"This railway only sees two trams pass by each day. We can walk on it without worry."
"Only two trips? That's quite different from Tokyo," Hojou Kyousuke remarked casually.
'Has the domain of the gods expanded all the way to Tokyo?' As this thought crossed her mind, Yukino Yukari quickly responded, "Yeah, compared to Itomori's trains, Tokyo's subway system could probably win an employee of the year award."
Neither of them spoke after that, walking quietly along the railway tracks.
A gust of wind swept through the abandoned farmland beside the tracks, rustling the tall, overgrown weeds that reached past their knees.
Kyousuke halted and looked ahead.
The sudden wind had tousled Yukino Yukari's hair, forcing her to gently press it down with one hand. Her hair, like the swaying grass around her, fluttered slightly in the breeze.
Fortunately, the wind wasn't too strong, and her dress, a long one that fell past her knees, only lifted at the edges, rippling like waves before settling again.
As the gust faded, Yukino Yukari smoothed her hair back and turned with a gentle smile. "The evening breeze is really refreshing, isn't it?"
It felt as though something had been carried away with the wind.
Kyousuke, recalling the breathtaking moment he had just witnessed, wished he had the words of a poet to express his admiration. But alas, he lacked such literary skill.
Truly, the flowers bloom in radiant splendor—how tragic that I cannot unlock the treasure trove of my own words!
"Yeah… just like you, Yukino-sensei," he finally said. Mitsuha's voice, carrying a slightly husky and magnetic tone, added weight to the words.
Instantly, Yukino Yukari's cheeks turned visibly red.
"My house is just up ahead," she said, quickly turning away to hide her embarrassment.
It was a traditional Japanese house—a large, single-story structure with a sharply slanted roof.
"Are you sure this house doesn't leak when it rains?" Kyousuke asked skeptically.
"When it rains heavily, it does. That's why we have an abundance of buckets and basins at home—to catch the leaking water."
If they didn't catch the water, it would seep and spread, soaking and ruining everything inside.
"I can help fix it when I have time."
Kyousuke offered confidently, even though he had no experience in such matters. But Mitsuha's friend, Teshigawara, came from a family that ran a construction company.
Poor girl, ending up in a place like this to teach, living in such conditions. No wonder she seemed so happy after meeting me.
"Thanks~" Yukino-sensei said with a soft smile.
"I'll be heading off then."
"Mm, see you next time."
"See you next time."
Back at the Miyamizu residence, Kyousuke hadn't even had time to eat before his grandmother summoned him.
He changed into a shrine maiden's attire and was led to a small room beside the main shrine.
A bright incandescent lamp lit up the space, making it surprisingly well-illuminated.
Inside, a middle-aged woman—whom he had seen earlier in the day—was kneeling before an altar.
As soon as she noticed Kyousuke, she quickly stood up, bowed, and called out, "Mitsuha-san."
Before he could process what was happening, his grandmother gently pushed him down onto a cushion before the altar, guiding him into a formal seiza position—a posture with his legs folded beneath him, back straight, and hands resting neatly on his thighs.
It was an uncomfortable way to sit, but oddly enough, Mitsuha's body seemed entirely accustomed to it, feeling no discomfort at all.
Miyamizu Hitoha, after leading him inside, stepped out, leaving him alone with the woman.
Despite the presence of a modern incandescent bulb, the faint scent of burning incense, the solemn altar behind him, and the mysterious murals on the walls made Kyousuke feel as if he had stepped into another world.
"Mitsuha-san, my son is about to graduate from high school. I was wondering—would it be better for him to move to the big city, or stay here in Itomori?"
Huh?
So I, Hojou Kyousuke, am not only a love guru but now also a life coach? Why didn't this happen the last few times I was here? Has Mitsuha expanded her services?
She's more capable than I thought, this little shrine maiden.
Realizing this was a serious matter, Kyousuke quickly engaged his brain. He couldn't afford to mess up Mitsuha's "business expansion."
What could he even do in Itomori? Farming?
Recalling the abandoned fields lining the railway, Kyousuke immediately dismissed the idea.
"Of course, moving to the city is the better choice. Your son probably feels the same way, doesn't he?"
"I see… yes, Suke does seem to dream of the city."
The woman, whose family grew premium watermelons that were shipped to Tokyo, nodded in agreement.
She made up her mind to set aside a tenth of their annual watermelon earnings to fund her son's move to the city. Even if he failed, it would be just a small loss to them.
But since Mitsuha-san had given her blessing, failure wasn't an option.
After expressing her gratitude multiple times, she left the room.
Kyousuke rubbed his chin, feeling quite satisfied with his response.
Wait a minute—this woman… hadn't she brought watermelons over earlier?
