"I'm Hojou Kyousuke! What are you even talking about?" The shrine maiden, now drenched in cold sweat, stubbornly retorted.
"At a time like this, if Kyousuke saw Sakura eating ice cream, he would definitely stop her immediately."
"Even Shouko and I know that. But just now, you didn't react at all and were even more concerned about the flavor of the ice cream," Ueno Naoka said.
Originally seated on the sofa, she now stood up, pulling Shouko behind her protectively.
"Yes! Exactly!" Shouko nodded furiously in agreement.
"No matter how busy he is, if it's a date with me, Kyousuke will always take a shower first. He has mild OCD and a bit of a cleanliness obsession."
"Plus, I make scented sachets for his bed, and the fragrance lingers on him when he sleeps. He always showers to wash it off before going out."
Sakura also backed away from the person who looked exactly like Kyousuke.
———————————————————————
Okay, I admit that girls being detail-oriented is fine, but does everyone have to be Sherlock Holmes?
Mitsuha was dumbfounded.
But after the initial panic, she quickly calmed down and decided to pull out her trump card.
"Actually, Kyousuke-kun has dissociative identity disorder. I'm one of his split personalities."
"Shouko, do you believe that?" Sakura turned to Nishimiya Shouko.
Shouko shook her head so hard that her hair flew in all directions.
"Naoka, what about you?"
"That might fool a little kid. But then again, a little kid wouldn't even understand what dissociative identity disorder is, so you couldn't even trick them," Naoka crossed her arms and glared coldly at the "Hojou Kyousuke" who was acting strangely.
"So, who are you really?!" Sakura demanded, her sharp gaze locked onto that familiar face.
'Wait a minute—Kisaki Tetta is the second-best student after Hojou Kyousuke.'
'Why are you all treating him like he's dumber than an elementary schooler?'
'Apologize to him right now!'
As these thoughts raced through her mind, Mitsuha suddenly realized why Kyousuke hadn't given her more information in his notes.
No matter how much he wrote, these girls knew him so well that they'd notice something was off instantly.
Understanding this, Mitsuha's panic gradually faded.
No matter what, she was going to the Sakura Festival today!
"My name is Miyamizu Mitsuha."
With that, she stepped past Yamauchi Sakura, walked to the refrigerator, opened it, took out a container, grabbed a spoon, and scooped up a large bite before stuffing it into her mouth.
Damn, Kyousuke was really good at making desserts.
Last time, he made fruit slushies for Yotsuba, and she saved a bit to eat the next day.
But Mitsuha had stolen and finished it instead.
Delicious! Absolutely incredible!
Even though it was made from wild berries, generations of Itomori people had cultivated them, removing their sourness and making them sweet and delicious.
The soft slush combined with the crispy fruit chunks was pure bliss after a bath!
"Sis, didn't you say this was just for kids?" Yotsuba asked, eyeing Mitsuha with a mix of betrayal and longing.
But so what? Who cares if it's for kids? Kyousuke's food was just too good!
Thinking this, Mitsuha pushed past Ueno Naoka, plopped down on the sofa, and took another big bite.
"Ah! My ice cream!" Yamauchi Sakura wailed, lunging forward to reclaim her beloved treat.
"Sakura!" Shouko gasped, pulling Sakura behind her protectively.
Among the group, only she addressed Sakura so intimately, and their bond was noticeably closer than Sakura's with Naoka.
Looking at that familiar face, Shouko's usually gentle expression turned serious.
Kyousuke's body was truly resilient—he could eat such cold ice cream without any fear of a stomachache.
That's why he always stopped Sakura from eating it.
Realizing this, Miyamizu Mitsuha spoke up.
"For some reason, Kyousuke-kun and I occasionally swap bodies. Right now, we've switched—he's in my body, and I'm in his. I know you don't believe me, but this will prove it."
With that, she unlocked her phone, opened the notes app, and handed it over.
Shouko, normally timid, bravely stepped forward, carefully took the phone, and then quickly retracted her hands.
The three girls huddled together, scanning the most recent note.
———————————————————————
"Tomorrow: Attend the Sakura Festival."
———————————————————————
"That could be fake. Look at an older one!" Sakura said smartly.
"Right!" Shouko immediately agreed.
Flipping back, they found one of the first notes Kyousuke had written, dated shortly after the school year started.
"Kyousuke was definitely normal back then," Sakura concluded.
"Agreed!" Shouko, ever the little sweetheart, quickly echoed.
The note was meticulous, detailed, and thorough—clearly written by someone with mild OCD.
Even the one about the Sakura Festival listed everything from wallet reminders to travel plans.
The three of them immediately recognized the writing as unmistakably Hojou Kyousuke's.
