Shrine Duty
Rei's grandfather becomes ill and the girls volunteer to help Rei and Yuuichirou run the shrine, but things don't go quite as smoothly as hoped.
This story follows on from 'My Girlfriend is a Sailor Senshi!' and occurs about a month later.
. . . . .
Chapter 1:
"You haven't hardly touched your breakfast, Ojii-chan" Rei noted with some concern from across the table. "Don't you like it?"
Her elderly grandfather placed his chopsticks down and sat back with his teacup. "The meal you prepared is excellent, as it usually is, Rei-chan. I guess I'm just not hungry this morning. It's nothing to concern yourself about." He reached for a napkin and dabbed his lips before rising from his place at the breakfast table. "Would you mind cleaning up for me, granddaughter? I've got a lot of work to do today, and nothing will get done while I sit here."
"Sure. I'll take care of it, Ojii-chan" Rei nodded. She studied her diminutive relative closely. "You've been doing so much lately, and that festival last weekend must have taken a lot out of you. Why don't you relax for a while? Yuuichirou and I can handle things."
The old man dismissed the suggestion with a wave of his wrinkled hand. "Nonsense. I'm fine. I really am, Rei-chan. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go inspect the grounds before we open for the day."
Rei wasn't convinced, but knew better than to try arguing with the stubborn old Shinto priest. "Ok, Ojii-chan, I'll save your leftovers for later if you like." She stood and began tidying up the dishes.
"Arigatou. That would be good. It is always unwise to waste." Without another word, Hino-sensei left the room. As Rei emptied her grandfather's bowl into a plastic bin, she could sense that things weren't as right with the man as he had made them sound.
. . . . .
It began as a typical Sunday morning at the Hikawa Jinja in the Minato ward of Tokyo, and the gates hadn't been opened for long before people started climbing the steps that lead up to the ancient shrine. The Shinto religion was of great importance in the lives of many Japanese. Some came to offer thanks to the Kami for good things that had happened in their lives, while others visited to pray for luck and good fortune in exams or business deals. Several came simply to enjoy the peacefulness and tranquility that the shrine gave them, a welcome respite from the frantic energy and non-stop bustle that was Tokyo.
After selling several ofuda to a young couple who had recently married and moved into their first home together, Rei took a moment to wander over to where her boyfriend was struggling to explain the ritual of Misogi Shuho, water purification performed by practitioners of Shinto, to a family from another country. Rei hid her grin as Yuuichirou stumbled through the language barrier, trying his best to understand the heavily-accented English of a British family who were visiting Japan on their vacation.
"You say this can also be done at home?" the gaijin tourist asked.
"At home..? Hai! Uh... yes, sir" Yuuichirou replied hesitantly. "You need... water. Clean water... to... uh... perform Misogi Shuho."
"I see. It all sounds quite fascinating indeed. Is there a pamphlet available describing the various Shinto rituals?" the husband asked.
"A... uh... pamphlet?" Yuuichirou scratched his head at the unfamiliar word.
"Yes, a brochure. A leaflet. You know, something of that sort."
Spotting Rei in the background grinning at him, Yuuichirou frantically waved her over. "Rei-chan, please help! I don't know what this man is asking for" the teenage apprentice pleaded to his girlfriend in Japanese.
"Relax, Yuuichirou-chan. I'll bail you out" Rei told the confused teen. "As I usually do" she added with a smirk. Turning to the visitors, she asked in English, "You are seeking... information on Shinto?"
"Yes, precisely" the man nodded. "A pamphlet would be ideal, if you happen to have one."
"A pamphlet..." Rei thought for a moment. "Ah, you need... what we call in Nihongo a panfuretto."
"Oh! So that's what that word means!" Yuuichirou exclaimed. "One moment, please" he said to the tourist, switching back to his best English. "I will... bring one to you." Committing the new word to memory, Yuuichirou hurried off, while the wife of the foreign family complimented Rei on her red and white miko hakama and skirt.
After providing the requested booklet, Rei and Yuuichirou politely bowed to the small group and watched as they went on their way. "You owe me" Rei said slyly after they had gone.
"I guess I do. Again!" her boyfriend groaned. He grinned back, "How about dinner tonight?"
"Dinner? And a movie too?" the miko asked with a smile.
"You really drive a hard bargain, Rei-chan!" Yuuichirou chuckled. "Dinner and a movie it is! Providing we save some time later for... a little romance. You know?" he implied, giving her a silly wink.
"But of course, my love." Rei tipped her head up and planted a quick peck on her teenage boyfriend's cheek. "There's always time for that."
. . . . .
It came on quickly, as the Shinto priest was walking toward his small office in the shrine's living quarters. What he thought had been heartburn suddenly became a dull ache in his chest. He rested a hand against the shrine wall to catch his breath, but the pain only grew worse. The old man's other hand went to his chest and he slumped down against the wall. Working nearby, Yuuichirou noticed the priest's distress and hurried over to check on him. Seconds later, the young apprentice found himself sprinting for the telephone.
. . . . .
"Grandpa? Can you hear me?" Hino-sensei opened his eyes to find Rei looking down at him, her face pale and eyes red and filled with tears.
