The atmosphere had a strange, indescribable weight to it.
Calm and collected, Haru glanced sideways at the girls beside him. He had long since guessed that they were plotting something behind his back. For various reasons, he chose not to expose them directly. Instead, he played along, pretending not to notice.
"..."
On one side, Ryo's expression remained unchanged. From beginning to end, she wore the same unruffled, cold look, as though even running into a vampire in broad daylight wouldn't startle her.
But on the other side, Kita-san couldn't hide her thoughts at all.
Walking on Haru's right, the red-haired girl's gaze was unsteady, her breathing noticeably uneven, as if she were secretly scheming something. The usual "Kita energy" glow was nowhere to be found on her cute face.
Don't tell me she's about to say something like,
"Sorry, I just remembered I have something to do!"
and then bolt with that laughably transparent excuse?
"Ah, sorry! I… I just remembered I forgot to buy something, I need to hurry and get it now!"
Kita Ikuyo's face flushed scarlet. Like an ostrich burying its head in the sand, she ducked nervously, speaking toward Haru's direction but never daring to meet his eyes.
Haru held back his commentary for now and asked, with feigned puzzlement, "You really have to buy it right this moment?"
"Yeah! I thought about it, and I really can't put it off!"
"Why don't you just hang out with Ryo-senpai for now? I'll meet you later after I'm done shopping!"
She blurted out her excuse in one breath, then dashed off like a gust of wind. It was as though she was terrified that Haru might catch a flaw in her excuse, and so she disappeared into the crowd before he could say another word.
In the blink of an eye, only he and Ryo remained.
Wait, was this turning into a horror story?
One by one, the friends he came with were vanishing, leaving him alone with just one companion. And then, the last companion would suddenly turn out to be a man-eating monster?
Don't tell me Ryo had a stone mask hidden in her jacket, and she was just waiting for him to expose her before declaring,
"I reject my humanity, Haru!"
As Haru muttered complaints in his head, he glanced to the side, only to notice that the stoic expression Ryo wore just moments ago had shifted. Her brow arched slightly, and a faint smile graced her delicate, doll-like face. She actually looked amused by the situation.
"Pfft~ so it ended up like this, huh?"
The short-haired ice beauty pressed her lips together, leaning ever so slightly closer to him.
"Didn't think the 'plan' would work so well. Now it really is just the two of us."
"…Ryo, are you sure it's a good idea to say the word 'plan' out loud like that?"
She had exposed herself completely without hesitation, leaving Haru with a complicated look. Ikuyo had tried so hard to tell a natural-sounding lie, and then Ryo just blurted out the truth as if it were nothing.
"Who cares? You already figured it out anyway, didn't you?"
Ryo waved her hand casually, not the least bit flustered at being caught.
"Ikuyo's acting is way too poor. And besides, a rough little plan like that could never fool you. Rather than us both pretending not to notice and dragging it out, I'd rather just be upfront about it from the start."
She spoke slowly, without the slightest hint of resistance despite having been found out.
This was simply Ryo's nature, blunt to the extreme. A brat who stood apart from the world of ordinary people. She never intended to follow the plan step by step. Instead, she made her intentions clear from the very beginning.
Haru, naturally, didn't bother asking what her intentions were. Instead, his lips curled into a teasing smile, and he slowly took Ryo's cool, slender hand in his own.
"Since you've said as much, I won't be polite either."
"How scary~ Where exactly are you planning to take me, Haru?"
Her words said "scared," but her expression was the complete opposite. Her tall figure leaned closer, closing the gap between them until their breaths mingled. That was when Haru caught the faint scent of mint drifting from her.
Normally, Ryo always gave off an air of distance, "aloof" and "cool" seemed etched into her very being. She appeared disinterested in everything, always standing quietly apart from others.
But now, she was openly radiating a strong, aggressive energy.
"Where else could it be?"
Haru's smile turned faintly mysterious as he tightened his grip on her fingers.
"Obviously, a date."
…
In winter, Moriya Shrine seemed swept by snow. The stone lanterns lining the path were wrapped in moss and capped with thin layers of white. The red-painted torii gates glistened under the sunlight filtering through the trees.
Here and there, snow that the shrine maidens hadn't managed to clear away still lingered, crunching faintly underfoot.
"…It's so cold."
The blue-haired girl at his side couldn't quite keep her face composed anymore. Haru set down the wooden ladle used for water purification, letting the clear sacred water flow over her pale hands. The icy sting made her narrow her eyes in discomfort.
