While everyone said "goodbye" and prepared to go home, Yoshino, who was a high school student at the time, took out a folded piece of paper from her school bag and unfolded it.

"Yoshino, are you not going home? What on earth is that?" my friend asked, peeking in.

"This is a design document for a graduation commemorative piece."

Yoshino, a high school girl, turns around with a bright smile.

She had her long hair in a ponytail, her eyes sparkling as she held a design document in her hand.

A small face, wide eyes, and rosy cheeks. Her past reputation was no surprise; she was a beautiful girl.

"Designs, you say. Don't you sew kimonos?"

"I don't sew, I don't make kimonos or dresses. I don't want to do what everyone else does."

"But even if you're Yoshino, something like this is impossible. Orgol."

"That's it, I heard it was a collaborative production."

Yoshino holds the design documents close to her chest and speaks with shining eyes.

"Who are you making it with?"

"Yeah, I guess I'll ask the three antique stores. I think."

Yoshino spoke casually, trying to hide her flushed cheeks.

"Toudou-san? Yoshino, that's not fair."

"Don't be mean. I just want to give shape to my ideas."

Yoshino said this with frustration.

But that was a lie.

Toudou Shuhei, who was in the same year, was the son of the owner of an imported furniture and general goods store called "Antique-do." His grandfather was British, and he was a quarter English. He had soft, light hair and striking, pale eyes, making him a handsome young man.

Many of the female students were fascinated by him because of the mysterious aura he exuded, and Yoshino was one of them.

"That's not true. He's the kind of prince you'd see in a picture book."

However, at that time at the school, there was much less interaction between boys and girls than there is today, and time passed by with feelings still harbored.

At the same time as his high school graduation, his parents began making arrangements for a marriage proposal.

Although they express a desire to go to university, it is not as if they have any talent, interest, or ambition in studying.

At the time, arranged marriages were the norm, and she thought that someone like her who inherited the power of the Kamo clan should marry someone who would take her circumstances into consideration.

However, after she falls in love with him, Yoshino also begins to feel that she does not want to marry the man her parents have chosen for her.

But I can't even talk to him.

So when Yoshino heard that his house was an antiques store and that he himself was skilled in making organ music, she thought, "This is it."

For graduation commemorative works, most people only submit one piece because they find it troublesome, but you can submit multiple pieces.

If so, bring along a design document for a piece that requires an organ and ask them to help you create it.

To do that, Yoshino needed to come up with something that would make him think, 'This is something I want to help with,' so she neglected her homework and created a design document.

Yoshino calls him with the completed design documents in hand.

It was a courageous thing to do, but lives were at stake.

Toudou Shuhei, who visited Yoshino before, had thin, soft hair like silk, white skin like porcelain, and beautiful light brown, beady eyes. He was a much more beautiful young man than he appeared from afar, and his gentle appearance matched his own gentle demeanor.

"If you turn Merrygoland into a Ferris wheel and change the cylinders to enjoy different melodies, that's amazing. I've been thinking about making a graduation piece for myself, and I've been worrying about it, so I'd love to work with you on it."

With that said, he smiled softly and knocked Yoshino out.

From then on, every day was a dreamlike and enjoyable one for Yoshino.

After school, I went to the technology lab and started working on my graduation project with Toudou Shuhei.

At that time, I brought along some cookies that I had baked myself,

"It tastes good, but it's so hard you might chip your teeth," he said, so it wasn't very good.

The production period is about one and a half months.

I wasn't sure if they were short or long, but there were a few little things that stood out.

It's early winter evening, just after five o'clock, and it's already dark outside.

"Please go home early," a woman who seemed to be a teacher called out to me.

"Yes, I'll be back shortly," Yoshino replied, and Toudou Shuhei looked up in surprise.

"Kamo-san, who were you talking to just now?"

"...Eh, just now, the teacher..."

Yoshino popped her head into the hallway and confirmed who she had just spoken to.

The figure disappeared with a whoosh, as if melting into the darkness.

"...Oh dear, I misunderstood."

Yoshino turned around and smiled.

My heart started making unpleasant noises, wondering if I had managed to cover it up nicely.

However, it seemed that my worries were unfounded, as he smiled and said "Really?", not seeming to be bothered at all.

And so, the work was nearing completion.

"Kamo-san, it's almost finished. I never thought it would turn out to be something this amazing," he said happily, touching the "Karakuri Organ."

"That's true."

"Now that you mention it, I've never really had any questions up until now, but why did you choose Vivaldi for the song?"

"Look, the white horse with a pink saddle represents spring, this black horse with a red saddle represents summer, this chestnut horse with a yellow saddle represents autumn, and the light blue saddle and reed horse represents winter."

"Ah, I see," he said with a loud nod of approval.

"Well, then, what about this fifth carriage?"

"This is meant to resemble a carriage pulled by four horses."

" Yeah "

"Well, the four horses represent the four seasons, right? That's why couples ride this gondola."

Yoshino said this while looking away in embarrassment.

"I see, so couples who ride in this carriage can see the scenery of the four seasons."

"That's right, it's a carriage ride where you can see the scenery of the four seasons together. And really..."

As her heart pounded, Yoshino clenched her trembling hands tightly.

"I wish I could ride in this carriage."

"... Huh?"

"And Toudou-san."

As Yoshino continued like this, he stopped moving.

That was Yoshino's wholehearted confession.

A silence like that of a pond falls upon me.

"That's why I want Toudou-san to decide on this song. There's still a while until the deadline for the graduation commemorative work, so I'd like you to take your time and think about it."

I want him to respond to my confession with the song he chooses.

Yoshino said this with her head bowed.

His whole body throbbed as if it were a heart, and his shoulders shook. He still didn't say anything, which frightened Yoshino, so she left the technology room, saying, "Well, really, see you later."

Even though he possessed special powers, it was impossible to know what he was thinking in his silence.

"Really? There's no way I'd be of any use at such a crucial time," thought Yoshino, running down the corridor with tears in her eyes.

However, I was vaguely aware of it.

The only thing emanating from his body was an aura of confusion.

Later, when Yoshino went to the technology lab, she found the cylinder sitting all by itself on the workbench.

There was a loud bang so loud that my whole body shook.

With trembling hands, Yoshino placed the cylinder into place and slowly turned the screw.

The song playing is Chopin.

"... Another Song"

Yoshino took a deep breath and sat down in a chair.

As he listens to the beautiful melody playing, he lets out a self-deprecating smile.

"It won't be published in this gondola. I mean, this is supposed to have happy melodies like "Wedding March" and stuff like that... I don't like these happy endings. I don't like it."

Tears start to fall.

I was able to clearly understand why I had been rejected.

He felt eerie and, above all, scared about the idea of ​​him speaking to someone he could not see.

Maybe because of his connection with me, he had heard about my family. He heard about the Kamo family, said to be descendants of Onmyomiji (Yin and Yang masters), and probably thought it was impossible.

Throughout my school life, I had seen non-human figures before, but never had anyone speak to me until now.

"Oh, I've been disturbed."

He said it quietly, tears streaming down his face.

I was shown the reality.

Since you have special powers, it is likely that you should act like an adult and marry the person your parents have chosen for you.

"I don't care, really. I don't care, I'm getting married."

True to her word, Yoshino was so desperate that she decided to take the matchmaking opportunity seriously.

When Koharu came to her senses, night had dawned and morning had arrived.

In my dream, I was able to see the whole story of Yoshino's unrequited love in her younger days.

Koharu sat up and took a breath.

Even though it was my grandmother who had lost her love, she was just as hurt.

"But then, did you marry Grandfather in a fit of desperation?"

Koharu wet herself as she sat in bed, her brow furrowed in displeasure.

That being said, the couple were so close and loving that they were the envy of those around them.

Whatever the reason, the result was good, so there's probably no problem.

Although I think that way, my heart still feels unsettled and nothing can clear it up.

First of all, why am I so curious about how my grandfather and grandmother met?

"--!"

Koharu suddenly seemed to come to her senses and opened her eyes wide.

I see, this is the hint on the sign. It must be something that concerns me, I thought, looking at the cylinder in my hand.

This is all that this cylinder has to offer.

I guess he would tell me to ask my grandmother what happened next.

Koharu gripped the cylinder tightly and nodded emphatically. Chapter 4: The Lightning of All Creation.

one

If you are genuinely concerned and feel, without any logical reason, that it is an important issue to you, then you should ask directly without trying to find out the answer secretly.

Now, let's ask my grandmother about how she first met my grandfather.

Shortly after Koharu made this decision, Yoshino unexpectedly fell ill with a cold and was bedridden.

Symptoms include cough, runny nose and fever.

"Well, it's probably just a cold."

Soujiro took the thermometer that Yoshino had given him and, taking a breath, placed his hands on his hips.

Yoshino coughed loudly into the cloth blanket and reached out her hand, shaking it, saying, "Pickled in rice bran."

