Watching the homeroom teacher disappear down the hallway, Hozuki Nozomi allowed a genuine, warm smile to settle on his—or rather, Yotsuha's—lips. He turned to face Kosaka Kirino, whose expression still held a flicker of concern. "Kosaka-san, thank you for your concern."
Kirino quickly waved her hands, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. "It's nothing, really! I don't think I actually helped with anything."
Her quick response stemmed from genuine modesty. She had only acted because Miyamizu Yotsuha had greeted her so warmly that morning, a small gesture that had signaled a desire for friendship. As the daughter of a police detective, Kosaka Kirino possessed an innate sense of justice and a heart that instinctively reached out to those she felt might need support. It was this very warmth that had drawn Kurusu Kanako to her, transforming a classmate into a dear friend.
"Still," Hozuki Nozomi persisted, his gaze earnest, "I am grateful." He paused, tilting his head slightly in a gesture that was both Yotsuha's natural charm and his own calculated sincerity. "Kosaka-san, would it be alright if we became friends?"
He knew his time in Yotsuha's body was limited. This wasn't about making friends for himself, but about weaving a small safety net for the girl whose life he was temporarily inhabiting. Kirino, with her fierce loyalty and kind heart, seemed like the perfect person to watch over Yotsuha once he was gone.
Kirino's face broke into a bright, unguarded smile. "Of course! I'd like that."
And so, for the remainder of the school day, Hozuki Nozomi remained firmly in Yotsuha's shoes, shadowing Kirino like a faithful new friend. Through Kirino's effortless introductions, he was soon acquainted with the quiet, earnest Aragaki Ayase and the cheerful, energetic Kurusu Kanako. He navigated the simple rhythms of middle school life with an ease that surprised him, all while carefully observing the dynamics of Yotsuha's new world.
Meanwhile, across the city, Miyamizu Yotsuha awoke to a reality that made no sense.
She sat up in an unfamiliar bed, in an unfamiliar room, and stared at hands that were decidedly not her own. They were larger, the fingers longer, with a masculine strength to them that sent a jolt of pure panic through her. Slipping out of bed, she stumbled to a mirror and found herself staring into the face of a handsome, cool-looking high school boy.
For a long moment, she was frozen, her mind scrambling for an explanation. Then, like a bolt of lightning, a memory surfaced—hazy, fragmented, like a dream from three years prior. She had been younger then, and her sister had spoken of strange dreams, of becoming someone else. Yotsuha had dismissed it as a fantasy, but now…
The face in the mirror was familiar. Not because she knew him, but because of where she had seen him last. It was the same face that had stared back at her from the reflection in the shrine's polished mirror three years ago, the day she had placed her kuchikamizake.
Her thoughts were a whirlwind. A dream. This had to be a dream. Yet, when she finally ventured out of the room, she was greeted with casual familiarity by the residents of Sakura Dormitory, who called her "Hozuki Nozomi" with such gentle smiles that her unease only deepened. Several of the girls—unbelievably pretty girls—looked at her with a softness in their eyes that made her intensely uncomfortable.
When she arrived at Soubu High School, her anxiety spiked. She moved through the corridors with exaggerated caution, terrified of being exposed. Her unusual behavior—the hesitance, the darting glances, the way she seemed lost in a place she should know—did not go unnoticed. Two girls, a beautiful one with long dark hair and another with a gentle, almost ethereal presence, took it upon themselves to look after "Hozuki Nozomi." Shiina Mahiru and Ogiwara Sayu, she learned their names were, and they guided her through the confusing landscape of high school life with a patience that Yotsuha found both touching and bewildering.
By the time she returned to Sakura Dormitory in the afternoon, her mind was a jumbled mess of confusion and a growing suspicion that this was no ordinary dream.
Then she saw her.
A familiar figure was approaching the dormitory gate, looking around with a mix of hope and apprehension. Yotsuha's breath caught in her throat.
"Excuse me," the figure began, her voice soft and polite. "Is this Sakura Dormitory?"
"Sister!" The word tore from Yotsuha's lips before she could stop it.
Miyamizu Mitsuha, dressed in her university attire, blinked in surprise. She looked at the handsome boy before her, a flicker of recognition and something deeper—something wistful—passing through her eyes. "Ah… Sister?"
Yotsuha's mind raced. She couldn't blow her cover. "Oh, I'm so sorry! My mistake. I meant to say… this sister. Yes, this is Sakura Dormitory." She plastered on what she hoped was a casual smile. "Who are you looking for?"
Mitsuha's cheeks colored slightly. She seemed flustered by the intensity of the boy's gaze. "Ah, forgive my rudeness. My name is Miyamizu Mitsuha. May I ask… what is your name?"
Yotsuha watched her sister's reaction with a growing sense of dismay. The way Mitsuha was looking at her—at him—was exactly the same way those other pretty girls at the dormitory and school had been looking at Hozuki Nozomi all day. With a mixture of shyness and obvious interest.
Oh no, Yotsuha thought, forcing her expression to remain neutral. Please don't tell me my sister likes this guy.
"I'm Hozuki Nozomi," she replied, her voice flat. "I live here."