This was the temizu ritual, meant to cleanse one's heart of impurities.
But judging by the look on her face, all it had done was fill Ryo with resentment.
"Haru, you're such a child."
"How am I being childish? I did the purification too, you know!"
Haru rolled his eyes, snapping back at the blue-haired brat without hesitation. But Ryo ignored his protest, slipping her damp, freezing hand straight into his collar.
A jolt of cold shot through him, making his whole body shiver.
What the... was that the Dark Ice Palm?
Every hair on his body stood on end at once. Seeing his face twist in shock, Ryo looked smug. Then she tugged down the high collar of her black sweater slightly, revealing the swan-like curve of her white neck.
"If you're not satisfied, you can always retaliate the same way."
"Ahaha~ As if I'd stoop to something that childish."
Her expression made it clear she'd already guessed he wouldn't dare. When he really didn't react, the corners of her lips lifted in victory.
"Then maybe you'd prefer to try somewhere else? With a method you wouldn't call childish?"
Her slender fingers pinched the hem of her skirt, lifting it ever so slightly to reveal the black stockings wrapping her long legs. The silky fabric hugged her perfectly, merging seamlessly with the skirt. It was the kind of sight that tempted one to glimpse what lay further inside.
Haru only chuckled coldly.
This woman's effect on teenage boys was incalculable. Clearly, she needed to be arrested immediately for some serious correction.
"Mm!"
Just a moment ago, the smug look on Ryo's face vanished as her whole body trembled. She let out a soft cry that carried dangerous implications, instinctively raising a hand to cover the ear Haru had just attacked. In her cool golden eyes there was now a flicker of undeniable unease.
See, this was exactly what Ryo herself had just told him to do. Haru had never encountered such a reckless request before.
"…Haru, I may have underestimated you."
Even someone as carefree and detached as the icy beauty Ryo could no longer maintain her calm, elegant façade. Her ears were too sensitive, and now her gaze held both shame and annoyance. At her temples, strands of deep blue hair framed ears that were flushed with the faintest touch of pink.
Why in the world did Haru know her ears were her weak spot?
"Hey, this is just payback."
Haru, who had been at a disadvantage only moments earlier, now turned the tables. Since everything had been laid bare between them, neither had any reason to hold back. Their roles of attacker and defender kept shifting, each change dictated by whoever seized the stronger position.
Watching Haru lean back with that exaggerated, smug expression, Ryo clicked her tongue in irritation.
When had this guy gotten so arrogant?
In her dreams, he had always been little more than a weakling, a pitiful small fry. If he ever got too close to another woman, Ryo's jealousy would boil over, and she would drain him completely until he begged for mercy. Yet now, unbelievably, she was the one being pinned down by him.
So this change in him, was it really because of those other women?
Haru had no idea what was running through the expressionless girl's head. Without hesitation, he simply tightened his grip on her slender fingers, dragging this spacey, troublesome woman along with him.
"This shrine, Moriya Shrine, is said to be surprisingly accurate when it comes to fortunes. Though the so-called offerings here are more expensive than most places. I guess even shrines have to keep up with the times."
Hand in hand, Haru led Ryo to the main hall for worship. Passing under the thick rope hung with white zigzag paper charms, they arrived at the offertory box.
Normally, offerings ranged from one yen to five hundred yen. But here, almost every visitor seemed to give at least a hundred yen. Probably the result of clever marketing.
Ryo gave a little scoff, raising her brows with pride.
"If it were me, I wouldn't waste time on something so small. I'd start with charms, sell them in ranked tiers, the higher the blessing, the higher the price. Simple."
"And charge for purification too. Ten yen each time, no one would mind… but small profits build into something much larger."
"By that logic, why not bundle charms with fortunes? If you want to draw a fortune, you first have to buy a charm for protection. And if you pull a bad fortune, you'll need another charm to fix your luck."
Haru's retort made Ryo's golden eyes widen with sudden realization.
"There's such a method too? Seems I still have a long way to go. Haru, let's find a way together and—"
The short-haired girl didn't even finish before Haru cut her off with a deadpan hand chop.
"Don't tell me you were about to say 'let's open a shrine together,' something that ridiculous."
"…Tch. Being this sharp will only make girls dislike you."
Haru ignored the jab. Fishing out a five-hundred-yen coin from his pocket, he tossed it into the offertory box, clapped his hands together, and closed his eyes in prayer.
He hadn't thought of anything specific, just a wish for the people around him to stay safe and healthy.
Once he finished, Ryo beside him extended her right hand, palm up, lightly shaking it as though demanding something.
