Probably due to her period, Moyu Manatsu couldn’t sleep in class today. Her stomach churned as if a swarm of insects were crawling through it—utterly unbearable.
She’d even skipped PE, her body simply unfit for exertion. Thankfully, as class rep, Yuki easily granted her leave, letting the girl rest in the breezy classroom.
Still, the pain barely eased. At best, she was slowly growing accustomed to it. Truthfully, she longed to lie in bed all day. It hurt too much.
"Yo, Manatsu. You look awful. Sick?" A familiar voice cut through her haze. "Come over to my place. My mom’ll check you out—free of charge."
Ever since getting chummy with Kubo Seiji, this idiot kept striking up conversations. Now he’d even approached her after class. His concern was... questionable, but Moyu understood. He *was* an idiot, after all.
"Thanks, but no."
She forced a smile while packing her bag. All she wanted was to go home.
With no club activities, the girl craved only rest—not school, not even gaming.
"Wait up."
Yuki swiftly shouldered her bag, catching up just as they slipped past Kubo Seiji’s wistful, love-struck gaze.
"You don’t need to babysit me all the way," Moyu muttered once outside the classroom.
"Shut it. I’m staying at your place tonight. No takeout. Eat properly. No all-nighters. And *no* touching that ice cream in your freezer."
Yuki’s mother-hen act was headache-inducing. Moyu had planned a cozy gaming marathon, but under the class rep’s ironclad authority, that dream felt impossible.
*Sigh.* Sure, Yuki’s words this morning had stung—but deep down, she genuinely cared.
Moyu boarded the train home in silence, ignoring Yuki’s endless chatter. Her mind wandered: *How will I survive tonight without Wi-Fi?*
"Hey, Yuki," she blurted suddenly. "Aren’t you supposed to be hunting imps or stray ghosts today?"
As heir to a major clan, Yuki was required to hunt minor youkai or wandering spirits monthly—like some modern-day onmyoji.
"Can wait two days," Yuki shrugged. Clearly, she deemed such pests beneath her notice.
At the station, they followed the tomboyish girl off the train. Idle chatter carried them to Moyu’s apartment—a shabby, old building in a sparse neighborhood. Cheap rent had sealed the deal when she’d first arrived alone in Tokyo, desperate for shelter.
Keys jingled. The door opened. Habit took over: shoes off, hat tossed aside. Then she flopped onto the floor like a beached fish.
The sight of the cute girl wriggling across the tatami was undeniably adorable—though she remained oblivious, stretching toward her laptop cord.
*Smack!*
Yuki’s palm cracked against her hand. Moyu froze instantly.
"Seriously, who plays games on their period? Are you an internet addict?" Yuki snapped, steering her toward bed with icy efficiency.
"Take off your clothes."
Moyu Manatsu short-circuited. Her face flushed crimson; shoulders trembled slightly.
"Y-Yuki... are you trying to...?"
"*Get out!* What filthy thoughts! I meant your *bra*! Now lie down and rest properly!" Yuki rapped her knuckles on Moyu’s skull, exasperated.
Yuki Shiki held zero romantic interest in Moyu. At most, she saw her as a same-sex friend. Romance? Sorry—not into girls.
*Which is why I’m so frustrated!* Moyu fumed internally. *I turned into a girl but still like girls—why won’t the class rep like girls back?! This breaks all the novel tropes!*
"Drink this." Yuki returned with warm brown sugar water. *Periods demand sweets*, she knew by rote. Clueless in her first cycle, Moyu obediently sipped.
The floor was a disaster zone: discarded chest binder, snack wrappers, half-eaten bento boxes, instant noodle cups. Yuki sighed. *How does she live like this?*
After tidying up, she surveyed the clean room with satisfaction. Time to buy dinner ingredients.
"I’ll cook red bean rice tonight," she announced casually to the bedridden girl.
"*Wait—* why red bean rice?! Is this some celebration?!"
"You’re a full-fledged girl now. It’s fitting."
"*No it’s not!* I used to be a *guy*!"
"Moyu," Yuki pointed calmly at her stomach. "Your body is fully female now. If a boy ever... *does things*... you could have a baby."
The image of a stranger doing unspeakable things to her, then breastfeeding an infant, sent chills down Moyu’s spine.
*I refuse to marry!*
*I’d rather die alone!*
Unaware of the girl’s inner turmoil, Yuki bought red beans anyway. She cooked the celebratory rice as promised. Moyu ate in miserable silence—unsure whether to laugh or cry.
By 8 PM, Yuki finally washed the dishes and packed to leave. Homework done under her guidance, Moyu burrowed under her blanket, boredom crashing over her. Gaming held no appeal; cramps still gnawed at her.
*Just sleep.*
She switched off the light, squeezing her eyes shut. Part of her urgency stemmed from tomorrow’s plan: she’d swap to another world. A new body meant no more periods.
But her body rebelled against early sleep. Tossing and turning, she drifted off... eventually.
---
Morning should’ve brought joy. Instead, Moyu Manatsu wanted to scream *What the hell?!*
"*Why does this world give me periods too?!*" she shrieked, pointing at bloodstains on the sheets. Her form had changed—she was now Luno—but the horror remained.
"Oh dear," Caina murmured, examining the stained sheets. "Did Luno-chan forget to wear pads to bed?"
That wasn’t the point! Why did *Luno’s* body menstruate in this world?!
"*Are our periods synced?!*" The terrifying realization hit her. If their cycles aligned, swapping bodies wouldn’t save her. Periods would haunt her forever.
*Seriously?!*
"Need pads, Xiao Mo-chan? I can—"
"*I’LL HANDLE IT MYSELF!* Bras too! I’m grown up! A *real* girl now!"
*She’s broken...* Caina sensed the universe’s malice. *Let her cool off.*
Dressed and resigned, Moyu accepted reality. Luno’s body bled like hers—but she’d adapt. Eventually.
"By the way," Caina adjusted her uniform, voice turning serious. "The Imperial Palace summons us soon. Are you prepared, Xiao Mo-chan?"
The summons, issued by Princess Wensidiya herself, honored students who’d excelled in the last mission. Imperial headlines had blared the news across the Capital.
"I’ll just play Luno’s role perfectly. No big deal."
Moyu felt oddly calm. Hiding behind another’s identity made high-stakes events easier.
"Then I’ll watch you closely."
"Don’t worry. I’ll be flawless. But... my stomach still hurts."
"Ah. Warm water coming right up."
The morning unfolded warmly. Only nine days remained until the summons. Likely, the *real* Lunorette would attend—but with their swaps sometimes lasting two days, Moyu might end up in Luno’s body that day.
Breakfast followed routine. A chance meeting with underclassman Josephine. Everything felt normal.
Moyu noticed nothing amiss.
"Senpai! Do your best at the ceremony!" Josephine cheered, tiny fists clenched adorably.
Moyu didn’t care about ceremonies. She just wanted peace.
"Eh. It’s nothing special," she mumbled, sipping warm milk.
She didn’t see the pair of eyes watching from the shadows...