"But… is this even possible?" Naoka hesitated, then turned to look at the person claiming to be "Miyamizu Mitsuha," who was casually lounging on the sofa, happily eating ice cream.
Staring.
Mitsuha, fully embracing the situation, continued eating and even turned on the TV.
Noticing the three girls' intense gazes, she quickly turned and flashed a big, cheeky grin.
"Eek!" Shouko shivered in shock.
"Sakura, what do we do?" Shouko clung to Sakura's arm. Among the three of them, only Sakura had the strongest sense of leadership.
Having met Celty and witnessed something beyond human understanding, Yamauchi Sakura actually believed Miyamizu Mitsuha after reading the notes.
As Kyousuke's childhood friend, she had received similar emails from him before school trips.
Plus, during their childhood family outings, he always planned things the same way.
His tone and obsessive preparation were impossible to fake.
"Honestly, I already believe her. You guys saw the notes, right?" Sakura said.
"That's definitely Kyousuke's writing, but this whole thing is just too unbelievable," Naoka insisted.
After a moment of thought, Sakura decided to tell them about Celty. After all, neither Kyousuke nor Celty had ever forbidden her from sharing this information.
And besides, everyone in their group already knew about Celty.
"What?! A Dullahan?! Why didn't I see her at the gathering?!"
Mitsuha, still with a mouthful of ice cream, gasped in shock upon overhearing their conversation.
"Ah! My ice cream!"
Seeing how much had already been eaten, Sakura cried out in heartbreak and rushed over to clutch the container protectively.
This time, Shouko didn't stop her. She and Naoka were still processing the mind-blowing revelation.
"So… you're actually a girl?" Naoka stared dumbfounded at the muscular, T-shirt-clad Kyousuke.
"That's right!" Mitsuha beamed, delighted to finally be recognized as a girl.
"Should we call you Kyousuke or…?" Shouko asked as she and Naoka sat across from Mitsuha, blocking the TV.
"My name is Miyamizu Mitsuha. Just call me Mitsuha."
"My name is Yamauchi Sakura. You can call me Sakura-chan, or just like Shouko does—Sakura."
Sakura was always like this—happiness lingered for a long time, while negative emotions faded in an instant.
"Alright then, Sakura!" Mitsuha had been a little uneasy seeing Yamauchi Sakura looking so sad earlier, but to her surprise, Sakura didn't seem to mind at all.
"I'm Nishimiya Shouko, just call me Shouko," Shouko said softly. Now that the danger had passed, she had returned to her usual gentle demeanor.
"Ueno Naoka. Just call me Naoka, that's what Kyousuke calls me anyway." Naoka couldn't help but find it jarring to see someone using Kyousuke's face while acting like a shy schoolgirl.
"Got it! Thank you, Shouko, Naoka."
Mitsuha nodded enthusiastically, relieved that the tense situation had resolved so easily.
"..."
This time, it wasn't just Ueno Naoka who felt something was off—even Shouko looked a little uncomfortable, averting her gaze.
Only Sakura remained fascinated, staring curiously at Miyamizu Mitsuha, who was still inhabiting Hojou Kyousuke's body yet acting like a cheerful schoolgirl.
"This is too cute! I never imagined Kyousuke could make this kind of expression. Mitsuha, let's take a picture together!"
"Okay!"
Fully embracing the moment and unaware of anything odd about her behavior, Mitsuha happily leaned in, flashed the classic Japanese peace sign, and grinned widely, showing eight of her teeth.
Hehehe.
Watching Kyousuke—who usually only allowed himself a reserved smile—laugh so openly in this photo, Sakura chuckled to herself and quickly sent the picture to Aunt Mikiko in Hokkaido.
Before Mitsuha could even react, Hojou Mikiko replied with three exclamation marks, followed by a rapid stream of messages.
———————————————————————
"Did something happen to Hojou? Why is he posing so willingly for a picture?"
"Ahhh, my boy is getting more handsome by the day!"
"Why only one photo, Sakura? Send me more!"
"Weren't you all going to the Sakura Festival today? Why are you still at home?"
———————————————————————
Sakura casually handed her phone to the curious Mitsuha, who read through the messages with wide eyes before asking, "Is this… Kyousuke-kun's mother?"
"Haha, yeah! Aunt Mikiko is such a fun person. You'll understand when you meet her someday."
"Hmm…"
Having met Kyousuke's female friends and successfully navigated the initial awkwardness, Mitsuha was feeling much bolder.
Now, she was actually looking forward to meeting this amusing "mother" in person.
"Come on, Mitsuha! Let's take a few more pictures."
"Uh… won't Kyousuke-kun be mad when he sees these?"