"Where am I?" The white walls and unfamiliar bed beneath him puzzled the elderly priest.
"You're in the hospital, Ojii-chan. The doctors said you suffered a very mild heart attack. Please don't talk much, just try to rest." Rei reached out and gently held his arm. "We're lucky Yuuichirou was nearby and got help for you so quickly."
"Well... it's about time that boy did something right" the old man grumbled. Rei was surprised to hear him still able to joke after such an ordeal, but the twinkle in her grandfather's eyes left no doubt that there was still considerable life left in his aging body and mind. "What time is it, Rei-chan?"
"It's just after noon, Ojii-chan. Yuuichirou is still at the shrine, he's closing early today. "The doctor told me they'll be keeping you here for a couple of days to run some tests."
"But... My shrine! I can't..."
"Please don't concern yourself with these things" the fifteen-year-old girl pleaded. "They aren't important right now. Yuuichirou and I will take care of everything. Just relax and get better. Do it for me, ok?"
"I don't know" the priest grumbled. "I can't be away from the shrine for two days. The place will fall apart."
Rei's voice grew stern. "You have no choice in the matter, Grandpa. Why didn't you tell me you were feeling so bad this morning? You could have died!" Another tear slid down her cheek as she struggled to remain calm.
"Rei-chan, as you can plainly see, I'm still kicking, and I have no plans to go away any time soon." He placed his hand on hers to reassure his distressed granddaughter. "Don't worry about me. If they insist on keeping me here, well then... I suppose I'll just have to make the best of it." His eyes swept around the room and he managed a weak smile. "I hope they have a pretty nurse or two looking after me."
Rei shook her head, forcing a smile. "Ojii-chan, you are unbelievable!"
. . . . .
At the study table in Rei's room that evening, four worried girls bombarded the miko with a barrage of questions. "How long did you say he'll be in the hospital, Rei-chan?" Makoto questioned.
"Did the doctor tell you what kind of rehabilitation they were planning for him?" Ami inquired.
"Is he well enough to eat?" Usagi asked. Everyone turned to stare at the blonde.
"I don't believe it!" Rei bristled. "A serious thing like this, and even now all you can think about is food!"
"So? I was only thinking that he needs to get his strength back, Rei-chan. What could be better for that than a nice meal?" Usagi said in self-defense.
Rei ignored the blonde's question. "He'll be there until Tuesday, Mako-chan. And they haven't told me yet how they were going to treat him" she replied to Ami.
"What about the shrine?" Minako wondered. "I suppose you're closing it down for a while, or getting some help from another Shinto shrine in town."
"Yuuichirou is on the phone right now, calling around to see who's available. But most places are already understaffed, just like us, and I'm not sure if he'll have much luck."
"Rei-chan, if there's anything we can do to help you through this, just say the word" Makoto spoke. "This is what true friends are for."
"I'll be glad to assist you too, Rei-chan" Ami added.
"Arigatou, Mako-chan, Ami-chan. I appreciate the offer." Rei regarded the tall brunette for a moment. "Hmm... I wonder if I can find miko clothing that will fit you."
"Who, me? A miko?" Makoto's eyebrows went up. "I admit I don't know a whole lot about this Shinto thing, Rei-chan. But if you honestly think I can help, I'm game. I'll give it a shot."
"Hai! Count me in too!" Minako added. "We'll get through this the way we always do. As a team!"
"Thank you all so much. Hopefully it won't come to that, but I do appreciate the offer" Rei said.
"Oh? Does this mean you will finally learn to appreciate me too?" Usagi asked. "Your kind, sweet, best-friend-anyone-could-ever-have Usagi?"
"You really want to help run the shrine, Usagi-chan?" Rei asked the blonde. "Now there's a scary thought!"
"Ohh! You can be so ungrateful, Rei-chan!"
"I'm not turning down any offers. If you want to help, I can certainly find a job for you."
Usagi beamed at her friend. "You can count on me, Rei-chan! I won't let you down!"
"I suppose that is possible. But... highly unlikely" came the doubtful reply.
Chapter 2:
"You really are the best friends anyone could have" Rei said to the four girls standing outside the shrine early the next morning. "Minna, arigatou. I know my grandpa will appreciate all the help you're giving me."
"How is he doing?" Makoto asked.
"He's much better this morning, Mako-chan. I haven't visited him yet today, but I called the hospital about ten minutes ago and they told me he's already asked three different nurses for a date."
"Sounds like he's well on his way to a full recovery!" Minako laughed. "Did I tell you that the first time I visited the shrine, he even tried hitting on me?"
"He did? That old man really should start acting his age, he's an embarrassment!" Rei grumbled. "If I didn't care so much about him, I'd give him a good talking to!"
"Why don't you?" Usagi asked in mid-yawn. "It never stops you from lecturing me every chance you get."
"That's different, Usagi-chan. You deserve it! Grandpa is... he's just a little odd at times. And will you please try to stay awake! Is that asking too much?"
"Fine" Usagi grumbled, though she immediately yawned again.
