Chereads / Loli Curse: My Unexpected Freshman Year / Chapter 9 - Chapter 6: Uncovering the Past

Chapter 9 - Chapter 6: Uncovering the Past

(Yuki's POV)

The night was restless. Every time I closed my eyes, the image of the photo swam into view—the tree, the pendant-like box, and the two figures standing before it. My heart pounded with unanswered questions. Who were they? Why was that box so familiar? And most of all, what did it all mean for me?

The pendant pulsed faintly on the nightstand, like it had a heartbeat of its own. Its presence was both a comfort and a curse, reminding me of the time slipping through my fingers. Tomorrow would be Day 5, and the changes were already starting to accelerate. My voice was softer now, undeniably higher, and my features were edging closer to something I didn't fully recognize. It was only going to get worse.

By the time my alarm buzzed, I felt like I hadn't slept at all.

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When I woke up, it was like my body wasn't my own. My hands felt smaller, more delicate, the fingers tapering into slender curves. The sleeves of my shirt hung loose around my wrists, as if they'd been stretched overnight. My legs, usually lean but sturdy, now seemed thinner, more petite.

The mirror confirmed what I already felt. My face had softened even further, the sharpness of my jaw almost completely gone. My cheeks looked fuller, rounder, and my lips had a natural pink hue that made me look… undeniably feminine. My hair, too, seemed darker and shinier, falling just past my shoulders in soft waves.

Panic gripped me as I stared at my reflection. The changes were no longer subtle. They were glaringly obvious, impossible to ignore. I ran my hands over my face, my arms, my chest, as if trying to convince myself this was all just a bad dream.

But it wasn't. This was real. Too real.

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Aoi met me outside the apartment early, as promised. Her expression was determined at first, but the moment she saw me, her eyes widened, and her mouth fell slightly open.

"Yuki…" she whispered, taking a step closer. Her gaze swept over me, lingering on my face, my hands, my hair. "You've… changed."

I looked away, embarrassed. "Yeah. It's… getting worse."

She reached out, her fingers brushing against my sleeve, as if to confirm I was real. "Your face… it's softer. And your hair…" She trailed off, shaking her head like she couldn't believe what she was seeing. "Yuki, this isn't just a little change anymore. This is…"

"I know," I said quietly, my throat tight. "It's happening faster now. I don't know how much time I have left."

Her hand dropped to her side, but her eyes never left mine. "We'll figure this out," she said firmly. "No matter what, we'll figure it out. You're not going through this alone."

Her words steadied me, even as fear continued to claw at the edges of my mind. I nodded, clutching the photo in my bag like it was a lifeline.

"Did you bring the photo?" she asked, her tone shifting back to determined.

I nodded, pulling it from my bag and handing it to her. She studied it carefully, her brow furrowing as she took in every detail.

"It looks old," she said, running a finger along the edges. "Black-and-white photos like this aren't exactly common these days. This could be from decades ago."

"It was hidden in the back of the family album," I said. "I think my moms were trying to keep it from us."

Aoi looked up at me, her expression sharp. "Then we're asking them about it. Today."

The thought made my stomach churn. My moms had always been protective, almost secretive, when it came to our family's history. Confronting them felt like crossing an invisible line. But Aoi was right. If I was ever going to get answers, this was the place to start.

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We took the bus to my moms' house, the ride silent except for the occasional hum of the engine. Aoi sat beside me, scrolling through her phone while I stared out the window, trying to keep my nerves in check. The pendant in my pocket felt heavier with every passing minute.

When we arrived, my mom, Emi, opened the door with her usual warm smile. She was shorter than me by a few inches, her black hair streaked with strands of gray that made her look distinguished rather than old. But her smile faltered almost instantly as her eyes fell on me.

"Yuki…" she said softly, her gaze darting over my face, my hands, my entire appearance. "You've… changed."

Hana appeared from the kitchen, her calm demeanor giving way to a similar reaction. Her brow furrowed as she stepped closer, studying me with a mix of concern and disbelief.

"What's going on?" Hana asked, her voice steady but tinged with unease.

I glanced at Aoi, who gave me a small nod of encouragement. Taking a deep breath, I pulled the photo from my bag and placed it on the table.

Emi's eyes widened the moment she saw it, and her hand flew to her mouth. Hana's expression hardened, her eyes narrowing as she reached for the photo.

"Where did you find this?" Hana asked, her tone sharper than I'd ever heard it.

"In the old photo album," I said. "It was hidden in the back. I… I need to know what it means. Who are they? What's in the box?"

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The room felt heavy, the air thick with tension. Finally, Emi sighed and sank into a chair, her shoulders slumping as if the weight of the world had just been placed on them.

"It's time we told you the truth," she said softly, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

Hana placed a hand on her shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze before turning to me. "Yuki, the man in this photo… that's your father. And the woman beside him is your aunt."

I blinked, the words taking a moment to sink in. My father? I had no memories of him, no stories beyond vague mentions. And my aunt? She was just as much a mystery.

"The box they're holding," Hana continued, "is the original vessel for the curse. It's what started all of this."

"What do you mean?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

Emi looked up, her expression pained. "Your father was the last one affected by the curse. It changed him, Yuki. Completely. That's why you don't remember him as your father. Because he… he became me."

The room seemed to spin, her words hitting me like a physical blow. My father had been… changed? Into my other mom? It was too much to process, too surreal to believe.

"The curse doesn't just change your appearance," Hana said gently. "It reshapes you entirely. And it's different for everyone. The age, the type, the appearance… they're all unique."

My hands trembled as I gripped the edge of the table. "What about me? What's going to happen to me?"

Emi's tears spilled over as she reached for my hand. "We don't know for sure. But the changes have already begun, haven't they?"

I nodded, my throat too tight to speak.

"Then we need to figure this out together," Hana said firmly. "No more secrets. No more hiding."

Aoi's hand found mine under the table, her grip grounding me as the world threatened to fall apart. For the first time, I felt like we were finally getting somewhere. But the road ahead was still shrouded in uncertainty, and the clock was ticking faster than ever.