Volume 5, Chapter 5: Summer Vacation, Part 1

When was the first time that the [Existence] had appeared?

It was during the Westernization movement during the Meiji Restoration. As the Japanese culture and entertainment changed rapidly and the Japanese peoples consciousness changed, it was born into this world.

As first, it was small and powerless.

However, that changed in the 1950s. When Japans economy began to rapidly evolve after the recovery of the post-war period, the [Existence] began to gain [Power] as well.

As its power grew, people began to notice it.

Although it might have been a coincidence that he found it, one of the people who noticed it talked to a politician about it, and the politician, who was rushing to raise the status of Japan, heard that it was in the big cave in underground Tokyo, and found the [Existence].

For those who had a true wish, it had great [Power] to give.

The old military scientists and the exorcists who located it were asked to investigate it.

There was a wish. But it didnt wake up. Its discovery was reported to powerful conglomerates and politicians, and they investigated the use of that [Power].

A few years later, in cooperation with the religious groups that had protected the country for a long time, they were able to prove that some little girls were compatible with it in both existence and will, and by installing the girls as [Shrine Maidens], it would be possible to utilize the power.

And so, Japan began to grow.

They did not know whether it was due to the power of this [Existence]. However, by raising their national strength and attracting attention from other countries, the foundation of Tokyo became the center of the new culture, and the [Existence] felt its power grow even further.

And now in modern times it awoke

In fear of a single [Young Girl] that had come from a different world, far away

Its summer now. It came so abruptly. It was around spring that I became me now, so in the autumn Ill be six years old.

I received an invitation to go to their Switzerland ranch from Ouji-kun, but Im had to decline. Our household is not the type to go to Switzerland during the summer break.

Still, its really a good thing that he ended up not being Sam hah!. If its Ouji-kun, it doesnt shave my mental endurance as much.

The full name makes my soul hurt, while just Sam makes my heart cold Its not a pun.

(TL note: cold is read samui, while sam is read samu, hence the pun.)

I kept pulling Ouji-kun around by the hand, so he got a little skinnier.

Its also in big part because hes been refraining from those amazing snacks. If I hadnt stopped him from taking them every time, he would have been taking in well over 2000 Calories every single day just being in kindergarten.

It was unexpectedly easy to stop him. When I felt uncomfortable with it, I would take his hand, and then he would conveniently forget to eat it with a smile.

I wonder if he thought of me as a friend.

The goal for the future is to make him thin enough so that it wouldnt be awkward to call him [Ouji-kun]. (TL Reminder: Prince)

As expected, after three months my muddled memory has settled down a lot.

There were a lot of memories that I still couldnt remember, but I think that thats because the memories of these three months have overwritten it.

Well, nevertheless, Im still not very child-like

Ahh, come to mention it, my ban on going outside got extended further.

No, of course its okay for me to go to kindergarten, but it wasnt okay for me to take up piano lessons. It surprised me to discover that I could actually play the piano.

It was as if I had been doing it for years or should I say that I had a fragmented memory within me that remembered myself playing it normally in a castle.

However, the position of the keys and such were slightly different Why was that?

Ah, so, the reason why Ive been prohibited from going out again is because Ive had two traffic accidents in three months, and encountered a street slasher once.

Whatre the odds of that? Since we were able to avoid most of it in advance, its great, but all of them involved someone who had lost their sanity.

Erm, just like that truck driver.

I think Im being targeted

By someone somewhere.

For that reason, even I judged that it was better for me not to go out to places where there were a lot of people.

In the end its just being careful, but its quite fine.

Due to that, I have no free time at all. Since I only played with either Kouki-kun or Niku-kun, and both of them had lessons on their own, I couldnt play with them every day.

I have no girlfriends whatsoever. The girls in that group refuse to talk to me, the only one who can speak normally to Kouki-kun. Even as kids, women are scary.

Mentally, its easier to play with people around Kotone-chans age, and mentally Im comfortable with that age, but I feel like a cat. A cat toddler.

Hmm?

