It was already 5 p.m. a little over three hours left until the cot would fall.
Kyousuke sat leaning against the doorfra on the wooden veranda, Yukino nestled quietly by his side.
"My na is Hojou Kyousuke. I live in Tokyo, Bunkyo Ward, Sendagi 49, Apartnt 701. My phone number is 080-XXXXXXXX."
He gripped Yukino's hand tightly as he spoke, making sure to tell her his mother's number and the addresses in Mizumoto and Otaru.
The only thing he didn't ntion was Higashi Middle School because Yukino had fled Tokyo due to rumors that she was secretly dating a guy who already had a girlfriend.
He was afraid that if he brought it up now, she might retreat again, unwilling to co find him.
Still, even as he considered this, another thought crept in: maybe Yukino had already co to Tokyo before, discovered he was just a student, and decided not to et him after all.
But the future was already set in motion. Overthinking it now wouldn't help. All he could do was figure things out once he got back to Tokyo.
"Promise no matter what happens, co find ! No matter what, we'll face it together!"
It was rare for Kyousuke to feel powerless, but now a thread of helplessness tugged at his heart.
Yukino was perfect woman, gentle as water, endlessly understanding, an incredible cook.
She would quietly wait for him to return, never complaining, like the ideal wife.
But she had one fatal flaw: she was fragile... and she had a habit of running away.
"Mhm." Yukino Yukari gave a soft hum, quietly feeling the warmth of Kyousuke's hand.
She had finally realized that Kyousuke wasn't so god.
He was human, just like her. Her taste hadn't returned through divine intervention—it had returned because...
"It's getting chilly," he said, brushing aside her wind-tousled bangs.
"Mhm." Yukino shook her head slightly, reached out to hold his hand tighter, and pressed her cheek softly against it.
"But it's the middle of sumr, Kyousuke-kun," she said with a smile.
Kyousuke blinked, a little surprised, then looked into her deep, starry-black eyes so clear and vast, like the night sky.
For a mont, it was as if he could taste the sweetness of an apple on his tongue.
"Yeah... Let's go to the sumr festival next year, Yukino. I want to see you in a yukata."
His mind filled with fireworks, bright and dazzling, like those at a festival.
"Okay!" Yukino nodded gently again. As long as it was sothing Kyousuke wanted...
They left the house and walked through the now-empty town, arriving at the school's field.
Kyousuke led Yukino to where her grandmother and Yotsuba were waiting, then went to find Miyamizu Toshiki.
"Father, has everyone been safely evacuated?"
'...This little punk—why does he call that so naturally?'
Miyamizu Toshiki twitched at the corner of his eye but held back his reaction, since they were surrounded by people.
"Yes."
"That's good."
"Is this really enough?" Toshiki looked around.
The once-empty field was now filled with people and scattered belongings.
"Yeah. My part's done. Now it's up to Mitsuha."
Kyousuke turned toward the direction of Mount Ryuujin. The sun was already sinking low. Dusk was drawing near.
Kataware-doki—the twilight ti.
"Twilight," he rembered the lesson, "is that mont when it's neither day nor night. People's outlines blur; you can't clearly see who's who."
"They say you're more likely to see surreal things at that ti like spirits or monsters. That's why it's sotis called the 'witching hour.'"
"But in ancient tis, they used to call it kataware-doki—'Who is that?' ti."
It had stuck with him since the first day he'd gone to school in Mitsuha's body. He'd known instinctively that it was important.
When his mories of switching bodies returned, he understood: if there was any hope of eting Mitsuha in this twisted, overlapping ti, it would only be during that brief twilight mont.
And right now, Mitsuha was surely waiting for him on Mount Ryuujin.
Borrowing Teshigawara's motorbike, Kyousuke sped toward the mountain. His mission in Itomori was complete. Now it was ti to et Mitsuha again.
The winding mountain road was familiar this was his third ti taking it.
Strangely, it always seed like the path only led upward. If Yotsuba found out there was a road in the world that was only uphill, she'd probably shriek in wonder.
He chuckled to himself. The evening breeze cooled the last traces of sumr heat, the rustling leaves muffling the motor's hum like the deep tones of Beethoven's Symphony No. 5—though Kyousuke had never heard it before.
Still, that's what it felt like. Light and free, yet fired with purpose.
Yukino had given him a gift a talent for cooking.
Just like the strange uphill journey, it was a curious gift.
Yukino had suddenly turned into a little foodie, bestowing a skill that perfectly suited Mitsuha's personality.
