Chapter One: A Strange Dream

My Heart Starts With You

A Fanfiction by Allison Illuminated

Chapter Publish Date: 3/2/18

Bzzt. Bzzt. Bzzt.

Mitsuha Miyamizu groaned as she slowly woke up. Is that… my alarm? It had to be, or else it wouldn't be so close to her. You know what, I'm just gonna go back to sleep.

She fumbled around for where she knew she had placed her phone next to her futon. Stupid alarm… where is it? Coming up short, she tried to reach further but found herself unceremoniously dumped onto the hard wooden floor. Ow ow ow ow- wait, did I just fall out of bed?

Tangled in the blanket, she searched around until her hand connected with the buzzing alarm. Gotcha! Grabbing the phone, she flipped it open and- huh?

Since when do I have an iPhone?

Sitting up, she blinked the tired haze away as her surroundings came into focus. The walls were painted a light gray with windows covered by wavy gray curtains. A desk with a strange chair was pushed against one wall and a bed and bookshelf against the other.

Mitsuha had never seen this room before in her life, and now suddenly she was in it.

"Where… am I?"

Her hands flew to her throat – that voice was deep, the curve of her neck angular. "Huh?" She looked down, and her breath caught in her chest.

...They're gone.

She was wearing a t-shirt she had never seen, boobless, and in a room she had never seen before.

Drowning out the sinking feeling in her gut was the bizarre draw she felt towards something between her legs. No, it can't be. I mean, it's in the right place, but… Reaching down, she hesitated before touching it.

I'm a boy?

No, that can't be. This must be a dream.

Stumbling to her feet, Mitsuha pushed out of the small bedroom and into a narrow corridor. There was a bathroom to her left; she went straight to the mirror. Her knuckles whitened against the sink as she took in her appearance.

Tousled dark hair, wide eyebrows, chapped lips. No, she didn't recognize this face at all, especially not the large white bandage against his left cheek. She gingerly reached up to touch it, then flinched back at the dull pain.

Why didn't I wake up? Who is this boy?

"Taki, are you up?"

A small squeal escaped her, and she clasped her hands over mouth. Taki? The voice had come from down the hall, so she pulled the bathroom door shut behind her and poked her head out into a small living room and kitchen.

Looking up, a middle-aged man in a suit frowned slightly before returning his attention to his breakfast before him. "Breakfast was your job today, kid. Remember? You overslept."

"I-I'm sorry!"

"I'm heading out. There's miso soup – go ahead and finish it off."

"Um, yessir," I stammer out of habit, frozen at the edge of the hall.

The man sighed. "Of all the days you could have chosen to be late… Mitsuha can't drive you today, remember? You have to take the train."

Mitsuha? But- but that's my name!

"Go to school. Even if you're late."

Before she could register what was happening, the man was already brushing past her through the entryway. The apartment door swung shut behind him, leaving her clinging to the doorway petrified.

Eventually, she unfroze. Sliding into the chair by the arranged food, she hesitantly tried some. Wow, this is good! Her surroundings were unusually realistic, messy and cluttered as Tessie's workspace. Magazines and sketches were scattered all over the room as if haphazardly discard without a second thought. If this is a dream, I must have a great imagination!

Really, though… "What a weird dream." Same deep voice – still unexpected but more pleasant than it had seemed at first.

Bzzt.

A text? Jumping to her feet, Mitsuha ran back through the darkened hall and grabbed the iPhone off the bed.

M – Morning, Taki! I bet you're late right now, so go to school already!

School? I have to go to school? Who is M? The other Mitsuha?

Mitsuha's head spun wildly as she mechanically got ready for the day. Getting dressed was so much easier than dealing with her hair and skirts, but going to the bathroom was- ugh, I'm never doing that ever again. Picking up a schoolbag she assumed could only be his, she slipped his shoes on and pushed the door to the apartment open.

A sea of green stretched out before her, shining under the brilliant morning sun. Towers of steel and glass rose high above the trees, twisting and spilling across the landscape into the distance. Far away, a spire of red into the air; she would have recognized that building anywhere. It was everything she ever could have imagined it would be, and it was breathtaking.

