Leo's sharp words, laced with suspicion, in the science club room were like a stone thrown into still water, creating ripples of tension and apprehension that spread wide. Sora Aoki (in Lumine Komori's body) fled the clubroom with a pounding heart, both angry at being scrutinized and terrified that the secret she desperately tried to conceal was about to be exposed. She returned to Lumine's bedroom, staring at her reflection in the mirror with complex emotions. The beautiful, elegant face and the figure she had yearned for now seemed like a mask ready to slip off at any moment.
"Why... why does he have to suspect me?" Sora (in Lumine's body) muttered to herself resentfully. "Haven't I tried to do everything to make him like me? Or is it... I'm still not 'being' Lumine well enough?" That thought made her start to think more about the "real Lumine," trying to recall the mannerisms, speech patterns, and even the way of thinking of the person she was impersonating, in order to mimic her more perfectly. But the harder she tried, the more her own true self was suppressed, and the "unnaturalness" became more apparent without her realizing it.
The next day, the atmosphere among the group of friends was noticeably more strained. Leo clearly tried to distance himself from "Lumine." He didn't joke around with her as he used to and often found ways to be with Ken or Takumi instead. Sora (in Lumine's body) noticed this change distinctly, and it only made her more agitated and desperate to "win" him back with even more overt methods. Whether it was linking her arm intimately with his in the middle of the cafeteria or teasing him with an overly sweet voice, these actions only made Leo feel more uncomfortable and want to pull away.
This abnormality did not escape the sharp eyes of Iris Mikazuki or the cool analysis of Takumi Yoshida.
"Do you see what I see, Takumi?" Iris asked as they were working in the student council room after school. "Komori-san's behavior is... way out of line. Especially the way she acts with Tsukino-kun. It seems more like an 'act' than genuine feelings."
Takumi paused from sketching a diagram in his notebook. His eyes behind his glasses looked out the window at a group of students walking home. "A sudden change in behavior that lacks consistency with the original personality is one indicator of Identity Distortion, or perhaps an attempt to conceal some truth... Yesterday at lunch, I tried to talk to her about string theory, a topic the 'original Komori-san' had shown particular interest in. Her reaction was to quickly look away and change the subject, along with a significantly increased blink rate, indicating discomfort or an attempt to avoid the topic."
"Not only that," Iris added. "The day before, I pretended to drop her favorite quantum physics book (I remembered which chapter she was on) nearby and casually asked her where she had read up to. She replied, 'I don't remember anymore, I haven't been reading much lately,' even though Komori-san is usually very focused on her interests and never misses small details like that."
Ken Arisawa, who happened to walk by and overhear their conversation, couldn't help but join in. "Are you guys talking about Lumine? Yeah, I've been thinking she's been acting weird lately too. The other day, I tried to talk about that math quiz competition we were in back in our second year, and she just looked completely blank, even though our team won back then mainly because of her."
The conversation among the three was filled with growing observations and suspicions. They began to piece together the small "abnormalities" each had encountered, starting to see a disturbing bigger picture.
Meanwhile, Lumine (in Sora's body), who now spent most of her time after school holed up in the library, was facing difficulties adjusting to life in an unfamiliar body. The smaller physique made her feel awkward, Sora's clothes didn't suit her style at all, and most importantly, she was being overlooked by everyone around her. No one noticed the shy, quiet "Sora Aoki." The feeling of loneliness and invisibility squeezed her heart painfully.
But her desire to return to her own body and fix everything was stronger than her despair. After rereading Sora's diary countless times and trying to research strange phenomena on the internet (though she found nothing useful), she decided she had to do something before it was too late.
"If Sora's desire was strong enough to make something like this happen... then my desire to get everything back must be able to do it too," Lumine (in Sora's body) told her reflection in the girls' restroom mirror. Her purple (Sora's) eyes stared back with a newfound determination. "I won't let you destroy my life and Leo's like this... Sora Aoki."
She knew exposing this wouldn't be easy. No one would believe a body-swap story without clear proof. And the only proof she had now were her "memories" and "feelings" that only she and Leo shared.
Lumine (in Sora's body) returned to her quiet corner in the library, carefully taking out a piece of paper and a pen. She began to painstakingly write a letter. The content didn't directly accuse or explain the body swap, but was filled with small, intimate details that were "secrets" between her and Leo...
"...Do you remember the first day we were paired for the science project? You accidentally dropped your pen, and we both bent down to pick it up at the same time, nearly bumping our heads... Or when we went to the amusement park, you secretly bought me that Saturn keychain because you knew I loved looking at the stars... And on the Ferris wheel that night, the words you said to me... they still echo in my heart..."
She wrote about her true feelings, her worries, and her hope to return to being "his Lumine" again. She didn't sign her name, but ended with the sentence: "If you still remember the girl who once made you laugh about quantum physics... please look for her again... she might be closer than you think."
The next problem was how to get this letter to Leo without Sora (in her body) or anyone else knowing. Her only chance was the next day, when the science club was holding an open house for students from other grades, an event Leo and the "new Lumine" would surely attend.
The following day, the science club room was bustling with activity. Sora (in Lumine's body) was enthusiastically playing "host." She tried to stay close to Leo at all times and demonstrated various inventions with an air of confidence (which seemed overly theatrical to Iris and Takumi, who were observing from a distance).
Lumine (in Sora's body) took advantage of the commotion as groups of students visited the club. She stealthily approached Leo's desk in the corner, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it would burst from her chest. She quickly slipped the carefully folded letter into the thick physics book she often saw Leo reading, then swiftly retreated without being noticed.
"Done..." she whispered to herself, feeling a wave of relief, but still fraught with anxiety about whether Leo would read it, and if he did... whether he would believe what she was trying to convey.
Just as Lumine (in Sora's body) was about to quietly leave the clubroom, Leo walked in her direction. He seemed to be looking for something on his desk. His gaze swept over the physics book, and he noticed the small piece of paper tucked inside. He frowned slightly in confusion, then picked it up and began to unfold it...
In Classroom 3-A, in another part of the building, Iris, Takumi, and Ken were gathered, talking intently.
... "I'm sure there's more to this than meets the eye," Iris said with a serious tone. "Komori-san's behavior isn't just 'different,' it's as if... someone else is impersonating her."
"Is that even possible?" Ken looked incredulous. "You mean... like, possessed by a ghost or something?"
"I't not referring to anything supernatural," Iris shook her head. "But psychologically, it's possible for someone to create a 'new persona' to cope with stress, or there might be certain conditions that cause a complete personality change. But Komori-san's case seems... too specific. As if she's trying to 'be' someone in the way she thinks that person should be."
Takumi, who had been listening quietly, nodded in agreement. "Mikazuki-san's hypothesis is theoretically plausible. What we lack is concrete 'evidence' and a 'motive' to explain this change." He paused briefly before continuing in a suggestive tone, "But if... there's a 'third party' with an intense desire to have what Komori-san has... that could be another interesting hypothesis."
Suddenly, the classroom door opened. Leo walked in, looking visibly exhausted and confused. In his hand, he clutched the small letter he had just finished reading. His eyes were wide with shock and disbelief.
"Guys... I... I have something very important to talk to you about," Leo said, his voice trembling. "About... Lumine... or maybe... it's not Lumine at all."
It seemed that the "whispers of truth" Lumine (in Sora's body) had tried to send out were finally beginning to be heard. And the combined efforts of their friends to find the truth were about to intensify... The hidden clues were slowly being revealed, and a great storm was about to sweep into all their lives.