"What are you talking about? It's forbidden for sick people to go near food. You don't have to worry about the pickles, the house, or the store, just go to sleep. Koharu and Mioto will do the cleaning, and I'll be in charge of tending the store and cooking."

"... I'm sorry."

"Cough," Yoshino coughed, and Soujiro shrugged.

"Well, that's only natural, considering how big the family is. I've made an appointment with the hospital for tomorrow morning. I'll take him there."

"Oh no," Yoshino said, quickly pulling a cloth over her head.

"It's not like I'm saying 'no', it's just what a grown-up would say."

"Because I'm an adult, I know the condition of my body. It's not like I have to go to the hospital."

Even as she said this, Yoshino was coughing loudly into the blanket.

"What are you talking about? You're old. Get a proper checkup."

As Soujirou raised his voice, Mioto also popped his head into the room, saying "Excuse me." He went over to the side of the futon on his knees and, seeing Yoshino's appearance, the corners of his mouth turned up in surprise.

"That's true, Yoshino-san. If you do it before you get sick, you might be able to get by with willpower, but once you're sick, it's no good. You'll need to rely on medicine to help you."

"Look, the doctor's son says so."

"Well, we're an obstetrics and gynecology department."

"Yes, it's an obstetrics and gynecology department."

Soujirou slapped Mioto on the back.

While the two men were talking like this next to Yoshino, who was still burrowing inside the blanket, Koharu suddenly popped her head out.

"Grandmother, are you okay? It's dinnertime, but do you feel hungry?"

When Koharu asked her this, Yoshino softly muttered "No way" into the blanket.

"That's right. I made some porridge, but..."

Koharu sits with a tray carrying a small earthenware pot next to the futon.

"Koharu, what kind of porridge did you make?"

Seeing Soujirou looking at her in surprise, Koharu gave a wry smile.

"Well, that was about it... Mom used to make them when she had a cold or something."

"I went to all the trouble of making it, and now it's all gone to waste," Soujiro said, looking at him with a bitter expression.

"Well, I like porridge too, so I thought if grandma didn't have the appetite to eat it, I could eat it myself."

"Koharu-chan's porridge smells amazing. Would you like me to have some?" Mioto asked, and Koharu blushed and nodded.

"Well, as long as it's okay with you, Mioto-san..."

As Koharu spoke, Yoshino suddenly sat up.

Suddenly, everyone's bodies jumped in shock.

"If it's porridge, I can eat it. Take care, Koharu."

Yoshino smiled brightly, but immediately began coughing loudly.

"Are you sure?" Koharu narrowed her eyes and rubbed Yoshino's back. "But I catch a cold like this once every few years. It's always around the end of the year."

"The fatigue of this year is starting to show."

Thinking about it, it's already December. It must have been a tiring year for my grandmother, with her suddenly having to live with her grandson and her leisurely-run Japanese general store bustling with customers selling Japanese sweets.

Feeling apologetic, Koharu puts the half-robe over Yoshino's body.

"Grandmother, in that case, I'll give you some porridge to eat."

Koharu poured herself some porridge with a spoon and let out a sigh, while Yoshino lowered her eyes in delight. Soujirou and Mioto watched them with smiles on their faces and quietly left the room.

"It tastes like yuzu. It's the kind of porridge I like."

Yoshino took a bite and let out a bit of surprise.

The porridge Koharu made was "Yuzu Porridge." It was made with thinly sliced ​​daikon radish, topped with dashi stock, squeezed yuzu juice, and rind, a little salt, and sprinkled with mitsuba.

"Well, this porridge is what my father made for my mother when she was sick with a cold and bedridden. It really does taste like my grandma's cooking."

"Fufufu," Koharu smiled, and Yoshino relaxed her cheeks and said, "I see."

"When Souichi was little, he was physically weak and often bedridden. He had a poor appetite and would not eat porridge because he didn't like it because it had no flavour, so I made him some nutritious porridge with daikon radish and yuzu in it. He liked citrus fruits. I wonder if Souichi would have been the one to convince his son."

"Well, my mother also said that the yuzu porridge that my father made was refreshing and delicious, and she made it for me when I had a cold."

"Well, I'm so glad. I'm glad you caught a cold."

"Come on," Koharu laughs.

This is how the flavor will be passed down.

Koharu looked down at the clay pot with a smile on her face and, as she blew gently on the porridge inside the pot, she smiled softly.

"Sojiro-san, are you sure you're going to work the store?"

Mioto asked as he slammed the sliding door to Yoshino's room shut, and Soujiro nodded and said, "Yes."

"How about making Japanese sweets?"

"I guess I'll just have to give out what I made that morning. Oh well, I guess that can't be helped."

Soujirou stretched his body and headed toward the living room.

"I'm going to have a few days off, but would you mind working at the store?"

"It's fine, you were slacking off even when you had blonde hair and were lazing around. Your main job now is being a student, so you should definitely go to college."

"Yes, that's true. But, with all that blonde hair and rumbling, it sounds really unpleasant."

"That's true, isn't it?"

"That's true. Well, tomorrow is Saturday, so I'll be working the store. Should I take Yoshino-san to the hospital?"

"Oh, in that case, I'll leave it to you and Koharu."

" Understood "

"Well, shall I make dinner?"

"We'll help you," the two said, smiling, and went straight into the living room.

two

The next day, a Saturday, Soujirou took a reluctant Yoshino to the hospital, leaving Koharu and Mioto to look after the house and the store.

Koharu checks the change in the cash register, puts out the cart and the noren curtain in front of the store, and begins preparations for opening.

It had been about seven months since she started helping out at the store in the spring. That included a period when she returned to Tokyo, so it had probably been six months in total. Koharu hummed to herself, thinking that she'd gotten used to it quite a bit.

"Koharu-chan, I'll clean the second floor. Call me if you need anything."

Hearing the voice, I turned around and said, "Ah, yes."

Mioto was wearing his work uniform and had a white triangular scarf wrapped tightly around his head.

"---!"

Koharu chuckled wryly, realizing how easily her heart was pierced by such an appearance.

Soujirou was used to seeing him behave like that since he was a frequent visitor.

However, to Koharu it was something entirely different. The destructive power was on another level.

My heart was beating violently like a loud drum.

"Well, I'll come back when I've finished cleaning."

"Oh, the store is basically fine with just me, so you can just take care of yourself, Mioto-san."

Koharu suddenly let out that cry.

He is lodging in this house as my prayer house and priest, but he is by no means a freeloader.

I felt bad for making her do any more of this.

"Oh dear, Koharu-chan. We really need a break, so if you need anything just call me right away."

" yes "

As Koharu watched Mioto's back as he climbed the stairs with a duster in his hand, she narrowed her eyes and thought to herself that in his hands the second floor would be stunningly beautiful.

The Japanese general store "Sakuraan" opens at 9 a.m., but there are few customers there, just a few regulars looking to buy Japanese sweets.

It probably gets crowded around noon, but most tourists just come to look and then leave, so the register is rarely crowded.

The store will likely be busy for just a few days after Soujiro's new Japanese sweets go on sale.

Currently on display in the showcase are the winter-only "Chocolate Black Bean," "Star Sand Candy," "Daifuku Mochi Kushi Dango," and the newly added "Matcha Chestnut Daifuku," which was a big hit at the school festival.

Then there were the usual Japanese-style macarons and three-colored rice dumplings.

Amazingly, these Japanese sweets are sold out by mid-day.

Soujirou usually checks sales and starts work on the items so that they can be put out in the afternoon, but now that Yoshino is bedridden, it looks like he'll have to give up on that.

As customers slowly came and went, Koharu tended the store and looked over a reference book at the counter.

This is because the end of semester exams are approaching.

I studied for a while, then sat up straight. I suddenly noticed that the customers in the store had backed away.

Around the counter are lined up Yoshino's new works, which she had been inspired by Sojiro.

There are birdcage-shaped portable lanterns, original incense paste in adorable containers, and kaleidoscope amulets.

As soon as she saw the aroma of the paste, Koharu's cheeks turned red.

When Yoshino made a prototype, she said, "If you want some, I can give it to you," so Koharu was delighted and received a bottle of the faintly scented jasmine paste.

As soon as Koharu took it, Yoshino laughed mischievously and said, "This is a spell that works for love," and quickly attached a POP that read, "Neriko that will help you in love."

I can't help but feel embarrassed, as I never imagined that this was a product that could help with love.

Perhaps the POP message of "Supporting love" was effective, but Nerikoh is a fairly popular product.

The last kaleidoscope is about the size of a Shachihata and has a cute Japanese pattern.

It seems that the item itself has some kind of enchantment, and the idea behind this is that even people who don't want to carry around a charm might find an adorable kaleidoscope like this interesting.

By the way, I purchased this kaleidoscope with my own money.

I heard that amulets and talismans are more effective if you pay for them yourself.

Koharu gently picked up the kaleidoscope and peered inside.

