The Body Swap Experiment

The Body Swap Experiment

 
Japanese Name: 身体交換
Writer: Yûki Setsûna
Status: Complete
Plot: Yuto Kamihira was a troublesome child who frequently received scoldings from his teacher. Surprisingly, his best friend, Yuki Sakashita, would also be scolded alongside him. While Yuto didn't particularly mind the reprimands, he couldn't help but wonder why Yuki would cry whenever they were scolded together. Seeking guidance, he confided in his mother, who happened to be an inventor. She came up with an intriguing idea: a "body swap" using a device she was currently developing. Taking her mother's suggestion, Yuto decided to switch bodies with Hiroki for just one day. How did Yuto, now inhabiting Yuki's body, experience this unexpected turn of events?


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"The Body Swap Experiment "

 

"Why did you place a praying mantis in Ms. Fukuyama's bag, Yuto?"

A calm yet furious voice resonates down the quiet hallway. The teacher standing before him displays a tense expression, indicating her inner anger.

I abruptly shift my gaze and observe the classroom's state through the door. It's intriguing to witness a wide range of reactions: students who are scared despite not being directly involved, others whispering secrets while watching me grow angry, and a few diligently studying as if it's someone else's problem.

"Hey, Yuto! Are you even listening!?"

The teacher emphasizes her words, causing her to involuntarily avert her gaze.

"It was meant as a surprise. I wanted to startle Fukuyama."

"Haa... Just because it's a surprise doesn't mean you can do anything you want, you know?"

"Is it really that bad if I put a praying mantis at least?"

"Even if you think it's harmless, there are people who don't appreciate it. Especially many girls dislike bugs."

"Yes."

"Do you truly comprehend... Haa, you don't seem to care if you cause trouble. Your parents must be annoyed at being called here, right?"

"My mother isn't the type to be bothered by that sort of thing."

"Haa..."

The teacher seems completely exasperated with the parent-child situation.

"Sakashita, why were you involved as well?"

The teacher's face turns towards me.

I also turn to face her. She desperately shouts while shedding tears, but I can't make out what she's saying at all. Yuuki appears to be in her usual state.

"It's quite puzzling why an honor student like you would be involved with Yuto. Huh... Honestly, you guys are just looking out for me."

Sensei let out multiple sighs today. Initially, he started counting them out of boredom, but there were so many sighs that he eventually stopped counting.

Once the lecture time ended, Yuuki and I returned to the classroom.

Yuuki was still crying with large tears, her face all messed up.

I gently placed my hand on Yuuki's back and softly rubbed it.

I agree with what the teacher said.

Yuuki is always by my side. She's there when I get into fights, play pranks, and engage in practical jokes. She's a smart girl with excellent grades, so she must be aware of the consequences of being associated with me. But why does she still stick around?

I can't even ask why because I'm always in tears.

"That's what happened. Maybe they'll talk to me about it again during the three-party meeting."

After coming home and finishing my handwashing and gargling routine, I went to my mother's lab and discussed what happened today. Back in elementary school, I didn't bother with handwashing and gargling, but my mother, who often caught colds, happily said, "I've become healthier since I started washing my hands and gargling," so I decided to adopt the habit.

While I was repairing a device, my mother listened to me attentively. Once I finished recounting the incident, she looked at me with a strained expression. Seeing my mother with a candy stick protruding from her mouth gave her a somewhat resemblant appearance to a female gang leader. In fact, she apparently had a mischievous streak during her high school days, although she seems oblivious to it, according to my father.

"Hey, Yuto. Why did you place a praying mantis in there? Wouldn't a grasshopper have been a better choice? If you wanted to surprise them, a grasshopper would have been more interesting, as it jumps out like a jack-in-the-box."

When I have conversations like this with my mother, she asks completely different questions than my teacher, making it interesting to listen to her. Instead of outright denying my actions, it seems like she believes that if you're going to do something, you should do it in a more creative and elaborate way.

"No grasshopper was found."

"If you couldn't find one, then it can't be helped."