Rei tried hard to ignore her and addressed Makoto. "Mako-chan, I found a set of miko clothing that may fit, though they definitely won't be perfect. Would you mind trying them on, they're on my bed. After you're dressed I'll set you up at the shrine's front window, selling charms. Oh, and don't worry about wearing the ribbon. You can keep your green hair tie. I don't wear the ribbon very often myself."
"Arigatou" the brunette grinned. "Sounds good to me." Makoto disappeared into the living quarters and Rei next directed her attention toward Ami. "Same goes for you, Ami-chan. My clothes should fit you fine, you can help yourself to a spare set from my bedroom closet and join Mako-chan, at least for now. Though I'll probably have you out with the visitors if things get busy later." Ami quickly followed the brunette into the building, leaving just Usagi and Minako behind with the young shrine maiden.
"Why does Ami get to wear your fancy clothes and talk to the visitors, Rei-chan?" Usagi pouted. "I could do that!"
"First, Ami can speak more than passable English, and you can't" Rei pointed out. "You have enough trouble with Japanese!" Usagi glared at the miko as she went on. "Second, she knows a lot more about Shintoism than you do. And third..." Rei reached behind her and took a broom from where it rested against the shrine wall, "I already have the perfect job for you, Usagi-chan." The miko held out the broom to her blonde friend. "This is yours. I assume you know how to use it. The courtyard is a mess, there's dust and dirt everywhere from that strong wind we had last night, so you can start right away."
"Ohh! I just knew you'd give me the dirty job!" Usagi fumed. "No fair!" She sullenly grabbed the broom from Rei's hand and stormed away, muttering under her breath.
Grinning wickedly, Rei called after her, "If you do a good job with the sweeping, maybe later I'll promote you to emptying the trash bins!"
"Shut up, Rei-chan!"
Minako couldn't help but giggle. "It almost seems like you have a grudge to settle with Usagi, Rei-chan. Aren't you being a little mean to her?"
"Mean? Remember that resort trip we took last year? Remember what happened to my camera? And that joke she played on me at Mako-chan's house? Well, I remember."
"I guess I see your point" Minako agreed. "Remind me never to get on your bad side! So... what do you have for me to do?"
"Well, your English is really good too, so I'll put you out with the visitors later. You and Ami can take turns."
Yuuichirou appeared at the corner of the shrine and strolled up to Rei. "Rei-chan, I just took a phone call from a Mr. Murakami. He and his bride-to-be are on their way over to discuss the arrangements for their wedding next Saturday here at the shrine."
"This could be a problem" Rei frowned. "Grandpa always handles things like that. Yuuichirou-chan, I'm going to need your help when they arrive."
"But of course, darling." The apprentice gave his girlfriend an exaggerated bow. "I'm always more than happy to do anything for my dearest Rei-chan."
"Anything?" Rei smiled coyly at the boy. "I'll keep that fact in mind for later, my love." Hearing Minako snicker, she glared sternly at the blonde. "Forget you heard that, Minako-chan! And get your mind out of the gutter!"
"Who, me?" Minako looked innocently toward the sky, wearing a huge grin.
"One other thing" Yuuichirou added, now also sporting a smile. "I checked our stock of ema and ofuda earlier" he told the girl, referring to the small wooden plaques that Shinto practitioners bought and wrote their wishes on, "and we're running low at the front."
"Wonderful!" Rei grumbled, before suddenly remembering. "Wait, I think the new shipment Ojii-chan ordered came in last Friday, they should be sitting in a big wooden crate in the storeroom. Minako-chan, your first job is to open the crate and restock the shrine so Makoto and Ami have something to give our guests."
"I'm on it!" Minako blurted, relieved that she didn't have to share in Usagi's cleaning duties. Before Rei could utter another word, she hurried off towards the storeroom.
"Ok, that's all taken care of" Rei sighed. "We still have fifteen minutes to spare before we open the gate. Come on, Yuuichirou-chan, let's go find the paperwork we have to fill out for the wedding. I want everything ready before that couple gets here. And on the way..." she said, taking her her boyfriend's hand in hers and leading him toward the shrine's small office, "you can tell me exactly what you meant when you said you'd do anything for me."
"I... uh... think you know exactly what I meant, my love" Yuuichirou chuckled.
"I do. But tell me again."
. . . . .
'This must be the crate Rei was talking about' Minako thought as she entered the room. A large wooden box sat taking up much of the floor, with its lid held tightly down by a thin metal band that wrapped completely around it. 'Hmm... how am I supposed to open this thing?' the blonde pondered. She tried pulling the strap off with her fingers but it was far too tight and stubbornly refused to budge. 'Well this is annoying!' Minako thought. 'Oh, I know! I'll get a knife or something and cut it off!' Not finding anything suitable in the storeroom, she wandered into the kitchen on her quest for a suitable tool.
. . . . .
"This is impossible!" Usagi yelled aloud. "Every time I sweep this dust into a pile, the stupid wind blows it away again before I can pick it up! Ohh! Rei-chan, I hate you!" She tried working faster and the broom became a blur as she frantically tried gathering the copious dust into a sheltered spot near a waste bin. Her palms began to sweat and feel sore as she squeezed the broom handle tightly in a death-grip. "See if I ever volunteer to help Rei-chan again! Ha!"
