As the last piece of grilled fish was popped into Rin's mouth, the destination for today was finally decided.
"Are we going to a shrine?"
"Eh? A shrine?"
Reina blinked, her tone tinged with surprise. It wasn't because the place was unfamiliar—I mean, who hasn't been to a shrine a few times?—it was simply that it hadn't been on her radar.
After all, in her impression, the main purpose of such places was to pray for blessings, and since she hadn't encountered any bad luck lately, she naturally hadn't considered it.
But if it were a shrine...
Reina tilted her head, seriously considering the feasibility.
Not too many people, decent scenery, plenty of little trinkets to browse and play with, and it was substantial enough to talk about as a weekend activity.
The only drawback was probably the price.
If it were a large shrine... all the various fees added up were not cheap.
How about going to a small shrine?
The financial burden would be much lighter, though the journey might be a bit longer.
But for two people who could head out early in the morning, this didn't count as a drawback at all.
Thus, Reina nodded decisively.
"Okay!"
————————
After a brief discussion, Reina and Rin set their destination as a small shrine about fourteen kilometers from home.
To be precise, this shrine wasn't actually that small—its area was average among all shrines, but it was just loosely referred to as a small shrine because it wasn't very well-known.
Since it was within the city and near the subway line, the two didn't bring much with them.
Reina only carried a small bag, stuffed with a bottle of water and her wallet, while Rin was even more minimalist; she didn't even bring the bag she had arrived with, just tucked her phone into her pocket and went empty-handed.
It took about ten minutes to walk from the Tōjō residence to the subway station.
The streets on a weekend morning were very quiet. Occasionally, an elderly person walking a dog would pass by slowly and nod at them. The automatic doors of a convenience store opened and closed once, and a clerk wearing an apron was organizing newspapers at the entrance.
Entering the station, swiping their cards, and passing through the turnstiles. The train arrived just in time.
Since it wouldn't take much time, the two didn't choose to sit down, instead finding a quiet corner near the train doors to stand.
There weren't many people in the carriage; a few people were scattered about playing on their phones, along with a young mother pushing a stroller.
The train started.
The scenery outside the window began to flow backward, first the station lights, then a long stretch of darkness.
Rin took her phone out of her pocket, her thumb sliding across the screen. Reina also took out her phone.
Then, she immediately regretted taking out her phone.
As soon as the screen lit up, message notifications popped up frantically, as if the Earth were about to explode.
[Misaki: Reina, are you free today! Let's go out and play——!!]
[Misaki: I know a newly opened dessert shop!]
[Misaki: Image.jpg]
[Misaki: It looks super delicious, right?!]
[Sakurano: Reina-san, are you free today? I'd like to invite you to the library.]
[Sakurano: We recently got a batch of new books, and there are a few I think you'd like.]
[Sakurano: It's okay if it's not convenient.]
[Shiori: Little Reina~ Do you have any plans today~]
[Shiori: If you're not busy, do you want to go shopping?]
[Shiori: I found a really cute accessory shop]
[Yua: If you're free today, keep me company.]
...How come this last one feels like an order? Reina stared at the screen, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly.
She began to reply one by one.
[Misaki: I've already made plans with a friend today, definitely next time~]