Chapter 28
In fact, although Emily Swan had deliberately come looking for her in a sense, when she first encountered Bianca Shamal in the hallway,
Emily Swan was impressed. It was enough to make her admire Bianca before she even realized it.
‘Wow, she's… really cute.’
Come to think of it, Emily had seen Bianca once before. She had been there on the day of that contest, after all.
[Hey, let's go-!]
But this was the first time she'd seen Bianca from so close.
She had the look of a prickly cat.
She looked haughty, yet the way she bashfully blushed was cute even from another girl's perspective.
Faced with such a formidable rival—more formidable than she'd expected—Emily grew a little nervous.
‘It wouldn't be strange if Carlisle really were dating this girl… would it?’
She bit her lip lightly, but.
That was one thing, and this was another.
‘She said her name was Bianca Shamal, right?’
Emily was certain inwardly that she was connected to the Vita she knew. Their physical features matched, too. So she asked first.
“Um, by any chance… are you Bianca Shamal?”
Somehow, the other girl looked flustered. Since Emily was already certain, she asked again.
“You are, right?”
“Y-yeah…?”
Emily Swan herself was speaking to Vita as if they knew each other. Vita was a little flustered and pointed at herself. His heart was pounding, too.
“Yeah, that's right…!”
Did she come looking for me?
As if answering that question, Emily glanced around before speaking to Vita.
“Do you have a moment?”
“You mean, me…?”
“Yes, you.”
Then she smiled slightly.
If Emily smiled at Vita like that, Vita would have carved out time even if none was available.
“I-I do!”
At Vita's nervous response, Emily tilted her head. But there was no way she could know that ‘Bianca’ was the Vita who had confessed to her.
“Then come over here for a moment. There are too many eyes on us here.”
After saying that, to Vita's surprise, Emily took Vita's hand in her own and led her away. More than leading her, though, she simply clasped Vita's hand in a very friendly, gentle manner.
“Would I be imposing?”
“No, not at all?”
“It's something fairly important. I hope you'll understand.”
Vita was flustered for a moment, but his heart was pounding.
In terms of her public image, Emily Swan was unquestionably the academy's number-one beauty.
There were two other girls as well, but at least until now, Vita had always thought Emily was the most beautiful.
Along with her pure, lovely appearance, she was kind, good-hearted, and feminine.
Her lake-blue eyes and sophisticated, straight silver hair.
She had that feeling of a young lady—elegant, refined, and mature.
Above all, Emily was popular for her kind personality and thoughtful consideration. Anyone around her could tell this wasn't an affected personality.
That was why Emily Swan made Vita nervous.
Her hand was so soft. Emily's distinctive scent, a fresh acacia fragrance, drifted into Vita's nose.
‘So this is what a real girl is like.’
Vita suddenly realized that. It was an atmosphere unique to a true girl, one Vita could never reproduce no matter how feminine his body became.
After confessing and being rejected,
the pinkish feelings he had forgotten for a while were now welling up again.
***
After they reached a corner of the hallway, the two stopped.
Emily looked around, confirmed that no one was there, and spoke to Vita.
“It's nice to meet you. I'm Emily Swan. This was a little sudden, wasn't it?”
“No, not at all. It's nice to meet you too!”
Having said that, Vita, still dazed, looked down at their joined hands. Only then did Emily seem to realize that she was still holding Vita's hand.
“Ah! I'm sorry!”
The way she looked embarrassed.
It felt as though fragrant flowers were scattering around them in a sparkling flurry.
“Where should I even start…?”
After thinking it over, Emily asked Vita,
“Oh, right. Are you and Vita siblings?”
“V-Vita…?!”
This was almost too much for Vita.
“Yes, Vita. I mean Vita Shamal.”
Emily smiled, and Vita hurriedly answered.
“Yes, that's right. Vita and I are twins. My name is Bianca Shamal.”
Fortunately, it was a story he'd worked out in advance while talking with the dean, so he didn't get tangled up.
Emily let out a small laugh at his quick answer.
“I see, really. I could tell at a glance that you were siblings. I don't know how to put it, but you have a lot of Vita's distinctive atmosphere.”
His distinctive atmosphere?
When Vita tilted his head, Emily continued,
“Maybe it's that you both feel bright and innocent? Anyway, you have something like that.”
If she meant bright and innocent, that was probably a compliment, right?
An unexpected question came.
“Is Vita feeling all right?”
“Huh, yeah?”
“Honestly, I've been worried ever since I heard the news.”
“Ah—”
Only then did Vita understand what Emily meant. As far as everyone else knew, Vita Shamal had been absent from the academy because he was ill.
“Yeah, he's fine. There's nothing wrong with his health.”
Emily let out a sigh.
“Phew—what a relief. To be honest, I made a mistake concerning him.”
“A-a mistake…?”
“…I suppose I should call it a slip of the tongue.”
Emily scratched her cheek somewhat adorably, then took Vita's hand and earnestly asked her,
“Ah, keep what I just said a secret from Vita. I want to apologize to him in person later.”
Vita was somewhat flustered.
‘I'm him…’
But it just felt good.
The corners of his mouth had already relaxed into a silly grin.
The way she worried about him, and even her unexpected willingness to apologize.
She was practically an angel.
Vita's heart, which had been pounding since earlier, was now reaching its peak.
‘She's worried about me…?’
And it was Emily Swan, the girl he had once been madly in love with.
Even after being rejected, he had never quite managed to let go of his lingering feelings. That was why he had challenged Carlisle to a contest, too.
‘Somehow this got all tangled up, but…!’
