After leaving Tokyo, the weather had finally cleared up. Looking at scenery that was like a completely different world from Tokyo, Rita thought of the Weather Child Miko... Yae Sakura.
Neither a weather doll nor Celestial Fu Hua punching open the heavens had stopped the rain. In the end, it had been the Yae Shrine Miko's strongest Spirit Tongue—"The Captain's supplies always hit pity, and the Captain's stages have Zero drops"—that changed the weather.
"Rita, I'm thirsty."
While Rita was lost in thought, Shiina Mashiro tugged at the hem of Rita's skirt, snapping Rita back to attention. By reflex, Rita immediately pressed down on Shiina Mashiro's hand.
A sailor uniform skirt was not very long. One tug, and everything would be exposed!
"You naughty little kitten."
Rita gently pinched Shiina Mashiro's little nose, feeling rather helpless over her actions, though she did not take them too seriously.
"All right, I'll go get some."
Rita did not know about other trains, but this one had hot water.
"I want black tea."
Shiina Mashiro added.
"Sleeping Black Tea?"
"?"
Shiina Mashiro looked at Rita in confusion, clearly not understanding the joke at all.
"Never mind, it's nothing..."
There was no need to let pure Shiina Mashiro learn such a nasty joke.
"Watch our things. I'll go make it."
Taking out the prepared cups and tea bags, Rita told Shiina Mashiro to keep an eye on their belongings. Although almost everyone in this carriage was one of their own.
"Okay."
Shiina Mashiro answered, though she did not seem reliable at all.
Shaking her head slightly, Rita walked over to where the Shinkansen provided free hot water. However, while making the tea, Rita suddenly... seemed to see a man and a woman, both around twenty, coming out of the train restroom. Their foreheads