After bursting out of school, I pulled out my phone again. I opened the surveillance feed, keeping an eye on Shiraishi's apartment on-screen while sprinting toward it.
Meanwhile, on another street, a blonde girl hurried toward the school.
"I forgot something there. I should still make it back in time..." she muttered, running fast.
From a bird's-eye view, the phone-absorbed boy and the rushing girl were closing in on an intersection.
Thud—
Fully focused on my screen, I slammed hard into the girl at the crossing.
My first thought on impact: Stay calm. Find that time machine first...
But during the collision, my lips brushed something soft and wet. A sweet scent flooded my mouth.
Chaotic thoughts vanished fast. Dizziness washed over me, then disappeared instantly.
Next, I crashed heavily onto the pavement.
"Ow ow ow—"
I struggled up. Why did my body ache so much?! Like it was falling apart. With my stamina, this bump shouldn't hurt this badly.
Huh? A girl's voice? Did I hit a girl? This is bad...
Standing up, something felt off. As the pain faded, my clothes' texture seemed... different.
Especially my lower half—strangely chilly?
A strand of golden hair slid down my forehead, blocking my view.
Hair? When did it get this long? And this color isn't mine...
I brushed it aside. A familiar figure lay right ahead.
—Wait!! Isn't that me?!
But... how could I see my own body?!
"Masaka!? ...So it really is like this..."
I shouted in shock. The feminine voice from my mouth confirmed it.
I'd swapped bodies with this girl...
Standing, the weight on my chest made me look down.
"As expected... I'm in her body now. But why did this happen?..."
I gathered the fallen hair and looked up at "myself," also rising from the ground.
He didn't seem fazed by seeing his double. Instead, he frantically apologized.
"That's not right..."
I picked up the black-rimmed glasses from the pavement. Tilting my head, I put them on my own body.
...Man, seeing myself from another angle is weird!
...But why's there an affection meter on my body too? Bright red at -100. Shouldn't guys be immune to the halo?
Or... since I'm female now, does the opposite-sex aversion target males?...
"Huh? Another me?... But this weird aversion feeling?..."
"Kamidou Chiyo," now wearing the glasses, recognized the person before her. Calmly, she voiced her doubt at seeing another Shiraishi Rei.
"Aversion? Wait—Chiyo-san? Are you Chiyo-san?"
The girl in my body realized she'd swapped with the weird classmate.
Oh dear... So this aversion's become my trademark?
I watched my own body show disgust, speechless. Being hated by myself feels so strange...
"That's right. It's me, Kamidou Chiyo. We've swapped bodies for some unknown reason."
I nodded, speaking in a feminine voice.
"I see..." Shiraishi Rei, in my body, nodded thoughtfully.
—Hey! She's accepting this so easily?! Why's she calmer than me?! Girls should panic in this situation!
"From your look, do you know why we swapped?"
I moved closer, but he pushed me away with a disgusted face.
"I don't know why. But hating my own body is really uncomfortable."
"Kamidou Chiyo" shook her head expressionlessly.
"Forget that! I have urgent business!! Figure out how to switch back!!"
Shouting, I grabbed my fallen phone. Luckily, it wasn't broken—the screen stayed clear.
I quickly landed the Hong Kong reporter drone in a trash pile. With this mess, I had no mind for dating plans.
"I don't know. Maybe we can never switch back..."
"Really?" I looked up suspiciously. "Let's crash into each other again!?"
I slammed into my own body and fell again.
"Ow ow ow!... Why aren't we switched back?"
I stared at my hands—still slender, feminine arms.
"If it's not the crash... then it must be that..." I stood, rubbing my butt. Girls' bodies are so fragile...
Wait?! A girl's butt?
Feeling it, my face flushed slightly. Touching her like this in front of her—this is basically harassment!
But she didn't seem to mind. I breathed a sigh of relief.
"Then... let's kiss!"
I recalled the crash sensation. This was the last possibility...
"No way! That aversion from you is unbearable. I refuse!"
Shiraishi Rei in my body flatly rejected it.
"I can remove that aversion," I said calmly, stepping closer. "I'm cursed with an opposite-sex aversion halo."
"How can such a thing exist..." Shiraishi Rei sounded skeptical.
"We just swapped bodies supernaturally. Do you still doubt curses?"
"Well..."
I pressed closer. When Shiraishi Rei's affection meter hit zero, I relaxed inwardly. She believed me.
I shut my eyes and kissed deeply before she could react.
Why close them? Kissing my own face is awkward! I had to force it.
—All this to get my body back!
Dizziness returned. Opening my eyes slowly, a blushing blonde girl pressed against my lips.
"Shiraishi Rei?! Shiraishi-san?!" Now I knew who I'd swapped with.
Our lips parted. A thin strand of saliva stretched between us, then snapped.
Simultaneously, Shiraishi Rei's affection meter jumped from zero to 50.
I wiped my mouth, savoring the lingering warmth...
Seeing her embarrassment, I grabbed my backpack to leave. But the crash had spilled women's underwear from it.
"—Look! A UFO!!!"
Panicked, I pointed at the setting sun. I stuffed books, underwear, and panties into the bag, wiping sweat from my brow.
"Huh? Where's the UFO?" Shiraishi Rei turned back, puzzled.
"Ah!! Must've been my imagination..."
I scratched my head, apologizing. Luckily, she didn't see. If she had, the meter would've gone negative again...
"Since we're switched back!! Shiraishi-san, I'll go! Sorry about earlier!"
"No, I should apologize. I was in too much of a hurry..."
The blonde girl shook her head. She operated my phone and handed it over. "This is Chiyo-san's phone, right..."
I smiled, taking it. I watched her pass me, running toward school.
"...Remember to contact me..."
A strand of golden hair brushed past me. A faint, sweet scent filled my nose.
"Contact?... Ah... Achoo—"
The scent made me sneeze. Rubbing my nose, I checked my phone. A new contact: Shiraishi Rei...
"...Then I'll contact you!"
