Hozuki Nozomi lay in bed, staring at the ceiling as the events of the past day replayed in his mind. Tomorrow was going to be busy—he could already tell. That girl Mitsuha, unfamiliar with his social circle and relationships, had likely acted awkwardly around several of the girls while inhabiting his body. He had quite a few people to smooth things over with.
The list ran through his head: the tsundere Eriri Spencer Sawamura, who would definitely need extra attention after being met with awkward silence instead of his usual playful teasing. Miura Yumiko, who expected a certain level of confidence and boldness from him. Yui Yuigahama and Ebina Hina, both accustomed to his relaxed, flirtatious demeanor.
They were all used to his "bad boy" image—his confident, slightly mischievous approach to life and relationships. But when Miyamizu Mitsuha's soul had possessed his body, she'd worn such an innocent, bewildered expression that his usual cool, domineering handsomeness had probably transformed into something closer to a shy, uncertain boy.
Fortunately, it wasn't an irreversible situation. He could salvage this.
He also realized he'd need to properly introduce all his relationships to Mitsuha—maybe write everything down in a notebook for her reference. That way, if the soul-swapping continued, she'd at least know who everyone was and how to interact with them.
A thought occurred to him, and a small smile crossed his face.
If he wrote down all his secrets, all his connections with the girls... wouldn't that mean Miyamizu Mitsuha would come to know everything about him? Every detail, every relationship?
Hehe.
Then she'd have no choice but to marry him eventually.
Earlier, while Hozuki Nozomi was still unconscious, Yukino Yukinoshita and the others had been deeply worried. They'd specifically asked Frieren to examine him, to determine if he was in any danger.
Frieren's assessment had been reassuring: Hozuki Nozomi was not in any peril.
From the ancient elf's perspective, the Musubi knot wrapped around his wrist contained an incredible power—something far beyond ordinary magic. That power had enveloped Miyamizu Mitsuha's soul, enabling the swap between their bodies. But it wasn't merely a simple exchange; the energy also subtly contained the power of time itself.
This was divine power. The kind only deities could wield.
It was gentle, non-threatening. Perhaps some unknown god wanted Hozuki Nozomi to accomplish something. Frieren had advised Yukino and the others not to worry excessively.
Miyamizu Mitsuha, meanwhile, had spent an intensely uncomfortable night under the watchful eyes of several beautiful strangers. Just imagine trying to sleep while multiple gorgeous girls stared at you with a mixture of curiosity, suspicion, and protectiveness. The pressure was immense.
Yet beneath her discomfort, she couldn't help but feel a flicker of curiosity about this Hozuki Nozomi character.
What kind of man was he, really? How had he managed to win the affection of so many beautiful women? He was clearly unfaithful—a scumbag by any reasonable standard, involved with multiple girls simultaneously. Yet those girls all seemed willing to stay with him, to live together harmoniously under one roof.
It looked like something out of a light novel. The kind of wish-fulfillment fantasy she'd occasionally read to escape the boredom of small-town life.
The night had passed without incident.
Morning came abruptly for Miyamizu Mitsuha.
"Fwump!"
Her door slammed open with enough force to rattle the frame. Miyamizu Yotsuha stood in the doorway, hands on her hips, looking thoroughly unimpressed with her older sister's sleeping habits.
"Sister! Get up and eat! Eat!"
Miyamizu Mitsuha groggily rubbed her head, still half-lost in the fading remnants of sleep. Her expression was dazed, confused.
Yotsuha pouted irritably. "Sister, aren't you going to rub your chest today? You know, your morning routine?"
Miyamizu Mitsuha stared at her blankly. "Rub my chest? What are you talking about?"
"You said it yourself! You even said something about promoting growth." Yotsuha demonstrated with an exaggerated grasping and rubbing motion, then looked at her sister with undisguised disdain. "How much do you even like your own chest, anyway?"
In Yotsuha's young mind, her sister was simply going through puberty and desperately wanted a boyfriend. That had to be the explanation for such bizarre behavior.
"Ah? Yotsuha, what on earth are you talking about?"
Miyamizu Mitsuha's confusion only deepened. She had absolutely no memory of doing anything like that. Her head felt heavy, muddled—as if she'd forgotten something important overnight.
