In the end, Haruto gave both the solution and his fingernail to Itsuki.
Unexpectedly—
Itsuki carefully treasured both items. Even after Haruto explained that the solution could instantly heal her wounds, she still refused to use it.
It was hard to believe that this stubborn girl had been crying like she was on the verge of death just moments ago.
Fingernail removal was considered a form of torture.
The cruelest part wasn't the process of ripping them off—
It was the months afterward when the exposed fingers couldn't exert any force. Any slight pressure would cause fresh blood to seep from the wounds, bringing unbearable pain.
But Itsuki responded to this by saying,
"I think I understand Haruto-sama intentions now. So, I'll fully experience this punishment as a lesson."
Since she said that herself, Haruto didn't argue and simply helped disinfect her wounds. Then, Haruto personally wrapped bandages around her delicate fingers.
After that, Itsuki returned all the fingernails she had collected to their original owners.
And she even sincerely apologized.
It seemed like she had truly changed.
However—
Haruto couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.
It might have been his imagination, but her gaze toward him had become even more fanatical.
And it wasn't just directed at his fingernails anymore—
It was directed at him, his entire being, with an intense, burning obsession. The heat in her gaze was so overwhelming that even Haruto had to make a run for it.
Seeing Haruto flee in distress—
Saotome was genuinely baffled.
That monstrous guy... actually has a reason to run away?
And over something like this?
Maybe Yumeko was right after all.
He really is a kind person.
After escaping, Haruto wandered around Hyakkaou Academy.
After-school hours, whether in the main building or club rooms, gambling matches were taking place everywhere.
By now, Haruto had over 800 million in funds.
He was just one step away from reaching 1 billion.
Turning 1 million into 1 billion, an impossible feat for ordinary people. But for Haruto, it was effortless.
Unfortunately, no matter where he went, he couldn't find a game to join. The entire student body of Hyakkaou Academy avoided him like the plague. The moment people heard he wanted to play, gambling matches disbanded on the spot.
…Well, it couldn't be helped.
Haruto's reputation had spread too far—
The title of "monster" was now infamous across Hyakkaou Academy.
With a sigh, Haruto lamented—
"Can't find an opponent..."
However, there was still one option.
Hyakkaou Academy's Student Council had an Open Duel System, allowing anyone to challenge them.
If he participated in that, the student council wouldn't be able to refuse him.
Unfortunately, because he had spent too much time "disciplining" Itsuki—
The Open Duel period had already ended for the day.
"Oh well, I'll finish my business in Hyakkaou tomorrow."
With that, Haruto left the academy and returned to his apartment.
--------------
The Next Morning
When Haruto woke up—
He fell into deep contemplation.
Was it because he had jinxed himself yesterday?
Had that "tomorrow" he spoke of never arrived?
Was this some kind of Flag Anomaly?
Or did Nao drug him with a gender-bending potion while he was asleep?
Because otherwise, his current situation was completely unexplainable.
Lifting his hand, he saw delicate, pale fingers.
Lowering his head, he saw a substantial weight on his chest.
No need to check further.
This was undeniably a girl's body.
Sitting up from the futon, Haruto examined his surroundings.
A strange ceiling, a strange room.
It was a small, slightly messy, and cramped room, with tatami flooring and a desk cluttered with textbooks and miscellaneous items.
Standing up, Haruto walked to a full-length mirror and took in the full view of his new body.
He saw—
A cute girl.
Black hair and black eyes, with slightly messy hair due to just waking up, draping loosely behind. Beneath a somewhat old-fashioned pink pajama set was a figure that was difficult to conceal.
The most distinctive feature was those eyes, big and seemingly filled with curiosity.
"Miyamizu Mitsuha?"
"Sleepwalking?"
Two voices rang out at the same time.
The first was Haruto's question, while the latter was a girl's voice that echoed inside Haruto's mind.
Haruto frowned.
The voice in his mind was completely identical to the one his body had just uttered.
So, was this the owner of this body?
Was her consciousness... or rather, her soul, still inside this body?
That would mean this girl named Miyamizu Mitsuha was watching him control her body.
Uh... that phrasing sounded a bit inappropriate... and kind of indecent.
But the real question was: why had his consciousness appeared in someone else's body?
Moreover, if nothing had gone wrong, Miyamizu Mitsuha should have died in the catastrophic event in Itomori Town.