The inside is dotted with stars, and as you spin it, it draws beautiful patterns one after another.

It's like a lovely starry sky.

However, the chances are so low that it would not be an exaggeration to say you will never see the same pattern as what you are seeing again. Yes, the starry sky through the kaleidoscope you are looking at now may look the same, but it is completely different.

I think that's just like life.

Koharu places a kaleidoscope and looks around the shop.

The scenery you see is constantly changing, minute by minute, and no two scenes are ever the same.

As I was breathing softly, deeply overcome with emotion, an elderly man peeked his head out from behind the curtains as if to peer at me, and said, "Good day."

"Koharu-chan, is Yoshino-san here?"

"Oh, Ootani-san," Koharu said, standing up.

He was an old acquaintance of Yoshino's.

He originally ran a restaurant in the Gion area, but has now retired and appears to be living in retirement near Fushimi.

She admired Yoshino for her work as a shrine priest and would occasionally come to the store to buy amulets or ask for amulets to be written, so Koharu was also familiar with her face.

"My grandmother is not feeling well and is currently in the hospital."

"That's certainly unusual," Otani said, opening his eyes wide in surprise.

"If that's the case, then I have no choice. I wanted to talk to you, but..."

He scratches his head weakly.

At that time, Mioto, who had just finished cleaning, showed up at the store,

"Hey there again, Otani-san. It's been a while," I said, bowing before him.

"Hey, it's Mioto-kun. Why are you here?"

Apparently the two men knew each other.

"Please stop by for a bit now."

"Hey, what a coincidence. Honestly, I think I should talk to Mioto about it."

Otani leans forward with glee.

"Is there anything I could discuss with you?"

"That's right, that's right."

"Um um," he nodded.

"Oh, well, in that case, please take care of it."

Koharu invited us to take a seat in the dining area at the back of the shop, while she hurried off to prepare tea.

Under a vermilion Japanese umbrella, Mioto and Otani sat facing each other, while Koharu watched from nearby.

On the table there were daifuku mochi, skewers of rice dumplings and tea.

Otani takes a big bite and scrunches his face.

"I thought it was just a dumpling, but it has bean paste inside. It's delicious."

As he narrowed his eyes in uncontrollable excitement, Mioto smiled and said, "That's true."

Otani finishes his rice dumpling, takes a sip of tea, and takes a deep breath.

"Oh, it was delicious. Soujiro was hungry too."

"I'm sure Soujiro would be very happy to receive praise from Otani-san, a master of cooking."

"Oh, come on, I'm just a Western restaurant owner. It's a completely different field, and I was in Gion twenty years ago, so I retired a long time ago."

"Indeed, my grandfather and father still say they want to eat Otani-san's hamburgers and hayashi rice again."

"That's a good move," Otani laughs.

Koharu knew that he ran a restaurant in Gion, but didn't know that it was a Western restaurant, so she replied in surprise, "Oh?"

"I haven't seen you recently, Yoshio-san. Are you still in Kamigamo?"

"Yes, Kamigamo. However, I am now also filling up my house in Shimogamo."

"Well, if Sachiko Sachiko dies first, Yoshio must be lonely. Managing the house by yourself must be a big challenge."

"No, we all take care of the house in Kamigamo. The current caretaker is Matsubara-san."

"Matsubara-san, that really is the Kamo clan's quarters."

"That's true."

Koharu listened to the two of them talk and silently nodded along.

It seemed that Mioto's grandmother had already passed away, and from the flow of the conversation it became clear that Mioto's grandfather, Yoshio, who was now alone, spent most of his time at home in Shimogamo.

The Kamigamo house, which I have visited, was indeed like a barracks for the Kamo family, who were running a secret business of shamanism and fairy tales.

Koharu turned her attention to the Otani family, who had been familiar with Yoshino for a long time and seemed to know a lot about the Kamo family's affairs.

"Otani-san moved to Fushimi about 20 years ago, before I was born."

"That's right. I had been living in Gion all that time, but somewhere in my heart I had started to dislike the "narrowness" of Gion. It wasn't just the narrowness of my house, but a lot of other things. One day, when I went to Fushimi for a stroll, I saw a pretty impressive old house for sale. I just wandered in. I was drawn to it, and when I took a peek inside, I was smitten. I bought it on impulse, and for the next 20 years I've lived quite comfortably."

It seemed as if the conversation was about to get to the point, so Koharu straightened up.

"However, from the moment we moved in, there were small noises here and there in the house. Well, it's an old house so I thought it was just noises, so I didn't pay it much attention. But to be honest, I was sure there must be a zashiki-warashi (a spirit that stays in the house) there, a god of good fortune, so I started leaving some sweets out in the living room. It has never disappeared, though.

As Otani said this, Mioto responded with "Yes."

"Maybe thanks to the Zashiki-warashi, this has continued for a little while longer. Then just the other day, my son and his wife came back from Tokyo and started living with us."

"Your son did cook at a hotel in Tokyo, didn't he?"

"That's right. My son, who was training as a chef at a hotel, said to me, 'I think my father's Western food was delicious even when viewed from the outside world. I'm going to open a restaurant in Kyoto and aim to be a chef who surpasses my father, so please come and see me.' So my son decided to open a Western restaurant in Kyoto. And because he wanted to preserve my taste, I supervised the restaurant. Please do that."

"Wow" Koharu muttered in response to Ootani's shining eyes, and Mioto nodded with a gentle smile.

"Right now, we are preparing to open a store, and while my son and his wife are busy, my wife and I are looking after our grandchild. She is five years old and has a punning name, Arisa-sa-chan, but we have become fools about her and find her so adorable."

As he spoke with drooping eyes, Mioto and Koharu relaxed their cheeks and nodded in agreement.

"But my son's wife says that Arisa has a strong intuition. She can see things that are invisible."

Mioto didn't seem particularly surprised by those words and just nodded in agreement.

Previously, in the story of the triangular barrier, it was said that sometimes young children see things that others cannot see.

It's probably not an unusual thing, Koharu thought as she listened from beside him.

"Arisa started saying, 'There's a dog in this house.' My wife got scared, so without telling us, she called an exorcist who does exorcism via the Internet to come and take a look."

When I got to that point, I noticed that Mioto's eye color had changed.

"So, who's this exorcist?"

"There's a fox, they say. This house is possessed by a 'Kuda Kitsune'. 'Kuda Kitsune are scary. A house inhabited by a Kuda Kitsune will become wealthy for a time, but before long it will be devoured and crushed, so it's best to exorcise it.' Mioto-kun, is this true?"

Otani says this and shrugs.

"Well, that's the general belief. That being said, that's not necessarily the case. Do you yourself, Ootani-san, have you ever thought that you might have a fox in your house?"

"Yes, there is. Now that I think about it, the sound I had been hearing up until now was similar to the sound of an animal's footsteps. And, as I said earlier, there were many times when I felt lucky or like I was lucky. I thought I was a house spirit, but sometimes it wasn't and I was possessed by something troublesome, and it was fine at first. Well, I guess it's possible that ours has been wiped out. But I don't think we'd know if the exorcist was a fake before then."

"...But did they tell you how much it would cost to exorcise the spirit?"

Mioto asked in a low voice.

"So when I asked them, 'How much do I have to pay?' I told them it was free. I just wanted to help people."

"...for free."

Mioto frowned and crossed his arms.

"Of course, I'll give you a free quote, but if you do it, I'll make you feel better. But, I'm not sure what to do, so I'd like to talk to Yoshino about it."

After hearing the story, Mioto seemed to understand and nodded slightly.

"I think he was wise. I don't know what to do, but I'm not convinced."

"Yeah."

Otani leans forward as if to say, "That's it, after all."

"Indeed, Otani-san, it would have been good for you to talk to my grandfather."

However, Yoshino is a shrine priest, but her main job is as the owner of a Japanese general store. Being a shrine priest is more of a side job than anything else. Meanwhile, Mioto's grandfather is a renowned onmyoji.

Koharu also thought that since he was as close to them as they were, it probably would have been fine for them to ask Mioto's grandfather for help.

"But I'm a big fan of Yoshino-san. Even though Yoshio-san is a professional, he's still Yoshino-san's younger brother, and he's always been no match for Yoshino-san. Looking at the balance of power between them, I thought it was Yoshino-san who should ask for help."

When he said that without hesitation, Mioto burst out laughing and replied, "That's true."

"So, where did that exorcist go?"

"For the time being, I'll put it on hold."

"You might be charged a high price, but if they offer it for free it's suspicious."

Mioto chuckled and put his hand to his chin.

"That's true. If you're a shrine priest who runs on word of mouth like Yoshino-san, then there are probably some out there who do it on the Internet."

Otani responded enthusiastically, and Koharu nodded in agreement.

Basically, Yoshino also offers the service free of charge, and those who request it are kindly welcomed to gift it.

Yoshino has no intention of making money from her business as a shrine priest.