"Tokyo..."

If this was a dream, it had just gotten a million times better.

Now, where on Earth does he go to school?

Mitsuha edged closer to the classroom door, her stomach aching with anxiety as she peeked around the corner. The novelty of Tokyo – she was in Tokyo – still hadn't worn off, and some part of her wanted to jump into the room and gawk at all the city bentos. This was his classroom, right Snippets of conversation drifted from the busy classroom, strange things she had heard about in movies but never expected to hear anyone actually talk about.

Relax, this is just a dream. Why are you so worried? Just go in and-

"Taki!"

An arm draped around her shoulder, and she squeaked and turned crimson as a guy with glasses leaned in towards him with a dumb grin. It was the closest she had ever been to a guy, and she wanted him to let go.

Of course, the boy didn't seem to notice at all. "I told Shinta you'd be late without Miyamizu-san to drive you! C'mon, let's go eat lunch."

Mitsuha was too busy processing the fact that the boy had just used her last name to notice as she was led onto the roof. Does that mean that the Mitsuha this boy's dad mention – and the M that texted him – was me?

That was weird. That was really, really, really weird.

This is such a strange dream.

"Taki! How nice of you to finally show up!" another boy yelled from across the roof. From the smug look on her captor's face, she guessed he was probably Shinta-

"Hey Shinta, guess who owes me money now?"

Called it. Mitsuha bit back a laugh as she high-fived herself behind her back, way too proud of her deduction. The other boy released her as Shinta groaned. "Dammit, Taki, the one time I have faith in you. What took you so long anyway?"

"Uh." When was the last time she had talked to a guy who wasn't Tessie? I guess I should just tell the truth? "I kinda got lost."

"You got lost?" he shouted, and she looked around the roof. Once she realized nobody else was on the roof, she breathed out a sigh of relief.

"How the heck did you manage to get lost on the way to school?"

"Um..." I don't know, maybe it's because I'm in a random boy's body and I have no idea what's going on? Both boys were scrutinizing her intensely, and she started as she came back to her senses. "Oh, um, 'scuse me."

"'scuse me?" Shinta and the other boy shot each other a look, and she wilted slightly. Right, Tokyo boys don't have dialects. Taki Tachibana definitely doesn't. "Uh, I mean, um… Pardon me…?"

"Huh?"

"Sorry..."

"Say what?"

"...Whatever?"

The boys looked lost but nodded along, and Mitsuha grinned as a small spark of victory surged within her. Definitely whatever from now on. I got this! "Yeah, I was just enjoyin' myself a little. Tokyo's kinda like a festival. Real lively."

Glasses boy eyed her oddly. "What's with the accent?"

I have an accent? Her face turned scarlet, and her hand reflexively reached to fiddle with a loose strand of hair.

"Yeah, and where's your lunch?" Shinta asked, sending her flying through her bags. I forgot! How did I forget that?

"Wow, you really are hopeless without Miyamizu-san around."

"Tsukasa, you got anything?"

So his name is Tsukasa. Also, why do they keep saying my name? She's "not around?" If Taki's dad called her Mitsuha – this is so weird! - then I probably should too? She built up the courage to ask as they presented her with a hastily assembled sandwich, then said, "So, where is Mitsuha exactly?"

Tsukasa dropped his food back into his bento and Shinta gawked at her. "Yo, dude, seriously. Did you hit your head or something?"

"Huh?"

"I mean, you're all over Miyamizu-san! You two are practically dating-"

"We are?" Mitsuha squeaked in disbelief, and their frowns deepened.

"Alright, something's wrong with him," Tsukasa whispered, leaning over to Shinta. "He didn't deny it, he must be possessed or something."

Yes, that's exactly what it's like! she wanted to scream but didn't.

"Korea, Tachibana," Shinta said. "Your hot older best friend that you refuse to accept that you're dating is in Korea. Do you need to call her or something and-"

"No!" The exclamation was out her mouth before she could stop it. I don't want to talk to myself! I mean, I don't even know if it's me, but if she has my name, then- "I mean, I- I dunno, I- Yeah, Korea, I knew that, I mean- ...whatever?"

