"So... who are you?"
Joseph's mother narrowed her eyes, leaving Joseph frozen and frightened.
Shit, she must think I'm an intruder...
Joseph quickly looked away from her mother's piercing gaze before forcing herself to meet it again.
She was scared—scared her mother wouldn't believe her. Scared she might get thrown out of the house. She *had* to say something, or it might really happen!
Gulping, Joseph opened her mouth, searching for the right words.
"I-I'm Joseph, Ma..."
She closed her eyes briefly, then looked back at her mom. Her mother's expression was still skeptical—of course! You can't just convince someone's mother that her son became a daughter overnight. No matter how you spun it, it was weird!
Joseph's mother seemed deep in thought, her eyes studying Joseph intently. Then, she finally spoke.
"If you're Joseph, what's your birthday? And what's your dream?"
T-That's it? That's the question? Joseph hesitated. How would her mother know it was really her based on that? Still, to earn her mother's trust, she had to answer.
"My birthday is March 27, 2005. My dream... my dream is to become a professional writer, po."
A cold bead of sweat trickled down Joseph's face. Was her answer enough? Would she be disowned? The thought of her uncertain future was agonizing.
Her mother's eyes softened slightly at the response. Maybe Joseph had answered correctly... or maybe not.
"Alright, then. Tell me what happened."
Her mother crossed her arms, and Joseph knew she had a lot of explaining to do.
Joseph began recounting everything—how she'd supposedly been dreaming, seeing nothing but darkness, and then hearing a feminine voice offering her a "gift." She explained waking up in a completely different body, one that was unmistakably female.
As Joseph spoke, her mother's face contorted, as if she were trying to solve a complex math problem. The part about Joseph waking up as a girl seemed to baffle her the most, as if she were chalking it up to some half-asleep hallucination.
When Joseph finished, her mother stood silently in front of her, eyes closed, deep in thought. After a moment, she opened them and spoke firmly.
"I don't trust your words."
Joseph's heart sank.
"But,"
her mother continued,
"since you made the effort to explain everything properly, I'll believe you... for now, Joseph."
Her mother was still visibly confused, her eyes constantly analyzing Joseph's new form. It couldn't be helped. Not only had Joseph turned into a young woman, but her hair and eyes had changed too.
"Now, go and eat. There's pandesal and adobong manok for ulam. Check if there's enough rice."
Her mother's words snapped Joseph out of her thoughts. Complying, she made her way to the kitchen to grab a plate, spoon, and fork.
As she moved, a flood of thoughts raced through her mind. The most prominent one was the realization that she hadn't prepared for this moment at all.
If only she'd come up with an excuse—like saying she was crossdressing or something—it might have worked. But no, she'd completely flopped. Now, even her own mother doubted her.
Joseph grabbed a few pieces of pandesal from a plastic bag that had come from the bakery, then made her way to the rice cooker. There wasn't much rice left, but she was used to it—she always woke up late anyway.
She then moved to the kawali at the center of the kitchen. Thankfully, there was still plenty of adobo left. Joseph scooped a modest portion onto her plate, careful not to take too much.
With her plate now full, she carried it to the table, gently setting it down before taking a seat. Her eyes wandered to the painting of the Last Supper hanging on the wall in front of her. Should she pray? Nah, she was too lazy for that. Even though her family was religious, she found the ritual of praying before meals a bit tiresome. But hey, that was just her opinion.
Joseph picked up her spoon and took her first bite. The pandesal was delicious, as always—soft, warm, and perfect for breakfast. It would've been even better with coffee, but she hadn't had the chance to make any. The rice was cold, probably because it had been sitting for two hours or so before she woke up, but it still paired nicely with the adobong manok, which tasted absolutely *delishh*.
As she continued eating, a sudden thought crossed her mind: Nobody has ever been magically turned into a magical girl in real life… but here I am, the first to get genderbent! The idea made her smile. Maybe if she wrote this into a novel, things could turn around for her. After all, her light novels had been flopping lately, but this? This could be her big break. Maybe it was worth one last try.
Once Joseph finished her meal, she gathered her plate and utensils and carried them to the sink. The food had been satisfying, and she felt full and content. She was about to head back to her room when a hand suddenly gripped her shoulder.
"Joseph."
It was her mother's voice.
"Wash the dishes."
Joseph gulped and reluctantly made her way to the sink. Dang it! she thought as she began scrubbing. Just as she finished, her mother issued another command.
"After you're done, take a bath."
Oh, just a bath. A bath, huh? Joseph couldn't help but glance down at her body. *Gulp.* This felt so cliché! But when you've been given a new form, of course, you'd want to study every nook and cranny, right? Right?!
Joseph nodded quickly at her mom's words and hurried outside to grab her towel.
She'll be having a field day with this!