In an instant, the girl's mind was flooded with unspeakable thoughts.
Her face turned crimson as she frantically shook her head and quickly put down the bamboo sword in her hand.
"I'm going to change my clothes now," Kisaki said and left.
'Oh no, oh no! Hojou Kyousuke, that guy... Is he going to do something weird with my body? Do we have PE class today? Think, think!'
Miyamizu Mitsuha clutched her head and thought hard.
Finally, she remembered—no PE class today.
'Phew, thank goodness! Plus, I slept with a bra on last night.'
Wait! Last time we switched, I wasn't wearing one!
At that thought, Mitsuha's face turned even redder, practically steaming.
'That guy... he wouldn't do anything strange, right?'
Although her rational side told her that Kyousuke wasn't that kind of person, her teenage imagination couldn't help but conjure up countless R-rated scenarios.
'No, from now on, I need Yotsuba to keep an eye on him and stop him from doing anything weird!'
'Ah, right... there's also art class today. I'm doomed. How embarrassing!'
Recalling the childish doodles she saw on the desk that morning, Mitsuha let out a silent scream of despair.
Back when she was immersed in the beauty of Tokyo's life, she completely ignored how her own body was living in the countryside.
Now that she thought about it, an overwhelming sense of anxiety filled her heart.
Would her grandma find out?
Would Sayaka and Tesshi notice something off?
Would they think she was possessed? Or worse... would Kyousuke eliminate anyone who discovered the truth?
Imagining Kyousuke using her body to deliver a flying kick to Minami Manaka, her skirt flipping up while all the boys watched in shock, Mitsuha felt like she was going insane.
'My carefully maintained image... it's all ruined!'
In the end, it was Kyousuke's meticulous memo that brought her some comfort.
'A guy who's this organized wouldn't do anything stupid, right? Plus, he even remembered to wear safety shorts under the skirt.'
'He should be mindful of a girl's image... right?'
'He should... right?'
The club activities passed by as Mitsuha was lost in her chaotic thoughts.
She scribbled notes in the memo about everything that happened so far, including her "great masterpiece."
Honestly, she wanted to write a "User Guide to Miyamizu Mitsuha's Body" like Kyousuke's guide, but there wasn't enough time.
"Let's go, Hojou," Kisaki called out after finishing his shower and changing clothes.
"Oh, oh!"
Thinking about the café and the delicious cakes, Mitsuha instantly forgot her worries and eagerly led the way out.
———————————————————————
"Wow... so expensive! Even the cheapest cake costs my entire month's allowance..."
'Wait, I'm Kyousuke right now. His living expenses are on a whole different level.'
"Kisaki, can I order all of these?" Mitsuha nervously asked while holding the menu.
Hearing this familiar line, Makki Hojou and the Onizuka Duo burst into laughter while Kisaki's face twitched.
"Order whatever you want! Even if I have to use next month's allowance, I'll make sure you eat your fill!" With a pained expression, Kisaki slammed his wallet on the table.
"Kisaki, you're such a good person!"
'The old lady from the general store always said people in big cities were bad, but look at these guys—they're awesome!'
Mitsuha happily flipped through the menu and ordered without hesitation.
"Sir... are you sure you want all of these?" the waiter asked cautiously.
"Of course." Mitsuha handed the menu back but suddenly paused.
She glanced at the others.
"They haven't ordered yet."
The waiter was stunned.
All that food was just for one person? Since when did looks and appetite scale equally?
"We'll just have a latte each," Makki smiled. They weren't here for sweets.
Hearing that, Mitsuha remembered the Onizika Duo's "secret mission." She looked up and saw them scanning the restaurant for cute girls.
'Ah, now I get why these two, despite their good looks and tall stature, are perpetually single.'
While waiting for the food, Mitsuha decided to give Kyousuke's subordinates some proper love advice.
"Ahem." Attention, everyone! The Love Guru is in session.
Unbeknownst to Mitsuha, she and Kyousuke were now walking the same path of no return.
"Onizuka, Danma, you'll never get a girlfriend acting like that!"
Hearing their boss's words, Kisaki immediately sat up straight, ignoring his poor wallet.
Onizuka Eikichi and Danma Ryuji, who had been slouching like thugs, scratched their heads and quickly adjusted their posture.
Ever since Kyousuke's legendary "Ruthless Demon" title spread throughout the gang, there had also been an underground legend: he was an unstoppable chick magnet.
After witnessing their boss dating that beautiful girl last weekend, the Onizuka Duo had become full believers.