But the more he thought about it, the more it made sense.
To Yukino, those days without the sense of taste were probably the most hopeless of her life. So, she chose to give him what she thought was her most precious gift.
From now on, he'd use that talent to cook for her and make all kinds of delicious food to make her smile.
The mossy, rocky slope finally ca into view.
Teshigawara's bike couldn't make it any further.
Kyousuke stopped the engine and made a ntal note to remind Mitsuha to be extra careful on the way down.
The setting sun had already disappeared behind the mountains, casting the moss in a dusky green-black.
In the dim light, it felt as if the darkness were slowly swallowing the world.
Pulling himself up the rocky ledge to the plateau above the basin, Kyousuke finally caught sight of the sun again.
He looked around sure enough, Kisaki's motorbike wasn't here yet. He'd have to wait a bit longer.
Everything in the basin looked just as it had when he saw it two years later. Whether the lake was round or gourd-shaped didn't seem to change anything here.
———————————————————————
A cool, gentle sensation repeatedly touched her face.
Mitsuha furrowed her brows.
It must be Yotsuba again—ssing with her while she slept. Seriously, how many tis did she have to say it? Little girls shouldn't be so mischievous.
She reached up to brush Yotsuba's hand away... but felt sothing cold and slick.
Huh?
She opened her eyes and was instantly startled by the shimring cot glowing overhead.
In her panic, her foot kicked sothing, and the sudden shift in light revealed that it was only a mural.
"Geez! That scared half to death."
"...Wait, I'm in Kyousuke's body again?"
The voice that ca out of her mouth startled her even more. She grabbed the phone off the ground and glanced around.
This was... the shrine on Mount Ryuujin? In front of her was a small stone altar.
Then she noticed the toppled white ceramic bottle and the faint taste of sake on her tongue.
"Ahhhh!!"
'Kyousuke—he... he drank the kuchikamizake!?'
Mitsuha's face turned bright red as she scrambled backward, trying to escape from the horrible realization until she backed right into the stone wall behind her.
'Pervert!'
No ti to wonder why Kyousuke was here, or why he drank the sacred sake—her heart was drowning in embarrassnt.
The sweet taste of rice wine still lingered in her mouth, making her blush even harder.
What was she supposed to do now!? How could she ever face him again!?
What must Kyousuke think of her, knowing she made that?
Just imagining it made Mitsuha feel like she'd faint.
Would he... would he actually think it tasted good?
Wait—no! That's not the point at all!
'It... should taste pretty good, right?'
She swirled the liquid around in her mouth with her tongue, hesitating.
'Ahhh! What are you thinking, Mitsuha?! Where's your sense of modesty, girl?!'
Flustered, she buried her face in her hands.
Alone in the cave, Mitsuha indulged in all the girlish reactions she couldn't normally show—while still in Kyousuke's body.
It took a long while before she finally cald down.
When she stood up, her legs wobbled slightly.
'Did he drink too much?' Her head felt hazy and light.
'Geez, just because it tasted good doesn't an you should've downed the whole thing! Even a sake brewer like should show so restraint!'
When she picked up the bottle earlier, there hadn't been a single drop left.
The embarrassnt nearly overwheld her but at the sa ti, a sweet warmth blood in her chest.
'That idiot Kyousuke...'
Lost in her thoughts, she leaned on the rocky wall as she made her way out of the shrine cave.
She bumped her head several tis along the way, each knock making her already fuzzy brain even foggier.
The sudden sunlight made her raise a hand to shield her eyes. Wisps of golden clouds drifted across the sky, carried by the breeze.
'A beautiful day,' she thought. For soone who hated rainy weather, waking up to sunshine always lifted her mood.
It had been too dark in the cave to be sure, but stepping outside confird it.
The familiar hollow, the grassy clearing—it all lined up with her guess. And with it, mories ca flooding back.
Last ti, when Kyousuke ca here with Grandma and Yotsuba to make an offering, he had suddenly bolted halfway through.
If Yotsuba hadn't caught her, she would've hit her head on the rocks.
'And seriously did he have any idea how hard it is to turn a tricycle around on a narrow mountain path?!'
Crossing a small stream, Mitsuha began climbing the rock-strewn slope surrounding the hollow.
As she climbed, she tried to recall what she'd been doing before the body switch.
Usually, the mories ca back pretty quickly. But this ti, it felt like there was a thin veil she couldn't quite pierce.
'Wait—the mo!'
