Itomori
"So, where will you stay today?" Mitsuha asked with a hint of shyness as the two walked out of the school. Sayaka and Tessie had already left earlier.
It seemed that what had happened was too much for Tessie to handle, as he had run away after Akira introduced himself, and Sayaka had gone after him, leaving the two alone in an awkward situation on the school rooftop.
Even Akira was stunned by the turn of events. He was caught off guard by Tessie's behavior, which resembled that of girls in anime. Unlike young men who would impulsively pick fights with someone approaching the girl they liked, girls would cry and run away—exactly what Tessie had done.
Although this was unexpected even for Akira, he quickly recovered from his shock and left the school with Mitsuha by his side.
"Hmm..." Upon hearing Mitsuha's words, Akira hummed in confusion and said, "Isn't it obvious? I'll stay at your place."
Although his tone and expression were filled with confusion, the mischief and teasing in his eyes were unmistakable. He was trying to provoke Mitsuha, enjoying seeing her act like a shy and angry cat.
"My place..." Mitsuha muttered in confusion but nodded in understanding and resignation. "I guess there's no other choice. This town doesn't have any hotels, so I have no choice but to let you stay at my place tonight."
"..." Akira stared at Mitsuha with some confusion, unsure if her words were directed at him or if she was trying to convince herself. But he nodded wisely and said nothing more, allowing Mitsuha to organize her thoughts as they walked aimlessly through the streets toward Miyamizu Shrine, where Mitsuha lived.
Miyamizu Shrine had a long history spanning over a thousand years. For generations, they had worshipped Musubi no Kami. The ability of the Miyamizu Family, which allowed the women of the family to swap bodies with men in another time and place, was believed to be a blessing from Musubi no Kami. It helped them find their destined partners and also aided in their prosperity and avoidance of disasters.
Although Akira hadn't been interested in gods before, he now found himself intrigued, especially since he knew how difficult it was for someone to transfer their soul from one body to another due to the immense power required.
And so, Akira also intended to investigate Miyamizu Shrine, hoping to find any evidence of Musubi no Kami or even meet him directly. Although he had some memories of Cain from The Fourth Primogenitor's Blood Memory, they were fragmented and only showed moments of their ordinary lives, which were surprisingly no different from those of regular humans—something that didn't satisfy Akira's curiosity about gods.
Honestly, he wanted to know the difference between natural gods and D, as he was certain that D was far from the word "natural."
Although Akira was lost in thought, his hand had already slipped into Mitsuha's, holding it gently as the two walked together, with the fiery shadows of the sunset casting behind them.
_
"I'm back!!" Mitsuha exclaimed as she slid open the paper cloud-patterned door of her house and entered the hallway with Akira following behind.
"You're late, Onee-chan!!" Yotsuha shouted in annoyance, poking her head out from the living room. The sun had set some time ago, and dinner had been ready for a while, but Mitsuha hadn't returned.
"Sorry, but I was a little busy, so I got delayed," Mitsuha apologized with a smile as she took off her shoes and picked up her indoor slippers, placing a pair of guest slippers in front of Akira. "Here, wear these."
"..." Yotsuha stared at the handsome young man with her older sister and couldn't help but gawk at the two in shock. The atmosphere between them was incredibly intimate, and it was impossible for them to be strangers. "Oba-chan!! Onee-chan brought a man home!!"
"W-wait... Yotsuha!!" Hearing Yotsuha's scream, Mitsuha panicked and reached out to stop her, but Yotsuha ignored her and ran back into the living room to deliver the shocking news to their grandmother.
"Yotsuha!!..." Mitsuha shouted in frustration as she ran after Yotsuha and their grandmother. She could hear Yotsuha's voice from the hallway, telling their grandmother her speculations about Akira.
"Pffft!!" Seeing the comedy between the sisters, Akira couldn't hold back and burst into laughter. He had expected something like this, given his knowledge of the Miyamizu Family, but seeing it firsthand was hilarious.
"..." Seeing Akira laughing at her predicament, Mitsuha could only glare at him fiercely before rushing into the living room to stop Yotsuha before she created an irreparable misunderstanding.
After laughing for a bit, Akira stopped and headed to the same room where the sisters had gone. His steps were confident and steady, clearly familiar with the Miyamizu Family's home after living there for about a month.
"..." Upon entering the noisy room, Akira burst into laughter again. Mitsuha and Yotsuha were wrestling with each other, and their expressions were incredibly funny. Yotsuha had her fingers in Mitsuha's nose, while Mitsuha did the same to Yotsuha. The two girls were rolling around, with Yotsuha causing misunderstandings while Mitsuha tried to explain angrily.
As for their grandmother, she was watching her granddaughters with a gentle gaze while setting out an additional set of bowls and chopsticks—clearly meant for Akira.
...
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