"These are just regular ones. When July comes, I'll bring the premium ones for offering."
That's what she had said. Something about this situation felt… off.
Before he could think further, an elderly woman entered the room.
"Mitsuha-san, my son is so unfilial!"
Although it felt somewhat inappropriate, Kyousuke couldn't help but think: Oh, here comes another story.
"What happened, Granny Kobayashi?" he asked.
It was none other than Granny Kobayashi, the town's shopkeeper, known for zipping around on her electric tricycle.
"That unfilial son of mine limited my tricycle's speed to just ten kilometers per hour!"
'Good job!'
Kyousuke had always thought it was dangerous for an elderly lady to speed around town. A former delinquent leader like him could appreciate such safety measures.
"That's terrible! Doesn't he realize how precious every second is for the elderly?" Kyousuke took her wrinkled hands in his own, his voice full of sincerity.
"Exactly…" Granny Kobayashi began recounting her old-age troubles in great detail.
Five minutes later—
"I understand. I'll be more careful when riding from now on. Thank you, Mitsuha-san."
With a satisfied smile, the old woman bowed deeply before leaving.
Having used only a fraction of his legendary persuasion skills to appease her, Kyousuke escorted her to the door. But as he turned to look at the long line of people waiting outside, his face paled.
———————————————————————
Meanwhile, in Tokyo, Higashi Middle School.
Miyamizu Mitsuha had been looking forward to another day of enjoying city life, but as soon as she arrived at school, reality hit her like a brick.
"What? A pop quiz?!"
Hadn't Kyousuke already taken care of this mess? He was a top student—why hadn't he just aced it himself?!
"Yeah, didn't they announce it ages ago? Besides, with your skills, you should be able to breeze through it, right?" Kisaki Tetta said, confused by her reaction.
Slumping into her seat, Mitsuha gripped her pen like a condemned prisoner awaiting judgment.
The first subject was Japanese—her strongest suit.
As she scanned the test paper, she let out a huge sigh of relief.
Despite the curriculum differences, her father's background as a former folklorist had given her a deep love for literature, making this test manageable.
The Japanese exam had somewhat soothed Miyamizu Mitsuha's anxious heart.
She began to wonder—maybe Kisaki's thick book of practice problems was just something he used to challenge himself.
Perhaps Higashi Middle School's overall academic level wasn't as high as she had feared.
Clinging to that faint hope, Mitsuha braced herself for her most dreaded subject—math.
The moment she laid eyes on the test paper, she wanted to knock herself unconscious and see if she could somehow switch back to her own body, summoning Kyousuke to deal with this nightmare instead.
The questions weren't quite as monstrous as the ones Kisaki had once asked her for help with, but they were still far beyond the capabilities of someone as hopeless at math as she was.
By the time the exam ended, Mitsuha hadn't even managed to flip the paper over to see the "scenery" on the back. No—more accurately, she hadn't even finished a quarter of it.
Lunchtime.
Mitsuha turned her frustration into appetite, devouring two large bowls of beef udon and three peaches.
"Hojou, why didn't you finish your math test?"
Kisaki Tetta had tried to hold back, but in the end, he couldn't help asking the question that had been bothering him all morning.
"..."
Mitsuha, who had been lying back in her chair, hoping to sleep away the trauma of the exam, froze.
Oh no, he found out I'm bad at math!
Maybe she should just silence him… Not like Kisaki could win against Kyousuke's body in a fight anyway.
While absurd thoughts raced through her mind, Mitsuha squeezed her eyes shut, pretending to be dead.
That afternoon was the English exam.
The difference between the English education in a rural town's middle school and a top Tokyo private school… Mitsuha was about to experience it firsthand.
In a hazy daze, she drifted off into a dream—or perhaps it was more than that.
She felt herself rising, floating above Tokyo's towering buildings, soaring over forests and rivers, beyond time and space itself.
She saw herself with a warm smile, patiently answering the endless questions of devoted believers.
Only in the brief moments between conversations did her exhaustion and quiet despair reveal themselves.
Haha… Who was she? She looked so miserable.
Mitsuha found herself laughing, amused—until a sudden vibration from her phone jolted her awake.
Why was it a phone alert waking her up instead of an earthquake? If it were an earthquake, at least she could skip the test.
Reluctantly, she sat up and silenced the alarm.
Kisaki Tetta was nowhere to be seen, he had probably slipped away to cram vocabulary somewhere.
Mitsuha briefly considered doing the same, but after a measly three seconds of effort, she gave up.
Back in the classroom, the teacher distributed the English exam.
Mitsuha glanced at the test paper, and her eyes widened in shock.
She could barely understand what was written. With a sinking heart, she started working on the few problems she knew, silently praying that Kyousuke would forgive her.
.