"I've already taught those three from the fashion squad a lesson, just as you asked."
"They shouldn't dare to bother you again, but if something like this happens again, just take note of it and wait for me to help you get revenge when I arrive.đ"
" That being said, from my perspective, your sense of fashion is a hundred times better than theirs!"
 đ? What the heck are you smiling about?!
This is bad.
'He didn't use violence, yet he managed to deliver a thorough lesson. But now, how do my classmates see me?'
'Wait... fashion?' Mitsuha looked down at her school uniform.
'Ah!'
She suddenly caught a glimpse of her pink underwear through the collar. Her face turned crimson in an instant.
That guy!!!
Trailing behind with a girl's bicycle, Katsuhiko watched Mitsuha's ever-changing expressions as she stared at her phone, lost in thought.
His conversation with Sayaka earlier⌠She thought he was joking, but he was dead serious.
Something was off with Mitsuha today. Even more so yesterday. If one of them had been possessed, it had to be yesterday's Mitsuha.
Sayaka, however, brushed aside her doubts upon hearing Mitsuha speak and eagerly recounted yesterday's legendary moment.
She was particularly excited about how the so-called "fashion squad" had been utterly humiliated.
She laughed happily, making it clear she had long been fed up with those three.
"Hey⌠Do you think I was a bit too crazy yesterday?" Mitsuha asked cautiously.
She had always been careful to maintain a proper image, so seeing what Kyousuke had done using her body nearly made her faint.
Years of carefully built reputationâruined!
"Crazy? That was so cool!" Sayaka stopped, cleared her throat, and then mimicked Kyousuke's voice from yesterday.
"Did you see that clearly? Well, what are you waiting for? Cry already!"
"That was beyond cool, Mitsuha! Teshigawara could never be that badass in his entire life!"
"Hey, hey, I admit Mitsuha was cool yesterday, but you don't have to drag me into this!" Teshigawara grumbled.
"Cry already?" Mitsuha muttered, replaying the scene in her mind.
She imagined Shunya Yamaakaâthe self-proclaimed guru who always looked down on herâactually bursting into tears after hearing those words.
Before she knew it, she was cheering along with Sayaka.
"That was amazing!"
"You can't just praise yourself like that," Teshigawara muttered under his breath.
"Do other classmates think so too?" Mitsuha asked after laughing.
"I'm not sure about the guys, but the girls all think you were super cool."
"Oh, and last night, my grandma went out and came back saying that you've officially inherited the Miyamizu Shrine's legacy and started truly serving the gods."
"Yeah, yeah, my grandpa said the same thing."
The Natori and Teshigawara families had always been the Miyamizu Shrine's most devoted followers.
Especially the Teshigawara family, whose influence in the shrine's religious association was substantial.
Their family construction company even contributed a significant portion of the shrine's income through ritual offerings.
That's why these two had always gathered around Mitsuha since childhoodâboth inside and outside of school.
And that's why they were so invested in the shrine's changes.
"How did this even happen?" Mitsuha murmured.
No wonder the elders she passed on the way here gave her such strange looks.
She had thought they were finally acknowledging the image she had worked so hard to maintain. But no. Something she had never managed to achieve herself⌠Kyousuke had accomplished in just a few body swaps.
Mitsuha's excitement faded as she walked toward school. The respectful gazes she had secretly enjoyed moments ago now made her uneasy.
They weren't respecting her. They were respecting Kyousuke.
Standing at the school gates, Mitsuha glanced up at the campus, then turned toward the distant skyline.
Tokyo must be that way⌠No matter where he goes, that guy earns respect, huh?
She was envious.
She had struggled just to uphold her role as a shrine maiden, constantly walking on eggshells.
But that guy⌠He had only used her body a handful of times and had already transformed Itomori.
After a brief moment of hesitation, Mitsuha chuckled to herself.
Whatever. I am Miyamizu Mitsuha.
Maybe the ability to swap bodies was a gift from the god I serve.
With that thought, she happily headed to class.
Just as they reached the classroom door, a loud argument erupted from inside.
"That girl is definitely possessed by a demon!"
Mitsuha recognized that sharp voice instantlyâit belonged to the same girl who had sneered at her while she was making kuchikamizake.
Sayaka and Teshigawara bristled at the comment. As friends, they could joke about demonic possession, but Minami Manaka was clearly being malicious.
They were about to storm in and shut her up whenâ
"That's nonsense! Mitsuha-sama is a shrine maiden! The gods are using her to protect Itomori!"
"Huh? Shunya, did you hit your head? Since when do you defend Mitsuha?"
"I was ignorant before. Now, I only wish to be a devout believer."
âŚHuh???
Outside the classroom, Mitsuha and her friends exchanged bewildered glances.
Teshigawara, being the tallest, peeked through the small window. His expression grew heavy as he turned to the others.
"It's definitely Shunya Yamaaka speaking. Which means⌠he's the one who's possessed by a demon."
"Looks like it's time for you to step in, Mitsuha-samaâthe shrine maiden who has protected Itomori for a thousand years!"
"Pfft! Teshigawara, you're too good at this!" Sayaka laughed heartily.
"Heh." Mitsuha forced a chuckle, then pushed open the classroom door.
The moment she entered, the noisy classroom fell silent.
Without sparing a glance at the fashion trio, who were now bickering among themselves, she walked straight to her seat, her face blank.
The heavy tension lingered in the air all through morning reading period. The students, ever attuned to social cues, barely dared to breathe.
After the first period, Shunya suddenly shook off his two fashion buddiesâwho were still badmouthing Mitsuhaâand marched toward her desk.
"Mitsuha-sama, I sincerely apologize for my past behavior!"
He bowed at a full ninety-degree angle.
Ignoring the stunned stares of their classmates, he turned on his heel and returned to his seat.
Sayaka, who had been holding it in for an entire period, finally exploded.
"Mitsuha, Mitsuha! What kind of demon do you think possessed Yamaaka?!"
"Maybe aliens abducted the real him, and this is just an imposter!" Teshigawara said mysteriously.
"Seriously?!" Sayaka's face paled in horror. She wasn't afraid of demonsâafter all, Mitsuha was a shrine maidenâbut aliens were another story.
Watching her friend get spooked so easily, Mitsuha sighed, rubbing her forehead.
She honestly didn't know whether to call Sayaka too innocent or just plain dense.