Chapter 45

The girl froze at Shiori's question, then quickly explained.

"Oh... you mean Granny Tamako. She has lung cancer, so her daughter in the United Kingdom took her in for treatment.

I'm not her granddaughter. Granny Tamako helped me, so I asked her to let me run this Shrine."

Wow! She's beautiful, gentle, grateful, and a shrine maiden too! She's amazing! (≧▽≦)

Lingmeng was completely won over. A girl this wonderful was practically perfect wife material!

If Lingmeng were still a boy, she would have wanted to marry her on the spot. Assuming the girl would have her, of course.

"I see. Then what should we call you?"

Shiori nodded in understanding and asked another question.

"Well..." After a moment's thought, the girl smiled. "My name is Yakumo Mikoto. You can call me Mikoto-senpai."

"Okay, Mikoto-senpai! You got it, Mikoto-senpai!"

Lingmeng sounded thrilled. Now the girl had the older-schoolmate charm too. What more could she ask for?

"Haha, you two really are cute girls."

Mikoto-senpai narrowed her eyes and smiled with relief.

"Uh... thanks..." Shiori's mouth twitched at the compliment. She didn't look particularly happy.

That was understandable. Being called cute felt strange when one of them was a boy dressed as a girl and the other had been forcibly turned into a girl.

"Oh, right. Since you're here, why not pray to the deity enshrined here and make a wish?"

Mikoto-senpai lightly clapped her hands.

"Make a wish? Sure."

Lingmeng muttered her agreement.

She wasn't convinced that any deity would grant her wish, though she wasn't ruling it out either. Since Mikoto-senpai had suggested it, she might as well give it a try for fun.

"Um... while we're at it, which deity does this Shrine worship?" Shiori asked.

"Tsukuyomi," Mikoto-senpai answered simply.

"Tsukuyomi? Shiori, if I remember right, isn't that one of Japan's three major deities?"

Lingmeng turned to Shiori with a puzzled look. Shiori nodded.

"That's right. If it's Lord Tsukuyomi, maybe our wishes really will come true."

"Yes, prayers at our Shrine work wonders. As long as you make a wish, Tsukuyomi will definitely grant it."

Mikoto-senpai smiled.

Jingle, jingle...

Shiori and Lingmeng stood before the shrine building. After tossing in a few coins as offerings, they closed their eyes and pressed their palms together in prayer.

Lord Tsukuyomi, if you really exist, please let the people close to me live safe and sound. Don't let my cursed fate get them killed, okay?

And though this might be asking for the impossible, if I can, I'd still like to live a normal life.

Lingmeng made her wish in silent prayer.

Beside her, Shiori was praying too.

Lord Tsukuyomi, please make sure today's date goes smoothly. I don't want Lingmeng to keep thinking she's cursed. I want her to live like anyone else.

After praying for a while, they both opened their eyes.

"Well? Have you both made your wishes?"

The moment they opened their eyes, they found Mikoto-senpai watching them with a warm expression.

"More or less."

"Mm! I'm looking forward to my wish coming true."

Lingmeng and Shiori answered in turn.

"Haha, I'm sure both your wishes will come true."

Mikoto-senpai gave them another heartwarming smile, as though she had already seen the outcome...

Drawing Fortunes

Oh, come to think of it, Xier Ya is a god too. I wonder if she has a shrine somewhere.

If she does, should I go set it on fire? Then no one could worship her. Gods disappear when people stop worshipping them, don't they?

Lingmeng's thoughts gave her a wicked look.

But she was only imagining it. If Xier Ya struck her dead with lightning before she could burn the shrine down, that would be the end of her.

(Meanwhile, up in the heavens, Xier Ya suddenly felt a chill.)

"Oh, right! Would you two like to test your luck? It's free!"

Mikoto-senpai clapped her hands lightly, then produced a small box for drawing fortunes from who knew where.

"Luck? Can you really trust something like that?"

Lingmeng eyed the box in Mikoto-senpai's hands with doubt.

"Our fortunes really are accurate. Last time, a woman drew a good one, and her husband got promoted that very day."

Mikoto-senpai only smiled kindly at Lingmeng's skepticism.

"Let's give it a try, Lingmeng. Mikoto-senpai's even letting us draw for free."

