Chapter 15: Shira Hime Shrine
The sunset was sinking in the west.
The orange glow illuminated Nagino as it cast a long, solitary shadow behind her.
She was headed to the only shrine in Kawano City, located at “Shira Hime Mountain.” Shira Hime Mountain was not high, situated on the east side of the city, covered by dense forests, and remained green throughout the seasons.
At the foot of the mountain was a clear creek, trickling gently.
The mountain was named Shira Hime because a shrine built halfway up the mountain was dedicated to a fox deity named “Shira Hime.”
The image of Shira Hime was that of a golden-yellow fox with the tips of its tail showcasing a crescent-shaped white fur, adorned with a red ribbon at its paws.
It was well-known for blessing those who hoped for good relationships, smooth romances, or a happy marriage.
Along the way, DD-chan was very nervous.
However, its anxiety did not stem solely from being next to Nagino.
It was also about the destination they were heading to.
From a gap in the unzipped backpack, DD-chan caught a glimpse of Nagino, who usually wore a smile, frowning deeply at that moment.
This intensified its panic.
It was unexpected to see this seemingly carefree carbon-based lifeform displaying such a serious expression.
Nagino seemed to have noticed DD-chan’s gaze and turned her attention toward it.
“Actually, I was thinking…” she said slowly, her expression grave.
DD-chan couldn’t help but nervously swallow a nonexistent lump in its throat.
“Should we have gloomy weather? It would be best if it rained a little.”
“…Huh?”
“This way, a beautiful girl like me going to the shrine alone on a cloudy day would make it obvious that there’s something wrong with her.”
“Are you talking about your brain?”
“How rude, I was just considering how to play the role of a beautiful girl that makes others think she has problems.”
“As the person in question, I think you’re already quite problematic without needing to play a role…”
“Hey, when did DD-chan become such a rebellious child?”
“We’ve only known each other for less than a week, right?!”
“You used to be the clingy child who called me ‘Onii-chan’ repeatedly behind me~”
“Can you please not start reminiscing about nonexistent pasts all of a sudden?”
“That’s not reminiscing!” Nagino suddenly asserted.
“Does that mean—”
“It’s just that I wish it were true.”
“That’s called delusion!!!”
Unbeknownst to them, the number of people on the road gradually increased.
Most were couples, holding hands and chatting joyfully.
Nagino, alone and wearing her school uniform, stood out in the crowd.
Her long hair was as deep as the night sky, fluttering gently in the breeze, reflecting the glow of the sunset, as if heralding the coming of night.
The short skirt of her uniform swayed slightly with her footsteps, revealing her thighs wrapped in black stockings, causing passersby to pause and stare.
Her eyes, adorned with countless sparkles, shone with a mysterious and enchanting light, making it hard to look away.
Some men dressed flamboyantly on the street felt compelled to approach her, but upon seeing her school uniform, they quickly discarded that troublesome thought.
Finally, Nagino reached the foot of the mountain.
Standing before a massive red torii gate.
A wooden sign hanging from the torii read “Shira Hime Shrine.”
Passing through the torii led to a flight of stone steps, flanked by cherry blossom trees.
In this early spring, petals floated down onto the steps like a pink carpet.
Nearby, other visitors preparing to pay their respects at Shira Hime Shrine bowed gently before the torii with reverence.
But only Nagino stood before the torii, gazing up towards the direction of the shrine’s main hall halfway up the mountain.
The starlight in Nagino’s eyes withered at that moment.
“Long time no see,” she whispered.
“What—” DD-chan, hidden in the backpack, naturally heard this and quickly lifted its head.
It happened to see Nagino’s side face, which bore a gloomy expression.
But soon it reacted, realizing this girl was playing the role of a problematic beautiful girl; had it really been tricked?
Nagino sensed DD-chan’s gaze and turned her head with a gentle smile, her eyes lighting up once more with starlight.
“What do you think? Doesn’t it give off a mysterious beautiful girl vibe?”