While putting away the picture book in my room and looking out the window idly by chance, I saw something red on the hill behind the house.

I wonder what that is or should I say, what is that? I feel like I have some idea.

A memory of mine came forth, that wasnt the memory of my five-year-old self, but rather from that fragmented jumble.

It might be the tori gates of a shrine. I certainly remember worshipping at it; I think it was something like a Kitsune-sama or an earth spirit.

I didnt think about it at all, even for a moment I want to go there and play.

Isnt a place like a quiet shrine where the light of sunbeams leaks through the leaves just attractive?

And for that reason,

Ooba-onii-chan, can we go to the shrine behind our house.

Ooh, lets go, there are cicadas. Your Onii-chan is really good at catching them.

As I asked my older brother whod just gotten home, I got a favorable reply immediately.

Ive been saved, since onii-chan doesnt seem to wonder why I would like to go to a shrine or why I even know that that shrine exists.

Also, I dont need cicadas.

I got permission to go to the shrine with Ooba-onii-chan. Yahooo~!

Incidentally, onii-chan is wearing a straw hat and a towel around his neck. Why are you so serious about catching the cicadas?

I was also wearing a white wide-brimmed hat and had an insect net, but I dont want to catch cicadas. As we got off the road and drew near, he suddenly began to skip and jump while singing. Its pretty traumatic.

Yuzu, the stone steps are steep, are you alright? Do you need onii-chan to carry you on his back?

Ill climb it myself.

I think its about 50 steps, but its hard for a kid. Also, if I fell, Id die.

Mmm

Whats the matter?

Nothing.

The moment I tried to climb, I felt something like static electricity.

What was that? The rope wrapped around the huge tree broke, but thats got nothing to do with me, right?

Well, its better to not give mind to that. Im just an ordinary person, after all.

Still, these stone steps are pretty tough.

Even though its like a normal staircase, with its staggered height and tread, kids like me with narrow strides would tire themselves out much more than usual.

But once I overcome it, I can relax in a quiet environment.

Miii~n, Min-min Gyahahaha Lets go over there! Miii~n, Miii~n Something came down! Is that a rhinoceros beetle? Mii~n, minmin, Miii~n eeh~n

Arriving at the shrine was nice, but it wasnt that quiet.

The students from the nearby elementary school were catching cicadas frenziedly. Did all boys feel like that? And there were a lot of people who came to visit the shrine as well.

Its different from what I expected.

I wanted to kill time in something like a quiet forest shrine, but I think this place is noisier than normal.

Because I got tired climbing the stone steps, after washing my hands ceremonially and making my visit, I sat down in the shrine grounds and stared at the sky idly.

I could hear the noisy sounds of children The sound of loud cicadas. Have they been exterminated?

Baaan~ Baaaaaaan~

eh?

When I turned my head to the source of the sound of hands being clapped in prayer, a grandma I didnt know was offering a pack of Mitarashi Dango in front of me and worshipping.

erm, wai-

As soon as I called out to her, the grandma headed off elsewhere. There were also some Daifuku and rice crackers when I looked closely, along with a 5-yen coin on top of it all.

Why didnt she say anything to me? Who are you looking to tie the knot with, obaa-chan?

It might be better for me to go home before another insanity encounter happens

Heey, Onii-chan

When I turned around, Ooba-onii-chan was there giving the elementary school students a lecture on cicadas

I wonder if theres any way to kill time

ah

There was a black cat behind the stone steps leading to the shrine that looked very unconcerned.

A really dark cat that had no other colors mixed in its fur

And its silver eyes looked straight at me

Yuzu!

Before I noticed, I had been hugged by my onii-chan, and brought down the stone steps.

What are you doing, Yuzu, you could have fallen!

aa, uhnn, Im sorry.

Are you feeling unwell? Lets go home. Ill bring you out here again when you want to come back

yes

Onii-chan gently stroked my head, and stopped scolding me as I lost my vigor.

I , what was I doing?

LINE HERE

Authors Notes:

Someday, theyll meet

Next time, Well head to the shopping area.