Nightfall came quietly.

Yu Xie had settled into the shrine maiden's residence. Of course, he hadn't become a shrine maiden himself.

After dinner, a shrine maiden led Yu Xie to the room prepared for him.

The room was very clean, with all the necessary furniture in place.

If he opened the window, he could see the silhouette of Mt. Yougou in the distance.

After the shrine maiden left, Yu Xie stood in front of the window, staring blankly at the night view of Narukami Island.

That night, Yu Xie slept well and didn't wake up until the morning sunlight streamed into the room.

After washing up and having breakfast, Yu Xie learned from the other shrine maidens that Kitsune Saiguu had already gone to the Narukami Shrine early in the morning, as she was the head priestess of the shrine.

Yu Xie then thought about helping the shrine maidens with any tasks he could manage, as he didn't want to stay there without doing anything in return.

However, when the shrine maidens saw that Yu Xie was only fifteen years old, they insisted that he not do any work.

They even emphasized that if he insisted on working, it would be seen as disrespectful to the older women.

Unable to argue with them, Yu Xie reluctantly gave up and spent his time sitting under the eaves, lost in thought.

Time passed slowly as Yu Xie looked at Mt. Yougou. Suddenly, an idea popped into his head.

He left the shrine maiden residence and headed toward the mountain.

The weather was good today, but because it had rained yesterday, the path was still muddy.

Yu Xie walked carefully along the mountain road.

Along the way, he saw many squirrels nibbling on pine nuts by the roadside.

It was spring, and the cherry blossoms on the mountain were in full bloom. Pink petals fluttered in the breeze, filling the air with a faint cherry blossom fragrance.

After spending quite a bit of time, Yu Xie finally reached the mountaintop before noon.

Passing through several torii gates, he arrived at the Narukami Shrine, which stood grandly before him, resplendent with gold and ornate details.

Many shrine maidens were busy with their tasks, some anxious, others moving slowly.

Yu Xie walked into the shrine, and no one asked him what he was here for.

After all, many residents came to the shrine every day to seek divinations or make offerings, and it wasn't unusual for a young person like Yu Xie to be among them.

As Yu Xie walked deeper into the shrine, he surveyed the surroundings.

All in all, it was much larger than he had imagined.

A shrine maiden who was momentarily free noticed Yu Xie. Seeing him looking around, she approached and stopped in front of him, offering a friendly smile.

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"Hello, can I help you with anything? If you're here for a divination, it's this way."

"Oh, I'm here to find someone, and also to have a look around," Yu Xie replied.

"Who are you looking for?"

"Kitsune Saiguu, the head priestess."

"I see. Well, if you're looking to meet Kitsune Saiguu, that might be a bit difficult. She's very busy every day and usually doesn't meet with visitors," the shrine maiden said.

Many people came hoping to meet Kitsune Saiguu, but few were able to see her.

Not many knew, but in reality, Kitsune Saiguu's work wasn't as busy as it seemed; she simply didn't want to spend her energy on these kinds of matters.

"If someone came looking for me, I would have to entertain them. How would I be able to do my actual work then? It'd be too exhausting," this was Kitsune Saiguu's exact words.

"Alright, I understand. I'll just look around," Yu Xie nodded at the shrine maiden.

"If you need any help, don't hesitate to ask us," the shrine maiden smiled and turned to leave.

Yu Xie continued walking forward.

After wandering for a while, he found himself in a corner at the back of the shrine.

From here, he could see the distant city of Inazuma, with its many buildings.

The large structure deep within Inazuma City was probably the Tenshukaku — the residence of Inazuma's Archon, the Raiden Shogun.

Yu Xie stopped, intending to sit down and admire the view of Narukami Island. However, he suddenly noticed something: in the corner nearby, there was a small pink fox lying down, seemingly resting.

A jolt ran through his heart.

Hesitant, Yu Xie slowly approached.

He crouched down and carefully observed the little pink fox.

The fox had its eyes closed and its breathing was steady, appearing to be in a deep sleep. Its ears occasionally twitched slightly.

Perhaps overcome by how cute the scene was, Yu Xie didn't think much before reaching out and gently poking the fox's ear.

Suddenly, the fox opened its eyes and locked gazes with Yu Xie.

Yu Xie immediately snapped back to reality and took a step back.

"Wait! Don't misunderstand, I absolutely didn't mean anything weird!" he quickly exclaimed.

The little fox looked at Yu Xie, its suspicious eyes scanning him up and down.

Then, a puff of light smoke appeared, and when it cleared, the pink fox was gone. In its place, standing in front of Yu Xie, was a beautiful shrine maiden dressed in a red-and-white outfit, with long pink hair.

By human standards, this shrine maiden appeared to be in her early twenties, still carrying the youthful, innocent aura of a girl.

"Did you just poke my ear?" the shrine maiden asked, a questioning tone in her voice.

"Well, yeah, that happened..." Yu Xie began, but then he hesitated.

But what was he supposed to say? Should he compliment her on how cute she looked while sleeping? He couldn't exactly say that, could he? Even though it was true, it didn't feel quite right.

"Anyway, I didn't mean to do anything to you. I'm not a weird person," Yu Xie said.

"You saw me transform into a human and didn't react with surprise, so it seems like you've seen something like this before," the shrine maiden replied, still with a hint of skepticism in her eyes.

"Indeed, it's not my first time," Yu Xie answered.

"Regardless, you disturbed my sleep," she said.

"Sorry..." Yu Xie hesitated for a moment, then suddenly had an idea. "How about I get you something to eat as an apology? Fried Tofu—how does that sound?"

"Fried Tofu?" The shrine maiden paused, then turned her head away. "Ahem... No need. Just don't disturb my sleep again."

"Wait here for a moment, I'll try to be quick," Yu Xie said, and before the shrine maiden could respond, he hurried off.

Getting some Fried Tofu at Narukami Shrine shouldn't be too difficult, but Yu Xie wasn't familiar with the area and hadn't seen Kitsune Saiguu around.

And besides, he and Kitsune Saiguu weren't really on familiar terms yet, so he didn't want to trouble her too much.

After thinking for a moment, he turned and started heading down the mountain.

By the time the sun was setting, Yu Xie returned.

Luckily, the shrine maiden was still there, standing by the railing, the sunset glowing on her face as she stared silently at the horizon.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting," Yu Xie said as he walked over, holding the Fried Tofu.

"You actually came back?" the shrine maiden turned her head, a bit surprised.

"Sorry for making you wait so long," Yu Xie apologized.

"I wasn't waiting for you. I thought you'd run off with the excuse of getting Fried Tofu," she said. "I thought you wouldn't come back."

"Here," Yu Xie handed her the Fried Tofu.

The shrine maiden hesitated for a moment but then took it.

"Since you went through the trouble, I'll accept it. And as for the part where you poked my ear, I'll pretend it never happened."

"By the way, what's your name?" she asked.

"Yu Xie."

"Nice name. Don't you want to know my name?"

"Then... what's your name?"

"Yae Miko."