If I Could Be You ch3

Ichika's manager notices something off about her behavior. Has she found out about the two switching bodies!?

Ichika!
What... is going on here?
Who is that person next to you?
Care to explain?

Sh-Should we try to fool her?
...

...We should just tell her the truth.
She would've found out eventually anyway.

The truth is...

Huh!?
You switched bodies!?

Yes...
That's right.

...Hey, are you messing with me?
Do you really think I'd believe something like that?
Hah...
Please believe us!
It's the truth!

I won't believe something so unscientific just like that...
Do you have any proof?
Proof...?

Yes.
Something like information that only Ichika herself would know
might prove that you've switched bodies.

Can't get someone to believe you without proof, right?
...Information only the person herself would know.
You got anything?

Hmm.
You were a fan of mine to begin with, Chieri,
so you already know a fair bit about me.
This is difficult...
Hmm...

...Ah!

I can talk about Yuzukichi!
Who?
Yuzukichi...?
Wait!

Aren't I always telling you
to stop calling me Yuzukichi!?

...Wait.

That nickname.
How's that?
Not even my fans would know
that I call my manager Yuzukichi, right?

...That's true, but
it's not enough...

Hmm.
In that case...

How about I talk about how you love cosplay
and upload selfies to social media in secret?
That's something only those who are really close to you would know, right, Yuzukichi?

I also know
that you secretly walk around carrying a Sylv*nia doll to soothe yourself!

And lately you've been so lonely that you signed up to a dating app and..
Okay! I believe you!
...How do you even know all of that!?
Don't say another word!

Intel from the MerryRu members<3
...Those girls.

So to summarise,
the one inside Ichika's body is Takasaki Chieri-san,
and the one inside Chieri's body is the real Ichika.
...Do I have that right?

Yes...
Precisely.

...I still have my doubts,
Hah...
but for now, I believe that you've switched bodies.

Thank you, Yuzukichi-san!
Thanks, Yuzukichi...!
I told you to stop calling me that!

...So,
I take it you don't know what caused this body swap?

We can't keep having Chieri-san pretend to be Ichika forever,
and if we don't know what caused it, we won't know how to turn you back over, right?

What caused it...
Hmm...

Ah.

What is it?
...Do you have something?

p10

Erm...
I saw a shooting star the night before we swapped bodies.

At that moment, I made a wish
to "be Princess Ichika".

A shooting star... huh.

That's pretty simple if that's the cause...
but do you have any ideas, Ichika?
...Eh?

p11

...No.
I've got nothing.

Hmm...

...If a shooting star really is the cause,
then there's a change the only way to turn back is to make another wish.

...But shooting stars don't just show up conveniently.
This is a problem.

...I'm sorry.
It's because I wished for something weird...

...It's not your fault, Chieri.

p12

We don't know for sure that's the cause, right?

Besides, you and I are a team now,
so don't keep blaming yourself like that.

...Princess.

Yes.
There's no point in blaming anyone right now.
Since you're like this,
I'll give you my full support until you get back to normal.

I'm sorry to ask this of you, Chieri-san,
but could you continue playing the role of "Amano Ichika" for the time being?

p13

Y-Yes!
I don't know if I'll be worthy,
but I'll... do my hardest!

Thank you, Chieri-san...!

Once again, it's good to have you, Chieri.

Same here!

...By the way,

p14

I know Chieri-san's gonna work hard at being Ichika,
but Chieri-san has to go to school, doesn't she?

Since Chieri-san's working hard,
Ichika will have to go to school in Chieri-san's place to make up for it.

S-School!?

Also, Ichika lives by herself,
but you live with your family, right, Chieri-san?
Y-Yes...!
My father works away from home, so it's just me and my mother at the moment.

Which means Ichika
will have to pretend to be Chieri-san
in front of her mother too.

p15

Will I be okay...?

Worried...

Y-You'll be fine!
...I think.

But you'll have to teach me a lot.
You may know a lot about me, Chieri,
but I don't know anything about you...

That's true.
Hmm...
...

Ah!
I've got a good idea!

p16

How about you live with me in my house?

...Heh?

L-Live!?!?
W-W-W-With you!?!?
Yep!

That'll make it easier to understand each other's situations.

How about it?

p17

Huh? What are you saying?
Chieri-san's living with her family,
so she can't just leave home just like that, right?

Not to mention she's still in high school...
No good, huh?

...But you do have a point.
It'd be easier for me to support you if you two were in the same place.

Hmm...
It would also be difficult for Chieri-san
to suddenly start living alone in Ichika's house...

...U-Um...

In that case...

p18

Welcome!
You must be Ichika-chan, right?

I-It's nice to meet you.
I'll be in your care.
Oh my~ You're even cuter in real life!
It's the first time Chieri's brought a friend over, so I'm really happy!

Now, come on in.
Pardon the intrusion.
No need to be so formal.

To think Chieri was friends with an idol!
I mean, Chieri's been cheering you a lot, y'know?
Her room is filled to the brim with Ichika-chan posters!
Ahaha...

p19

Your parents are abroad, right?
Let me give them a call later, okay?
My husband's working away from home too,
so we conveniently have a spare room for you~

So just feel free
to make yourself at home, Ichika-chan.
Sure!
I'll be in your care from now on!

...

...Are you sure about this?
Having me live with you so suddenly.
I mean, I am the one who suggested we live together and all, but still...
Y-Yeah...

Given the way my mother's like,
having more people makes her merrier...

p20

Chieri! Go show Ichika-chan around the house.
Okay~ Mama...
Ah.

Eh...
Mama?
Uwaah!!
Oh crap!
I responded to her saying "Chieri" without thinking.

Oh my~ You called me Mama~
It's like I have another daughter~
Call me that as much as you want!

A...Ahaha
Thank you very much.
I need to be careful...!

Hah...

p21

Not only did Tachibana-san find out we had switched bodies,
but now I'm living with Princess of all things...

So much is happening at once that it's making my brain explode...

P-Princess!

p22

What's up?
...I wanted to talk for a bit.

Of course. Ask me anything.

...Sorry about this.
I even got your family involved.

Don't apologise...!
I'm the one who should be sorry
for not having the confidence to live in your apartment by myself...

Besides...
we're a team, after all.

...
Hey, Chieri.

p23

Can I sleep in this room tonight?

...Eh?

Princess!?
Wh-Wh-Wh-Why...?

I mean...

p24

Your room is so full of posters of me!
It's like I'm watching myself and I can't sleep!!

...Heh
...P-
Posters...?

That's right! It's wall-to-wall with posters!
And large quantities of my merch!
It makes me happy, but I can't calm down!
...I guess so.

I thought she was going to ask to sleep with me...!
How embarrassing!
L-Let's switch rooms then.

p25

I wanna sleep surrounded by Princess,
so I'll head on over to that room...

...Rather than the posters,

p26

you can just sleep with the real thing.

p27

...Princess Ichika, do you perhaps
get lonely easily?

HUH!?!?

Sh-Shut up!!
It's fine, isn't it!?
Fufu... Of course.
I just thought it was cute is all.

p28

Up until now,
I've only known the Princess Ichika that shone brightly on stage,

Hrm...
but Princess Ichika is a normal girl too...

Hey, are you making fun of me!?
You're cute when you're angry too...!

Warning