Friday
Hojou Kyousuke woke up to the vibration of his phone.
Though the sudden buzz startled him as usual, he felt a sense of satisfaction when he opened his eyes to a dimly lit room.
Finally, he wasn't being woken up by the morning sun.
So, the body swap didn't necessarily happen every other day.
His day consisted of school, kendo club, and a visit to the Garden of Words.
He also updated Okudera-senpai on the sauce recipe and finished the day by taste-testing new dishes at Okudera Miki's place.
When he got home, a message from Shouko had just arrived.
"Good evening, Kyousuke-kun."
Since Shouko had a severe hearing impairment, she used a behind-the-ear hearing aid.
To make phone calls, she had to place the phone's microphone near the hearing aid's mic, which wasn't very convenient.
Because of this, she usually preferred texting when talking to Kyousuke.
Kyousuke casually tossed his jacket onto the coat rack at the foot of his bed and flopped down.
He always felt like he could shake off the day's exhaustion just by doing that.
Looking at Shouko's profile picture with her gentle smile, he replied, "Good evening to you too, Shouko."
..................................
Meanwhile, in the shared apartment of Shouko and Naoka, the two girls were in their bedroom—or rather, the single room they had split in half with a folding screen.
Lying on her bed, Shouko received Kyousuke's message.
Instantly, her mood lifted, and she started kicking her legs up and down under the blanket, unable to contain her excitement.
"Shouko, are you really that happy chatting with Kyousuke?" Naoka teased from the living room, where she was sketching something on a sheet of paper.
The soft 'thump-thump' sound from Shouko's legs on the bed was impossible to miss.
The only person who could make Shouko this happy was Kyousuke.
"Ah~"
Hearing Naoka's teasing, Shouko's face turned bright red as she buried her face in her blanket.
After a moment, she remembered she hadn't replied to Kyousuke yet and, still blushing, lifted her head.
"So we're definitely going to Shibuya tomorrow?"
After sending her message, she turned to Naoka.
"Naoka, are you really not coming with us tomorrow?"
"I won't intrude on your little 'date.' Have fun!" Naoka said, still focused on her drawing, outlining the curve of a dress with precise strokes.
She genuinely meant it.
Of course, she wanted to go, but she had work.
She admired her late parents, who had sacrificed their lives in service, and their uniforms still shone brightly under the morning sun.
But for those left behind, life had to go on.
The compensation they received wasn't enough to support three younger brothers and her education.
Her grandfather was already struggling. She had to share the burden.
In fact, it wasn't just Kyousuke who had received a scholarship.
Both Naoka and Shouko, who attended Ochanomizu Girls' Middle School, were also beneficiaries of special financial aid due to their excellent academic performance.
"Yuzuru's coming too! It's not just the two of us!" Shouko quickly clarified, her face heating up even more at the implication.
Naoka chuckled. "Oh? Then why don't I invite Yuzuru to my workplace? I'll take care of her so you and Kyousuke can have some alone time."
"Naoka!" Shouko protested in a hushed, embarrassed voice.
"Alright, alright, I'll stop teasing. So, how's Yuzuru getting to Tokyo tomorrow?"
"Kyousuke-kun said he'll ride his bike to my house to pick her up, and then we'll all meet at Shibuya Crossing," Shouko explained.
Shouko house was only 20 kilometers from Tokyo—less than a 30-minute ride by motorcycle.
The route followed the Capital Expressway, the same one the Bousou Angels often used for their midnight rides.
Kyousuke had even ridden with them a few times, making trips to her house.
If it wasn't too late, he would've liked to stop by and visit a few of the girls he knew there.
"Sounds good." Naoka nodded before returning to her sketch. The outlines of a dress were taking shape on the paper.
.............................
"See you tomorrow in Shibuya. I'll make sure to bring Yuzuru safely."
Reading Kyousuke's message, Shouko smiled and started kicking her legs again.
"Mhm, see you tomorrow, Kyousuke-kun. Goodnight~"
"Goodnight."
Shouko stared at Kyousuke's profile picture for two minutes before humming a soft tune and hopping out of bed.
She opened her wardrobe, searching for the perfect outfit for their outing.
Naoka, hearing the familiar melody, glanced up with a grin. "Wow, you really love 'Monster's Ballad,' huh?"
"Of course! You and Kyousuke-kun taught me this song together."
"If I ever become a singer, this has to be the first track on my album!" Shouko said as she held up two T-shirts, comparing them in the mirror.
"You can't wear that. It's a rare chance for a date, you have to make sure Kyousuke won't forget you for a whole week!"
Naoka set down her pencil and walked over, taking the cutesy T-shirts from Shouko's hands and putting them back in the closet.
Instead, she pulled out a white, long-sleeved T-shirt from the very back.
"Wear this! You bought it—why not wear it?"
Shouko shook her head. "No way, no way!"
"You have to show off your best features! Put it on, and I'll help you pick the rest." Naoka shoved the shirt into her hands.
Hesitating, Shouko blushed.
This was the tight, high-necked shirt they had bought while shopping together. It clung to her figure in a way that made her self-conscious.
Naoka sighed. "Come on, hurry up."
With no other choice, Shouko pulled the folding screen closed and changed.
Naoka tossed her a pair of tight black jeans. "Wear these."
Minutes later, Shouko emerged, her arms crossed over her chest in an attempt to cover herself.
Her voice trembled. "N-Naoka… this is too embarrassing."
The tight-fitting T-shirt highlighted her curves, and since she wore a light bralette, the shape was even more noticeable.
Combined with the skinny jeans, her silhouette was as perfect as Naoka's design sketches.
"Your hair's wrong."
Shouko had left her hair to air-dry after her shower. Naoka grabbed a hair tie and put it into a high ponytail. "There, much better."
Seeing Shouko looking like a fashionable city girl, Naoka nodded in satisfaction.
Even if she couldn't go with them, at least she had a hand in making Shouko's outfit perfect.
"One more thing—change your bra tomorrow! You should show a little skin."
"Naoka!" Shouko's face turned red again.
She wasn't used to wearing such revealing clothes.
The only reason she had even bought this outfit was because Naoka had convinced her by saying, 'Don't you want to wear something nice for Kyousuke?'
"Aah, I just can't do it."
Looking at herself in the mirror, she felt her face burn. It did look good, but… she only wanted Kyousuke to see her like this.
She quickly changed back into her pajamas and held up a skirt. "I think I'll wear this instead."
Meanwhile, in Sendagaya, Kyousuke noted everything down in his memo, just in case he swapped bodies with Mitsuha the next morning.
If that happened, he needed her to contact Shouko and take the train together to Shibuya to pick up Yuzuru.
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