That night, Kyousuke spent his time singing.
For some reason, after hearing Teshigawara and Sayaka say, "See you tomorrow," he had a strong feeling—he'd be switching bodies again tomorrow.
Living in a world like this, he had learned to trust these sudden gut instincts.
Just like when he first saw Shouko and immediately guessed that Ishida Shoya would be the "villain" of the story, his intuition never missed.
So, just in case, he spent the entire night in a quiet corner of the shrine practicing the song for the music test.
Thankfully, it wasn't a professional exam—the song was one of those simple, catchy ones from the textbook.
He found a version online and practiced until his rendition was about 80–90% accurate.
'I knew it! If your tongue, breath, and mouth shape are the same, there's no way you can't learn it!'
Feeling proud of himself, Kyousuke pulled the covers over his head and drifted off to sleep.
'Bzzz. Bzzz. Bzzz.'
A familiar buzzing sound—though more muffled than usual. Not as sharp and crisp as when the phone vibrated on a wooden nightstand.
Conclusion? He was in Mitsuha's body again.
The phone was vibrating on a soft tatami mat instead of a wooden bed, so it sounded more… sleepy.
His mind racing through possibilities, Kyousuke peeked out from under the covers.
Sure enough, sunlight streamed in through the glass window, and he was lying on a tatami mat, not a hotel bed in Kushiro.
'Music test today. Good thing I prepared!'
He smiled confidently at his reflection in the full-length mirror.
Dressed neatly, with proper undergarments—no more wind-chilled walks, thank you very much.
Thanks to the alarm he'd set, Kyousuke had time to prepare breakfast for Grandma and Yotsuba.
Seeing the endless variety of fresh veggies in the kitchen made him a bit jealous—no need for market runs here!
He'd set the rice cooker timer last night, having already discovered the feature on the Miyamizu family's machine.
From the fridge, he took out the sweet potato dumplings Yukino had given him the day before.
Just leave them at room temperature and they'd be good to eat. He quickly stir-fried three simple dishes, then went to call Yotsuba for breakfast.
"Hey sis, are we going to Yukino's house again today?"
As they parted ways at the intersection, Yotsuba asked with hopeful eyes.
The rain yesterday had come too suddenly, she hadn't even gotten a chance to show off her new bike to Yukino.
"Today, huh… I'm not sure. You head home first, and I'll come get you if we do go." Kyousuke thought for a moment.
Barring any surprises, he was planning to help Yukino with house repairs again.
"Okay! See you later, sis!"
"See ya, little sister."
"…Little sister?"
Yotsuba blinked, confused, scratching the back of her head.
Sure, her sister acted weird sometimes, but today she was especially off.
First, she gave her twin pigtails this morning with a look of accomplishment like she'd just braided a work of art.
And now she called her "little sister" out of nowhere?
Holding onto the bike handlebars, Yotsuba started to wonder—was she dreaming?
She had a bike and her sister called her "little sister"? Could life get any better?
"Yotsuba! Morning!"
A cheerful girl in a yellow floral dress ran up to her.
"Morning, Yumemi! Hop on, I'll give you a ride to school!"
Yotsuba lit up at the sight of her friend, instantly forgetting her confusion.
"Okay!"
Seeing that school was only about 300 meters away, Yumemi happily climbed onto the back of the bike.
Soon, Kyousuke's solo music test was over.
"Mitsuha-san, even if you're helping someone, you still need to take care of your throat. I'd be very worried if something happened to your voice."
The elderly music teacher, hair graying and steps slow, walked Kyousuke to the classroom door with a face full of concern.
"Thank you so much. I'll make sure to rest properly." Kyousuke bowed politely, keeping up his best smile.
After the door shut, he turned to his two friends waiting outside and gave a thumbs-up, flashing a bright white grin.
'Never singing again. Music is way too abstract for me.'
In the teacher's office, he hadn't even finished the first line before the teacher interrupted, thinking his throat was damaged…
That afternoon, classes were canceled and students wandered the campus freely. Kyousuke spent the time chatting with Yukino and Sayaka at their usual spot.
