"Yes, yes, Boss, go ahead."
If he weren't driving, Eikichi Onizuka would have already pulled out a notebook to take notes.
He even considered recording the conversation, but after what happened last time—when Kasumi Utako-sensei confiscated everything on his phone, he wasn't sure what kind of trouble that would lead to.
So, for now, he decided not to take any chances.
"No need to be so serious. Let's just treat this as a casual book discussion."
Mitsuha couldn't understand why someone like Onizuka, a former delinquent gang leader, was so obsessed with a romance light novel.
His serious expression reminded her of that time at the café...
'Oh. Right. This guy was trying to learn dating techniques from the novel.'
'How touching. Onizuka, your dedication to getting a girlfriend has officially earned my respect!'
With that thought, Mitsuha decided to take this discussion seriously.
After all, she had promised Kyousuke she'd help educate his subordinates.
If she could get all of them into relationships, the city office might as well give her an award!
"First, you need to understand what kind of girl Sayuka is."
"Uh-huh, she's a gloomy and stubborn girl!" Onizuka had read the novel so many times, he was confident in his answer.
"No, that's completely wrong. Deep down, Sayuka is actually very soft and shy."
"I knew it! No wonder whenever I tried using the lines from this book to talk to girls, they called me a creep! I've been interpreting it all wrong!" Onizuka smacked the steering wheel in realization, his voice filled with excitement.
"Heh…"
Hearing him say that, Mitsuha suddenly felt a little guilty. Honestly, she wasn't sure if the novel's content could really help someone improve their emotional intelligence.
"Onizuka, you do realize that novels are fictional, right? You can't take them too literally."
"Of course I know that. But this book is different. I even heard from the author herself!"
"Boss, there's no need to keep it a secret from me anymore. Now I understand why you recommended it to us. Thank you so much!"
Onizuka felt incredibly lucky he had gone to Akihabara that day. Even though he didn't succeed in finding a girlfriend, he discovered something even more shocking:
This book was based on the Boss's real-life love story, written by none other than Kasumi Utako-sensei!
'…Huh???'
'What exactly do you think you know?'
'Why would Kyousuke recommend this book to you?!'
Mitsuha was completely baffled.
Well… since had endorsed it, she might as well go along with it and properly explain the novel to him.
"Onizuka, under no circumstances should you use the lines from this book to talk to girls—you'll get punched."
As they arrived near Chidorigafuchi, Mitsuha and the others got out of the car.
Standing by the roadside, she turned to Onizuka with a stern warning.
"Understood, Boss!" Onizuka responded just as seriously.
"Alright then, I'll be heading off. Enjoy the Sakura Festival!" Mitsuha waved as she walked away.
"See you, Boss—and Boss's friends!"
After saying his goodbyes, Onizuka hopped back into the car and sped off to meet the rest of the group.
"Get punched?"
"You mean because I'll end up with too many girlfriends, and they'll fight over me out of jealousy? If that's the case, then bring it on! I, Eikichi Onizuka, welcome that kind of beating!"
The fool laughed to himself as he drove off.
"So, first we'll go boating on Chidorigafuchi, then we'll walk along the Chidori Greenway to the park for a picnic, and finally, we'll head to Meguro in the evening. That's the plan, right?"
Mitsuha led the way, carrying a picnic basket and a blanket, while gently pushing through the crowd to make space for the three girls following behind her.
Chidorigafuchi was the moat located on the northwest side of the Imperial Palace.
The area got its name from the way the lake's shape resembled a thousand birds spreading their wings.
With hundreds of cherry blossom trees lining the banks, it was one of Tokyo's top three cherry blossom viewing spots, alongside Shinjuku Gyoen and Ueno Park.
Besides admiring the cherry blossoms from the stone pathways and bridges, the most popular activity here was renting a boat and drifting along the moat, surrounded by pink petals.
Cherry blossoms were delicate—just when they reached full bloom, they also started to fall.
As the wind blew, petals would scatter from the branches and drift down onto the boats and into the water. And when the petals truly started shedding in earnest, the entire river would turn a soft shade of pink.
"Yep, that's right."
Sakura clung tightly to Mitsuha's sleeve—though technically, she was holding onto the sleeve of Kyousuke's body. Shouko and Naoka trailed close behind.
As they stepped off the main road and approached the riverside, they saw clusters of young women dressed in colorful kimonos, all eagerly taking photos.
"Ahh, I knew it! We should have worn kimonos too!" Sakura whined softly.
"And we shouldn't have come at peak hours to take pictures. We should've arrived earlier when there were fewer people." Naoka added.
"Yeah, at this point, it'll be hard to get a good shot without a crowd in the background." Mitsuha sighed as she glanced around.
Most of the women taking photos were gathered on the bridge, leaning against the railing to snap close-ups with the cherry blossoms below.
