The architecture class from the university arrived early at the construction site of the new shopping center on the outskirts of the city. The sun was already strong even though it was only ten in the morning. All the students wore safety helmets and bright reflective vests. Professor Ramírez walked ahead, explaining in detail the process of placing the floor slabs and the importance of the reinforced concrete structure.
Among the students was Mateo, a seventeen-year-old boy. He had wavy black hair that peeked out from under his yellow safety helmet, large brown eyes, and a facial expression that mixed innocence with a hint of mischief. His skin was fair, with a few light freckles on his cheeks. He was slim but athletic, with a well-formed youthful body. At that moment, he was wearing a fitted black t-shirt, an open orange reflective vest, and he was making the “shaka” sign with his hand — index finger and pinky extended — while someone took his photo.
A short distance away, working among the construction materials, was Mr. Chuy, a forty-two-year-old construction worker. He was a robust man, with skin tanned by constant sun exposure, strong arms, and a broad torso shaped by years of physical labor. He wore a gray t-shirt that was worn and damp with sweat.
Mateo stepped away from the group to take more photos with the concrete structure in the background. Mr. Chuy, while lifting some blocks, looked up and smiled when he saw the gesture the young man was making with his hand. At that exact moment, a ray of sunlight reflected off an old broken mirror that someone had left abandoned among the debris. A bluish flash of light crossed the air between them.
Both blinked at the same time.
When Mateo opened his eyes, he felt that his body had completely changed. His hands were now larger, calloused, and tanned. When he touched his face, he felt a rough mustache and broader cheeks. He looked down and saw a wide chest covered in hair. He was inside Mr. Chuy’s body.
At the same time, Mr. Chuy felt a strange lightness. He looked down and saw a black t-shirt, an orange reflective vest, and young, smooth hands. He touched his face: there was no mustache anymore, only smooth skin with a few freckles. When he tried to speak, his voice came out clear and youthful. He was in Mateo’s body.
The two stared at each other with wide eyes and, without saying a word, quickly hid behind a thick concrete column so that no one from the group would see them.
Mateo, now in Mr. Chuy’s body, examined himself with disbelief. He touched his new strong arms, his broad chest, and his firm abdomen. He felt powerful, but also disoriented and strange.
Mr. Chuy, in Mateo’s body, looked at himself in the reflection of a nearby glass panel. First, he slowly pulled the black t-shirt over his head and let it fall to the ground. He remained only in the open orange reflective vest and the yellow helmet. The sun illuminated his new torso: a flat and smooth chest with just a light patch of dark hair beginning to grow in the center. His abdominal muscles were naturally defined, though not exaggerated, and his waist was narrow. He had youthful shoulders and slender but well-defined arms.
He ran his hands over his chest with curiosity, feeling the softness of the skin. He slowly moved down to his abdomen, touching each muscle with attention. Then he turned his torso to see himself from the side: his back was straight, his waist slim, and his shoulders had that characteristic youthful shape. He touched his sunken navel and continued exploring with his fingertips.
Without hurry, he removed the reflective vest completely and held it in one hand. Now he was completely shirtless, wearing only the yellow helmet on his head. The sun shone directly on his fair skin. He observed his new body in detail: the small, pink nipples, the line of hair that descended from his chest and disappeared under the waistband of his pants, and the athletic yet still youthful shape of his abdomen and chest. He flexed his arms slightly and saw how his biceps became defined. A smile formed on his face, using the same mischievous expression that Mateo usually had.
“This is… incredible,” he murmured with Mateo’s voice, while he continued touching his abdomen with both hands.
Mateo, still in Mr. Chuy’s body, watched him from the other side of the column, feeling increasingly uncomfortable.
“This cannot be happening,” he said with Mr. Chuy’s deep, gravelly voice. “We need to find a way to return to our bodies before anyone notices us.”
Mr. Chuy (in Mateo’s body) did not seem to be in any hurry. He put the reflective vest back on, but left it open, revealing much of his bare torso. He adjusted the yellow helmet and looked at himself once more in the reflection.
“I have never had a body like this,” he commented, running his hand over his abdomen again. “It is light, agile… and it looks good.”
Mateo stepped a little closer, still getting used to his new height and strength.
“Please do not do anything strange with my body,” he requested, though his deep voice contrasted with his worried tone.
Mr. Chuy smiled with Mateo’s face and raised his hand, making the same “shaka” gesture the young man had made earlier.
“Do not worry. I am only… getting to know the new owner of this body. And I must admit that I like it quite a lot.”
The noise of the machines and the voices of the professor and the other students could be heard in the distance. No one seemed to have noticed their absence yet. Mr. Chuy, still fascinated, took another photo with Mateo’s phone, posing with the vest open and his torso partially exposed, exactly as in the images you had shared.
Mateo sighed deeply inside Mr. Chuy’s robust body.
“How long will this last?” he asked.
“I do not know,” replied Mr. Chuy, still admiring his reflection. “But while we find a way to reverse it, I think I am going to enjoy this experience a little.”
They looked at each other in silence. One was surprised and worried about his new strong and experienced body. The other was clearly entertained and curious about his young, light, and attractive body.
Behind the concrete column, while the rest of the group continued the guided tour, the two tried to process what had happened… and what might happen next.
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