They arrived at Lake Ashi.
The water surface was larger than You had imagined. Mountains surrounded a deep blue lake, with continuous mountain ridges layered one upon another in the distance, the farthest one blurred into a blue-gray silhouette. A few small boats drifted slowly on the lake, their oars cutting the water, sending ripples spreading out ring by ring, gilded by sunlight.
The group stood by the lake for a while and, with unspoken agreement, decided to rent a boat.
A pedal boat. Four seats.
Chihaya and Mai sat in the front, You and Futaba in the back.
The pedal spacing was a bit narrow, and You’s knee occasionally touched Futaba’s calf. Every time it happened, he quickly pulled it back. Futaba didn’t react, still wearing that smiling expression—whether she didn’t notice or didn’t care was unclear.
The boat headed toward the center of the lake. The water was clear, and deep green water weeds could be seen swaying below. When the wind blew, the boat swayed slightly, and the light spots on the water broke into fine gold.
There was a Heian Torii in the center of the lake.
The vermilion pillars stood on the water, the plaque on the top beam weathered white by wind and rain. There was no path under the torii, only water, making it look as if it grew from the lakebed. Sunlight shone from behind the torii, turning the red pillars into a silhouette with a golden edge.
Chihaya took out her phone from her bag.
“Take a picture?”
You nodded.
They took turns taking photos. Chihaya first took one of Mai, who stood at the bow with the torii and distant mountains behind her, smiling with her eyes curved. Then Futaba took the phone and took a group photo of Chihaya and You—they stood at the bow, a fist’s distance apart, both looking a bit unnatural.
“Move a little closer.”
Futaba held up the phone with a meaningful smile.
You moved half a step toward Chihaya. Chihaya didn’t say anything, but the corner of her mouth lifted.
Finally, they asked a tourist on a nearby boat to take a four-person group photo. The four of them squeezed together at the bow: Mai made a peace sign, Futaba had her standard smile, Chihaya stood upright and proper, and You stood at the edge with his hair tousled by the lake wind.
After the photos were taken, the boat began to head back.
You leaned back against the seat and watched the torii grow smaller and smaller. The wind blew across the lake, carrying the scent of water and grass.
‘He felt moved. This is a normal vacation, isn’t it?’
He glanced at the three girls beside him—Chihaya looking down at her photos, Mai leaning over the side to watch the fish, Futaba fanning herself while gazing at the distant mountains—and couldn’t help feeling a bit smug.
‘Is this what harem life is like? It feels great.’
That state didn’t last long.
‘He quickly warned himself: Futaba’s attitude is still unclear, the Tsukuyomi family is technically a hostile faction, so don’t get too full of yourself. Besides, she’s a troublemaker at heart—safer to keep some distance.’
The boat circled the lake once and started paddling back. None of them said much, each absorbed in the scenery.
Occasionally, a few water birds flew across the lake, their wings skimming the surface, leaving white trails on the water. In the distance, several temple roofs peeked through the trees on the mountainside. The wind came from the center of the lake, carrying a chill that dispelled the earlier summer heat.
Everyone seemed to have enjoyed themselves.
The group returned to the shore. The sun was even harsher than in the morning, reflecting white light off the stone pavement. At a souvenir shop by the shore, someone was selling ice cream, and there was a decent line of tourists. You checked the time—still early.
“Since we’re already at Lake Ashi, how about we visit the Hakone Shrine by the lakeside?”
He casually suggested.
As soon as he said it, Chihaya and Mai’s expressions changed.
Chihaya’s smile froze, becoming stiff. Mai looked down, her fingers twisting the hem of her skirt.
Futaba let out a soft laugh.
“Divine Child, don’t you know who is enshrined at Hakone Shrine?”
You blinked in confusion.
He honestly didn’t know. Who pays attention to that kind of thing?
But from their expressions, he realized there was a problem.
“So?” he asked cautiously. “Who’s the deity at Hakone Shrine?”
Futaba closed her fan and tapped it against her palm.
“It’s the family of Ninigi-no-Mikoto.”
Her smile was playful.
“You should know about him, since he’s mentioned in the Kojiki.”
You immediately knew this was bad.
Ninigi-no-Mikoto. The heavenly grandson of Amaterasu Omikami. The first deity to rule over Ashihara no Nakatsukuni on behalf of Amaterasu. And Ninigi-no-Mikoto’s great-grandson was Emperor Jimmu.
Suggesting that the shrine maidens serving Tsukuyomi visit his shrine—that was like walking right into a trap.
“Sorry.”
He apologized quickly, his tone sincere.
