The reason she was described as "forced" was because it was clear the girl had intended to conceal herself and observe the situation before revealing her presence. Unfortunately, human plans are often upended by unexpected events... in this case, her dog.
Rather than her leading the dog, it was the dog leading her. Had she been any lighter, she might have been dragged flat onto the ground. Even though she hadn't toppled over, she was forcibly yanked out of the thicket by the hound and thrust right in front of Sū ěr.
She wore a sailor fuku —a style that had gradually become standard school attire following the Westernization of clothing. Unlike the common deep blue, her collar was a vibrant green, with a red bow tied at her chest. Beneath a knee-length skirt were two somewhat slender legs; her plain white short socks suggested a certain boldness that didn't fear mosquito bites. She wasn't old—likely just starting junior high, or "first-year middle school" in Japanese terms. Her face still carried a touch of baby fat.
With her short black hair and large, spirited eyes, she radiated a sense of inexhaustible vitality.
A little girl leading a dog... even the dog wasn't large. Sū ěr couldn't quite recognize the breed, but it felt like a Pomeranian—bold in its barking but weak in its bite.
Raising an eyebrow, Sū ěr suddenly felt that instead of being named Taro, the dog should be named Dalang . However, compared to his relaxed demeanor, the girl was a picture of extreme tension.
"You... who are you! Why are you in my family's shrine!" It seemed she was well aware of her dog's actual combat prowess. The black-haired girl questioned him while desperately tugging back the little dog that was lunging toward Sū ěr.
A good question.
"...This is your family's shrine?" Sū ěr asked after a moment of contemplation. By his estimation, while it was a small shrine, the land it occupied was actually quite extensive.
So, a feudal landlord family?
"Of course it's my family's shrine! Wait, why are you here?!" After her instinctive reply, the girl grew angry. "I'm the one asking you!"
"Mhm. Sorry, my apologies," Sū ěr lowered his head slightly. "I'm just... lost."
"Lost?!" Her voice spiked once more, the high-pitched tone of a young girl cracking slightly.
"Yes, just lost," Sū ěr said, picking at his ear.
Since this was her family's shrine, was she a miko? Sū ěr wasn't well-versed in the lineage of Japanese shrines; he only cared about one thing: did this girl possess supernatural powers?
The answer was—Yes.
A slight shift in his perception revealed spiritual power radiating from her body. For weak yokai, simply approaching her would likely cause burns. Standing before her as an enemy was out of the question; she was essentially a sun of spiritual energy, radiating it constantly.
The core of this sun resided in her chest... a circle of pure white.
This was a sight only those with supernatural power could see; ordinary people, or those whose "vision" was not open, would see nothing.
But she doesn't seem to realize the power she possesses?
Sū ěr didn't miss a single detail.
"Fine, lost then. Could you please leave?" The girl took a deep breath, seemingly accepting his excuse. "This is the shrine's backyard and is not open to worshippers. My apologies."
Educated and possessing excellent character—it was hard to imagine a girl bowing and apologizing to an uninvited guest while asking him to leave. It made Sū ěr feel a bit ashamed.
"Er, sorry, sorry. I'll leave right away... but before I go, can I ask one more question?" While apologizing, Sū ěr glanced at the well beside him. Only then did a grim problem occur to him.
One could tell from the marks on the buildings that this was a shrine with a long history. In such places, even a well would be considered a protected cultural relic. Yet, he had just dismantled the well cover... along with the talismans and the sacred rope.
Back in his original world, this would likely earn him a stay in a small cell.
She had been so focused on Sū ěr that it wasn't until he mentioned it that the black-haired girl noticed the tragedy beside the strange man.
She hadn't exactly grown up in this shrine, but after her father passed away in a traffic accident, she, her grandfather, mother, and brother had moved here. Over the years, she had become intimately familiar with every blade of grass in the backyard. Because of this, she was now wide-eyed and jaw-dropped, pointing a trembling finger at Sū ěr.
Actually, she wanted to point at Sū ěr and her family's well simultaneously; her hand wavered between the two, unsure where to settle.
"Aaah—ah! You! You opened it!"
The girl could only shout illogical fragments. Then, because she loosened her grip on the leash, she lost control of the dog. With a loud bark, her body was jerked forward by the rope, causing her to stumble. By the time she hurriedly steadied herself and looked up, the man had vanished.
The area was empty. Beside the well—once sealed with wooden boards and talismans—there were only broken splinters and overgrown vines. Sū ěr had run.
Covering her mouth in horror, the girl twisted her head around, searching the surroundings. But she truly couldn't see another person. In just a split second, where could that man have gone?!
A ghost?!!!
Dragging the leash, Taro ran circles around the well, barking at the girl with his tail wagging furiously. But the girl didn't have time to comfort her pet. She ran as fast as she could to the well—one her grandfather had always warned her to stay away from—and peered inside using the sunlight. The man hadn't jumped in while she was stumbling.
So where did he go?
Wait, was there really someone here just now?
The girl began to doubt herself.
A hallucination?
No, it couldn't be!
"No, no, no! This isn't the time for that!" She clutched her head and cried out. "The well is definitely open! This is bad. Grandpa? Grandpa!!"
Grabbing the leash, she ignored all ladylike poise and sprinted back the way she came, shouting as she ran.