. . . . .
Minako confidently returned to the storeroom clutching a sharp kitchen knife and a pair of scissors to try her luck at opening the crate. "That strap thinks it can keep me out! No chance! I'll show it who's the boss around here!"
She first tried the scissors at a spot where the strap went over a piece of wood on the crate's lid, forming a gap between it and the top of the box. She quickly found she was nowhere near strong enough to make the blades bite through the strong metal binding. After whitening her knuckles with the futile attempt, she placed the scissors on a nearby shelf and switched to the knife. 'Maybe I can saw the thing off.'
Starting slowly, she worked the knife back and forth faster and faster, producing a sharp grating noise that irritated her ears. 'Come on! Cut it, will you!' she urged. After two full minutes of work, she was dismayed to find that the strap remained unscathed. 'All I did was make a shiny spot!' Minako grumbled. Looking at the knife, she realized that its blade was now completely blunt and ruined beyond repair. 'Rei-chan is going to kill me if she sees what I did to her knife!' she thought in a panic. 'She'll make me pick up trash and empty the garbage cans!' The now-useless knife joined the scissors on the shelf, and the blonde wondered how she would ever get the crate open.
. . . . .
"My fingers are killing me!" Usagi whined. "There has to be an easier way!" Quickly losing her patience with sweeping, she headed back toward the shrine. 'Maybe I can find a better broom or something. I wonder if Rei-chan has a vacuum cleaner with a long cord in her house.'
. . . . .
Minako's pretty face was a study in concentration as she paused in her skirmish against the evil strap. She was convinced it was taunting her, and her temper and her desperation were both beginning to rise. The blonde tapped her lips with an index finger. 'What else can I try?' She looked around the storeroom again but came up empty-handed. "It's just a silly piece of metal! This is ridiculous!" she groaned.
"What's ridiculous, Minako-chan?" Usagi appeared in the doorway, still holding her broom.
"I can't open this dumb crate!" Minako screamed. "It's driving me crazy!"
"You have to get that strap thing off first" Usagi offered. "It looks like that's what's holding the top on."
"I know that, Usagi-chan!" Minako spotted the broom in her friend's hand. "Here, give me your broom for a second. Maybe I can pry the strap off." Taking it, she slid one end of the broom handle beneath the same gap where she had tried the scissors, and began to tug. "This is really stiff! Is it moving?"
Usagi peered at the metal band. "I don't think so. You need to pull harder, Minako-chan."
"Don't just stand there, will you please help me?" came Minako's exasperated reply.
"Ok. Slide your hands down a little and let me grab the end." Working together, both girls yanked hard on the broom handle.
'SNAP!'
"Ohh, look at what you did, Minako-chan! You broke the broom!"
"No, we broke the broom" the second blonde corrected her. "You helped."
"Only because you asked me to!" Usagi wailed. "Now Rei-chan is going to find out and she'll be even more upset at me! I'll be sweeping for the rest of my life!" she moaned in despair.
An evil grin suddenly appeared on Minako's lips. "Of course! Why didn't I think of that before? I'm going to open that crate right now!" Reaching into her jacket pocket, she pulled out her henshin stick.
"Minako-chan, what are you going to do with that?" Usagi gasped.
"Aino Minako may not be able to cut through that stupid strap, but Sailor Venus can! Let's see how well it stands up to my Crescent Beam!" Her eyes took on a savage glint as a very worried Usagi began backing away toward the storage room door.
"I'm not so sure about this, Minako-chan. Have you ever tried using your attack on a crate before?"
"You know what they say, there's a first time for everything. Stand back, Usagi-chan!" She raised the transformation device in her hand with grim determination.
"VENUS POWER, MAKE-UP!"
. . . . .
"That should be everything we need" Rei said as she collected the last of several forms into a tidy pile. "I hope we don't make any mistakes when we fill out the paperwork. Ojii-chan makes it seem so easy." The miko glanced at a clock hanging on the wall of her grandfather's tiny office. "It's opening time, Yuuichirou my love. Would you mind unlocking the front gate please? I'll go check on Ami and Makoto, they need to know which ema is appropriate for our customer's wishes."
"Of course, my darling. Your gatekeeper is always on the job!" Yuuichirou couldn't leave without giving his girlfriend a soft parting kiss.
Rei smiled happily as she watched her love leave the room, then walked to the front of the shrine where Ami and Makoto had already taken their places. "Mako-chan, that clothing fits better than I thought. I think it really suits you. Have you ever thought of becoming a miko?"
"I can honestly say that I haven't, Rei-chan" Makoto laughed.
"Rei-chan, there aren't many items in these bins" Ami said. "Do you have extra?"
"Minako should have brought you more by now. What on earth is she doing?" Rei remembered what had happened at Ami and Ryo's promise party and her face formed a scowl. "I hope she's not goofing off in my room and reading my manga again! I'll go see what's keeping her and be right back." Rei spun on her heels and stormed off toward the storage room.
