All the Heroines are my Ex-girlfriends

Chapter 154: A Heart Stirred Without Ever Meeting

In the morning, the sound of the alarm clock pulled Miyamizu Mitsuha out of her sleep.

She opened her eyes and saw the ceiling of her room.

Her consciousness gradually returned.

Even though she was awake, at this moment, Miyamizu Mitsuha had no desire to move.

She just wanted to close her eyes again and recall the experience in the dream she had just had.

That dream was so vivid that it was hard to believe.

Even after waking up, every scene remained as clear as ever in her mind.

It was as if she had truly been to Tokyo.

Thinking about the luxurious café, the exquisite desserts, and the view from Tokyo Tower—

Miyamizu Mitsuha couldn't help but feel her heart race.

She had to study hard in high school, then get into a university in Tokyo!

The alarm kept ringing for a long time before Miyamizu Mitsuha finally opened her eyes again.

"Eh? Yesterday… did I set an alarm?"

"Or was it because I made plans with Sayaka and the others to go to a café, so I set an alarm specifically for that, but then forgot about it?"

She muttered in confusion.

Miyamizu Mitsuha sat up and picked up her phone.

[Your journal has received a letter.]

Seeing the message displayed on the screen, Miyamizu Mitsuha frowned in puzzlement.

Who had touched her phone?

That name sounded like some kind of strange joke.

She casually dismissed the alarm.

Then she got up from the tatami mat, intending to go to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

But the moment she stood up, she felt her legs go weak and immediately collapsed back down.

A wave of soreness spread from her calves throughout her entire body.

Miyamizu Mitsuha froze in shock.

Why did her legs feel so sore, as if she had walked dozens of kilometers?

Did she push herself so hard yesterday?

She was sure she barely exercised at all yesterday.

If anything, it was only in her dream—

At that moment, Miyamizu Mitsuha finally realized the gravity of the situation.

The sensations were far too real.

And the soreness spreading through her body.

All of these things were telling her—

That experience wasn't just a simple dream.

Miyamizu Mitsuha suddenly remembered the message on her phone's alarm.

She immediately looked up toward her desk, searching for her journal.

But no matter how hard she looked, she couldn't find it.

It was supposed to be right there on the desk!

Just as Miyamizu Mitsuha was about to push herself up again—

Her fingers brushed against the familiar texture of a book cover.

She picked it up and saw that it was indeed her journal.

Carrying a sense of doubt, she slowly opened it.

The previous pages still contained the diary entries she had written.

But when she reached yesterday's entry—

She turned to the next page.

On what was originally a blank sheet of paper, unfamiliar handwriting had appeared.

The handwriting had a very distinct style.

The kanji looked as if they had been written by a calligrapher, with each stroke carrying a unique elegance.

But the katakana was incredibly messy, no different from the scribbles of a young child.

[Miyamizu Mitsuha, hello. My name is Yukima Azuma.]

This first sentence made Miyamizu Mitsuha's eyes widen.

"Yukima Azuma… Is that his name?"

She recalled in the dream— um, perhaps it wasn't a dream.

In any case, it was the boy whose identity she had taken on.

The one with outstanding looks, living in a luxury apartment in Tokyo, and even having beautiful girls approach him on the streets.

That person was called 'Azuma.'

But until now, Miyamizu Mitsuha had never known his full name.

[First of all, what you experienced was not a dream, but an actual identity swap. Please understand this.]

A swap?

So everything was real?

No wonder it had felt so incredibly vivid!

[While you spent one day in Tokyo, seven days have passed in Itomori.]

Huh!?

Seven days have already passed!?

She hurriedly picked up her phone to check the date.

Sure enough, seven days had gone by.

She opened the photo library on her phone.

Inside, there were several pictures she had never seen before—

Photos of a café and desserts.

Even a group photo of her with Teshigawara and Natori Sayaka.

"Is this the café in town? It can't even compare to Tokyo… What am I thinking!?"

Miyamizu Mitsuha lightly patted her cheeks to calm herself down.

Now was not the time to be thinking about that!

She recalled what she had done while in that boy's identity.

From the bottom of her heart, she felt incredibly guilty.

Casually making friends with other girls under his name.

Hugging his cat tightly and sniffing it nonstop.

Most importantly… spending his money recklessly, buying tons of things on shopping apps that even she didn't know how to use.

If Yukima Azuma were standing right in front of her now—

Miyamizu Mitsuha thought she might have to seiza kneel down and apologize immediately.

This was no longer just a simple matter of being rude.

It was outright inhumane.

A deep sense of guilt filled Miyamizu Mitsuha as she continued reading the words left behind by Yukima Azuma.

When she read the part where he said the swapping could last until the end of summer vacation—

Her heart immediately hung in the air.

She was happy to have another chance to go to Tokyo.

But this time, that happiness no longer came from admiration or longing.

Instead, it was because at the very least, she would have the chance to properly apologize to the boy she had never met.

At the same time, she also felt anxious and uneasy.

She had no idea how he would react when he discovered how much of his money she had wasted.

She imagined the scene of him getting angry after swapping back and checking his account.

"I'm definitely going to get scolded… But I totally deserve it."

"How much money did I even spend? I have no idea. If I have to pay it back, I'll probably need to work part-time for a long time…"

Miyamizu Mitsuha let out a heavy sigh.

