Reversal
SUMMARY: Yukiteru is Yukiyori, and Yuno is Yuto. Snippets of each episode to show how much a gender switch really does make a difference.
Chapter 3: Episode 3
After being dragged by Yuto from one ride to the next dozen, Yuki was exhausted. She wondered how the boy was able to maintain such vitality when Yuki herself was all worn out. Strangely, her tiredness ebbed away any lingering anxiety she had felt before coming to the amusement park; not only that, but, as she would admit, the good cheer shown in Yuto's grins and enthusiasm was rather uplifting.
All nice feelings came crashing down when Yuto insisted where they should go next.
"Um, I don't think that—"
"Come on, Yuki, it'll be fun!" Yuto wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led (forced) her inside the haunted house.
Side by side, the two braved into the dark and solemn hallways. Yuki knew that this was just simply harmless entertainment, a little test of courage for the excited and interested customers who amused themselves the idea of being spooked. This was definitely nothing compared to what she had faced and will face, burdened with the responsibility of owning a Future Diary. However, Yuki was edgy and gutless by nature—she was already quite tense for what would pop up to catch them off guard. Surely, Yuto knew that and how she severely disliked this, so why did he make her go anyway?
Yuki warily observed off to the side, her eyes drifting form the makeshift tombstones to an eerily glowing goblin-like figurine. She set her anticipation on the ugly monster to lunge at them, so she wasn't expecting something ghostly to drop from the sky and sneer near at their faces.
Yuki screamed and her eyes were screwed shut.
A couple seconds later, her racing heart settled as she inhaled deeply. That was when she felt something pressed between her breasts. Slowly, her eyes traced from the ground to their legs (they were close…) to their hips (too close!) and, finally, to where Yuki had latched onto Yuto's arm tightly to her chest (way too close!)
Flustered, Yuki gasped and jumped a couple steps back. "I-I-I am so—!"
She wasn't able to finish her apology as another ghost appeared behind them.
"Kyaaa!"
When they exited the haunted house, Yuto released a joyful laugh. "You scream so cutely, Yuki," he said, grinning from ear to ear. "Kyaaa!"
Yuki scowled at the boy's mimicking, but couldn't stop the reddening of her cheeks. "Don't make fun of me," she grumbled.
"I can't help it! You were so adorable."
She sighed. "It was so crazy in there. Why'd you make me go through that? I've nearly gotten a heart attack."
Yuto tilted his chin downwards so that their eyes met. Yuki immediately wanted to pull her gaze away, feeling self-conscious, but she couldn't, especially when he was smiling at her like that. "Don't fret," he said. His eyes twinkled. "Wherever you are, I'll always be there to protect you."
How hackneyed those words were! Yet so true was the meaning behind them, it seemed. After all, he did rescue her from the third and ninth diary owners; technically, he also stopped Fourth, Kurusu Keigo, from putting a bullet through her head. Her memories took her back to when Yuto crashed from, at least, the second or third level floor and succeeded in temporarily subduing Uryuu Minene. Bewildered how Yuto made his entry into the scene, Yuki ceased her crying. It seemed that he was capable of surprising her in all sorts of ways.
She smiled faintly and squeezed the arm into her chest. Her face dropped.
"Yuki?"
Her blush intensified. "Gah! I'm so sorry! I did it again!" She released Yuto's arm and was about to put some space between them, but, then, Yuto wounded his arm around her waist and brought her close to his chest.
"It's alright," she heard him chortle in her ear. "I don't mind."
He didn't mind? Well, she certainly did!
It was after a couple more rides that Yuki found herself being dragged into the water park. Again, Yuto was making her do something that she was clearly opposed to do.
She was dressed in nothing but an embarrassing red bikini. Apparently, it was the only matching set suitable for her size as the other swimwear were either too big or too small. Furthermore, Yuki wasn't particularly happy with the looseness of the top; it was hardly her fault that she was flat-chested. How Yuto delved in the satisfaction of feeling her unimpressive knolls was beyond her.
"Yuki!" Yuki cringed at the sound of Yuto's voice and the approaching slaps his bare feet made against the cement. She dove behind an artificial palm tree to avoid being caught, but he saw her anyway.
"Eh? Why are you hiding, Yuki?" Yuto inquired.
"This is silly," she squeaked. "Let's go back!"
"No way! I wanna go swimming with you, Yuki!" He managed to pry her from the tree and bring her into the pool.
"Uwah! The water sure feels great," Yuto sighed contently. He lazily waded across the waters and swam a half-circle around her. "Don't you think so, Yuki?"
