As Shirogane made his way back toward the town center, he found himself slowing down again, taking in more of Itomori's peaceful scenery. The narrow roads twisted gently through the landscape, lined with old stone walls and tiny shrines tucked into quiet corners. Dragonflies floated lazily above rice paddies shimmering under the sun.
'Man... this place feels like a whole different world compared to Tokyo,' he thought, snapping another quick photo with his phone. 'Even the air feels... lighter.'
He took a few more turns, following vague signs toward what looked like a main street, but soon realized something unsettling — the streets all looked very similar.
Left, right, left again — every path seemed to blur together, and the few locals he passed were elderly folks chatting in thick local dialects, hard to understand even when he tried asking politely.
'Wait a second... am I lost?'
He stopped, glanced around, and awkwardly chuckled to himself. 'Of course. I get lost in the middle of Tokyo sometimes — why wouldn't I get lost here too?'
Pushing forward, he eventually stumbled upon a small stone bridge that arched over a narrow, clear river. The water sparkled under the afternoon sun, and clusters of bright flowers grew along the banks. Shirogane paused, resting his arms on the bridge's railing.
'It's really beautiful here,' he thought. 'I wonder why Mitsuha...'
He trailed off.
The thought of Mitsuha brought back the real reason he was here — not just sightseeing, not just being an accidental tour guide for a random kid — but to find her. To talk about what happened.
And the comet.
And the body switching.
All of it.
'She must have noticed the same thing... the weird dreams... the time jumps. I need to clear this up properly.'
Straightening up, he pulled out his phone again, checking for even a single bar of signal.
Nothing.
"Guess I'll have to do this the old-fashioned way," he sighed.
He started walking again, this time more determined, asking occasional passersby in polite, halting Japanese if they knew where he could find Mitsuha Miyamizu or the Miyamizu Shrine.
Most nodded thoughtfully, pointed vaguely up toward the wooded hills.
'Figures. Shrines are always uphill,' Shirogane thought wryly, already feeling the sweat start to gather under his collar. 'Here we go, the final boss battle — rural cardio.'
And so, with the afternoon sun dipping lower in the sky, Shirogane set off toward the heart of Itomori, determined to find Mitsuha and finally get the answers he needed — even if it meant getting a little lost a few more times along the way.
After asking a few more locals and wandering uphill past increasingly quiet roads, Shirogane finally arrived at the Miyamizu residence.
It was traditional but modest — the wooden exterior clean but weathered by time, with an old torii gate out front and a stone path that led to the door. He stood there, staring for a moment, expecting someone to come out. But the yard was silent. No sound of sweeping. No old lady. No Mitsuha.
He knocked politely. No answer.
"Maybe she's out?" he muttered, stepping back and glancing around. "I probably should've expected that…"
He leaned against the gate, crossing his arms.
'Now if I were Mitsuha… where would I go?'
He considered it for a moment, then his eyes slowly widened.
"…Wait. That cave. The one where the kuchikamizake was kept… and where Taki—" He blinked, rubbing his eyes. "Ugh... Still... if we really are body-swapping like that story, maybe she did go there."
He looked toward the forested hill in the distance, then back to the gate.
"…Nah. I'd probably get lost again."
With a sigh, he plopped down near the edge of the porch, pulling his knees up and resting his arms on them. The afternoon sun was warm, and the quiet buzz of the countryside surrounded him.
'Maybe I'll just wait.'
Minutes passed. Then more. His thoughts drifted — to Kaguya, to the student council, to Mitsuha's quiet life here… to the comet he knew was coming.
Everything felt heavy all of a sudden.
Before he knew it… he dozed off.
Two Hours Later
"Oi. Still alive?"
*Poke.*
Shirogane grunted, feeling something jabbing at his side.
*Poke poke.*
He opened his eyes groggily, only to find a stick pressed into his shoulder — and a very familiar face looming above him.
Mitsuha.
She stood over him, breathing slightly hard, her expression wary. Her body was tense — clearly on guard. The stick she was holding wasn't just for poking anymore; now it was raised like a legendary weapon.
A glorified rural Excalibur.
Shirogane's hands shot up immediately. "Wait, wait!! I can explain!!"
Mitsuha didn't lower the stick. "Why are you here?!" she snapped. "What did you do to me?!"
Her voice was sharp, but her eyes were wide — less angry and more afraid. She already knew. Somewhere deep down, she understood what had been happening. But knowing and trusting were two different things.
"I'm Miyuki Shirogane, the body you lived yesterday" he said quickly, voice cracking. "The guy whose body you've been waking up in! I mean no harm, I swear!"
She narrowed her eyes, not lowering the stick. "Why is this happening to us?!"
"I-I don't know yet! I could explain everything I do know — just… please, lower your weapon first?"
Mitsuha blinked, hesitated, then slowly lowered the stick. It thudded softly against the dirt.
"Thank you," Shirogane muttered, lowering his hands with a sigh. "Look… I didn't believe it at first either. Thought it was stress, exhaustion, something like that. But when people at school started talking to me about stuff I never said — acting like I'd done things I didn't remember — I started putting it all together. Then I came here. Found you."
He paused, looking her in the eye. "It all made sense. We're switching bodies. Somehow."
Mitsuha stared at him for a long moment, her grip on the stick now relaxed. Then softly, she asked, "So… why are you here?"
Shirogane exhaled. "I want to talk. About what's happening. About… us. And maybe figure something out together."
Mitsuha was quiet for a beat, then gave the faintest nod. "…Okay."
He smiled, nervous. "Would you… wanna take a stroll? It's a lot to explain standing around like this."
Mitsuha tilted her head slightly. "Stroll? Like a date?"
Shirogane coughed, face flushing. "N-no! I mean — not that I'd mind, but I just meant… walking. Talking. Not dating."
She laughed — a light, genuine sound that eased the tension in the air. "Relax. I'm teasing."
He scratched his cheek awkwardly. "Right. Okay. Let's go."
They started walking along the winding path that curved past the house, heading down into town. The cicadas were loud now, and the golden hour sun turned the rice fields into glistening mirrors.
Shirogane walked beside her, hands stuffed nervously into his pockets, brain racing.
'Should I just lie that I'm from the future and I saw Itomori get hit by a comet,' he thought. 'But how am I gonna convince her? Would she even believe me?'
Mitsuha glanced at him as if sensing his thoughts. "You're thinking really hard about something."
"Yeah," he admitted. "There's something I've been meaning to tell you. Something important."
She looked at him gently, her voice soft. "Take your time. I'm listening."
He stopped walking, turned to face her.
"Mitsuha," he said, serious now. "I think… I think something terrible is going to happen. To this town. And I think you and I are connected to it."
Her smile faded slightly, but she didn't look away. "What do you mean?"
"I… I had a dream. Or maybe a memory. Or maybe both." His hands trembled slightly. "But in that dream, I saw Itomori… destroyed. Like something fell from the sky. A comet."
Mitsuha's eyes widened.
"I know how it sounds," he rushed on. "But I think — no, I know — it wasn't just a dream. It was a warning. And I came here because… I don't want that to happen to you. Or anyone."
Mitsuha stood very still, searching his face. Her expression softened, touched by the emotion in his voice.
"You came all the way here… because you were worried about me?"
He blinked. "I— well— yeah."
She smiled — this time not teasing, not guarded, just warm.
"Then thank you," she said with a small smile. "Let's figure it out together, okay?"
Shirogane felt a strange mix of relief and dread.
"…Yeah. Together."
She smirked. "No pressure, but you better save us all, okay? Hero."
Shirogane gulped. "W-Wait, when did I become the protagonist of a disaster anime?!"
To be continued...