The summer night in the mountains hummed with crickets and frogs singing freely under the stars. Fireflies flickered intermittently through the forest shadows.

On the tatami mats of Kamidou Sacred Shrine, I slipped off my shrine maiden robes. Before the full-length mirror, I studied this girl’s body—familiar yet utterly numb to me now.

I pulled the red hair ribbon from my long locks and set it on the dressing table, sinking into memories.

My name is Kamidou Chiyo. In this life, I’m a beautiful young woman—the eldest daughter of this shrine, its designated heir.

Yes, *this life*. I’m a reincarnator. For some past misdeed, I was reborn as a girl over a decade ago.

I glanced at my ample, pale chest. No flicker of emotion stirred within me.

But as a newborn, I’d sensed something wrong immediately. Nurses and doctors in the hospital had stared at me with unsettling hunger—as if desperate to claim me for themselves. After endless coddling and kisses, I realized my curse: anyone who saw me would uncontrollably fall in love with me.

A divine blessing, they’d call it. For me, it was a childhood nightmare. Imagine—every adult wanting to possess an infant!

So my parents sent me to this rural shrine, to my grandparents. Only here, with fewer people, could I have a remotely normal childhood.

Yet Grandpa declared me the shrine’s heir the moment he saw his granddaughter. I didn’t resist. With this curse, venturing into crowded cities would be terrifying. A world where everyone loved me? No. I knew too well: *the tallest tree catches the strongest wind*. Better to stay hidden, playing the dutiful shrine maiden.

I’d grown used to this female body—even the monthly visitor. Strict upbringing polished my every gesture and word into perfect ladylike grace. In some ways, I’d cultivated a "maiden’s heart" deeper than most girls’.

Sighing at my mirror reflection, I admitted my true reason for hiding: escaping men’s pursuit. Their naked stares made my skin crawl. Rarely leaving the shrine, I’d earned the nickname "Goddess" from nearby townsfolk. Fitting, perhaps—but it brought me no joy.

*God… if you hear me…*

*…please make me a handsome guy in the city…*

Silly prayers, I knew. But Grandpa’s teachings and my own melancholy had made nightly prayers a habit. After whispering my wish, I changed into pajamas, slid under the futon on the tatami, and drifted into deep sleep.

That night, I slept like the dead. No sensation lingered in my limbs. The forest’s insect chorus beyond the paper door faded to silence. I felt only peaceful oblivion.

………………

…………

*Ding-ding!~~~ Ding-ding!~~~~*

An alarm jolted me awake.

*Since when do I need an alarm? I’ve woken at dawn for years…*

*Is this a dream?*

Groggy, I sensed something… off. My eyelids fluttered open. The ceiling above was utterly unfamiliar.

"…Strange ceiling…"

I bolted upright. Blurry vision confirmed it: a modern bedroom surrounded me. A breeze swept the curtains aside. Blinding sunlight stabbed my eyes.

*Ah! Too bright!*

I threw up an arm to block it—then froze. This wasn’t my slender, smooth arm. Before me was a rugged male limb, a silver ring glinting on the pinky.

*Hold on!! What’s happening?!*

I looked down. My breasts—gone. Replaced by defined male pecs and abs.

*Proof. I’m… a guy again?!*

My brain crashed. Trembling, I yanked back the blanket. Below my waist lay that familiar yet alien appendage. Tears streamed down uncontrollably.

Then last night’s prayer flashed in my mind.

*…It actually came true?*

*Ah! Thank you, God! Thank you for making me male again!*

Pure euphoria flooded me. I silenced the alarm and scanned the room. Posters of action heroes. Boys’ manga on shelves. Definitely a guy’s space.

I stumbled out of bed, unfamiliar in this strong new body. Rummaging through a backpack, I found a student ID. The photo resembled me—but the name stunned me:

**Kamidou Chiyo**

**Class 3-E**

*(A crudely drawn smiley face doodled beside it)*

*This… this is divine intervention! I’ve become my male self perfectly!*

Gratitude surged anew. *If this is where my male life belongs… then this must be my parents’ Tokyo home!*

I pulled on the boys’ uniform hanging on the wall. Flexing my powerful arms, I struck a pose—then winced. An oddly feminine gesture. *Habits from sixteen years as a girl… Hard to break.* Even my speech patterns needed fixing.

*Sigh.* Worth it, though.

Backpack slung over my shoulder, I headed downstairs—then halted. *Wait. I don’t know this world. Where’s my school?*

*My twin siblings must be here. They’ll know.*

The empty living room gave me pause.

*Where are Mom and Dad? Shouldn’t they be home this early?*

"Father! Mother! Are you here?" I called out.

A sleepy voice grumbled from above. A girl in a cute robe leaned over the second-floor railing, peering down at me.

"Onii-chan, did you wake up dumb? Of course they’re not home…"

*…Ruri. Must be my sister. Mom and Dad visited the shrine often enough for me to recognize her.*