Just like last time at home, Yukino helped him redo his hair, her delicate handiwork making Sayaka visibly envious.
Sayaka didn't wear pigtails every day because they were stylish, she just couldn't braid anything better!
When school ended, Kyousuke was just about to return to the shrine to grab Yotsuba and head to Yukino's house for more repairs when he saw a familiar figure standing at the school gates.
Mitsuha's father.
The middle-aged man wore a sleek black suit, hair slicked back with not a strand out of place.
When he saw Yukino, he offered a polite nod and smile. Then his gaze turned to Kyousuke, and he pointed to the other side of the road.
"Yukino-san, go on home for today. Looks like I won't be able to help with the repairs."
Kyousuke gave a small nod to Miyamizu Toshiki, then smiled at Yukino.
"Mitsuha, we'll be heading out first then!" Teshigawara and Sayaka were clearly intimidated by Mitsuha's strict father.
After bowing quickly and waving goodbye to Kyousuke, they hurried off.
Kyousuke took a deep breath.
'Meeting the parent already, huh?' Looked like a tough one.
He didn't know why Toshiki was here, but one thing was certain, this wasn't the time to back down.
Miyamizu Toshiki had already walked to the right side of the gate, where a black Toyota sedan was parked.
As Kyousuke approached, ready to greet him properly, the man spoke using an oddly formal tone:
"Please, get in."
'…What?'
Kyousuke froze for a moment.
'Is this how fathers in Itomori treat their daughters' guy friends? Or is this some Nara tradition?' Maybe it was.
With restrained elegance, Kyousuke nodded and got into the car.
"You may drive now, Kouta. Take us to my residence," Toshiki said after closing the door.
"Yes, Mayor Miyamizu."
Despite being in the countryside, the roads were smooth and well-maintained.
The car moved with barely a bump. Inside, it was eerily quiet, save for the soft hum of the engine.
Both passengers sat stiffly in the back, hands on their thighs in perfect posture.
Toshiki watched the person next to him from the corner of his eye—the one who wore his daughter's face.
Ever since that first encounter with this so-called "god" who had possessed Mitsuha's body, he hadn't been able to concentrate on anything.
If it were just the Miyamizu Shrine, he could dismantle it through bureaucratic means.
He could crush the superstitions and even modernize the entire ancient town.
But when a real "god" appeared before him, Toshiki had been so terrified he trembled uncontrollably.
He couldn't do anything at all.
During this time, he had taken every opportunity he could—school visits, town speeches, agricultural inspections to observe that ponytailed deity closely.
And to his horror, he realized that the god seemed to be taking further control over his daughter's body.
The most unnerving sign? That ponytail could change.
Just this morning, when they left the house, it had been braided.
Now, it was perfectly styled into something almost elegant.
Still, he noticed that the god didn't always possess his daughter.
Most of the time, his daughter seemed to be the one in control.
But the more he observed, the more changes he noticed in her, and the more confused he became.
Things weren't as simple as he had feared.
The god even built a bicycle for his younger daughter?
One thing, however, was clear Mitsuha was slowly turning into Futaba.
And even more shocking, the townspeople were beginning to show more reverence for Mitsuha than they ever had for Futaba.
Unacceptable.
Absolutely unacceptable.
If that really happened, what was the point of everything he'd done?
All his efforts would be for nothing.
So when he realized that Mitsuha was still possessed by the god even after two days in a row, something that had never happened before he panicked.
This was no longer a minor issue.
It was clearly getting worse.
He couldn't just sit back and watch anymore.
Even if this god wasn't as malevolent as he'd initially feared, he had to get to the bottom of what was happening.
And so, Miyamizu Toshiki pulled himself together and went to Itomori Middle School—to confront the god.
Kyousuke had no idea that the man sitting next to him was going through such emotional turmoil.
He watched him out of the corner of his eye and wondered, Is the AC too hot or something? Why is Mitsuha's dad sweating like crazy?
