A girl with a hand puppet

Gale-force winds howled, making the windows creak and groan under their relentless assault. Raindrops, as if cleansing the entire world, lashed against the glass, their rhythmic patter echoing inside the room.

“It’s raining again. What’s with the weather lately? Does Tengu City always love rain so much in May?”

The young woman gazed out the window, her brow furrowed with worry. The pervasive dampness brought by the heavy rain made her deeply uncomfortable.

“Ms. Shimazaki, did you forget your umbrella?”

Mr. Uesugi, who had been resting alongside her, seemed to notice her gloomy mood and initiated the conversation.

“No, I didn’t. The weather forecast explicitly said it would be sunny today. Could the algorithm be faulty?”

Yisha recalled the weather forecast provided by Nuwa earlier, a wave of frustration washing over her. After all, from her current perspective, Nuwa, crafted from the Forbidden Fruit itself, was her greatest masterpiece. If Nuwa couldn’t even predict the weather, how could she be relied upon in battle?

Uesugi approached, handing Yisha a cup of coffee before settling down beside her. He leisurely savored the tranquil moments before the end of their workday.

“Ms. Shimazaki, how about I lend you my umbrella?”

Yisha, cradling the warm cup in her hands, shook her head. After taking a slow sip of coffee, she spoke softly.

“Then how would you get back? I can have my sister come pick me up, but Mr. Uesugi, you can’t, can you?”

“Cough, cough! Haha, you’re right.”

As if choking on his coffee, Uesugi coughed a few times. He then abandoned the idea of offering his umbrella.

Yisha quietly watched the scene outside the window. The sky remained overcast, occasionally pierced by flashes of lightning amidst the clouds. The torrential rain washed away the mundane dust, restoring everything to a pristine state.

“If only human hearts could be cleansed in the same way, it would be wonderful.”

“Ms. Shimazaki, what did you say?”

Uesugi looked at her with a puzzled expression. Yisha quickly waved her hand, explaining.

“Nothing, just talking to myself.”

Silence descended upon them once more, though it was quickly broken.

“School’s out. Well then, Ms. Shimazaki, I still have some wrapping-up work to do, so I’ll be heading off.”

“Mm, see you.”

Uesugi rose and departed from the lounge area. Yisha continued to sip her coffee, appreciating the rain-swept view. However, as she tasted the bitter flavor, comparing it to the drinks Yina usually brought her, the young woman sighed.

‘Perhaps milk tea suits me better than hot coffee?’

‘What in the world is wrong with the weather forecast lately? Why is it so incredibly inaccurate!’

The young man sprinted down the street, sending puddles of water splashing in every direction with his hurried steps.

“And I still have to buy groceries and cook!”

As if hearing the youth’s unspoken complaints, the rain seemed to embrace the idea of ‘if it’s going to rain, it might as well rain harder,’ and began to intensify noticeably.

Shido placed his bag over his head, attempting to minimize the area exposed to the rain. Yet, it was utterly futile. The wind-driven raindrops were pervasive, swiftly drenching the last dry spot on his body.

“Well, great. Now there’s no need to rush. I’ll just head back slowly.”

Understanding the overwhelming power of the storm, Shido abandoned his struggle and began to walk leisurely toward home. Soon, however, a look of astonishment appeared on his face.

“Yina?”

The young woman walked gracefully through the rain. The wind, which moments ago had felt strong enough to almost carry him away, became a gentle breeze around her, flowing as softly as if wrapped around a finger.

“Hello, Shido. You look a bit disheveled~.”

Yina covered the curve of her lips, a smile playing on her face.

“I forgot my umbrella when I left.”

Shido covered his face, filled with deep regret. He usually checked the weather forecast every day before leaving, yet today was the one day he’d forgotten.

“Evidently.”

Short and direct, the young woman’s reply felt like a sharp blade piercing his chest. Shido felt utterly miserable.

“But the forecast for today was sunny, you know. Perhaps it can be wrong sometimes. If you don’t mind, why don’t you use this umbrella?”

With that, the young woman took an umbrella from her bag and offered it to Shido.

“Eh, is that really alright?”

The young man looked bewildered, but still accepted Yina’s umbrella.

“It is! This is a double umbrella, you see. In exchange, please go pick up my sister, Shido. I still need to pick up the children. Michael.”

Yina placed her hand on Shido’s shoulder, softly calling out the Angel’s name. Immediately, Shido felt his clothes gradually drying.

“Oh~, what a convenient ability.”

Astonished by the miraculous power of the Angel, he failed to realize what Yina had asked of him before demonstrating her ability.

‘Negotiation rule number one: present your conditions, then immediately reveal something even more surprising, making the other party psychologically accept the original conditions or too preoccupied to think about them.’

Recalling some of the little tidbits Yisha had shared with her in the past, the young woman smiled.

“Alright then, I’ll leave it to you. I still have to pick up the children.”

After helping Shido dry off and opening the umbrella for him, Yina quickly uttered these words at a pace fast enough to be understood. Then, she turned and… ran off.

Watching Yina’s rapidly disappearing figure, Shido’s mind hadn’t quite caught up. It wasn’t until Yina undeniably outpaced a car that he finally understood what he had agreed to.