"Y-yeah," she muttered noncommittally. The cool temperature was certainly refreshing against the warm, sunny weather outside, but Yuki couldn't bring herself to enjoy it. All she could think about was the absurdity of the situation: she wearing a bikini in a pool with the amiable and good-looking Gasai Yuto. Had someone told her a week ago that this would happen—the roller coasters, the snacks, the haunted house, the water park (especially the water park)—she might have laughed in his or her face because it sounded as though she and Yuto were on a…
Yuki blushed. It was as though she and Yuto were on a date. Gosh, regardless how Kurusu informed them that they were to stay at an area where they were to become bait if Ninth ever came around, this day really did turn out to be a date!
She shook her head and inwardly berated herself. No, no, no. Just what was she thinking? This wasn't a date—this was a mission! The things that Yuto had dragged her into doing were just to kill time because it would be boring just sitting around and waiting to see if Ninth would come or not. Besides, would she really want to be dating Yuto of all people? She may have acknowledged that he proved to be a fine protector, but it was clear that he wasn't alright in the head when he casually assured her that he would kill people all for her sake. That, and the text messages. And the stalker diary.
Why me, she wondered. What was it about me that caught his attention?
Wait… Something felt funny…
Looking down, she found that her top was missing.
"Ah!" She hastily wrapped her arms across her chest.
"Yuki?"
Seeing Yuto swim towards her, she could feel her blood racing. "Don't come any closer!" she cried.
He blinked. "What's wrong?"
"I-I-I…!"
There was silence. Suddenly, Yuto dunked his head underwater, stayed there for five seconds, and then resurfaced with a sheepish smile. "Uh, your swimwear came undone, huh?"
Yuki's face flamed, thoroughly scandalized.
"You—!" Yuki was cut off when something bumped against her back. The woman behind her gave a quick apology, but Yuki could hardly hear her over the thundering of her fast-beating heart as she fell into the boy's chest. His arms draped over her shoulders and secured her, causing her to gasp.
She tried to pull back, but Yuto's strong hold kept her at a halt. "Stay," he ordered quietly. Looking up, he called for an assistant and told her about the washed away top, furthering Yuki's humiliation.
"You could have helped me look for it instead of go telling someone," Yuki complained.
"True, but, then, you would be left defenseless, and I couldn't let that happen."
Good intentions, Yuki supposed, but it didn't excuse him for groping her, especially when she was practically naked!
"Why me?" she asked in the ferris wheel.
Yuto stared at her (contemplatively, worriedly—she didn't know). For what seemed like the longest time, he didn't respond and continued staring at her. She stared back. Finally, he said, "Yuki, why did you object going to the planetarium earlier? I thought you liked stars."
"How did you…?" Yuki trailed off. If Yuto knew that, then just how long was he watching her? Her brows drew in together in thought. The stalking sounded like a probability, but she shouldn't cancel the notion of him using his diary. The idea of Yuto doing such brought unpleasant feelings in her. She felt like calling him out on it, yet what wisdom was it to jump to conclusions?
And, so, Yuki thinned her lips into a white line while looking at Yuto askance. Yuto, who noticed her shift of perspective, appeared saddened. "You told me last year, Yuki," he said. "I don't know what you're thinking, whatever is making you look at me in such a way, but what I'm telling you… It's true."
"What do you mean?"
"Last year… Don't you remember? Our class had to fill out a form about what we wanted to do in our future. We were the only ones who didn't finish, so we were required to stay afterschool." Yuto smiled distantly. "You were sitting a few rows before me. To take my mind off of things, I decided to go up to you."
From here, Yuki remembered everything, the memories flooding back: Yuto asking her what was her dream, she telling him that she wanted to see the stars with her family and that it was impossible since her parents were divorced, Yuto offering to watch the stars with her, Yuki declining because she wanted it to be with family, and then… And then Yuto sighing about her being stubborn… He told her that he would take her as his wife—that way, they would become family and could watch the stars together. Thinking that he was just kidding, Yuki agreed.
He wasn't kidding back then, apparently.
"That's the reason?" Yuki said. What a simple cause. So simple that it must be a joke. "That's it?"
Yuto wordlessly stood up and grasped her shoulders. He leaned down.
"You're still hiding something from me, aren't you?" she heard herself say.
Just like before, their eyes met and the world became still and quiet. Languidly, Yuto pressed his lips onto her forehead and gave her a grin.
"Not telling," he cheekily said.