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It’d been a few weeks since school ended and summer break had started. Josuke Higashikata and his friends had hung out too many times to count by this point—and his nephew, Jotaro, seemed to be staying in town over the summer.
Currently, Josuke was waiting in line to order a drink for both him and his best friend, Okuyasu—who didn’t wanna get up and order for himself. “Lazy bastard..” Josuke muttered under his breath just as the customer in front of him was served their items and had left the line.
Josuke stepped up to the counter and greeted the cashier in front of him, “Can I get a lemonade and a chocolate muffin?” The woman in front of him smiled and nodded as she calculated his order and took his payment.
“It’ll be right out.” She stated. Josuke nodded and walked out of line. The boy walked over to a random table and took a seat while he waited for the items he ordered to arrive. In the meantime he glanced out the windows, where his friends sat.
Okuyasu was laughing his ass off from what Josuke could tell. Next to his best friend sat Mikitaka, the ‘alien’ they’d met around a year ago now. Honestly, Josuke was still skeptical whether he was really an alien or not.
Across from Mikitaka was Koichi and Yukako, who have been inseparable since they made up after their weird quarrel during the beginning of the year.
Josuke felt the boredom beginning to kill him while he sat alone at the table. Finally, someone began to call out his name, “Order for Higashikata Josuke.” Josuke looked towards the counter where a lemonade and chocolate muffin stood.
The high schooler stood up and walked over to the counter to retrieve his order and finally reunite with his friends.
As Josuke exited the café and walked over to his friends, Okuyasu stood up and slammed his hands down onto the table and yelled, “Do that trick again!”
Everyone at the table was startled by his sudden outburst, but Mikitaka nodded. He closed his eyes and stayed completely still in concentration.
Josuke approached the table and set his lemonade down before tapping Okuyasu on the shoulder, “What’s going on?” He whispered. Okuyasu glanced at Josuke then leaned into his ear to whisper back, “Mikitaka’s gonna do something cool, just watch.” Josuke nodded, placing an arm around Okuyasu’s neck.
Josuke and the entire table watched in silence as Mikitaka’s ears perked just a bit, then he raised his hands parallel to one another—suddenly, a blue flash of light appeared between his separated hands.
Josuke raised an eyebrow, while noticing Yukako clutching Koichi’s hand underneath the table, and Okuyasu watching the other boy with awe.
Just then, the light between Mikitaka’s hands began to expand, and without giving anyone a moment to think, one final flash appeared before everyone and then the light disappeared.
Nobody spoke for a few seconds afterwards, until Okuyasu began cheering, “Sweet! Did you see that, Josuke?” Josuke finally sat down and slid over the chocolate muffin he’d been holding to where Okuyasu was standing.
“Sit down first.” Josuke ordered. Okuyasu pulled back his chair and sat back down, looking over to Josuke, expecting him to answer his question.
“What did you just do Mikitaka?” Josuke asked, completely ignoring Okuyasu, who leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms and began silently pouting.
Mikitaka turned to Josuke, his facial expression completely blank, “I did what Nijimura asked of me.” He stated, nothing more and nothing less.
Josuke rubbed his temples with two fingers and sighed before looking back up at Mikitaka, “Did you use your stand on us?” Mikitaka tilted his head in confusion, “No, I don’t have what you guys call a ‘stand’.”
Josuke glanced over to Koichi and Yukako, who were busy in their own world doing god-knows-what. Josuke then looked back over to Mikitaka and Okuyasu, glaring at Mikitaka suspiciously.
Mikitaka, though, was completely clueless as to why Josuke was staring daggers at him. All he’d done was follow orders his friend gave him. Unfortunately, Mikitaka had no clue what had happened near the end of his trick.
The large flash of light near the end of his little trick was something new, something he’d never seen before. Mikitaka had a good grasp on his abilities and what he could do, but he had no idea what that flash of light meant, or what inconveniences it was about to cause his friends.
After a few more minutes of chatting, the group eventually split up to go home. Okuyasu and Josuke began walking back to Josuke’s house together because Okuyasu had requested to spend the night over there. And who was Josuke to deny hanging out even longer with his best friend?
. . . . .
Josuke and Okuyasu reached the front door of the Higashikata residence. Josuke stepped forward and opened the door, stepping inside first. Okuyasu followed behind, shutting the door behind himself after entering.
“Mom! I’m back!” Josuke yelled, sliding off his shoes and walking around, trying to find his mother. Tomoko Higashikata was busy preparing food in the kitchen, talking to someone on the phone.
Josuke finally located his mother in the kitchen and walked up to the unsuspecting woman, tapping her on the shoulder. Tomoko flinched and turned her head just a bit to see her son standing behind herself.
“You’re back.” She stated, removing the phone from her ear, “Could you grab the beef from the fridge?” She asked. Josuke turned around and approached the fridge, opening it up and grabbing the pack of beef he was instructed to retrieve.
Tomoko turned back around, continuing her conversation with the individual on the other line. Josuke went back to his mother and placed the pack on the counter beside her, “Okuyasu’s spending the night, we’ll be in my room if you need something.” Her son stated, walking away.
Finally, the two boys made it to Josuke’s room. Josuke walked over to his bed and took a seat before flopping down on the mattress.
Okuyasu took a seat beside the bed, chatting with Josuke about Mikitaka, Koichi, and Yukako. The two boys made fun of Koichi and Yukako, saying their relationship was unexpected to say the least.