That strange dream flickered at the edges of her consciousness. Becoming some kind of playboy in Tokyo, being caught by his several girlfriends... but that was impossible. Ridiculous. She probably just wanted to leave this small town so badly that her subconscious had manufactured such an elaborate fantasy.
Yotsuha, seeing her sister's dazed expression, threw her hands up in exasperation. "Time to eat! Hurry up!"
She slammed the door shut and scampered off to the kitchen to set out plates. Honestly, her sister was so lazy. Here she was, the younger sister, waking up early to make breakfast while her older sister slept until dawn every day. If she didn't wake her, Mitsuha would probably oversleep and be late for class.
Left alone, Miyamizu Mitsuha pondered her sister's words. Unconsciously, her hand drifted to her chest.
"Rub...?" Her face flushed crimson. "How is that possible! Yotsuha must be confused from sleep!"
She shook her head vigorously and forced herself to get up.
While washing her face, she noticed something strange—words written on her hand in ink.
"My name is Hozuki Nozomi. What's yours?"
Miyamizu Mitsuha's mind went blank.
"What the—Hozuki Nozomi? That name is so familiar..."
Recognition crashed over her like a wave.
"Oh right! That dream!"
But... wasn't that just a coincidence?
Still doubtful, she washed the words from her hand and began her morning routine. She dressed, then stood before the mirror and carefully braided her hair into two pigtails, coiling them at the back of her head and securing them with the red braided cord.
Finally, she joined Yotsuha and Grandma Hitoha in the living room for breakfast.
"Well then, I'm off to school too, Sister! You work hard today!"
Yotsuha ran off cheerfully, her energy undiminished by the early hour.
Miyamizu Mitsuha walked along the familiar road toward school, her school bag slung over her shoulder, her mind elsewhere. She kept thinking about yesterday's dream. Though the details were blurry, one thing was crystal clear: the name Hozuki Nozomi.
She was so distracted that she didn't notice the bicycle approaching until a familiar voice called out.
"Good morning, Mitsuha!"
Natori Sayaka waved cheerfully from the back of Teshigawara Katsuhiko's bike.
"Yo, good morning, Mitsuha!" Teshigawara added with a grin. He eyed her hairstyle. "Your hair's back to normal... Did the fox spirit finally leave?"
"Huh? Teshigawara, Sayaka, good morning." Mitsuha blinked at them. "But... what do you mean by fox spirit?"
Sayaka hopped off the bike and circled her friend, examining her from all angles with an amused smile. "Don't you remember? Yesterday you forgot both our names! You asked me about basic stuff about town that you should definitely know. Your whole personality completely changed!"
Teshigawara nodded enthusiastically. "You taught Tano a lesson—you know, that guy who's always giving you those nasty looks? You kicked his desk over and everything! And you teased Yamauchi Mami, said you were going to curse her!"
Sayaka continued, "Everyone was saying you got possessed by a fox spirit. That's the only explanation for how different you were." She scrutinized Mitsuha carefully. "But looking at you today... the way you've done your hair, the way you're walking... you're back to normal, aren't you? The fox spirit left?"
Miyamizu Mitsuha's hand flew to her mouth.
"Ah!"
"Are you two serious? I taught Tano a lesson? And teased Yamauchi?"
Teshigawara nodded vigorously. "Not just that! You were proud of your dad being the mayor—like, really proud! You completely shut down Tano and everyone else who had problems with you. Then in PE class, you absolutely dominated the boys at basketball! And in math class, you solved problems using methods the teacher said were university-level!"
Miyamizu Mitsuha stood frozen, her mind reeling.
This wasn't something she could do. Her grades were average at best, and math was her weakest subject. She hated basketball and had no skill at it whatsoever.
So that meant...
That dream... it was real?
She really had possessed that handsome playboy from Tokyo. And he had possessed her body in return.
His name... Hozuki Nozomi.
And what her sister had said this morning about rubbing her chest...
"Ahhhhh!"
Miyamizu Mitsuha's face burned crimson. Shame and outrage warred within her as the implications crashed down.
That unfaithful scumbag! That pervert!
How dare he do such vulgar things with her body?!