“Uh, well, this…”

Glancing at the now distant Yina, then at the umbrella in his hand, Shido reluctantly turned and headed back towards the school.

“Tsk, why is Yina taking so long? Even if she went to pick up Liliya and the others first, it shouldn’t take this long. And of all times, Yina’s phone is off!”

Yisha paced back and forth at the entrance of the school building, muttering to herself. The phone in her hand was utterly useless.

“Could it be that I’ll have to brave the rain and run home?”

The young woman looked at the pouring rain outside with a mix of surprise and uncertainty. After much deliberation, she decided to test the intensity of the downpour. However, just as she extended her hand, a sudden voice from behind made her whole body tremble.

“Ms. Shimazaki, you haven’t gone home yet?”

Yisha stiffly turned her head. Sure enough, it was Mr. Uesugi.

“Ahaha, my sister might have had something come up, so she’s a bit late.”

Uesugi scratched his head, then silently pulled an umbrella from his bag and offered it to Yisha. Yisha, in turn, was stunned.

“Lending it… to me?”

The young woman pointed at the umbrella, then at herself. Her bewildered expression made her seem somewhat vulnerable.

“Remember to return it tomorrow.”

Leaving her with that single sentence, Uesugi stepped into the rain, waving goodbye as he departed from the school.

‘Never mind, it was a kind gesture after all.’

Thinking this, the young woman opened the umbrella and began walking back. As fate would have it, just as Yisha was about to exit the main gate, Shido arrived.

“Yisha!”

“Shido, did you… forget something here?”

Noticing Shido’s soaked trouser cuffs and the bag still in his hand, Yisha inquired.

In response, Shido sheepishly scratched his temple.

“Not exactly. Yina had to pick up the children, so she asked me to come get you.”

“Oh~, then, where’s your umbrella? You’re not planning for us to share one, are you…?”

Yisha’s words trailed off mid-sentence. She suddenly remembered how much effort Yina had put into her date with Shido last month. In other words, it was highly probable that Yina was pulling a prank on her sister even now.

“It’s probably that Yina didn’t have enough umbrellas. But it’s great that you have one.”

Understanding Yisha’s displeasure, Shido quickly defended Yina, simultaneously attempting to change the subject.

“Indeed, I really should thank Mr. Uesugi.”

‘Picking up kids and not bringing enough umbrellas? You’re really something, Yina. Just wait until tonight; I’ll deal with you then!’

Having made up her mind, Yisha continued her walk home, with Shido falling into step beside her as they left together.

“Huh, is this a shrine?”

Perhaps due to the rain, the young woman seemed more lively than her usual quiet and rational self. It might also have been because they weren’t taking their usual route.

“Yes, it is. Speaking of which, Yisha, you’ve been here for so long and never visited this place?”

Shido was somewhat perplexed. According to what he knew, Yisha was born and raised here; at least, that’s what her household registration and resume stated.

“No, I haven’t. Or rather, if Yina hadn’t run off to your house, I wouldn’t have come this way at all.”

Just ten minutes earlier, Yina had called to say she was at Shido’s house and asked Yisha to come over. Yet, despite Yisha repeatedly asking why she went to the Itsuka residence, the young woman offered no explanation.

“I see. Would you like to take a look around then?”

Shido considered for a moment before extending the invitation to Yisha. The young woman, however, looked utterly flustered.

“Eh? Places like this usually have shrine maidens, don’t they? Is it really okay for us to just walk in and look around?”

“No, it’s not. Rather, why would Yisha think there’s a problem?”

The young woman pressed a finger to her chin, pondering for a moment. Then, she looked up and provided her answer.

“Because for shrine maidens, this place is essentially their home. And for us to just go in and look around without permission—isn’t that incredibly rude?”

Shido felt a headache coming on. He had never imagined Yisha would be so particular about rules in such unexpected situations.

“For a shrine, the more visitors who come to worship, the better. It not only signifies the shrine’s proper management but also symbolizes the popularity of the enshrined deity. Besides, even if the shrine maidens live here, their private rooms wouldn’t be accessible to us. Understand?”

Yisha nodded thoughtfully, indicating that she understood.

“So, shall we go in?”

“Yes! I’ve never visited a shrine in my entire life. Consider this an eye-opener for today!”

The young woman raised her arm, replying with a playful cheer.

However, as the two passed through the torii gate, what they saw was not the shrine maiden they had imagined, standing under an umbrella, patiently awaiting worshippers. Instead, it was a beautiful, blue-haired young woman, resembling a French doll, wearing a comical rabbit hand puppet and a green rabbit-hooded dress.

Perhaps oblivious to their presence, the girl nimbly leaped through the puddles, seemingly playing, seemingly dancing.

Her graceful movements caused Yisha to halt. The young girl’s dance reminded her of someone else from her memories—someone she had stopped knowing a long, long time ago.

“Your dancing is beautiful, but with such intense use of that leg, can you truly endure this rematch?”

Perhaps her memories were overlapping with reality, for the girl lost her footing. She was about to tumble to the ground.

She squeezed her eyes shut, as if fearing the impending pain. Yet, instead, she felt a wave of warmth.

“It’s alright now. There’s no need to be afraid.”

The young woman spoke these words to her, or perhaps, to her past self.