The group left the inn and began exploring the village.
Kizawa Village did not match the image of an old, backward little settlement tucked away in some mountain ravine at all.
Not only did the village have a convenience store, but it also had newly opened gift shops, small restaurants, and other establishments, all hidden beneath the façades of quaint old inns.
Besides the inns, there was also a shrine with a history spanning many years.
Fujino had already run out of words to mock the fact that even a tiny village like this had a shrine.
"All I can say is, Japan is covered in shrines."
The shrine usually did not hold any special events. Only in September and October did it host harvest festivals, and apparently there was even Kuchikamizake and the like.
Anyone who watched anime often probably knew about Kuchikamizake. It was rice wine brewed with the saliva of shrine maidens—though generally speaking, it was not for people to drink, but used as an offering.
Although it was not festival season, there were still ordinary little activities.
Like Omamori.
Fujino did not really believe in Omamori, but the girls seemed to believe in this supernatural stuff, so he simply bought a few.
After leaving the shrine's wooded path, mottled shadows of leaves swayed beneath the trees as a gentle breeze drifted through.
"So we have to wait until September or October for any events..."
Suzuki Sonoko walked down the stone steps in a goose-yellow dress. Two straps connected to dark-green sections that supported the fullness of her chest, making it look considerably more pronounced and giving her an especially lively, vibrant beauty.
She looked up at the sunlight filtering through the patchy canopy and sighed helplessly. "Looks like we came too early. If there had