Just as Haruto was about to try communicating with the girl inside the body—
The sliding door of the room was suddenly pulled open.
"Sis! Wake up already! You're going to be late!"
A child's voice called out.
Haruto turned his head to look.
The little girl who barged into the room bore a 50% resemblance to Mitsuha.
Probably her younger sister?
"This is a miracle! Sis, you actually woke up on time today! Hurry up and get dressed for breakfast!"
After saying that, the little girl shut the door.
"Eh? This dream is way too realistic. Is Yotsuha always like this, even in dreams?"
The pleasant-sounding girl's voice appeared in Haruto's mind again.
"It feels real because, without a doubt, this is not a dream."
Haruto said as he raised his hand and pinched his own arm.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch! Wait, it hurts!? If this isn't a dream, then who are you? A ghost? Possession?!"
Mitsuha's voice grew increasingly panicked.
Haruto nodded slightly.
Hmm, it seemed like their senses were shared as well.
"Do you need to go to school?"
Instead of answering Mitsuha's question, Haruto changed the subject.
"Ah, right! School! I'm going to be late! The uniform is in the drawer to your left!"
Mitsuha's attention was immediately diverted. Clearly, she was a bit of an airheaded girl. Haruto opened the nearby drawer and took out a JK uniform.
To be honest... this was a bit hard to accept.
"Do you have any long pants?" Haruto asked.
"How could I have something like that? School uniforms are obviously skirts!"
Mitsuha's tone carried a hint of confusion.
Haruto sighed.
Well... it couldn't be helped.
Thankfully, the girl wore safety shorts.
At that moment, Haruto truly appreciated that safety shorts were one of the greatest inventions in this world.
"You need to change your underwear too!" Mitsuha reminded.
"Are high school girls nowadays this open? Is it normal to let a complete stranger see what's underneath their underwear?"
Haruto teased her.
"Wait, you're a guy?!" Mitsuha was shocked.
Since Haruto was speaking with her voice, the sound naturally came out as a girl's. Recalling the scene of him changing clothes earlier—
Mitsuha immediately felt like she was going to explode with embarrassment.
If she had a physical body right now, she would probably be digging a hole to hide in.
Haruto chuckled, picked up an orange-red hair tie from the side, and tied up his black hair.
"You're so skilled... Are you actually a girl lying to me?"
Mitsuha asked curiously.
That level of skill in tying hair didn't seem like something a guy would have.
Even she wasn't that good at it.
"No, it's because I have a younger sister, so I got good at it."
Haruto directly shattered Mitsuha's self-consolation.
He often tied up Shiro and Annie's hair. Sometimes, even Nao would come over to mess around. So naturally, he became proficient in it.
"You have a younger sister... So, you're not a ghost? Then why are you using my body?"
Mitsuha was still full of doubt.
Haruto didn't respond. He simply opened the door and walked downstairs.
This was an old-fashioned apartment. Though it had a second floor, the space was a bit cramped. When Haruto reached the lower floor, he saw a steaming breakfast and a kind elderly woman.
"Sis, hurry up and eat! You're really going to be late!"
Miyamizu Yotsuha urged.
"Forget eating, we'll be late!"
Mitsuha was also getting anxious.
Haruto sat down, took a few symbolic bites, and then his eyes landed on the newspaper on the table.
"Grandma, can I borrow the newspaper?"
Haruto asked with a smile.
The kind old woman paused for a moment, then nodded.
"Of course."
Receiving approval, Haruto picked up the newspaper and left the table.
"I'm full. I'm going to be late, so I'll head out first. I'm leaving now!"
After that, Haruto stepped out of the house.
At the dining table, the elderly woman and Yotsuha exchanged puzzled looks.
"Sis is being extra polite today?"
"Yeah, normally she's always rushing. But today, she seems a lot more composed."
Meanwhile, outside the house, Haruto's gaze swept over the surroundings before finally landing on the newspaper.
This was Itomori Town.
However, according to the information Haruto had, Itomori Town should still be in the process of post-disaster reconstruction.
But the area around him was peaceful, with people coming and going.
As if no catastrophic event had ever happened.
So...
The date on the newspaper was from three years ago.
The moment he saw the date, Haruto understood something.
His consciousness had not only traveled to another body but had also crossed time, arriving three years in the past.