The activity in the room did not subside until the sun was already high in the sky.
Only then did the waves of pleasure gradually quiet down.
At the same time, Tsuruyama Shirahi in the room next door had woken up early.
She was standing at the window, gazing at the cherry tree outside, yet images of Mahiru‑nee together with Rei Ao kept flashing through her mind.
Her cheeks were burning, and a swirl of complicated emotions—ones she could hardly make sense of herself—rose in her chest: awe at supernatural power, shyness over the scenes she had overheard the previous night, and an inexplicable… envy?
"Knock, knock—"
The rap on the door cut off her thoughts.
Shirahi hurriedly straightened her clothes and pulled the door open.
Rei Ao was leaning against the frame, hair slightly tousled, fresh from a bath, a lazy smile at his lips.
"Freshen up and come down for breakfast."
His gaze lingered a moment on her flushed face, as though he could read exactly what she was thinking.
"Mahiru's a bit tired—she won't be coming down."
Shirahi nodded, her voice unsteady.
"U‑understood."
She dared not meet his eyes.
Hastily she shut the door, pressed her back to it, and felt her heart hammer uncontrollably.
When Shirahi finally emerged, her eyes went to Rei Ao almost involuntarily, as though hoping for something.
He noticed, the corner of his mouth lifting in a barely visible curve.
"Shirahi‑san, come have a seat."
"…All right."
Breakfast ended under a faintly awkward atmosphere.
Shirahi nibbled at her bread, her mind clearly elsewhere.
"You must have plenty of questions about yesterday," Rei Ao said suddenly. "Weren't you curious about the shrine's kami? Shall I take you to pay your respects?"
Shirahi jerked her head up, staring at him in surprise. "The kami of the shrine? Can I really meet it?"
"Why? Don't want to go?"
He raised an eyebrow, came over, and ruffled her hair.
"Come on—I'll show you something interesting."
Her cheeks flushed scarlet and her heart pounded like a drum.
She had no idea what "something interesting" meant, yet a faint anticipation stirred inside her.
Perhaps from the moment she saw Rei Ao destroy that female ghost last night, her fate had already become tightly entwined with this enigmatic man.
In Mahiru's room, she finally managed to get up, supporting her aching waist.
Seeing the marks all over her body in the mirror, she felt both shame and a strange satisfaction.
Remembering Rei Ao's words and his domineering way of courting, her fingers unconsciously brushed her hot cheeks.
From the instant she had knocked on his door of her own accord, she had been destined never to escape the web of conquest he had woven.
…
"So this is Amagami Shrine?"
Shirahi stared at the vermilion torii before her, fingers pinching her skirt hem in spite of herself.
She was stunned.
In the blink of an eye, they had moved from Miracle Garden straight to the shrine gate—just like teleportation.
After witnessing Rei Ao destroy the ghost last night, she thought she was ready for the supernatural, yet suddenly arriving here still sent a shudder through her.
"You know this place?" Rei Ao asked, curious.
"Mm… It's close to my school. I pass by often and sometimes stop to pray."
"This is Amagami Shrine. Want to see what the 'true kami' of a shrine looks like in ordinary people's eyes?"
His low voice murmured by her ear, tempting and irresistible.
Shirahi looked up and met his prismatic eyes; the gaze seemed to pierce straight into the curiosity in her heart.
…
Inside the shrine, Amagami Chiharu gently embraced her three daughters.
Asahi buried her face against Chiharu's shoulder, Yuna's fingers subconsciously clutched her mother's sleeve, and Yae leaned quietly against her neck, savoring the warmth regained.
"Mom… are you really going to marry Rei Ao?" Yae was the first to break the silence, a hint of hesitation in her voice.
She remembered his air of absolute control, the searing possessiveness in his eyes when he looked at her mother; conflicting feelings welled up inside her.
Chiharu's fingers trembled slightly as she smoothed Asahi's hair, a soft smile lifting her lips.
After that night's intimacy with Rei Ao, her feelings had long since shifted from a transactional need to an attachment she could not cut away.
She had to admit: Rei Ao's sweet words in bed were uniquely persuasive—especially paired with "skills" no one else could match, more than enough to captivate women like Chiharu and Mahiru who were already past their maiden years.
"Yes, I'm willing."
Her voice was firm yet gentle as she looked at her adopted daughters. "Are you willing to accept him as your father?"
The three sisters looked at one another.
They had grown up in the shrine and knew how hard their mother had struggled to protect it alone.
Now that happiness finally shone in her eyes, how could they bear to refuse—even if Rei Ao felt… awkward to them?
Asahi raised her head first. Though confusion lingered in her gaze, she nodded hard. "As long as Mom is happy."
Yuna and Yae both followed with small nods.
After Chiharu left to make lunch, the sisters at last discussed the matter in earnest.
Biting her lip, Yuna whispered, "He's about our age—calling him Dad just feels weird."
Yae nodded. "It is weird, but… Mom seems really taken with him."
"Maybe Mom's been bewitched by his powers!" Asahi said solemnly. "He can see kami and teleport—what if he used some spell to hypnotize her?"
Yae frowned; the whole thing did feel too sudden.
But recalling how naturally Mother had embraced Rei Ao, she wasn't sure it was all enchantment.
For the moment, the three of them couldn't decide what to do.
And even if it was enchantment—what could they do?
Their mother was technically already deceased; it was only by Rei Ao's methods that she could appear to them at all.
Without him, they might never have seen her again in this lifetime.
~~~
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