“Man, and here I’m wondering why I still haven’t gotten a girlfriend yet.” Okuyasu sighed, leaning back against Josuke’s bed. Josuke turned to his side, staring at the back of Okuyasu’s head, “Mhm.” He hummed in response.
Okuyasu glanced around, “Come on. Share some of the girls who always hang around you.” Josuke grinned, reaching out to touch Okuyasu’s hair. He patted the top of his friend’s head, then gently ran his hand through the neatly combed gray sides.
Okuyasu didn’t mind, but it was kinda strange for Josuke to be doing such a thing. “It’s not like I want them anyways. They just cling to me all the time.” Josuke admitted, rubbing the tip of Okuyasu’s ear.
Okuyasu thought about what Josuke said, ‘It’s not like I want them anyways.’ What could he possibly mean by that? Suddenly, he felt Josuke rubbing his ears. Okuyasu felt a heat rising in his face, he stayed quiet instead of telling his friend otherwise—because it did feel pretty good.
Josuke noticed Okuyasu’s ears beginning to heat up and turn a light shade of red—the older boy smiled when he saw it.
The two stayed like this for a while, in complete silence as Josuke ran his hand through Okuyasu’s styled hair, humming softly to himself. Okuyasu, on the other hand, found it quite comforting, leaning back into the touch.
Unfortunately, Josuke retrieved his hand from Okuyasu’s head, the loss of feeling made Okuyasu a bit sad. The older boy sat up and turned to his friend, “You wanna play a game before bed?” Okuyasu looked up and nodded his head.
Josuke took his time, standing up and stretching before leaving the room and heading to the living room. Okuyasu stood up shortly after Josuke left the room, turning around to glance at the spots they once sat in before leaving the room to join Josuke.
As Okuyasu exited the room, he bumped into Josuke, who was walking back towards the room. “What’re you doing?” Okuyasu asked, glancing at his friend, who was standing awkwardly in front of him.
“I just realized I was still wearing my school uniform, so I was headed to change. Do you want a change of clothes?” Josuke offered, staring at Okuyasu for a response. Okuyasu thought about it, then nodded his head.
Josuke walked past Okuyasu and into his room, emerging a few minutes later with a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt for his friend. Okuyasu pondered whether he should head to the bathroom to change or stand around awkwardly and wait for an invitation to change. Eventually, the boy entered the bathroom and changed into the spare clothes he was given.
Okuyasu finally exited the bathroom after 10 minutes, walking back into Josuke’s room to set his clothes by his bag before making his way to the living room, where Josuke sat on the couch, clearly getting more antsy by the second.
“What took you so long?” Josuke grumbled, tossing a controller over to Okuyasu, as the younger boy approached the agitated one. “I was making sure the clothes fit.” Okuyasu defended himself.
Josuke rolled his eyes, “Dude, we’re the same size. How many times have I lent you clothes before?” Okuyasu didn’t think about that. Truth is, he was sitting on the bathroom floor, overthinking Josuke’s earlier actions. But he wasn’t going to tell Josuke that.
Josuke waited for Okuyasu to answer but to no avail, the older boy sighed dramatically, “Okay, well… Whatever. Let’s just play already.” Okuyasu nodded in agreement, grabbing his controller from beside himself.
. . . . .
Josuke leaned back against the couch, letting his head fall back as he heard Okuyasu begging him for yet another rematch.
“Come on. It’s not even that late for one more game!” Okuyasu pleaded, turning his body around just a bit to see his tired friend. Josuke picked his head up and glared down at Okuyasu, “No way! You’ve already said that like fifty times now.”
Okuyasu huffed and was about to open his mouth to object when Josuke interrupted him, “Bro. I’ve once against you each time. No more games.” Okuyasu turned back around, crossing his arms in a pouty fit.
Josuke sat up and collected his controller before reaching below the couch for his friend’s controller. He stood up and shut off the tv, casting the room in darkness.
Okuyasu stayed pouting beside the couch, still stuck up over losing to Josuke. The older boy placed the controllers in the cabinet below the tv before standing before his friend.
“You just gonna sit there and sulk all night?” Josuke asked, crouching down to Okuyasu’s level. Okuyasu glanced up at the dark figure in front of him, deciding what to do for a moment.
“Nah, I’m tired.” Okuyasu stated. Josuke stood up and lent a hand for Okuyasu to take. The younger boy grasped his friend’s hand and stood up.
Josuke led the two of them back to his room in the dark. After the two of them entered his room, he shut the door as quietly as possible behind them.
Josuke walked over to his bed and flopped down onto it, burying himself within the duvet. Okuyasu followed, taking a seat on the mattress before lying down beside Josuke.
The two of them shared a bed before; all the times Okuyasu came to sleepover. But Okuyasu’s heart was pounding so loudly, he was sure Josuke could hear it.
The two boys laid back to back on Josuke’s twin mattress, which was definitely uncomfortable in a way, but it was only for a night, so who was it hurting?
Josuke fell asleep within minutes, he wasn’t lying about being tired. Okuyasu stayed awake for a while afterwards, trying to calm his racing heart down. Eventually, Okuyasu’s eyelids began to feel heavy, and his breathing slowed. He took one last look at Josuke’s room from a side angle before closing his eyes.
. . . . .
The first thing Josuke noticed as he opened his eyes was that he and Okuyasu had switched places on the bed. Josuke’s bed was shoved into a corner of his room, and Josuke had taken the spot closest to the wall, while Okuyasu took the edge of the bed/the other side.
