C1: A Shrine Maiden’s New Life, Twin Sister Included

“Don’t come any closer!”

A girl abruptly woke from her bed, sitting bolt upright and gasping for air.

“I’m… I’m still alive. Thank goodness…” The girl touched her hands, relieved to find no missing limbs. Only then did she let out a long sigh of relief.

“This system is at least considerate in that regard, otherwise I truly would have died out there after yesterday’s exorcism…” she mumbled, pulling open the curtains beside her bed. It was a bright, clear day, and golden sunlight softly streamed into the tidy room, casting a faint shimmer on the wooden tatami mats.

All things considered, this marked her third day in this world.

She, or rather, he, had been an otaku just three days prior—a male otaku fond of playing gal games.

He had just gotten his hands on a newly released gal game yesterday, highly recommended by his best friend.

His friend, so the story went, had bought the physical disc on release day. When he returned to class after the weekend, his dark circles were heavier than a panda’s, his body felt weak, and his steps were ethereal, yet a blissful, contented smile adorned his face.

‘Ah, a goofy grin would be more accurate.’

“A masterpiece, absolutely a masterpiece!” His friend declared that afternoon, thrusting a thumb upwards, the spoon in his hand trembling slightly along with it—whether from the dismal cafeteria food or his extreme exhaustion, it was hard to tell. As a fellow otaku, he could probably grasp why his friend called it a masterpiece.

Swayed by his friend’s enthusiastic praise, he, too, decided to acquire a copy.

However, when he unboxed the package, the disc in his hand felt subtly off. He couldn’t quite pinpoint what was wrong, only that it felt strange.

‘But the game’s here, why overthink it? Time to start playing, go on dates with the adorable girls, and then…’

Yet, the moment he pressed the Enter key, a blinding white light engulfed him.

He awoke to an unfamiliar ceiling.

‘Right, this game allowed players to choose the protagonist’s gender.’

‘Girls cuddling other pretty girls must be amazing, so why not try playing as a female character?’ That was his thought at the time.

Now, clutching his head, he began to regret it. ‘No, this is a gal game! I can enjoy watching pretty girls interact, but if I myself become a girl, what’s the point of playing a gal game anymore?!’

‘Ah, but looking in the mirror, I’m still quite cute. Snow-white hair reaching my shoulders, a slender waist that could be spanned by a single hand, a ‘zettai ryouiki’ (TL Note: A Japanese term referring to the area of exposed thigh between a skirt and over-the-knee socks, often considered alluring in anime/manga) exuding youthful charm, and the outfit I’m wearing… is a miko (TL Note: A Japanese shrine maiden) uniform?’

‘The protagonist’s name, if I recall correctly, is Hoshimori Shion. She’s the miko of the Hoshimori Shrine, the sole shrine in this coastal town.’

‘If this were a major title from Yuzusoft (TL Note: A Japanese visual novel company known for its bishoujo games), she’d undoubtedly be the main heroine.’

‘Wait, if I had chosen a male protagonist, would he also be a miko? That would be a bit…’

****

“Big Sister!”

‘Ah, no time for further contemplation.’

From outside the door came a thudding of footsteps, followed by a clear, ringing shout.

“Three, two…”

The wooden door burst open with a resounding thud, making it seem as though it had been violently kicked in.

“One…”

A white-haired beautiful girl launched herself into her embrace.

‘Wait, my waist hurts so much! I haven’t fully recovered from yesterday’s exorcism yet!’

The beautiful girl rubbed against her, like a small white puppy.

“Ayane! Stop rubbing! You’ll flatten me!” Shion said, exasperated.

This was her younger sister, Hoshimori Ayane. It had been three days since she entered this game and became Hoshimori Shion, and her clingy sister performed this routine every single morning.

‘There’s no helping it; she’s my only sister, after all.’ According to the game’s setting, Ayane and Shion were twin sisters, both standard beautiful girls.

‘Except… Shion really wanted to complain: did Mom and Dad give all the nutrition to Ayane back then and none to her? Ayane was a mountain range, while she was a flat plain…’

“What does it matter? Big Sister never had any to begin with.”

‘Stabbing directly at her sore spot without hesitation—truly her blood sister.’

“I won’t be making breakfast or your lunch bento today.”

“No, no, no! Big Sister is so generous, Big Sister is amazing!” Ayane quickly amended.

‘Why does that still sound so wrong the more I hear it?!’

“I’m going to make breakfast. Ayane, you go change first. Now let go!”

Ayane finally released her grip on Shion, sticking out her tongue with a mischievous grin.

After ushering Ayane out of the room, she quickly changed into her school uniform, then gazed at her reflection in the full-length mirror.

A beautiful JK (TL Note: A Japanese term for high school girl) uniform: a snow-white shirt, a brown plaid skirt, and white stockings.

‘Hmm, super cute! If I were still in reality, this would definitely be my ideal type. It’s just a shame that self-love (TL Note: A playful reference to narcissism, implying she can’t date herself) isn’t an option in this world for now.’

Dressed, she went to the kitchen and expertly tied on an apron.

‘For breakfast… bread, bacon, and two fried eggs. There’s still some miso soup (TL Note: A traditional Japanese soup consisting of a dashi stock into which softened miso paste is mixed) seasoning left from yesterday, so I might as well make a bowl of that too… For lunch, I’ll make Ayane two rice balls, and add some meat…’

The bright sunlight from outside the window filtered through the curtains into the kitchen. The girl skillfully picked up a knife to chop vegetables, washed rice, and started the cooker, juggling multiple tasks with flowing ease.

Fortunately, Shion had been a self-sufficient otaku who cooked for himself in the real world. With his parents often away on business, takeout was prohibitively expensive and sometimes led to stomach issues, so cooking at home was preferable.

Now, in the game, there was no relying on her sister, who spent every morning watching TV dramas, to cook. If she couldn’t cook either, the two sisters would surely starve.

‘Ayane, can you cook?’ Shion recalled asking on her first night, when she was so ravenous she couldn’t bear it any longer, finally posing the question to her sister, whom she had only truly known for a day.

“Big Sister, what are you talking about?! If you don’t go cook, I’m going to starve!” Ayane pouted.

‘Fine,’ she thought. She had always found it impossible to refuse a beautiful girl’s request, especially that of her own beautiful sister, even if she herself was now a beautiful girl.

‘According to the setting, I was always the one who cooked?’ Shion scratched her head, her mind filled with immense confusion.

‘Never mind, it’s just game lore; let it be.’

“Ayane, breakfast is ready!” Shion placed the bread and fried eggs on the dining table, along with two bowls of miso soup. “If you don’t eat now, you’ll be late for class today.”

“Coming, coming!” Ayane bounced into the living room and immediately began to devour the bread.

“Silly Ayane, did you wash your hands?”

“I did, I did! *Munch munch*, Big Sister’s cooking is truly delicious~” Ayane gnawed at the bread, wolfing it down with the miso soup.

“Slow down, no one’s going to snatch it from you,” Shion said gently, stroking her sister’s hair. “If it’s not enough, there’s milk in the fridge.”

“It’s enough, it’s enough!” Before Ayane had even finished speaking, the plate and bowl before her were completely empty. Then she bounced off to watch television again.

‘Are morning dramas really that captivating…?’ Shion sighed, rubbing her head, as she opened her phone while taking a bite of bread.

On the school forum, a particular post caught her eye.

[Heard someone saw a ‘spirit’ again last night!]