That deep-seated trust in Kyousuke kicked in. Even in her daze, the thought surfaced imdiately.
Just as she reached for her phone, a rock underfoot shifted, making her stumble. She focused her attention on climbing again.
With each step, that fog in her mind slowly began to lift.
Braided hair... a family photo... festival music... the orange exclamation mark on her phone...
'In the end, I never did get to show Kyousuke what I looked like that night,' she thought with a pang of regret.
After leaving the house, she'd t up with Yotsuba, Teshigawara, and Sayaka.
They were waiting on a hillside for Yukino-sensei to arrive so they could all go to the shrine festival together.
It had already grown dark.
Before that strange connection with Kyousuke, every quiet evening after school had been the sa just her, Sayaka, and Teshigawara sitting around, flipping through old magazines, venting about how much they hated Itomori, dreaming about Tokyo.
But that night, they saw a once-in-a-lifeti sight.
A massive cot streaked across the sky, its long tail shimring in red and blue.
Strangely, she hadn't noticed the moon at all the cot dominated the heavens, glowing like it had swallowed the night itself.
Fine, dust-like particles drifted around it in erratic patterns.
Mitsuha had never seen anything so beautiful.
The last ti sothing stunned her like this was when she caught a glimpse of Kyousuke through the train window at the station.
Back then, Kyousuke filled her world. Now, the cot filled the sky.
While waiting for Yukino-sensei, the group just stood there, srized.
Then, without warning, the cot split into two.
The smaller fragnt seed to be heading toward them.
Yotsuba, delighted, shouted, "Look! The cot had a baby!"
Teshigawara shouted sothing too, though her foggy brain couldn't rember what.
Just that streaks of light burst forth around the fragnt like a cascade of falling stars.
Finally, Mitsuha reached the top of the slope, standing on the rocky platform encircling the clearing.
Though it was sumr, the mountaintop breeze felt chilly in the dusk air.
'Good thing I'm in Kyousuke's body,' she mused. 'If it were my own, I'd be sneezing already.'
She looked out over the cloudscape below, glowing faintly under the sunset like a soft, luminous blanket.
The wind swept through her hair and the clouds above Itomori parted, revealing the lake below, shaped like a gourd.
'Why... why am I shaking?'
Her eyes locked onto the bluish glow of Itomori Lake. Her arms and legs trembled uncontrollably.
'Is it the alcohol? The wind? Or is Kyousuke just scared of heights? Geez, such a scaredy-cat. How are you ever going to ride a Ferris wheel like that...?'
Desperately, Mitsuha tried to fill her mind with nonsense to keep herself from facing the truth.
Fear. Anxiety. Sorrow. Panic.
A crushing wave of despair wrapped around her. Her legs gave out.
Her knees hit the rocky platform with a dull thud as her strength vanished.
'That's right... Teshigawara was shouting for everyone to run.'
The blazing, massive cot fragnt had fallen like it wanted to punch a hole through the earth.
Sayaka had dropped to her knees too, helpless. Yotsuba hugged her, trying to comfort her.
Sayaka had been the smart one, just that once.
Because seriously, what good would running do in the face of sothing like that?
Teshigawara was an idiot.
Mitsuha had been shouting too—what was she saying?
Ah... yes.
In her final monts, her mind had been filled only with Kyousuke.
Her biggest regret was that he never saw her in that yukata.
Never got to hear him say how beautiful she looked.
"Kyousuke, I love you. Even if I'm reborn, I want to et you again."
So frustrating... those feelings never reached him.
But if she got the chance if they t again she would hug him without hesitation.
The familiar sight of Itomori vanished.
The last thing she rembered was the lake engulfed in flas.
Now, in its place, was the sa gourd-shaped lake but peaceful, serene.
The town she had resented for over ten years had disappeared from the world in the most surreal way imaginable.
And strangely...
Just thinking of him was enough to dispel all the despair that had clung to her.
That's the kind of person Kyousuke was.
With him around, it felt like nothing else mattered.
She sat cross-legged on the rocky platform, pulled out her phone, and opened the notes app.
The long list of notes she'd once kept—gone. All of it.
Her lips pouted in frustration, but deep down she knew it couldn't be helped.
'Good thing I backed it all up, hehe.'
She tapped the only note that remained.
———————————————————————
"Boo! Bet I scared you, Mitsuha!"
———————————————————————
She couldn't help but giggle.
'That idiot Kyousuke—joking around even now.'