And now, Josuke seemed to be on the edge of the bed. ‘Okay well, maybe Okuyasu had developed some crazy sleeping habits lately and I got dragged into them.’ Josuke thought to himself as he got off the bed and stretched.
He turned around to glance at his sleeping friend, who was buried under the covers, neither his face or hair visible. Josuke turned back around and opened his door, the smell of eggs hitting him straight in the face.
He stepped out of the room and walked to the kitchen, where his mom stood, cooking by the stove and humming to herself. “Morning, mom.” Josuke greeted, did his voice become a bit hoarse overnight?
Tomoko turned around in confusion, glancing at the boy in front of her for a moment before turning around, “Okuyasu, it’s Ms. Higashikata.” Josuke raised an eyebrow in confusion, ‘Okuyasu?’
“Do me a favor and go wake up Josuke, dear.” The woman ordered as she grabbed a few plates from the cabinet beside herself. Josuke left the kitchen in confusion, why was she calling him Okuyasu?
He reached a hand behind his head to scratch himself but stopped dead in his tracks suddenly. Did his hair feel shorter than usual? Something was definitely off.
Josuke walked past his bedroom and straight into the bathroom next door. He flicked on the light and almost screamed when he saw the reflection.
In the mirror in front of him—was Okuyasu. Josuke touched himself, his hair, his face, his body. ‘But how?!’ He panicked to himself. How could he be Okuyasu? Or more like, in his friend’s body.
‘This is a dream right?’ He frantically pondered. He glanced down at his arm, then with the use of his other arm—he pinched his skin hard, attempting to wake up from the so-called dream.
Maybe the pinching was weak. So in response, he raised a hand to his face and closed his eyes before slapping himself across the face. He opened his eyes and stared back at the reflection in the mirror, still Okuyasu.
Okay so it definitely wasn’t a dream, but reality. But if Josuke was Okuyasu, then it could only mean one thing.
Josuke stormed out of the bathroom and into his room, approaching the sleeping mountain of his friend. He leaned closer and closer until he was close enough to tap the sleeping boy on his shoulder.
The boy under the blanket stirred before peeking out of the blanket and over to the one who woke him up. Josuke watched as his eyes widened in surprise, his messed up hair really resembled Josuke’s hair.
The boy underneath the cover threw the duvet off and flung himself off the bed, grabbing whatever was nearby as a weapon; a pair of pants.
Josuke, or rather, Okuyasu in Josuke’s body, began swinging the pair of pants around and yelling, “Get back! I don’t know what this is, but I’m not scared!” Okuyasu was definitely lying through his teeth. Josuke tried to approach his friend but noticed The Hand appeared behind him.
So, their stands transferred when they swapped bodies. ‘Good to know.’ Josuke thought to himself. He attempted to handle the situation by explaining himself to the distressed Okuyasu, “Hold on! Wait! Okuyasu it’s me! Josuke!” Josuke flailed his arms around and approached Okuyasu.
Okuyasu seemed to calm down just a bit, enough to toss the pants aside and give Josuke a chance to explain, “Josuke? But how?” He tilted his head in confusion, trying to understand the strange situation.
“I don’t know how. All I know is that I woke up like this.” Josuke admitted. Okuyasu stood up and approached Josuke, placing his hands and Josuke’s shoulders, “So, if you’re me. Then I’m you?” Okuyasu asked.
Josuke nodded profusely. Okuyasu took his hands off Josuke’s shoulders and sighed. “If you’re still skeptical, go check your reflection.” Josuke suggested. Okuyasu snapped and pointed at Josuke, clicking his tongue, “You’re right.”
Josuke followed Okuyasu to the bathroom once more. Okuyasu stood in front of the mirror, just staring back at himself.
“Believe me now?” Josuke asked, turning to the boy beside him. It was really strange staring back at himself. Okuyasu glanced at Josuke beside him then back to the mirror. Suddenly, Okuyasu stuck a finger in both corners of his mouth and pulled the corners back to make a goofy face.
Josuke raised an eyebrow, “What’re you doing?” He questioned, watching as Okuyasu began to do strange things with his body. “Stop that.” Josuke grumbled, glaring at Okuyasu, who was now flexing in the mirror.
“Man, I’ve never realized how nice your body is.” Okuyasu grinned, still flexing in the mirror. “Can you not say weird stuff like that?” Josuke scoffed, pinching his temples in frustration, “Stop it- Hell no.” Josuke started but immediately grabbed Okuyasu’s arm after he attempted to take off his shirt to reveal more of Josuke’s body.
“Why not? I’m just tryna check out the gains!” Okuyasu defended himself, finally letting go of the hem of the shirt he had crumpled in his hand. “Quit being a perv, dude. That’s my body you’re in, mind you.” Josuke began, a faint blush overwhelming his face.
Okuyasu noticed Josuke’s flushed face and turned away, never once in his life would he thought he’d ever see how he looked when he was flustered. Though, adding the fact that it was Josuke who was flustered because of him, definitely made his heart pound.
The two left the bathroom shortly afterwards, trying to act as normal as possible as to not create suspicion. Though, Okuyasu was far from what Josuke acts like on a regular basis.
The strange behavior definitely got a few comments from Josuke’s mom; “Did you fall and hit your head?” Or “What’s with the sudden change in attitude?”
Josuke needed the interaction to end as quickly as possible before Okuyasu blew their covers.
Finally, Tomoko stood up and excused herself. Josuke took it as a sign to hurry back to his room with Okuyasu to figure out what was going on.
