"Senior, Rei is still so young," Midori Orizasa said, suppressing a giggle behind her hand. "Isn't it a bit much to be teaching him how to lie?"
Narumi didn't say a word, but she nodded in solemn agreement.
"When did I ever teach him—" Hayashi Shuichi began to protest, his eyes widening in a display of total innocence.
Before he could finish his sentence, Furuya Rei let out a sudden, exaggerated wail. "Master! You can't just cut me loose like this! You were the one who told me that if I saw the Mistresses hunting you down as a group, I should come up with an excuse to help you escape!"
"What kind of rubbish are you spewing?!" The veins on Hayashi Shuichi's temples began to throb. "I never taught you any of those ridiculous things!"
"Oh, stop playing dumb!" Eri Kisaki huffed. "Rei is just a child. If no one had taught him, how could he have come up with such a lie to deceive us?"
"Exactly!" Yukiko added, siding with Eri for a rare moment. She stomped her foot in irritation, looking very much like a bristling kitten. "Shuichi, you've gone too far this time!"
"Onii-chan..." Reiko looked up at him, her large, watery eyes swimming with disappointment. "Didn't you teach me that when we do something wrong, we have to be brave enough to admit it?"
Faced with the piercing, accusatory glares of the three girls, Hayashi Shuichi felt his head begin to pound. He shot a murderous look at Furuya Rei. You little brat… you've really thrown me under the bus today!
"Hmph, silence is a confession," Eri Kisaki noted coldly, turning her head away. "If you didn't want to be with me, you could have just said so. There was no need to hire a lookout to run interference."
"Yeah!" Yukiko chimed in, hands on her hips as she interrogated him. "You slipped away from us just now—don't tell me you went to find another girl?"
"Another…?" Reiko caught the keyword instantly, her suspicious gaze darting toward the other girls who were standing nearby, enjoying the show.
"Hey, why are you looking at us?" Chikage Tomizawa rolled her eyes. "I've been busy looking after Narumi this entire time."
"I-I've been with Akane-senpai the whole time," Midori Orizasa explained hurriedly, her fair cheeks flushing a soft pink from the tension.
"It probably wasn't them," Eri mused, rubbing her chin as her sharp eyes scanned the group. "If Shuichi were with them, he wouldn't have been the last one to show up here."
"Wait, could it be that hot-tempered young lady?" A spark of realization lit up Yukiko's eyes. "This morning, when Shuichi and Kogoro saw her, their expressions were definitely off. And that woman seemed absolutely furious with them."
"How is that possible?" Hayashi Shuichi let out a hollow laugh. "She's just naturally ill-tempered."
"Ill-tempered?" Reiko pouted. "Then why was she only taking it out on you and Kogoro-niichan? You and Mouri-san must have done something!"
"I know why!" Furuya Rei raised his hand like an eager student. "Last night in the hotel elevator, we ran into that young lady twice. Master and Mr. Mouri said something that really set her off."
"Is that so?" Eri squinted at her childhood friend, her gaze narrowing into a dangerous line.
Under the scrutiny of the "interrogation committee," Hayashi Shuichi had no choice but to bite the bullet and explain. "Kogoro was complaining about how much he wanted to live a wealthy life… so I just mouthed the words, 'If you just marry this young lady, wouldn't you finally have that wealthy lifestyle you want?'"
"And she saw you?" Yukiko asked, her curiosity piqued.
"Yeah," Hayashi Shuichi nodded gloomily, recalling the awkwardness of the previous night. "She must have seen the reflection in the polished metal of the elevator doors."
"Serves you right!" Reiko clapped her hands and laughed, her eyes curving into happy crescents.
Eri and Yukiko both let out a collective sigh of relief. They exchanged a knowing glance—at the very least, they didn't have another rival to worry about. As far as they were concerned, the fact that Shuichi had offended the heiress was actually a stroke of good luck.
"I really was just wandering around the shrine by myself," Hayashi Shuichi seized the opportunity to explain, his tone sounding almost piteously sincere. "I got tired and decided to come back, only to find you all putting Rei through a trial."
Now that they were certain Hayashi Shuichi hadn't been trysting with another girl, the tension in the atmosphere softened considerably.
"So, what now?" Yukiko checked her watch. "There are still two hours before the bus leaves."
"Waiting here is so boring," Reiko said, glancing at her brother with an expression that made her intentions crystal clear.
Noticing that Eri and Yukiko were also looking at him expectantly, Hayashi Shuichi immediately went on high alert. He didn't want a repeat of the earlier "tug-of-war."
He quickly spoke up before they could corner him. "Since we still have time, why don't we all go and offer our prayers together? Chikage, Midori, Akane—you guys come along too!"
"Us?" Chikage Tomizawa pointed to herself in surprise.
"You are all my wings… wait, I mean, we're all friends," Hayashi Shuichi said with a strained smile. "It'll be more fun if we all go together."
"Right, you're all my—" He nearly let the word "wings" slip out again, but corrected himself just in time. "—friends. Praying together will be much more interesting, don't you think?"
Chikage and Midori shared a look; the former shrugged as if to say she didn't mind, while the latter nodded shyly. Akane Koizumi curled her lip, not particularly wanting to join, but she didn't want to be the odd one out on a group trip.
Though Eri, Yukiko, and Reiko were a bit disappointed that they wouldn't get him all to themselves, they realized that a private date was off the table for now. They accepted the proposal, exchanging a look of mutual resignation.
The history of Enoshima Shrine dates back to the year 552 AD, consisting of three ancient and rustic sub-shrines: Hetsumi-no-miya, Nakatsu-no-miya, and Okutsu-no-miya.
The deity enshrined here is Benzaiten, the beautiful goddess of music, eloquence, wealth, and longevity in Japanese mythology.
Benzaiten, also known as Benten, is the only female deity among Japan's Seven Lucky Gods. In traditional depictions, she wears a crown of eight-petaled lotuses and holds a biwa (lute), sitting elegantly upon a lotus throne. As the personification of wisdom and art, she is deeply revered by scholars and artists alike.
The three shrines of Enoshima each have their own unique charm. Okutsu-no-miya is perhaps the most famous, home to the "Happo-ni-no-Kame" (The Turtle that Glances in Eight Directions) ceiling painting and the legendary "Ryuren no Kane"—the Bell of Dragon's Love.
Legend has it that if a couple rings the bell together, their love will be blessed by the goddess Benzaiten, ensuring eternal happiness.
This romantic legend was exactly the "love blessing" Reiko had been obsessing over earlier.
Eri and Yukiko were clearly well-aware of the tale as well. Their earlier desire to be alone with Hayashi Shuichi had been driven by the same goal as Reiko's.
The group began their ascent up the stone steps leading toward Okutsu-no-miya.
Eri and Yukiko, hindered by their pride, were too embarrassed to be the first to bring up the Bell of Dragon's Love. Reiko, however, had no such reservations. She skipped along, tugging on her brother's arm as she led the way toward the bell with infectious excitement.
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