The Day the Sunset Fell Upside Down ~Everyone's Gender-Swapped~
Sendou Yuuhi is a high school VTuber with long brown hair, yellow highlights, and sunset-gradient eyes. She's a member of the virtual talent group 'Vuisupo!' and spends her days streaming with her friends. She thinks she's laid-back and gentle, but everyone tells her she's actually loud and energetic. One day, after a stream, Yuuhi finds an old mirror in the break room with a note reading 'Gender Reversal.' Thinking it's a joke, she shouts at the mirror, 'I'm tired of being a girl all the time—I
The Day the Sunset Fell Upside Down ~Everyone's Gender-Swapped~ - The truth beyond the mirror, and a three-week time limit
When they went around to the back of the school building, the air changed.
A lukewarm wind blew through the gaps in the old school building with a hollow whistle. Neo-Shibuya Academy's old building was a three-story structure slated for demolition, with wooden boards nailed over every window.
"…We're really going in there?"
Sendou Yuuhi rubbed her arms—now a boy's arms. Long brown hair with yellow highlights. Eyes that were a gradient of purple and orange, like a sunset, wavered uneasily. It had been one week since the curse swapped their genders. Their voice had deepened, their chest was flat, their shoulders broad. And yet, inside, they were still the same easygoing, laid-back high school girl.
"Of course we are. Satsuki-san told us to come here."
Platinum blonde short hair, with one side braided and pinned back with a silver hairclip. Navy blue eyes like the night sky. Even after becoming a boy, Hoshimiya Neon's eyes still sparkled like twinkling stars. Though their height had shot up to nearly a hundred and seventy-five centimeters, and their shoulders had grown broad and sturdy.
"But it's off-limits, right? Won't we get in trouble if we're caught?"
"Are you seriously saying that now? The curse is way more trouble than getting caught."
"Hmm, I mean, you're not wrong…"
"Yuuhi-senpai, it's okay. I'm here with you too."
Soft milk-tea brown fluffy short hair. Big round amber eyes. Kagurazaka Ruri had originally been the only boy in the group. But the curse had turned them into a girl's body. Now they were a girl but still said "boku," which startled anyone meeting them for the first time.
"Ruri-chan… yeah, thanks."
Yuuhi patted Ruri's head. The fluffy hair felt soft against their palm.
"Hey, what are you petting them for? Let's just go already."
Neon put a hand on the old building's entrance door.
Creeeak…
The rusted sound echoed through the quiet back courtyard.
Inside was darker than expected.
The lights didn't work. The windows were blocked with boards, so it was dim even in daytime. Dust had piled up on the hallway floor, and with every step, white powder puffed into the air.
"Whoa, this dust is insane…"
"Cough, cough."
Ruri coughed quietly.
"You okay?"
"I-I'm fine. Just choked a little."
"Both of you, you're too loud. If we make noise here, someone'll find us."
"Neon, is your voice shaking?"
"Huh? It's not shaking. You're the one who's been jumpy this whole time."
"Well, it's dark, and dusty, and there's weird noises…"
"Weird noises?"
Neon stopped dead in their tracks.
…Clank.
Somewhere far away, something moved.
"…What was that?"
"You're imagining things. It's an old building—the wind probably knocked something over."
Neon's voice sped up just a little.
"Neon, are you scared?"
"I'm not scared! Keep talking like that and I'll leave you behind!"
Neon used their boy's body to stride ahead. But every time their footsteps echoed, their shoulders twitched.
(Neon's scared too.)
Yuuhi giggled softly.
Even if their body changed, what was inside didn't.
Neon was still the same bravado, still the same kindness.
"…What are you laughing at?"
"Ehehe. I was just thinking you're cute, Neon."
"Haah!? What did you just say!?"
Neon's voice rang through the hallway.
"S-sorry, sorry. That was loud."
"Your voice is louder! Seriously, this voice of yours doesn't get fixed even after the swap!"
"Ehehe. Guess a naturally loud voice can't be cured by a curse either."