Both boys were silent. Damn, I really thought that would work!

Korea? Why am I in Korea? What even is this dream?

"So, anyways, after class today, wanna go to that cafe again?"

What's going on?

The bedroom door swung shut behind Mitsuha, slamming as she collapsed onto the bed in utter exhaustion. Her minds swirled from the events of the day – waking up, lunch with Tsukasa and Shinta, the cafe, work with Okudera-san – all of it was nearly too much to handle. She was overwhelmed and awed by all of the sights and scents she had experienced for the first time today.

Really, she would have been nothing short of exhilarated by this dream if it wasn't for:

M: Did you get to school okay?

M: Taki?

M: Okay, you're really freaking me out right now. Are you ignoring me?

M: ?

The last one had come just minutes earlier, and it scared her the most.

M: Taki, if you don't answer me before I get back to the hotel I'm calling your father to make sure you're okay!

Blue light glowed on her face as she held the phone away from her face, staring at Line and trying to come up with something intelligent to say. How was she even supposed to talk to herself? I'm not an actor, I can't do this!

Curling up on the bed, she spent the next five minutes composing and deleting her message before finally working up the courage to send it.

T: Hi

See, that wasn't that hard! Almost instantly, the typing bubble popped onto the screen, and she gaped at it. Oh, come on! That was hard, why can't I get a break?

M: Oh thank god, I was worried for a second there.

M: also

M: What the HELL, Taki?! Why were you ignoring me? You promised we'd text every day I was away!

T: sorry

What do I say? I don't know what he would say…

T: I had a weird day, I guess

M: Wanna tell me about it?

Mitsuha stared at the phone. Did she want to talk about it? I mean, I wanna tell Tessie and Saya all about this, but telling myself about my day in my dream is so weird! Squirming at the thought, she shook her head. I can't! If it's really me, then- I'm so confused!

T: Not really

M: You don't?

There was a long pause.

M: I guess you don't have to if you don't want to…

Her head spun as she read the text. Rolling onto her back, she bit her lip. If she's really me, even if she's some sort of other me – does that even make sense? No, that's not the point, it's…

Obviously, this Mitsuha meant something to Taki, even if it was only a dream. Something about those last two texts… That's not what Taki would have said, is it? What can I tell her that won't make her ask awkward questions?

T: I forgot my bento today.

M: really? That's what you didn't want to tell me about?

T: But I never forget it!

At least, according to Tsukasa I don't. A string of emojis ran across her screen, and the uncomfortable weight of familiarity settled on her chest – that was exactly how she texted. This dream is too realistic…

M: You're so weird, Taki~

M: I have more conferences tomorrow, this hotel room is so uncomfortable :( gn, tomorrow you should ACTUALLY TALK TO ME!

T: good night

Throwing the phone to the side, Mitsuha let out a relieved sighed and closed her eyes. Who knew texting could be so exhausting?

Really, though, today had been nothing short of amazing for her, even with all of the stress. She had always dreamed of seeing Tokyo and now she had, even if it was only a dream. The cafe had been amazing, and she had liked Taki's friends for the short time she had been around them.

Exhausted, she pulled the covers over her body and closed her eyes. The bed sure was comfy… Maybe she would have some crazy stories to tell Tessie and Saya tomorrow.

What a strange dream…

Bzzt. Bzzt. Bzzt.

Taki awoke with a start, soaked in sweat as he shot into a sitting position. His body felt clammy, a fog filling his mind as if he had had a bad dream. He took a deep breath, then exhaled.

Haaah…

What?

His throat and nose felt tight – too tight to be normal. Do I have a cold? His chest was heavy as if he had strapped weights to it. Looking down, two lumps and cleavage stared back at him.

Cleavage. On his chest.

Huh. …Might as well squeeze them.

Reaching up, he grabbed his breasts and squeezed once, then twice. Woah. That feels really good. Not wanting to stop, he kept massaging himself. Who knew girl's bodies were like this?

"Sis, what are you doing?"

