It did not take long for Juna to find Kurt. He was meditating in the school's training hall.

"Do you need anything?" Kurt asked as soon as the door squeaked.

He was hoping for some solace here in the halls. He has many things to think about today. His thoughts were broken when he heard her giggle. He snapped his head behind him and saw Juna approaching, her hips swaying a little as she does.

Kurt immediately stood up, his face cannot decide if it wants to pale or blush.

"I forgot that I need to be somewhere," he blurted out as he tried to walk past Juna.

Like a snake, she wrapped herself on his arm, causing Kurt to gasp.

"Are you trying to avoid me, Kurt?" Juna asked, pouting. She squeezed harder, making the boy squirm.

"I-It's not that!" Kurt said as he tried to pull away. "I made plans with someone."

"Who?"

Kurt's eyes darted all over the training hall. "Musse," he said.

Juna gasped. "Am… Am I not enough for you?" Her eyes quivered

"Wait, wait!" Kurt said in panic while shaking his head. "That's not what I meant! She was only asking me to help her with—"

Juna made a sharp laugh and hugged his arm tighter.

"You are such a bad liar!" she said before poking his nose. "Musse and I talked earlier." She started pulling him.

"R-Really?" Kurt said, feeling a bit stupid right now.

"Yeah!"

She pulled him to sit with her on a bench nearby. Kurt, who is quite embarrassed, went along with it as he wracked his mind on what to say next. She let go of his arm, which he is eternally grateful for.

However, Kurt realizes the gravity of the danger he is on. He is now inside a room with Juna, alone. A public room in which anybody could come in at any time. He started to sweat.

"So…" Juna said. "Why are you trying to avoid me?"

"I'm not trying to avoid you," he quickly said. "W-Well, avoid is not the right term."

"Is it because of what I did at class?" Juna giggled as she watched Kurt redden. "I must apologize for that." She brought her hands together, slightly cocking her head. "I didn't have much sleep last night."

"Oh… You mean that?"

He was referring to Jessica's punishment for Juna yesterday. It was because of something along the lines of insulting her skills in tennis.

"Yes," Juna said, not really getting on what he is talking about, but she went along with it regardless. She leaned forward.

"I hope you can forgive me," she said. Her face was nearing his.

"N-No, it's nothing," Kurt said, looking away in order to hide his blush.

Has she gotten prettier the last time we met?

"As long as you promise not to do it again," Kurt quickly ended.

"…Huh?"

Juna started crawling towards Kurt. The boy could only lean back.

"You mean… you don't like it?" Juna asked.

"D-Don't like what?" Kurt said, continuing to lean backward.

"…The new me?"

Juna was almost atop of Kurt, while the boy leaned back so far, he was almost parallel to the bench. Only his elbows were preventing him from falling on his back. Juna could barely hold her laughter after witnessing such a feat.

"I…" Kurt said before shaking his head. "I want the old Juna back!"

His voice echoed across the training hall.

"Oh?" Juna said.

She pulled herself back and sat down. She covered her mouth to stop her from laughing out loud as Kurt collapsed. He hit his back against the bench and bounced down to the floor. He groaned.

Enough foreplay, Musse thought. It's time for the killing blow.

"Oh, Kurt," Juna said. "What is this?"

"What?" Kurt replied as he sat up.

He turned around to look at Juna's narrowed eyes. His eyes wandered the object she is holding. It was his ARCUS. Unbeknownst to him, while Juna was crawling over Kurt, she pickpocketed him. Where she learned such a trick or why is Juna doing this is another point right now.

The ARCUS was open, and on the screen was Juna on her tennis uniform. She was striking a cute pose at a mirror.

"Wait!" Kurt said, waving his hands. "Wait-wait, this is all a misunderstanding!" He was kneeling in front of her.

His face was so flushed, the word 'red' has all but lost its meaning.

"…A misunderstanding?" Juna said in her coldest tone possible.

"Yes!" Kurt said, furiously nodding. "M-Musse sent me that picture yesterday. You know how she is. I swear this on the Vander name!"

"Oh, so it's Musse all along, huh?" Juna smiled, chuckling slowly. "That explains a lot of things. Oh Musse, you scamp."

"J-Juna?"

She stood up and started walking towards him.

"While Musse and I have something to discuss later," she said, "I still have one more question in mind." She raised the ARCUS again. "Why. Haven't. You. Deleted it?"

Kurt dropped his hands on his lap. He knew defeat when it was right in front of his face.