Chapter 3:
"Is Ryo seeing you later today?" Makoto asked her petite friend who occupied the stool alongside her. "Or is that a silly question?" she chuckled.
"Hai, he is, Mako-chan. He brought our notes to class this morning to give our sensei, explaining why we would be off for a couple of days. I hate missing classes, but helping Rei at a time like this is so much more important." The blue-haired girl asked, "How is everything with you and Yuji?"
"Everything is just wonderful!" Makoto sighed happily. "Actually, fantastic would be a better word! The only bad thing is that he's in Nerima, and I'm here. I really miss him."
"Perhaps we can spend next weekend at your home there" Ami suggested. "I'd be happy to drive you."
"That would be great!" Makoto exclaimed. "I was thinking of taking the train, but if we go in your car, Yuji and I can have even more time together. I'm sure Minako will want to come too, all she ever talks about lately is seeing Taro again. You and Ryo can have your usual room, of course."
"Arigatou, Mako-chan. Let's plan on leaving early Saturday morning" Ami agreed.
"That sounds perfect, Ami-chan. And," she winked, "maybe by that time, your bedroom will have finally cooled off a little" Makoto teased her shy friend.
"Mako-chan!" Ami blushed deeply. "You're getting to be nearly as bad as Rei and Minako!"
"I'm learning from them" Makoto replied with a twinkle in her eye. "They're such a terrible influence on me."
. . . . .
Rei walked swiftly into the shrine's living quarters and down a long hallway that lead around a corner to the storage room. Turning the corner, she was surprised to see Usagi standing in the hallway with the brush-end of a broken broom in one hand. "Usagi-chan! Why aren't you outside sweeping? And what did you do to my br-"
Her angry rebuke was cut off as a familiar voice yelled out from somewhere inside the storage room.
"Take this, you stupid strap! CRESCENT BEAM!"
. . . . .
Ami glanced up at the tall brunette beside her and hid her lips behind one hand as she giggled softly.
"What's so funny, Ami-chan?" Makoto asked, puzzled.
"A thought just occurred to me" the blue-haired girl said with a shy smile. "Perhaps someday soon, I'll be able to tell those same jokes you and the other girls make about Ryo and me, but this time, it will be you and Yuji, or Minako and Taro who are... always studying!"
"Ami-chan! Shame on you!" Makoto exclaimed. But she was smiling as well, and secretly hoped that very special day, or night, she thought, would become a reality in her and Yuji's very near future. "You know, I never could have imagined just how wonderful true love is" she confessed. "But whenever I'm with Yuji-chan, well let's just say-"
A low-pitched, muffled boom echoing from somewhere in the other building interrupted her, and her green eyes widened. "Ami-chan, did you hear that?"
"Hai! I'll go see what the problem is, Mako-chan" Ami said as she quickly rose from her seat.
"Ok, call me if you need help!"
. . . . .
Sailor Venus' energy beam struck the metal strap and severed it immediately, but the powerful beam continued on, boring into the crate and instantly heating the wood to its explosion point. Rei's mouth dropped open and she watched in horror as an immense cloud of dust, singed and splintered wood chips, and a multitude of paper fragments burst through the storage room's open doorway and poured into the hall. A kitchen knife also flew through the air, imbedding itself in the wall not far from where a terrified Usagi stood. What looked like part of a broom handle rattled along the floor and rolled to a stop near the miko's feet.
"Kami help us!" Rei blurted, rushing through the debris cloud to pause in the doorway. "Minako-chan! Are you ok?"
Sailor Venus stood red-faced amid the chaos, wearing a blank stare. Her Senshi uniform was coated in a layer of dust and tiny particles from what had been the shrine's shipment of ema. All that remained of the crate was its base and a mangled piece of metal strapping which stuck up defiantly from the rubble.
"I'm fine" Venus coughed. "It's... a little dusty in here."
"A little dusty?" Rei screamed, her hands quivering. "You imbecile! Not only did you destroy the ema we need, you wrecked half the room! And you nearly killed Usagi with a knife!"
"If Taro had been here, he would have known how to open that dumb crate."
"If Taro was here, he'd probably be dead now!" Rei yelled.
"Oh... Well, at least I got the crate open" Venus murmured quietly.
"What crate? There's nothing left!"
"Sorry."
"Sorry? Is that all you can say?" Rei's shoulders slumped. "Why can I never trust you and Usagi to do even the simplest of tasks?"
"Hey, don't blame me!" Usagi said. "I was just watching."
"Any time you two are together, it always ends in disaster!" Rei walked over and pulled the knife from the wall, throwing it on the floor in disgust. "At least no one was killed, I suppose I should be thankful for that." The miko glared angrily at the girls. "Both of you, clean this mess up. Right now! Dump the pieces in the bin out back, find another broom and sweep the place clean. How am I going to explain that gouge in the wall to Ojii-chan?"
Sailor Venus detransformed and the debris that had collected on her uniform fell away, adding to the thick layer on the floor. "Rei-chan, I-"
"Not another word!" Rei sputtered, pointing accusingly at the blonde. "Just fix your mess, and try not to destroy what's left of the shrine in the process." She spun around and went back to the office, collapsing into her chair. 'I hope the supply company has more stock available, I'll have to have it rushed over somehow.' She hurriedly scrawled out an order on a piece of paper before Ami appeared in the office doorway.
