Chapter 76 - Volume 5 (2/2)

As I asked my older brother who’d just gotten home, I got a favorable reply immediately.

I’ve been saved, since onii-chan doesn’t seem to wonder why I would like to go to a shrine or why I even know that that shrine exists.

Also, I don’t need cicadas.

I got permission to go to the shrine with Ooba-onii-chan. Yahooo~!

Incidentally, onii-chan is wearing a straw hat and a towel around his neck. Why are you so serious about catching the cicadas……?

I was also wearing a white wide-brimmed hat and had an insect net, but I don’t want to catch cicadas. As we got off the road and drew near, he suddenly began to skip and jump while singing. It’s pretty traumatic.

“Yuzu, the stone steps are steep, are you alright? Do you need onii-chan to carry you on his back?”

“…… I’ll climb it myself.”

I think it’s about 50 steps, but it’s hard for a kid. Also, if I fell, I’d die.

“Mmm”

“What’s the matter?”

“Nothing.”

The moment I tried to climb, I felt something like static electricity.

What was that? The rope wrapped around the huge tree broke, but that’s got nothing to do with me, right?

Well, it’s better to not give mind to that. I’m just an ordinary person, after all.

Still, these stone steps are pretty tough.

Even though it’s like a normal staircase, with its staggered height and tread, kids like me with narrow strides would tire themselves out much more than usual.

But once I overcome it, I can relax in a quiet environment.

“Miii~n, Min-min” “Gyahahaha” “Let’s go over there!” “Miii~n, Miii~n” “Something came down!” “Is that a rhinoceros beetle?” “Mii~n, minmin, Miii~n” “eeh~n”

“…………”

Arriving at the shrine was nice, but it wasn’t that quiet.

The students from the nearby elementary school were catching cicadas frenziedly. ……Did all boys feel like that……? And there were a lot of people who came to visit the shrine as well.

“……It’s different from what I expected.”

I wanted to kill time in something like a quiet forest shrine, but I think this place is noisier than normal.

Because I got tired climbing the stone steps, after washing my hands ceremonially and making my visit, I sat down in the shrine grounds and stared at the sky idly.

I could hear the noisy sounds of children…… The sound of loud cicadas. ……Have they been exterminated?

Baaan~ Baaaaaaan~

“……eh?”

When I turned my head to the source of the sound of hands being clapped in prayer, a grandma I didn’t know was offering a pack of Mitarashi Dango in front of me and worshipping.

“……erm, wai-…”

As soon as I called out to her, the grandma headed off elsewhere. There were also some Daifuku and rice crackers when I looked closely, along with a 5-yen coin on top of it all.

“…………”

Why didn’t she say anything to me? Who are you looking to tie the knot with, obaa-chan?

It might be better for me to go home before another insanity encounter happens……

“Heey, Onii-chan…”

When I turned around, Ooba-onii-chan was there giving the elementary school students a lecture on cicadas……

I wonder if there’s any way to kill time……

“………ah”

There was a black cat behind the stone steps leading to the shrine that looked very unconcerned.

A really dark cat that had no other colors mixed in its fur……

And its silver eyes looked straight at me……

“……Yuzu!”

Before I noticed, I had been hugged by my onii-chan, and brought down the stone steps.

“What are you doing, Yuzu, you could have fallen!”

“……aa, … uhnn, I’m sorry.”

“……Are you feeling unwell? Let’s go home. I’ll bring you out here again when you want to come back…”

“……yes”

Onii-chan gently stroked my head, and stopped scolding me as I lost my vigor.

……I , what was I doing?

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Author’s Notes:

Someday, they’ll meet……

Next time, We’ll head to the shopping area.