Oreki Is Back! It's All Because You're Here! (continued)

Once he finished, he resigned from his position as mayor and came back.

He protected the shrine in the way he felt was right.

And that was probably why Grandma forgave and accepted that man again.

"Then..."

Oreki felt that now they had reached the real question. "Do you know Ms. Yukino?"

"Ms. Yukino...?"

"She's Yotsuba's teacher," Mitsuha said. "I'm not close with her."

Oh.

Huh.

Grandma looked at them and sighed.

"??" Mitsuha looked over in confusion.

But Grandma said nothing.

The people of the Miyamizu family would swap bodies with their destined partner when they reached adolescence.

It was forceful and unreasonable, yet also incredibly wondrous, stepping into another person's world.

And more often than not, a bond would be formed.

That was how it had been for her, and for her daughter Futaba as well.

Her granddaughter Mitsuha had originally swapped bodies with someone too, but, evidently...

This boy's thoughts were not on Mitsuha.

"By the way, this painting of yours—it's really beautiful." Oreki noticed a painting of Itomori Lake hanging in the living room.

The scene was extremely beautiful.

The charm of the lake, and the way the colors were rendered, were very mature.

It made one feel as if they had fallen into a paradise beyond the world.

It was a painting he had done in Mitsuha's form in the past. However, back then, he had deliberately left the painting behind to be sold, in order to improve the family's situation.

He had also explained that to Grandma.

But Grandma seemed not to have done so.

"..." Mitsuha.

Mitsuha couldn't even retort.

She wanted to say this wasn't painted by her, but everyone believed it was.

"Are you not going to sell this painting?" Oreki said. "This painting is worth a lot of money."