Shion, clad in a pristine white Miko outfit, appeared before Sakuya.
“Kujou-san, good evening! What brings you here?” Shion asked, helping Sakuya, who was slumped on the ground, to her feet.
“I was just at the library,” Sakuya explained, rubbing her leg. “As soon as I stepped out, those ‘specters’ came after me… Shion-san, slow down, slow down, my leg really hurts!”
“Oh? What are specters?” Shion inquired, feigning complete ignorance.
“You don’t know, Shion-san?” Sakuya was astonished. “I thought you were the one who just chased them away!”
“I was just out for a stroll,” Shion replied with a chuckle, scratching her head as she tried to concoct a plausible excuse.
Sakuya picked up her phone, which she had dropped earlier, and checked the time. Turning the screen towards Shion, she continued, “Shion-san, it’s almost midnight, you know. You’re out for a walk at this hour? Ayane-san will surely scold you for this.”
“Ah, well… it’s precisely because I have to keep it from her that I’m out at this time,” Shion said, straightening up and allowing Sakuya to lean against her shoulder for support.
Sakuya eyed Shion with a skeptical glance. “Shion-san, you’re not out late at night doing anything mischievous, are you?”
“Hmph…” Shion exhaled, a thought of retort forming, and she cast a sidelong glance at Sakuya. “Do you think this is Tokyo, where we’d have some enviable ‘night economy’ or something similar?”
“So, Shion-san, you’re just out for a walk at night? Then why… are you wearing a Miko outfit?” Sakuya questioned, scrutinizing Shion from head to toe. Clad in her snow-white Miko attire, Shion’s presence here struck Sakuya as utterly peculiar, both by instinct and logic.
Shion tucked the two remaining talismans she held into her robes, then presented her empty hands to Sakuya, gesturing slightly. “I’m a Miko of the Hoshimori Shrine, you see. Even at night, after returning home, there might still be worshippers, so I usually change into my Miko attire in the evenings.”
Earlier today, during her prayers, Shion had sensed the presence of malevolent specters. Simultaneously, however, she also felt a very familiar aura: Sakuya’s. Since her abilities had evolved, Shion no longer fully required the Spirit Cutter to exorcise such specters. These few specters didn’t even necessitate the Spirit Cutter; Shion could simply draw a few talismans and seal them directly. To avoid arousing Sakuya’s suspicion, Shion hadn’t even brought the Spirit Cutter with her when she left.
In other words, the two malevolent specters that had been pursuing Sakuya were not powerful at all; in fact, they were quite weak. They couldn’t catch Sakuya because they genuinely lacked the ability to, and even if they had, they wouldn’t have posed any significant danger to her. At most, they might have caused a few consecutive days of nightmares. For Shion, a simple knotted cord, similar to the one she wove for Iori Grandma, would have been sufficient to resolve the issue.
Upon hearing Shion’s explanation, Sakuya gazed at her with a look of exasperation. “So, Shion-san, do you not change your clothes when you go to sleep at night?”
“Uh… it seems, that’s actually… true,” Shion admitted, rubbing her head sheepishly.
Sakuya rubbed her own head, then extended a hand towards Shion, taking a deep breath. “Shion-san, could you… walk me home?”
Shion nodded, a smile gracing her lips. “Yes, no problem at all.”
With the malevolent specters exorcised, the night breeze became considerably more pleasant. Though the tail end of summer still carried a lingering warmth, the evening wind served as autumn’s vanguard, bringing a refreshing coolness to the fading season.
Feeling the cool breeze caress the hem of her skirt, Sakuya instinctively stretched, spreading her arms as if to embrace the refreshing night air.
Shion watched Sakuya’s movements and chuckled softly. “Kujou-san, if you want a hug, you can hug me, you know~”
Sakuya’s gaze instantly sharpened as she looked at Shion. “Alright then, Shion-san, if you truly wish for one, I can give you a hug anytime.”
“Oh? Really?” Shion drew out her words, a hint of shyness coloring her cheeks despite her bold declaration. “Well, then, I’m really going to hug you now~”
Without another word, Sakuya stepped forward and gently embraced Shion.
“W-wait, no?” Shion panicked instantly. She had only meant it as a casual joke and hadn’t expected Sakuya to actually embrace her. “Um… Kujou-san? I was just kidding!”
Sakuya released her, her face flushed slightly, yet adorned with a profoundly satisfied smile. “Was it? Well, I wasn’t kidding. When Natsume Soseki penned the phrase ‘The moon is beautiful,’ he did so with genuine feeling, you know.”
“Is that so?…” Shion covered her face. “Honestly! Kujou-san, you truly didn’t realize I was joking?”
Sakuya tapped her own lips with a finger, a charming smile playing on her face.
‘Could she not have known Shion was joking? Of course, she knew. Yet, if Shion’s words had been sincere, Sakuya would have been genuinely delighted. Thus, Sakuya had decided to act with sincerity herself.’
“I still really enjoy staying at the library until so late,” Sakuya mused, gazing at the night’s moon. “It allows me to clear my mind and focus intently on what I love to do, without worrying about anything else.” The sky was clear, unobstructed by clouds, and though enveloped in darkness, the solitary full moon hanging overhead was truly, exquisitely beautiful.
To say, “The moon is beautiful,” perhaps truly wasn’t an overstatement.
“I truly cherish these moments of freedom,” Sakuya confessed, taking her notebook from her bag and cradling it like a precious treasure. “Even though I’m sometimes dissatisfied with what I write, and my parents constantly urge me to give it up, this is ultimately my creation, and it’s what I aspire to do in the future.”
“As I said before, if this is something you’ve thoughtfully decided to pursue, Kujou-san, I will fully support you,” Shion affirmed with a serious nod.
Sakuya covered her mouth, a small laugh escaping. “I knew Shion-san would say that. I feel like I can rely on you.”
Shion scratched her head, a blush creeping up her neck. “I’m not just humoring you, you know. I’m being completely serious.”
Sakuya leaned her head against Shion’s shoulder. “Yes, I believe you.”
The night deepened.
****
By the time Shion had seen Sakuya home, it was already past midnight.
Shion walked alone on the path back to the shrine.
‘Thankfully, I managed to handle Kujou-san’s situation. She shouldn’t have noticed anything about the malevolent specters. But for her to be chased by them, that’s far too dangerous…’
Suddenly, Shion sensed something amiss. Sakuya fleeing from specters implied…
‘Wait a moment, Kujou-san, she…’
‘Can she see ‘spirits’?’