"It’s almost eleven, it’s almost time to go for Dream World training." Kitahara glanced at the time and asked the other girls staying over: "Mutsumi-chan, Soyo, Taki, what do you say?"

Mutsumi said expressionlessly: "I’m going."

"I’m not going." Soyo gently shook her head.

Taki also rejected: "Don’t drag me to the Dream World."

The final result was that, except for Mutsumi, Soyo and Taki all refused to go to the Dream World to avoid the body-swapping incident being exposed.

"Understood." Kitahara nodded slightly, "I’ll tell Hana-chan."

... After the discussion, Kitahara and the girls returned to their respective rooms and began to rest.

The night deepened quietly.

All was silent.

Listening to Soyo’s steady breathing beside her, Taki had no intention of sleeping. With her hands covering her stomach, she stared blankly at the ceiling with wide eyes, her chaotic thoughts like a wild horse, unable to stop.

"Am I really pregnant?"

"No, it has nothing to do with me, that’s Soyo’s baby!"

"But I swapped bodies with Soyo, and the baby is indeed in ’my’ stomach..."

"What should I do?"

"Should I swap bodies back with Soyo?"

"The problem is, to swap bodies back, I need to do that terrible thing..."

Amidst her wild thoughts, Taki suddenly felt a surge of discomfort again, and quickly raised her hand to cover her mouth, gagging softly.

"D-damn it... It’s so uncomfortable..." Taki raised her hand to wipe the corner of her mouth, her expression wronged.

"Morning sickness is too terrible!"

"Why do I have to suffer this pain?!"

"Speaking of which, when mom was pregnant with me, it must have been just as hard, right?"

"No, I have to swap bodies back quickly. This nausea and urge to vomit is too unbearable. They say when it’s severe, you vomit everything you eat, even bile... This is Soyo’s baby, I shouldn’t have to suffer for it!"

Although she did have an undeniable good impression of Kitahara, getting married and having a baby was still too far away, so far that she hadn’t even considered it. Now she just wanted to give Kitahara a good beating.

"Idiot, idiot, idiot! Everyone is just a high school student, you guys should pay attention to safety!"

"Now what? What should we do about the baby?"

"Should we have it or..." Amidst her rambling thoughts, Taki suddenly widened her eyes.

"W-wait a minute... Was I just kicked?" Taki nervously held her breath. Her right hand, placed on her lower abdomen, had clearly felt something gently kick her, instantly making Taki’s mood incredibly subtle and complex.

"It wasn’t a hallucination..." Taki covered her lower abdomen with both hands, and her wild thoughts suddenly vanished, leaving only one thought in her mind: "The baby really did kick me just now..."

The night passed without a word.

The next day.

Taki groggily opened her eyes and picked up her phone to see that it was only a little past six in the morning.

"D-damn it... Why did I have such a terrible dream..." Taki’s face was flushed, and she turned over, burying her face in the pillow.

Her sleep wasn’t long, but she had many chaotic dreams.

The clearest dream was about herself marrying Kitahara in a white wedding dress, her belly growing day by day after marriage, and finally giving birth to a daughter, whom she happily named ’Kitahara Rin’...

"Shameless! I haven’t even dated that guy, and I’m already having such a terrible dream. It’s too shameless!"

"But Rin is indeed a nice name. If I have a daughter in the future..."

"Ahhh! Stop thinking nonsense! That’s still who knows how far in the future!"

... After tossing and turning for a while, Taki fell asleep again, and when she woke up again, it was already breakfast time.

"Soyo, good morning." Kitahara raised his hand to greet her.

"Hmph." Taki tightened her pretty face, snorted in disdain, and turned to go to the bathroom.

If she wasn’t still mindful of Soyo’s persona, she would have already jumped up and given that guy two punches!

Soyo had a baby, that guy was at least ninety percent responsible!

Worst!

Terrible!

Kitahara said inexplicably: "Why is Soyo suddenly angry?"

Taki crossed her arms, gritting her teeth and glaring: "Commit seppuku!"

Kitahara said speechlessly: "Why should I commit seppuku?"

Taki: "You are guilty!"

Kitahara: "Please, Your Honor, state the charge."

Taki: "You know it yourself!"

... Although the morning meal tasted good, Taki really didn’t have much appetite. During the meal, she even gagged twice.