Her serious expression lted away as a wide grin spread across her face.
———————————————————————
"Don't be afraid. If you're reading this, it ans I've used your kuchikamizake to return to the past. You're safe now..."
———————————————————————
Kyousuke had left a ssage detailing everything.
How, in the main tiline, she'd been saved. What he planned to do next.
He knew her mories might vanish again.
But just in case, he wrote it all out so they wouldn't waste ti explaining when they finally t again.
Staring at the notes on her phone, Mitsuha's foggy mind gradually began to clear.
Her mories, like a puzzle reassembled after lifting a veil of mist, finally ca back together in full.
The shrine maiden's kuchikamizake can transcend ti and space?
Mitsuha couldn't help but think of Yotsuba's plan to sell kuchikamizake.
The thought alone sent a chill down her spine. Thank goodness Kyousuke talked her out of it!
But... a female swordsman in Nara? That's supposed to be ?
Her eyes paused on the bold lettering in the mo, and Mitsuha couldn't help but giggle smugly to herself.
Kyousuke saved again.
After reading the mo three or four more tis, she finally put away her phone.
Hugging her knees close, she sat quietly, gazing down at the sleepy tenth of Itomori bathed in the golden afterglow of the setting sun.
'Now, finally, I can go to Tokyo to find Kyousuke.'
As the sun dipped lower, she sat at the edge of a rocky outcrop overlooking Itomori as well.
Her fear of heights wasn't truly about heights, it was about death.
As the light continued to fade, the cot in the sky shone ever brighter.
Eventually, the last sliver of sunlight was swallowed by thick clouds.
"The Twilight Hour."
"The Twilight Hour."
'Huh?'
Out of pure reflex, Kyousuke reached toward her chest.
"Ah! You perv, Kyousuke! What are you doing?!"
The person she'd missed for so long had suddenly appeared right before her eyes.
Mitsuha, overwheld with joy, had just opened her mouth to call his na, but his absurd reaction made her face instantly flush bright red.
"Haha, I was just... checking your developnt," he said, completely unfazed. "What? At that ti, it was my body—I can touch it if I want."
"This is exactly what you told Yotsuba when you touched my chest! You're a terrible influence on children!"
Flustered, Mitsuha pointed at him randomly as she spoke.
Kyousuke didn't reply he simply looked at her quietly.
Alive.
Embarrassed.
Pouting.
Spoiled.
Mitsuha was here, right in front of him.
"Mitsuha"
He called out softly and opened his arms.
"Kyousuke!!!" She couldn't hold back anymore.
The longing she had buried in her heart exploded.
Tears welled up and spilled from the corners of her eyes as she dove into his arms.
Kyousuke, as if all his strength had left him, fell backward from the impact.
"We finally et again."
"Mm! Mm! Mm!" Mitsuha's tears wouldn't stop. Kyousuke arms were wrapped so tightly around her waist, she could barely breathe.
But... she was so happy.
It's Kyousuke. It's really Kyousuke.
That familiar scent. That familiar body. The one she had seen countless tis while bathing—now it was right beneath her.
So warm. Like the sun.
The feel of him was so real—firm muscles with a soft elasticity.
"This ti, it's my turn to co find you."
"Mm-hmm!" Mitsuha's face remained buried in his comforting chest.
"It wasn't easy."
ddling gods ssing with their mories, body-swapping across mismatched tilines...
Mitsuha finally lifted her head and looked down at the man beneath her, whose face was filled with tenderness.
"Monts like this... you're supposed to smile."
Kyousuke, his own eyes a little misty, reached up to wipe her tears but—
Even though she'd stopped crying, tears still sparkled in Mitsuha's eyes, glimring beautifully in the dim light.
She didn't say a word just leaned down and pressed her lips to his.
Before Kyousuke could even react, their teeth bumped together.
Her first kiss—clumsy, intense, but full of love.
The wind on the mountaintop seed to pause.
For the two of them, so close together, even the faint click of their teeth sounded as loud as temple bells.
"Mmm~"
Monts ago, Mitsuha had been so bold.
Now, her face flushed from her ears all the way to her nose.
She pressed her hands against his chest, about to sit up.
But this ti, he reacted imdiately.
He reached out, grabbed her waist, and pulled her back down then kissed her again, hard, on those trembling red lips.
No longer just a fleeting peck, this was a deep, breath-stealing kiss.
His tongue, warm and tasting faintly of sake, invaded her mouth without hesitation. First exploring, then sucking, then twining and chasing hers...