Mitsuha's face fell, just a fraction. She had been hoping for a spark of recognition, a sign that the strange bond they had shared three years ago still existed. But this boy looked at her as if she were a stranger. "I see…"
Seeing her sister's disappointment was like a physical blow. Yotsuha's heart ached. So her sister did like this guy. And from what she'd observed, this "Hozuki Nozomi" seemed to have a bit of a reputation for attracting female attention. He was probably a total flirt.
But she couldn't just leave her sister looking so dejected. "Would you like to come in for a bit?" she heard herself ask, the invitation slipping out before she could stop herself. She reasoned that since her sister liked him, she could at least facilitate a meeting. And more importantly, she could subtly warn her sister about the kind of person this Hozuki Nozomi appeared to be.
Mitsuha's eyes lit up. "Can I? I wouldn't want to impose…"
"Of course not," Yotsuha said, forcing another smile. "Please."
Later that evening, after leaving Sakura Dormitory and returning to the Miyamizu home, Mitsuha let out a long, deep sigh as she closed the front door behind her.
He hadn't remembered her. The boy whose body she had inhabited three years ago, with whom she had shared such an inexplicable connection, had looked at her with blank, uncomprehending eyes. The disappointment was a dull ache in her chest.
But she wouldn't give up. She would make him remember.
A warm flush crept up her neck as vivid memories of that time surged back. That scoundrel. When he had been in her body, he had been utterly shameless. She distinctly remembered waking up to find him—herself—with hands firmly planted on her own chest. The liberties he had taken…
Her cheeks burned. He had touched her there so many times. He had seen everything.
He absolutely had to take responsibility.
The next morning, Yotsuha woke with a gasp, clutching her own small hands to her chest. She was back. She was herself. A wave of relief so profound it left her dizzy washed over her.
She scrambled out of bed, not even bothering with her slippers as she padded barefoot across the cool wooden floor to her sister's room. She slid the door open with a soft shhh.
"Sister! Wake up!"
Mitsuha stirred, blinking sleepily. "Ugh… Good morning, Yotsuha." She stretched languidly, her voice still thick with sleep.
Yotsuha perched on the edge of the bed, her words tumbling out in a rush. "Sister, did you go anywhere yesterday? Like… to a place called Sakura Dormitory?"
Mitsuha's eyes focused, a flicker of surprise crossing her face. "I did. I met the person I wanted to see." Her expression dimmed. "But… he didn't seem to remember me."
Yotsuha leaned forward, her heart pounding. "Sister, the person you were looking for… his name is Hozuki Nozomi, right?"
Now it was Mitsuha's turn to be confused. She sat up, studying her sister with a curious gaze. "Yotsuha, what's wrong with you? You were the one who first told me about Hozuki Nozomi. That's what made me remember everything. Why are you asking me this now?"
A sudden, terrible realization dawned on her face. Her eyes widened. "Yotsuha… yesterday… did you and Hozuki Nozomi…?"
Yotsuha didn't need her to finish the sentence. The pieces clicked into place with horrifying clarity. "Sister, you know what's going on, don't you?" she asked, her voice a desperate whisper. "Like… like yesterday, when I was in Hozuki Nozomi's body, and I invited you to Sakura Dormitory."
Mitsuha stared for a moment, then a laugh bubbled up from her chest, light and musical. She reached out and gently flicked Yotsuha's forehead. "No wonder he didn't recognize me! It was you in there, you little troublemaker." She shook her head, her smile fond. "Were you trying to play a trick on your sister?"
Yotsuha rubbed her forehead, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "I thought I was dreaming… I didn't know…" She looked up, her expression earnest. "Sister, what is really going on?"
Mitsuha's smile softened. She reached out and placed a hand on Yotsuha's head, stroking her hair. "Do you remember what Grandma used to tell us?"
Yotsuha nodded slowly, the old woman's words echoing in her memory.
"The shrine maidens of the Miyamizu family are a little special," Mitsuha continued, her voice taking on a gentle, storytelling cadence. "When we reach a certain age, musubi—the weaving of time and connection—occurs. We become entangled with someone, and our bodies… exchange."
She paused, letting the weight of her words settle. "Grandma had the experience. Mother did. And three years ago, I did too. With Hozuki Nozomi."
Yotsuha's eyes were wide, absorbing every word.
"Three years ago, the Tiamat Comet was supposed to fall on Itomori. All of us would have died." Mitsuha's voice grew softer, touched with the memory of that salvation. "But because Nozomi and I exchanged bodies, we were able to change our fate. We worked together to convince Father to evacuate everyone to the high school. That's how we survived."
She looked down at her sister, her expression a mixture of affection and gentle reprimand. "And because of something that happened later… he drank the kuchikamizake you placed in the shrine. That act created a new connection. A connection with you, Yotsuha."
Yotsuha's mouth fell open. The kuchikamizake. Three years ago, she had been a mischievous child who liked things to be just so. She remembered now, with a sudden, sickening jolt. She had preferred the placement on the left, thought it looked better. So, on a childish whim, she had swapped the containers. Her sister's offering had ended up on the left, and hers had been placed on the right—the one that had ultimately been found and consumed.
Her hands flew to her mouth.
She hadn't just been dreaming. She had stolen her sister's fate.