Shigure Returns to School

Drifting to sleep with a heavy heart, waking, and then making their way to school.

It seemed as if nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.

Upon waking that morning, Hoshimori Shion had even made a special trip to the shrine to offer another prayer.

However, she still felt no premonition of evil spirits emerging.

The system, too, remained silent.

The utter lack of any news was what worried Hoshimori Shion the most.

Exorcism itself was manageable, for now.

The known was not terrifying; it was the unknown that truly instilled fear.

****

“Sister, you’re really acting a bit strange this morning.” Hoshimori Ayane remarked, her gaze fixed on Hoshimori Shion’s face as they walked to school.

“Am I?” Hoshimori Shion touched her own face. “I washed my face this morning, you know.”

“You used sugar instead of salt when cooking breakfast this morning,” Hoshimori Ayane said, a frown creasing her brow. “The miso soup had a strangely sweet taste.”

“Oh, I’m so, so sorry…” Hoshimori Shion quickly apologized. Indeed, her anxious state that morning had led to a flurry of mistakes amidst her hurried preparations.

“Sister, if there’s anything troubling you, you can tell me,” Hoshimori Ayane stated.

Hoshimori Shion nodded.

Seated at her desk in the classroom, Hoshimori Shion continued to sigh. ‘This… how can I even explain it? Exorcism is far too dangerous. I can’t tell Hoshimori Ayane, I can’t tell Igarashi Rie, and I certainly can’t tell Iori Shigure…’

“What is it that you can’t tell me?” Hoshimori Shion felt a gentle poke on her back, followed by a familiar, soft voice from behind her.

Hoshimori Shion turned around, her gaze meeting Iori Shigure, who was resting her head on her hand and smiling sweetly at her.

Her shimmering golden hair sparkled brilliantly in the sunlight.

“Iori Shigure, you came to class today!” Hoshimori Shion exclaimed, a hint of surprise in her voice.

Iori Shigure nodded, then pulled a piece of chocolate from her bag and offered it to Hoshimori Shion. “Thank you so much yesterday, Hoshimori Shion. After my grandmother wore Hoshimori Shion’s braided charm, she really seemed to feel much better. And last night, we suddenly found our family’s bankbook, so we can now hire a caregiver for Grandma at the hospital.”

“This… this stroke of luck is simply incredible!” Hoshimori Shion exclaimed, taking the chocolate and unable to suppress her awe.

‘Could this braided charm truly be so effective?’

‘If a braided charm woven by the protagonist herself were to be sold as merchandise at the shrine, then she and Hoshimori Ayane could enjoy convenience store bento boxes for every meal from now on!…

Wait, this wasn’t exactly something to get excited about…’

Iori Shigure leaned on her desk and said, “Yes, after leaving the shrine yesterday, my luck suddenly turned incredibly good. After visiting the hospital, Grandma’s spirits lifted considerably, and when I got home, I even found the bankbook I thought I’d lost…”

Iori Shigure recounted the fortunate events of the previous day, a blissful smile gracing her face.

“Once Grandma recovers, I absolutely, absolutely must go to Hoshimori Shrine to thank the gods, and Hoshimori Shion too!” Iori Shigure was already looking forward to the future.

“Iori Shigure’s grandmother will definitely get better,” Hoshimori Shion said earnestly.

Iori Shigure also nodded. “I believe in Hoshimori Shion too~”

Sensing Iori Shigure’s genuine happiness, Hoshimori Shion also breathed a sigh of relief.

While the source of her worries, stemming from her sixth sense the previous day, remained undiscovered, it now seemed as though things around her were, at least for the moment, moving in a positive direction.

‘Perhaps she wouldn’t need to worry about evil spirits emerging for a while,’ Hoshimori Shion mused.

“Oh, and Hoshimori Shion…” Iori Shigure’s tone suddenly dropped slightly.

“What is it? Do you need another braided charm? The shrine also has omamori (TL Note: Japanese amulets or talismans) and other things, though I didn’t make them myself…” Hoshimori Shion seemed to instantly get into the mindset of a salesperson.

Iori Shigure shook her head, her nervousness palpable.

“Then?…”

Then, as if gathering her courage, Iori Shigure spoke, though her voice remained faint, “Um, Hoshimori Shion, would you like to have lunch with me today?”

“Have lunch together?”

Before Hoshimori Shion could answer, Iori Shigure hastily added, “Well, it’s just that… I made a bit too much of the nutritious meal for Grandma this morning, and I was wondering if you’d like to share it with me, Hoshimori Shion, or something like that…”

Iori Shigure’s voice grew softer and softer, but Hoshimori Shion still heard her clearly.

Hoshimori Shion nodded. “Of course~”

Iori Shigure broke into a joyful smile. “That’s wonderful! I haven’t been to school much before, so I don’t really have any friends here. Now I’ll have someone to eat lunch with!”

****

Hoshimori Shion made a momentous decision.

To avoid disappointing her sister, she resolved to study diligently, aiming to surpass Hoshimori Ayane in her end-of-term academic performance!

To achieve this goal, she first needed to start by paying close attention in class, especially during her most dreaded subject: mathematics!

Her efforts, however, lasted for approximately five minutes.

“Hmm, being able to focus for five minutes is already quite impressive, Hoshimori Shion,” Hoshimori Shion muttered to herself, then gave up on taking notes.

Incidentally, Hoshimori Shion herself would likely be unable to decipher anything she had written in her notebook.

Perhaps in the future, when reviewing these math notes, she might wonder why she had taken notes for a foreign language class.

The girl’s gaze once again drifted towards the window.

On the sports field, many students were engaged in physical education class.

Hoshimori Shion’s eyes immediately spotted a flash of vibrant red hair; it was Igarashi Rie.

Igarashi Rie and her classmates were running laps around the field.

The girl seemed to possess excellent athletic ability, consistently leading the girls’ group.

After watching them complete the lap, Igarashi Rie was surrounded by numerous girls.

Some offered water, some handed her towels, and others simply chatted.

Igarashi Rie spoke with them, smiling.

Though she appeared tired and constantly wiped away sweat, she maintained her cheerful demeanor for those around her.

“Igarashi Rie is truly so kind,” Hoshimori Shion yawned, shifting her gaze from Igarashi Rie to the sky.

Another flock of white doves gently swept across the sky, painting a fleeting white streak against the clear blue expanse.

Hoshimori Shion let out another wide yawn.

“Ring-ring-ring~” Finally, the bell Hoshimori Shion loved most — the one signaling the end of class — rang.

Though the dismissal bell sounded identical to the start-of-class bell, it was the latter that Hoshimori Shion detested above all else.

“Ah, is class over?” Hoshimori Shion heard a soft, bewildered voice from behind her.

She turned around, facing a sleepy-eyed Iori Shigure, who had evidently just been sleeping with her head on her desk, a faint drool stain visible on her sleeve.

She appeared to have been sleeping soundly.

‘Sleeping in class, Iori Shigure, you’re even worse than me.’

Hoshimori Shion chuckled helplessly. “Yes, it’s already lunchtime.”

“Then, then please, Hoshimori Shion, let’s have lunch together!” Iori Shigure, still looking half-asleep, fumbled frantically in her school bag for her lunchbox.

It contained egg rolls, fried tempura, and broccoli—simple, home-style dishes, a typical high school girl’s bento.

“Wait a moment, I’ll go get my sister, and we can all eat together.”

“Hoshimori Shion, you have another sister?” Iori Shigure asked, a bewildered expression on her face.

In that instant, it was as if Hoshimori Shion saw the world before her glitch into… garbled code.