Kitahara asked about her condition with concern, but Taki naturally refused to tell the ’truth’. She forced herself to finish eating, then quickly said goodbye and left, quietly arriving at a convenience store.

A moment later.

Taki walked out of the convenience store with a flushed face, holding the shopping bag to her chest in embarrassment, afraid that others would see the test kit inside.

"Where to now... Never mind, I’ll just go home." Taki chose to go back to her own home.

She had messaged her sister when she woke up in the morning, and her sister said she was at band, and her parents were both at work, so it was fine to go back even with Soyo’s body.

The journey was uneventful.

Quietly sneaking back home, Taki hid in the bathroom and, following the instructions, nervously performed the test.

"S-sure enough, there’s no mistake..." Taki’s face was flushed, and she finally had no doubts. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

"The accuracy of the test kit is as high as ninety percent... Plus so many symptoms that match, it must be that I’m pregnant, right?"

"Terrible!"

"Too terrible!"

"Everyone just started high school, you guys should pay attention to safety!!!" Taki bit her lower lip in shame: "So... I can only swap bodies back?"

She had previously said in a fit of pique that she would never swap bodies back, or else she would jump from the building, but she absolutely refused to suffer the pain of giving birth for Soyo!

Swap back!

Must swap back!

"And that irresponsible scumbag Kitahara... Before I graduate from high school, don’t even think about touching me again! No kissing, no hugging!"

"Achoo——" Kitahara, who was running in the park, suddenly sneezed.

"Strange..." Kitahara rubbed his nose, "Who’s talking about me behind my back?"

After completing his fitness routine at the park, Kitahara returned home, washed up briefly, then rode his bicycle with Hitori to the driving school to study. In the afternoon, he had some rare free time and played ’It Takes Two’ with Mutsumi for half a day... Time unknowingly passed until evening.

"Nothing to do today, listen to music at the brothel." Kitahara brought Hana Hana and left for the performance hall, ready to watch tonight’s band performance.

The journey was uneventful.

Arriving at the entrance of the "STARRY" shop, he looked up and saw a short-haired girl with an incredibly beautiful profile, propping her chin, sitting behind a table, responsible for selling tickets.

"Ah, welcome~" Ryo looked up, extended her right hand, her voice lazy:

"One thousand yen, please."

Previously, Kitahara had to buy a ticket for Hana, but ever since Hana won Store Manager Seika’s ’favor,’ she had been granted free admission and an unlimited supply of snacks every time she came.

Kitahara took out his wallet and bought a ticket for Kessoku Band’s concert. Seeing no one queuing behind him, he naturally wasn’t in a hurry to enter. He smiled and said, "How much would it cost to take the ticket seller lady home?"

Ryo looked up, her expression calm, without any shyness:

"I’m sorry, I’m not for sale."

Kitahara extended his right hand:

"All-inclusive food and lodging, plus ten thousand yen in pocket money every day."

Ryo’s eyes sparkled, and she quickly clasped her hands together:

"God, please take me home tonight!"

Kitahara drew out his words:

"But the ticket seller lady just said she’s not for sale. Wouldn’t it be inappropriate to take her home?"

"Giving something away for free doesn’t count as buying and selling, of course." Ryo said self-righteously, with no hint of shame on her pretty face. Then she raised her right hand to her mouth, lowering her voice, "And if you take me home today, you can get a buy one get one free deal."

Kitahara’s interest was piqued, and he lowered his voice:

"Does the ticket seller lady keep her word?"

Ryo gave a thumbs-up:

"Fair price, no deception."

"Very good. Tonight, I will definitely take the ticket seller lady home. Not even Jesus can stop me."

"..."

Kitahara had originally planned to chat with Ryo for a while longer, but unfortunately, other customers approached. He could only greet them and lead Hana into the performance hall first.

Many customers had already arrived in the performance hall. Kita and Nijika were busy serving drinks in their work uniforms, while Hitori stood behind the counter, in charge of sales.

Behind a nearby counter was Seika, a blonde woman wearing a long black dress, resting her chin on her right hand, looking as if many people owed her money they hadn’t repaid.

"Seika-nee, good evening."

Kitahara stepped forward, greeting her with a normal expression.

"Brat, what are you doing here?"