Hardly anyone was taking full-body shots, mainly because every picturesque spot under the trees was already occupied by another group doing the exact same thing.
"Let's just go straight to the boat rental. There are fewer people on the water, and if you all want pictures, we can rent two boats—I'll take the photos for you." Mitsuha spoke naturally.
She knew that if Kyousuke were here, he would have done the same.
That guy was always looking out for the people around him, even when his body was temporarily occupied by someone else.
So, as long as she was using his body, she'd make sure to do the same.
"Haha, what are you talking about, Mitsuha? Like we'd let you row a boat by yourself!"
Sakura laughed, brushing off Mitsuha's offer. Even though she was the first one to mention taking pictures, she wasn't the type to dwell on a single thought for more than three seconds.
"Besides, we'll probably run into someone familiar who can help take photos." Shouko smirked from behind, recalling how, no matter where they went, Kyousuke always seemed to run into his reliable subordinates.
"Let's hope so." Mitsuha smiled as she continued leading the way.
They crossed the bridge and passed through the entrance to the Chidori Greenway.
Despite its name, the so-called "greenway" was nothing but a sea of pink. Cherry blossom trees lined both sides of the path, their fully bloomed branches forming a tunnel of petals.
It was breathtakingly romantic.
Another striking view was the numerous women in kimonos posing for photos beneath the trees.
Even though Mitsuha and the others weren't dressed in traditional clothing, Sakura, Shouko, and Naoka stood out effortlessly with their natural beauty.
They became a part of the picturesque scenery themselves.
Finding a relatively less crowded spot where only two other girls were taking photos, Sakura pointed it out and nudged Shouko and Naoka forward to wait their turn.
She then turned back to Mitsuha and took the picnic basket from her hands.
"Sakura, what are you doing?" Mitsuha asked.
She had already pulled out her phone, ready to fulfill her "boyfriend duty" and take pictures for them.
"Mitsuha, you're coming too. I'm setting up my phone on the picnic basket for a timed shot so we can all be in the photo together."
"Sakura…" Mitsuha felt a sudden wave of emotion.
She finally understood why Shouko always listened to Sakura—this girl was just too thoughtful.
Even Mitsuha, a girl herself, couldn't help but feel her heart skip a beat.
"Hurry up! Before more people walk into the frame!"
Now that they were inside the cherry blossom tunnel, the crowd had thinned out slightly, making it the perfect chance for a photo.
"Alright, alright!"
Sakura grabbed Mitsuha's hand and pulled her into the shot, joining Shouko and Naoka.
A gentle spring breeze blew past, carrying the faint scent of the moat's water.
The delicate cherry branches swayed slightly, releasing a flurry of petals that rained down like snow. Pink blossoms landed in the girls' hair and dusted their clothes, creating a scene straight out of a dream.
Pink petals danced in the air, contrasting against the girls' fair skin.
For a moment, it was impossible to tell whether the breathtaking cherry blossoms were more beautiful or if the radiant smiles on their faces were the true heart-stealers.
Of course, there was also the boy in the middle of the three stunning girls—grinning so widely that even his molars were visible—flashing a peace sign for the camera.
"One, two, three—cheese!"
With Sakura's cheerful voice ringing out, their cherry blossom festival had officially begun.
As soon as the camera flash faded, Sakura eagerly ran over to check the photos, with Shouko and Naoka huddling close behind her.
Meanwhile, Mitsuha, mindful that she was currently inhabiting a boy's body, maintained a bit of distance but used her height advantage to peek at the screen.
"Sakura~" Shouko tugged on Sakura's sleeve impatiently.
"Haha, don't worry, Shouko, I'm sending them right now."
Oddly enough, despite always forming chat groups for even the most trivial events, the three girls had never created a group chat for themselves.
'Ding ding ding!' A notification popped up as Sakura quickly sent the pictures to everyone.
Mitsuha had looked in the mirror plenty of times, but seeing herself in a photo—knowing that she had posed for it, yet seeing a boy's face in the picture—still left her with a strange feeling.
But… this wasn't so bad, was it?
Even though "she" wasn't in the photo, Mitsuha still felt genuinely happy.
"Mitsuha, don't forget to send this to Mikiko Auntie—the one saved as 'Mom' in your contacts," Sakura reminded her.
"Oh, right!"
Still caught up in the surreal feeling, Mitsuha quickly complied. The moment she sent the photo, a message popped up instantly, as if the recipient had been waiting by their phone.
———————————————————————
"That's my boy! So handsome! Little Sakura looks as energetic as ever, Shou-chan is still as adorable as always, and Naoka's smile is so bright today!"
———————————————————————
Miyamizu Mitsuha couldn't help but admire how close Hojou's mother was with Sakura and the others.
On the other end, Shouko had already sent the photos to her mother and Yuzuru.