My mother said that and laughed, "Hahahaha." It seems like she doesn't want to get angry about my actions. If she treats me like this, I would feel inclined to apologize, but if I were to do that, my mother would become upset.

"Hey, Mom. What about Yuuki?"

"Did something happen with Yuuki?"

"It's not like something happened, but... Yuuki is the type who sheds big tears and cries whenever she gets scolded by the teacher."

"Have you done something wrong as well, Yuuki?"

"No, I was with him when we put the praying mantis in the bag, so I was scolded for being involved too."

"Ah, I see. I should apologize to Yuuki and her mother soon."

"Yuuki, why do you cry so much during the teacher's sermon? It's not that scary."

"People's emotions can be unexpectedly difficult to understand. Do you want to know how Yuuki feels?"

"... Whether I want to know or not, do you want to know?"

"That sounds like you, Yuto."

Saying that, I playfully tapped the device in front of me twice, and my mother smiled at me.

"Tomorrow morning, tell Yuuki to come to our house. I'll come up with something fun for you guys."

"Good morning, Yuto."

The following morning, Yuki arrived at my house an hour before school.

It was 7:00 in the morning, and although it was still quiet outside, Yuki came over with a wide smile on her face. For a moment, I wondered if her tears from yesterday were just a pretense.

Yuki has a great interest in my mom. She's always fascinated by her research. So, if I mention my mom's name, Yuki will come without fail.

"Welcome, Yuki. I'm sorry for causing you trouble yesterday."

"Oh, no, it's always the case."

Yuki acts humble towards my mom as if nothing happened yesterday .

"Both of you, come over here."

My mom instructed us, and Yuki and I followed her to the lab. We have a laboratory in our house where we conduct experiments. It was constructed by my mom in a spacious garden. In the lab, she conducts experiments related to her secret research.

It appears that the two of us will be the subjects of her experiment. Initially, it seemed like Mom and Dad would be involved, but it turned into a good opportunity, so it was changed to include me and Yuki. It seems like my mom obtained permission from Yuki's mother in advance.

When we arrived at the lab, the three of us approached the device we were adjusting the previous day.

There were two birdcage-shaped machines, big enough for a person to enter, lined up. Numerous wires were entangled around the machines, leading to a larger device situated between them. The larger device had an operating panel attached to it, likely used to control the device.

"Auntie, what is this?"

"Hehehe. This is a 'body swapping device'."

"A 'body swapping device'?"

It's an incredibly dubious contraption. However, if my mom says so, it must be true.

"Quite literally, it's a device that switches the bodies of two people. Each small room houses a device that you wear on your head. Yuuto and Yuki, you'll wear the devices and wait in the respective rooms. I will operate the device from here. Then, you two will swap bodies. If we repeat the same operation, you will return to your original state. Today, just for one day, I thought we could try swapping the bodies of both of you."

As I listened to my mom's explanation, Yuki and I looked at each other. It seems that I will be borrowing Yuki's body for the entire day. It's quite an extraordinary tale.

My mom had asked me, "Why do you want to know how Yuuki feels?" By borrowing Yuki's body, I should be able to understand.

"I don't mind."

"Me neither. Borrowing Yuto's body sounds like a dream."

Unexpectedly, Yuki seems quite enthusiastic about it. Perhaps it stems from her naturally curious nature.

"Alright then, both of you, move into your respective small rooms."

Following my mother's instructions, I headed towards the small room on the right. As I entered, a world of silver colors unfolded before me. In the middle, there was a cylindrical object resembling the ashtrays found in facility smoking areas, and on top of it was the hat-like device my mom mentioned.

I placed the device on my head and turned towards my mother. My mother glanced at me and then at Yuuki, verifying their movements.

"It seems like you're prepared. Then I'll activate it," my mother said.

She started operating the control panel. After a short while, the door to the small room closed, and my mother vanished. Immediately after, the system emitted a sound, and I felt a sensation of floating. Involuntarily, the feeling of my body floating in the air made me sick and nauseous.

As my vision began to distort, my consciousness became hazy. Overwhelmed by an intense drowsiness, I couldn't endure it, and my awareness faded away.