This is because their stance is to help those who come to them for help through a fortunate encounter.

Perhaps the Internet exorcist was just trying to help, but a sense of strangeness remained in Koharu's heart that she just couldn't shake.

"I understand. I will come tomorrow, the day after tomorrow, on Sunday."

"Yes," Mioto nodded, and Otani's face lit up.

"Oh, I'll feel relieved if Mioto-kun comes."

He said with genuine joy in his heart, and Mioto shrugged.

"I'm still young, but I'm counting on you."

"Oh no, no, Yoshio-san was getting drunk and would say things like, 'Miohito is an incredible girl. There's no one like her in the main family. She's the star of the Kamo family.'"

"Is that so? ... you really were on the verge of becoming a star."

"Huh?"

"No, I'm grateful that you said that, grandfather. By the way, it's tomorrow, but would it be okay if we came around 1:30 in the afternoon?"

"It's fine. Really, thank you."

Otani took Mioto's hand and shook it vigorously.

Perhaps he was extremely anxious.

Perhaps he was worried that something bad might happen to his son's family, leaving himself aside.

I'm glad he's there now, as my grandmother is not feeling well.

Koharu thought this from the bottom of her heart as she gazed upon Mioto's profile.

three

"Well, see you tomorrow," said Otani as he left the store, and a little while later, just after noon, Yoshino and Sojiro returned through the shop's noren curtains.

Although he was wearing a mask and coughing loudly, his complexion looked better than it had been in the morning.

"I just got the medicine, I didn't get an injection," Yoshino said happily, showing me the bag of medicine.

"Grandmother, was she refusing to go to the hospital because she didn't want to get an injection?"

Koharu let out a small laugh while Soujirou took a breath next to her.

"I want to say, 'You're getting older,' but I understand your feelings. I don't want to be injected."

Hearing that, Mioto laughed again and said, "Even Soujirou-san."

"For now, Grandma, take your medicine and go to sleep. Koharu and Mioto, eat lunch upstairs."

When Soujirou said that, Koharu tilted her head.

"Grandmother and Soujiro-san, what are you having for lunch?"

"We ate in the hospital cafeteria."

"Oh, I see," Koharu nodded in understanding.

"Koharu and Mioto, you don't have to worry about tending the store from noon onwards, you can just go and do your own thing."

Soujirou picked up a reference book from on the counter and handed it to Koharu.

" thank you "

Koharu clutches the reference book to her chest, thinking that this will help her since she had a lot of homework given on Friday.

"But, Soujirou-san, please call me if anything happens."

" Ou "

Taking Soujirou's words to heart, Koharu and Mioto moved to the second floor.

"Mio-san, if you'd like an omelet rice, I can make one for you."

Koharu said as she checked the inside of the refrigerator.

"Oh dear, I'm so happy. You can cook, Koharu-chan."

"Well, it's not as if it's possible."

Koharu's cheeks flushed and she lowered her eyes.

Since both my parents worked, I sometimes had to cook dinner.

But they are all simple things.

By the way, I learned about omurice when I came here and watched Soujiro make it.

Remove the chicken breast, onion, and pepper from the refrigerator and chop the chicken breast into small pieces and the vegetables into small pieces.

Heat a frying pan and lightly fry the chicken fillets, then add the onions. Once they are cooked through, add the paprika and continue to fry, then add the ketchup and continue to fry until the water evaporates.

Then add the rice, season with salt and pepper, and stir fry until it is not sticky, and your chicken rice is ready.

The problem is the eggs. For each egg, use one tablespoon of milk and a little bit of mayonnaise.

Pour into a hot frying pan, spread it out, and reduce heat to low. At this point, Soujirou always puts the rice in the center and then manipulates the frying pan as he pleases, but Koharu cannot do that.

I had no choice but to turn the frying pan over and place it directly on top of the rice.

Finally, add a retort pouch of hashed beef as a sauce, and it becomes quite tasty just by itself.

"Hey, this tastes delicious."

Mioto eats the omelet rice Koharu has made and opens his eyes in surprise.

"Oh, that's good," Koharu said with a deep sense of relief, placing her hand on her chest.

"Koharu-chan is a good cook."

As Mioto smiled gently, the taiko drum inside his chest began to beat loudly.

"No, no, that's not it. I can only make a few things, and I just copied this omelet rice from Soujiro. More importantly, I'm glad that it seemed to cheer up grandma a little," Koharu replied, feeling embarrassed, and quickly changed the subject.

"That's true. If it's that bad, it will probably get better in no time."

"My grandma hates hospitals and medicine, so I think this will help her right away."

"That's true."

The two of them exchanged a smile as they ate their omelet rice.

"Mio-san, you're going to visit Otani-san tomorrow, aren't you?"

"He said that," Koharu said, looking up.

Koharu thought that if Soujirou was okay with it, she would like to go with him.

Requests for work to be done by a shrine priest don't come often.

Thinking that, I was about to open my mouth when Mioto nodded and said, "That's right."

"I'd like Koharu-chan to come along too. That's if Soujirou-san is okay with it, though."

Koharu's eyes widened as the question in her mind was answered.

"C-Could it be that you can read people's minds too, Mioto-san?"

Mioto then laughed and said, "That's how it is."

"But, but, it really felt like I was responding to the voice of my heart."

"If you take a look at Koharu-chan's face, you'll know right away," Mioto said with a small laugh.

"Yes, that's true."

Now that she thought about it, her feelings were easily shown on her face, Koharu shrugged.

"So, I wanted to have a leisurely chat with you tomorrow before I go."

Seeing Mioto giving her a firm look in his eyes, Koharu straightened up and replied, "Yes." Looking at the plates she had finished eating from, she said, "Um, please wait a moment. I'll put these away." She quickly stood up and cleared away the dishes.

"Would you like some coffee or tea?"

"Oh dear, I'd like a coffee please."

Koharu nodded "yes" and turned on the heat in the kettle.

Soon, two cups and some tea and sweets were lined up on the tea table, and Mioto slowly brought the coffee to his mouth, narrowing his eyes in appreciation of the delicious taste.

"This coffee is also delicious."

"Thank you very much. It seems that you and your grandmother are very particular about the beans."

Koharu laughed, "Ufufu," and sat down opposite, taking a cup herself.

"Koharu-chan, what did you think when you heard that story just now?"

Hearing the question in a manner that seemed to suggest "again," Koharu showed a troubled expression.

"I don't really know, but I had a strange feeling, like something bad was going to happen."

"Yeah, I feel the same way. It's a strange feeling."

"That's right."

As I listened to the story, I felt a sense of confusion, as if I didn't understand something.

The word Mioto used, "a sense of discomfort," was spot on.

"I don't really know what a pipe fox is, but what is it?"

"Well, they are kind of spirits. I guess there are some people who think of them as gods, though."

"... ...the following gods"

"I've heard that before," Koharu replied in agreement.

"A subordinate god is an entity that exists between gods and humans, and is also said to be the messenger of the gods. Snakes, foxes, heavenly dogs, crows, and dragons are also called subordinate gods."

"So, Wakamiya-kun is also a subordinate god?"

I leaned forward and asked, but Mioto shook his head.

"Even dragon gods have ranks. Some dragons are sent by the gods, and some are truly high-ranking gods with great powers. That black dragon is a being of a higher order. That's why I was surprised that he was so close to you, Koharu-chan, like a family deity."

Still unable to believe it, Mioto muttered to himself, "It's really amazing."

However, Koharu just can't get it and can only reply with "Huh."

The dragon god in the form of a priest that I had met at the waterfall earlier was probably a deity of some high rank.

As I listened to the story, I somehow thought that was the case.

"Koharu-chan, high-ranking gods always emit energy to help people and make them happy. However, that energy is not available to everyone. You have to have a vibration close to that of the god to catch it. In other words, if you can't tune in to the right frequency of the radio, you won't be able to hear the program. It's the same as saying that even if radio waves are transmitted, there are many people who cannot hear them. By accumulating virtue, people can receive the energy of God."

As Mioto spoke, Koharu silently tilted her head.

"So, only virtuous people can receive the protection of a high-ranking god?"

"Well, sometimes you can receive it. People's vibrations change too, and vibrations are easily transferred. So, if you go to a shrine or temple, you can receive good vibrations, and sometimes you can catch something."

Koharu nodded and said, "I see."

People who enjoy visiting shrines and temples may instinctively know this.

"When you go there, the spirits that are the gods have vibrations that are very similar to humans, so anyone can easily match their vibrations and interact with them. That's why they act as intermediaries between gods and humans."

"A mediator?"

"That's right," Mioto nodded.

"Even if a high-ranking god wants to give advice to a person, the frequency doesn't match and the message doesn't get through. So they send their subordinate gods to tell the person, "The higher gods have told you not to come." This is not only done by subordinate gods, but also by guardian spirits who stay close to the person. But what is that?"

The explanation was easy to understand and Koharu nodded in agreement.

