As soon as I opened my eyes, I took a deep breath.
After savoring the sweet scent of roses and cherries enveloping me, I slowly pulled my hand free from my tangled hair.
The sight of Hina peacefully sleeping in my arms looked nothing short of an angel, if you ignored the horns. The wings? Well, they were hidden under the blanket anyway.
The sensation of Hina’s breath tickling my chest wasn’t bad at all; in fact, it made my heart feel all warm and cozy.
But I couldn’t just stay like this forever… My body, however, was honest. No matter how much I had to go to school on this Friday morning, letting Hina go and sneaking out of bed would require a giant leap of determination.
Caught between the inability to move and the temptation to fall back asleep with Hina, I finally decided to gently slide a pillow under her head instead of my arm when it felt like I might doze off.
It’s funny; I’ve heard that if you use a pillow for an arm rest, you’ll wake up with a sore arm. But in my case, not at all.
Hmm, can that really be explained by just having good physical abilities?
“Ugh…”
Just as I was about to lift the blanket and get up, my blurry purple gaze locked with Hina’s sleepy eyes.
Instantly, Hina’s eyes softened into a cute smile, making me just want to cherish her even more.
“Good morning.”
“Hey, Hina-chan.”
We exchanged smiles, and I leaned down to plant a light kiss on her lips.
Yep, a light kiss in the morning feels just right. Unless I planned to set the sheets on fire from the start, that was about the perfect expression of affection.
“Hina-chan, it’s barely five o’clock. How about you sleep a little longer? I think I have to head out first today.”
“Schedule…?”
“Yeah. It’s not a big deal, but it’s important to me.”
“Can’t you just leave a bit later?”
“Umm…”
“30 minutes… no, even 10 minutes is fine. Please.”
I mentally crunched some numbers. If I allowed about 15 minutes to get ready… 30 minutes would honestly be really tight. I’d probably be late; it was almost a given.
Hmm… me being late? When did I become such a model student? It’s not like a single day of tardiness would be the end of the world.
If they have a problem with it, they could kick me out and appoint another student council president. Once things were less hectic, I could enjoy my newfound freedom.
…Ah, kind of sad since that’s never going to happen.
Pulling the blanket over me again, the warm embrace welcomed my body back to the comfort I had created overnight.
Holding Hina tightly, who nestled back into my arms, I shut my eyes.
“Ah…”
“Ahaha. How about we just stay like this for another hour?”
“Thanks, Mi… ka…? Wait… just a second.”
“Yeah? What’s up?”
“Isn’t today Friday…?”
“Wait, was it Saturday?”
Oh no, Hina! You can’t do this!
I came in here with determination, but if you take the red pill…!
“Miika, sorry for holding you back… Just let me sleep a little more so I don’t end up being late.”
“I’ll be a good younger sister, so please wake me up later. Just one hour more.”
“But it’s my birthday! I can get up faster…”
“I’ll be a good younger sister, so please wake me up later, big sis. Just one hour…”
After she said that, Hina suddenly fell silent. When she opened her eyes again, she looked up at me with determination etched on her face.
“Alright, if you’re saying it like that, then… okay.”
With Hina snuggling closer to me and tilting her head up, she whispered in my ear.
“I’ll consider us skipping school together today. It’s not like going in is fun anyway.”
“…Huh?”
I was startled and asked again, but there was no response. Hina had already buried her head in my shoulder.
…This might not be good?
I’m okay with skipping school, but I can’t allow our usually diligent Hina to go down the path of delinquency.
“So, Hina-chan, can you let go of my arm?”
“Didn’t you just ask me to wake you up in an hour?”
“…I’ll get ready as soon as I’m up, okay?”
“I like responsible people, Miika. Remember that.”
“Oh my… that’s a bit harsh coming from someone who has none of it, Hina-chan.”
What is this unsettling feeling of being dragged back to bed only to be shoved out again?
As I sat up, Hina promptly followed suit, lifting the blanket while waving her hand slightly.
“Maybe that’s why I like you.”
Hearing Hina’s seemingly omitted words, I made my way to the bathroom. We usually shared a bath at night, so that part was skipped.
After a quick wash and brushing my teeth, I tied my hair into a messy ponytail with the bangs rolled up neatly.
I knew that if I took my time styling, there would be no chance I wouldn’t be late.
Having finished my preparations, I packed my crossbody bag and gun, then walked over to Hina, who was watching me from the bed.
“Don’t forget to keep your schedule open from next weekend, and eat breakfast. Sorry I can’t make it for you!”
“Got it, Miika. No need to worry. And, um, before you go…”
“Ahaha… what am I going to do with this spoiled brat?”
