"Heh heh, with me, Sakura-sama, at the front, there's no way we'd crash into them."
With an unstoppable energy, Sakura arrived at their destination, confidently letting go of the steering wheel and grinning in triumph.
Mitsuha glanced back at the people still muttering complaints under their breath and couldn't help but chuckle.
This kind of reckless freedom—she had never experienced it, not even when using Kyousuke's body.
In that moment, she felt nothing but sheer exhilaration.
Watching Sakura turn around excitedly to share the thrill of driving with Shouko and Naoka, Mitsuha felt a small pang of envy.
"Haha, Sakura is really something else," she mused.
"It's all thanks to Kyousuke being around—ah, wait, I should say Mitsuha now."
Sakura turned to face her, her expression resembling a mischievous creature Mitsuha had once seen in a childhood textbook.
"What?"
Shouko and Naoka, curious, also looked over.
"Because Kyousuke is here, I don't have to worry about anyone causing trouble~" Sakura boasted, flashing a cheeky, exaggerated grin.
"Heh heh, that's kind of true," Shouko giggled, nodding in agreement.
"But aren't you worried that if too many people show up, even Kyousuke won't be able to handle them?" Ueno Naoka questioned.
"In that case, I'd just grab Kyousuke and make a run for it! We've been practicing long-distance running since third grade—no one can catch us!" Sakura declared with absolute confidence.
'Damn it, I want to rely on Hojou like that too!'
Watching Sakura act like she had exclusive childhood-best-friend privileges, Naoka couldn't help but feel envious.
Mitsuha sat silently, watching the three girls interact, trying to decipher the complex dynamics between them.
Over the past few hours, she had learned plenty just from their conversations. While all three were friends with Hojou, Mitsuha could tell their relationships weren't simple.
Shouko, the most adorable and soft-spoken among them, was like the group's beloved little sister. Both Sakura and Naoka clearly adored her.
Although Shouko and Naoka attended the same school and even shared an apartment, Shouko seemed to rely more on Sakura. But that probably had a lot to do with Sakura's bold and assertive personality.
Meanwhile, Shouko and Naoka shared a strong bond as well.
It was obvious how much Naoka treasured their friendship—she never let go of Shouko's hand, even when they were running around or taking pictures together.
As for Sakura and Naoka… Mitsuha, with her keen emotional intuition, sensed a subtle rivalry between them. And the reason? The owner of this body—Hojou Kyousuke.
Although Naoka was laughing and chatting easily with Sakura and Shouko, her smiles were genuine, yet Mitsuha, the renowned emotional advisor of Itomori in Hida City, could see past the surface.
Beneath that bright expression, Naoka carried unspoken feelings.
It seemed that today, Mitsuha wouldn't just be helping Kyousuke discipline his subordinates—she would also need to smooth things over among his friends and keep the group's harmony intact.
She silently made up her mind.
The ripples caused by their paddle boat had settled, leaving the river's surface calm once more.
Thanks to Sakura's reckless maneuvering, they now had this entire stretch of water to themselves.
The crystal-clear green waters reflected the sky like a mirror, while submerged aquatic plants and drifting petals swayed with the gentle current.
The white boat floated like an ornament atop an emerald jewel, creating an almost dreamlike scene.
The girls looked up—not at the sky, but at the cherry blossom branches stretching from the riverbank, reaching over the water. Pale pink petals filled the air.
The sky itself seemed to blush, turning into a soft pink haze as cherry blossoms drifted down in the spring breeze.
The falling petals painted the white paddle boat in gentle shades of pink, even dusting the girls' outstretched hands.
Tiny ripples formed as the petals touched the water, distorting the reflection of the emerald lake. More and more blossoms fell, merging with the current, changing the color of the river in an instant.
"So beautiful," Shouko murmured, stretching out her small hands to catch the falling petals.
Her voice was as clear and gentle as the drifting flowers themselves.
Naoka, with a quiet smile, watched the petals fall into the water, carried away by the current.
What was she thinking?
"I have to jump to the shore and take pictures for you guys!"
For the first time, Mitsuha was witnessing such a breathtaking scene—not just the endless cherry blossoms but also a group of beautiful girls in the middle of it all.
She felt an overwhelming sense of duty. She had to capture this moment!
"Hahaha, Mitsuha, why don't you just throw me over?" Sakura joked.
"Actually, throwing me might be better. I'm the lightest," Naoka chimed in playfully.