"Would you like me to crack the window open a little?" Kyousuke asked politely after a moment.
The sudden question startled Miyamizu Toshiki, who had been rehearsing the conversation in his head over and over.
He twisted around and stared at Kyousuke in shock.
…
Kyousuke was startled in return.
'Are they fertilizing the fields nearby or something?' But that didn't make sense—he'd been in Itomori for quite a while now and never once saw them doing that.
'Okay, geez, no need to freak out just because I offered to open the window…'
"Ahem, thank you, but that's not necessary. We'll be there soon," Toshiki said, recovering, though he realized his reaction had been a bit much.
He glanced into the rearview mirror and saw the driver, Aida Kouta, looking back at him with concern.
He quickly coughed a few times to hide his embarrassment.
Even among the famously polite people of Japan, Kyousuke had never met someone as courteous to juniors as Miyamizu Toshiki.
He found it oddly impressive.
Just as Toshiki had said, although his home was on the far side of Lake Itomori, they arrived quickly.
"Well then, I'll be taking my leave," Aida Kouta said with a polite bow.
"You've done well. Thank you," Toshiki replied with a gentle smile.
"Oh no, I should be the one thanking you. It's humbling, really, to know the mayor rides a bicycle to and from work every day."
"Haha, I want to enjoy the beauty of Itomori as much as I can. And biking gives me time to think about the town's future."
"Amazing. Truly remarkable, Mayor Miyamizu," Aida said with open admiration. Then he turned to Mitsuha and bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle.
"Mitsuha-san, I'll take my leave now. If you need a ride later, just give me a call. My mother would be happy to pick you up."
After another polite bow to Toshiki, Aida got back into the car and drove away.
The moment the black sedan disappeared into the distance, the gentle smile vanished from Miyamizu Toshiki's face.
What he'd just witnessed weighed heavily on him.
'Even my own trusted driver… he's caught up in this web.' But he shook it off and straightened his back.
No matter what, he would destroy this false faith.
Not just for the sake of his late wife Futaba—but for his daughter.
But first… he had to do this.
"Please, come in," Toshiki said, forcing a faint smile as he opened the front door.
"Pardon the intrusion," Kyousuke replied politely, inwardly marveling at how politicians could change their expressions on a dime.
Inside the guest room, Kyousuke was surprised to find the space completely devoid of furniture.
No TV, no sofa, not even a coffee table—just two floor cushions on tatami mats.
He knelt on one of them as instructed by Toshiki.
Thankfully, Mitsuha's body was flexible enough to handle this kind of sitting posture.
'If it were me, I'd be sitting cross-legged for sure,' he thought.
"Please, have some tea," Toshiki said, once again using that oddly formal language.
"Thank you," Kyousuke said, accepting the green ceramic teacup, its surface laced with tiny cracks.
For a long moment, the two of them sat in tense silence.
The stern expression on Toshiki's face made Kyousuke half expect him to reach behind his back, pull out a rifle, and stage some kind of American-style showdown.
Just kidding—it's Japan. It'd probably be a katana.
As his thoughts wandered, Kyousuke took the chance to study the man across from him, Itomori's most aggressive and reform-driven mayor in history.
Judging by Mitsuha's age, Toshiki should be in his forties.
Kyousuke remembered that the last time he'd seen him, Toshiki's hair had patches of gray.
But now it was jet black.
'Dyed it, huh? Makes sense. Image matters when you're in politics.'
His deep smile lines hinted at a stressful life.
His brows were constantly furrowed, giving him a severe air.
No wonder Teshigawara and Sayaka acted like frightened mice around him.
Still, he was a good-looking middle-aged man—no surprise he had such a beautiful daughter.
But... why are the two of us even sitting here in silence?
With Toshiki still not speaking, Kyousuke began pondering the ultimate existential questions.
Finally, Toshiki set down his teacup, placed his hands on his knees, sat up straight, and asked with a trembling voice:
"…May I ask, how should I address you?"
Kyousuke slowly set down his teacup and looked at the man across from him—then, he suddenly smiled.