Seeing Kitahara approach, Seika’s eyes first flashed with a hint of panic and guilt, then her emotions were quickly masked. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him with an annoyed expression.

Kitahara said as a matter of course:

"Nijika-senpai and the others are performing tonight, so of course, I came to watch the performance."

Seika snorted softly and waved her hand impatiently:

"Finish watching and leave quickly... Hand Hana over to me to take care of. You brat can leave. You’re annoying to look at."

Kitahara sighed:

"When you want to take a couple’s photo, you call me Kitahara, but when you don’t need me, you call me brat, right?"

Seika’s pretty face flushed slightly, and she glared at him guiltily and nervously:

"Brat! If Nijika hears you, you’re dead! And that’s not what I meant at all!"

Kitahara said unhurriedly:

"This is the third time Seika-nee has called me brat since I came in. If there’s a fourth time..."

Seika crossed her arms over her chest, biting her teeth as she glared:

"What if I call you a fourth time?"

(If you dare to use those things to threaten me, you’re dead! Don’t think I won’t beat you just because you’re a high school student!)

"Of course, I won’t do anything now, but..."

Kitahara’s expression was innocent, but then he changed the subject abruptly, lowering his voice:

"But when Seika-sensei, who is sixteen, appears, I don’t know what I might do."

"...Die!"

Seika’s pretty face turned red. If it weren’t for the counter blocking her, she probably would have already swung her fist at him.

"If you dare to mess around, I’ll break all your limbs...!"

Seika suddenly remembered the humiliating public execution on the train and glared at him in shame and anger:

"And your fifth limb, I’ll break them all!"

As she spoke, a voice sounded behind them.

"Sister, Kitahara-kun, what are you two talking about?"

Nijika walked over curiously.

"Mommy, hug."

Hana opened her arms and happily hugged Nijika’s calf.

"Nothing..."

Seika coughed twice guiltily, her gaze flickering:

"I was talking to him about Hana, wanting to take Hana out to play when I have time... Yes, that’s right!"

Nijika blinked, half-believing, half-doubting:

"But why is sister blushing?"

Seika quickly turned her head away:

"I choked on something just now..."

Nijika asked with concern:

"Eh, are you okay?"

"I’m fine now." Seika waved her hand to dismiss her, "Nijika, hurry up and attend to the customers."

"Oh..."

Nijika replied, feeling that the situation was not as simple as it seemed.

Handing Hana over to Store Manager Seika, Kitahara walked to the bar, ready to order a drink.

"P-Please come again..."

Hitori bowed to see off the previous customer. Although her voice was still very soft, at least she could make a sound now.

Recalling earlier, Hitori, who was forcibly assigned as a bar attendant, used to hide in a cardboard box, trembling when strangers approached. Now, it was a world of difference compared to then.

After the previous customer left, Kitahara simply stepped forward.

"W-Welcome...!"

Seeing Kitahara approach, Hitori’s face flushed slightly, and she quickly bowed.

"Um... what would Kitahara-kun like to drink?"

"What should I drink..."

Kitahara pondered for two seconds, then a smile suddenly appeared on his face:

"I got it. Please give me a glass of Guitar Hero’s chewed wine."

"Eh eh eh?"

Hitori’s face quickly turned red. She lowered her head in shame and stammered:

"S-Sorry... we don’t have that kind of drink..."

"Then let’s change it." Kitahara continued, "I’ll have a glass of Guitar Hero’s foot-stomped grape juice."

"F-Foot-stomped..."

Hitori’s face was burning, and her toes curled up nervously:

"S-Sorry... we don’t have foot-foot-foot..."

(Grape juice made by foot-stomping must be very unhygienic, right?)

(But I saw on the news before that many expensive grape juices abroad are made by foot-stomping... Do people not care at all?)

(Ah, I can’t think about this anymore. I’ll never drink grape juice again!)

"Neither this nor that, it’s very difficult for me."

Kitahara showed a troubled expression, just about to continue teasing Hitori, when a clear, pleasant girl’s voice suddenly sounded behind him:

"Stupid Kitahara, don’t keep bullying Hitori. There are other customers waiting to order."

Kitahara turned his head to look and saw Kita with twin pigtails, hands on her hips, pouting her cheeks as she looked over, stepping forward for her good sister:

"Whatever you want, come at me~"