Chapter 16: The Burden of Worship

I stared out of the window, my breath fogging the glass as I let out a heavy sigh. The weather today was dreary—gray skies, occasional drizzle, and a biting chill that seemed to seep into my bones. It was the kind of day that made you want to stay inside, curl up with a good book, and forget the world existed.

But with him around, that was impossible.

"HIYORIIII!" Y/N's voice boomed through the house, followed by the loud crash of something that was probably expensive. "WHERE ARE YOU? I NEED HELP!"

I pinched the bridge of my nose, willing the headache away. 'Why is it always me?'

Of course, there was no peace when Y/N was involved. I couldn't remember a day that hadn't been filled with his chaotic antics since we'd met. He was a walking disaster, a hurricane of idiocy wrapped up in a kimono with mismatched eyes. Yet somehow, he was... lovable? No, tolerable was a better word.

I got up from the small table I had been sitting at and made my way toward the noise. The hallways of our house were old, creaky, and narrow, but I knew every inch of them by heart. You had to when you lived with someone like Y/N. He had a way of constantly—accidentally—breaking things.

As I turned the corner into the kitchen, the sight before me was... well, it was exactly what I expected.

Y/N stood in the middle of the room, surrounded by a sea of broken dishes, spilled rice, and what looked like the remnants of a pot of miso soup. He had one hand behind his head, a sheepish grin plastered on his face. His heterochromatic eyes—one blue, one red—twinkled with mischief as if this was all some kind of game.

"Uh, oops?"

I crossed my arms and leaned against the doorframe, raising an eyebrow. "Oops? Really? That's all you've got?"

He blinked, looking around at the mess as if noticing it for the first time. "Well... yeah. I was trying to cook, and then... this happened." He gestured vaguely to the destruction around him.

I sighed, closing my eyes for a moment to gather the last shreds of my patience. "Y/N, you're banned from the kitchen. Again."

"Hey, it wasn't that bad this time!" He protested, bending down to pick up a broken bowl. "Last time, I nearly set the place on fire. This is... progress!"

I didn't bother responding. There was no point in arguing with him; he'd just twist the conversation into something even more ridiculous. Instead, I grabbed a broom from the corner and handed it to him.

"Clean it up."

He pouted but took the broom without much fuss. "You're so mean, Hiyori. Why don't you help me out?"

"Because I'm not the one who destroyed the kitchen."

Y/N muttered something under his breath, but he started sweeping. I couldn't help but watch him for a moment, despite how infuriating he could be. He moved with a natural grace that belied his childish behavior, and there was a strange sort of charm in how completely unbothered he was by everything.

I hated that about him. No matter what happened, he always just... existed in this carefree, aloof way. It didn't matter if the world was on fire or if he'd just made the biggest mess of his life—he'd laugh it off with that stupid grin on his face.

I turned away, deciding I'd had enough of his nonsense for one day. "I'm going to town," I said, slipping on my shoes by the door.

Y/N perked up. "Wait, I'll come with you!"

"No," I said quickly. The last thing I needed was him causing more trouble in town. "You stay here and finish cleaning up your mess."

"But—"

I cut him off with a look, and he deflated instantly, slumping over his broom. "Fine, fine. You're no fun, Hiyori."

I ignored him as I stepped out into the crisp autumn air. The cold breeze hit my face, instantly making me feel more alive. It wasn't much of a walk to town, just a few miles through the woods, but it was enough to clear my head. Enough to give me a break from Y/N's never-ending chaos.

The town was bustling with life when I arrived. Merchants shouted their wares, children ran through the streets, and the smell of food filled the air. It was peaceful in a way that the shrine never was, and I found myself wandering aimlessly, enjoying the calm.

As I passed by a small stall selling taiyaki, I felt someone tug at my sleeve. I turned to see a young girl, no older than ten, looking up at me with wide eyes.

"Excuse me, are you... Hiyori?"

I blinked, surprised that she knew my name. "Uh, yes? Do I know you?"

She shook her head, her long black hair swaying with the motion. "No, but my mama said you're the one who's always with Y/N-sama. She said you're a really good person."

I laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of my head. "Well, I wouldn't go that far."

