I have an infinite number of shikigami-Chapter 92 - 76. Even the fingertips are tinged with a pretty color.

Chapter 92: 76. Even the fingertips are tinged with a pretty color.

[Lemon] Bakery.

A small blue shop door, a blue women’s bicycle with a white plastic basket on the back, where a lazy orange cat has come to lie down and sleep.

Fujiwara Reya pushed the door open and walked in, noticing Yukino Ritsuko at first glance.

She was sitting in a spot by the window where the sunlight could reach, reading a book. She wore a thin hooded sweatshirt, a pair of blue jeans that looked washed beyond count, and faded canvas shoes. She seemed like a college freshman, but her delicate oval face still had a hint of a high school student’s youthful charm. Her hair was black and straight, with almost no makeup, and she wore no decorative items.

She was so absorbed in her book that her eyes hardly left the pages. It wasn’t until she heard "Miss Yukino" that she marked the book with a bookmark and looked up.

A neatly dressed student in a clean uniform was smiling at her like a well-behaved high schooler.

Yukino Ritsuko inexplicably found him agreeable and couldn’t help but smile back: "Is there something you need?"

"Do you have any boxes? Lend me a few." Fujiwara Reya leaned against the shop door and asked her.

"I do, please wait a moment." Yukino Ritsuko left her seat and brought out two folded boxes and a roll of tape from the utility room for him, asking casually: "What do you need them for?"

"For packing my luggage." Fujiwara Reya took the boxes and tape.

Yukino Ritsuko frowned slightly: "Are you moving?"

"No, but my home is gone, so I need a temporary place to stay."

"Your home is gone?"

"Yes, it got wrecked overnight." Fujiwara Reya shrugged and smiled as he said goodbye, "Alright, I’ll go back and search for anything still usable, see you later."

"Bye-bye~"

Yukino Ritsuko waved lightly.

After watching him leave, she returned to her seat and opened her book again, but she couldn’t focus.

Giving up on reading, she turned her gaze out the window. The banks of the Sumida River were bustling with people. Those with places to go, those with nowhere to go. People with purpose, people without. She watched the hectic street scenery for a while, then adjusted her breathing, her gaze returning to the book as her hand reached for the coffee cup on the table.

She sipped a bit, slightly bitter.

Yukino Ritsuko put down the cup and closed the book.

She then massaged her temples with her fingers, muttering in distress and self-blame: "It must be retaliation from that Bald Spider’s friends... Honestly, it’s my fault for not warning him, now what do I do..."

※※※※※

Back at Asakusa Shrine, Fujiwara Reya was collecting anything useful from the ruins with the boxes.

The people who destroyed the house last night seemed to have a lot of resentment; even tearing down the main hall wasn’t enough, and even larger furniture was smashed to pieces. The old piano that used to be in the room, the keys were beyond retrieval.

His pencil case, a harmonica, an intact school uniform shirt, yellowed white tennis shoes, unbroken canned beer... Fujiwara Reya picked up anything usable and put them in the box.

The morning breeze blew gently, rustling the lush wild grass in the yard and his overgrown bangs. Birds around made clear and bright calls, hopping on the branches of the old cherry tree; a group of stray cats climbed over the wall, cautiously observing the surroundings.

Kasahara Asuka hopped energetically up the long slope, but slowed her pace once she passed the torii gate.

The clear early summer sunlight danced and swayed on the ground, forming leaf shadows. Brightly feathered birds jumped down from the branches, grooming each other’s feathers on the ground, while the cats hid in the grass with only half their heads showing, meowing tuneless songs.

Slowly, they all gathered towards the center of the scene.

Kasahara Asuka’s gaze also shifted towards that striking white shirt in the center of the ruins.

Amidst the debris, a lone figure sat on a fallen wooden beam, staring blankly at the plaque underfoot.

Birds landed on his head and shoulders, stopping their calls; cats squatted at his feet, climbed onto his knees, humanly close and gentle.

The scene was frozen in stillness.

Fearing to disturb the view, Kasahara Asuka also chose to stop.

After a long while, Fujiwara Reya awoke in the sunlight, slightly twisting his neck.

The plaque he had been staring at was already faded and lost its original appearance due to weathering, the once vibrant paint peeling away entirely, even the words imprinted were hard to discern.

Mother, are you well in Takamagahara?

Rest assured, leave the matters here to me. I will restore the former glory and beauty to Asakusa Shrine. As a reward, remember to attend the parent-teacher meeting for third-year students... and you can come alone, leave Dad out of this.

Thinking of this, Fujiwara Reya took five long, deep breaths, dispelling the faint sadness in his heart.

The morning breeze continued to blow.

Five breaths later, he stood up.

And the scene came to life.

The birds took flight again, chirping continuously; the cats resumed their playfulness, frolicking with each other; wild bellflowers emitted their fragrance from the weeds.

Fujiwara Reya’s lips slightly curled up, his gaze as gentle as water, watching these little creatures.

Bright sunlight sprinkled over, playfully dancing on the tip of his nose. The May wind was neither cold nor hot, gently rustling his bangs which reached past his eyebrows.

This feeling... Kasahara Asuka didn’t know how to describe it, looking from afar, her senior looked surprisingly beautiful, even his fingertips carried a striking hue, his temperament unforgettable like never before, ethereal, elegant, aloof, like... like a deity!

But the next second, this senior, who in her eyes seemed like a deity, suddenly remembered something, hurriedly ran to a pile of debris, rummaged around, and soon dug out a cabinet from the rubble.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from fre𝒆webnove(l).𝐜𝐨𝗺