Early morning.
Yuen Shrine.
It was March, and the cherry blossoms were in full bloom.
At the summit, the air was crisp and carried the scent of flowers, enticing many passing birds to stop and rest.
However, a strange silence filled the grounds.
Unlike ordinary birds that would chirp and chatter noisily when they landed, the birds here were unusually quiet.
It was as if they sensed the divine presence residing here and knew better than to make a sound.
Yuen walked out of the dimensional space inside the Main Hall.
He glanced up at the clear blue sky.
“It appears there will be heavy rain today.” Although the sun was shining, he could feel the humidity in the air rising fast.
Coo, coo.
Hearing a noise at his feet, Yuen looked down to find a small white pigeon looking up at him.
“…You really are a carefree little guy.” Yuen crouched down and gently scooped the bird up with both hands.
Every other bird in the vicinity had instinctively bowed its head the moment he appeared.
Only this little white pigeon seemed completely oblivious.
Then again, perhaps its lack of fear was simply fate.
Coo?
Seemingly puzzled by Yuen’s words, the pigeon tilted its head.
Yuen chuckled.
He took a rocking chair out of his dimensional space, placed it at the entrance of the Main Hall, and sat down.
Cradling the pigeon in his arms, he stroked its feathers gently.
The sun wouldn’t be out for much longer today; he should enjoy it while it lasted.
Basking in the warmth, Yuen hummed a soft tune, looking completely at ease.
The pigeon in his arms narrowed its eyes, getting comfortable.
… At the foot of the mountain.
A girl with long black hair and crimson eyes looked up at the stone steps leading to the shrine—a stairway that stretched upward endlessly, the top hidden from view.
She took a deep breath.
Then, moving her long legs clad in black tights, she started climbing up.
…
Yuen Shrine.
Sometime later, Yuen opened his eyes.
In the distance, dark clouds had begun to gather.
Fortunately, they hadn’t blocked the warm sun above his head yet, so Yuen closed his eyes again, unconcerned.
Huff, huff.
The sound of heavy breathing reached his ears.
He raised an eyebrow in slight surprise.
It was rare for a stranger to visit the shrine so early in the morning.
He opened one eye to take a quick peek, then closed it again.
There was nothing else to do at a shrine; she was undoubtedly here to pray.
Yuen had grown bored of such sights long ago.
“Finally…
made it.” Kasumigaoka Utaha took a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped the sweat from her forehead.
Staring at the shrine’s name carved into the stone and the towering Torii gate before her, her lips twitched.
She was utterly speechless.
“Building a shrine this high up…
no wonder nobody comes here.” If she hadn’t heard rumors that this shrine was particularly effective, she never would have dragged herself up here.
She was the type to skip P.E.
classes to stay home and write novels.
For someone who barely stepped outside, this climb was practically a death march.
After catching her breath, Kasumigaoka Utaha walked inside.
She passed through the Torii gate, purified her hands at the Temizuya, and looked around.
Since it was her first time here, she was curious.
“Hm?” When she looked toward the Main Hall, she paused.
There was a young man sitting on a rocking chair, basking in the sun.
Someone got here before me?
Kasumigaoka Utaha was surprised.
Driven by curiosity, she stepped a little closer to get a better look at his face.
Kasumigaoka Utaha’s eyes went wide for a split second.
This…
It wasn’t that she recognized him, but rather that she was shocked by his appearance.
In her seventeen years of life, she had never seen a face as flawless as his.
Even though she wasn’t obsessed with looks, she couldn’t help but be drawn in by his features.
“Have you seen enough?” Even with his eyes closed, Yuen could clearly feel her gaze.
He had assumed the girl would just glance at him and look away.
He hadn’t expected her to stare for two full minutes.
She hadn’t even blinked.
Yuen opened his eyes with a sigh.
The first thing he saw was a pair of legs wrapped in black tights.
He stole a glance or two before letting his eyes drift upward.
Probably a D-cup…
His gaze lingered briefly on her chest before finally meeting her face.
A faint blush colored Kasumigaoka Utaha’s cheeks.
Getting caught staring was embarrassing, but she recovered her composure in an instant.
“I was just looking at the pigeon in your arms, not you.
Don’t misunderstand.
You’re certainly good-looking, but don’t be so narcissistic.” Watching her stubbornly deny it with a straight face, Yuen rested his chin on his hand and teased her.
“I don’t recall saying you were looking at me.” Kasumigaoka Utaha froze.
He hadn’t named anyone specifically, which made her denial sound like an unprompted confession.
She looked at Yuen’s handsome face again.
She no longer found it attractive.
Now, she just found him annoying.
And to think she had just considered using him as the model for her next protagonist.
“I was just worried you’d get the wrong idea and try to hit on me.” Even when she was in the wrong, Kasumigaoka Utaha refused to lose an argument.
“Is that so?” Yuen’s eyes danced with amusement.
He didn’t push it.
Narrowing his eyes, he rocked in his chair, returning to his nap.
The black-haired girl looked familiar, but since he couldn’t place her immediately, he let it go.
Kasumigaoka Utaha, however, wasn’t about to let it end there.
It was the first time she had lost a verbal spar.
Looking at the relaxed young man, she adopted a condescending tone.
“Kid, it’s not good to act like this at your age.
Young people should have a bit more energy.” “Kid?
You mean me?” Yuen found that amusing.
He was old enough to be her ancestor.
“I bet you aren’t even eighteen yet.” Kasumigaoka Utaha didn’t flinch.
“Age doesn’t mean anything.
Besides, my mental age is thirty.” Does mental age count?
And even thirty is just a fraction of my age…
Yuen thought, amused.
“Then what do you consider having ‘energy’?” He decided to play along.
Kasumigaoka Utaha blinked, looking satisfied.
“Well, first, stand up for a second.” Curious about what she was planning, Yuen stood up from the rocking chair, still holding the white pigeon.
“And then?” “And then…” A charming smirk played on her lips.
Moving as fast as she could, she slipped past Yuen and sat down on the rocking chair.
She stretched out and leaned back comfortably.
“And then, the chair is mine.” Yuen chuckled.
“If you wanted to rest, you could have just asked.”