He glanced in the direction of the voice. Yotsuha was standing by the sliding door, staring at her. Closing his eyes again, he muttered, "I was just thinking about how these feel way real… Huh?"

Taki did a double take.

"Yotsuha?!"

Wait, it can't be… She's wearing pigtails, Yotsuha hasn't worn them in years, plus she's not that short anymore…

Sis?!

"You still asleep or something? It's. Break. Fast. Time! Hurry up!" Yotsuha slammed the door, leaving him staring in her wake.

What?

Hauling himself to his feet, Taki's stomach growled. I guess breakfast does sound nice… A mirror across the room caught his attention. Walking across the mats, he stepped in front of it and blinked. Hi Mitsuha…

Yeah, there was no mistaking his best friend's long black hair, or the small round face. He was wearing a red nightdress with yellow polka-dots. Blankly, he let it slid off his body, revealing plain white underclothes. This was Mitsuha, but her appearance was off – she's younger?

…

I'm Mitsuha?!

The fog cleared away from his thoughts and he shrieked at the top of his lungs.

Feet pounded down the hall, and the screen door flew open again. Yotsuha stared at him, fear turning to relief then anger. "Why'dya scream like that? You scared Grandma!" she yelled at him. "Breakfast is getting cold!"

Taki flinched as the younger girl spun on her heel and stormed out of the room. Yep, that's definitely Yotsuha, and she's definitely not twelve right now. Does that mean I'm in the past? Is this just a dream?

It feels so real… Just to check, he pinched himself. No result but mild pain. Dammit, I thought that might work.

He looked back at the mirror. That's Mitsuha, for sure… I've never seen her naked before, she looks good… Wait, naked?

Jumping away for the mirror, Taki threw his arms over his privates, his face burning. I just saw Mitsuha half naked! She's gonna kill me!

That's what you're panicking about? A voice in the back of his head whispered. You know you've wanted to s-

Nope nope nope best friend, she'd never get together with me anyways! She's twenty and I'm seventeen, for crying out loud! Besides, now's not the time to think about that!

If he was in the past, he needed to know when. Stooping down, he picked up Mitsuha's pink flip phone and looked at the dateline: Tuesday, September 2nd, 2013. That's… No, it can't be.

Am I in Itomori?

"Here we are."

Stepping out of the car, Taki watched Mitsuha through the tinted window. A red cord swayed back and forth in her hair, blowing in the gentle fall breeze. She pressed the door shut, her hands lingering on the steel as she looked ahead to a row of barricades and a large "Do Not Enter" sign.

"Are we going in?" he asked quietly, and she nodded.

The ground was torn up and overgrown from disuse as they picked their way towards the end of the road. She avoided his gaze but shifted towards him, taking his hand. Ordinarily, he might have protested, but he could tell she was saddened coming back.

They stopped on a dirt field. Taki's eyes widened as he took in the disaster before him. A giant blue circle rested beside a larger lake, almost looking like a figure eight. He had seen the pictures a million times before, of course, but it was so much more visceral in person.

"I went to high school right here," Mitsuha murmured. She led him to the fence at the edge of the crater and pointed towards its middle. "Right there, that's where the shrine was. Tessie's house was there, Saya lived right next door, and-" Voice hitching, she shifted her finger slightly. "-and that's where we lived."

He smiled at her sadly, squeezing her hand slightly. "Thank you for bringing me here."

"You wanted to be here," she said. "You never came to visit me, but I know you wanted to. This is the least I can do."

"I-I guess so."

She sighed, pressing her other hand to the fence and closing her eyes. "Someday, you'll get to see what Itomori was really like. It was so beautiful, and I never really saw it until right before it was gone."

"But how will I get to see it?" Taki asked, his brow furrowing in confusion.

He had never understood the look she had given him then, so full of something utterly beyond his comprehension at the time. "You will, I promise. Someday..."

Someday…

The lake sparkled in the early morning, cusping the sky in its bounds. Traditional homes and short two-story buildings spilled all the way around the edge, rising up into the hills and surrounded by green. Taki gasped in awe, his skirt blowing in the wind as he shielded his eyes from the morning sun. It's- It's really Itomori! Mitsuha was right, it really is beautiful.

