How should I put it...
It was a clear April morning, with the scent of cherry blossoms in the air.
The girl walked down the stone steps in her knee-length white skirt, basking in the warm sunlight.
The spring wind played with her long orange hair, and her clear, captivating eyes held a beauty that seemed destined. Her lips wore a gentle smile, as if hinting at something wonderful to come.
In that moment, a romantic and warm possibility gently knocked on Fujiwara Reya's heart.
In his sight, Kasahara Asuka came down the steps wearing small white shoes, her steps not large but full of youthful vitality.
Her outfit was fashionable: a pale yellow long-sleeve shirt with a slender white neck peeking from the collar, and dazzling metal earrings dangling from her earlobes.
Her posture was natural and graceful, her beautiful face blending with the falling petals. As she walked straight towards him, Fujiwara Reya instinctively reached out to greet her.
However...
Kasahara Asuka stopped.
Three steps above Fujiwara Reya, she covered her wind-blown orange hair with one hand and gently pressed her skirt down with the other, her gaze falling on his hand.
"Senpai, you're reaching out so far..." She tilted her head at an adorable angle, her voice pure yet lazy, "Be honest, were you planning to hold Asuka's hand?"
Fujiwara Reya withdrew his hand and returned her hat with the other: "I was planning to do just that."
"Why do you want to hold Asuka's hand?" Kasahara Asuka elegantly put on her hat.
"The atmosphere is set perfectly, it's only natural to think that way," Fujiwara Reya said candidly, "A clear April morning, meeting a perfect girl, surrounded by the scent of cherry blossoms. The two might pass by each other or find a romantic café to have coffee. Destiny leans towards the former, but I prefer the latter."
"A perfect girl?"
Kasahara Asuka pondered the phrase, blinking several times at Fujiwara Reya.
"Praising someone like this early in the morning," she pressed her index finger to her chin, speaking while thinking, "Senpai, are you plotting something..."
The leisurely way she spoke, combined with her adorably cunning smile, gave Fujiwara Reya the feeling that she was about to spring a trap.
Sure enough, the next second, Kasahara Asuka placed her hands over her chest and jumped back a little, warily saying, "Senpai, you're not trying to win me over again, are you? Sorry, that's too straightforward. We just met, haven't developed feelings yet; you're too frivolous, I can't accept this!"
"..."
Without a word, Fujiwara Reya walked around her and returned to the shrine.
"Senpai, wait for Asuka!" Kasahara Asuka stuck to him like a troublesome adhesive, forgetting that she had just given Fujiwara Reya a cold shoulder, her expression not the least bit awkward.
She loved teasing Fujiwara Reya like this.
Somehow, she felt... this seemingly staid senpai had to have an impure side inside.
If she could tease out that impure side, it would be delightful... Kasahara Asuka chuckled to herself, thinking that being young was an advantage; if it were her older sister, she probably couldn't pull off this trick.
The two walked side by side along the temple path, with the dilapidated shrine courtyard coming into view.
The torii plaque had inscriptions.
[Asakusa Shrine]
The lettering was devoid of paint, with the corners heavily eroded by the elements, making it unrecognizable without a careful look.
After passing through the torii, they entered the inner courtyard.
The area was much larger than a standard football field, full of ruins buried under weeds. The only intact building was the worship hall, with its exterior walls covered in vines.
Through its open doors, one could see an unspecified deity statue inside, immaculate and contrasting starkly with the dilapidated shrine.
Standing in the bright spring light, eyes gazing at the bleak solitude, this contrast left Kasahara Asuka silent for a long time.
"What brings you here?" Fujiwara Reya sat on a large stone amidst the weeds.
The spring breeze passed gently, with the dense wild grass bending slightly, creating a pleasant rustling sound. At his feet, the old guardian dog statue was left with half its body, a blue-purple bellflower swaying beautifully and sorrowfully in the wind.
Snapping back from her thoughts in the spring wind, Kasahara Asuka wore an unusually serious expression, took a deep breath, and said, "It's kind of sad, you know, decades ago, many talented youths practiced magic here, and the place was filled with laughter."
"How do you know?" Fujiwara Reya asked amusedly.
"My sister told me," Kasahara Asuka naturally crossed her arms, smiling faintly, "The former glory and beauty are gone, the laughter has disappeared, leaving a desolate courtyard and a lone little priest."
"I think it's not so bad," Fujiwara Reya placed his hands on his knees, calmly surveying this world left by his mother in the sunlight.
Kasahara Asuka, watching him intently, found that senpai looked as beautiful as a glass ornament in the gentle morning light.
"What's so good about it?"
She retorted, putting her hands on her hips and leaning forward to ask him, "Senpai, are you pretending to be dense or truly naïve? You totally don't get my hints!"
"Uh..."
Fujiwara Reya genuinely didn't understand what hint she was giving.
"Honestly, what should I say," Kasahara Asuka leaned closer, as if about to share a secret, whispered in his ear, "The weather is so nice today, won't you go shopping with Asuka—"
A sweet citrus scent drifted into his nose, and the girl's gentle breath tickled his ear. Fujiwara Reya felt a bit itchy, instinctively leaning back to avoid her, and grumbled with an unfriendly expression, "Come on, that tickles, don't do that next time!"
"Blockhead!"
Kasahara Asuka pouted and scolded him, then ran into the worship hall in her small white shoes.
"Hey, wait, that's my place!" Fujiwara Reya got up to chase after her, "You haven't even said why you're here, don't act like we're close!"
"Are you hungry?" Kasahara Asuka answered irrelevantly.
Fujiwara Reya nodded: "Famished."
"Go and get something for Asuka to eat~~"
"Don't use that trick!"
"Senpai~~"
"Don't call me senpai!"
"Senpai, senpai, senpai, senpai—"
Fujiwara Reya glared at her, slightly raising his voice, "Do you know what happened to the last broken record I met?"
"Was the last one as cute as Asuka?" Kasahara Asuka once again answered with a question.
"Not half as cute as you," Fujiwara Reya answered honestly.
Despite her slightly frivolous impression, deep down, she truly was a beautiful girl in her prime... For instance, her outfit today was very stylish, her makeup was light and natural, her skirt didn't reach her knees, her long-sleeve top's sleeves slightly covered her wrists, and the neckline occasionally revealed her fair, delicate collarbone.
After considerable effort to avert his gaze from her collarbone, Fujiwara Reya had to admit she was indeed very beautiful.
"Since Asuka is so cute, senpai should do me the favor of feeding me today!" Kasahara Asuka's eyes sparkled with mischief, and she twirled lightly, walking toward the corridor leading to the backyard, her swaying orange hair exuding a wonderful fragrance.