At noon, Kyousuke had lunch with Mitsuha's two friends beneath a giant tree in the corner of the playground.
Enjoying the cool breeze under its wide shade, he couldn't help but lant how small a girl's appetite was.
Beyond the playground, a steep cliff overlooked a winding mountain road. Further below, the town stretched out, with the serene Itomori Lake glistening at its heart.
Perhaps it was because of the vast Itomori Lake or the endless forest that surrounded it, but the midday sun in mid-April didn't bring scorching heat.
Instead, it was pleasantly comfortable.
A gentle breeze blew through, and the tree crowns swayed, and the rustling leaves created a mysterious rhythm.
The still waters of Itomori Lake rippled slightly, blurring the golden reflections.
Long-legged birds took off and landed gracefully, while a small fishing boat drifted on the surface.
Even the uncrowned king of the school, Hojou Kyousuke, had never enjoyed such a top-tier lunch experience.
On the rooftop of Higashi High, the best he could see were students running around below and the distant building.
The only sounds he heard were the bickering of the Onizuka Brothers or Kisaki Tetta morizing vocabulary.
As he listened to the rustling leaves, Kyousuke felt drowsy.
In a daze, he seed to see himself—his face flushed red as he loosened his belt to use the restroom.
Walking down the street, he would shyly exclaim at everything, like a country bumpkin who had ti-traveled from the past.
"Mitsuha, Mitsuha?" A voice pulled Kyousuke out of his half-asleep state.
"Huh? What's up?"
"I've been calling you for ages. Did you not sleep well last night?"
"A bit... I was studying until midnight."
He shalessly lied, despite having topped the entrance exam for Higashi Junior High.
In fact, whether in elentary or middle school, he had never study late for an exam.
"Yeah, right." Natori Sayaka eyed her friend suspiciously.
They had agreed to be academic slackers together, graduate high school, and then work in a factory.
No, wait, they planned to visit Tokyo and experience the big city. And now, she was secretly studying?
"You think Mitsuha is like you? She's destined to inherit the Miyamizu Shrine. Imagine the headlines: 'College graduate gives up high-paying Tokyo job to beco shrine maiden.' Tourists would flock to Itomori."
Teshigawara Katsuhiko chid in, not believing Mitsuha's sudden diligence either.
He just wanted to ss with Sayaka.
"As if! Once Mitsuha gets into college, she'll never co back to this godforsaken place. Right, Mitsuha?"
"Huh? Godforsaken? Where else would birds lay eggs if not in the forest? On Tokyo Tower?"
"You..."
"Hehe."
Kyousuke chuckled awkwardly as he watched the two bicker.
Fortunately, he knew this was their way of flirting.
"Hey, hey, stop pulling her hair!"
Wait, is hair-pulling how you express love around here?
Seeing the argunt escalate, Kyousuke quickly pulled Sayaka away.
"Hmph!"
"Hmph!"
Okay, it really was their strange custom.
Their bond seed stronger now.
Watching the two cross their arms and snort in sync, Kyousuke couldn't help but smile wryly.
After so playful banter, afternoon classes began.
———————————————————————
Art Classroom
Facing the perfectly angled canvas and holding a well-balanced pencil, Kyousuke's artistic soul burned with passion.
Alright, he hadn't given up on his dream of becoming a mangaka yet.
After reflecting last night, he realized he didn't need to worry about expressions.
After all, Saitama from One Punch Man had a blank face.
He could just ask Eriri to design a few expressions and reuse them.
As for the supporting characters... deal with that later. Or have Eriri handle that too.
Co to think of it, don't Japanese mangaka have assistants?
Maybe he could recruit Eriri as his assistant?
Wait, no. There's no way he could afford her.
Living in a mansion that could be a tourist attraction, with a diplomat father, and on the verge of becoming a famous doujin artist—she was out of his league.
How big of a face would he need to ask her directly? It's not like he had the "Face-Face Fruit" power.
Or... split the profits 50/50? Count it as her technical investnt?
With that thought, Kyousuke began sketching.
This ti, he drew a massive humanoid creature.
It wasn't human because of the terrifying, ear-to-ear grin that split its face.
The giant clutched a tiny human in its hand.
"Mitsuha, what are you drawing? The teacher told us to draw a vase."
Sayaka, sitting beside Mitsuha, peeked at her friend canvas and gasped softly.
Though she spoke quietly, her words drew the attention of their classmates.
Before Kyousuke could explain, several heads popped up around him.
"Ew, what is that? It's so creepy."
Minami Manaka, with a side ponytail and colorful rubber bands on her wrist, wrinkled her nose.
"Yeah, yeah. Could this be the monster the Miyamizu Shrine has been guarding for generations?"
The girl beside her, with dyed brown hair and matching rubber bands, played along.
"Hahaha, Manaka, you really get it."
Minami Manaka draped an arm over her friend's shoulder, raising her eyebrows smugly.
"Maybe Mitsuha fights monsters in her shrine maiden outfit every night after finishing her howork."
"Oh, no wonder her grades are so bad."
Yamaaka Shunya, whose rear still ached from the last incident, felt a rush of satisfaction as his friends mocked Mitsuha.
He wanted to join in, but the pain reminded him to stay quiet.
"Sayaka, are they... talking about ?"
Watching the two girls' exaggerated sneering, Kyousuke was montarily stunned.
"Yeah..."
'Mitsuha, did you hit your head?'
Seeing Mitsuha's dumbfounded look and that unsettling sketch, Natori Sayaka grew concerned.
Kyousuke had already asked Sayaka about Minami Manaka when he first swapped with Mitsuha body.
He wasn't planning on actually beating anyone up, but gathering intel was necessary.
Now, seeing Minami Manaka's thick mascara and disturbingly colored lipstick, he was reminded of an old saying:
"Spare the rod and spoil the child."
How should he deal with them?
Slap them each in the face? Too violent.
Drag them by the hair around the classroom?
What's wrong with ?
All these terrible ideas... Is Mitsuha's influence rubbing off on ?
Kyousuke put down his pencil and stood up.
Minami Manaka, still babbling in her thick accent, imdiately shut up and took a step back.
Normally, they wouldn't fear Mitsuha, but after what happened to Yamaaka Shunya, the Mitsuha standing before them felt... dangerous.
Oh right, she had her hair tied in a high ponytail that day too.
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