He excused both himself and Okuyasu before locking the two of them in his room.
After locking the door, Josuke leaned back against it and sighed dramatically. Okuyasu stood a few feet away from him awkwardly, waiting for Josuke to say something.
Josuke turned his head to Okuyasu and narrowed his eyes, “Do you think this is some sort of stand attack?” Okuyasu thought about it then stared dead at Josuke, “Maybe, but why hasn’t anyone attacked us yet?”
Josuke nodded in agreement, it was strange why nobody had attacked them yet. Then, he got the most brilliant idea in mind.
Josuke stood up straight and walked over to his closet, digging around for clothing. Okuyasu watched in confusion until a pair of pants and a shirt was tossed at him, hitting him in the face.
Josuke turned around, holding some clothes for himself, noticing Okuyasu standing around awkwardly. “Oh so now you’re embarrassed because it’s your body.” Josuke teased, grabbing the hem of his shirt and lifting it up and off of himself.
Okuyasu blushed and glanced away, but then turned back. Why should he be flustered while seeing his own body? Josuke looked up after tossing his shirt to the side, noticing Okuyasu staring at him.
He instinctively covered his chest with his arms, “Perv.” Okuyasu rolled his eyes, “It’s my body, stupid.” Josuke glanced off to the side, thinking about it, “Right.” He dropped his arms but glared at Okuyasu, “Still.”
The two boys took a moment to change. Okuyasu was over the moon, getting to see Josuke’s body. Though, Josuke was most definitely not happy about it.
Finally, they were finished getting ready. Joske sat down on his messy bed, sighing to himself before remembering what he was going to say to Okuyasu.
“Hey, Okuyasu—about what I was saying earlier.” Josuke began, Okuyasu turned to face Josuke after sliding on his shirt, “I thought maybe we should go visit Jotaro, maybe he’ll know more about this. Maybe he’s experienced something similar, you know?”
Okuyasu thought for a moment then vigorously shook his head in agreement. “Hurry up, before my mom starts looking for us.” Josuke ordered, heading towards his locked door, unlocking it and opening it up.
Josuke turned back to Okuyasu, who was making sure his clothes were in the best shape before following Josuke out the door.
. . . . .
Koichi stirred in his bed, trying to get as much sleep as possible. When something suddenly felt off. Was his bed always this big? His eyes fluttered open, the first thing he noticed was the color of the sheets and pillowcases, definitely not the color of his bed.
He sat up and examined the room he was in, ‘Where am I?’ Koichi thought to himself as he slid off the duvet and stood up, realizing he was taller than usual. Did people usually grow 7 inches in one night?
He looked down and immediately knew something was wrong, since when were his nails painted? And why was he wearing such cute purple pajamas? Koichi stretched out his arms in front of him, definitely not his hands, but instead a woman’s hands.
Koichi glanced around for any reflective surface, eventually a vanity beside the bed he’d just woken up in. He approached the mirror, and even from afar, he could tell it was not his reflection.
Finally, Koichi stood directly in front of the mirror, just staring at himself. He was indeed not himself, but Yukako Yamagishi, his girlfriend.
He touched his face just to make sure he wasn’t dreaming, the feeling of soft skin against his hands definitely sealed the deal for him. He panicked for a moment, wondering how he was in Yukako’s body—but then he thought about it more.
If he was in Yukako’s body then she must be in his. Koichi looked around once more for a phone, if his theory was correct, then he should call home first to make sure everything was as he guessed.
Unfortunately, there was no phone in Yukako’s room, so his next option was to search the house for one. Koichi left the room and glanced around, nobody seemed to be around but the other thing was that Koichi had zero clue where he was, due to the fact he’d never visited Yukako’s house before.
He knew he couldn’t start wandering around aimlessly otherwise he’d raise suspicion from Yukako’s family. Koichi began walking throughout the house, until he finally noticed a phone hanging on the wall in the living room.
He approached it and began dialing his house number, waiting for someone to pick up. “Yukako, dear, are you up?” Koichi heard a woman call from somewhere not so far from where he stood. The boy froze, wondering what to respond with, “Uh- Ah, yes! Good morning!” He called out just as someone picked up the phone.
“Hirose residence, Mrs. Hirose speaking.” Koichi’s mother spoke on the other end. Koichi immediately spoke up, “Good morning, may I talk to Koichi? It’s Yukako.” He gritted through his teeth, it felt really strange to be acting like someone else.
“Ah, Yukako darling! Of course, just a moment!” The woman on the other end gleefully stated, setting the phone down. Koichi could hear her yelling for himself to wake up. Finally, after a few minutes someone picked up the phone, though their voice was trembling.
“Who are you?!” Koichi heard his voice on the other side. His theory was indeed correct. “Yukako, it’s me, Koichi.” He responded, whispering into the phone just in case anyone was listening in on their conversation.
“Koichi? But how? That’s my voice. And I’m in Koichi’s body.” Yukako grumbled on the other end. Koichi sighed, “I know, I know. Long story. I'll explain everything if you meet up with me.” Yukako took a moment to respond, most likely to think about the proposal, “Okay, sure. Meet me at the cafe from yesterday.” She stated before hanging up the phone.
. . . . .
Okuyasu and Josuke were just a block away from where Jotaro was staying for the summer. Okuyasu glanced around then turned to Josuke, “You know, I wonder if what happened to us, happened to Koichi and Yukako.”
