The image of the scattered lunch tray was still vivid in their minds. The sight of "Lumine" running from the cafeteria, tears streaming down her face, her expression a mask of fury, had stunned everyone present. Leo's group – Iris, Takumi, and Ken – quickly followed, not to chase her, but to find a quiet place to plan their next move. They felt pity for that "Lumine," but the truth that she might not be their friend was far more significant.
"We really can't let this drag on," Iris said as soon as they reached the relatively quiet science club room during the remainder of lunch break. "Her reaction just now wasn't just hurt feelings; it was an extreme act of self-preservation when cornered."
"And that letter," Leo clenched his fists. The letter he'd received still filled him with a mixture of confusion and hope. "If the writer is the real Lumine, she might be waiting for us to help her."
"We need to find a way to talk to her again, but this time in a place where we can control the situation, and we need enough clear evidence to corner her," Takumi proposed, his eyes behind his glasses glinting thoughtfully. "And we must be prepared for all possibilities, including her refusing to accept the truth easily."
A plan was quickly and carefully formulated. They gathered "evidence" and "questions" to use in the confrontation: the inconsistent memories they had observed, old messages in the class group chat where the "real Lumine" had commented on topics the "current Lumine" seemed clueless about, and even small items symbolic of their group's bond that the "current Lumine" had never shown interest in.
They decided to use the school rooftop again for the confrontation after school. It was a place "Lumine" (Sora in Lumine's body) might have fled to calm down, and it was relatively private.
That evening, the late afternoon sun began to wane, casting pale orange shadows across the school buildings. As Leo had expected, Sora (in Lumine's body) was sitting huddled on the same bench on the rooftop. Her tears had dried, leaving only traces of distress on her once-bright face. The feeling of being abandoned by the entire world overwhelmed her.
"Why... why does everyone have to do this to me..." she whispered to herself, her voice trembling. "I just wanted to be happy... I just wanted Leo to love me... Is that so wrong..."
The sound of footsteps approaching from the stairs made Sora (in Lumine's body) jump. She hastily wiped away the remaining tear stains as she saw Leo, Iris, Takumi, and Ken walking towards her, their expressions serious and determined.
"Why did you follow me again! I told you I don't want to talk to anyone!" Sora (in Lumine's body) shouted, trying to get up and run, but this time she knew she couldn't escape.
"Calm down, Komori-san... or what should we call you?" Iris began the conversation, her voice calm but carrying an unseen pressure. "We don't want to hurt you, but we need clear answers."
Sora (in Lumine's body) tried to put on a brave face. "I don't understand what you're talking about! I am Lumine! Lumine Komori! Your friend! What's wrong with all of you, accusing me like this!" She tried to use anger to mask the fear gnawing at her heart.
"If you really are Lumine," Leo stepped forward, his eyes looking directly at the "Lumine" before him with a mixture of pain and confusion, "then take a look at this." He handed her a photograph. It was a picture of their group taken during a field trip to the science museum last year. "Do you remember what happened after we took this picture? The funny incident that made us all laugh until our stomachs hurt?"
Sora (in Lumine's body) took the photo with trembling hands. In the picture, the "real Lumine" was smiling happily beside Leo. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't remember any funny incident from that day. "I... I don't remember clearly. It was a long time ago," she answered weakly, trying to hand the photo back to Leo.
"But the 'Lumine' I know has a very good memory, especially for happy moments with her friends," Leo countered softly, but his words were like a sharp knife twisting in Sora's (in Lumine's body) heart.
"And what about this?" Iris held up her smartphone, displaying an old group chat. "These are messages where 'you' discussed university entrance exams with us. 'You' once said you wanted to get into the astronomy and physics department at Tokyo University as your first choice because your father studied there. But the other day, when I tried to talk to you about it, 'you' said you hadn't even thought about university yet."
Piece by piece, the evidence was presented. Sora (in Lumine's body) grew paler and paler. She tried to make excuses, to deflect, but her every word only made the situation worse.
"This is all a big misunderstanding! You might be confusing me with someone else!" Sora (in Lumine's body) shouted desperately.
"Accepting the truth might be the best way out for everyone right now," Takumi said, his voice as cool as ever but carrying a frighteningly sharp edge. "The more you struggle, the more you entangle yourself."
Takumi's words were like the last straw, causing the wall of self-defense Sora (in Lumine's body) had built to crumble completely. She sank to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. "Enough! Please stop! I... I don't know! I really don't know what happened! I just... I just wanted Leo to love me sometimes!" Her sobs echoed across the silent rooftop.
As everyone was stunned by the confession tumbling from "Lumine's" lips and the confusion over who this girl really was, another pair of soft footsteps sounded at the rooftop entrance. All eyes turned, their alarm increasing.
The small figure of a silver-gray-haired girl in a second-year uniform slowly appeared. Her amethyst-purple eyes looked directly at the group on the rooftop, a mixture of fear and a newfound determination she had only recently discovered. In her hands, she clutched a small, light blue diary tightly to her chest, as if it were her last shield.
"I... I think I can explain everything to all of you," the small but clear and firm voice of Lumine Komori (now in Sora Aoki's body) rang out, shattering the tense silence.
All eyes stared at the "Sora" standing before them with astonishment and disbelief. No one had expected this shy, almost invisible girl to step into such a tense and complicated situation.
Sora (in Lumine's body) stared wide-eyed in utter shock at "herself" (Lumine in Sora's body) standing there, holding the diary that was her deepest secret, her very heart. "You... who are you! What are you doing here! And give me back my diary!" she screamed, forgetting herself, trying to lunge for the diary, but Ken and Takumi, who were nearby, quickly moved to block her, their expressions wary.
"Calm down... Sora Aoki," Lumine (in Sora's body) said, trying to keep her voice from trembling, though her own heart was pounding just as hard. "I didn't come here to hurt you or expose your secrets for my own satisfaction. But I think... it's time everyone knew the whole truth. And it's time you... accepted it too." She looked at Leo, her eyes filled with a multitude of emotions – longing, pain, and hope – before turning back to face "herself" in Lumine's body.
"Sora Aoki... I know what you want," Lumine (in Sora's body) said, her voice firmer and clearer than before. "I've read everything in your diary. Every feeling, every wish, and all the pain you've kept hidden. I understand... I understand the loneliness, the inadequacy, and the desire you have for Leo-senpai... But what you've done... with some power I still don't comprehend... it's not right. And it's hurting everyone... including yourself."
Lumine (in Sora's body) slowly opened Sora's diary, preparing to read aloud the "confessions" and "desires" recorded within, to confirm the unbelievable truth that was about to be revealed. Her appearance with this crucial piece of evidence completely turned the tables. The hidden truth was about to be dragged out, and the final confrontation between the two switched souls was about to begin amidst the shock and confusion of everyone present.