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“Woah, look, she’s so prettyy!” A little girl stared at Kou with sparkling eyes. Kou smiled and waved at her, and the girl returned the gesture with an energetic wave of her own.

The girl’s parents, likely the couple standing nearby, gave Kou a small nod before they all walked away. Kou watched the happy family with a warm smile before turning around and holding the hem of her lace skirt as she ran to catch up with the others.

She was once again wearing the same white and blue dress from her first day at the resort, as Sora had specifically requested it. The dress had been returned from the cleaning service, and she paired it with a white lace parasol. She looked every bit like a princess walking through the resort, which naturally drew plenty of attention her way.

Although the extra attention made her a bit uncomfortable, the compliments she received about how cute she looked brightened her mood—though she wasn’t entirely sure why.

◇◇◇

They had checked out of their rooms at 9 a.m.

The ferry back to the mainland was scheduled to depart at 11, so they headed to the pier’s coin lockers to store their belongings. With time to spare, they decided to take a walk around the island before their departure.

Hinagiku and Miyuki had their hearts set on visiting the lighthouse on the northern side of the island, so that became their first destination.

“We did it!”
“We finished on time!”

Hinagiku and Miyuki cheered, holding hands and dancing happily. They had managed to collect all the orienteering points they missed on the first day, and everyone smiled as they celebrated their accomplishment.

“Alright, everyone! The view here is so nice; let’s take a picture. Line up over there!”

Ryunosuke stood ready with a DSLR camera—a rarity in modern times—and directed everyone. The group happily gathered and posed, striking their best angles for the photo.

Once they finished taking pictures…

“Hmm, say…”
“Wh-What…?”

Reo, who had volunteered to take the photo and didn’t quite belong in their group, muttered as he looked toward Kou.

He had joined them earlier when he came to say goodbye, though it seemed he wasn’t leaving anytime soon. As he muttered, he appeared to be looking at something slightly behind Kou.

“It’s nothing, it’s just… The little guys over there seem to really like you. Or, ah, maybe they just think you’re easy to tease?”
“Shut UPPPPP!!”

Kou shouted, clutching her head in distress as she immediately understood the implication of his words. Reo, clearly entertained, chuckled at her reaction.

“Would you mind not mentioning that again? She can’t see them yet, so it’s a bit cruel,” Amari said, her tone calm but firm.
“My apologies,” Reo replied sincerely.

Kou, still distressed, ran to hide behind Amari, clutching her sleeve. Amari looked both amused and exasperated as she chided Reo.

“And why are you here in the first place?”
“Ahaha, don’t look at me like that. This is pretty much the only time I get to go out and spend time with people.”

Subaru also glared at him, and Reo merely shrugged in response. Given his packed schedule and Aureo’s demands, Reo had silently cursed his lack of free time, even the night before.

“But we’re not going to let you tease Kou anymore, got it?”
“…I understand. I’ll keep that in mind. Sorry.”

Hijiri gently hugged Kou, as if shielding her. Knowing how much Kou feared anything related to the occult, Hijiri turned to Reo with a polite smile—but her icy gaze sent a shiver down his spine. Reo nodded earnestly, promising to behave.

After that, the group made their way back, the mood lightening as they walked together.

“Anyway, we still have some time before we have to leave. I know a place that serves amazing shaved ice—why don’t we grab some?”

Amari added with a proud smile, puffing out her chest as she declared it would be her treat. The group responded with enthusiastic cheers.

They soon arrived at a cozy teahouse by the beach, where Amari ordered shaved ice for everyone. The chilled shaved ice dessert was refreshing, though the coldness hit sharply, almost painfully, as it melted in their mouths. Despite that, they all enjoyed it thoroughly.

Eventually, Hinagiku muttered quietly, almost to herself.

“…It feels weird that we’re going home so soon.”
“Hinagiku…”

Hearing her wistful remark, Kou didn’t know how to respond, so she simply reached out and gently patted Hinagiku’s head.

“Oh right, you live pretty far away, don’t you?”
“Isn’t it somewhere in the mountains to the south? It’s hard to believe it’s even in the same prefecture,” Hijiri and Subaru said, glancing at Kikyo to confirm.

“Yeahh, we take care of a really old shrine there. You’re welcome to visit and pray anytime,” Kikyo replied.
“Yes, you’re always welcome!” Hinagiku added, though her voice sounded slightly forced, as if she hadn’t expected such invitations.

“You could visit us too,” Amari said casually. “Our doors are always open—like for next week’s fireworks festival.”

Hinagiku’s eyes lit up instantly at the mention of fireworks.

“Oh, and we’ve got that guest room. You could stay overnight if you want,” Sora chimed in.
“Can Miyuki come too?” Hinagiku asked eagerly.
“M-Me too?” Miyuki stammered, surprised by the sudden attention.

As all eyes turned to her, Miyuki hesitantly glanced at her parents, unsure. Ryunosuke and Sara exchanged smiles and nodded.

“Then… then… Mother, can I…?”
“Of course, I don’t mind,” Sara replied warmly. “Just make sure you finish your homework first, okay?”
“Ah! I’ll get right to it as soon as we’re back!” Miyuki promised with newfound enthusiasm.

Hinagiku looked ecstatic, her joy so apparent that, if she’d been in her avatar, her tail would likely be wagging furiously.

Just like that, their second offline meeting had been set, seemingly out of nowhere.

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