The girl smiled brightly, and for a moment, I could almost forget about Y/N's latest disaster. Almost.

"Do you know where Y/N-sama is?" she asked, her voice hopeful.

"At home," I replied. "Probably causing more trouble."

Her face lit up. "Can I go see him?"

I hesitated. Y/N had this strange effect on people—especially kids. They all adored him, despite the fact that he was a complete mess of a person. Maybe it was because he treated them like equals, never talking down to them. Or maybe it was because he had that dumb, childish energy that they could relate to.

Whatever it was, I couldn't deny that he had a way of making people happy. Even if it drove me insane sometimes.

"Sure," I said after a moment. "But don't expect the house to be in one piece."

When I got back, I wasn't surprised to find that Y/N had somehow managed to make the kitchen even worse in my absence. How he managed to create more destruction in such a short amount of time was beyond me.

The little girl beside me giggled. "It's just like mama said."

"Yep," I muttered. "This is what I deal with every day."

Y/N looked up from where he was standing on a chair, precariously balancing a broken plate in one hand. His face lit up when he saw us. "Oh hey! You brought a friend!"

The girl ran over to him, her face glowing with admiration. "Y/N-sama! You're so cool!"

Y/N's grin widened. "I know, right? I've been working on some new moves, too. Want me to show you?"

I rolled my eyes as I leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. "Y/N, maybe you should finish cleaning before you start showing off."

But Y/N was already in full showman mode. He jumped down from the chair, dusting his hands off before he dramatically unsheathed Inochi. The sword gleamed in the dim light, and I could practically see the excitement radiating off the little girl.

"Watch this!" Y/N announced, raising Inochi above his head.

"Careful!" I shouted, but it was too late.

With one swift motion, Y/N swung the sword down. The kitchen table split clean in half, and the pieces collapsed to the floor with a loud crash.

I groaned, burying my face in my hands. "You idiot..."

The little girl, however, was clapping wildly. "That was amazing!"

Y/N beamed, sheathing Inochi with a flourish. "I know, right? I'm pretty awesome."

I could feel the headache building behind my eyes. "Y/N, we needed that table."

He blinked, glancing down at the wreckage. "Oh. Right. Oops."

Later that evening, after the little girl had gone home and we'd somehow managed to salvage the kitchen (though the table was a lost cause), I sat outside on the porch, watching the sunset. The sky was painted with shades of orange and pink, and for a brief moment, everything felt peaceful again.

Y/N plopped down next to me, his presence immediately disrupting the quiet. "So, Hiyori, how's it going?"

I didn't bother looking at him. "Do you ever think before you act?"

He leaned back, resting his arms behind his head. "Not really. Where's the fun in that?"

I sighed, letting the silence settle between us. Y/N was... frustrating, to say the least. But despite all the chaos he caused, despite how he seemed to live in a world of his own, there was something about him that made it impossible to stay mad for long.

"You're an idiot," I said finally, glancing over at him.

He smiled, his mismatched eyes twinkling in the fading light. "Yeah, but I'm your idiot."

I couldn't help but smile, despite myself. "Yeah, I guess you could say that..."

Y/N grinned even wider, clearly pleased with himself for getting me to smile. It wasn't often I gave him the satisfaction, but today… I didn't have the energy to fight it. He could be a royal pain most days, but he was my pain. The kind of idiot you couldn't help but care about, no matter how many times he split the kitchen table in half.

"You're lucky, you know," I muttered, watching the last bits of sunlight dip below the horizon. "Most people would have thrown you out by now. Or worse."

Y/N raised an eyebrow, still lounging with his arms behind his head. "Oh? You mean I'm that lucky to have you putting up with me? I knew you had a soft spot."

I shot him a look. "Don't push it. One wrong move, and you might find yourself sleeping in a tree."

He chuckled. "Please, like that'd stop me. I'd just teleport back to the couch."

I rolled my eyes. That was the thing about Y/N—no matter how many times you threatened him or how close he came to causing some major disaster, he never seemed worried. Never seemed fazed by anything. That level of recklessness should've been exhausting to deal with. And it was. But somehow, it also made things… interesting.

"You know," he said after a while, his tone softening. "You don't have to keep everything inside all the time. I mean, you've been extra tense lately. What's up with that?"

