Chapter 2: Mitsuha Miyamizu

Shocked!

Kyosuke Hojo was certain he didn’t know this girl. And if asked why—

Because there was a glaring, glowing character above her head bearing the words: "Your Name · Mitsuha Miyamizu (Protagonist)." There was no way he could forget meeting such a "celebrity"!

Seeing Kyosuke’s baffled expression as he called out to her, Mitsuha suddenly felt a bad premonition.

“Um, it’s me,” she said.

Kyosuke thought to himself, I know your name is Mitsuha Miyamizu, but I really don’t know you. Just as he was about to respond, the girl’s face instantly fell.

“Don’t you remember?” she asked.

“What’s your name?” Kyosuke replied.

He hadn’t expected such an apparently normal question to cause such a dramatic change in her expression.

Mitsuha was stunned by his words, seeming like a complete stranger who didn’t know her at all.

She had firmly believed that if they met, they would recognize each other. After all, the person she had swapped bodies with was him.

Her pale face flushed deeply as she turned her head away, avoiding his gaze.

“Sorry...” she whispered, struggling to contain her embarrassment. Yet inside, she couldn’t believe it—he was definitely Kyosuke. So why?

“Um...”

Before Kyosuke could speak again, the sound of the subway arriving interrupted them. Hearing the announcement, Mitsuha squeezed toward the doors as if fleeing.

“What’s your name?” Kyosuke called out once more.

Unable to resist, Mitsuha turned to answer, but the crowd pushing to disembark was too thick, and her small frame kept being pressed toward the exit.

“Mitsuha! My name is Mitsuha!” she cried, while untying the knot on the string around her head and reaching out to hand it to Kyosuke.

She didn’t know why she suddenly did this—perhaps it was a fleeting memory of her grandmother’s words:

“The knot in the string is the bond; the bond between people is also a knot. Knots represent time—gathering, shaping, twisting, entwining. That is time itself.”

Driven by some impulse, she offered the knot to Kyosuke.

The moment she handed over the string knot, Mitsuha sighed in relief—only to be swept outward by the flow of people.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed her, and a powerful force pulled her back inside the carriage.

“Hey, Mitsuha, what are you running off for before I even finish talking?”

A voice both familiar and strange sounded in her ear. It was familiar because this voice had come from “her” countless times, but strange because it was the first time she heard it with her own ears.

A smile involuntarily appeared on her face, but she murmured in complaint:

“You’re squeezing my hand too hard!”

“Ah, sorry, sorry,” Kyosuke quickly released his grip, well aware of how strong he was being.

“Geez, no wonder you’re the boss of the delinquents—so rough!” Mitsuha said, rubbing her wrist.

“Well, Mitsuha, although you seem to know me well, I’m sure this is our first meeting. And I’m not a delinquent,” Kyosuke said.

“No way! You clearly—”

Noticing the crowd gathering around to listen to their conversation, Mitsuha’s voice abruptly trailed off.

“Let’s talk after we get off,” Kyosuke suggested, also aware of the eavesdroppers. Inside the carriage, apart from the sound of the train, only their voices remained.

“Okay,” she replied.

The next stop was Kyosuke’s destination: Sendagi Station. The Chiyoda subway line covered Higashijo Junior High and Sendagi, requiring no transfers for him—a great convenience.

Plus, rent here was cheap. Kyosuke’s small apartment cost just 110,000 yen, easily affordable with his scholarship. Soseki Natsume’s "I Am a Cat" was written at the old residence on Sendagi’s 57th block, close to Kyosuke’s place; he had even toured it once with a realtor.

Most importantly, just a few minutes’ walk from the station was Yanaka Shopping Street, also known as Yanaka Ginza Shopping Street—though completely different from the famous Ginza district.

Yanaka Shopping Street was a traditional neon-lit shopping arcade, filled with Showa-era style shops, family restaurants, and cafés—affordable and delicious.

Kyosuke’s destination was one such family restaurant. After moving here, he had only eaten there once but decided to have dinner there every day for the next three years.

After leaving the subway, Mitsuha remained silent, quietly following Kyosuke.

“Watch the stairs,” he reminded, noticing her distracted expression.

Descending the long staircase, the Yanaka Shopping Street sign loomed ahead. The restaurant Kyosuke wanted to visit was just to the left of the entrance.

“A family restaurant okay?” Kyosuke asked.

“Huh? No, I’m not hungry yet. Just want to find a place to sit,” Mitsuha replied, suddenly more reserved than before.

“You haven’t eaten yet, right? And your feet look like they’re giving out—must be hurting,” Kyosuke pointed out, having noticed her wincing with every step.

“No, no, I’m fine. Besides, I’ve almost run out of money...” she said.

If their relationship were as close as “before,” Mitsuha wouldn’t care about money, but after much thought on the subway, she was hesitant now.

Though she didn’t know why, Kyosuke clearly didn’t recognize her. She was certain he wasn’t pretending.

Now, she wanted more than anything to flee from this familiar stranger, from this city that wasn’t hers, and return to Itomori.

“Want me to carry you?” Kyosuke ignored her words. Regardless of the shining protagonist character above her head or how familiar she seemed, even if she were a complete stranger, he wouldn’t stand by idly.

“No way I’d let you do that!” Mitsuha blushed and hurried ahead a few steps.

“This way, this way—to the Matsuyama Family Restaurant,” Kyosuke called out as she walked past the place he wanted.

The Matsuyama Family Restaurant—a plain name, but the food was surprisingly good, at least to Kyosuke’s taste.

The restaurant was already crowded, with only seats by the window available. Kyosuke quickly led Mitsuha there.

“What do you want to eat?” he asked.

Holding the menu, Mitsuha hesitated, glancing down at her wallet. What she said was true—besides the fare home, she had almost no money left.

“Anything you want. It’s on me,” Kyosuke said quickly, noticing her furtive glance.

Embarrassed to be caught, Mitsuha’s face flushed red, but she also grew somewhat angry—really, who was to blame for all this? If not for seeking him out and changing trains endlessly, she wouldn’t have run out of money for food!

“Hmph! Of course I know you, the delinquent boss Kyosuke, must be rich. I want a beef set meal, grilled salmon, matcha ice cream, molten chocolate cake, and an iced coffee.”

“Is that enough?” Kyosuke asked with concern.

What? Did she think he was a pig? Was she mocking him?

Though she ordered a huge pile of her favorite dishes, Mitsuha’s mood didn’t improve at all. She crossed her arms, leaned back in her chair, and glared at the concerned man opposite her.

“I’ll have the special beef set meal and a large iced cola,” Kyosuke said.

“Okay, please wait a moment,” said the Matsuyama owner’s wife, who worked part-time as a waitress, taking their order.

“Hey, what’s that special beef set meal?” Mitsuha asked curiously. Though they had swapped bodies many times, she had never visited this restaurant or tried that impressive-sounding dish.

“It’s nothing special—just a super-sized version of your beef set meal,” Kyosuke replied.

Hearing this, Mitsuha’s curiosity lingered but she didn’t ask further.