This can't be a dream, can it? Even with all of the pictures and articles I've seen, there's no way it could all look this real…

"C'mon, sis!" Grinning, he ran down the steps after Yotsuha. Who cared if it was a dream or not? This was incredible!

Once he had managed to calm himself down, Taki had done a pretty good job at assuaging Yotsuha and Grandma's concerns. He knew Mitsuha well, so he had done his best to mimic her – eating way too much, always thanking everyone, the accent… Grandma had shot him some odd looks, sure, but for the most part things had gone off without a hitch.

It was kind of freaky, really. Here he was, walking to Mitsuha's school in Mitsuha's clothes and body with Mitsuha's sister skipping ahead…

They arrived at the elementary school. Yotsuha spun around and hugged him. "Bye sis! Have a nice day!"

Ha, Yotsuha would rather be caught dead before she hugs me! I'm so going to lord this over her someday… Hugging the smaller girl back, she said, "Yeah, have fun!"

Watching her run off, Taki couldn't seem to wipe the big grin off his face. Yeah, I don't mind this dream at all! Does this mean I'm gonna get to see little Tessie and little Saya too?

Well, he might not have known the streets well, but the high school was the one place in Itomori he definitely knew how to get to. Setting his sights upwards, he started to meander through the winding streets, eager to take in all of the sights and smells while the dream lasted. This will be so great for my sketches! I can't wait to get some of these shops down – assuming I remember in the morning, that is.

"Miiitsuhaaa!" He spun around, then broke into a broad smile as Tessie peddled a bike up behind him, Saya running up beside him. "You left us!"

In his excitement, Taki exclaimed, "Tessie! Saya!" then remembered where and who he was. Still, he couldn't resist… Putting his hands on his hips, in his best Mitsuha impression he said, "Maybe you guys were just slow today!"

"He wouldn't let me ride on the rack!" Saya protested.

"That's cause you're heavy!"

"And you're rude!"

Taki laughed, which came out as a light giggle. It's been what, a year since they've started dating? I had almost forgotten that they used to do this all the time! "You two really are perfect together."

"We are not!" they chorused at the same time, wearing identical looks of indignation. It was adorable, really. Man, I miss these two. Ever since they started college, I haven't seen them enough.

"Anyways, what's up with your hair today?" Saya asked. "You never wear it like that!"

The first thing Taki had realized upon stepping into the bathroom that morning was that he had no idea how to do any of Mitsuha's elaborate hairstyles. Showering wasn't an option, obviously – had her furo even had a showerhead? - but he did his best to replicate as much of her hair routine as possible. If he was being honest with himself, he was having a great time imitating his best friend, even if the best he had been able to do was a ponytail tied up with her usual cord.

"I don't know, I thought I'd try something different today."

Tessie's mouth made an O, and Saya beamed at him. "It looks great!"

Taki beamed back, stopping himself from pumping his fist in victory. Score one for me! Now, how would Mitsuha respond to that… "Thank you!"

"Let's go, we don't wanna be late!" Tessie pressed his foot against his petal and started to ride uphill. Saya made an indignant noise and ran after, and he laughed as he followed them.

"Yeah, let's do it!"

By the time Taki made it to Mitsuha's last class of the day, art, he had learned several things he had never known about his friend.

First, seventeen-year-old Mitsuha hated touching other people, at least according to Tessie's shell-shocked reaction. He had tried to hug him like he had seen Mitsuha do before, and he had practically jumped out of his seat then asked if he was possessed. I mean, he's not wrong.

Second, on the growing list of things to tease his friends about, Mitsuha's locker was 1) decorated 2) with boybands 3) and bright pink wallpaper. Oh, she's never going to hear the end of that.

Third, and most disturbing, was the way the other girls in Mitsuha's class treated her. Looks, whispers in the hall… One group of girls seemed to be at the center of it, and Saya had steered him away from them when he caught their gaze. Taki had always counted himself fortunate that he didn't have the same drama high schoolers in movies seemed to get, and that gratitude was growing by the minute.