"That device is truly remarkable," I remarked, observing the image of myself in front of me during the school lunch break. I expressed this sentiment to Yuki. For the first time, I could see myself in real life, not just a mirror reflection, and it filled me with exhilaration. Is this how I appear to others?

"I wonder if I always have that untrustworthy expression. It's like I'm constantly scrutinizing Yuto," I pondered.

"Perhaps, but that expression is probably our usual one. When I look in the mirror, I don't have the same expression I see now," Yuki responded.

Consciousness is responsible for controlling the body. It seems that we habitually exert effort in our facial muscles. In my case, my eyebrows are always furrowed, giving me an untrustworthy appearance. Therefore, even when I borrow Yuki's body, my eyebrows remain tense and my expression still seems untrustworthy. On the other hand, Yuki appears to have a habit of widening their eyes.

"Still, the body swap is executed flawlessly. I smoothly solved all the problems in today's class. As I moved my pen, the correct answers instantly came to mind," I shared.

"That implies that the body retains memories. On the contrary, I couldn't recall things that would normally come naturally. Yuto should study diligently. Maybe we can utilize body swaps as a way to manage his studying," Yuki suggested.

"You don't have to use it for that kind of thing. Even if you manage it, you probably won't do it anyway," I replied.

"That sounds just like you, Yuto. Ha, I thought it was a good idea."

"Hey, Yuto. Did something happen yesterday? You seem more timid than usual."

While we were conversing, some of our classmates approached us. They glanced at me and gave me a repulsive grin. I'm certain they harbored ill thoughts about Yuki pretending to be me.

Observe their hands. While everyone kept their hands by their sides, Ryuji was the only one who folded his hands behind his back. I'm certain he's up to something.

Suddenly, doubt crept into my mind. Normally, I wouldn't make such assumptions, but today I was observing things with an unsettling calmness. Could it be that Yuki always had thoughts like these?

"No, no. I don't think there's anything," Yuki feigned composure and spoke. She usually exhibits suspicious behavior when lying, but today she managed to conceal it. From an outsider's perspective, it seemed like her actions were consistent with my usual behavior.

"I see. I thought you had learned your lesson after yesterday's lecture."

"More importantly, why did you come here... Ah, you're here," Yuki corrected herself with a startled expression. At this point, it was too late to make her resemble me.

"I came here because I wanted to give Yuto something. Hey," Ryuji complied and approached Yuki, who had his hands folded behind his back.

"Here it is," Ryuji extended his hand from behind his back, revealing a green object.

As Ryuji released it, the object flew towards Yuki.

It was a praying mantis. After a moment, my brain recognized the green object.

In an instant, a shocking sound reverberated through the classroom. Before I knew it, Ryuji had collapsed to the floor.

The entire class was stunned. Yuki, disguised as me, had struck Ryuji.

Once everyone grasped the situation, Yuki looked at Ryuji with a tense expression.

"Yuto, Yuki, Shun, please come here for a moment," our homeroom teacher called us just before the afternoon class began, after the lunch break. Ryuji had been sent to the infirmary due to a nosebleed from the impact of the punch.

The teacher summoned the three of us who were involved. Honestly, I had many doubts about why I was called as well, but I suppose Yuki was always included in these situations.

The teacher called us as usual, but I sensed a strange unease within myself. When the teacher called my name, my heart pounded as if it was leaping. Normally, I maintained my composure, but this time, my body sent out warning signals, and fear surged through me.

Something was off. She felt confused, yet time did not wait.

My heart beat louder, and my breath became faster than usual. It could have been due to the heat or the tension, but my forehead started to sweat.

"Shun, can you explain what happened?" the teacher asked Shun, who was forced to stand in the corridor. After Shun finished explaining, the teacher requested Yuki, disguised as me, to verify the facts. Once Yuki agreed, I assumed Yuki's identity, and the teacher's gaze fell upon me. In that moment, I felt a slight pressure at the corners of my eyes.

"Sakashita, are both of you telling the truth?"

I nodded vigorously while biting my lip. I couldn't find the words to speak. It was because I felt that if I tried to voice my thoughts, tears would stream from the corners of my eyes. Normally, I didn't fear the teacher at all, but today, I sensed it strongly.

