147 Aspiration, the Most Distant Distance 

Dragging her exhausted body and weary soul, Miyamizu Mitsuha stepped into the living room.

Her grandmother sat in her usual, unchanging posture, a sight that brought Mitsuha a sense of comfort.

Somehow, she felt a small surge of strength return to her body.

"Grandmother, where's Yotsuba?" she asked, sitting down and taking a sip of the thick, bitter green tea, something she would have never touched before.

"I sent her to bed earlier," her grandmother replied.

"Oh, it's about time for her to sleep anyway." Mitsuha glanced at the clock on the television. It was already nine o'clock.

"What about you? Are you still practicing the Kagura dance today?" Miyamizu Hitoha lifted her teacup and took a gentle sip.

Unlike before, she didn't press her granddaughter to practice but simply asked, observing the changes in her.

"Of course. I'll rest for a bit first, and then I'll start."

Despite her exhaustion, which had her nearly slumped over the table, Mitsuha's voice remained filled with determination.

"Then don't push yourself too hard. I'm heading to bed."

Hearing that, Mitsuha immediately stood up and helped her grandmother to her room.

After returning to the living room, she poured herself another cup of the strong green tea and drank it down.

The bitter taste jolted her awake.

Originally, she had planned to rest her head on the table for a moment, but instead, she pushed herself up and walked towards the Kagura Hall, located on the left side of the shrine.

During festivals, the hall's three wooden walls would be removed, transforming it into an open-air stage.

But for now, the space was enclosed by lattice doors, making it feel rather confined.

In one corner of the hall sat an old AIWA-brand tape recorder, used to play Kagura dance music.

Taking a deep breath, Mitsuha began her practice, following the movements she had learned over the years.

Her waist straightened as she moved in rhythm with the music.

She flicked her wrist, shaking the sacred bells in her hand.

The ribbons tied to the bells floated elegantly in the air.

She tapped her toes against the wooden floor and spun gracefully.

With her every turn, the white sleeves of her shrine maiden outfit and the red hakama swayed in perfect harmony.

The music played on repeat, and only when she began to feel the sting in her toes did Mitsuha finally frown and stop.

She walked to the corner, turned off the tape recorder, and removed her long white socks.

"Not too bad, just a little redness."

Her ten small, pale toes were flushed with color.

She gently massaged them, more worried about being unable to train properly than the pain itself.

Leaning against the wall, she took a brief rest.

Practicing Kagura dancing was exhausting every precise movement, every turn, every step had to be executed flawlessly.

Even the ribbons' movements had strict requirements. Practicing so many times in a row was far more tiring than running a thousand meters.

As much as she longed for a hot bath and a good night's sleep, Mitsuha forced herself to stand up again.

She walked to another corner and picked up a long, bagged item wrapped in black cloth.

Unzipping the bag, she pulled out a bamboo sword.

She had asked Teshigawara to buy it for her during his trip to Gifu, spending an entire month's allowance on it.

Though her memories of body-swapping were growing hazy, she still clearly remembered that Hojou Kyousuke was a kendo master.

Sayaka had enthusiastically recounted the incident where Kyousuke effortlessly took down Minami Manaka's boyfriend in front of the school gates.

Both in Kyousuke's body and in her own as a shrine maiden, Mitsuha realized she couldn't afford to be weak.

She had no choice but to push herself to grow stronger.

The fragmented memories of kendo training in Tokyo became her guide.

Even if she wasn't trying to catch up to Kyousuke's level, she was determined to be strong enough to protect herself and those around her.

Focusing on the grip technique from her memories, Mitsuha positioned herself in the center of the hall.

Her first swing—too much force. The bamboo sword slipped from her grip and flew out of her hands. Undeterred, she picked it up and resumed her stance.

Her second swing—still too strong. This time, she managed to hold onto the sword, but it struck the floor with a forceful bounce, nearly rebounding into her.

Her third swing—she almost sprained her wrist. Thankfully, years of dance training had made her body more flexible than most.

Her fourth swing—somehow, she lost her balance and stumbled forward a few steps.

Fifth… Sixth…

Sweat from her Kagura practice had already dried, but new beads of perspiration formed from her kendo training.

Strands of hair stuck to her face, but she ignored them.

Each failure frustrated her, but it also fueled her determination.

Why was it so easy when I swung the sword in Kyousuke's body, but now, in my own, it feels impossible?

Taking a large gulp of water, she glanced at her reddened palms, burning with pain and itchiness.

Still, she gripped the bamboo sword even tighter and continued her practice.

In the past, Mitsuha never even considered trying to catch up to Kyousuke.

He had always seemed too perfect, almost divine.

His looks—though she couldn't remember them clearly, the way people reacted to him was proof enough that he was strikingly handsome.

His academic prowess, while she struggled with exams, he had teachers in awe of his abilities.

His social skills, aside from Teshigawara and Sayaka, whom she had known since childhood, Mitsuha had no other close friends, whereas Kyousuke had a wide circle of both male and female admirers.

His kendo skills, his harmonious family, his incredible ability to make money, his loyal subordinates—

Hojou Kyousuke had everything one could envy.

When someone is just a little better than you, it sparks the motivation to catch up.

But when someone is so overwhelmingly perfect, they feel untouchable, like a god to be admired from afar.

That was how Mitsuha had always viewed Kyousuke—until the cherry blossom festival.

After returning to Itomori with relatively intact memories, she saw him in a different light.

For reasons unknown, every memory she had of interacting with those three beautiful girls remained crystal clear, as if she had personally experienced them herself.

From their stories, she learned something surprising: Kyousuke was not a god. He was a living, breathing person full of flaws.

He got frustrated when his shoelaces wouldn't stay tied.

He was grumpy when woken up suddenly.

He was even startled by alarm clocks, which was why he only used vibrate mode.

He wasn't revered as a divine shrine maiden in Itomori solely because of his abilities.

He had also made some accidental blunders along the way. He messed things up, like startling her father…

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"Hah!"

With a sharp exhale, Mitsuha released a burst of air from her diaphragm.

In the cold mountain night, the warm breath condensed into a misty white cloud.

She did it! After an entire night of training, she finally executed a perfect strike!

Lying on the ground, her body aching from exhaustion, she couldn't help but grin.

Ha! That lazy bum Kyousuke is probably fast asleep by now!

If only she had the energy, she would have laughed out loud.

Just wait, someday I'll go to Tokyo, stand before Kyousuke, and show him that body-swapping wasn't just him getting the better deal.

Using Miyamizu Mitsuha's body should have been an honor for him!

As she drifted into a blissful dream, her phone alarm suddenly blared.

"Ugh, it's already midnight?"

She scrambled up, stretched her body in the traditional Miyamizu style to ease the soreness, then went to bathe and sleep.

———————————————————————

The next morning, golden sunlight spilled through Mitsuha's window, painting streaks of warmth across her tangled sheets.

She groaned, rolling onto her side, every muscle in her body protesting with a dull, persistent ache.

Face buried in the pillow, her voice came out muffled and thick with exhaustion,

"Why… why hasn't the swap happened yet?"

Meanwhile, across town, Yukino Yukari also woke to the morning light.

Glancing at her phone, she raised a hand to shield her eyes and whispered,

"Hojou-kun still isn't here…"