Yes, just as he thought!
Emily really was kind. The things she'd said when rejecting him had hurt a little, and he had resented her a little, too.
But seeing her admit that she had made a slip of the tongue made his heart melt.
“Don't worry, Emily! I'm sure Vita will understand you, too.”
So when Vita said that, Emily's eyes sparkled.
“D-do you think so…?!”
She suddenly moved closer.
For some reason, when Emily suddenly came close, Vita looked away. It was too difficult to meet her eyes.
“He will, definitely.”
I've already heard it, after all.
Emily moved away again, and the two faced each other with awkward smiles. It was the natural awkwardness that arose because they were not close yet.
But it seemed Emily still had something important to say.
Even after that, Emily fidgeted with her hands and let out a faint sigh before speaking to Vita.
“But actually… I have something else to ask you.”
They had already been a little awkward, and Vita was in an exceptionally good mood now, so he thumped his chest as if to say she could ask him anything.
“Sure, that's fine!”
For some reason, now that Vita was a girl, the gesture no longer looked very impressive. Fortunately, thanks to Emily, Vita felt his tension ease. Emily gave a small laugh, then hesitated before speaking to Vita.
“Hey, Bianca. I'm sorry to ask this when we've only just met, but…”
Her cautious attitude. What could she be asking with such thoughtfulness?
“Um… well… are you dating Carlisle?”
***
It was lunchtime.
A smile came naturally to Vita.
What Emily had asked him was nothing special.
-Are you dating Carlisle?
The question had flustered Vita, but of course he denied it.
-No, we're not.
Because they really weren't dating.
-Then, do you like him…?
His face had turned red at that question too, but he shook his head vigorously.
Until this morning, he'd honestly been confused.
But now, Vita finally understood.
‘As I thought, I…!’
Not Carlisle. I like you, Emily.
He was incredibly nervous, and his heart trembled for no reason.
He couldn't even meet her eyes.
‘Not even being able to meet her eyes means you really like her-!’
He recalled a line from a romance novel, from a very long time ago when he had still been completely innocent.
He had never once felt that way with Carlisle, so Vita was now certain.
Vita had completely melted for Emily.
So Vita confessed with complete honesty.
-Actually, Emily. There's someone else I already like.
-Huh, really?
It's you. Please realize that, Emily!
Though he'd been rejected once, being a girl had made it a little easier to be honest; even so, Vita still liked Emily Swan.
‘So this is what a real girl is like.’
He realized it anew.
Kind, feminine, and smelling wonderful.
So his chest only felt more ticklish and trembly.
‘This is ridiculous.’
Vita couldn't believe how strange his delusions had been all this time, or that of all people, he'd been fixated on Carlisle.
He'd simply been out of his mind for a while. It was impossible.
Of course it was.
After meeting Emily, Vita felt much lighter at heart.
‘It really was soft.’
Emily's hand had been so soft and warm. It felt like falling for her all over again.
Anyway, Vita hadn't come to the rooftop at lunchtime for any particular reason.
He had decided to accept the result of the contest for now, and while he was at it, he intended to make a clear declaration to Carlisle.
He was planning to play his trump card.
‘All right, Carlisle.’
Come to think of it, Carlisle was kind of pitiful.
Why had he gone and fallen for Vita of all people?
Of course, Bianca Shamal—his body right now—
was quite pretty and cute in her own way.
‘I'm actually a man.’
It was an unavoidable truth. So there was no way he could accept Carlisle's feelings.
But if Carlisle liked Vita as she was now, couldn't Vita push things a little? Surely Carlisle couldn't bring himself to reject Vita.
With a triumphant smile, Vita made up his mind.
It was a chance to properly reestablish his identity.
So when Carlisle patted his knee and motioned for Vita to sit there, Vita merely stared at him with a sullen expression.
Normally, Vita would have simply sat down. But thinking about it, wasn't this strange?
Yes, it really was.
‘I was a man to begin with, you know?’
So Vita declared,
“I'm not sitting on your lap anymore!”
He added a few more words:
“Do you think I don't know what you're up to? Y-you're gaslighting me, aren't you?!”
What other absurd yet adorable idea had she come up with now?
“What?”
Carlisle felt utterly dumbfounded by Vita's words.
“Honestly, isn't that what it is?! You keep hugging me from behind, petting me, touching me…”
“Usually, those things are called displays of affection, not gaslighting.”
Vita's face flushed.
“A-anyway! Don't even think of treating me like some kind of pet. I hate that.”
Until just recently, she'd been climbing onto his lap perfectly happily. What had brought about this change of heart?
But Carlisle found the situation nothing but amusing.
As expected of Bianca Shamal. She never disappointed him. She was always coming up with something new and amusing.
“All right, Bianca.”
He didn't know why, but he was always willing to respect what Vita wanted.
“Do as you please.”
A girl's fickle heart could always be won back.
Vita was inwardly flustered by how little reaction he'd gotten.
‘What? That's it?’
Vita was flustered because things had gone more smoothly than expected, while Carlisle wore a relaxed expression.
“It may be the result of the contest. But if you really hate it, you don't have to sit there.”
As he spoke, Carlisle approached, and the distance between them suddenly narrowed.
“But you don't mind if I come closer, do you?”
Carlisle's deep golden eyes silently looked down at Vita, and Vita's body went rigid.
Their eyes met.
Thump—thump—
It felt hard to breathe. His breathing gradually slowed, and it felt as though his thoughts were stopping.
A moment later, Vita unconsciously looked away. His face had turned completely red.
‘W-what is this…?’
Why did Vita feel this way about him too?