"Rei-chan, Mako-chan and I thought we heard an explosion."
Rei looked across her grandfather's desk. "It was nothing, Ami-chan. Nothing at all. Just Minako and Usagi trying to blow up the shrine."
"Nani?"
"The problem is under control. They're taking care of it." The miko's hands were still trembling as she thought of what could have happened to her two blonde friends. "It's days like this that make me want to smoke more" she muttered absentmindedly.
"Rei-chan! You smoke?" Ami's blue eyes opened wide with surprise.
"Hai, I do, but not too often. I started around the time we first met... I was going through a very difficult period in my life." She noticed a curious expression on the blue-haired girl's face. "I was really stressed out, ok? Don't judge me!" the miko yelled at her.
Ami cringed at Rei's sudden outburst and took a quick step backward.
Rei's voice immediately softened as she fought to bring her emotions under control. "Listen... I apologize for blowing up at you like that, Ami-chan. You didn't deserve it. Please forgive me."
"That's ok, Rei-chan. I know you're under an incredible amount of stress right now too, especially with your grandfather in the hospital" the blue-haired girl said softly with a forgiving smile. "There's no need to apologize. I understand completely. About... everything."
"Arigatou, Ami-chan. I'm glad someone here can function as a normal person without leaving carnage everywhere they go." The miko smiled back. "I have another job for you, if you wouldn't mind. I have to phone in a new rush order for replacement ema and ofuda. Yuuichirou and I are going to be busy with a couple who want to get married here next weekend. Would you please take the shrine's van and drive over to the supply company to pick up the order?" She rummaged in the desk and found a business card, handing it to her friend. "Here's the address."
"Of course, Rei-chan. Anything I can do to help" Ami nodded.
Yuuichirou strolled up behind Ami and stuck his head into the room. "Rei-chan, that couple I told you about is here, and they're waiting outside..." He sniffed the air. "What's that funny smell? It's almost like... wood burning."
"Don't bother asking, Yuuichirou-chan" Rei sighed. "Go ahead and bring them in. Ami-chan, give this piece of paper to Usagi and ask her to call in the new order from the phone in the hall. Yuuichirou and I will be tied up for a while. Don't wait for Usagi to finish, we're going to need those supplies really soon. You'd better go right away. The keys to the van are on a hook near the back door."
"I'll take care of it, Rei-chan. Please try not to worry so much. Everything will work out in the end." Ami took the paper and left as the raven-haired girl spent a moment brushing the last of Minako's explosion dust from her miko uniform. 'Usagi and Minako are going to drive me completely insane some day' she thought.
. . . . .
Usagi propped her back against the wall with Rei's scribbled order in one hand and the telephone in the other. "Ohayou. I'd like to place a rush order please. It's for the Hikawa Jinja in Minato."
She studied the paper Ami had given her, her forehead wrinkling. 'I can't read this stupid number Rei wrote!' she muttered. 'It looks like chicken scratches!' A voice on the line spoke to her, asking for the quantity. 'Uh... I think it says two boxes... or maybe that's a three. Better make it three, just in case. Hai, someone from the shrine will be there to pick it up soon. Arigatou!" She hung up and trudged back to help Minako finish clearing the mess.
. . . . .
Makoto handed several ofuda to two cute high school boys who were hoping for a better grade on their next exam. In the past, she would have tried to strike up a conversation with them in hopes of finding a new love interest. But with Yuji now in her life and her heart, she simply didn't care in the least about anyone else. A bus-load of rich, handsome young movie stars could have walked up to her window, and she wouldn't have batted an eye. The only guy she wanted to be with was living in Nerima, waiting patiently to see her again.
The brunette sighed happily, letting her mind drift back to the New Year's party at her home there, and their first dance together. And their first kiss, as the clock struck midnight. Further along the front of the building, someone pulled on one of the thick ropes that hung down from the shrine's roof, ringing the prayer bell. Makoto's daydreams were interrupted as the bell kept on ringing, its now-constant clatter beginning to annoy her. She slid off her stool and leaned forward, peering out of the window at the source of the commotion. A young boy stood alone at the rope, his parents nowhere in sight, and she frowned as she watched him continue making the noise, a mischievous grin plastered on his face. 'What on earth is that kid doing?' she wondered.
Makoto tried calling out to him. 'Excuse me! Little boy... yes, you. You know, you're only supposed to ring the bell once."
The kid stuck his tongue out at her and kept on jangling, even louder than before.
"Why you little-!" Makoto muttered under her breath. Abandoning her post, she strode quickly to the door and out into the courtyard. "Where's your mommy and daddy?" she asked him above the din. "Shouldn't you be with your parents?"
The child ignored her and tugged the rope again. Makoto reached out her hand and seized the rope, taking it away from him as gently as her rapidly-thinning patience would allow. "I'm sorry, you have to stop now. This isn't a plaything."
"But I want to!" the child yelled, and she lifted the rope out of his reach as he tried to grab it.