Josuke glanced at Okuyasu and shrugged his shoulders, “I’d hope not, they’d freak out worse than we did.” Okuyasu nodded in agreement.
The two boys stood in front of Jotaro’s door after a few more minutes of walking. They glanced at each other before Josuke stepped up to the door and rang the doorbell, taking a step back and waiting for his nephew to answer the door.
Josuke heard a loud crash coming from inside, a few moments later, the door opened and a shirtless Jotaro stood at the door. Jotaro glanced at the kid in front of him and raised an eyebrow in confusion. Suddenly, someone called from inside.
In the background of Jotaro’s place, a redhead appeared, wearing a pair of sweatpants and also shirtless, holding a mug and a pair of glasses resting on his nose. “Jotaro, who is it-“ The man asked and immediately stopped when he noticed the open door and Jotaro frozen at the door.
Jotaro turned around to glance at the man then back at his uncle. He immediately slammed the door shut.
Jotaro stayed still for a second before turning to Okuyasu. The two boys just stared at one another trying to process what had just happened, both boys completely speechless. They glanced at each other then at the door, blinking a few times in complete silence.
Finally, the door opened once more, and Jotaro reappeared with a shirt on this time. “What is it?” He sighed, glancing at the two boys and realizing how awkward this interaction was. “Well, we had a question to ask.” Josuke spoke up.
Jotaro stood by the door with his arms crossed, waiting for the boy to say something. “Actually, could we come inside? It’s a long story.” Josuke asked, staring at Jotaro for a response.
Jotaro considered what Josuke said for a moment, before inviting the two boys inside.
Okuyasu and Josuke took a seat on the couch and waited for Jotaro to rejoin them. Josuke looked around, examining the room they sat in. After a moment, he heard a few voices approaching him and Okuyasu.
Jotaro reentered the room, beside him was the redhead from earlier. “Okay, before any explanations—This is my friend, Noriaki Kakyoin. He’s staying with me for a few weeks while he’s got work here in Japan. I apologize for whatever the two of you saw earlier, as it was quite inappropriate for me to answer the door like that.” Jotaro stated before anyone had the chance to speak.
“Morning. Jotaro tells me you’re his uncle..” Kakyoin smiled sheepishly, still confused by the family dynamics but that was a story for another time.
“Yeah, my dad’s been places, if you know what I mean.” Josuke gritted through his teeth. Jotaro and Kakyoin stared at Josuke with confusion as they sat down on the couch, “Sorry?” Kakyoin questioned.
Josuke himself was just as confused as the two adults were, “My dad? Joseph Joestar? Your grandpa?” Josuke added, glancing at Okuyasu beside him and realizing why Jotaro and Kakyoin were confused.
“Ohh.” Josuke sighed, “So, I may look like Okuyasu but I’m really Josuke.” He stated, then pointed to Okuyasu beside him, “This looks like me but is really Okuyasu.” Okuyasu nodded and raised his hand to do a thumbs up.
Kakyoin raised his eyebrows and turned to Jotaro, who narrowed his eyes in suspicion. The two men turned back to the teenagers, waiting for a more in depth explanation.
“Yesterday, we were completely fine. We were in our regular bodies. But today, we woke up and apparently swapped bodies. We suspect it may be a stand user but nobody has tried to attack us just yet.” Josuke explained, crossing his arms and leaning back on the couch.
Kakyoin tried to process the information and turned to Jotaro to discuss. After a minute or two, Jotaro turned back to the teenagers and gave him his view on their situation, “Josuke, this doesn’t seem like some stand attack. If so, someone would’ve attacked you on the way here. What the two of you are dealing with, is most likely some other worldly situation.”
‘Other worldly situation?’ Josuke thought to himself. He stared at Jotaro, “What does that even mean, ‘other worldly situation’?” To answer his question, Kakyoin spoke up, “Don’t the two of you have a blonde friend with pointed ears?” Okuyasu finally joined the conversation after hearing some details that matched a certain someone.
“Mikitaka? The ‘alien’ boy?” Okuyasu chirped, tapping into the conversation after spacing out for a few minutes. “Wait, how do you know about Mikitaka?” Josuke asked with suspicion, narrowing his eyes at Kakyoin.
Kakyoin glanced away, “A little birdie.” Jotaro chimed in, "Irrelevant." Josuke scoffed then asked another question that was relevant to the conversation, “We hung out the other day? What about him?” Kakyoin looked back at the two teenagers, grabbing his mug off the table and taking a sip before answering Josuke.
“I have a good feeling he's the reason the two of you swapped bodies.” Kakyoin stated, setting his mug back onto the table. Josuke turned to Okuyasu then stood up thanking the two men before grabbing Okuyasu’s hand and bolting out of the house.
Kakyoin and Jotaro sat there as the two boys bolted. Confused but glad they finally left, it was quite annoying to be cock-blocked by two teenagers.
. . . . .
As soon as the two boys left Jotaro’s residence, they immediately set out to find Mikitaka.
After a while of walking, Josuke didn’t notice that he was still holding Okuyasu’s hand, so he weakened his grip and dropped Okuyasu’s hand. Okuyasu glanced at Josuke after they stopped holding hands and muttered something under his breath.
Josuke turned to his friend, “What did you say?” He questioned, burying his hands in his pockets. Okuyasu turned away, feeling his face heat up, “Nothing.”
Josuke tilted to head forward to glance at his friend, “Come on. Answer me, Okuyasu!” Josuke pleaded, grasping onto Okuyasu’s shoulder and shaking him just a bit. Okuyasu finally broke and whispered what he said, though, not loud enough for Josuke to hear.