Nevertheless, the teacher remained irritated. It seemed that the disgust from the previous day surpassed today's anger that I had caused trouble.

"Yuto, apologize to Ryuji later. No matter what provocation you received, resorting to violence is unacceptable."

"Yes, I'm sorry," Yuki dutifully apologized. Unlike usual, she didn't burst into tears but instead acted like a gentlewomen and apologized. The teacher was puzzled by my unusual behavior but said, "It's fine as long as you understand," and the lecture concluded safely.

Perhaps he felt relieved that it was finally over, and his heart, which had been beating strongly, gradually weakened. Previously, he had to breathe through his mouth, but now he could breathe through his nose. However, he couldn't hold back the tears that had gathered at the corners of his eyes, and they streamed down his cheeks like a waterfall.

"Yuki, I'm sorry," I apologized to Yuki as we walked home from school.

"What's wrong? Why are you suddenly saying that?" Yuki rolled his eyes and looked at me. There was something odd about his wide-eyed expression, making me feel quite uneasy.

"No, I borrowed your body for the whole day today, and I realized that Yuki has a tough time," I explained. Perhaps Yuki's body is more sensitive to other people's emotions than others, and she possesses an extremely emotional disposition. She senses even the slightest discomfort in the air, and her body reacts strongly to it.

That's why she reacts more intensely to our teacher's anger and perceives it with heightened sensitivity. The reason behind her teary outburst must have been influenced by this. It's not merely an emotional matter; it's a physical one. Perhaps my mother wanted to teach me this.

"Yeah, yeah. It's true that being scolded or facing sarcasm can be quite damaging, but I've grown accustomed to it. Moreover, borrowing Yuto's body for the entire day made me realize how amazing Yuto is. Yuto pays close attention to the class. During today's lessons, I unintentionally observed what the other kids were doing. It's as if I have a strong sense of justice. I think the reason I reflexively punched Ryuji-kun is because he did something wrong."

"Isn't that the person you hit?"

"I wouldn't have done it intentionally. Before I knew it, my body reacted on its own. It was really troublesome for me as someone involved."

Yuki scratched her head, looking embarrassed. Apparently, we struggled throughout the day between consciousness and unconsciousness. I could control conscious actions, but it seems that our usual behavior emerged in moments when our unconsciousness suddenly took over.

That's why Yuki, disguised as me, ended up punching Ryuji, who was playing a prank. I'll need to change my everyday behavior as well.

"It was bad."

"But Yuto, you're really cool. Reacting unconsciously to wrongdoing."

"I'm just short-tempered."

"That's not true. The reason you put a praying mantis in Mr. Fukuyama's bag yesterday was because he was teasing Saka-chan, right?"

"Did you know?"

As Yuki pointed out, yesterday's incident with the praying mantis occurred because Fukuyama had been teasing their classmate Sayaka Hanazawa. Yuki had grown tired of her relentless bullying, which had been escalating day by day, and decided to give her a taste of her own medicine. Yuki knew from their daily observations that she disliked bugs, so they placed a praying mantis in her bag.

"Yes, that's why I didn't intervene. But I'm glad I didn't inform the teacher."

"It's fine. It seems like you wouldn't have listened to me anyway. Besides, you were able to achieve your intended result."

"Indeed. From what I can see, Mr. Fukuyama was quiet today."

"Oh, then the matter is settled."

"As expected of Yuto."

"Hehe."

I playfully wrapped my arm around Yuki's shoulder, or rather, my own shoulder, to alleviate my embarrassment. Then I lightly punched her stomach.

"Yuto, that hurts."

"It's my body, so it's fine. Besides, we're going to switch back."

"Yes, that's true, but... I found it impressive. It's mischievous, in a way..."

Even though he has an unfaithful demeanor, judging by Yuki's expression, it doesn't seem bad. It's actually enjoyable when the two of us engage in playful banter.

Throughout the day today, I discovered the reason behind Yuki's tears.

As a friend, I'll put in a little more effort from now on. That's what I realized on this day.

End