I stiffened slightly, not expecting him to ask something like that. Usually, Y/N was all jokes and trouble, never the one to have serious conversations. But here he was, turning the tables.

"It's nothing," I said quickly, shrugging it off.

Y/N didn't buy it. He wasn't that stupid, despite how he acted most of the time. "Come on, Hiyori. I know when something's bugging you. Spill it."

I sighed, my eyes still fixed on the horizon. "It's just... everything. You, the shrine, the fact that I'm stuck with the God of Reality who can't even clean up after himself. Some days it feels like it's too much, you know?"

There was a pause. Y/N didn't say anything at first, which was rare for him. I expected some snarky comment or joke to follow, but when he finally spoke, his voice was more serious than usual.

"I get that," he said quietly. "I know I'm a lot to handle. But, Hiyori… you don't have to do everything alone. You've got me, whether you like it or not."

I glanced over at him, surprised to see that he was actually being genuine. It caught me off guard. Y/N, with all his power and ridiculousness, was offering to help in the only way he knew how. I didn't know how to respond.

"You're not alone, okay?" he added, his eyes soft but steady. "I might mess up, break things, and cause chaos, but I'm here."

The weight of his words settled over me, heavier than I expected. It was one thing to deal with Y/N's antics, but hearing him say this—acknowledging that he knew I carried more than my fair share of burdens—made something in my chest loosen, just a little.

"Yeah," I said softly, almost to myself. "You are."

We sat in silence for a while longer, the air around us growing cooler as the night settled in. The stars began to twinkle above, and for once, I found the quiet comforting rather than overwhelming. Y/N had this way of balancing the chaos with moments like these—moments where I could just breathe.

"You know," he said suddenly, breaking the silence again, "I've been thinking..."

I raised an eyebrow, not sure if I liked where this was going. "That's dangerous."

He snickered but continued. "What if we took a break? You and me. From the shrine, from everything. Just for a day. We could teleport to a beach somewhere, grab some food, relax, and forget all this for a while."

"A beach?" I asked, giving him a skeptical look. "In the middle of autumn?"

"Why not?" Y/N shrugged, that mischievous twinkle back in his mismatched eyes. "I can bend reality, remember? I'll make it summer wherever we go."

I snorted. "You can't even clean up after yourself, and you think you can change the weather?"

"Hey, hey," he protested, sitting up and facing me fully now. "That's totally different. I could make it the perfect beach day—blue skies, warm sun, no storms or tsunamis. Just you, me, and a bunch of snacks."

The thought was tempting, more than I'd like to admit. It had been ages since I'd had any real time to relax, and the idea of getting away from the shrine—even if just for a day—was appealing.

"Come on," Y/N urged, leaning in closer with that goofy grin of his. "It'll be fun. No responsibilities, no disasters, no broken tables."

I rolled my eyes but couldn't help the smile tugging at my lips. "You've got a point. A day off wouldn't be the worst thing in the world."

"Exactly!" Y/N's grin widened, his excitement contagious. "Think about it—just lounging in the sand, the sound of waves, no one around to bug us…"

"Alright, fine," I cut in, shaking my head. "You win. We can go to the beach. But one day. That's it."

Y/N practically bounced in his seat. "Yes! You won't regret this, Hiyori. I promise it'll be the best day ever."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," I said, standing up and stretching. "Just don't destroy anything while planning this little getaway, okay?"

"No promises!" he called after me as I walked back inside, but I could hear the playful tone in his voice.

As I closed the door behind me, I paused for a moment, letting the warmth of the house settle over me. I had to admit—Y/N's ridiculous plan sounded kind of nice. Maybe he was right. Maybe we both needed a break. A day where it wasn't all about gods, shrines, or the weight of the world on our shoulders. Just... a day.

Later that night, after Y/N had finally stopped bouncing around with excitement over our impending beach day, I lay in my futon, staring up at the wooden ceiling. The house was quiet, and for the first time in a long while, I felt a strange sense of peace.

Y/N, in his own chaotic way, had managed to remind me that I wasn't carrying everything on my own. He might be a walking disaster, but he was also my partner in all of this—my equal, even if I sometimes refused to admit it.

And maybe, just maybe, that was enough.