"Well, that's true." Sakura snickered, her eyes darting to Naoka's chest with a teasing glint.
"Sakura! That's it, I'm coming for you!"
"Hahahaha!"
As the group laughed and played, a loud voice suddenly called out from the distance.
"BOSS!!!"
"Onizuka?!"
Mitsuha's head snapped up so fast that the boat wobbled slightly, making Shouko and the others quickly grab onto the sides for balance.
"Sorry, sorry."
After steadying the boat, Mitsuha turned her attention back to the approaching voices.
Sure enough, in a sleek, deep-blue canoe—the same one Sakura had earlier used to tease Shouko—Eikichi Onizuka and Danma Ryuji were paddling furiously toward them.
Strangely, despite their obvious effort, they were moving at a snail's pace.
"Damn it, Ryuji! Keep in sync with me!" Onizuka shouted in frustration.
"Idiot, you should sync with me!" Danma shot back without hesitation.
"You spent all our intel money on pin-up magazines! Now we couldn't even rent a paddle boat!"
"Well, you wasted our gas money on novels! Now we have to take the subway everywhere!"
"…." Onizuka silently adjusted his paddling rhythm.
"I was studying romance, okay?" he muttered in a sulky tone.
"Oh yeah? Did you learn anything?"
"…."
At last, their boat drew closer.
"I saw this insanely fast boat from a distance, and I knew it had to be Boss's! No one else but the 'Handless Demon' could handle a paddle boat like that!" Onizuka declared proudly.
"…."
Hearing that ridiculously dramatic nickname, Mitsuha finally understood why Kyousuke had written in his notes:
———————————————————————
"Anyone who calls me that—remember their name. They'll get extra training."
———————————————————————
"Hahaha! 'Handless Demon' sounds so cool," Sakura cackled.
If Kyousuke were actually here, she might have held back her laughter a little, but since it was Mitsuha, she laughed openly, and Mitsuha couldn't help but join in.
"It's still as hilarious as ever," Naoka agreed for once, siding with Sakura.
Shouko smiled too, though hers was more of a soft, affectionate grin. In her mind, no matter what nickname Kyousuke had, it would always sound good.
"See? Everyone loves it! But Boss keeps acting like he hates it. Deep down, he must be proud!" Onizuka beamed.
Watching him, Mitsuha hesitated but decided not to put his name on the extra training list.
A loyal friend who came all this way just to be their photographer? Kyousuke would have to forgive him—at least this once.
"Onizuka, weren't you supposed to go find the main group? How did you end up here with Ryuji?"
"A gathering full of dudes? No thanks! Chidorigafuchi is packed with adorable girls. Who knows? Maybe my destined one is right here," Onizuka grinned.
"Idiot, I was the one who suggested this!" Danma Ryuji smacked Onizuka on the head.
"Haha, well, good luck to you both then."
"Alright, boss, let us take some photos for you!"
The so-called idiot volunteered enthusiastically. In truth, both he and Ryuji had come specifically for this reason, even borrowing a camera from one of their underlings.
From Ryuji's keen observations, it was clear that the girls boating around Chidorigafuchi were all frustrated by one thing: they couldn't take pictures of themselves.
With stunning cherry blossoms lining both sides of the river, it was a waste not to capture the moment. But taking selfies on a tiny boat was next to impossible.
That's where they came in. With a camera and the promise to send the photos later—along with a contact exchange, of course—fate would practically be in their hands.
Bluetooth transfer? Sorry, not an option.
Phone camera? Nope, it wouldn't do justice to their beauty.
Thanks to this genius idea, Ryuji had temporarily assumed the leadership role in their duo.
Of course, getting the contacts was only the first step. Winning the girls over afterward? That required the boss's expert advice on love.
So the moment they spotted Kyousuke, they rushed over.
"Then we'll leave it to you," Miyamizu Mitsuha said with a smile.
"You got it! Once we're done, I'll send the photos to you via Bluetooth, boss," Onizuka grinned.
With their perfect cameramen in place, the four girls took their time enjoying the photo session.
Chidorigafuchi's cherry blossoms truly lived up to their reputation. No wonder the Imperial Palace was built here.
Maybe the castle was constructed simply because the moat was too beautiful to resist?
Along this mere 400-meter stretch of river, 800 cherry trees flourished.
The towering Somei Yoshino and wild cherry blossoms, grown for decades, stretched their branches over the water, some so low that anyone sitting in a boat could reach out and touch them.
