“I’m sorry, Fuyuka. I really enjoyed time I spent with you, but I have a family too.”
“… Ha?”

Fuyuka was a relatively mediocre person. Only when it came to her outlook on love interest did she incline to prefer people of the same sex. In her heart, she could say that her type is a girl; within society in general, however, it would be called a homosexual.
Albeit her romantic feelings have become accepted considerably more often now, looking at her past, Fuyuka still has not the slightest intention of coming out to people around her.

That girlfriend whom she made in the midst of all this was an irreplaceable existence for Fuyuka, who will turn five and twenty this year. Yet, the very girlfriend had just apologised and stood before her eyes, wearing an awkward smile.

“S-stop. Family? What do you mean…? Er, you said you are single.”
“Uh… It was hard for me to tell you that too. I’m sorry.”
“I… Th-then everything until now——”
“Anyway, I don’t think we will be seeing each other any more. Well then…”
“H-huh—???”

The parting was just too sudden.
Fuyuka chanced to find a kindred spirit at izakaya,¹ and to form a relationship over the course of their association. However, she could not imagine that the girl was already married.

From that event on it was the dark age for Fuyuka.

She does not feel inferior to herself as a gay, but coming across the right partner is by no means easy. Not only there are plenty of high hurdles to clear, she has also to make sure that both her partner and herself can genuinely accept each other’s feelings.

It was only natural that being released​ into this harsh environment Fuyuka will not find someone to replace her immediately. And it was during that period of time that bad things started to happen one after another.
From unassuming to great misfortunes: In terms of her work, she frequently makes trivial mistakes, and, incurring her supervisor’s wrath, in due course finds herself moping up blunders of her subordinates—by and large, she has a parade of struggles.
Outside of work, beginning with the trifle of broken heel, getting splashed by car, constantly delayed trains, breakage of her home appliances: it goes on and on—she suffered more misfortunes than could possibly list.

“Ha-a-ah—.”

Those days were abrading Fuyuka’s spirits, and her stride was heavy as she left the office after one of her overtimes.
It was past nine o’clock, but train brimmed with passengers. So Fuyuka, too, had to join the suited figures of men and women, exhausted from overtimes, and, yura-yura,² lurch along with them. She did not feel like taking out her phone, and was just gripping her strap, letting the time to pass by.

About fifteen-minutes’ walk set apart the railway station and her lonely flat. With no vitality to drop by the supermarket, she bought an adequate bento box at a convenience store, and went upon her way home. It was terribly desolate​ retreating figure of a five-and-twenty-year-old company employé.

(For how long will this luck stay with me, I wonder.)

With the girl still by her side, she was able to handle the hardships somehow. Presently, however, stripped of her support, all it takes is mere puff of wind and she is about to collapse at any moment now.

“Thank you very much.”

As Fuyuka tottered in front of the station, someone held out a hand with the leaflet to her from alongside. She accepted it almost unconsciously—she is the kind who tend to take tissues and leaflets all the time.

“… What the?”

On most flyers in situations like this, one would see some advertisements for facilities near the station—sports gyms, restaurants, and the likes. In spite of that, glancing at it under cursory light of the street lamp, she discerned unexpected characters drawn upon it:

“For those of you full of trouble! Why don’t give exorcism a try? Free First Time Service!”
“…”

Fuyuka frowned at this particularly cheap closing. For a moment she considered, “Exorcism, eh. Could be a nice idea,” but what came immediately after was plain horrible.

(First time is free, huh… It’s not that kind of service industry.)

The leaflet contained text, a picture of Shinto shrine, and then a phone number. Shrine appeared to be located in mountains a little ways away from here, although not too far to reach by train.
She had no intention of starting off any time soon, but exorcism might have a point, because present Fuyuka seems to be favoured by bad luck. It took a mere chance for her to glance back at the spot where remained the person who furnished her with the leaflet.

“… Eh?”

There was none such, however, only people that staggered about after the day at the office.

♦

Saturday, few days later. Taking advantage of her day off, Fuyuka found herself ascending the stairway in the mountains.

“I wonder if that was too easy…”

Wearing a jacket over the shirt and jeans that were easy to move in, Fuyuka strode her way up the stairs.
Returning home back then, not before worrying herself sick, she finally called upon the number. She also considered possibility of fraud, but she could just hang up at once, if so. In fact, she might have been so mentally cornered to the point where all that she had left was to cling to it.
She was rather nervous when she called, but clerical female voice answered, and she was assigned date and time before she knew it.

“It’s suspicious, but… I have no choice but to rely on this, have I now.”

In hopes to see some light and keep moving forward, she replaced her day off of sleeping as dead with the apotropaic magic.
Fuyuka had no minute knowledge on Shinto shrines, and on arrival to one she could not help a cry of admiration.

“Whoa, such a neat building up in the mountains…”

She was greeted by the large torii³ gate, then the shrine building not losing in grandeur, and a well-built chozuya⁴ with clean water leisurely streaming through. At first glance, it was an excellent shrine, doubtless. It even seemed to have this spiritual atmosphere to it.

“Wh-why?”

In spite of that, finally reaching there and minutely surveying vicinity, wana-wana,⁵ Fuyuka’s lips quivered. The reason was simple and clear.

“Why is there no one here—!”

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1. [Izakaya] – tavern, pub; back

2. [Yurayura] – shake quietly, e.g.: wavering of a candle light; back

3. [Torii] – archway of the Shinto shrine; back

4. [Chōzuya] or [Temizuya] – place for ritual cleansing of hands and mouth with water when visiting Shinto shrine; back

5. [Wanawana] – trembling with emotions, like from fear or anger; back