From Tokyo to Ise, the Shinkansen takes about two hours.
There were a lot of tourists. After all, it was the Ise Grand Shrine, one of Japan’s most prestigious shrines. Everywhere you looked, there were students on school excursions in their uniforms, tourists holding cameras, young parents with children in tow.
The air was a mix of incense smoke and the sweat of the crowd, and the sounds, smells, and midsummer sun all blended together into a headache-inducing mess.
Then his mother led him inside. The further they walked, the fewer people there were, until it became completely silent.
The noisy cicadas were still chirping, but there wasn’t a single human voice to be heard.
You looked at the empty stone path ahead. The ancient trees on either side blocked out the sky, sunlight leaking through the gaps in the leaves and casting dappled shadows on the ground.
It was almost too quiet.
He couldn’t help but complain inwardly.
‘Dad said Tsukuyomi doesn’t get many worshippers, but this is too much. There were so many tourists when we first entered Ise Grand Shrine, but after following Mom all this way, there wasn’t a single person. He’s one of the Three Noble Children. How did it come to this?’
“We’re here.”
His mother’s voice pulled You out of his thoughts.
He looked up and saw a shrine ahead.
It wasn’t a small shrine—after all, it was a shrine dedicated to one of the Three Noble Children. The wood was dark, clearly aged, but though it was a bit old, it was well-maintained.
What stood out most was the torii gate.
It wasn’t the usual vermilion, but the natural color of the wood. Above it hung a plaque that read “Tsukuyomi Grand Shrine.”
The calligraphy was bold and powerful, but the edges were a little worn.
His mother stopped, turned around, and poked him in the waist.
“What are you spacing out for? Those two girls are right in front of the main hall. Go on over.”
You followed his mother’s gaze.
Twenty meters away, two girls stood on the stone pavement in front of the shrine’s main hall.
Both were wearing summer casual clothes. One was in a white dress, the other in a light blue short-sleeve top and beige skirt. The one on the right had noticeably longer, slimmer legs. They were too far away to see their faces clearly, but he could tell they were girls around his age.
You’s steps suddenly stopped.
He felt a little nervous.
In two lifetimes, over thirty years combined, he had never once been in a relationship. Forget fiancées—he could count on one hand the number of times he’d even talked to a girl alone. And now, here he was, being introduced to two “candidate wives” at once.
You took a deep breath, psyching himself up.
‘Calm down. Calm down. You’re a reincarnated person. What’s there to be afraid of in a little scene like this?’
‘Come on, pull yourself together. Don’t embarrass yourself!’
He thought back to the web novels he’d read in his past life—the protagonists summoned to another world, gaining cheats, surrounded by beautiful girls. When those seniors faced situations like this, they definitely didn’t act like he was now.
With that thought, it felt like countless predecessors were pushing him from behind, giving him some strange courage.
You walked forward along the stone approach path.
Five meters. Three meters. Two meters.
His gaze quickly and discreetly swept over the two girls—purely an instinctive, subconscious appraisal. In other words, his lecherous soul was stirring.
The one on the left, in the white dress, had a figure… well, moderate. Not exactly voluptuous, but definitely not flat. She was just the right type. Looked like a handful size… ahem… well, good, suitable was best.
The one on the right, in the light blue short-sleeve top… well, she still had plenty of room for development.
Not wanting to be rude, the thought flashed through his mind for less than half a second before he quickly averted his eyes.
You stopped in front of them and gave a slight bow.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Yuejianye You. Eighteen years old.”
After saying that, he finally had the chance to get a good look at both their faces.
The girl in the white dress on the left had features so delicate they seemed carved. Long eyebrows, a straight nose bridge, lips pressed together in a faint line. Her skin was very pale, almost translucent in the sunlight.
Her gaze was serious, looking straight at him without flinching or shyness, as if she were appraising something.
Cold and aloof. That was the first word that came to You’s mind.
It didn’t seem put on; it was like an innate, bone-deep coolness.
Then he looked to the right.
The girl in the light blue short-sleeve top was half a head shorter. Her face was similar to the other’s, but rounder. Her features were cute and delicate—not as stunning as the other, but her adorable, soft appearance was a big plus.
Her eyes were completely different from her sister’s—they darted away, avoiding his gaze the moment it met hers, then she couldn’t help sneaking another look, like a guilty little animal.
Those eyes were noticeably larger than her sister’s, seemingly filled with water, and her lashes were long, fluttering.
Shy.
Clearly, very clearly shy.
Just as You was sizing them up, two greetings almost simultaneously came from the girls’ lips.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Mochizuki Chihaya. Nineteen years old.”
The voice on the left was clear and cold, like ice water in winter.
“N-nice to… I’m Mochizuki Mai… e-eighteen…”
The voice on the right was as quiet as a mosquito, and she blushed when she said her age.
You nodded.
‘Mm, both named Mochizuki. So they really are sisters. My future wife is a pair of sisters? That’s too exciting. Calm down, calm down. Losing my composure now would be embarrassing.’
‘…Wait, Mochizuki?’
If he remembered correctly, his mother’s maiden name before marrying his father was—
You whirled around to confirm with his mother.
But when he turned, he saw that his mother had already walked up behind him, smiling broadly with an amused expression.
