Seventeen

We were on our way back from the grocery store. It was a normal Sunday morning. I had finally decided to try making the doughnuts. Chiyo was at home, guarding the house as Terasaki-san had asked her to. We didn't have much further to go either. That was when I felt it.

"What is it?" Terasaki-san asked when I turned to look over my shoulder briefly.

"I felt... weird."

"You did?" He asked. "What kind of weird?"

"Like, you know... a sort of gaze... on me. I don't know how to explain it." I admitted. I definitely felt something. "What was that?"

"I see you've become conscious." He said, his eyes straight ahead.

"Conscious? You mean, I sensed a spirit or something?"

"Yes."

I... did? "Wait. That means that we're being followed."

"Yes."

Oh crap.

"Now what?"

"You keep walking with me."

That's it?

"We'll get away from the main street first."

"Is it another Kage?"

"No."

Oh. I've seen Terasaki-san handle Kage and other weaker entities well but they were, at worst, the medium-level entities, right? What could this one be?

We soon entered a street that had just a few people around. Terasaki-san stopped immediately and turned to the entity following us. When it materialised, it essentially looked like an orb of light to me but the light was not a pleasant sort of light. It reeked of a desire to burn.

"What is that?" I asked.

"Naming these things won't help you at this point."

"Still."

"The Dark White."

"That's what it's called?"

"And, you felt it too, didn't you? It's made of pure malice. No matter what you do," he took up a fighting stance. "Don't let the light surround you."

By the time I had realised it, the few people that were present around us had stopped walking. Literally. They had frozen in place. It was as if time itself had frozen over. The only movement was from Terasaki-san and the Dark White. And I just stood there watching it all.

I could take a guess as to what was happening and who exactly was doing this but it still looked like magic to me.

Strings of light lashed out from the orb at Terasaki-san. Terasaki-san used his hands and his spirit, I guess, to deflect it all. He even managed to cut off a few of those light-strings and they immediately dissipated. I followed his movements carefully with my eyes. I wanted to learn. I was worried about him and the fight but as long as I was the one standing back and being protected, I had no choice but to just worry. I wanted to be able to stand by his side and fight. I wanted to be able to support him myself.

In between the continuous barrage of attacks and with Terasaki-san either deflecting or cutting them off, one of the stray strings of light went straight in the direction of a frozen woman. Before I could even react though, it had passed right through her.

Huh?

She was unhurt...

That meant that the people around us wouldn't get hurt?

Knowing that put me at ease and I returned to watching Terasaki-san as he skillfully manoeuvred through the light-strings and got closer to the orb itself. He finally thrust his palm right into its core.

"Close your eyes!" He called back at me. I did. No sooner had I done that, I felt a wave of heat engulf me. It passed me soon after. I kept my eyes shut though. I didn't know if it was safe to open them just then.

"Akane." I heard Terasaki-san's voice from before me. "Were you doing that on purpose?"

"Huh?"

"Open your eyes."

I did and he was standing right in front of me, his eyes narrowed at me. "Were you doing that on purpose?"

"Doing... what?" I asked.

"You lent me spirit."

"I did... what?" I gaped at him. I lent him spirit?! "I... How did I...?"

He sighed. "You are unbelievable."

"What on... How did I do that?" I asked him in utter disbelief. I wasn't doing that on purpose.

"It's your will." He said. "You were thinking that you wanted to aid me, weren't you?"

"Well, yes."

"That's how you did it."

"You mean... just by wanting to... just like I did with Shibata-kun back then?"

He frowned. "Yes."

I looked down at my hands. "I can... do that?"

"Seems so."

"Can you do that?"

"Not as easily. At least, not unknowingly like you can. It goes to show that you really are the shrine maiden."

His eyes bore into me. There was a certain cold in his gaze that I couldn't quite place. "Terasaki-san?"

He briefly closed his eyes, then plopped a hand on my head. "You've come a long way. You've grown, Akane."

Huh?

"T-Thanks, I guess?"

"Come now. Chiyo's waiting."

I nodded, unsure of what more to say, and we left for home soon after that. When we reached home, Agari-san was there too. With her was another man. He looked a good twenty years older than her and had pleasant face. His thinning hair was stuck to his head and he wore simple clothes that seemed to betray the air of importance he had when Terasaki-san bowed to him.

"Watase-san. It's been a while."

"It has, Kou. Agari's been pestering me to come by and meet the young lady for a while now. I managed to free myself from the shrine today so I decided to drop by." The man looked at me next. "I'm Watase. I work at the shrine. I'm Agari's husband."

That man was Agari-san's husband?! "I-It's nice to meet you." I bowed. "I'm Kirishima Akane."

"He's the head priest at the shrine." Agari-san said, leaning on his arm.

"Oh." I straightened up. "I see."