“What was that?” Josuke teased. Okuyasu huffed and repeated himself louder this time, “I said, you didn’t have to stop holding my hand!” Josuke’s eyes widened with surprise.
Okuyasu turned away once more, blushing vigorously. The two continued walking in complete silence before Josuke began to giggle to himself. He took back Okuyasu’s hand and interlinked it with his, turning to look at Okuyasu, “There, happy?”
Okuyasu sighed, glancing off to the side and nodding—which received a smile from Josuke.
Josuke looked around and noticed two familiar figures sitting together at a table at the cafe he and his friends visited yesterday.
Josuke tightened his grip on Okuyasu’s hand and pointed over to the individuals, “Okuyasu, look!” Okuyasu leaned slightly forward to see what Josuke was pointing at.
Sitting at a table were both Koichi and Yukako, though they both seemed to be distressed. Okuyasu and Josuke turned to each other before crossing the street and approaching their friends.
“Koichi! Whatsup, my dude?” Okuyasu called out. Koichi and Yukako turned their heads to see Okuyasu and Josuke approaching them. “Oh, hey guys.” Koichi greeted as he took a sip from the cup in front of him.
“You guys on a date? The two of you looked real sad from across the street.” Okuyasu asked, glancing at the two sitting at the table. Koichi turned to Yukako then back at Okuyasu, “Well, not exactly.”
Josuke noticed the drinks in front of both individuals, “Yukako, since when did you start drinking coffee? I thought you hated the bitterness.” Koichi glanced down at his cup then back up at Josuke, sighing before speaking up, “About that..”
“I’m not Yukako. I’m Koichi.” Koichi stated, ready to be asked a million questions. Suddenly, Okuyasu made a loud exclamation, “Ohh! The same thing happened to them, Josuke!”
“Wait, Josuke?” Yukako asked in confusion, glancing at the two boys, wondering why Josuke referred to Okuyasu as himself. “Same thing? You two swapped too?” Koichi asked, waiting for an answer or explanation.
Josuke sighed and rubbed his temples, “It’s most definitely because of Mikitaka. I swear-“ He grumbled to himself, completely ignoring Koichi and Yukako staring at him for answers.
“Come on Okuyasu, we’ve seriously got to go find this kid.” Josuke ordered, grabbing Okuyasu’s hand to leave when Koichi called out to him, “Wait Josuke! What’s going on?!”
Josuke stopped dead in his tracks and turned back around, walking up to Koichi, “Long story short, Mikitaka is behind the reason we all swapped bodies.” Koichi and Yukako stared at him for a good few seconds before glancing at each other, as if to say, ‘Is he for real?’
Josuke turned back around and grabbed Okuyasu’s hand once more, “If you guys wanna stay swapped, be my guest, but me and Okuyasu would rather swap back.” With that, he and Okuyasu began their mission to find Mikitaka once again.
Yukako and Koichi turned back to each other, and didn’t move a muscle for a second before deciding to follow Okuyasu and Josuke to swap back into their original bodies.
. . . . .
Busy in the garden, replanting flowers for his mother, sat Mikitaka Hazekura.
He’d been hard at work for the past half an hour, working on the garden for his dear mother. Even though he’d hypnotized her and lied about being her son, he still felt indebted to the woman.
The sun was high in the sky, beaming over the boy, causing him to sweat just a bit. He reached up to wipe his forehead and sighed, closing his eyes for just a moment.
When he opened his eyes, he continued to tend to the flowers, but suddenly noticed a shadow cast over both the plants and himself.
The boy looked up and noticed Okuyasu standing over him, along with Josuke directly beside him. “Hello, what brings the two of you here?” Mikitaka asked, standing up and dusting the dirt off his garden gloves.
“Really? You’re gonna play dumb?” Josuke asked, crossing his arms and glaring at Mikitaka.
Mikitaka tilted his head in confusion, “I am playing dumb? I am simply being myself.” He retorted, confused with the sudden switch up in attitude.
“Mikitaka. We know you’re the reason why we all swapped bodies with each other.” Josuke stated. Mikitaka finally noticed that Koichi and Yukako were behind Okuyasu and Josuke.
“Body swap? I don’t get it.” Mikitaka mumbled, glancing away as Josuke stepped closer to the boy. “Body swap. As in, Koichi is in Yukako’s body and Yukako is in Koichi’s body. Same for both me and Okuyasu.” Josuke restated differently.
It finally seemed to click for Mikitaka but not exactly, “How does swapping bodies have anything to do with me?” Josuke clutched his temples and hissed in frustration, “Listen. You did that weird flashing light trick yesterday, and now we’re all like this.”
Mikitaka’s eyes widened at the thought of his magic trick yesterday, he finally looked back at Josuke, “I told Okuyasu I didn’t know how to replicate the trick for when you got back to the table. The flash of light at the end was something I’ve never seen before…” Mikitaka admitted. He was painfully comparable to a sulking dog.
“So, this situation we’re in—not even you know what happened or how to reverse it?!” Josuke grumbled, seemingly becoming more pissed off by the second. Mikitaka nodded profusely and backed away from Josuke even further, “Well, I could figure out how to reverse it?” He offered.
Josuke stared at Mikitaka, “It’s the least you could do.” He then turned to Okuyasu and began lecturing him on provoking the dude with strange powers. Mikitaka sighed and began walking back to his front door, just then, he was stopped by Josuke once more.