He wasn't about to say something dumb like "I'm Miyamizu Mitsuha."
If the mayor had asked that question, he clearly knew something was going on with his daughter—and not just the whole "possessed by a god" rumor the townspeople tossed around.
More likely, he was asking for the name of the god currently inhabiting his daughter. No wonder he'd been using such oddly formal language.
In less than a second, Kyousuke pieced it all together.
"Hello. Nice to meet you. I'm Hojou Kyousuke, a friend of your daughter's," he said with perfect politeness, bowing in the traditional seiza style upper body tilting forward about thirty degrees.
'Hojou Kyousuke…?'
As a former folklorist, Toshiki instantly ruled out the idea that this was some divine title.
So... it was a human name?
But the surname Hojou—could it be the star gods?
The weaving deities?
No... the only Hojou he could think of were the feudal lords of the Kanto region.
Then again, if he was a god, maybe he was just using a name from the Kamakura shogunate era…
"I'm a human—my name is Kyousuke—and for some unknown reason, I've currently swapped bodies with your daughter."
Seeing that the man's expression only grew more tense instead of calming down, Kyousuke realized the other was starting to imagine all kinds of things.
He quickly continued:
"Body swap?" The moment those words left his mouth, Miyamizu Toshiki abruptly looked up, staring at Kyousuke in shock.
"What? Don't tell me... you've experienced this too?" Kyousuke asked.
The longer he spent around Mitsuha's grandmother, Miyamizu Hitoha, the more he suspected that this sort of thing might just run in the Miyamizu family.
That's why he was convinced the force responsible for the body swap between him and Mitsuha was something external.
After all, Yotsuba was young enough to be easily fooled.
But Hitoha? She was sharp.
She should've noticed something was off about him.
And yet, every time he slipped up, she'd just smile, sip her tea, and say nothing at all.
And then there were the scriptures at the Miyamizu Shrine—filled with teachings very different from those of regular Shinto practices...
"I haven't," Toshiki replied slowly. "But—are you saying my daughter is currently inside your body right now?"
"That's right."
"Then can you call her for me? I mean, using my phone and call your body."
"I can't. The moment I try to talk to someone about what's happening on the other side, some force blocks me. It won't let me share information."
"Then why did you ask if I'd experienced it before?" Toshiki narrowed in on the key point.
As bizarre as all this sounded, it stirred something familiar in his memories.
"Because I suspect the Miyamizu family might naturally have this kind of ability," Kyousuke explained, and shared his theory about Hitoha, along with some of the shrine teachings he had read.
According to the Miyamizu Shrine's doctrine, all things in the world are seen as divine—not the things themselves, but the connections between them.
These connections are called musubi, or "ties."
A rice ball isn't a god, but the bond formed between the person who makes it and the person who eats it that connection is divine.
That's musubi.
"Musubi, huh?" Toshiki muttered.
"So this body swap between you and Mitsuha could also be a musubi. No, wait… maybe it's not a swap at all."
"Maybe you're just dreaming. After all, when people dream, they can't fully perceive themselves."
"That could explain why you said there's a force stopping you from sharing personal info with those around you…"
Kyousuke had only started to raise the topic, but Toshiki immediately went off theorizing non-stop.
'Dreaming, huh?'
Kyousuke pinched himself and the sensation was unmistakably real.
Not to mention, those cursors he saw above Yukino and Sayaka's heads?
There was no way those were illusions.
If anything, the system served as a kind of anchor, grounding him to this world.
Man, folklorists really do love this spiritual mumbo-jumbo.
"Miyamizu-san, this really isn't the time to be getting caught up in theories." Kyousuke interrupted, worried the guy might actually run off to dig through old shrine records if he didn't stop him.
"So then… you're not the god worshipped by the Miyamizu Shrine?" Toshiki finally slowed down, shaking off the dizziness from his whirlwind of thoughts.
"That's right. No doubt about it and I'm human. Even if I might be unusually strong in some ways, humans are known for pushing past their limits."