“You, are you kidding in a place like this? It’s really scary!”
“Don’t worry, I’m not planning to visit the inner shrine today~”
“You—!? How much do you know?”
But this time, Nagino did not respond to DD-chan. Instead, she turned to follow the footsteps of the other visitors as they passed through the torii and stepped onto the pebbled path.
Walking slowly along the winding path, Nagino arrived at a plaza in front of the main hall and saw the fox statue standing there.
But what she truly wanted to see was the shrine maiden who was sweeping fallen leaves in the plaza.
No, correction, she hoped to be seen by this shrine maiden.
Just before Nagino’s eyes met those of the shrine maiden, she quickly adjusted her facial expression, putting on a worried and uneasy look.
Then, at the moment their eyes met, surprise and an urge to flee flashed in their gaze.
“Nagino-chan?” The shrine maiden, dressed in red and white attire, widened her eyes in surprise.
“Yoshika… Senpai?” Nagino feigned a surprised expression as well.
After all, she had come to the shrine alone, and there needed to be a witness so that the information could be relayed to Kanade later; otherwise, her trip would have been in vain.
“Nagino-chan~ Long time no see~” Yoshika walked towards Nagino in little steps while wearing her shrine maiden robe.
Considering it was a public setting, she didn’t embrace Nagino like before; instead, she held the broom in both hands, standing gracefully in front of Nagino.
“Y-yes… Long time no see, Yoshika-senpai.”
Nagino maintained her current persona, appearing hesitant and uneasy from start to finish, completely unlike her usual self.
“When you came to the shrine this time, could it be… to pray for good relationships? Or perhaps…” Yoshika slightly lowered her voice, covering her mouth with her hand, and mischievously asked, “Pray for a smooth romance?”
Nagino’s cute face turned crimson, and in a flustered manner, she shook her head and waved her hands.
“N-no, that’s not it! Kanade-kun and I are not…”
“Eh~ I haven’t mentioned who it is yet~”
“Ugh—!?” Nagino covered her face with her hands, her ears turning a shade of crimson.
“Ahaha, sorry~ Nagino-chan is just too cute, I accidentally teased you too much~”
Meanwhile, the corners of Nagino’s mouth, which were covered by her hands, revealed a crescent-like smile. No, it was thanks to you being so cooperative~
DD-chan, lying in the backpack, was trembling all over.
“Mm? Is something vibrating and making noise?” Yoshika looked around as if she’d heard something.
“J-just an illusion? I didn’t hear anything~”
Hey, can you not suddenly start shaking while lying in someone else’s backpack? What if people misinterpret me as someone who carries a vibrating toy around?
“Speaking of which, Yoshika-senpai is actually a shrine maiden? That’s amazing…” Nagino quickly tried to change the subject.
“Ah, well…” Yoshika surveyed the traditional red and white shrine maiden outfit she was wearing. “My father is the chief priest here, so I come back to help entertain visitors whenever I have free time.”
“Does that mean… Yoshika-senpai has spiritual powers or something?” Nagino purposefully steered the topic towards the supernatural.
“Spiritual powers? Ah, that topic…” Yoshika smiled wryly, “Well, I’ve heard that my grandfather had some, but by the time it got to my father and me, I’ve never heard anything about it…”
Yoshika lowered her voice and whispered to Nagino.
Perhaps she felt it was inappropriate to speak such disrespectful topics in front of so many worshippers as a shrine maiden.
“Is, is that so…” Nagino slightly revealed a hint of disappointment in her expression.
But Yoshika evidently misunderstood Nagino’s meaning and immediately laughed as she reached for Nagino’s hand.
“But our shrine is really effective for praying for love~”
“Then, what about breaking curses…?” Nagino appropriately lowered her head and took a step back, just avoiding Yoshika’s outstretched arm.
“…Breaking curses?”
Above where Nagino’s back faced, a dark cloud suddenly drifted in.