So now, with hopeful, kindergarten-like anticipation, they waited for their master's teachings.
"Uh... you guys don't have to be that serious..."
"No! What you're about to teach us is knowledge that surpasses even the great 'F-kun' from the romance magazines! We must record this!"
With that, Onizuka pulled out his phone and hit the record button.
Mitsuha, confident in her own knowledge, suddenly felt immense pressure.
'What the heck did Kyousuke do to make these guys like this?'
'Whatever! No turning back now!'
Clearing her throat, Mitsuha began:
"Do you think girls would like guys who stare at them with perverted eyes?"
"Pervert? Us?" Onizuka and Danma looked at each other, confused.
"Kisaki, did they look pervy to you just now?"
"Uh..." Kisaki hesitated for a moment but nodded firmly.
"Yeah, definitely pervert. I've told you guys this before, but you never believed me."
"That's right," Makki chuckled. "I've been saying that for years."
Onizuka and Danma hugged each other and cried.
They had spent their youth believing in F-kun's 'Eye Contact Seduction Technique' from the magazines. Now, their worldview was shattered.
"What should we do then?"
"First, when you look at a girl, do it with appreciation and respect."
Mitsuha spoke from a girl's perspective... Well, honestly, she was just making things up.
"But... we were appreciating them!" Onizuka protested.
"That's not appreciation! That's just being creepy!"
"Uh..."
Kisaki and Makki burst into laughter.
"Then... how should we look at them?" Onizuka, already thick-skinned from years of rejection, asked eagerly.
"Just... look with your heart?"
Mitsuha suddenly felt her mom's wisdom flowing through her veins.
The Love Guru's lecture was just beginning...
How to look? Just look naturally.
Having rarely left Itomori, Mitsuha knew that as long as it wasn't Minami Manaka and her crew, anyone who caught her gaze would respond with a friendly smile.
"Just follow my lead."
Fortunately, she was currently inhabiting Kyousuke's body.
With his handsome face and gentle eyes, Mitsuha was confident that no girl could resist.
Turning her head to find a demonstration target, she quickly noticed that the people in the café, especially the girls, were already watching them.
Some openly stared, while others tried to sneak glances from behind their coffee cups.
Noticing this, Mitsuha blushed slightly.
However, with her subordinates eagerly watching her, she forced herself to stay composed.
Flashing a smile, she directed her gaze toward two women in office suits sitting nearby.
"Akemi, Akemi! That guy is looking at me!" The woman with wavy brown hair excitedly grabbed her friend's shoulder and shook her violently.
"Nonsense! He's looking at me! Akemi, don't block my view!" Akemi brushed off her friend's hand, trying to suppress her excitement and maintain a reserved smile in return.
'Oh no'
Even though Mitsuha had anticipated this, seeing the terrifying power of Kyousuke's smile firsthand sent a chill down her spine.
'This was practically a biological weapon!'
Raising her coffee cup in a polite gesture to the two women, she quickly lowered her head.
'Too scary. Who knew women could be just as shameless as men when it came to good looks?'
"Boss! Teach us this skill!" x2
The Onizuka duo, Onizuka Eikichi and Danma Ryuji, were in awe, immediately bowing in admiration.
Meanwhile, Kisaki silently sipped his coffee, deciding he'd had enough of this nonsense.
Today's lesson clearly had no substance—just their boss showing off his own "hardware."
Kisaki glanced at the Onizuka duo with pity.
These two idiots still hadn't realized the fundamental difference between themselves and the boss.
Unaware of their reputation as dimwits, Onizuka and Ryuji eagerly absorbed Mitsuha's "lessons."
Finally, when the first chocolate cake arrived, Mitsuha announced the lesson was over.
She took a sip of her now lukewarm coffee to soothe her throat.
"Thank you, Hojou-sensei," the Onizuka duo respectfully raised their cups and downed their coffee in one go.
"No, thank you for bringing me to this café," Mitsuha replied with her mouth full of cake, chocolate sauce staining her lips.
'Hey, wasn't I the one who was paying for everything?' Kisaki thought to himself.
"And you too, Kisaki! You're such a good guy!"
For some reason, the words "good guy" made Kisaki feel oddly uncomfortable.
Was it because he'd been called that too many times today?
No... it was because the last time he treated the boss to an Italian restaurant, he nearly got left behind to wash dishes to pay the bill.
The way the boss said, "Kisaki, you're such a good guy," back then left a deep psychological scar.
Only Kisaki, as the boss's top henchman, could detect the subtle difference in tone.