“Chihaya, Mai, that was thoughtless of me. Let’s just go straight back to the inn.”
Chihaya smiled. Her smile was a little more natural than before.
“It’s fine. You didn’t know.”
She paused.
“It’s not your fault.”
Mai chimed in, her voice returning to its usual lightness.
“Yeah, my sister and I aren’t mad.”
She tilted her head.
“Since you said so, we can still go take a look at Hakone Shrine—as long as we don’t pay respects to the deity.”
Futaba, for once, dropped her frivolous demeanor. She tucked her fan into her sash and nodded seriously.
“We can just look from the shrine gate. It’s everyone’s first time in Hakone—it’d be a shame to miss the landmark.”
Chihaya and Mai exchanged glances and both nodded.
You looked at Futaba in surprise.
‘This troublemaker actually didn’t stir things up? Unbelievable.’
After a moment, he came up with an answer himself.
‘It seems Futaba and Chihaya are really close. If she’d fanned the flames now, it might have caused a rift between them.’
With that thought, his opinion of Futaba improved slightly.
The group slowly walked from the lakeside toward Hakone Shrine.
The path was narrow, lined with tall cedar trees whose trunks were too thick for one person to wrap their arms around. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground. Moss grew on the stone slabs, making them a little slippery.
The main gate of Hakone Shrine was far more imposing than the Tsukuyomi Grand Shrine.
A vermilion torii rose high, the calligraphy on the plaque bold and vigorous. Stone lanterns lined up neatly, and on each side stood a pair of komainu—stone guardian dogs, their features worn smooth by wind and rain.
The group stood outside the torii, looking in.
The main hall was at the top of a flight of stairs, visible only as a roof and part of the wall. The vermilion lacquer gleamed in the sun, the roof tiles a dark gray, the eaves curving slightly upward.
Chihaya and Mai made no move to go inside. Futaba also stayed outside, not intending to enter.
They stood outside for a few minutes, taking in the architecture, then Chihaya turned.
“Alright, let’s go.”
You nodded and followed her back. Mai and Futaba followed behind.
They hadn’t gone more than a few steps.
“Excuse me, please wait a moment.”
The voice came from behind.
Gentle and pleasant—like a spring breeze brushing past wind chimes.
The group turned around in confusion.
A shrine maiden was slowly walking out of Hakone Shrine.
She wore the standard shrine maiden outfit—white top, red hakama—but the impression she gave was completely different from the first time You had seen Futaba a week ago.
If Futaba in her shrine maiden robes had been like a blazing flame, drawing everyone’s gaze with an aggressive beauty, then this shrine maiden was the exact opposite.
She had a gentle, spring-like aura. Her soft smile was like afternoon winter sunshine—not dazzling, but warm. Her features were delicate and graceful, different from Futaba’s vivid brightness, Chihaya’s elegance, or Mai’s cuteness.
But the most striking thing was—
The size of her chest.
It was very large.
You’s gaze almost got pulled straight into the source of gravity on the shrine maiden’s chest.
He bit his tongue and forced his eyes back up to her face.
He cleared his throat.
“Miss shrine maiden, what can we do for you?”
The shrine maiden lifted her skirt and bowed. Her movements were slow and graceful, like a petal sinking gently into water.
“I apologize for the intrusion.”
She straightened up, her eyes landing on You.
“May I ask—are you the Divine Child of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto?”
You was caught off guard.
‘She recognized me just like that?’
He answered directly.
“Yes, that’s me.”
He paused.
“What do you want with me?”
The shrine maiden’s eyes lit up.
She bowed again, even more formally than before.
“Divine Child, please allow me to introduce myself.”
She straightened up, her hands clasped in front of her.
“My surname is Nissho. My name is Hitomi.”
The moment she said that, the expressions of the three girls beside him changed instantly.
Chihaya stepped forward, half-blocking You with her body. Mai didn’t move, but her hand clenched You’s sleeve. Futaba’s smile didn’t change, but her fan stopped swaying.
Chihaya’s voice turned cold.
“You’re from the Nissho clan?”
You still hadn’t processed it.
*’Nissho?’
‘What the hell, is that even a Japanese surname?’
‘No, wait—she said Nissho, which means ‘sun shining.’ And they all reacted so strongly. Combine that with the simple, straightforward pattern…’
‘Could it be…’*
‘He had a bad feeling.’
The shrine maiden returned the smile. Her expression was still gentle, but there was something else in her eyes.
“Yes.”
Her voice was calm and unhurried.
“I am from the Nissho clan—the shrine maiden clan that serves Amaterasu Omikami.”
The air froze.
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