"You can't. This is for prayer. It's not a toy."
"Give it to me!"
"No!"
"You're mean!" The boy began to wail and Makoto looked around with embarrassment as several visitors stared at her from across the courtyard. A woman stormed up and placed her hands on her hips. "Why are you yelling at my son, young lady?"
"I wasn't yelling at him" Makoto pointed out, keeping her voice calm. "He was disturbing our-"
"Nonsense! He's a good boy."
"Well he was" Makoto insisted, standing her ground. "Didn't you hear the racket he was making?"
"What? How dare you speak to me like that! You're incredibly rude!"
"Ma'am, I was just trying to-" The brunette's temper began to flare and she dropped the rope, hiding her clenching hands behind her back.
"That's enough! We're leaving!" The woman grabbed her son's hand and dragged him away. "Whoever runs this shrine is certainly going to hear from me about this!" she said over her shoulder. "I'll file a complaint!"
"You do that!" Makoto yelled back. "While you're at it, why don't you file two!" Her happy thoughts of Yuji now erased from her mind, Makoto stormed back into the shrine. "I hope someone gives your kid a trumpet as a birthday present and he blows it in your ear every morning!" she muttered.
Chapter 4:
"My fiancé and I were wondering if we could have traditional gagaku music at our wedding ceremony" the young bride-to-be told Rei. "Would it be possible to have your shrine make the necessary arrangements?"
"Of course" the miko replied. "Although I should mention that we do not have musicians on staff and would have to hire performers, which will add to the cost."
"I understand" the young woman said. "We aren't quite sure about the music yet, could I have a few minutes to discuss this more with my fiancé?"
"Take all the time you need" Rei replied. "If you don't mind, I'll step out for a moment and leave you in Kumada-san's capable hands. There's something I need to check on. I'll be back in just a few minutes" the young miko promised. The couple agreed and Rei excused herself from the meeting. She immediately hurried to the storeroom to check on its cleaning.
"See, Rei-chan! It isn't so bad" Usagi told her as she approached. The girl held another broom in her hands and waved it around. "Before you know it, everything will be just like new!"
"Hai, minus the destroyed box of ema and ofuda, a ruined knife, a broken broom, and a damaged wall" Rei scoffed as she ticked off the mishaps on her fingers. "Just like new." She entered the storeroom and watched Minako wipe down the last of the shelves.
The girl turned to her and managed a feeble grin. "We're almost done, Rei-chan" she said optimistically. "A few more minutes and the storage room will be ship-shape again!"
"I guess so, if the ship you're talking about is the Titanic."
"I promise I'll never do anything crazy like that ever again" Minako vowed solemnly. "I don't know what I was thinking."
"I'll believe that promise when I see it." The harried miko glanced around the room and happened to look up. "Tell me something, Minako-chan. Why is my good pair of scissors sticking out of the ceiling?"
The blonde followed her gaze. "Oh! I forgot to mention that" she grinned sheepishly. "I'll get them."
"Forget the scissors, Usagi can get them down and finish cleaning in here. I have another job for you."
Minako frowned. "You aren't going to make me crawl around the grounds picking up trash or something, are you?"
"That may happen later, but if I'm going to send you out with the visitors when things get busier this afternoon, you need proper attire. My last set of miko clothing is in the laundry, so I want you to wash them. After the skirt and jacket are clean, put them on, then check back with me. Do you think you can manage that without causing any more disasters?" the miko asked hopefully.
"Sure, that sounds easy enough!" Minako nodded with enthusiasm. "It'll be a piece of pie!"
"The dirty laundry is in a basket in my room, and the washer and dryer are in the kitchen" Rei told her.
"I'll get right on it, Rei-chan!"
"Good. One last thing... please promise me you won't attack the washing machine" the miko sighed.
"Of course I won't, silly!" Minako giggled, winking at her friend before heading off on her new task.
. . . . .
"Are you certain the order is correct?" Ami asked the man at the supply company. "The van is nearly full. I don't think another box will fit inside with the doors closed."
The employee straightened his paperwork that had nearly blown off his clipboard by a strong gust of wind. He quickly rechecked the quantity. "Hai, Mizuno-san. The order your shrine phoned in was for three boxes." He pondered the problem. "One good thing is that these boxes are made of cardboard, which takes up a bit less space than the wood we normally use. The order was a rush, so we didn't have time to prepare wooden crates for you." The man rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Tell you what I'll do, I'll load the third box of ofuda as far inside as it will fit and tie your van doors around it. It may stick out a little, but it should be good enough for your trip back to the Hikawa Jinja."
The blue-haired girl appeared doubtful. "Wouldn't it be better if I made a second trip for the last box?"
"I'm sorry, Mizuno-san, but I have to clear my loading dock right away. A large truck is on its way here and we need the space."
"I understand" Ami replied. "Please do the best you can."
. . . . .
"Everything good out here, Mako-chan?" Rei questioned the temporary miko at the window.
"I'm almost out of ema, Rei-chan. Not many ofuda left either."
"Ami should be back soon with more. I told her to hurry." The shrine maiden asked, "So how are you enjoying your new job?"
