The shrine was located on a gentle hill at the edge of the town, its vermilion torii gate faintly visible between the sparse branches.
To be honest, Rin felt that Reina's mood had recovered a bit too quickly.
Just a moment ago, she had been a mess with red-rimmed eyes and a red nose, yet only a few steps later, she had started staring intently at that candy box, her gaze glued to it, unable to look away for the longest time.
Probably because she saw that line of text, right?
What an easily placated crybaby.
[ So sweet, oh my, she's already given a token of love ]
[ There are only three episodes left in this show, I guess there's no suspense anymore ]
[ Cold-faced Treasure Rin, she's got this!! ]
[ Sigh, to be honest, I feel like Rin is the best-looking among the five heroines currently interested in Reina. She's a pure stat monster, plus with these little combos, she's a mechanic monster too. How are the others supposed to compete? ]
[ No need to say more, I have abandoned the darkness and embraced Rin ]
[ Isn't that a bit too absolute? What if there's a second season? ]
[ Is the person above dreaming? First of all, this show doesn't have many viewers, and second, the reception isn't very good either, so how could there be a second season? Are you paying for it? ]
[ Yeah, if it weren't for Treasure Rin's interesting character design and the fact that the later plot has improved, I would have dropped it long ago ]
Climbing the steps at the foot of the hill, the surrounding evergreen trees were a deep, inky green, their gnarled grey branches pointing towards the clear, high blue sky.
The edges of the stone steps were covered in fuzzy moss, making them a bit slippery to step on. The air was moist and clean; breathing it into her lungs brought the soft fragrance of plants and earth. Occasionally, a mountain breeze would blow, causing the treetops to sway gently and scatter dappled light.
In a subtle contrast to the journey here, once they arrived around the shrine, it was Rin's mood that became a bit more lively.
After all, in her previous life as a corporate slave, just finishing a day's work was exhausting enough, and going out to have fun in the company of others was an experience she hadn't had for a long time.
Not to mention, it was a place she had once only been able to see in novels, manga, or anime.
She looked up at the approach leading to the shrine's main hall. Spring weeds and evergreen trees stood along the path, and the stone steps wound upwards, their end not clearly visible.
Her eyes held a hint of eagerness.
But unfortunately, Rin's stamina was indeed not great.
Merely climbing at a steady pace made her breathing slightly rapid, and a faint flush rose to her cheeks.
Fortunately, the platform where the shrine was located wasn't too high; it took about half an hour to finally reach the last step.
Passing through the vermilion torii gate, the view suddenly opened up.
A patch of clean, swept gravel ground lay before her, with the quaint main hall building sitting quietly directly ahead.
A huge bell and a shimenawa rope hung under the eaves, their tassels swaying gently in the breeze.
Wisps of blue smoke curled from the incense burner. The smoke rose very slowly, as if dissolving into the air. The scent of the incense was richer and heavier than the smell of the plants and trees on the mountain path, wrapping around them in wisps.
Rin, who had rushed onto the platform first, and Reina, who followed closely behind, were both tired and caught their breath on the spot.
The two exchanged a look and, by unspoken agreement, wobbled towards the vending machine in the corner.
This was probably the only conspicuous modern object in this quaint environment; it was bright white and quite an eyesore.
Rin bought a bottle of electrolyte drink, twisted off the cap, and tilted her head back to gulp it down. The cold liquid slid down her throat, taking away some of the heat.
Only when she felt her somewhat weak legs gradually regaining their strength did she turn her head to look beside her.
Reina seemed to be suffering from a bout of indecision; her eyes were scanning back and forth over the dazzling array of products, her brows slightly furrowed, unable to make up her mind.
Seeing that the other girl needed a bit more time to choose a drink, Rin asked her for some change, then slowly strolled alone to the fortune-telling area set up on one side.
It was a simple wooden rack with many small white paper fortunes hanging from it. When the wind blew, they swayed gently, making a faint rustling sound.