“Mikitaka, come find me when you figure out how to reverse this!” Josuke called out before he and his friend left Mikitaka’s residence.
Mikitaka watched the group leave, crouching down in front of the flowers he’d just planted, trying to figure out a way to reverse the situation. So that’s what that trick resulted in.
. . . . .
“Josuke.” Okuyasu called out. Josuke turned to Okuyasu, waiting for him to continue what he was saying, “Let’s go get some ice cream, it’s hot out here.” Okuyasu suggested. Josike blinked a few times before agreeing, “You know what, hell yeah.”
The two boys began their way to the nearest convenience store in the summer heat. Eventually finding themselves in front of one after a few minutes of wandering the town.
They walked inside and were immediately greeted by the cold, refrigerated building, a pleasant feeling after being stuck outside in the blazing heat.
Josuke walked towards the back of the store, Okuyasu followed closely behind. The two teenagers stopped in front of the freezer, peering inside the glass at their options.
“Man, there’s nothing good.” Okuyasu grumbled. “How about we just get one to share? Less money wasted.” Josuke suggested, turning to Okuyasu for his opinion.
“Yeah, okay. Smart move.” Okuyasu praised as Josuke reached inside and grabbed a pack, sliding the door shut immediately afterwards. “What did you grab?” Okuyasu asked, looking over at the pack in Josuke’s hands.
“A watermelon flavored popsicle.” Josuke handed the bag over to Okuyasu to inspect. Okuyasu took the bag and read the label before handing it back to Josuke to check out.
The two exited the store a few moments later, discussing where they should hang out at. Eventually, they agreed on sitting down at a nearby park.
They reached the park after a few more minutes of walking around in the summer heat. Josuke noticed a nearby bench, directly under a tree; providing shade, and began heading towards it.
Once the two boys were situated on the bench, Josuke unwrapped the popsicle he’d bought earlier, it had slightly melted from being out in the heat for a prolonged period of time.
Josuke grabbed both sticks of the dual popsicle and pulled it apart as lightly as possible, attempting to get perfect halves. Unfortunately, Josuke’s luck ran low. The popsicle snapped into two, but one had half the other.
“Shit.” Josuke cursed under his breath, getting Okuyasu’s attention. “What happened?” Okuyasu asked, glancing at Josuke, then the unproportional popsicles in his hands.
Josuke turned to Okuyasu, presenting him with both popsicles, “Which one?” He asked. Okuyasu reviewed his options then reached for the popsicle with more product on the stick.
Josuke realized which one Okuyasu was about to grab and retracted the arm that held that popsicle. Okuyasu watched as Josuke took a bite of the popsicle before handing it back to Okuyasu. He grinned, “There, now it’s fair.” Josuke spoke with a full mouth.
Okuyasu pouted, “You cheated me out of the bigger side.” Josuke laughed and wrapped his arm around Okuyasu, “You’re so greedy.” He teased, leaning on Okuyasu.
The two sat in silence while eating their popsicles, just watching kids in the distance laughing and playing.
Okuyasu glanced down at Josuke, who had already finished his popsicle and seemed to be stalling getting up and throwing away his stick. “Josuke, are you done?” Okuyasu asked.
Josuke looked up at Okuyasu and nodded, “Yeah. But hold on.” Josuke stuck up his popsicle stick for both him and Okuyasu to see, the message on the stick read, ‘Tell someone you love them.’ Josuke turned and looked at Okuyasu expectantly.
Okuyasu raised up his popsicle stick next to where Josuke held his, the message on Okuyasu’s stick read, ‘Love someone.’
Okuyasu read both messages twice, making sure he hadn’t read it incorrectly. Surely it was just a coincidence. Josuke cleared his throat and stood up, “Anyways..” He started, “Come on, let’s head back. Hopefully Mikitaka called.”
Okuyasu stood up right after Josuke and followed his friend to the trashcan, tossing their sticks inside and heading back to Josuke’s house. Okuyasu grabbed Josuke’s hand again, interlocking their fingers together. Josuke turned to Okuyasu and smiled warmly.
. . . . .
It was around 10 PM, and still no call from Mikitaka. Josuke and Okuyasu were getting restless waiting on the phone to ring. God forbid they didn’t wanna be in each other’s bodies for any longer.
“Should we just head over to Mikitaka’s place?” Okuyasu suggested, cracking his knuckles obnoxiously loud. Josuke sat up on his bed and rubbed his face, “He probably forgot all about us. And now I’m gonna be stuck in your body forever!” Josuke groaned.
Okuyasu glanced away, not wanting to agitate his friend even further. “He didn’t forget about us. No way.” Okuyasu attempted to reassure Josuke, who seemed to be in despair, and buried his pillows.
Suddenly, a familiar ringing came from outside Josuke’s room. Josuke turned his head immediately, listening for the ring again. The moment he heard the second ring, he bolted out of bed and ran out of his room quicker than Okuyasu could stand up.
“Mikitaka?!” Josuke picked up the phone and answered the individual on the other line. “Josuke, I’ve figured it out.” Mikitaka replied on the other line. Josuke could’ve sworn he felt a weight lift up and off his shoulders.
“But, I need you to get Koichi and Yukako to come with us. They were swapped too, correct?” Mikitaka asked. Josuke immediately agreed and waited for Mikitaka’s instructions, “I need all of you to meet me in the field that has that huge electrical tower.”