"It… was a moment of weakness," Kurt said, looking down on the ground. "But I don't think I can excuse myself at this point. Do whatever you want with me."

"How very noble of you, Kurt," Juna said, raising a shaking fist.

Kurt closed his eyes. He knew that this would not stop with a punch.

And then… he smelled something nice. A soft hand touched his cheek. His eyes snapped open as Juna's face was reges away from him. She is squatting, lowering herself. Their eyes met. Kurt could feel his own heart beating in chest, as if it was desperate to get out.

"How about… cake. Tomorrow, after class," Juna said, smiling.

"Wha…" Kurt said.

"Oh, it won't end with cake, of course." She giggled. "It probably won't end with one day. You'll have to treat me for everyday until school ends."

"I—"

"You do want to pay me back, right?"

Kurt blinked.

"Right?" Juna cocked her head.

"Right," Kurt managed to say. "Ask and you'll… receive."

Juna giggled and grinned.

"Great!" she said, standing up. "Maybe if you treat me extra special and extra nice, your sentence could be reduced."

Kurt groaned.

"Hey, now! Remember who's at fault here, and it's definitely not me!"

"Yes, ma'am," he said.

"With all that said and done, I think I'll go hang out with Musse. I'll leave you and let you reflect on your sins… right after I delete this."

She started pressing buttons on his ARCUS.

"W-Wait!" Kurt said, reaching up.

Juna glared at him.

Kurt sighed in defeat. "Never mind."

Juna smiled.

I'll send you another copy tonight.

After deleting it, she tossed the ARCUS to his lap and headed for the exit.

"Oh!" Juna said, as she opened the door. "And the next time we speak… try to be honest with me." She smiled. "I'm already honest with you as it is. It would be nice if you return the favor."

Before Kurt could reply, Juna closed the door behind her. She sighed in relief.

Mission accomplished, she cheerily thought. Too bad this is the only time we'd play, Kurt. But it was fun nonetheless.

She walked away with a light spring on her step.

After gathering his bearings, Kurt climbed up the stairs. He looked as if he completely exhausted. He was to limp outside and head back to the dorms to sleep when someone called from up the staircase.

"Yo!" Ash said. "Can the magnificent nobleman help a poor old commoner like myself?"

Kurt craned his head upward. Ash was waving at him atop the stairs.

"What do you want?" Kurt said in his most annoyed tone.

"Harsh," Ash said, grinning. "I need to move a shelf outside. It needs a paintjob real bad."

"Ash, I don't have time for this." Kurt was leaving.

"Tch. Whatever." Ash left for his clubroom.

Kurt touched the doorknob to the exit and sighed.

When the door was opened…

"Watch it!" Kurt said as he walked backward. He was carrying one end of the shelf.

"You watch it!" Ash barked back as he carried the other end. He huffed. "It's not my fault you got noodle arms."

"I'm plenty strong as it is." Kurt huffed. "Where—"

"Just keep moving over there."

The two carried the shelf to the road near the garden. Ash was about to tell Kurt to keep going to the garden when a bright light flooded their vision. There was a crash and the two screamed.

When the light show was over, Kurt opened his eyes. He blinked the purple splotches away. He looked down and noticed he was not carrying the shelf, which confused him. Where did it go?

He looked forward and found his answer.

"Ash!" he shouted.

Ash was pinned underneath the shelf. He was not moving.

Kurt ran forward and started slipping. He yelped, but he quickly regained his balance, thanks to his training. He raised his foot.

"Huh?" he said, kneeling down.

He picked up a silver sepith crystal chess piece. It was carved into a king. The decorations were mesmerizing to him. And then he remembered what he was supposed to do.

"Ash!" he shouted.

He ran up to the pinned boy.

And accidentally stepped on his hand.

A bright light shot out so suddenly, the people of Leeves thought it was lightning, which is odd since it is a cloudless day today.

Instructor Irving climbed out of the window, eyes wide.

"Dude—I mean, Kurt," Irving said. "You okay, man?"

He walked up to the disoriented Kurt, Irving saw something on the ground. He gasped and picked the chess piece up. He put it in his pocket before stepping back from Kurt, just in case.

"Kurt?" he called again.

"Wh-Who?" Kurt said as he held his head. He was looking left and right, as if he does not know where he is.

Before Irving could ask what he meant, his eyes looked down on the shelf on the ground and screamed.

"There's someone under there!" he said.

"Huh? Really?" Kurt said, walking away. He looks very confused.

