‘Hmm? Come to think of it, it’s already this late. Why hasn’t Ayane burst into my room to pounce on me yet?’
Feeling that something was amiss, Shion stepped out of her room and pushed open Ayane’s door.
The room was empty.
Shion found it a bit strange. However, upon leaving Ayane’s room, she clearly heard the television playing in the living room.
Ayane sat listlessly on the living room sofa, a bag of potato chips in hand, watching the morning drama she usually enjoyed. Her expression seemed off—or rather, she had almost no expression at all. She simply fed herself chip after chip, mechanically.
“Ayane? Why are you up so early?” Shion asked, walking over to her. “And if you eat potato chips this early, you’ll get fat, you know.”
“Mhm, okay.” Hearing her sister’s words, Ayane obediently put down the chips.
Shion’s eyelid twitched. ‘This isn’t right, absolutely not right. Since when was my little sister this obedient, this compliant? Normally, if I asked her to put down her chips, she’d retort, “What’s wrong with getting fat? All the fat goes exactly where it’s supposed to!” At most, she’d share some chips with me.’
“Ayane, are you feeling unwell today? Or do you have a fever?” Shion sat beside Ayane, examining her carefully before feeling her forehead.
‘Strange, she’s not hot at all. So she doesn’t have a fever.’
“Oh, Big Sis! I don’t have a fever!” Ayane pouted, pushing the chips she’d just placed on the table towards Shion. “Chips, wanna eat some?”
‘She’s recovered a bit, but it seems she’s not entirely back to normal.’
“Why didn’t I get my beloved little sister’s exclusive wake-up service this morning?” Shion leaned closer to Ayane, gently bumping her forehead against Ayane’s, and asked.
“Because today’s morning drama started earlier, so I came to watch TV first,” Ayane replied, her gaze fixed on the screen. “Stupid Big Sis, hurry up and make me breakfast!” As she spoke, Ayane even reached out and patted Shion’s head.
‘Alright, she seems relatively normal now.’
“We still have ramen this morning, so I’ll make Ayane some ramen, then.” Shion stretched again and headed towards the kitchen.
Ayane fiercely crunched a potato chip, crumbs scattering onto the tatami mat.
‘Stupid Big Sis, one glance at the TV and you’d know I was lying. There’s no morning drama on now, just this annoying weather forecast.’ Ayane held the TV remote, wanting to turn it off directly. But she worried her sister would be concerned if she didn’t hear the TV, so she left it on, watching the anchor report weather for places completely unrelated to their town.
‘Yesterday was truly a close call… I almost lost Big Sis… But yesterday, I had no power to intervene at all…’
Ayane buried her head in a cushion, letting her tears soak the fabric.
****
At that moment, Rie was sitting in her family’s spacious living room.
The chandelier’s light was dazzling, especially for Rie, who had only managed two or three hours of sleep last night. Re-examining the seal for any issues, re-evaluating her own actions concerning the seal—all of this was incredibly time and energy-consuming. Moreover, Rie had performed an extra check last night.
This morning, Grandpa Butler was giving his daily report to Rie’s father, the current Igarashi family head.
Given what had transpired yesterday, Rie had no grounds to refuse any punishment.
However, the wait for her father to decide her punishment felt a little too long.
In the vast living room, the only sounds were the ticking of an antique grandfather clock and Rie’s own breathing. She could vaguely hear Grandpa Butler on the phone, but Rie neither knew nor wished to know what was being said.
Rie heard the phone being replaced. Grandpa Butler had hung up.
The red-haired girl stood up, watching Grandpa Butler enter the living room, bracing herself for her father’s reprimand.
“Young Miss,” Grandpa Butler began, his voice slightly aged.
“Yes, Butler-san, what did Father say?” Rie asked.
Grandpa Butler paused, as if reluctant to speak.
“Young Miss, the Master said that this time, you did very well.”
Rie’s eyes widened. She couldn’t believe Grandpa Butler’s words. “Butler-san, did you say my father… said I did very well?”
Grandpa Butler’s expression flickered. “Yes, he said you did very well, Young Miss. He said that if the release continues at this scale for a period, the seal won’t have any problems for decades.”
“Continuous release?! Is he insane?! Shion-san… the Guardian Lady almost died there yesterday!” Hearing this, Rie instantly understood her father’s true intention. “Did he even think about the Guardian Lady?”
“The Master said that the Guardian Lady’s duty is to purge evil spirits and protect the town, which aligns with the Igarashi family’s duty to protect the town. The Guardian Lady… she should also be motivated to fulfill these tasks.”
Grandpa Butler paused again, then continued, “He believes, Young Miss, that you should communicate with the Guardian Lady and have her actively assist in fulfilling the Guardian’s and the Igarashi family’s mission.”
“Father is using the Guardian Lady as a tool!” Rie felt an uncontrollable surge of anger welling up inside her. “She’s not a tool. She’s a Hoshimori Miko, my classmate, my friend!”
“I understand your sentiment, Young Miss. The Master… he is also simply trying to fulfill the Igarashi family’s mission.”
However, in the end, Grandpa Butler added, “But you are currently the one protecting the seal, and any specific operational matters are for you to decide. Until the Master returns, you are, and always have been, the highest authority in family affairs.”
‘But I’m fed up too…’
Rie gritted her teeth, leaving the rest of her thought unsaid.
After Grandpa Butler went back to his duties, she pulled out her phone, looking at the photos and videos she’d saved about Tokyo—tourism, idols, sights. She had told Shion many times that she didn’t want to stay in this town anymore; she wanted to go to Tokyo. ‘Let whoever wants to guard the seal do it!’
With this thought, Rie took a deep breath and opened her chat with Shion.
As her finger hovered over the send button, she hesitated for a moment.
‘Duties, missions… what are they worth?’
‘But I want to be selfish, just this once.’
She pressed send, and almost immediately, the “Read” notification lit up.
[Shion-san, could you come out and hang with me?]