"However, what makes them different from guardian spirits is that although they are sent by the gods, they have god-like powers."

Looking into Mioto's eyes, Koharu sensed they were about to discuss something important and sat down straight away.

"Such affiliated deities are happy and helpful when there are people who worship them as gods and love them. Because it is easy to match their frequencies, people can receive that energy in large quantities. That is why faith in Inari and the dragon god has been said to be extremely effective."

"I've heard that before."

"Really, no matter how much a human you are, have you ever heard of a god who lends you his power so easily?"

"Eh... I don't know about that."

"That is the training of the affiliated gods. It is the same for humans, but by "accumulating virtue" they can raise the level of their souls. The affiliated gods are now higher beings, and in order to get closer to the higher gods, they help people, bring happiness, and lend their strength to accumulate virtue. It may sound simple when you hear it, but it sounds very mundane. The problem is that their sensibilities are so close to those of humans. Some beings are not capable of serving without compensation. There are also many beings who think, "If I do something for them, I want them to be very grateful."

"...'I want you to be grateful,'" he said. "I really want to act like a human being."

"Huh?" Koharu let out a relaxed voice.

"That's true. ...Koharu-chan, do you remember me saying something like, 'The gods aren't that small, so they don't get angry,' at Kamigamo Shrine?"

"Ah, yes."

"The 'gods' I mentioned back then were referring to higher-level gods, and among the subordinate gods there are beings who will get angry if you offend them, so be aware of that."

"Huh? Huh?"

Koharu didn't remember doing anything rude, but it didn't seem right to say that now, she thought, rolling her eyes.

"So, in that sense, I still think it's better not to get involved. As the saying goes, 'Leave the gods alone if you don't touch them.'"

Koharu nodded, "I see."

"However, just like humans, there are many different types of affiliated gods. It's no good generalizing. However, unlike humans, they have great powers, which can make things difficult."

Mioto said that, then took a sip of coffee and took a deep breath.

"There are people who, by being favored by their attendant deities, rise through the ranks and acquire great wealth. They are what are commonly known as 'nouveau riche'. To achieve great success, one needs a suitable 'capacity'. However, those who acquire wealth in one go through the pampering of their attendant deities often do not have the right capacity for it in various senses. Such people They mistakenly believe that "my current success is solely due to my own power," forget faith and gratitude, and begin to behave arrogantly towards others. If they do this, they will incur the wrath of their God, and there will be a great retribution for what they have done... Well, that's how it goes. In the end, it's the seeds they sowed."

Mioto rested his chin on his hand and spoke as if he was talking to a monologue.

As Koharu listened to the story, she felt a sense of dread.

The words Wakamiya had previously said came to mind: "When it is appropriate to help, we will help, and when it is better not to help, we will not help."

Those were probably words from a high-ranking god.

"It is indeed a pipe fox, but to put it bluntly, humans once used evil arts to create beings that were like subordinate gods to themselves. These were the pipe fox and the dog god. My power is the same, but if I do it intentionally it will attract great distortions. It will bring about temporary wealth and success. Even if they did get one, many would later regret it. It's said that such a 'haunted thing' continues to haunt the house even after the person who attracted it dies, and there are stories of people avoiding marriages in order to avoid encountering trouble."

A chill went down Koharu's spine.

"There is also a story that in the olden days, onmyoji (magicians) had kagagitsune (pipe foxes). As the name suggests, they would carry them around in a bamboo tube."

"How, how could an onmyouji do something like that?"

He probably knew all too well the terror of the pipe fox.

"In the case of onmyouji, they were work partners. I think that when dealing with non-humans, that kind of power was also necessary."

"Didn't that onmyouji ever get any kind of retaliation?"

"Basically, in the case of onmyoji, they used the Kangitsune as a partner in work, not for their own selfish gain, and they had the power to do things if they kept it. That's what I said about success, but to have that kind of power you need a 'vessel'. But when it comes to their descendants, it's a different story. "I wonder if an onmyouji who got hold of a Kangitsune had to be prepared not to have any descendants. But it was certainly troublesome."

When Mioto said that, Koharu responded with an "Oh really?"

Silence fell over the room, and after a short while, Mioto looked up and smiled.

"Well, that's why I was surprised at the relationship between Koharu-chan and Black Dragon-sama. It's hard to believe that someone could have direct contact with such a high-ranking god. I'm really grateful that Koharu-chan allowed me to get involved as well."

Koharu was confused and shrugged, "I guess so."

"Um, so, is that pipe fox at your house, Otani-san?"

"... You won't know until you go there."

Mioto frowned and shook his head, causing Koharu to gulp.

Four

──The next day, Sunday.

Koharu and Mioto got permission from Soujirou and headed off to Fushimi Inari Shrine.

Fushimi Inari is the fifth station on the Keikeihan line from Gion-Shijo.

The two of them don't have seats on the train, but instead sit next to each other and hold onto the straps.

Today Mioto was wearing a dark tailored jacket, denim bottoms, and white innerwear, a simple yet stylish outfit befitting a college student.

To Koharu, who had only seen kimono, work attire, and archery uniforms, this ordinary style seemed fresh to her.

"Yoshino-san, you've also become much better. It's really good."

Mioto said this while holding the strap in his hand, and Koharu nodded and said, "Yes."

The medicine, which he rarely took, must have worked, as he had made a remarkable recovery.

"But you'll be back at the store soon. You'll have to rest for a while."

"That's true."

As they were chatting like this, they quickly arrived at Fushimi Inari Station and the two of them got off the train.

The name "Fushimi Inari" is widely known, but the station is smaller than Koharu had imagined. However, it has a white fox sign and its pillars are painted vermilion, giving it a unique look and making the station its own claim to be "Fushimi Inari Station."

"That's exactly what it felt like."

Gazing at the fox sign, Koharu sighed in admiration.

"Hey, Koharu-chan, is this your first time at Fushimi Inari?"

"Yes," Koharu nodded to Mioto, who looked surprised.

Fushimi Inari is a famous tourist spot, second only to Kinkakuji Temple, as is the Kiyomizu Temple, but Koharu had never been there.

"Well, I guess I'll just go and pay a quick visit. I still have some time."

As they leave the station, Mioto points to his left and Koharu's face lights up.

"Yes, yes, I've always wanted to go there, so I'm very happy."

"Well, this is it."

Once you cross the railroad tracks, you're on the approach to the shrine. Souvenir shops line both sides of the road, which is not particularly wide, and there are many people walking around.

Items for sale include fox masks, fox figurines, fox stuffed toys, vermilion torii gate ornaments, and "kitsune senbei," rice cracker snacks shaped like fox masks.

As she looked around with interest, Koharu was startled to see a sign advertising the restaurant's speciality, "Whole Roasted Sparrow."

Walking along the approach to the shrine, we are greeted by a lion-like fox, not a dog, and the two of us clap our hands in front of the main hall.

It seems as if everything is dyed crimson red.

It has a vitality and mysterious atmosphere that you won't find at other shrines.

Leaving the main hall behind, we head towards the famous Senbon Torii gates.

"... I don't know, it's amazing."

Koharu let out a sigh.

"This place really has a power that other shrines and temples don't have."

"It's bright red, or should I say vermilion power. Is that something only Inari-san can do?"

"The god here is Inari-san."

"Huh?" Koharu blinked.

"Isn't that Mr. Inari?"

"That's right. Although many people misunderstand, the gods enshrined there are five: Ukanomitama Okami, Sasatahikono Okami, O-Oomimiyano-No-Ume-no-Okami, Tanakano-Okami, and Shishi-no-Okami. The main deity, Ukanomitama Okami, is the god of grain, and according to one theory, According to the legend, she is a goddess. The foxes are the messengers of these gods. They are the attendant gods of this place, but because the higher god and the attendant gods are in excellent cooperation, there is a lot of power circulating here."

As Mioto spoke like that, Koharu nodded in agreement, "I see."

The beautiful goddess was working at her desk and handed over some documents, saying, "Here, please help this person." The white foxes took them, saying, "Understood," and moved around swiftly. Imagining this scene, Koharu let out a soft smile.

Surely these foxes are very good at their jobs.

Koharu came to a halt in front of the Senbon Torii gates.

Looking up at the torii gate at the entrance, I let out a silly "Whoaaa."

If you take a closer look, you'll see a tunnel lined with vermilion torii gates.

There were lots of people going about happily.

I've seen it on TV and in photographs, but to actually visit it is truly impressive.

You can also see a young boy or girl wearing a fox mask peeking out from behind a pillar.

As soon as our eyes met, he disappeared and reappeared again, as if a soft light had been switched on.

"...Ah, no. It wasn't a person."

Koharu let this slip out softly, causing Mioto, who was walking next to her, to burst out laughing.

"What? What's wrong?"

Feeling confused by the fact that Mioto was still laughing happily, he held up his hand and said, "Kannin."