He didn't have time to worry about that now though. His good mood rose even higher as he passed under the battered old sign for the art room and saw the row of canvases before him. Art… Now here's something I can do!

"I still can't believe you forgot when we have lunch," Tessie grumbled as he slumped down in the chair next to him. "You like eating better than any of us do."

"Your desk and locker, too… Are you feeling okay, Mitsuha?" Saya's face showed genuine concern, and he frowned.

I've been doing good, but how was I supposed to know all of that stuff? What's a good excuse? "Sorry, I'm just a little, um, distracted today." I mean, if waking up in your friend's body three years ago in a destroyed town isn't distracting, what is?

"Or maybe you're possessed!" Tessie exclaimed, leaning towards him with a devilish glint in his eye.

Saya sighed, leaning back in her chair and fiddling with a pencil. "Maybe you're delusional..."

The teacher came into the room and interrupted their banter. "Alright, today's another free draw so feel free to do whatever happens to be on your mind.

Perfect! Taki already knew what he wanted to draw. Well, there were a million things he wanted to capture about this dream, but he started out with a little antique shop with a yellow awning they had passed on the way to school. Even if it isn't real, it'll be good practice for when I wake up.

Setting his pencil to paper, he breathed in his surroundings and started sketching.

"Itadakimasu!"

Normally Taki was a reserved eater – he didn't like exercising much outside of sports practice so he watched his diet closely to avoid gaining weight. Mitsuha, on the other hand, had always had an insane metabolism and devoured anything put in front of her. He took full advantage of that now and shoveled as much food into his mouth as possible.

An array of flavors spilled across his tongue. Was this really homemade cooking? The last time he had tasted something like this had been at a restaurant! "'s really good!"

"Didn't we have this last night too?" Yotsuha asked. Her pigtails bounced as she nodded her head back and forth, working her way through a portion less than half his side.

Taki shrugged. I didn't have this last night! he thought, furiously working his chopsticks as he held his rice bowl up to his mouth.

"Well, you're certainly in a different mood today, Mitsuha," Grandma said.

What can I say to that? "I guess I thought I'd switch things up today, ya know?" he said with a full mouth of food.

Yotsuha pulled a face. "Gross, sis."

Grandma chuckled to herself. Giving him a light shake of disapproval, she said, "I'm glad you're finally in a better mood. Maybe you'll be less grumpy when we braid cords tonight."

Braiding… cords…? Oh no. Taki had seen Mitsuha working her weave-y string-y thing enough time to know that he wouldn't be able to even attempt that. Gotta get out of that! What do I do? "I, um… Actually, I'm kinda really tired, so, um, I probably can't do it tonight."

"You're the most energetic I've seen you in months, and you're tired? Mit-su-ha, I know I'm old but you've got to be able to come up with with a better excuse than that..." Grandma tutted. "Besides, you like doing this."

"Uh… I dunno, I'm kinda just not braiding good today?" Yeah, Taki, that sounds real plausible, great job. "I kept messing up my hair this morning, so I wore it down?"

"Hmm..." He wilted under her sharp scrutiny as Yotsuha sighed and kept eating. "Alright then, if you're really too tired, then I suppose you'll need to go to bed early tonight."

As if on cue, Taki yawned and stretched back. Y'know, that doesn't sound half bad. "Okay, gotcha!"

He really was exhausted, though, and it came as a relief when dinner finally ended and he was able to retreat to Mitsuha's room. Changing back into her nightclothes (without looking in the mirror this time), he got ready for bed and collapsed onto her futon. What a crazy day.

Not quite tired, he stared at the ceiling and brainstormed all of the sketches he was going to make when he woke. I'll call Mitsuha first, though – I bet she'll get a laugh out of this! Wonder if she's ever had a weird lucid dream like this before…

Closing his eyes, he slowly drifted off to sleep.

What a strange dream...

[A/N] Hey all, and welcome to this story! I got this crazy idea after rewatching Kimi No Na Wa, which is my absolute favorite movie, and this AU just flew onto the page! I hope you enjoyed this first chapter, my plot bunnies wouldn't let me stop writing it :)

Signing out, Allie