“Alright, do we need to bring anything?” Josuke questioned just as Okuyasu joined him. Okuyasu leaned in to listen to what Mikitaka was saying on the other end, “No, but come as quickly as possible.” Mikitaka stated, afterwards ending the call.
Immediately after Mikitaka hung up, Josuke began dialing Koichi’s number.
The phone rang for a few moments before being picked up, “Hirose residence, Mrs. Hirose speaking.” Koichi’s mother greeted. “Hey, Mrs. Hirose. It’s Josuke, can I speak to Koichi?” Josuke replied back. Okuyasu listened in with confusion, what could Mikitaka have told Josuke?
“Why, hello Josuke! One moment.” The woman stated, setting the phone down and fetching Koichi. A few moments later, Yukako answered the phone, “Josuke?”
“Yukako, I finally got answered back by Mikitaka.” Josuke spat out. “What did he say?” Yukako asked, lowering her voice so as to not alert Koichi’s mother, who was standing nearby. “He said to meet out in the field with that huge electrical tower, and as soon as possible. He also said we all need to come if we want to switch back.” Josuke stated.
Yukako took a deep breath and answered Josuke, “Okay, I’ll call him and meet the three of you over there.” And with that, Yukako hung up.
Josuke turned to Okuyasu and grinned, “We’re finally switching back!” He cheered, grabbing onto Okuyasu’s shoulders and shaking him back and forth. “Hell yeah!” Okuyasu cheered with Josuke.
. . . . .
Mikitaka stood in the middle of the vast field, in an area where the grass was scarce and created a circular shape. The moon in the sky cast a light over the field, making it less dark.
The boy stared up at the moon, inhaling and exhaling, listening to himself breathe, when suddenly, he heard someone call his name.
“Mikitaka!” Okuyasu called out, approaching the boy in the middle of the circular cutout. Koichi and Yukako walked behind Josuke and Okuyasu, walking their step in the semi-dark field.
Once everyone was rounded up, Mikitaka began explaining everything before beginning his instructions, “I now know the reason why everyone was swapped.” He began, “While performing a demonstration of my abilities, everyone was touching each other in one way or another. That ability only works if two individuals make contact, separating their souls and swapping them in place.”
“Now, join hands with the one who you’ve swapped with and lie down on the ground.” Mikitaka instructed. As ordered, Josuke grabbed Okuyasu’s hand and crouched down in unison, lying down on the soft grass underneath them.
Koichi and Yukako did the same, waiting for Mikitaka’s next instructions. Mikitaka kneeled to the ground, whispering something under his breath and holding his hands parallel to one another.
A blue light began emanating from his hands, expanding by the second until it completely covered the group in a blue light. Josuke felt his eyelids become heavier and heavier, eventually closing his eyes and falling unconscious.
When Josuke opened his eyes again, the light had disappeared. He sat up and looked around, glancing at the individual beside him, Okuyasu. Josuke touched his face and hair, sighing in relief once he realized the body swap worked.
Beside him, Okuyasu stirred. Josuke turned over and began shaking Okuyasu awake, until the boy opened his eyes, “Okuyasu! It worked!” Josuke frantically rambled. Okuyasu sat up and began feeling himself up before turning to Josuke and hugging him.
Koichi and Yukako woke up a moment later, overjoyed they’d finally switched back. Mikitaka smiled blankly at the sight of his gleeful friends.
“Mikitaka, thank you!” Koichi smiled, standing up and bowing to Mikitaka to express his gratitude. Yukako smiled at the boy before walking away with Koichi.
Josuke and Okuyasu stood up, approaching Mikitaka. “Thanks for switching us back, but,” He patted Mikitaka’s shoulder, “Don’t ever listen to Okuyasu again.” He warned. Okuyasu made a shocked face at the warning, “Seriously?!”
The two began bickering as they walked back home and away from the field.
. . . . .
The journey back home was spent in awkward silence. Josuke and Okuyasu didn’t speak a word since back at the field for some odd reason.
As they neared Okuyasu’s house, Josuke finally broke the silence, “Hey Okuyasu?” Okuyasu turned to Josuke, “Huh?” Josuke took a moment before talking again, “Did you have fun in my body?”
Okuyasu was thrown off by the question, but answered truthfully anyways, “Yeah, it was fun being each other for a day.” Josuke nodded his head and glanced away. The two were engulfed by complete silence once more. But suddenly, Josuke grabbed Okuyasu’s hand and walked closer to him.
Finally, the two boys stood in front of Okuyasu’s house. Okuyasu turned to Josuke to say goodbye, but Josuke had other plans. He wrapped his arms around Okuyasu and pulled him into a hug.
Okuyasu was surprised but held Josuke back. They stayed close together for a minute or two before Josuke finally let go. Though, they stayed within close proximity to one another.
They locked eyes with one another, gazing into each other’s eyes. Okuyasu noticed all the features about Josuke’s face he would’ve never seen if he wasn’t in such close proximity to his best friend.
Josuke leaned in closer, until his and Okuyasu’s lips touched. Then, he gently pressed a soft kiss to Okuyasu’s lips and pulled back as suddenly as he leaned in. Okuyasu stared at Josuke, trying to process what just happened.
Josuke smiled softly and let go of Okuyasu, turning around and walking back. Just then, he turned around and called out to Okuyasu, “Okuyasu, I love you.” He stated, turning back around and making his way back home.
Okuyasu stood there, still trying to process everything that just happened. When it all processed in his head, he felt his face heat up.
He blamed it all on those damned popsicle sticks for all of the sudden fortune events.