Chapter 280: First Shrine Visit of The Year
Kouhaku Uta Gassen started a little after 7 p.m. and ended around 11:30.
Sakurai Saki and Shinomiya Kaguya sat in the downstairs living room watching Kouhaku while eating soba. They'd clearly had dinner just a few hours ago, and now they were eating another bowl of noodles—Sakurai Saki's stomach was starting to feel too full.
There's an unspoken rule with soba: you must finish it before midnight, or your luck will turn bad. Sakurai Saki ate rather slowly and was stiffly scolded a few times by Shinomiya Kaguya.
When the TV program ended, it was time to head to the shrine to pray.
"Let's get ready to go." Shinomiya Kaguya said as she started toward the stairs.
"Kaguya-san, you're going up?"
"I want to change clothes." Shinomiya Kaguya planned to dress more properly.
"Ordinary people going for the first shrine visit of the year don't care about clothes. Just wear that outfit. Besides, it's freezing outside—you're not afraid you'll catch a cold?" Sakurai Saki huddled in the kotatsu, unwilling to move.
He regretted it now—maybe it would be better to go tomorrow morning instead? After all, you can visit during the first few days of the year. And since he himself was an Esper, visiting a shrine was just for fun. Praying to gods isn't as good as relying on yourself, right?
"My treasures, are you heading out?" came Jinguuji Tamaki's voice from the nearby kitchen.
"Yes!!!" Sakurai Saki answered loudly.
…So I'd gone from "my treasure" to just one of several treasures. Sakurai Saki grumbled inwardly.
Sakurai: ( ｡ •̀ ᴖ •́ ｡)
His mother was truly too generous.
"That's right!! Mama!!" Hayasaka Ai shouted.
Right now she felt a huge sense of crisis and immediately echoed her future mother-in-law's wording, frantically competing for favor.
A few seconds later, Jinguuji Tamaki, wearing an apron, came into the living room wiping her hands.
"Here, New Year's gift money for you kids." She handed over small paper envelopes of New Year's money to the three of them.
"Thank you." x3
"Go early and come back early." With that, she returned to the kitchen to keep cooking.
The New Year's dishes for the coming days were still not finished.
...
The three of them bundled up in warm clothes, wrapped scarves, and went out.
At the entrance stood two kadomatsu decorations, one male and one female. Sakurai Saki couldn't help remembering the Christmas kadomatsu at the Fujiwara house.
"Didn't expect to get New Year's money from Jinguuji-san," Shinomiya Kaguya sighed.
Things were getting stranger and stranger.
At the previous three-party meeting, she'd even stood in for her mother. And now she was handing out New Year's envelopes—it felt like Shinomiya Kaguya was becoming part of the Sakurai family.
"My mom hands out New Year's money to the neighborhood girls during the holidays too, so don't think too much about it," Sakurai Saki told her not to mind.
"Why only girls?" Hayasaka Ai asked in puzzlement.
"Because Mom hates men—really hates them." Sakurai Saki stuffed both hands into his pockets.
The nearest shrine was Yasaka Jinja, about two kilometers away.
The nearest temple was Kiyomizu-dera, about the same distance.
Nearby there was also a small shrine where the local residents all went to pray, so that would be their destination this time.
It was almost the new year; ten or so minutes' walk should be fine.
Whatever, just go first.
"Sakurai-san, what do you do after receiving New Year's money?" Shinomiya Kaguya followed close behind him.
Hayasaka Ai was curious about this too.
"The amount isn't much. I used to spend it on games and in-game purchases." A year ago, Sakurai Saki's fun was tormenting others in online games. Gabriel had been a victim of that; he bore half the responsibility for her turning into an otaku.
"But now, I'm not sure what to do with it. I don't spend much day to day."
Living with Hayasaka Ai for the past month, all the grocery expenses had been paid by her. Sakurai Saki had planned to split the cost, but she stubbornly refused.
Maybe this is what it feels like to have a sugar mama?
Hayasa-mama: ( ∩´͈ ᐜ `͈∩) ara~
When they went out on dates it didn't cost much either; Hayasaka Ai wasn't interested in luxury items. Only electronics caught her eye—she was a Sony fan, a hardcore one. She was also very into computers and could even build them herself.
Last time the home computer had a problem, it was Hayasaka Ai who took it apart and fixed it. Sakurai Saki was completely clueless.
"Money really is useless," Shinomiya Kaguya murmured.
Sakurai & Hayasaka: (≖ - ≖) (≖ - ≖)
Sakurai Saki and Hayasaka Ai both stayed silent.
"Kaguya-san, your view of money is seriously off," Sakurai Saki teased.
Shinomiya Kaguya's wallet usually only held 10,000-yen bills—she probably didn't truly understand the meaning of money.
Are all rich young ladies like this?
"Perhaps so." Shinomiya Kaguya spoke while glancing to the side.
On the street, quite a few residents were heading toward the shrine, all having just finished watching Kouhaku Uta Gassen and now going to pray.
Everyone's plans were surprisingly alike.
"Money can't buy real friends, and it can't buy the person you truly like," she said.
Sakurai Saki countered, "What you're talking about are spiritual needs. In reality, many people can't even meet their material needs—they chase money for that and live like walking corpses."
It felt like they were in some meaningless debate.
Money is almighty vs. Money isn't almighty?
Pointless—discussion would bring no result.
The topic didn't last long.
The three arrived at the small neighborhood shrine five minutes before the New Year's bell rang.
They followed the stone steps upward and passed beneath the red torii.
They rinsed their hands and mouths at the chōzuya, then prepared to move on.
The line wasn't long; they stood at the end while more people queued behind them—they weren't late.
"Dong!!"
The New Year's bell rang, its reverberation stretching on, tolling all 108 times.
"Happy New Year."
Voices of greetings echoed all around.
Not far away, the soft sound of a small bell shook—someone had begun their prayer.
A few minutes later, it was Sakurai Saki's turn.
He dropped a 10-yen coin into the saisenbako and rang the bell.
After praying, the three prepared to draw omikuji fortune slips.
"Ai-san, what did you wish for just now?" Shinomiya Kaguya asked.
"Secret." Hayasaka Ai wasn't about to tell.
A wish spoken aloud wouldn't come true.
"I wished that in the new year I can have fewer troubles about romance," Sakurai Saki replied.
"I wasn't asking you." Shinomiya Kaguya showed no mercy.
"Then consider it me talking to myself." Sakurai Saki really had prayed for that.
The more girls he interacted with these days, the less he knew how to handle it.
Be too firm and you get a 'yandere' like Nino. Be too soft and someone like Miku clings to you.
Spend too much time together and it turns into a Hayasaka Ai or Fujiwara Chika situation. Talk too much and it becomes Shinomiya Kaguya...
Women really are such a hassle!
"What's that over there?"
"Sweet sake." Sakurai Saki looked at the shrine maidens handing out small cups.
"The alcohol content is very low. Even minors can drink it."
The miko outfits were beautiful.
Sakurai Saki suddenly remembered that summer night when Shinomiya Kaguya danced in miko attire—she had looked truly stunning.