"I was thinking the same thing at the same time as Koharu-chan. 'There's a kid who's floating around wearing a fox mask. Oh, no, he's not human.' At that same time, Koharu-chan said the same thing, so I was really happy, it was the first time I'd ever experienced something like that."

As Mioto said this and laughed, Koharu's heart grew warm.

There is something that no one else can see, but only the two of them can see it.

It felt very special.

That's right, even if you were here with someone else, you probably wouldn't be able to see me.

「 ... ... ... ... 」

No, it would probably look like Yoshino or Soujiro.

"Oh, there's a cute fox." "Really? How adorable."

As the image of the two of them saying things like that flashed through Koharu's mind, she felt as if the "sense of specialness" that had been swelling inside her suddenly deflated.

"But when you're with the Kamo family's 'team', you look the same, don't you?"

"That's true. But he rarely goes out privately, and even if he does see her, he rarely says anything. He rarely signals with his eyes."

"I see," Koharu nodded.

As I walked through the torii gate, I saw a young boy wearing the same fox mask as before running past me happily, chuckling and laughing.

It's as if they are sharing their energy with everyone they pass by and touch.

Gold dust is fluttering inside the vermilion tunnel.

Koharu smiled, thinking it was a mysterious sight, almost like a dream.

The Otani family home was located just a few minutes' walk from Fushimi Inari.

It has a splendid gate, white walls and a black tiled roof. You can also see a storehouse. It looks like the residence of a wealthy man, something that would come out of a period drama.

It has a sense of history, but it doesn't feel old, and it has a dignified atmosphere.

Mioto looked up at the mansion and let out a "Wow" sound.

"It seems strange to move from Gion to Fushimi, but it's easy to see why people would fall in love with this house at first glance. The vibrations of this house are also amazing."

"Is it unusual?"

"That's right, I think it's the same in Tokyo, but there's also this kind of "regional pride" thing in Kyoto, and there are a lot of people around the Imperial Palace who talk a lot, and more in the north than in the south. But I guess Otani-san found it annoying."

Indeed, even in Tokyo there are areas called Celeb and areas called Shitamachi.

"What do you think about that, Mioto-san?"

"Places that have been said to be great since ancient times have a high vibration, but wherever you live and have a connection to it, whether in the north or south, is a capital."

Hearing Mioto say this, Koharu felt a little happy and nodded.

I pressed the intercom and the gate immediately opened - the person in question must have been waiting in the garden.

"Miohito-kun, hey, Koharu-chan too."

Ootani looked at Mioto, then shifted his gaze to Koharu, who opened his eyes in a bit of surprise.

"Sorry, sorry, I accompanied you."

As Koharu bowed her head, Otani nodded in understanding, saying "Yes, yes."

"So that must be why Koharu-chan suddenly came all the way from Tokyo."

Without a word, it was clear that he understood the entire situation, which left Koharu a little confused as to just how well-versed he could be.

Perhaps sensing Koharu's feelings, Mioto laughed softly.

"Koharu-chan, it seems that Otani-san's Western restaurant was where my grandfather, Yoshino-san, and their friends used to gather, so I really did know everything about it."

"I love stories like that too, and Nishimura-san and I had a great time talking about them."

"That's what it was," Koharu said, smiling back.

Yayoi, the wife of Nishimura Tsukemono Shop in Gion, loves mysterious stories and has long been a big fan of Yoshino. It seems likely that Otani was the same way.

You could say that it is like a favorite garment to me.

If that's the case, my grandmother must have been saved by them as well.

"This way," said Otani as he stepped out, and Koharu followed behind him, gazing at the large garden.

The beautiful Japanese-style garden is soothing to the soul.

I felt like I could understand why he fell in love at first sight when he first saw this mansion.

"How about your grandchild today?"

"My son and his wife are at Okazaki Zoo. If it turns out to be a major exorcism, I don't know if it will scare them."

"I don't think it will be that big of a deal, but I'd be grateful."

As we were talking like this, Mioto suddenly stopped in his tracks.

At roughly the same time, Koharu also stopped in her tracks and looked up at the storehouse.

I sensed something coming from there.

"Ah, I see. So it is that place after all."

Otani let out a sigh of admiration. "What happened when you said 'after all'?" Koharu asked, to which he gave a wry smile.

"Last night, my grandson said, 'Woof Woof went in here.'"

It may just be a temporary childhood phenomenon, but his grandson's keen senses appear to be genuine.

"Well, I'll check it out. Otani-san, please wait here."

"Thank you," Otani said, bowing his head and handing Mioto the key to the Nanjing lock.

"I'll take care of it."

Mioto and Koharu went around to the entrance, unlocked the padlock, and opened the door.

At that moment, I felt like I had been hit by something.

"---!"

Feeling something akin to static electricity, Koharu suddenly stepped back.

"...They see us as exorcists and are on their guard. There is a fox that smells bad, but it seems they are not mistaken."

Mioto took a step into the storehouse.

The place has been turned into a warehouse, with boxes stacked up.

Light streamed in through a small window and dust flew around.

The inside of the storehouse itself did not have a bad atmosphere, and just as Mioto had said, there was no foul smell either.

But now I was so filled with caution that I was trembling.

It's clear that it's trying to intimidate people, telling them not to come in.

As I took another step inside, I heard a loud bang, bang, like the sound of wood being snapped.

It's probably what is commonly known as a rap sound.

"What do you usually do in situations like this?"

"Should I exorcise it or seal it away? Even if it is a pipe fox, I would not destroy it if possible."

The sound of rap still rings out.

It was clear that they were trying desperately to chase it away.

Despite that, they are just making threats like this and are not planning to do anything terrible.

Here we have the ''vicious pipe fox''.

I wanted to come here with that image in mind, but...

「 ... ... ... ... 」

I feel like something is different.

Koharu took the amulet out of her pocket and placed it on top of the box, moving it away from her body.

The moment I put pressure on my forehead, something warm flowed into me.

It's like a feeling of love for the people in this household.

"First, let's lure him out."

As Mioto quickly began to make a mudra with his hands, Koharu hastily grabbed him by the sleeve.

"Please, wait a minute."

I would like people to come out of their own volition, not out of some kind of coercion.

Seeing Koharu like that, Mioto looked surprised for a moment, but then he quickly put his hands down and nodded.

Koharu took a step forward, stopped, and took a deep breath.

"I will not come out any earlier, so, Mr. Fox, if you are there, please come out and tell me what you have to say."

I call out loudly in my heart.

The rapping sounds that had been echoing up until then suddenly subsided, and a dead silence descended upon me.

After a short delay, there was a clanging noise.

There was a tapping sound, like that of a dog walking across the floor.

The footsteps stopped and a face appeared from behind the box.

That is definitely not a fox. "A white Shiba Inu?"

It is about the size of a basketball, and its body is pure white and round just like a ball.

Her eyes were round and her face was made up with red lines running down it.

"No, Koharu-chan, that is a fox. A tube fox in fact. It is carrying a bamboo tube on its back."

Looking more closely, he saw that just as Mioto had said, he was carrying a bamboo tube on his back.

Never having imagined that such an adorable looking pipe fox would appear, Mioto covered his mouth with his hands while Koharu relaxed her cheeks.

"Fox-san, please tell me your story."

Koharu crouched down and held out her hand, and the white fox, after looking warily for a moment, came walking over and gently placed its face in her palm.

The surprisingly soft and fluffy feeling made Koharu's heart lurch.

At the same time, memories of the white fox began to flow into Koharu.

The fox in question was indeed a pipe fox, and originally worked as a pipe fox for the Onmyō master.

He was active in protecting the city of Kyoto from evil spirits.

Koharu remembers how at that time she was so slim that she could fit into the bamboo tube.

After the onmyoji passed away, the family has been silently watching over his descendants in this house.

Even though they watched over them, they rarely gave them a helping hand, and they didn't do any harm either; they just lived here like the air.

However, twenty-five years ago, that family line died out.

After that, it seems she lived alone in the house.

Then one day, Otani moved in.

At first I found it annoying.

They even made noise to scare them away.

However, when Otani heard the noise he was making, he became happy and thought, "The God of Fortune is here," and soon he began leaving sweets for him.

I was surprised and confused.

The sweets offered are handmade and never actually run out, but you can taste them.

The sweets were delicious and really spoke volumes about his personality.

I want to help make these kind people happy.

With that thought in mind, I have been watching over them.

And so it continued for twenty years.

Perhaps because he had been spending every day happily, his body had become so round that he could no longer fit into the bamboo tube.

As she touched the white fox, Koharu felt all the feelings she had had up until then come back to her, and she slowly opened her eyes and stood up, feeling warm inside.

"Mio-san, as Ootani-san said, the person present here is the 'God of Fortune.'"

When I turned around, Mioto smiled and nodded.

"I understood when I saw her. Her whole body was shining. She had accumulated virtue and truly become the 'guardian deity' of this house. I'm sure she came here with all her heart to pray for Otani-san's happiness."

