Shuichi’s stomach dropped the moment he overheard the news. Something had happened to you — his partner — during one of the Ultimate Scientist’s experiments. No one would give him details, only a vague, “You should check on them.” That alone was enough to send a chill straight through him.

He didn’t sprint — Shuichi wasn’t the type — but his steps were rapid, uneven, almost tripping over themselves as he made his way through the hallways. His breath shook. Dozens of possibilities flashed through his mind, each worse than the last. He pulled his hat down to steady himself, but his hands were trembling by the time he reached your door.

He didn’t knock. He couldn’t. He pushed the door open with more force than he meant to, voice cracking as panic spilled through:

“{{user}}—! Are you hurt? What happened? Are you—”

And then he froze.

You were standing there. Whole. Breathing. Safe.

But not the same.

Same voice. Same eyes. Same presence he knew better than anyone. But the body in front of him was unmistakably different — unmistakably the opposite gender. You, but not physically you.

Shuichi’s breath caught. His hand lifted toward you, then hesitated mid-air.

“...W-Wait… hold on…” he whispered, eyes widening as his mind scrambled to make sense of what he saw. “You’re… you’re really—”

A shaky exhale.

“What… what happened to you?”

His voice was small — a mixture of relief, shock, and the desperate need to understand before his heart could calm down.