At that moment, Shouko sat alone in the boat Onizuka and the others had brought. A delicate branch, laden with soft pink petals, brushed against her hair.
Dressed in a brown long dress, she sat with her hands gently holding a white purse on her lap, her legs neatly together.
Her serene expression, her quiet gaze mirroring the green river waters, made it seem as if her brown eyes reflected the cherry blossoms on the opposite bank.
Balancing precariously on a duck boat, Onizuka hurriedly pressed the shutter.
"Got it!" He flashed a thumbs-up.
Shouko exhaled in relief. Being the center of attention during a photo session was a little embarrassing.
"No, no, we need more! I want to take one with Shouko too!" Sakura called out, urging Mitsuha to reposition the duck boat for better angles.
"Leave it to me!" Onizuka declared enthusiastically.
After all, these were golden opportunities. Once they showed the girls nearby the photos of the boss's charming friends, they'd have a line of admirers waiting to be photographed.
"Umm, isn't one photo enough, Sakura?" Shouko whispered.
"No way! We only get one chance to enjoy a cherry blossom festival at fourteen!" Sakura proclaimed like a shounen manga protagonist.
"Oh yeah, she's right!" Onizuka and Ryuji chimed in.
"Haha, Shouko, let's take a few more. I haven't seen you like this before," Mitsuha said, emphasizing the word "I".
"Uhh..."
At that, Shouko's pale cheeks flushed a deep pink, blending perfectly with the falling cherry blossoms. It was hard to tell which was more beautiful—the girl or the flowers.
As for how they switched boats, well, with Kyousuke and the two muscleheads around, a simple tug kept the boats steady as if they were on solid ground.
After changing angles and poses for several more shots, Mitsuha carefully maneuvered the duck boat closer, letting them secure Shouko's boat.
Just as Sakura prepared to climb over for a photo, Naoka had already beaten her to it.
Mitsuha glanced at Sakura, but the latter didn't seem to mind at all. She simply laughed as Naoka made silly faces at her.
With the boats drifting apart again, Naoka and Shouko posed together under the falling cherry blossoms.
Onizuka snapped the photos while Ryuji directed the shoot, while Mitsuha, keeping an eye on Shouko, was ready to jump in for a rescue should anything go wrong. That was when Sakura suddenly spoke up.
"I bet you're wondering about my relationship with Naoka."
"Well... a little, but I'm not that curious," Mitsuha admitted, nodding at first but then quickly waving her hands.
Sakura turned slightly, dipping her fingers into the water to touch a floating petal before suddenly splashing forward, scattering cherry blossoms and water droplets into the air.
"Naoka is a complicated person. She's actually known longer than I have, yet she talks to him the least out of all of us."
"Huh?" Mitsuha blinked in confusion.
"Weird, right? Naoka and Kyousuke went to the same school from the beginning, but I only met him in my third year, second semester."
"Shouko, on the other hand, joined in sixth grade. But Naoka didn't really become part of our group until after Shouko and Hojou had already bonded."
"Oh, I see..." Mitsuha still wasn't sure where this was going.
"Out of all of us, Naoka is the most possessive. She's always been a little jealous of me for being Kyousuke's childhood friend. No—rather than jealousy, it's regret."
"Regret?"
"Yeah. She regrets not making use of her chance to be his childhood friend when she had it. Now she's the last to join the group."
"But wouldn't that mean she's also jealous of Shouko?"
Sakura turned her head slightly. The midday sun reflected off the water, casting rippling light onto her fair face. A single cherry blossom petal landed on her cheek.
"Look at Shouko. Do you really think anyone could be jealous of her?"
Mitsuha turned to see Shouko, blushing furiously as Naoka hugged her tightly. Though clearly embarrassed, she still cooperated, adjusting her poses for the camera.
"She's just too cute!" Mitsuha agreed. She wanted a picture like that too!
"Haha, right?" Sakura giggled.
"I'm not giving up my childhood friend status, so I just play along with Naoka's little games," she added playfully.
Mitsuha suddenly felt like she was witnessing a royal court drama.
Wait... what am I even thinking?!
Shaking off the thought, she asked, "So why are you telling me all this, Sakura?"
"Because bottling up secrets gets tiring! Besides, you've got Kyousuke's face but a girl's heart—the perfect person to vent to!" Sakura smirked mischievously.
"Haha, you got me there."
Just then, Sakura called out, "Alright, my turn! I want a photo with Shou-chan too!"