Naoka forwarded them to her little brother, though her grandfather wasn't too savvy with smartphones.
Meanwhile, Sakura had sent them to both her own mother and Kyousuke's mother in one swift tap.
———————————————————————
Meanwhile, in Mizumoto City
Even the most demanding companies wouldn't force people to work overtime during the cherry blossom festival.
Well… except for Nishimiya Yaeko, who worked at a hospital and had the busiest schedule of them all.
Ironically, the Nishimiya family had the most convenient location for flower viewing—the city's cherry blossom festival took place just outside their apartment, along the riverbank.
Since the children in their families were so close, their parents had also gathered to enjoy the festival together.
As they strolled along the river, nearly everyone's phones chimed at the exact same time.
"That must be from Sakura and the girls," said Yamauchi Makoto, Sakura's mother, momentarily startled by what looked like a synchronized hacking attempt.
"Hehe, probably," Nishimiya Yaeko replied, dressed in an elegant apricot-colored kimono that, while not overly extravagant, perfectly highlighted her cool and refined aura.
"Shouko mentioned they'd be at the festival today."
"Haha! It's a picture of Onee-chan and Hojou!" Yuzuru exclaimed excitedly.
Dressed in a striking red kimono with her mid-length hair tied back, Yuzuru looked like a samurai straight out of the Edo period—exuding a unique, androgynous charm.
———————————————————————
"Is that your sister, little warrior?" Ueno Naoka's grandfather asked, peering at his grandson's phone.
After looking at the picture, everyone's faces softened into warm smiles.
On a day like this, it didn't matter who you were or where you came from. Everyone could lose themselves in the beauty of the cherry blossoms, strolling along paths blanketed in soft pink petals, savoring the rare moments of peace and joy.
———————————————————————
Back at Chidorigafuchi
The boat rental area was located midway along Chidori Greenway. Stopping every now and then to snap pictures and admire the view, the group soon arrived at their destination.
"So, which type of boat should we rent?" Miyamizu Mitsuha asked, leaving the food basket at the rental station as they surveyed their options.
"That one! The sleek, canoe-like one!" Sakura pointed excitedly at a deep blue, narrow boat—the kind typically used by park staff to scoop trash from the water.
"Uuhhh…"
Shouko clutched her small purse tightly, her eyes lingering longingly on the adorable white duck-shaped paddle boat nearby.
She didn't object to Sakura's choice, but a quiet, reluctant whimper escaped her lips.
"Hahaha! Sakura, that's so mean! Shouko obviously wants the duck boat," Mitsuha chuckled.
"Hehe, well, what can I say? Shouko is just too cute," Sakura grinned mischievously, pulling Shouko into a playful hug.
Dressed in a brown one-piece dress, Shouko's soft, slightly plump figure was so endearing that even Sakura—a fellow girl—couldn't help but stare in admiration.
"Honestly, you tease Shouko every time we go out," Naoka pouted, clearly a little jealous that her beloved Shouko was being stolen away.
"Bleh~~" Sakura stuck out her tongue playfully.
Mitsuha, now the designated financier of the day, pulled out a thick wallet and confidently rented the duck boat for an hour.
After all, Kyousuke had already said that today's expenses were on him.
Poor Kyousuke—when his wallet was empty, he had to go shopping himself, but when it was full, someone else got to enjoy the spoils.
The whole "canoe" idea had been Sakura's way of messing with Shouko; in reality, that boat was barely big enough for two people.
The duck boat, on the other hand, was much better—it was foot-powered, had two rows of seats, and was spacious enough for all four of them.
The two strongest—Mitsuha and Sakura—took the front seats where the pedals were, while Shouko and Naoka sat in the back.
At first, Mitsuha hesitated to pedal too hard, unsure of how sturdy the boat was. But when she saw Sakura gleefully pushing full force, she relaxed and decided to use Kyousuke's strength to the fullest.
"Whoa, we're going so fast!"
The sudden burst of speed made Shouko yelp softly, gripping the seat and Naoka for support.
Sakura, meanwhile, had one hand on the steering wheel and the other pointing ahead like an adventurous captain.
Even though they were just paddling a plastic duck boat on the calm waters of Chidorigafuchi, she made it feel like they were sailing the high seas.
"Full speed ahead, Captain!" Mitsuha grinned, fully embracing the excitement as she pumped her legs faster.
The emerald-green river was like a glassy mirror, reflecting the stillness of the surrounding boats.
But then—whoosh!—the once-serene waters were suddenly torn apart as their runaway duck boat raced forward at breakneck speed, slicing through the reflections like a rogue comet.
Passengers in nearby boats, who had been leisurely snapping photos, now stared in alarm as the wild, out-of-control duck boat barreled toward them like a rampaging stallion.
Their peaceful flower-viewing cruise had just turned into a game of dodge-the-duck.