71 Is This Really a Middle School Student?

"Hojou, how do you solve this problem?" Kisaki Tetta handed over a workbook.

Upon hearing this, Miyamizu Mitsuha instinctively felt guilty.

On the way to school, she had briefly looked up some information about Higashi, and that long list of titles had left her in awe.

'But, since we're all middle school students just starting this school year, I should be fine, right?'

She took the workbook and glanced through it. It was a math problem.

Fortunately, it was something she had already studied.

As long as she followed the steps—like this, then this, and…

'Hmm?! This isn't anything like what I studied before!'

The same topic, but the depth of the questions at this school is completely different.

'Are middle school students in Tokyo all monsters?!'

Mitsuha forced a confident look and scolded Kisaki fiercely:

"You can't solve such a simple problem? Think harder!"

'Is it really that simple?'

Kisaki scratched his head.

He'd been staring at this problem for over ten minutes, and only had a tiny bit of an idea, but he couldn't figure it out.

Normally, if he showed Hojou a problem like this, his friend would glance at it and immediately come up with at least three different ways to solve it.

After brushing Kisaki off, Mitsuha started observing the surroundings.

"Hey Sendo, let's go grab some fried ** after school! The new place opened up!" This came from the guy sitting in front of her with the yellow poop-colored hair.

Although his hair looked awful, the words made Mitsuha envious.

Fried chicken? She really wanted to eat that. There wasn't any to be found in Itomori.

Fried chicken…

Her stomach growled.

Oh no, I forgot to buy breakfast on the way here, even though Kyousuke had reminded me in the memo.

Mitsuha clutched her stomach in frustration.

"Hojou, didn't you have breakfast?" the guy with the yellow poop-colored hair turned around and asked.

"Ah, I forgot," Mitsuha answered.

"If you don't mind, take this. I haven't opened it yet." Hanagaki handed her a piece of bread.

"Thanks!"

Without hesitation, Mitsuha took the bread, ripped open the packaging, and began devouring it.

Her manners were a bit embarrassing, but the overwhelming hunger made her too distracted to care.

After all, this body belongs to a boy, right?

Eating like this is normal, right?

Besides, does this guy have an insatiable hunger?

It's not like you'd be starving after missing just one meal…

"Here, eat this too."

Kisaki on the right also handed her a sandwich and a carton of milk.

"No, I'm fine with just the bread," Mitsuha replied, though her hunger made her desperately want to take the offer.

But she figured it was just a trick of her hunger, the "eyes bigger than the stomach" effect.

After all, who'd still be starving after eating a big piece of bread?

She looked at the guy with yellow poop-colored hair—she'd better stop calling him that.

He had just given her his breakfast.

The bread he handed over seemed to be their shared breakfast, and it was quite large.

"Are you sure that's enough?" Kisaki eyed her strangely.

If he remembered correctly, that big bread had been eaten by Hojou yesterday morning, along with a large carton of milk.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Thanks, everyone."

Mitsuha thanked them, then apologized for earlier when she said Kyousuke only had one friend—he seemed to get along with everyone, after all.

Seeing Hojou Kyousuke enjoying his bread so happily, Hanagaki Takemichi turned away, satisfied.

Ever since he was saved last time, he had wanted to repay him, but he hadn't found the chance yet.

Hours of class left Mitsuha dizzy and exhausted, only keeping up with the language class.

'Wait a minute, why am I just sitting here and listening to class?'

'Forget it, might as well listen.'

'Maybe it'll improve my grades.'

'Even if it's middle school, this is a prestigious school.'

…

'Nope! I'm done with this! I want to go back to Itomori!'

…

Caught between studying and slacking off, the lunch break finally came, and Mitsuha, already starving, understood the meaning behind Kisaki's look.

Kyousuke really is a bottomless pit when it comes to food!

Following the memo's instructions, she went up to the rooftop, handed the lunch money to Kisaki Tetta, and laid down on Kyousuke's exclusive lounge chair. 

Enjoying the breeze and gazing at the distant blue sky, the white clouds, and the towering skyscrapers.