As Mioto spoke, the fox wagged its bushy white tail happily.

"Well, what about you, Otani-san?"

"It is still a fox, but let's convey that it is a guardian being."

" I agree "

Koharu was filled with joy and walked out of the storehouse, hammering her hammer away.

I stopped in the entrance and turned around to see a white fox walking towards me.

"What could it be?" Koharu and Mioto wondered in silence as they gazed upon the white fox, who then took out a small drawstring garment from a tube on his back and gently handed it over to them.

"Are you going to give it to me?" Koharu asked, and the white fox nodded.

When he looked inside, he found some confetti inside.

"Wow, confetti!"

They were beautiful and colorful. I picked one up and put it in my mouth, and a gentle sweetness spread across my mouth.

"Delicious!"

As Koharu let out a cry of joy, the white fox also wags its tail happily.

"Thanks. I'll give you this as a gift in return... seeing the sugar candy reminded me," Koharu said, taking a small kaleidoscope that had been Yoshino's original from her bag and handing it to the white fox.

The white fox tilted its head, not seeming to understand what it was.

"Look in like this and spin it. You'll see a star that looks like a sugar plum inside."

Koharu looks through the kaleidoscope once and then hands it back over.

The white fox took it and, tilting his head incredulously, peered into the kaleidoscope.

Perhaps in surprise, its tail stiffened and stood on end.

He spins around and twists his face as well.

He seemed to really like it and was hopping around.

"I'm glad you liked it."

"Koharu-chan, really, let's go to Otani-san's place."

"Ah, yes, Mr. Fox, that's right."

When Koharu waved bye-bye, the white fox bowed its head and wagged its tail vigorously as if saying "bye-bye."

Koharu and Mioto also bowed their heads and left the storehouse.

"... what a shocking cuteness."

As Mioto locked the storehouse, he told Koharu to exhale, and she laughed, "Really?"

With warm feelings, the two headed over to where Mr. Otani was watering the garden.

"-Otani-san."

"Oh, how was it?"

"That's it..."

At that moment, a loud explosion rang out behind me.

Koharu and Mioto turned around as if they had been bounced off.

Pitch-black smoke rose from the storehouse as if it had been exploded.

"--!"

Otani tilted his head at Koharu, who had her eyes wide open and her hands over her mouth.

"What's wrong?"

It seemed that he didn't see the explosion or the plume of pitch black smoke.

Without a moment's hesitation, Mioto ran off towards the storehouse, Koharu quickly following behind.

The two of them could smell the smoke that no one else could, but it made them choke, and they coughed as they unlocked the door again and opened it.

A large amount of pitch-black smoke is expelled to the outside.

At first glance the inside of the storehouse appeared normal, but to the two of them it looked as if it was covered in soot.

"... Fox-san?"

Koharu called out to him, but there was no reply. "I can't sense anything. They must have been wiped out."

"W-Who...?"

Koharu and Mioto exchanged looks and then ran out of the storehouse again.

"What happened to both of you?"

Leaving a confused Otani in his tracks, he ran through the garden and out the gate.

Across the road I saw a man riding away on a scooter.

It was hard to see clearly from behind, but he was a slim man wearing a hat-like helmet, a kimono, and a red scarf wrapped around his neck.

Perhaps this was the exorcist he had been talking about.

While the two of them were sitting there, speechless and harboring bitter feelings, Otani came outside.

"What really happened? What happened to the fox?"

"Fox..."

Koharu turned around, and the adorable sight from earlier flashed back to her, making her eyes well up with tears.

"Why would they do something like that without even trying to research anything?" I was at a loss for words.

"Otani-san, there was a fox here. It wasn't an evil fox; it loved you because you gave it sweets, and it was protecting you. However, it must have thought that it would be exorcised when we came. So it disappeared."

When he said that, Otani looked relaxed.

"Is that so? ... I was really sorry, but my grandson was barking 'woof woof' and my daughter-in-law and son were saying it was disgusting, so maybe it couldn't be helped. I wanted to thank you before you left."

As he says this, Otani looks into the distance.

"... I get it."

Mioto said this and smiled.

Looking at him like that, the words Mioto had said earlier, "Most of the time he's just telling lies," came back to Koharu's mind.

And so, that's how he continued to lie.

That is a very sweet lie...

Koharu lowered her eyes without saying a word as an agonizing pain assaulted her chest.

On the way home, Koharu and Mioto didn't say a word to each other.

Koharu was thinking about the destroyed white fox, while Mioto seemed to be thinking about the mysterious exorcist.

I was at Gion-Shijo Station and was walking slowly along the road.

"How did the exorcist back then..."

Koharu said that much and then shut her mouth.

Tears welled up in my eyes, but I managed to hold them back.

"... That was also 'fire'. It was burned to make it explode."

"Like what Soujirou did before?"

"That's right. Depending on the star under which each person was born, they have different attributes of character and power. Soujiro-san is under the protection of Mars, so his character is as energetic as fire, and he is bright and lively. And the attribute of his power is also 'fire'. He is good at slashing away all bad things in one fell swoop. Soujiro-san is a red-hot fire. Well, that was a pitch black fire."

Mioto spoke as if he was talking to himself.

It may have been an important matter, but it didn't really sink in for Koharu right now.

"Is that exorcist an incredible person?"

"I think so. But the strange thing is that even though he was unleashing all that power, he didn't seem to sense anything at all."

"A presence?" Koharu asked, frowning.

"Just as we noticed the fox in the storehouse, if a human with that kind of power approached, it's not surprising that they would feel something. Yoshino-san, you would probably notice if I came near you, right?"

Hearing that, Koharu nodded and said, "I guess so."

"Koharu-chan, you haven't yet been able to control your own powers, so I think there are some things you can't sense, but like Yoshino-san, I can tell when a strong person gets close. But it's really strange that the exorcist today didn't notice anything until that explosion. "

As Mioto crossed his arms, Koharu lowered her eyes without saying anything in response.

In his pocket was the sugar candy that the white fox had given him.

The image of those loving hands reaching out to me flashed through my mind, and tears welled up in my eyes again.

"Why did you do something so horrible without even checking?"

Koharu gripped the strings of her drawstring bag tightly.

"... I guess he hates me."

"Do you hate me?"

"The energy emitted by that black flame was 'hatred'. It was probably hating non-human things."

"But still..." Koharu was at a loss for words.

No matter how much we say it, there may be nothing that can be done.

"It's probably going to be a confrontation."

"Is it the exorcist we just saw?"

"That's right. It's just a hunch."

Koharu gave a small sigh.

Because I had that feeling too.

Perhaps one day I will come face to face with that exorcist and we will clash.

I turn north on Shijo Street and walk the usual route.

Gazing at the gently flowing white river, my eyes suddenly turn towards Tatsumi Inari Shrine.

"-Koharu-san"

There, the young prince was there.

The young boy was seen wearing his usual mizuginu kimono.

In his arms he is holding the same white fox from before.

"W-Wakamiya-kun?"

The white fox, upon seeing Koharu, held up the kaleidoscope in both hands.

"Mr. Fox!"

Koharu put her hand over her mouth and her eyes welled up.

Yes, the white fox had been saved by the young prince. The fox was now wagging its tail happily in his arms.

"...Really, that god is no good."

Mioto also smiles happily.

"Thank you, thank you, Wakamiya-kun."

Koharu ran up to her, but Wakamiya shook her head and said, "No."

"This person is no longer a pipe fox. He has accumulated virtue and has become a kind and gentle god. From now on, it would be good to use his power to help even more people. Here," said the young prince, as he lowered the white fox into the grounds of Tatsumi Inari Shrine.

"Everyone at Tatsumi Inari, please accept this person as a new member of your group. I would be grateful if you could."

Saying this, the young prince bowed deeply.

Perhaps surprised by the visit of the high-ranking god, the shrine maidens suddenly appeared in the small grounds of Tatsumi Inari and lined up, then bowed deeply.

The white fox had looked confused up until then, but he quickly seemed to make up his mind, straightened his expression, and bowed his head deeply.

In that instant, her appearance changed into that of a young, plump and adorable shrine maiden.

"Oh, how adorable."

"Really? How adorable."

The shrine maidens laughed and held out their hands.

The white fox, held by the shrine maidens, proceeds deeper into the shrine grounds.

And just like that, he disappeared.

"It was a girl," Koharu blurted out in a daze, unable to hide her shock.

"And besides, your soul has only just progressed to the next stage, and your appearance is still very young."

When Miohito let this slip, Koharu responded by saying, "Oh, so that's what it is."

This may be the same reason why the young prince looks so young.

"Koharu-san, Otani-san, he is also a very virtuous person. A good god will soon come to help you. There's nothing to worry about," Wakamiya said, looking up at Koharu and smiling gently.

The gloomy, depressing mood that had been there until then suddenly cleared up as if by magic.

"Thank you so much, Wakamiya-kun."

