A Blessing

The sun beat down mercilessly, turning my costume into a personal sauna as I trudged down another empty alley. Little Shit wasn't at KaiKool, any of the Law-Soons, nowhere.

"Come on, where are you?" I muttered, scanning the deserted shopping district. Half the storefronts were already boarded up. A cat lounged in an empty window display, giving me a judgmental stare. Yeah, yeah, I know I messed up.

My phone buzzed. I almost ignored it, but something made me check.

Unknown number.

--Come to Shibue shrine now.

[Image attached]

The photo showed Little Shit sitting on worn wooden floorboards, head tilted up at the camera.

I broke into a run, costume squeaking with each step. I cut through the arcade, startled a pair of pigeons outside the train station, then sprinted past a Law-Soon where I begged for water an hour ago.

By the time the shrine's stone steps came into view, my lungs were begging for mercy. Mossy fox statues stood guard on either side. Their painted faces were mostly chipped away, leaving blank faces that watched me wheeze my way up.

The shrine itself was nothing special - just your neighborhood temple tucked into the hillside. Wind chimes sounded softly as the late afternoon sun lit the curved roof, making the weathered tiles glow.

Well, no sign of Little Shit in the courtyard. I headed for the main hall, my footsteps echoing off the wooden walkway.

"Hello? Little Shit? You in here?"

I stepped inside, squinting as my eyes adjusted to the dim interior. Dust danced in the thin shafts of light filtering through the space above, and the air smelled like old incense and something metallic.

There, sitting cross-legged on a worn cushion, was Reina with Little Shit curled up in her lap.

Relief washed over me. The little menace was safe.

When Reina heard my footsteps, she turned and gestured at Little Shit to go to me, but he didn't budge. Little Shit stayed curled in her lap, eyes wide and round and still filled with hurt.

I sank to my knees a couple feet away. "Hey buddy. I'm sorry. About earlier."

Little Shit blinked but didn't move.

"I was stressed, and I took it out on you. You didn't do anything wrong"

Still nothing. He dug deeper into Reina's lap, tail twitching.

I sighed and reached into my pocket. "Alright. You leave me no choice." I pulled out slightly squished melon bread.

In a blur of stubby legs, he launched himself at me. Before I could unwrap the bread, he was already scrambling onto my shoulders, gnaw at the plastic wrapper.

Reina smirked. "Quite a pet dog you've got there. He clung to my sleeve on my way back, you know? Turns out I had some old melon bread crumbs in my pockets."

I couldn't help myself. I burst out laughing, a little manically. All that drama over breadcrumbs. Little Shit looked up, clearly confused by my manic episode, which only made me laugh even harder.

"Thanks for finding him. Really," I managed between laughs, starting to get up. "Anyway, we should-"

"No, stay." Reina patted the space beside her. "There's a story I'd like to share, if you don't mind."

I settled down next to her, curiosity getting the better of me. Reina's blue hair caught the sunlight, and Little Shit was already fast asleep in my lap, probably in a melon bread coma.

"I had a little brother once. Tendou. Our parents died when we were young, and I was supposed to inherit the priest title. But I refused."

She traced patterns in the dust beside her. "So Tendou had to take it instead. He was too young, but he never complained."

The way she spoke about him in the past tense...

"Right after Daimen incidents started, he found an injured kaiju near the mountain." Reina's fingers curled into fists. "That fool visited it every day after school, trying to help it."

"When I followed him one day and saw what he was doing, I lost it. Told him those things were dangerous. Used our parents to guilt him into staying away. He ran off. And then he…"

Little Shit stirred in my lap, letting out a few concerned squeaks before falling back asleep. Reina glanced down and gave him a bitter smile.

"Everyone says the world ending is a curse. But I think it's a blessing. It means I'll get to see my little brother again soon."

The dying sunlight caught her blue hair, making her look both young and impossibly old, like someone who'd been carrying her regrets for lifetimes.

I stared at my hands, not sure what to say to someone who just poured their heart out. What do normal people do in these situations? Pat their back? Offer a tissue?

Reina stretched her arms over her head, breaking the silence. "Ahh, feels good to finally tell someone. Been wanting to let that out for a long time."

"Why tell me though?"

"Hmm... Maybe because we're not so different?"

I thought about Little Shit, still snoring in my lap.

Reina stood up, brushing dust off her robes. She held out her hand to me. "Come on, let's go to the obon festival."

I glanced outside, surprised to see the sky had turned deep blue. When did it get so late?

"But I'm still in this stupid costume. And it's all sweaty from running around looking for this guy."

"Please. Your costume will be the last thing anyone cares about."

She had a point. And her hand was still extended, waiting.

I grabbed it, careful not to wake Little Shit as I stood.

***

Reina and I stepped into the park, where the rustling leaves above us blended with the soft clinking of paper lanterns swaying in the evening breeze. Someone turned the space into something reminiscent of that night during Yozakura. The air was thick with the scent of incense, mingling with the aromas that drifted from nearby food stalls.

Through the crowd, I spotted Kurumi waving enthusiastically, tugging a Toukawa-san behind her.

I blinked. This time, they were wearing matching floral yukatas: Kurumi in pink with white chrysanthemums, Toukawa-san in lavender with matching patterns.

A familiar choking sound made me whip around. There was Haruka, face buried in a handkerchief as blood trickled from his nose. Next to him stood Sae in a sharp navy yukata maintaining her usual stoic expression.

"My, my, what a lovely couple you make," Haruka joked, wiggling his eyebrows at Kurumi and Toukawa-san.

I glanced at Kurumi, bracing for the jealous pout. But instead, she hugged Toukawa-san's arm tighter.

"We're adorable, right?" Kurumi stuck out her tongue at Haruka. Toukawa-san's cheeks had turned a light shade of pink that definitely wasn't from the lantern light.

I stepped in before Haruka could make things worse. I introduced Reina to the group: Shibue's one and only priest.

After that, time seemed to blur. We wandered the festival, sampling food and playing games. Haruka won Sae a goldfish which Rhino bobbed with intense fascination. Meanwhile, Kurumi had dragged Toukawa-san to every single food stall again.

As night fell, people gathered around a small bonfire in the center of the park. The flames danced, sending sparks floating up to join the stars. We called it the "welcoming flame" - a beacon to guide the spirits of our loved ones home.

I closed my eyes, thinking of Mom.

Next time, I'll be the one to visit you.