Irving ran up to Ash and stopped. He grabbed the chess piece from his pocket and threw it into the broken window. He does not wish to know what switching with an unconscious person feels like. He then pushed the shelf away and carried Ash in a fireman carry.

Kurt breathed out as he found out that he in front of the main entrance of the school. His eyes were unfocused and he cannot think straight.

He pulled out his ARCUS to at least know what time it is. He almost dropped it when he saw the home page on the screen. It was the picture of Class VII in a group photo. They were eating pizza under the night.

This… This ain't mine.

He patted his pockets and noticed that his wallet is on the wrong position. He picked it out and gasped.

This definitely ain't mine!

His wallet was made out of crocodile leather. Kurt opened the wallet and his hands were shaking. Fat stacks of mira bills were in it. He could practically live three months with the money in this wallet alone.

He then finally noticed his hands. Kurt put his wallet away and raised his hands against his eyes. They were much thinner than he remembered.

One final test then. Kurt pulled out his ARCUS again and took a selfie.

"No way…" Kurt said as he looked at his own photo.

Kurt Vander. He has the face of Kurt Vander.

"This… This has to be a joke, right?"

He raised his hand and slapped his face real hard.

"Nope, I'm not dreaming," Kurt said.

He touched his hair, and it was straight and smooth. He touched his ear and his earings were gone. All doubts started leaving his mind as the truth set in. Ash is in Kurt's body. But how? Why? When?

However…

"I'm Kurt?" he asked himself. He shook his head. "I'm Kurt."

Normally, Ash would be desperate to get his body back or find out who was cruel enough to have him switch with a dainty-ass pretty boy. To look at Kurt was suffering enough. To be Kurt—

Kurt slowly smiled.

If I'm Kurt, then that means I could do whatever I want.

Ash is going to get his body back. It was a fact. However, that problem will have to be solved another time. It was time to have his fun. This time, there would be no consequence. At least not for Ash.

Kurt has always been obsessed on dueling Ash ever since he defeated the swordsman in a duel during their first weeks at Thors. Ash has been hiding from Kurt ever since, because he is not confident that he could defeat him the second time around. It was humiliating. All that pain… has to be repaid somehow, right?

Today, it is time for revenge. Ash is going to ruin Kurt's life.

A soft laughter left his lips.

Aidios really is watching over me.

"Kurt," Jessica said from behind him. "Are you heading back to Leeves?"

Kurt stretched his neck. A pop can be heard. He let out a breath before turning to Jessica.

"Hey, there," he said, smiling.

"Hey yourself," Jessica said. "I saw you standing on the road. Are you alright?"

He licked his lips. "Already am, now that you're here."

"…Kurt?"

He walked up to her.

"Say, you said you practice your family's martial art, right?" he asked.

Jessica nodded. "Yes."

Kurt smiled. "Can you tell more about it?"

She narrowed her eyes on him. "But you use swords."

The Schleiden Style is a spear martial art. Everybody knows that.

"I know that," Kurt said, chuckling. "I thought it would be interesting to get your point of view. Maybe we could swap info. Like, I dunno, a cultural exchange."

"Kurt, you sound weird. Do you have a fever?"

She touched his forehead to check. Kurt lightly grabbed her wrist.

"Aren't you touchy-feely," Kurt said, smiling wider.

"I-I didn't mean to!" Jessica said, pulling her hand away. She was blushing slightly. "I'm just worried about you."

Kurt chuckled. "Wanna head out?" He flicked his head toward Leeves. "Tea, coffee, my treat. And you could tell me all about your spearwork."

"I… I don't know." She was getting nervous.

Kurt casually walked up next to her and put his arm over her shoulder. She eeped, blushing even harder.

"I'll be gentle," he said. "I swear under the Vander name and all that."

She lowered her head a little. "W-Well, if you insist," she mumbled.

She was rather proud of her family's martial art. It stands out in an Empire that obsesses over swords and sword styles. To hear Kurt, a son of a very respected family, being interested in her craft is kind of… flattering, for the lack of better word. Also, she wants to know if Kurt really is a match for Juna.

Kurt smiled and pulled her forward. The started walking down the road.

"C-Can you unhand me?" she asked meekly.

He leaned over her. "Are you sure?"

"Yes!" She looked away.

Kurt laughed and let her go. The two walked normally down to Leeves.

In the clinic, Kurt, who is in Ash's body, was dreaming of riding a horse down a prairie. His hand hurt a little, but he does not care. He was chasing someone very important to him. He rode faster.