Even my hair seemed shinier, framing my face in ways that made me feel uncomfortably… cute.
I groaned, dragging my hands down my face. "I already look like a freshman in high school."
Sakura, standing beside me with her arms crossed, tilted her head thoughtfully. "I'd say middle school, actually."
I shot her a glare through my fingers. "Not helping."
Her eyes twinkled mischievously, but she held back a laugh. "Sorry, sorry. But it's only been one night, Yuki. The changes are still subtle. By this evening, things might feel… different."
"Great. Can't wait."
Sakura walked over to my bed and flopped down dramatically, grabbing a pillow and hugging it to her chest. "I guess I should've warned you this part would happen fast. But look at it this way – you won't have to stress over every little change for long. By the end of the week, you'll know exactly what to expect when you look in the mirror."
I groaned louder and fell onto the bed beside her. "That's not reassuring. I was hoping for more 'Hey, Yuki! Surprise, I found a reversal potion overnight!' vibes."
She nudged me with her elbow, smirking. "I like how you assume I'd wait overnight to tell you if I'd solved this."
"Fair point."
We lay there in silence for a while, the soft hum of the morning air conditioner filling the room. For some reason, despite my existential crisis, I felt oddly calm. Maybe it was Sakura's presence.
Or maybe I was still half-asleep and reality hadn't fully registered yet.
"Yuki?" Her voice was unusually soft, drawing me back to the moment.
I turned my head to look at her. "Yeah?"
Her gaze drifted to the ceiling, her expression unreadable. "You know… if you ever need to talk about this. Like, how you're feeling. I'm here."
Her sincerity caught me off guard. I sat up, pulling my knees to my chest. "I appreciate that. But honestly, I don't know what I'm feeling. One second, I'm panicking. The next, I'm just… accepting it. Maybe it hasn't fully hit me yet."
Sakura shifted, propping herself up on one elbow. "That's normal. A lot of change all at once can make people numb to it. I've read about it – 'adjustment lag.' It's your brain's way of protecting itself until you can process things properly."
I narrowed my eyes at her. "You really have thought of everything, huh?"
"Science nerd, remember?" She grinned, but there was something gentler beneath the surface. "It's also kind of… personal. I know what it's like to have things about yourself that feel out of your control."
I blinked. "Wait – what do you mean?"
Her expression flickered, like she hadn't meant to say that out loud. "Ah, nothing! Just, you know, awkward high school years and all that. I looked different back then."
I wasn't sure I believed her, but I let it slide. Sakura had already done more than enough by taking responsibility for this whole mess. I figured she was allowed a secret or two.
"Well, thanks for being here," I said after a pause. "Seriously. I don't know what I'd do if I was handling this alone."
Sakura sat up fully, flashing a playful smile. "Honestly, you'd probably just hide in your room all week and hope no one noticed you shrinking."
"...Yeah, you're not wrong."
She giggled, hopping off the bed. "Okay! We should do something fun today. Something to take your mind off things."
I raised an eyebrow. "You realize I'm in the middle of a magical transformation, right? 'Fun' isn't exactly the first thing on my to-do list."
"That's exactly why we should do something! Come on, I promise I won't drag you anywhere weird."
"I find that hard to believe."
She stuck out her tongue but ignored the jab. "How about the arcade? It's close by, and no one will care if we hang out there for a few hours."
I hesitated. The thought of being out in public while changing wasn't exactly appealing, but at the same time, sitting at home waiting to morph wasn't a great alternative.
"...Fine. But if I shrink in the middle of Dance Dance Revolution, you're carrying me home."
"Deal!"
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The arcade was loud and crowded – two things I normally hated.
But with Sakura at my side, I didn't seem to mind as much.
She dragged me from game to game, her enthusiasm infectious. We must have spent half an hour just trying (and failing) to win plushies from a claw machine. Eventually, Sakura gave up and announced that "scientists weren't meant to conquer claw physics."
Somewhere between a round of rhythm games and racing simulators, I noticed something strange.
Sakura wasn't just having fun – she was watching me. Carefully.
Whenever I stretched or adjusted my hoodie, her eyes flickered to my hands or legs, analyzing the slightest difference in my size.
She was monitoring the transformation in real-time, even if she tried to make it seem casual.
"Hey," I said, catching her gaze during a break. "I'm not going to suddenly shrink into oblivion, you know."
She blushed, rubbing the back of her neck. "Sorry. Force of habit. I just want to make sure you're okay."
I smiled softly. "I know. Thanks, Sakura."
Her eyes widened for a moment, and she quickly looked away, fiddling with a game token.
I didn't think much of it at the time, but I could've sworn her ears turned pink.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By the time we left the arcade, the sun was starting to set.
And I definitely felt smaller.
My hoodie sleeves now fully covered my hands, and Sakura had to help adjust the drawstring around my waist to keep my jeans from slipping.
"You're shrinking faster than expected," she muttered, measuring my height against her shoulder. "You're almost down to 165cm now."
I sighed, stuffing my hands into the oversized sleeves. "At this rate, I'll barely hit 150 by tomorrow."
"Well… at least you'll be adorable?"
"Sakura."
"Kidding! Sort of."
As we walked back to my apartment, she suddenly looped her arm through mine, leaning closer to keep me steady as my balance shifted.
For some reason, my heart did a little flip.
I didn't say anything – just let her stay there.
It felt… nice.
Maybe becoming a cute loli wasn't the absolute worst thing in the world.