"I'm done with you…"
Neon sighed. But the corner of their mouth had softened just a little.
"Um, you two, you get along so well. It's lovely."
Ruri said from behind, smiling.
"W-what are you saying? We don't get along or anything."
"Huh? We do get along. Neon and I are best friends."
"…Can you not say stuff like 'best friends'?"
"Why? It makes me happy."
"It doesn't make me happy. It's embarrassing."
"Neon, your face is red."
"It's not red! It just looks that way because it's dark!"
"Fufu. Okay, okay."
Yuuhi patted Neon's back.
"…Don't touch me."
Neon said bluntly, but didn't shake the hand off.
They passed through the first floor of the old building and went up the stairs.
Step by step, the wooden stairs creaked.
"I wonder where Satsuki-san is."
"They said the waiting room on the second floor."
"The waiting room… near where that mirror was?"
"Who knows. But that mirror's already been sealed, right?"
"Yeah. Satsuki-san said they brought it to the administration office."
"Then why come back to the old building?"
"I don't know. But they said they had something to tell us."
"…Suspicious."
"Neon, Satsuki-san is on our side. I believe in them."
"You trust people way too easily."
"But Satsuki-san is always supporting us from the shadows."
"…Well, I won't deny that."
They reached the second floor.
At the end of the hallway was a single room. The door was slightly ajar, and dim light leaked out.
"This must be it."
Yuuhi gently pushed the door open.
Inside were a few desks and chairs. The windows were boarded up, but thin slivers of light slipped through the gaps.
And in the center of the room—
"You're late."
Long black hair tied in a single ponytail, sharp jade-green eyes. Kirishima Satsuki stood by the window.
Satsuki had originally been male. The curse had turned them into a girl's body, but their height remained a hundred and seventy-five centimeters, slender and tall. They wore a black suit with ease, and a small scar marked their left cheek.
"Satsuki-san, hello."
"Ah. Good of you to come."
Satsuki's voice was low and calm. Despite the girl's body, their manner of speech remained masculine, which confused anyone meeting them for the first time.
"Satsuki-san, that hairstyle suits you. The ponytail is beautiful."
"…You haven't changed at all."
Satsuki's lips curved, just barely.
"So, what did you want to tell us?"
Neon stepped forward.
"Have a seat. This will take a while."
Satsuki gestured to the chairs by the desk.
The three of them sat down on the dusty chairs.
"First, I'll ask you straight."
Satsuki looked directly at Yuuhi.
"Are you the one who started the curse?"
"Eh…"
Yuuhi's body jolted.
"You're the one who shouted a gender-reversal wish at that mirror, aren't you?"
"I-I… yes. I shouted at the mirror. But I meant it as a joke…"
"Joke or not, the curse activated. And it spread to all of your companions."
"…Yes."
Yuuhi hung their head.
(It's my fault. If I hadn't said that, none of them would've been dragged into this.)
A sharp pain tightened deep in their chest.
"Satsuki-san, that's too harsh."
Ruri spoke up clearly from beside Yuuhi.
"It's not just Yuuhi-san's fault. The person who put that mirror there is the one most to blame."
"…Ruri-chan."
"Besides, Yuuhi-san has been working so hard to turn everyone back, haven't you?"
Ruri's amber eyes looked straight at Satsuki.
"…You're right. I'm sorry. I let my emotions get the better of me."
Satsuki let out a small breath.
"But the facts are the facts. There's no doubt you're the origin."
"…Yes. I'm sorry."
Tears welled in Yuuhi's eyes.
"Don't cry. I'm not blaming you."
"But…"
"To break the curse, I need accurate information. That's all I was confirming."
Satsuki pulled out an old, worn notebook.
"I'm going to explain how the Reflect Mirror works. Listen carefully."
"…Yes."
Yuuhi wiped their tears and lifted their head.
"The Reflect Mirror naturally manifests in places where strong emotions have gathered. This particular mirror was placed in the old building's waiting room. Who put it there and when is unknown."
Satsuki's voice echoed through the quiet room.
