The Origami Club and the Shrine Maiden

"Hey, where's Xiao Ling?"

Lynae had just left the club activity area when she turned around and found that Xiao Ling had vanished without a trace.

"I don't know, Senior was just following behind us..." Sigrika shook her head, her four braids swaying gently with her movements.

"Oh, really? Let me ask him."

Just as Lynae was about to take out her phone to ask Xiao Ling what was going on, Xiao Ling sent her a text message first.

Xiao Ling: You guys go first.

Xiao Ling: I have something to do, so I won't be able to join you.

Lynae: What's up?

Xiao Ling: I saw something that interests me.

Xiao Ling: Anyway, that's the situation. You and Sigrika should go first.

"Let's go, Senior Sigrika. Xiao Ling said he has other important matters to attend to," Lynae briefly explained the situation to Sigrika.

"Hmm? Oh, okay." Sigrika nodded obediently.

Meanwhile, on the other side...

After sending a message to Lynae and the other person to give them an explanation, Xiao Ling turned her gaze to the activity room in front of her, which had its door closed.

Compared to other club activity rooms, this place is quite inconspicuous, lacking both eye-catching signs and luxurious decorations.

A sheet of A4 paper was pasted on the door of the activity room, with three large characters written on it in neat handwriting.

Origami Club.

"The Origami Club?" Xiao Ling stroked his chin thoughtfully.

To be honest, the only person who could be associated with origami is probably that person.

Ah, don't misunderstand, Xiao Ling wasn't talking about that master; that level is too high.

After straightening her clothes, Xiao Ling gently knocked twice on the door of the activity room.

"Come in." A cool female voice sounded from behind the door.

Xiao Ling gently pushed open the door to the activity room, and what came into view was all kinds of origami.

Kites poised to take flight, paper flowers in full bloom, and countless other origami creations were carefully strung together with red thread and hung throughout the activity room.

Upon closer inspection, one could find blessings written on it, such as "May all your wishes come true," "May you achieve immediate success," and "May your family be filled with joy." The handwriting varied, some bold and some neat, but each character conveyed the writer's beautiful expectations for the future.

At the end of these origami origami, a white-haired woman with her hair tied in a ponytail sat there intently folding origami, seemingly unaware of Xiao Ling's arrival.

Slender, delicate fingers deftly folded the paper in the warm sunlight, transforming a flat sheet of paper into a lifelike kite in the blink of an eye.

Hajiling didn't stand on ceremony; she found a chair in the activity room and sat down opposite the white-haired woman with an air of nonchalance.

After folding another paper flower, the white-haired woman looked up at Xiao Ling, who was sitting opposite her watching her fold paper. Her eyes held a hint of a smile, as if she was equally delighted by this unexpected reunion.

"How should I address you now?" The white-haired woman's originally cold voice suddenly warmed up.

"Xiao Ling, Ling, A-Ling, A-Yu, Yu, Xiao Yu, or whatever you like to call me, I don't mind," Xiao Ling said with a gentle smile.

"Crimson Snow."

"Speaking of which, why do you call me Crimson Snow?" Crimson Snow asked with some confusion. "Shouldn't we be of the same generation?"

"In Solaris we're of the same generation, but here you're older than me, so it's not a problem for me to call you 'sister' according to seniority... Actually, I just feel it's more intimate to call you that this way," Xiao Ling said with a grin.

The woman in front of me Crimson Snow, was not wearing her signature shrine maiden outfit. Instead, she was wearing a high school girl uniform, with a white top, a black skirt, white socks, and brown leather shoes.

"Our relationship doesn't need to be measured by titles, but if you like, then I have no objection," Crimson Snow said with a gentle smile.

Xiao Ling smiled and nodded in response, then asked about her recent situation.

"Speaking of which, you've been here for so long, don't you feel uncomfortable?" Xiao Ling asked.

As a member of the Crimson Snow Deep Sky Collective's Special Countermeasures Group —essentially a top-notch enforcer—Her daily work involves dealing with matters that threaten Lahai-Roi's safety, such as preventing the spread of Exostrider Magnetic Storm pollution or preventing enemy infiltration.

At the same time, she has an even more important identity—the last Blazing Sakura Shrine Maiden Ashihara.

Her original plan was to continue searching for a way to save her hometown after this matter was settled, but the president of the Fractsidus told her in a mocking tone that her hometown had vanished from the map of Solaris overnight.

The reason for Ashihara's sudden disappearance is still unknown, and Crimson Snow has unexpectedly arrived in this unfamiliar world, so Xiao Ling is somewhat worried.

"With Principal Roccia here, I've integrated quite well," Crimson Snow calmly reassured him. "She told me to treat this unexpected time travel as a vacation, and she even arranged for me to be a student."

"I thought she would ask you to teach or take on some other position."

"It was my own request," Crimson Snow explained, "It also fulfills a wish I was unable to complete."

"If you hadn't been chosen to succeed the Blazing Sakura Shrine Maiden, you might indeed have been an ordinary student." Xiao Ling leaned on the table, poking at the paper kite she had just folded with her finger.

"There aren't so many 'what ifs' in this world, and I'm not as averse to this identity as you think," Crimson Snow said with a smile. "Besides, even if I don't take on this responsibility, they'll find someone else."

"At least after me, there won't be any more victims."

"Alright, let's end this a bit heavy topic." Xiao Ling got up from the table. "Speaking of which, did Roccia set up this Origami Club for you too?"

"Indeed," Crimson Snow nodded. "This wasn't something I asked for; she prepared it for me on her own initiative. She wanted me to have my own private space in this school."

"No wonder this place looked so inconspicuous. We didn't even notice it when we went to visit the club earlier. I only discovered it on the way back."

"Club visit?"

"Ah, it's like this..."

Xiao Ling told Crimson Snow about her visit to various clubs with Lin Nai and the Lynae.

"Sigrika has recovered, that's good," Crimson Snow said with a smile. "Although it's not usually noticeable, Dania's sudden departure has clearly affected her. I sometimes see her sitting alone by Dania's bedside, lost in thought, with an indescribable sadness in her eyes."

"Roccia also told me that Sigrika's grades dropped quite a bit during the period right after Dania left, which gave her, as the principal, a real headache. Fortunately, the girl is resilient enough and quickly adjusted herself."

"But ever since then, Sigrika's smile has always been overshadowed by an invisible shadow," Xiao Ling sighed, picking up the thread. "She's much more pleasing to the eye now."

"A genuine smile is always more joyful than a forced one," Crimson Snow agreed.

"Speaking of which, it seems you're preparing a birthday surprise for Dania? Could you tell me more about it if you could?"