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I was kind of hypnotized by the eyes of the girl on this cover into buying it. Look at those yes, all big and blue and unblinking. @_@ I was also attracted by the title. Their Secret? Ooh, I like secrets! There is an English blurb on the cover that says “What Makes Two Of Us.” I am not sure what they were going for with that, but regardless, my flimsy willpower broke, and I bought the manga. And hey, this is by the same author as Hitsuji ga Ippiki,” another title I really enjoyed! Ok, I’m sold! This is the first volume of a 3-volume series. The main story here takes up the whole book. Guess what the secret is? It’s a body-swapping secret! Woo!
Our heroine is the very petite and cute Kiki, who is a high school student and model. She is very busy with her work, but she loves it. These days she can be seen in a bunch of ads for some candy. Even though she loves her work and is reasonably popular, all is not smooth sailing for Kiki. Her unusual job has created a weird atmosphere for her at school. She gets a lot of attention, both good and bad. On one hand, there are her fans, who squeal a lot (the girls) or drool a lot and fill up her locker with love letters (the boys). But she also has her anti-fans, girls who for some reason (jealousy, perhaps) like to make cutting remarks about Kiki from a distance just near enough for Kiki to overhear. It’s petty and mean. Fortunately, Kiki does have a few close friends, including her classmates Risa and Mirei.
There is a boy at school that Kiki likes, one who doesn’t act like a drooling fanboy around her, and isn’t mean, either. He treats her like a normal person, and even helps her out of some tricky situations. Unfortunately, Kiki is too shy to really do anything about her crush. She wonders if perhaps her school’s legendary mirror could help. The school legend says that if a couple kisses in front of the mirror, their souls will entwine (or something to that effect). Essentially, they will be together. Kiki blushes at the thought, embarrassed to even think of herself and Takumi kissing in front of the mirror.
One fateful day after school, at a fateful time, Kiki is at school near the staircase where the legendary mirror is. She’s in a hurry, but stops when something large lands right on top of her and knocks her to the ground…wait, not something… someONE! Who? Ah, it’s Teppei, Takumi’s best friend! He had also been at the top of the staircase where the mirror is, and slipped on some spilled water, falling from the stairs and landing on Kiki.
Kiki doesn’t know Teppei very well. He also helped her out once by saving her from a stray baseball that crashed through a classroom window, but he is otherwise a very quiet guy. He’s a mystery to Kiki, but not for long! Both parties are stunned because, as in true shoujo manga fashion, they didn’t just collide; they collided with a KISS! Yes, when Teppei landed on top of Kiki, his lips landed on hers. As if this wasn’t embarrassing enough, something strange happens after their liplock. Kiki feels really weird, and Teppei looks confused too. What’s happening? Wait, why is she looking at herself as if she’s somewhere else? Hey, this isn’t her body! Wait, they were in front of the legendary mirror! Plus, there was also an extra pane of glass there waiting to be used to repair the classroom window broken by the baseball. Their reflection in the mirror reflected back again in the glass. Did it really…?
Yeah, thanks to this collision in the hallway and just the right time, and in front of that mirror, Kiki and Teppei have switched bodies! Oh, how awkward! How will they be able to switch back? Will Kiki have to live as Teppei forever? What about the guy she likes? Teppei isn’t thrilled either. In fact, he has a girl he likes too – Kiki’s best friend Mirei! This body switching will certainly make any thoughts of romance awkward! But wait, perhaps this can work to their benefit. Kiki is now Teppei, who is Takumi’s best friend. Teppei is now Kiki, who is Mirei’s best friend. It’s a great opportunity to be close to the person they like! But how will Kiki and Teppei manage to act out their roles when they barely know each other! And how long will this situation last? They discover that they can swicth back when they touch each other, but the moment they break contact, they switch bodies again. Doh. Therefore, Kiki and Teppei spend a suspicious amount of time around each other, often holding hands. Oh no, this will give people the wrong impression!
Poor Kiki, what an awkward situation! Will she ever be able to return to her own body for good? In the meantime, will she be able to act like a boy? Plus, she has her modelling and commercials to do; will Teppei be able to do her work? How can she stand being around Takumi? And Teppei is now in HER body! Ack! Let the adventure begin!
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