Fourth Period Is Modern Chinese (Continued)

Anyway, I hoped Komachi got accepted... because this was the one thing I could do nothing about.

After we finished praying, we finally escaped the crowd.

I looked around the vast shrine grounds and saw shrine maidens, shrine maidens, and nurses everywhere [Note]. Just kidding, there were no nurses.

Note: Adults-only dating game.

As I walked through this shrine maiden-filled shrine maiden paradise, I spotted an especially long line. Up ahead was the shrine office. Ema, hamaya arrows, protective charms, and all sorts of other items awaited worshippers.

We waited in line for a while to buy the charms we wanted. We also drew fortunes to test our luck for the year.

I shook the hexagonal wooden box filled with sticks, told the shrine maiden the number on the one I drew, then hurried over with the fortune she gave me to where Yuihama and Yukino were.

I found the two of them in a corner of the spacious grounds. Yuihama was smiling, while Yukino was frowning at the fortune in her hand.

Did something happen...? Wondering about that, I pushed through the crowd and called out to them.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

Yuihama immediately turned my way.

"It's okay. We drew fortunes too."

She waved the slip in her hand around. The large characters "Great Blessing" were written on it. Thanks to that, I roughly understood the situation.

I see... I looked at Yukino. Her lips were slightly pursed as she glanced at me through half-lidded eyes.

"What about you, Hikigaya-kun? You drew one too, right?"

"Yeah."

I opened the fortune I had been holding the whole time. Yukino and Yuihama leaned in.

"Small Blessing..."

This was awkward... But I had only paid a hundred yen, so I couldn't exactly complain about not getting anything good. I