After embracing Hina tightly, I planted a passionate kiss on her forehead.
Thanks to my habit of applying lip stain, a definite mark was left behind, but hey, good vibes only, right? I bet if Hina glanced in the mirror and saw that mark, she’d start her day off with a smile.
“I want to just roll around in bed all day next time…”
“If I know Hina-chan, you’d probably want to do that every day, not just next time…? Anyway. I’ll head out now. Have a great day, Hina-chan.”
“…Miika, you too.”
Stalling for too long trying to express affection might result in actually being late, so we controlled ourselves and said our goodbyes. But I’m sure if someone were watching us, the honey dripping from our eyes would be hard to miss.
As I stepped out of Hina’s house and walked the streets, it was already 5:25 AM.
What a relief that Gehenna and Trinity were conveniently close by.
*
After not being late to school and finishing both my studies and work, I stepped out onto the campus earlier than usual.
I had already told Nagisa that I’d be home later today, so she didn’t need to wait for me.
The first stop was now the unused Mika’s house. Leaving the house vacant wouldn’t be right, so I had just left it alone all the while.
Once I opened the window to air out the house, which I hadn’t visited in about half a year, I headed to Mika’s room.
Waking up in this room, I remembered the day when my body changed so suddenly… No, rather, it was the day when I panicked over my body being switched out.
Ah, even recalling it makes me a bit annoyed that I got possessed instead of choosing Mika. Though I’m not thinking of going back, that teacher’s tag without Mika will forever haunt one corner of my mind.
[Mika becoming vs. Choosing Mika.]
Wow, it really is a tough balance game.
Now, I’d undoubtedly choose the first option without hesitation, but a year ago, my thoughts were quite different.
…Hmm. Was there a dusting tool here?
Luckily, I found one. While I didn’t feel like cleaning the whole house, I tidied up Mika’s room and stepped outside.
I didn’t know when the owner would return, but since this was Mika’s space, I wanted to keep it nice and tidy.
After adjusting Mika’s personal bank account back to its original amount, I started using a different account.
Truthfully, those things I couldn’t return to her were probably her most valuable possessions; maybe it even seemed like a somewhat hollow or hypocritical act, a self-serving resolution that pierced me like a ton of bricks.
Putting on a hat, removing the wing decor, and dressing casually, I wandered the streets, pleased that no one recognized me.
As I got closer to campus, I spotted some of the people I had connections with from afar.
There was Hifumi and Azusa engaging in lively conversation over dessert in a cafe. It’s obvious the topic was Momo Friends.
I passed by a few students in an alley, one of whom I guessed was Atsuko from the mischievous gang.
Then there was Yoshimi casually strolling with her hand on the back of her head, and Kyouyama Kazusa, a cat beastkin, walking with his hands shoved in his jacket pockets.
For some reason, I was walking a tad ahead of them while looking back… Huh, that must be Yutori Natsu. And the girl next to Atsuko, laughing and clapping, must be Airi? I can’t recall her surname.
It was heartwarming to see them all doing well, but I couldn’t help feeling a twinge of envy for such a regular, normal existence.
I hadn’t planned on going into any shop, but passing by my go-to cafe made it impossible to resist. I naturally stepped in and ordered a cafe mocha before continuing my walk.
Having traversed both familiar and unfamiliar paths, I made my way to the Clock Tower, which could be considered a landmark of Trinity.
Disregarding the sign that said “No Entry Except for Officials,” I boldly entered, taking my time to ascend the stairs one by one.
Finally reaching the highest accessible point, I leaned against the railing and looked around. I soaked up the view of Trinity’s campus, the heart of the Autonomous District, while the breeze fluttered around me from even higher than the venue of the T-party.
It was beautiful.
Everything was so stunning that I stood there mesmerized, embedding the scene into my heart.
I listened and watched as the bells chimed several times, capturing the sunset when the sun dipped down, and finally witnessing the dazzling milky way of stars appearing in the darkness of the night, witnessing it all.
As I absorbed the evening ambiance, thoughts intertwined and spiraled in my head.
What could be the reason I got possessed in this body? And why was it me, of all people?
That was the biggest question.
What if, just what if, I was brought here to help Mika?
Thinking like that makes my situation of being in Mika’s body all the more absurd.
I recalled my strong suspicion that the Mika here is different from the one in the original story. What did she go through in her past?
I worried that she might be worse off than I assumed.
I don’t resent you.
A whisper, whose origin was unknown, seeped into the dark night sky.
…If this is what one year marks, then sure, it is one year indeed.
Next year, I guess I’ll just stay home and be ordinary.