"How have things been lately, Watase-san?" Terasaki-san asked. He seemed to have immense respect for the man and that was evident in just the way that he spoke.

"Under control for now but there is unrest. There's only so much that we can do from the shrine." He paused. "How is she?"

"Progressing steadily. She has begun to sense the others' presence. Her will is strong too. Today, she lent me spirit without even realising it."

Oh. We're talking about me, aren't we?

"You're something else entirely, Akane-chan." Watase-san seemed impressed. "Drop by the shrine once. You might have to stay there for a bit eventually anyway, once Kou starts your training. Think of it this way. You're the Princess and the shrine is your castle."

Princess?

"Oh. Why don't you plan a date then, Akane-chan?" Agari-san perked up. "Bring your Prince along too."

A visit to the shrine with Shibata-kun, huh?

"I'll drop by soon." I told Watase-san. I liked the idea.

Chiyo was standing next to Agari-san quietly till then. Seeing her opening, she chirped. "Akane-chan! Doughnuts!"

"Yes." I showed her the packets. "I'll make them now. Uh... Agari-san and Watase-san-"

"We'll be here." Agari-san said, then looked at her husband. "Honey, you have to taste her cooking!"

"For you to be saying that, I guess it could be worth the wait."

"Chiyo, why don't you go help her out?" Agari-san pat her head.

"Chiyo help!" She launched herself onto me. "Let's go make Doughnuts!"

We laughed. "Alright. Come." I took her with me to the kitchen, immediately beginning to make them. Figuring out that they probably wanted to talk, I engaged Chiyo in a few games while the doughnuts were getting ready. A little later, Terasaki-san came into the kitchen.

"Akane."

"Yes?" I responded.

"Earlier..." He paused. "After you lent me spirit, did you feel tired?"

Tired... "Not really."

"And your neck. Did it hurt?"

"Negligibly."

"It did though?"

"Yes."

"A little pain is natural, Kou." Watase-san said, coming into the kitchen, then sniffed around. "It smells nice in here."

"That's the doughnuts..." I said. "But I don't quite understand why or how I am able to do that, Watase-san. I mean, I get the concept but..."

"You're pure at heart. You're genuine. That's why your emotions directly translate into spirit. So far, it has proven to work out in your favour but that ability can be highly detrimental as well. Those were positive emotions till now- you wanting to heal someone and aid someone. The same can happen with negative emotions. That same power that has helped you can destroy everything around you. Therefore, it is important that you understand its implications and the need to learn to control it."

I could... destroy?

I looked at Terasaki-san.

"What are you looking at me for?" He asked.

"I... have to learn to control it." I spoke. "Aren't you the one who's supposed to train me?"

"I will train you only when I am convinced that you are ready." He replied.

"But you said that I was almost ready earlier."

"Almost. I said that you're almost there."

Oh. Right.

"For now though, I'd like to give you a charm." Watase-san said. "Do you have something that you will always have on you?"

"She does." Terasaki-san replied before I could. His line of sight told me exactly what he was talking about. So, I removed and handed the bracelet over to Watase-san.

"Oh my! That is absolutely gorgeous!" Agari-san commented.

"Shibata-kun bought it for me." I said.

"Dear." Agari-san looked at Watase-san. "When was the last time you bought me something?"

"I used to spend all of my hard-earned money on you when we were both young and impractical, Agari." He chuckled, held the bracelet tenderly in one of his hands with the other palm hovering over it and then he chanted something under his breath. The green gemstone radiantly came to life for a brief moment. It looked so pretty that I couldn't help gaping at it in awe. It was as beautiful as the love that had brought it to me.

And along with that thought came the strong desire to see Shibata-kun.

"Don't take this off again unless absolutely necessary, alright?" He instructed as he slipped it back onto my hand. "And that really is a pretty piece."

I smiled. I was almost tempted to show it off and gloat about how my dear boyfriend had bought it for me. I held the words back though. I could be happy by myself. This was my happiness- my own little happiness.

"How will this help?" I asked.

"It'll keep a tab on you, in a sense. It won't let your emotions control you. It will stop you from using your spirit like you have this far as long as you're wearing it. I feel that this is safer till you actually learn to consciously control it."

"Then I can't help Terasaki-san like I did today?"

"Not as long as you're wearing it."

"I don't need your help either." Terasaki-san added. I pouted at him. He looked away.

"Aren't these done yet?" Agari-san asked, walking over to the doughnuts that were just about ready to take out. I followed her.

"They should be."

"I'll help with at least serving. Come on. Let's eat." She said. Chiyo too joined us and did a small dance. "Let's eat doughnuts!"

We shared a laugh. I ended up thinking about how precious that moment was. In my current life, anything could happen at any point in time. Even though Shibata-kun wasn't personally present, with him in my thoughts, I revelled in that happy moment, allowing myself the mercy of putting everything else out of my mind.