It hadn't crossed her mind before, but after witnessing Sakura's antics, Mitsuha began to have second thoughts.
"Hahaha, don't worry about it! Kyousuke wouldn't mind something like this. Also, why do you keep saying 'Kyousuke-kun'? Just call him Kyousuke."
Before Mitsuha could respond, Sakura boldly threw an arm around her shoulders and, catching her off guard, snapped three quick selfies before promptly sending them off—to Hojou Mikiko.
'Kyousuke…?'
Mitsuha repeated the name in her mind.
Despite swapping bodies so many times, understanding each other deeply, and being deeply intertwined in each other's lives, they had never actually addressed each other informally.
She wasn't sure if he would be okay with it.
But just for today… maybe she could secretly call him that.
The weight of family expectations, the town's traditions, and the pressure from everyone around her had always made her feel suffocated.
But in that moment, a simple name—Kyousuke—brought her a quiet, indescribable joy.
Her smile grew even brighter. Feeling lighter than ever, she turned to Shouko and Naoka, who were both looking eager to join in.
"Come on, let's all take some pictures together!"
What did it matter? It's not like Kyousuke could come all the way to Itomori to scold her for it.
Shouko let out a small, excited cheer and quickly moved next to Mitsuha.
And so, the four girls had a blast, using Kyousuke's body to take all kinds of goofy photos, which they carefully stored in their phones as keepsakes.
Thanks to this little adventure in Kyousuke's body, Mitsuha had grown much closer to the other three in just a short time.
Before they knew it, it was already past ten o'clock.
"By the way, what about the food for the picnic?" Mitsuha asked, glancing over at Sakura, who was stuffing a yam-flavored ice cream into the freezer.
"Kyousuke already made plenty of snacks. It's enough for us girls, but definitely not enough for him. We mainly need to prepare his share."
Sakura opened the fridge to show Mitsuha, revealing an assortment of colorful sweets neatly arranged inside.
Mitsuha pouted.
'Damn it! Why didn't I see these earlier? The only thing I got to eat was that ice cream, and that was only thanks to Yotsuba.'
Internally crying, she vowed to make up for it today by eating as much as she could.
But after glancing at Sakura, Shouko, and Naoka, she hesitated.
…Maybe she should hold back a little. Otherwise, they'd probably feel the same way.
Even though this was their first time meeting, Mitsuha could already feel their sincerity.
Unlike the loneliness she often felt back in Itomori, their carefree energy was something she truly cherished.
"I'll cook! I'll make some traditional Itomori dishes so you can see how they compare to Tokyo's food. There's even some beef here—our Hida beef is really famous!"
With that, Mitsuha stood up, tied an apron around her waist, and got ready to cook.
"Then how about we head to Chiyoda after lunch instead?"
At the mention of food, Sakura instantly lost all motivation to go out. If they were having a picnic, they'd be limited to cold dishes, but at home, they could eat whatever they wanted.
"I'm in," Shouko agreed immediately.
"No complaints from me," Naoka added. It's not like they were on a strict sightseeing schedule anyway.
"In that case, prepare to witness my 女子力 (girl power)!"
Mitsuha playfully flexed her arm, only to burst into laughter upon seeing the muscle definition—something her real body definitely lacked.
Sakura and the others, watching her exaggerated display, couldn't help but crack up as well.
"Let's make some sushi too, so we can bring it along for the hanami later," Sakura suggested.
And so, their tiny kitchen quickly became crowded with the four of them cooking together. While it certainly made preparing food more chaotic, none of them minded one bit.
———————————————————————
"Ugh, I'm stuffed. I don't wanna move."
Sakura sprawled out on the couch, groaning.
"Maybe we should just skip Chiyoda and go to Meguro River for the night sakura instead?"
"No way!"
Mitsuha was the first to protest. This was the Sakura Festival, after all!
"Haha, Sakura, if we don't get a picture of Kyousuke with the cherry blossoms, Aunt Mikiko will definitely call you nonstop," Shouko teased.
Although Mitsuha's food was delicious, Shouko had only eaten a small portion—she had to be mindful of her voice since she planned to be a voice actress.
"Eek! Let's go right now!"
Just imagining Aunt Mikiko's dramatic complaints made Sakura shudder.
"Kyousuke left a note saying that if we decide to go, we should call his friend. He'll arrange a car for us."
"Nice! No need to squeeze onto the train." Sakura cheered.
"Hey, Kisaki, can you get us a ride to Chiyoda?"
"Oh, that tone of voice… So today, you're Miyamizu Mitsuha, huh?"
On the other end of the call, Kisaki Tetta immediately recognized which "version" of his boss he was dealing with. His tone instantly turned colder.