But if she did something wrong, she had to take responsibility.

She was the type of person who faced the consequences of her actions.

At that moment, the door to her room suddenly slid open from the outside.

Her younger sister's voice rang out.

"Onee-chan, it's time for breakfast!"

"Ah, umu, I'll be right there."

Miyamizu Mitsuha pushed herself up and walked over to Yotsuha.

"Onee-chan, the way you're walking looks so weird."

"My legs are just a little sore. Oh, right, Yotsuha… Have I been acting strange lately?"

"Huh? Not at all. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, it's nothing, just small talk."

Hearing her sister say that she had been acting normal lately—

Miyamizu Mitsuha let out a sigh of relief.

But the guilt in her heart only grew deeper.

When that boy had swapped into her identity, he had lived normally for seven whole days.

So much so that even her sister hadn't noticed anything unusual.

Meanwhile, she had caused a complete mess in just one day.

...

After finishing breakfast,

Miyamizu Mitsuha planned to return to her room to continue reading the journal and think about what to do next.

But just as she stood up, her grandmother called out to her.

"Mitsuha, today you have to make Kumihimo, remember?"

Mitsuha froze for a moment before nodding.

So it was already time to make Kumihimo?

Time really flew by so fast…

Would that boy like Kumihimo? It was, after all, a specialty of her hometown.

Miyamizu Mitsuha unconsciously thought about Yukima Azuma.

"After we swap back, I'll ask him. Maybe I can use Kumihimo to pay off part of my debt."

Mitsuha muttered to herself and let out a small sigh.

"What are you talking about, Onee-chan?"

Yotsuha looked at her with a confused expression.

"Ah, it's nothing."

Mitsuha waved her hand dismissively, acting as if nothing had happened.

So, after their grandmother finished eating,

Mitsuha and Yotsuha accompanied her outside, preparing to head to the Miyamizu Shrine.

Walking along the narrow path,

There were a few people coming from the opposite side of the road.

Miyamizu Mitsuha looked closely and recognized them.

She unconsciously pouted.

They were classmates—people whom she, Sayaka, and Teshigawara didn't get along with.

They would definitely start whispering and badmouthing her again.

Ugh! I already have enough to worry about!

Thinking that, Mitsuha was about to avert her eyes,

Just like always, lower her head, and walk past them without paying attention.

But before she could do so—

Those people instinctively moved aside, stepping far away from Mitsuha.

All of them lowered their heads, pretending not to see her.

Miyamizu Mitsuha blinked.

"Huh?"

This strange reaction left Mitsuha feeling puzzled.

Meanwhile, the boys and girls who were being stared at—

Were now drenched in sweat.

Seven days ago, they had endured a direct confrontation from "Miyamizu Mitsuha."

After that, they had wanted to regain their dignity.

But every time they encountered "Miyamizu Mitsuha," her words would leave them speechless, unable to lift their heads.

Moreover, "Miyamizu Mitsuha" carried an unbelievably strong presence.

Every time they faced "her," it felt as if they were facing their own parents.

These past few days, these kids—who weren't even in high school yet—

Whenever they saw Mitsuha, they would quietly avoid her.

And now, being stared at by Mitsuha, they unconsciously felt anxious.

"Are, this rock… really is just a rock."

"Of course, a rock is just a rock."

Those people stared at a rock on the ground as if it were their lifeline.

Only after Mitsuha passed by did they finally relax their gazes.

She had seen their reactions clearly and felt a sense of satisfaction.

No more annoying taunts today.

Her whole day instantly felt brighter.

But at the same time, Miyamizu Mitsuha understood.

There was no way these people had suddenly changed their personalities.

That boy who had swapped identities with her must have done something.

Social relationships had always been a struggle for her,

Like a thorn embedded in her flesh—

Not life-threatening, but painful every time it was touched.

And yet, that boy had effortlessly removed this troublesome thorn that she had endured for so long.

Miyamizu Mitsuha felt both relieved and curious.

Yukima Azuma… What exactly did he do?

After that, Mitsuha became even more intrigued by this boy.

Were all handsome guys in Tokyo this capable?

It felt like there was nothing he couldn't do!

"Mitsuha, focus."

Her grandmother's voice snapped her back to reality.

Mitsuha quickly regained her composure.

The three of them had arrived at Miyamizu Shrine.

Inside a room deep within the shrine, there were threads of various colors.

These threads, when woven using a special technique, would become Kumihimo.

According to legend, this was a medium for communicating with the gods.

It symbolized the connection between gods and humans, between people, and between souls.

When weaving, one must calm their mind and pour their intentions into each thread.

Only then could a true Kumihimo be created.

As Mitsuha listened to her grandmother's words, she looked at the red-orange thread in her hands.

When weaving Kumihimo, any kind of thought or feeling could be embedded within.

Love for a partner, friendship for a friend—it was all possible.

Mitsuha thought of Yukima Azuma and infused her curiosity about him into the delicate threads.

Slowly, a red-orange thread intertwined, forming a beautiful cord.

On the other side, Miyamizu Hitoha watched Mitsuha weave and was momentarily dazed.

Then, the old woman smiled in satisfaction.

Before long, a red-orange Kumihimo cord was completed.

Mitsuha placed it beside her.

If Yukima Azuma was interested in Kumihimo,

She wanted to give this cord to him.