"…What now?"
"Haru, give me five hundred yen."
"Really? Not even bothering with the word 'borrow' anymore, huh?"
At his dry response, Ryo arched a brow, pride slowly spreading across her face. She planted her hands on her hips in an exaggerated pose, utterly unapologetic.
"What's yours is mine. The money you have is the money I have."
"You sound like Gian from Doraemon."
Complaints aside, Haru still handed her the coin. But this debt, she would repay sooner or later.
Only after receiving the money did Ryo tilt her head proudly, imitating his earlier posture as she made her own offering.
"…"
With hands pressed together and eyes shut, she looked unusually serious.
For the first time, Haru had a moment to truly take her in. Today, Ryo seemed to have deliberately matched him, wearing a long light-gray coat. Its sharp tailoring and cinched waist perfectly emphasized her tall, slender frame.
A vivid red scarf circled her pale neck, while her short, sea-blue hair fell in its usual sharp style. Her bangs hung neatly over her brow, softening but not hiding her stunning features.
Even dressed so plainly, her beauty was impossible to mask. Against the snowy backdrop, she stood out like a beacon, born to draw the eyes of everyone around her.
Haru found himself gazing at her perfect profile, a faint glimmer stirring in his eyes.
He had to admit, this woman was truly breathtaking when she kept her mouth shut.
"Caught you staring?"
Perhaps he had lingered too long, because Ryo had already finished her prayer and caught him watching her. She pressed her lips together with a small, proud smile.
Before Haru could respond, she continued.
"It's only natural for you to be drawn to me, nothing to be embarrassed about. After all, I'm beautiful. To others, I'm not only cute but have a perfect figure as well. Even my personality is flawless. There's simply nothing to criticize. Honestly, Haru, it's impossible for you not to like me."
Hand over her chest, Ryo showed no understanding of the word humility. With a straight face, she kept piling self-praise upon self-praise, words that any ordinary person would choke on.
Haru couldn't hold back his laughter.
"Alright, alright, you're beautiful, you're right."
"…Hmph."
Ryo muttered under her breath with a faint snort, then turned her head away in silence.
A light blush began to spread across her cheeks as she lowered her gaze, lost in thoughts unknown.
"By the way, what did you wish for just now?"
"To win one trillion yen in the lottery."
Ryo threw out the words abruptly, clearly to dodge the question. Before Haru could react, she seized his hand and pulled him toward the fortune slip stand, her behavior utterly unlike her usual calm and collected self.
Her exposed ears were already red as peach blossoms in spring.
The same Ryo who always criticized Kita for her bad acting was now displaying clumsy acting skills of her own.
…
"Eh?! Back already?"
Kita Ikuyo, sitting beside Ijichi Nijika, looked flustered. Her eyes darted between Ryo and Haru, scanning them up and down, especially around their collars and hems, but found nothing out of place.
That couldn't be right.
It had been over an hour.
Only then did Kita realize that Ryo wasn't even holding Haru's hand. After a whole hour, with Ryo's boldness, it should have at least gone beyond just holding hands. If not all the way, then at least something more than this.
At the very least, they should have kissed until their lips were swollen.
Something was definitely off, more than off.
"Um… Haru, where exactly did you two go wandering? I looked for a while but couldn't find you, so I came back here to meet up with Ijichi-senpai first."
That was a lie.
The moment Kita had given them time alone, she had run off in the opposite direction of the shrine, deliberately giving them space.
"We just visited a few shrines to pray, then walked around the nearby streets a little. Other than that, we didn't really do anything special."
"Really?"
Suspicion gleamed in Kita's eyes. Haru could easily guess what was running through his little girlfriend's mind, but the fact remained that everything he said was true. This time, his outing with Ryo had been nothing more than a simple date.
Though even Nijika found their lack of intimacy a little strange, the angel with the best sense of timing quickly stepped in to smooth things over.
"Ahaha, well, there isn't much fun to be had at a shrine anyway. More importantly, our rehearsal is about to start. We should head back to the LiveHouse and get ready!"
"Ah, you're right…"
With that, Nijika shot a quick glance at Gotoh Hitori. Bocchi, gathering her courage, grabbed Haru's hand and, together with Kita, drew his attention away for the time being. Only Ryo, face unreadable, remained where she stood.
Nijika had been about to approach her, but Ryo only gave her a knowing smile.
In the pocket of her coat, Ryo's right hand was curled around a single slip of paper she had drawn.
On the pure white paper, written in bold black ink, were the words "Great Blessing."