Evening had settled over Itomori Town, painting the sky in shades of orange and purple. Hozuki Nozomi, eager to demonstrate his culinary prowess, voluntarily made his way to the kitchen of Miyamizu Shrine. The little loli, Miyamizu Yotsuha, watched with curious eyes as he began gathering ingredients.
Soon, an irresistible aroma began wafting through the shrine.
The cuisine of great China truly had no equal. Satisfying a fourth-grader's taste buds was a simple matter—he'd decided on braised pork, a classic dish that would serve multiple purposes. It could be tonight's dinner, tomorrow's breakfast, and conveniently packed into bento boxes for school.
When the dish was finally served, Miyamizu Yotsuha ate with unprecedented enthusiasm, eventually leaning back and rubbing her small, full belly with a contented expression. Yet her eyes held confusion as she regarded her sister.
"Sister, how did your cooking suddenly become so delicious? And this braised pork—where did you learn to make something like this?"
Hozuki Nozomi smiled mysteriously. "Someone taught me in a dream."
"Huh? In a dream?" Yotsuha's face scrunched in disbelief. "Sister, are you messing with me? If you don't want to tell me, just say so!"
He reached out and ruffled her hair affectionately. "But I really did learn it in a dream. The women of our Miyamizu family develop certain special abilities after becoming miko. If you don't believe me, ask Grandma if it's true."
Yotsuha's gaze immediately swung to Miyamizu Hitoha, seeking confirmation.
The elderly shrine maiden regarded "Miyamizu Mitsuha" with a meaningful expression before slowly nodding. "That's correct. The girls of our Miyamizu family, upon reaching a certain age, come to possess the power of Musubi." Her voice carried the weight of old memories. "When I was a young girl, I vaguely recall dreaming of becoming someone else. Not just me—our ancestor, Miyamizu Futayo, reportedly had similar experiences."
She paused, her eyes growing distant. "These memories fade over time, leaving only the faintest impressions. So, Mitsuha, Yotsuha—if you ever experience such dreams, you must cherish those memories while you can."
"I will, Grandma," Hozuki Nozomi replied, using Mitsuha's body to offer a warm smile.
He absolutely would cherish them. And he would do everything in his power to save Miyamizu Mitsuha from the fate that awaited this town.
Yotsuha's eyes had grown progressively wider as her grandmother corroborated the story. "Is this real or not? Don't just trick me because I'm little!"
Hozuki Nozomi regarded her with amusement. "Why would I trick you? Even if I might lie, Grandma would never deceive a child."
A mischievous idea sparked in his mind. "Speaking of which, Mitsuha, it's been a while since you've slept with your big sister. How about we have a long-overdue sisterly bonding night?"
Yotsuha's reaction was immediate and violent—she shook her head like a rattle drum, her small body practically vibrating with refusal.
"No! Absolutely not!" She crossed her arms defensively. "Sister, I know you've been really into rubbing your chest lately! I'm not letting you anywhere near me!"
Hozuki Nozomi's mouth twitched. "I'm your sister! Can't you have a little trust?"
Besides, she was only in fourth grade—there wasn't exactly much to rub anyway.
"No!" Yotsuha remained adamant. After hastily clearing her dishes, she scurried off to her room like a small animal fleeing a predator.
Once safely behind her own door, she leaned against it, breathing hard. Her sister had been acting stranger and stranger lately. If what Grandma said was true... then maybe the person she'd been interacting with wasn't her real sister at all?
The thought made her small body tremble, a flicker of fear crossing her features.
Back in the main room, Hozuki Nozomi addressed the shrine's matriarch. "Um, Grandma, I'll be heading to my room to rest now."
Miyamizu Hitoha nodded silently, her expression unreadable.
Returning to Mitsuha's room, Hozuki Nozomi reflected on the past two days. He'd been enjoying himself, experiencing rural life from Mitsuha's unique perspective. But he hadn't forgotten his true purpose—investigating the shrine's secrets.
The real target for investigation was the inner shrine, where the kuchikamizake was stored. However, the timing wasn't right yet. He could ask Grandma to take him there later, likely after the upcoming festival.
For tonight, sleep was the priority.
After a thorough shower, he settled into Mitsuha's futon. Before closing his eyes, he conscientiously performed his "growth-promoting massage" on Mitsuha's body—purely for health reasons, of course.
Only then did he happily drift off to sleep.
The next morning, Hozuki Nozomi awoke in his own body, back in Sakura Dormitory.
His first sensation was a distinct feeling of fullness in his stomach—no, more accurately, his entire digestive system felt uncomfortably bloated. Blinking groggily, he turned his head and immediately understood why.
On his bedside table sat an empty cake box. Several empty pudding containers. Wrappers from various expensive desserts.
His face darkened.
"Miyamizu Mitsuha... that girl did this on purpose, didn't she?!" He sat up, grimacing at the uncomfortable fullness. "Since it's not her own body, she just went all out! How did she even sleep after eating this much?!"
Looking down, he noticed words written on his arm in pen.
"I am Miyamizu Mitsuha! Nice to meet you properly! Also, the coffee here is delicious, and the desserts are amazing! Thank you for the meal!"
Hozuki Nozomi sighed helplessly. "You forgot to add, 'Your money is very useful.'"
He supposed this was just the cost of, well, whatever this relationship was. Raising a girlfriend, perhaps? Though the irony wasn't lost on him—every dessert his "girlfriend" ate ended up in his stomach.
Meanwhile, back in Itomori Town, Miyamizu Mitsuha was experiencing her own morning awakening.
"FWUMP!"
Her door slammed open with familiar violence. Miyamizu Yotsuha stood in the doorway, hands on her hips, glaring at her lazy older sister.
"Sister! Wake up! Time to eat!" The little loli's voice was accusatory. "Hmph! You promised to get up early and make breakfast, but you didn't! Liar!"
Miyamizu Mitsuha blinked groggily, completely bewildered. When had she ever promised such a thing?
Oh. Right.
That philandering scumbag.
Yotsuha tilted her head, studying her sister with suspicion. "Aren't you going to rub your chest today?"
Miyamizu Mitsuha's face ignited. "What chest rubbing?! Yotsuha, what nonsense are you saying?!"
"Hmph! You're the one talking nonsense, silly sister!" Yotsuha retorted. "Hurry up and get up—breakfast is ready!"
She scampered off to the kitchen, leaving Mitsuha alone with her mortification.
The girl crossed her arms protectively over her chest, her pretty face burning crimson. "That perverted scumbag... he actually touched... again..." She buried her face in her hands. "Is he addicted?!"
As she quickly dressed, guilt began to nibble at her conscience. She'd used his money, treated his girlfriends to desserts, and eaten like there was no tomorrow. But then she rationalized: "Hmph! He's the one who took advantage of me first! What I eat goes into his stomach anyway, so it's only fair!"
Somehow, that logic made her feel slightly better.
Speaking of which... she really couldn't wait to graduate and move to Tokyo.
When she finally made her way to the living room, the aroma hit her immediately. On the table sat a plate of braised pork—perfect in color, rich in fragrance, clearly delicious. Her mouth watered involuntarily.
"Yotsuha, when did you learn to make braised pork?" she asked innocently.
Yotsuha rolled her eyes dramatically. "Sister, are you still half-asleep? You made this last night!"
"Uh... ahaha, right, sorry! I'm not fully awake yet!"
Miyamizu Mitsuha laughed nervously, trying to cover her mistake.
But Yotsuha's eyes narrowed suspiciously. She remembered what Grandma had said last night. And this morning, her sister hadn't rubbed her chest. She seemed... like before.
Like the old her.