"When the curse activates, gender reversal spreads to the mirror's owner and everyone connected to them. That's the 'curse diffusion phenomenon.' That's why all of you were reversed."
"So there are other people who've been reversed besides us?"
"No. This time, it's limited to the members of Vspo!. Because you are the mirror's owner."
"I'm… the owner?"
"Yes. You touched the mirror and shouted your wish. Through that, you were recognized as the mirror's owner. That's why it spread to those bound to you by strong ties—in other words, all the members of Vspo!."
"I-is that how it works…"
"And there is only one way to break the curse."
Satsuki paused for a beat.
"You must convey your true feelings to someone."
"Your true… feelings…"
"Yes. However, to whom, what, and how—that much is unclear."
"Then that means…"
"The only clue is that another incantation is hidden on the back of the paper that was stuck to the mirror."
Satsuki opened the notebook.
"On the back of the paper that read 'Gender Reversal.' There's a high probability the counter-curse incantation is written there. But right now, I have that paper in strict safekeeping. Deciphering it will take time."
"Deciphering the incantation…"
"I'm working on it. But it's written in an ancient script, and it's difficult to decode."
"Will I really be able to decipher the incantation…"
Yuuhi murmured anxiously.
"It's okay, Yuuhi-san. We're here. You're not alone."
Ruri gently took Yuuhi's hand.
"Ruri-chan…"
"Besides, Satsuki-san is looking into it properly too, aren't they?"
"…Yes. Leave it to me."
Satsuki gave a short nod.
"But there's no time."
"No time?"
"Yes. The curse has a time limit."
Satsuki's jade eyes glinted sharply.
"Three weeks."
"Three weeks…"
"If you can't convey your true feelings to someone within three weeks, the reversed gender becomes permanent. In other words, you'll never return to your original body."
"Eh…"
Yuuhi's mind went blank.
(Three weeks. Only three weeks?)
"Does that mean everyone too…?"
Neon's voice was trembling slightly.
"Yes. All of you. If the curse settles, everyone will live the rest of their lives in their reversed gender."
"No way… because of me, everyone…"
"Yuuhi."
Neon grabbed Yuuhi's shoulder.
"Then we just have to find it fast. Decode the incantation and tell someone your true feelings or whatever."
"Neon…"
"If you've got time to mope, then move. We're right here with you."
"…Yeah. Thanks."
Yuuhi squeezed Neon's hand back.
Neon's hand had become a boy's hand—large and warm.
"…There's one more thing I should tell you."
Satsuki walked over to the window.
"Five years ago, I encountered the same Reflect Mirror incident."
"Five years ago…"
"Back then, I had a best friend."
Satsuki's voice dropped, just slightly.
"They were caught by the Reflect Mirror. Their gender was reversed. And I—who didn't know how to break the curse—wasted time without ever drawing out their true feelings."
"…"
"As a result, the curse settled. They could never return to their original gender. And then they disappeared."
"Disappeared…?"
"Yes. No contact. No idea where they are."
Satsuki touched the scar on their left cheek.
"This scar was inflicted when I tried to protect them from the resonance phenomenon."
"Resonance phenomenon…"
"As the curse progresses, the mirror resonates. When it resonates, another version of yourself materializes. That's the reversed-gender version of you—in your case, another you with a boy's form."
"Another me…"
"They were wounded by the materialized shadow while trying to protect me. That's when I got this scar too."
Satsuki spoke matter-of-factly.
But their fist was clenched, fingertips white.
"Satsuki-san… you've been regretting it all this time, haven't you?"
A sharp ache pierced Yuuhi's chest.
"…I don't regret anything. I'm simply stating facts."
"But you carry that notebook everywhere, don't you? And you became an investigator because…"
"That's none of your concern."
Satsuki said flatly.
"…I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize. My past doesn't matter. What matters is that you break the curse."
"Yes."
"Also, from here on, resonance phenomena may occur. When the mirror resonates, another version of you materializes. If that happens, it could turn into a fight. Be careful."
"A fight…"
"Yes. The materialized shadow will try to erase the original and take
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