Ti passed.
The sky darkened further.
Kyousuke finally let go.
Mitsuha, flushed and gasping for air, sat astride his solid abs, her whole body glowing red.
"Pervert!" she muttered softly.
"Heh." Kyousuke just smiled.
He didn't say anything like "You started it."
Monts like this weren't for being smug.
For her to summon the courage to kiss him like that must've taken everything she had.
"But... why are you so good at it?!"
Mitsuha had never understood, watching dramas, what was so appealing about deep kisses. Why did people always get so lost in them?
But now, in Kyousuke's arms—gasping for air, hungry for more, feeling like she was lting into him, she finally got it.
That sensation of being completely devoured, of blending into soone you love, overwheld her with how much he cared for her.
It felt amazing.
But... maybe a little too experienced?
"Don't fra !" Kyousuke shouted, "It's a guy thing, we're born knowing how!"
"Liar..." Mitsuha mumbled under her breath.
Their eyes t again. Kyousuke sat up with her still in his lap, wrapped her in his arms.
Overhead, the cot streaked across the sky, trailing its red and blue tails.
"It was so hard just to see you again, Kyousuke-kun." Mitsuha's voice was quiet, her face pressed against his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat.
Who are you telling...
"Yeah... but I'm glad we finally did." Kyousuke lowered his head and kissed her forehead.
"I missed you so much."
"I know. too."
"After I ca back from Tokyo to Itomori, I couldn't get through to your phone anymore."
Her voice trembled with frustration.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. It's not your fault."
"But seeing you cry like that in the diner—I felt so guilty. I wanted to tear apart that god who ssed with our mories."
"Hehe~" Mitsuha nuzzled her head against him and laughed. "You can't. It's thanks to that god we were able to et."
"Then I guess I'll let them off the hook."
"Haha, as expected of the infamous 'Handless Demon Lord' Kyousuke."
"Mitsuha—"
"Hmm?"
Her lips were sealed again.
"What was that for? I just wanted to try calling you that once," Mitsuha pouted playfully, her delicate face glowing, her eyes shimring like they were made of liquid affection.
The sun had almost completely disappeared now.
"Isn't it about ti you gave back my hair tie?" the girl asked, lightly tracing her fingers along the boy's wrist.
"No way. That was a gift from you. I've been wearing it every day," Kyousuke said, gently holding her small hand.
"You're so sneaky," she muttered. "You're still wearing the necklace Sakura gave you around your neck."
Kyousuke pretended not to hear her.
He leaned down and softly brushed his lips against Mitsuha's smooth cheek.
He was already familiar with the taste of her tears that he'd tasted them during their kiss.
"Let see it now, Mitsuha. You, in a yukata."
"Idiot, Kyousuke. The festival hasn't even started yet," she replied.
"Huh? Oh... right. Haha, I guess you're right." He had even been saving the photo to look at together when they t again.
"Idiot~" she whispered sweetly.
But really, how could he be an idiot?
If anyone dared call Kyousuke stupid, she'd be the first to protest.
"But I do have a picture from when I tried it on earlier," she said cheerfully, pulling out her phone.
In the photo, Mitsuha stood in the courtyard, wearing white knee-high socks and wooden sandals.
A gentle smile graced her lips.
The vivid red obi wrapped around a blue yukata made her look elegant and radiant.
"You're beautiful" Kyousuke said, holding up both thumbs.
"Hehe~" Mitsuha giggled bashfully.
"My mom made it. Different sizes for every stage starting from my Hinamatsuri kimono, all the way to my wedding dress."
At that, she turned and locked eyes with Kyousuke.
In her brown gaze was sothing that made his heart skip a fierce determination.
"Next ti, I'm coming to Tokyo to find you!" she declared.
Even if Sakura and Shouko were wonderful people, the shrine was gone.
Nothing could hold her back from chasing her happiness anymore!
...Well, she was more than welco to co.
There would definitely be a room for her in his house. But... why did she have to say it like a threat?
"I'll take you to the best stationery store and buy you the cutest pens!" Kyousuke promised eagerly.
"Kyousuke~"
This guy... how was she supposed to leave him after that?
Her heart was overflowing.
She rembered the note he wrote during their second body swap, saying he wanted to buy her cute stationery. It had been over two years, and he still rembered.
He was like a drug—just one taste, and she could never live without him again.
As she gazed into his eyes—deep and dark as the night sky—Mitsuha tilted her head upward slightly, unable to resist.