“It’s just what you’re thinking, You.”
His mother smiled even wider.
“These two girls are my juniors, and also the shrine maidens who have served Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto for generations. They’ve known this was their duty since they were little—of course, this is just a preliminary introduction. You don’t need to be too nervous.”
You opened his mouth, but before he could process this information, Chihaya spoke first.
“Moon Princess, please don’t tease us.”
Her voice was still cold, but a faint blush was clearly rising on her face.
His mother laughed.
“Alright, alright, I won’t say anymore.”
You’s mind turned.
‘Moon Princess?’
‘Wasn’t Mom’s name Yasuko? What’s with ‘Moon Princess’?’
He was stunned for a moment, then suddenly understood.
‘Right. Mom is Dad’s wife, and Dad is Tsukuyomi. So naturally, Mom is the ‘Moon Princess.’ Even though the title sounds incredibly chuunibyou, it does make sense in this context.’
‘Speaking of which, the shrine maiden lineage that serves Tsukuyomi has the surname Mochizuki.’
Gazing at the moon.
You couldn’t help but silently complain:
‘That surname is just straightforwardly simple.’
His mother, as if remembering something, added, “Oh, by the way, Chihaya here is the most outstanding shrine maiden of the current generation of the Mochizuki family. She’s excellent at everything—dealing with people, shrine rituals, and spell cultivation. I think very highly of her. She’ll be the next head of the Mochizuki family.”
She paused, glanced at the shorter girl beside her, and continued, “As for Mai here, she’s Chihaya’s younger sister. The two of them have always been very close.”
As soon as she finished, Mai suddenly puffed out her chest and said in a much louder voice than before, proudly, “Chihaya-nee is the best!”
The proud expression on her face was as if she herself had been praised.
You looked at the two sisters, suddenly remembering a detail from his mother’s earlier words, and couldn’t help asking, “Mom, does that mean you’re the current head of the family?”
His mother smiled even more happily, her eyes curving into crescents.
“You’re pretty sharp, You. What, feeling good about being a rich kid?”
She took two steps forward, her tone as casual as if she were discussing what to eat for dinner.
“Tsukuyomi Grand Shrine might not have many worshippers, but the Mochizuki family has been around since the Age of Myth. We still have a lot of real estate.”
You was stunned.
A lot of real estate. Passed down since the Age of Myth.
Those words combined in his mind, creating a very interesting chemical reaction. He had been told yesterday that he was the Divine Child of Tsukuyomi, a descendant of the Three Noble Children, and it sounded incredibly prestigious. But obviously, prestige couldn’t be eaten.
A living god with no divine power, no special abilities, not even a system. Nothing but a title. Honestly, he felt this status wasn’t even as useful as a graduation certificate from the University of Tokyo.
But being a rich kid was different.
The appeal of money was real. Real estate meant houses, houses meant money, and money meant—
You’s expression went through a triple transformation in just a few seconds—from “shock” to “contemplation” to “suck-up.” The sight even made Chihaya raise an eyebrow.
He sidled up to his mother, his tone immediately becoming ingratiating.
“In that case, Mom… no, Mother, could I perhaps get a little increase in my allowance?”
Just as his mother was about to reply, suddenly—
“Oh my, Moon Princess, could I also get a chance to meet the Divine Child?”
The voice came from behind.
A very pleasant voice—crisp, with an indescribable laziness, the end slightly raised, sweet as honey and cloying.
As the voice came, You immediately felt the atmosphere around them change.
His mother and the Mochizuki sisters were clearly on guard.
You turned around.
He wanted to see who could make his mother and these two shrine maidens so wary.
Then he saw the person standing under the torii gate.
His breath caught instantly.
It was a girl.
She was wearing a complete shrine maiden outfit—white top, red hakama, with the collar and cuffs immaculately neat. This outfit was common at shrines, but on her, it was completely different.
Radiant. That was the only word You could think of.
The red-and-white vestments seemed to glow in the midsummer sun, but compared to her face, the beauty of the clothes was insignificant. Her features were bright and vivid, her brows raised at the corners, and her mouth was curved in a faint, ambiguous smile.
Especially her eyes.
They seemed to be smiling, but there was always something hidden beneath the smile. Like two deep wells—you could see your own reflection, but you could never see what lay at the bottom.
Her beauty was completely different from Chihaya’s.
Chihaya was cold, restrained, like a celestial maiden in the sky.
But this girl’s beauty—was more aggressive.
Not the kind of aggressive that bared its fangs, but something more sophisticated. She just stood there, the corners of her mouth slightly lifted, and she could draw everyone’s attention. Like a flame—you know you’ll get burned if you get too close, but you still can’t help wanting to approach.
It was like—Kaguya-hime herself. Dazzlingly beautiful.
Seeing You turn around, the girl lifted the hem of her hakama and performed a graceful bow.
The movement was flawless. Even an etiquette expert probably couldn’t find fault.
“Nice to meet you, Divine Child.”
She straightened up, the smile on her lips deepening.
“I am Tsukuyomi Futaba.”
His mother frowned, her voice no longer as gentle as before.
“Girl from the Tsukuyomi family, what are you doing here?”