"Kataware-doki." Mitsuha looked Taki's way.
Except he was no longer there.
As she began to call his name over and over in panic, she noticed that she was no longer on top of the hills. Beyond her, there was nothing but darkness. She could no longer see the hills and greenery that led to the body of Miyamizu shrine's god. But before she could react to the darkness around her, the world suddenly lit up she had to close her eyes.
Taki-kun… Taki-kun… she heard her own voice. Don't you remember me?
What's your name? she heard Taki's voice replying.
Mitsuha opened her eyes. It was as if she was watching a movie, except there was no screen. She saw herself – her younger self back when she was still in high school – in a train in Tokyo. And… she was talking to… Taki. He also seemed younger.
Mitsuha! her younger self yelled while untangling her ribbon, giving it to Taki. My name… is Mitsuha!
She recognized that scene. Although she had forgotten why, she still remembered her trip to Tokyo eight years ago. She didn't stay long… something made her return. And as a result, she cut her hair short.
To think that I'd actually met him back then… is that why—
Mitsuha didn't even have the chance to finish her thoughts as she saw that the scene in front of her change. She saw herself – still her younger self in high school, waking up in her room, except she somehow knew that it wasn't her. Whoever that was, she looked confused, panic, and incredibly disoriented. Then the 'movie' fast forwarded and she was in school, her hair still a mess, ignoring the teacher's call. She looked confused when her friends pointed the name she had been called with as hers. She began writing in the notebook. Mitsuha could actually see the messy handwriting, one that was clearly not hers.
What's your name?
The scene changed again. She was once again on top of the hills, except this time it was not winter. The greenery was still visible. She could actually hear the water of the lake running, and felt the heat of the sun. And instead of Taki as her company, she saw herself, Yotsuha, and their grandma, slowly walking out from the place where the god's main body was shrined. This time, Mitsuha in the vision, still her in high school, no longer had a messy hair. Instead, she tied it in a ponytail, a style she rarely wore. Yotsuha was also a lot younger. They seemed to be talking, then Mitsuha saw her grandma turned to her younger self.
Mitsuha… are you dreaming right now? She heard the older woman's voice.
In this 'movie', or this… vision, Mitsuha saw a lot of things. Instead of her usual hairstyle, the Mitsuha in the vision wore her hair in a ponytail most of the time. She went to school, she talked to Sayaka and Tessie, and she even spent time with Yotsuha and their grandma. As she watched the vision in silence and confusion, she couldn't help but wonder if that Mitsuha was really her.
No… it felt like… Taki-kun?
Again, without warning, the scene in front of her changed. This time, she saw the scenes of the day of the Incident. Except it was still not her in it, but her other self who somehow reminded her of Taki. She thought she would see an exact replay of that day as she remembered it, but she was wrong. Instead of going to school normally then preparing for the festival, Mitsuha in the vision went her way to warn Sayaka and Tessie that they would all die tonight because of the comet. Then the three began making plans to explode the power generator, make evacuation announcement, and convince the mayor to help with the evacuation.
It's the same… the events that happened, they are the same… yet, I don't recognize it, somehow. Is it because it's not me doing it?
Mitsuha stood there and watched as the other Mitsuha failed to convince the mayor – her father. She also watched as the other Mitsuha began making her way to the mountains, where the main body of the god was located. It was weird. She was calling out… not anyone else's name but her own. What's even weirder was that… Mitsuha could actually hear another voice – Taki's voice – calling out as a response, again not anyone else's but his own name.
Mitsuha! She heard her voice. You're there, right? Inside my body!
As she heard that, Mitsuha felt a sudden epiphany. It was as if a locker in her mind, which had been locked and forgotten all these years, was suddenly opened and she finally remembered. She and Taki – they weren't strangers, after all. Despite being in a different time, they met. What a weird meeting it was! Instead of normally seeing each other face to face, they met by switching bodies when they went to sleep. She, who was supposed to die when Comet Tiamat hit Itomori, was given another chance. Thanks to Taki, who went as far as going to Itomori…
And saved her.
So that we won't forget each other when we wake up, let's write our names on each other.
As she heard Taki talking in the vision, Mitsuha looked at her palm. She knew now, that instead of his name, Taki wrote something else. And she got the chance to see it again. It was the same writing as it was back then, as if it had stayed with her all these years. A teardrop fell to the black ink on her hand as she traced it with her fingers.
I love you.
***
"Mitsuha! Mitsuha!" she heard Taki calling her name, shaking her body awake.
Slowly, she opened her eyes and saw him. He was no longer the Taki she saw in her vision. He was the one who came here with her. It was cold, yet he was drenched with sweat. He looked worried. When he noticed that she was conscious, she saw him sigh in relief. Mitsuha realized that she was back in the present.
"Taki… kun?" Her voice was barely a whisper.
"Thank God! You're okay now," he said gently, stroking her hair. "Can you get up?" Slowly, he helped her get up to a sitting position before pulling her into a hug. It was so sudden that Mitsuha jumped a bit in surprise. But she didn't pull away. Even without him telling her, she knew that he also saw the same vision as she did.
"Looks like we can't go back to Tokyo today," Taki told her. Mitsuha looked up and saw that it was already dark. They had no choice but to stay here for the night.
Mitsuha remembered her father's call. Suddenly, she wanted to meet him, and for the first time in years, she felt like she missed him. "Let's go to my dad's place, then," she said.
She could feel him nod. "It's not like we have a choice. Hopefully he'll take me in, too, though," he said jokingly, still holding her in his arms.
"Taki-kun," Mitsuha said after a moment of silence. Tears began streaming down her cheeks. "Thank you… for coming to get me back then."
Instead of answering, Taki pulled away from the hug. Stroking her cheek with one hand, he leaned closer to her. Slowly, Mitsuha closed her eyes.
And their lips met.