Kyousuke smiled knowingly and leaned in.
But when he kissed... he kissed only empty air.
The girl in his arms had vanished without a trace.
'Damn system! Why didn't you extend the ti?!'
Kyousuke didn't understand what that ridiculous god ant by "twilight."
Forget not preserving his mories at least let them spend a little more ti together!
'Ding—'
Whatever.
No point arguing with a system that can't even talk.
He looked up at the dark sky.
It was already 7:50.
Factoring in the ti to climb down... yeah, Mitsuha should have just enough ti to reach the school grounds.
How strange... was this what kissing felt like? Kyousuke found himself scolding his own heart—it was like ti disappeared in an instant.
Wait... why hadn't his mory faded yet?
As he stood atop the mountain, Kyousuke suddenly sensed sothing was off.
'Huh? Why am I even up here? Who was I just thinking about?'
He opened the barely noticeable system interface. Two glaring new notifications appeared:
———————————————————————
"Received a gift from 'Yukino Yukari' — Cooking Talent"
———————————————————————
Yukino Yukari? Who's that?
He skimd past it and saw the next one.
———————————————————————
"Received a gift from 'Mitsuha' — [Return to the Beginning]"
———————————————————————
It wasn't a talent—it was an active skill with a one-year cooldown!
———————————————————————
"Restores mory, stamina, vitality, etc. Can even regenerate lost limbs instantly. (Final interpretation rights reserved by the system.)"
———————————————————————
mory?
His thoughts were foggy, his mory clearly incomplete. Kyousuke imdiately activated the skill.
Mitsuha... Yukino...
In an instant, everything beca crystal clear. Every mont of their body swaps ca rushing back. Even his stomach, empty all day, suddenly felt full.
"Still... a whole year cooldown for that? Seriously?"
Grumbling under his breath, Kyousuke picked up Kisaki Tetta's motorbike. Forget waiting for Tokyo he was going to see Mitsuha tomorrow.
———————————————————————
In another tiline...
Mitsuha, eyes closed and face tilted up in anticipation, eventually cracked an eye open.
The mountaintop was empty. Kyousuke was nowhere to be seen.
Dear gods, you've lost the loyalty of your shrine maiden forever.
With a sigh and a heavy heart, she stood up and brushed the dust from her clothes.
She glanced at her phone. Less than thirty minutes until the cot hit, just like Kyousuke said.
Well then... ti to fulfill my final duty as a shrine maiden.
She slapped her cheeks with both hands, wiped away her tears, and headed down the mountain with renewed determination.
"Be strong, Mitsuha."
Riding her bike down the mountain road, mories of her and Kyousuke played like a slideshow in her mind. Her heart overflowed with warmth.
'I have to go to Tokyo. I'll go for high school. I'll find Kyousuke—and kiss him every day!'
'Kyousuke, Kyousuke, Kyousuke! This ti I won't forget your na!'
'We can even live together in a little apartnt in Sendagaya. Wait... can two people even live in a studio apartnt?'
'Probably. Tokyo's like that, right?'
'Tokyo...? Wait—what about Tokyo?'
'I need to go to Tokyo!'
'But... why?'
A question surfaced in her heart.
'I must go to Tokyo! A voice in her soul shouted.'
'Soone important to is there!' The thought rang so loudly it gave her a headache.
'Soone important...? Who? What's his na?'
'That important person... what's your na?'
She stared straight ahead, eyes out of focus, and tears began to fall again.
She had forgotten.
How could she forget soone who ant so much?
Silently sobbing, Mitsuha strained to recall.
Blurry fragnts flickered through her mind:
Eyes dark as the stars. Soft, warm lips.
Kendo tournants. The cherry blossom festival. A gentle mother.
A key above the doorfra. Sleeping naked. Beef in the fridge.
Their mories were too deeply entwined.
Not even gods or ti could erase them completely.
"I have to go to Tokyo. I have to find him!"
On a quiet forest path, the girl scread at the top of her lungs.
The birds had long since fled the coming disaster.
The only one who could hear her might've been the ever-brightening cot in the sky.
She arrived at the schoolyard just minutes before the cot was due. In the sky, it had already begun to split.
"Mitsuha?"
The mont Miyamizu Toshiki saw her, he knew—it was his daughter.
Not exactly the sa as before, but there was no mistaking the resemblance to Futaba.
This wasn't goodbye.
Yes... Futaba was right. She's always right.
Reviews
All reviews (0)