Shiori urged her on. Mikoto-senpai had kindly offered them a free draw; it wouldn't feel right to refuse.

Lingmeng sighed helplessly. "Fine, fine. I'll treat it as a bit of fun."

"Here, draw one!"

As soon as Lingmeng agreed, Mikoto-senpai held out the box to her.

Lingmeng reached inside and pulled out a folded slip of paper.

"Your turn, Shiori-chan."

Once Lingmeng had drawn hers, Mikoto-senpai smiled and offered the box to Shiori.

"Mm... thank you."

Shiori nodded, thanked her, and drew a slip too.

When she unfolded it, she found the words "Great Blessing" written on it.

A faint smile touched Shiori's lips. She seemed to have drawn a good fortune. She wondered what lucky thing might happen.

With that thought, Shiori turned to Lingmeng.

"Lingmeng, I got Great Blessing! What about you?"

Lingmeng was staring down at the words on her slip.

"Ah, Shiori, you've got all the luck... I'm jealous..." Lingmeng sounded dejected. "Mine's a different story. I got this..."

She held up her slip for Mikoto-senpai and Shiori to see.

On it, the words "Great Misfortune" were written in twisted red lettering.

"Um... Mikoto-senpai, didn't you just say your fortunes were really accurate? Is something going to happen to me?"

Lingmeng glanced at her slip, then at Mikoto.

"Uh..." Mikoto looked embarrassed. She had indeed said that.

"It... it's okay! I only said they were very accurate, not that they're always right. Yours must be a coincidence, Lingmeng."

Mikoto hurriedly waved her hands as she explained.

"Why don't you draw a few more? I'm sure that won't happen again."

With that, Mikoto held out the box once more.

"Well, if you say so, I'll give it another try."

Lingmeng drew another fortune—

"Great Misfortune."

Refusing to believe it, she drew again—

And got "Great Misfortune" again.

"Caw, caw, caw..."

An awkward silence fell over them. After three crows flew across the sky, Mikoto finally came to her senses.

"Haha... looks like your luck might be a little poor lately, Lingmeng..." Mikoto gave an awkward laugh.

"But don't worry! I'm a shrine maiden. I can definitely find a way to get rid of your bad luck!"

Mikoto did her best to reassure her.

"Then what brilliant method do you have, Mikoto-senpai?"

Lingmeng's question stopped Mikoto-senpai cold.

She was a shrine maiden, yes, but she had only taken over a few days ago and barely knew what she was doing. She didn't have the first idea how to handle something like this.

But now that she had said it, she had to come up with something.

"Hmm..." Mikoto puffed out her cheeks in distress. Then her eyes suddenly lit up with an idea.

"Shiori, could I borrow your fortune slip?"

Mikoto-senpai hurried over to Shiori.

"Huh? Sure, but what do you need it for?"

"Oh, nothing much."

Mikoto-senpai brushed off the question, took Shiori's slip, and returned to Lingmeng.

"Let me have that for a moment."

"Huh?"

Before Lingmeng could say anything else, Mikoto took her "Great Misfortune" slip and tied it to Shiori's "Great Blessing" slip with a thin string. Then she placed the tied slips back in Lingmeng's hand.

"Shiori's fortune can keep yours in check. That way, it's like Shiori is protecting you."

Mikoto smiled, her eyes narrowing.

"This..." Lingmeng was at a loss for words. That was a remarkably simple way to get rid of bad luck.

She had expected some elaborate method from Mikoto, not a piece of string.

"Fine. Thanks, Mikoto-senpai." Lingmeng rubbed her forehead. "I hope these things aren't real."

"It's okay, Lingmeng. I swear that if anything does happen to you, I'll protect you even if it costs me my life."

Shiori patted the chest she had fashioned with padding, speaking in a tone that hardly suited her current appearance.

"Aw, if Shiori-chan is by my side, I won't be afraid of anything, no matter how hard it gets~"

Lingmeng's teasing reply left Shiori at a loss for words.

"By the way, would you two like to come inside the Shrine for some tea? I haven't had anyone to talk to lately, and I'm bored out of my mind."

"Sure, I'd love to."

"Then we'd be happy to join you."

Lingmeng accepted Mikoto's invitation without a second thought. After all, chatting with a gorgeous girl was bound to be a delight.

And once Shiori saw Lingmeng agree, she decided to come along too.