Having rarely seen so many buildings, Mitsuha found the square, orderly buildings very pleasing to the eye, giving off a strong metropolitan vibe.

She could stare at them forever.

"Lunch is ready," Kisaki quickly returned with the food.

Mitsuha sat up and saw that Kisaki was holding a huge plate of pork cutlet rice.

His portion had only one pork cutlet, while hers had four!

"Is this for me? Can I eat all this?" she asked, stunned.

Eating this much would definitely make her fat.

'Wait, but this body isn't even mine, so who cares?'

"Just don't steal my pork cutlets later," Kisaki Tetta said, setting up a folding table next to her.

Mitsuha picked up three pieces of cutlet, tore them into strips, and shoved them into her mouth.

She chewed casually and swallowed.

The moment she ate, she felt a surge of hunger as if a switch had been flipped inside her.

Before Kisaki Tetta had even finished, she'd already eaten the entire massive plate.

Done for.

Now I'm a food monster too.

Although eating felt great, the guilt of eating so much made Mitsuha want to cry.

Another afternoon of lessons followed.

After class, Mitsuha followed Kisakito the Kendo club.

"Boss!"

As soon as the door opened, the loud greeting nearly made Mitsuha step back.

Usually, there wasn't this step, but after some discussion, the delinquents had agreed that since the boss was in a good mood today, they'd push it further, hoping that he might teach them some even more advanced moves.

Does Kyousuke go through this kind of torture every day?

Mitsuha felt a little sorry for him.

She rubbed her ears and stepped back inside, only to find dozens of eager eyes staring at her.

What's going on? Why are they looking at me like that? Isn't this the Kendo club? Shouldn't they be training? What do they want from me?

Mitsuha's mind was filled with questions.

"Boss, these guys want you to teach them some cool moves," Kanahara Takao was finally pushed forward.

Cool moves? I wish I knew some! Mitsuha felt her head getting heavy.

No choice, I have to use my secret weapon.

"You haven't even mastered the basics, and you want to learn advanced moves? Each of you, start by swinging your sword 300 times!" Mitsuha said sternly.

"Yes, Boss!"

Upon hearing her, the club members immediately ran to the center, lined up, and began swinging their swords.

Haha, teaching Kendo isn't that hard, after all.

Mitsuha sat down at the edge of the training area and started playing on her phone.

At first, she felt a little guilty about invading their privacy, but then she realized that Hojou Kyousuke had probably gone through her phone too, and maybe even other things.

Besides, I'm doing this to better understand him and avoid slipping up.

Thinking this, she confidently began scrolling through Hojou Kyousuke's phone.

What a nightmare… he's not even dating anyone and already has to live like this. If only he knew, he'd probably lament too.

She looked through his photos, seeing ones with Celty, the foreign girl who looked so good in her leather jacket, and a photo with Yamauchi Sakura in front of a crane game, where Sakura was holding a cute stuffed toy.

'Ah, I want to try the claw machine too!' Mitsuha screamed inside.

There was also a message from Nishimiya Shouko asking if they could hang out in Shibuya this weekend.

'Of course, yes! Let's go!' Mitsuha nodded wildly.

She had seen Shibuya countless times online, where boys and girls in school uniforms would meet up after school to shop, drink coffee, watch movies, and play video games…

She checked the text again—it only said "this weekend," without specifying a day.

If her body-swapping schedule with Hojou Kyousuke alternated every other day, she might be able to spend a weekend in Tokyo.

She hoped it wouldn't be on the wrong weekend.

'Wait, even if I miss it, I can go on my own.'

'I can go wherever I want!'

'Plus, I can wander around nearby after school since I'll be eating out anyway.'

Thinking of this, Mitsuha turned to Kisaki beside her.

"Kisaki, where are you having dinner later?"

Kisaki, still swinging his sword, looked at her cautiously.

He hadn't forgotten the painful hit his wallet took last time at the Italian restaurant.

"Of course, I'm going home to eat!"

"Okay…"

"Why do you sound so upset about it? Just go home then." Mitsuha felt a bit wronged.

She was just unfamiliar with good places to eat nearby and wanted to learn from others' choices.