Unaware of Kisaki's internal crisis, Mitsuha happily indulged in the endless stream of cakes. With every bite, her joy grew.
'Kyousuke's appetite is truly a blessing!'
With a blissful smile, Mitsuha accepted the slice of grape tiramisu that Onizuka had thoughtfully cut for her.
Initially, Mitsuha enjoyed cutting the cake herself, watching the silver knife slice through the layers, and seeing the delicate cake tremble on her fork.
But she soon realized she was too slow. The next dessert would arrive before she finished the last one.
Onizuka, surprisingly observant, offered to help her cut the cakes.
'Not bad. My efforts to teach you guys how to flirt weren't wasted,' Mitsuha thought smugly.
As the evening sky darkened, Mitsuha reluctantly ended their café visit.
Rejecting her subordinates' offer to give her a ride, she strolled leisurely along the sidewalk.
Even with Hojou Kyousuke's robust body, eating that much cake was pushing it.
Would he get a stomachache tomorrow? Should she buy some digestion medicine?
Tonight, Mitsuha decided not to take the subway.
The night view of Tokyo was like another world, and she wanted to enjoy it.
Maybe it was the sugar rush from the cakes, but she confidently wandered without using navigation.
In the fast-paced Tokyo streets, she somehow found the same tranquility she once felt in Itomori.
Passing by office workers heading to bars and izakayas, Mitsuha glanced at them briefly and moved on.
She wandered into stores filled with girls, ignoring their jealous glares as she browsed to her heart's content.
She even bought bubble tea from a shop with English word she couldn't read.
Staring at the English menu, she tried to understand it but got no feedback from Kyousuke's supposedly fluent brain.
"So stingy. Why not lend me your knowledge too?"
Pouting, she chewed the chewy pearls in her mouth.
"So good... If only Itomori had this."
Before she knew it, Mitsuha had arrived at Kyousuke's apartment.
"As expected of the Miyamizu Shrine Maiden's divine powers!"
Feeling proud, Mitsuha entered the apartment.
She skipped the bath, did a quick wash, and changed into a loose T-shirt and shorts.
There was no way she could handle seeing Kyousuke's muscles while sleeping.
That would be... impure.
Lying on the bed, she began writing her new guidebook:
———————————————————————
[Body Swap Rules]
No bathing! No peeking at my body! And definitely no looking at other girls' bodies! Boys are off-limits too!
Don't do anything unladylike. Be mindful when wearing skirts!
———————————————————————
After some thought, Mitsuha crossed out the second rule.
With Hojou Kyousuke's quick-wittedness from their second swap, he would surely know to wear safety shorts under the skirt.
———————————————————————
Don't make promises to Yotsuba! And keep her away from my snacks!
———————————————————————
Mitsuha thought about the new daily task that had been added to her routine: braiding her little sister Yotsuba's hair every morning. And then there was the ice cream that mysteriously vanished from the fridge after their last body swap.
When she confronted Yotsuba, the little girl innocently claimed that Mitsuha herself had given her permission to eat it.
Mitsuha was furious.
That ice cream was meant to be her treat after a nice, relaxing bath while watching TV.
Yotsuba had already finished her own share. Didn't that kid know that eating too many sweets would lead to cavities?
Even now, just thinking about it made Mitsuha grit her teeth in frustration.
"Rule number three…"
Although there were many things she initially wanted to warn Hojou Kyousuke about, once she started writing them down, Mitsuha found herself at a loss.
With Kyousuke's level of self-discipline and perfection, the only real concern was:
———————————————————————
3. Don't be too perfect, or people will start noticing something's off!"
———————————————————————
As she finished writing, an inexplicable wave of melancholy washed over her.
Handsome looks, top-notch grades, incredible combat skills, and a wide circle of friends...
Why was she connected to someone like that? Why did fate choose to make them swap bodies?
Her left hand unconsciously fiddled with the braided cord tied around her right wrist as her thoughts drifted.
"If only I were more like Mom," she mused. "If it were her, she'd be able to make full use of Hojou-kun's body."
Her mind began to conjure memories of her mother. And to her surprise, Mitsuha realized she could see countless similarities between her late mother and Hojou Kyousuke.
Respected and trusted by those around them.
Gifted with almost divine talents — in this regard, Kyousuke even surpassed her mother.
Capable of solving any problem that arose — evident from the way people relied on him.
In that hazy state between wakefulness and sleep, Mitsuha seemed to hear her mother's final words echoing in her mind:
"This is not a final farewell."
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