God is amazing, he saved me in that one instant.

"And it's been a while."

Koharu bent down to meet his gaze.

Although he showed up on the day Mioto came to my house, it felt like it had been a really long time since we had sat face to face and talked like this.

"...I thought that if I got too close, it would have a big impact on you, so I kept my distance."

"Various influences?"

"Koharu-san"

" yes "

"Are you still dreaming about it?"

Hearing that question, Koharu blinked.

── A dream?

"No, it's nothing."

The young prince smiled and hid his face with his fan.

"See you again," she said, bowing gracefully, then disappeared.

"Ah, maybe I was dreaming..."

When she spoke up there was no sign of that, and Koharu dropped her shoulders and said, "That's a shame."

five

Then, for a week.

Yoshino's cold had completely gone away, and it was already halfway through December.

Although Mioto was the first to have school closed, he continued to go to the archery dojo almost every day, practicing day after day.

Sometimes they would walk home together, which made Koharu feel happy.

One such night,

"I think I'm going home."

We were having dinner around the table as usual and going for coffee after dinner when Mioto suddenly said this.

Koharu blinked widely, while Yoshino and Soujirou responded with "I see."

"What? What's wrong?"

Koharu asked without hiding her agitation, and before Mioto could speak, Yoshino replied with a wry smile.

"The Kamo family is busy at the end of the year and beginning of the year."

Mioto nodded enthusiastically.

"That's true. I can't just pretend I don't know. I want to go home and help out around the house."

" ... ... is that so "

Koharu nodded in agreement while hiding her disappointment.

"Thank you so much for your help. Thank you so much."

Mioto put his cup down, stepped back, put his hands on the tatami mat and bowed his head.

"Mio-chan, that's up to us. Thank you so much for helping me with everything," said Yoshino as she bowed her head. Next to her, Soujiro laughed and said, "Well, I was the one who took care of him the most, though."

"Sorry, Sōjirō-san, you're saying stuff like that. Even though you're not even taking care of me."

When Koharu glanced over at him, Mioto was still smiling and shook his head.

"No, I have learned many things from Soujirou-san. I didn't realize it until recently, but the reason I came here wasn't to teach Koharu-chan something, but to learn a lot myself. I'm really grateful."

Koharu frowned when Mioto said that.

"...Um, well, what exactly did you learn?"

"Koharu, what are you talking about? I'm a moving textbook."

When Soujirou said that without hesitation, Koharu glared at him, while Mioto gave a small laugh.

"Yes, that's exactly right. For example, when we first came here and we were talking about how nice the bed was, Soujirou-san replied, "Even if the bed isn't sparkling clean, I'm in good fortune." Do you remember that, Koharu-chan?"

"Yes, yes."

"Sojiro-san's room was littered with dumbbells and bike and car magazines scattered everywhere; it wasn't what you'd call a very pretty room, but there was a very good vibe going around. I was honestly surprised. I wondered why the room was so scattered and yet overflowing with good vibes."

Koharu understood Miohto's feelings very well and nodded vigorously.

"I realized that the place was comfortable because Soujiro was truly enjoying himself there. In other words, the most important thing is the 'heart'. Imagine that someone who is really bad at cleaning puts in the effort to clean every day after learning that 'a clean floor creates good energy.' But then, If you feel a lot of stress, it seems pointless."

"What, even if the floor is clean?"

"That's right. This too is the result of the Trinity: purified ground, free-flowing air, and a comfortable mind. These three come together to produce an effect. Even if the ground is beautiful, it's meaningless if you end up feeling a great deal of stress. If that happens, you might as well end up like Soujiro, resting your elbows on a dumbbell-filled room and using the junk from your bike as a pillow. I realized that it was much better to just lie around and enjoy the time while looking at magazines."

"Hmm, hmm," Koharu nodded in agreement, and Soujirou shrugged his shoulders.

"I feel like I'm being dissed."

"But the room has never been more beautiful. If you feel irritated by the mess or your luck is steadily declining, I think it's a good idea to clean the floor and let the air flow. But, what am I saying? Until now, I've been obsessed with the idea that 'it would be better if I did it this way.' I realized that I was too obsessed with it. I realized that living here is dangerous. Even if it's a "good thing," it's different from being trapped and tied down by something. The important thing is "how comfortable your mind is." First of all, it's important to put your mind first. "And that's the best thing."

As Mioto sincerely confesses his feelings, Koharu nods seriously.

Even though Koharu now could understand it, it wasn't exactly something she could accept.

However, I felt that these words would eventually become very important to me.

Soujirou, who had been listening to the story, relaxed his cheeks.

"...At first, I was a little worried that you would be teaching Koharu the 'strict Onmyodo'. But that wasn't the case."

"So that's how it was," Koharu gasped.

Yoshino then turned a gentle gaze towards Mioto.

"Mio-chan, you were also poisoned by the laxity of our household."

"That's true."

Everyone looks at each other and smiles.

"So, Mioto-chan, when are you going to come back?"

"Tomorrow," Mioto answers, and everyone looks surprised.

"That's quite sudden."

"That's right. If you had told me, I would have prepared a feast."

"That's right, Mioto-san."

When everyone said that, Mioto laughed and shook his head.

"I'm going somewhere far away. I'm just going back to my house in the city. Don't worry about me."

"But still."

Yoshino pursed her lips in regret.

"Oh well," Soujirou said, standing up and opening the refrigerator door.

"It's still just a prototype, but I'll eat it."

Placed on the table were high-grade confectioneries shaped like the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac: Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog and Pig. They were all brightly coloured, round and adorable, and each one was very small.

"Hey, how cute, is this for New Year's?"

As Yoshino looked up with shining eyes, Soujirou nodded and said, "Yes."

"Okay, let's eat."

"It's so cute I can't possibly eat it."

"Well, it's like eating a chick bun."

"I'll get a rabbit."

"Well, I have a lovely sheep."

"Mio is a chick, so she's a rooster."

"Thank you very much."

Everyone took the zodiac sweets, brought them to their mouths, and narrowed their eyes, saying "Hmmmm."

It is very soft, with a refined sweetness and a gentle mouthfeel.

"Delicious!"

"Really?"

"Oh, it's a high-quality confectionery."

Everyone narrowed their eyes in uncontrollable amazement, to which Soujirou nodded in satisfaction.

While munching on high-quality confections that could be eaten in one bite, the four of them sat around the table and chatted away.

"That's right, Mioto-chan. Now I understand why the organ cylinder was ringing."

Yoshino blurted this out softly, causing Mioto and Koharu to look up in surprise.

"The person who gave me that cylinder has passed away. Maybe he came to tell me. Maybe I sensed something and that's why I felt unwell."

Yoshino muttered sadly, leaving Koharu at a loss for words.

I can't shake the feeling that it is strange that he has acted so badly himself and then comes just to say goodbye.

"He really is a very kind man."

Perhaps he felt the same way, as Mioto said with a small laugh, and Yoshino also smiled.

"That's true. I think he was really sorry."

Koharu nodded bitterly, probably referring to her evasive response without facing the question.

"... Hey, grandma, you were heartbroken and wanted to say thank you to that person.

The Gion Town Prayer Priest series is already in its third installment.

Thank you for picking it up.

In each of these afterwords, I have mentioned the supervision of the Kyoto Bar Association, and I would like to do so again this time.

The Kyoto-ben supervision of these three volumes represents a change in style from usual. Up until now, I've written a book's worth of manuscript before asking for a check, but I thought it might be too much to do all at once, so this time I've finished one chapter, and once I've gotten the OK from the editor in charge, I'll print out the manuscript and send it to the husband and wife of the long-established Shinise Japanese confectionery store, who I always ask to supervise. , please check.

By the way, how does the editing work? First, I write out what I think the lines should be in Kyoto dialect, and then I have the strange parts corrected in red.

I've gotten used to it a lot now, so there are fewer things to correct. The scene where Reito and Koharu visit Koharu's room was an interesting one. I wrote the line, "Are you sure you want to go in?" and it was checked.

"I don't use 'Ee desu' very often," he said.

In that case, you would end the conversation with "May I come in?". "May I come in?" is followed by "may I come in?", but it is not used in the same way as "May I come in?". In this case, if the person you are speaking to is a senior, you would normally say "May I come in?". "Is it OK if I come in?" seems fine, and if the person you're speaking to is not your superior, "May I come in?" would also be fine. A Kyoto man knocking on a room door and asking, "May I come in?" seems elegant, so we adopted this phrase.

It would be presumptuous to say that I have become accustomed to the Kyoto dialect; I still have a long way to go.

Once again, I would like to thank Akemi-san and her husband for their supervision.

Also, I would like to thank Tomofuko-sama for her wonderful illustrations.

The editor always gives me appropriate advice and guidance.

To you who have picked up this book.

I would like to express my gratitude for all the connections that have surrounded me and this work.

Thank you very much. Mai Mochizuki