"Well... there was this one little boy... Rei-chan, your grandfather may get a complaint about me from some woman who was here. She said I was yelling at her kid."
"Oh? What happened?"
"I'd rather not talk about it right now" the brunette grumbled. "But I didn't do anything wrong. Not this time" Makoto said in an ominous tone.
"Please try to stay calm when dealing with the visitors, Mako-chan" Rei pleaded. "I know what your temper can be like sometimes, and even a Shinto shrine can get an occasional troublemaker or two. I have to go back to my wedding meeting now. Don't worry about the complaint, I'll take care of it. You're doing just fine."
. . . . .
Usagi peered inside the washing machine's opening. "Minako-chan, did you add the detergent yet? If you don't put enough in, Rei's clothes won't be very clean and you'll have to wash them again" she admonished her friend with a wagging index finger.
"I put in a lot, Usagi-chan... do you think I need to add more? I don't have time to do this twice."
"It couldn't hurt" her odango-haired companion replied. "Here, let me help you." She dropped her broom and picked up the detergent box, tipping it into the washing machine and dumping a massive pile of the cleaning powder onto Rei's miko clothing. "There! That should do it!" she said with a satisfied nod.
"Usagi-chan, that looks like way too much! Have you done this before?"
"No, not really. I always make Shingo do the laundry at home when it's my turn." Usagi smiled confidently as she closed the washer's door. "It's just a simple washing machine, Minako-chan! What could possibly go wrong?" She asked her friend, "Would you please help me get those scissors out of the ceiling?"
Minako pressed a button and the machine began to fill with hot water. "Sure. I'll come back and check on this thing in a few minutes. Let's go get those scissors down before Rei-chan finds something else to get mad at us about!" Usagi reached for her broom and the two girls headed back to the storage room.
. . . . .
Half way back to the shrine, Ami eased to a stop and rolled down her window as a burly construction worker approached her small van. "I'm sorry, miss. This road will be closed for a while, we have to fix a burst water pipe." He pointed to an unfamiliar side street. "You can take a detour around the repair by going down there. It's being resurfaced and will be a bit bumpy, but at least you'll get where you need to go."
"Arigatou." Her apprehension building, Ami carefully pulled the van into the unevenly-surfaced lane way and proceeded forward. Behind her, the thin string holding the van's rear doors together began to fray as it grew ever tighter against the protruding third cardboard box.
. . . . .
Back at the shrine, Makoto groaned with dismay as the troublesome woman from earlier suddenly reappeared beneath a torii gate at the top of the steps and walked straight toward her window. She strode briskly up to the girl and blurted, "I had to take my son straight home! I'll have you know he's very upset because of what you did!"
Her mood still sour from their earlier encounter, Makoto glared back but kept her voice level. "I didn't yell at your child, ma'am. All I did was stop him from ringing the shrine's prayer bell. He was-"
"So he's not allowed to ring the bell? What kind of place is this?" the woman interrupted her. "Isn't that what the bell is made for, to ring?"
"It's not supposed to be rung like a telephone!" Makoto shot back.
"You... insolent girl! I want to speak to this shrine's Sensei immediately!"
"I'm sorry, you can't do that. He's in the hospital."
"Is he? Well, if his other staff are anything like you, I can certainly understand why."
Her temper nearing full boil, Makoto abruptly rose from her stool and pointed toward the steps. "Ma'am, I'm going to ask you to leave right now, before you or your family causes another disturbance."
"How dare you order me to leave!" the woman shrieked at her.
Still pointing toward the steps that lead back to the street, Makoto's voice became low and more than a little intimidating. "Get out. Now." Though she didn't say it out loud, she implied, 'While you still can.'
The woman's complexion paled, and she spun around and fled away without uttering another sound. The brunette plopped back down on her seat and grinned evilly as the annoying visitor disappeared down the steps. 'I don't care if I do get in trouble' she thought. 'It was worth it!'
. . . . .
Striking a sudden sharp bump in the uneven road, Ami looked in her rear-view mirror with alarm as she heard the sound of the string snapping. She was aghast to see the rear doors of the van fly open and the third box topple out. The blue-haired girl slammed on her brakes as the box struck the ground and burst wide open. Free of their thin cardboard prison, the strips of paper ofuda inside began blowing away in the gusty wind. A car horn from somewhere behind honked at her, and a red-faced Mizuno Ami flung open the driver's door and rushed back to corral the wayward charms.
. . . . .
In the kitchen of the shrine's living quarters, a few soap bubbles began to appear around the door of the washing machine. They were quickly joined by many more as the excess detergent turned the inside of the washer into a frothy swirling cauldron.
. . . . .
"I tried the step stool, Minako-chan, but I'm still not high enough to reach the scissors" Usagi complained.
"Hand me your broom, Usagi-chan. Maybe I can bat them down." Minako took the handle and reached as high as she could, swatting at them. "Wow, they're really stuck in there tight!" She took another wild swing, missing the scissors and striking a nearby light bulb instead. The small room was plunged into near-darkness as the bulb shattered. "Oops!"
"Minako-chan!" Usagi gasped. "You broke the light! Rei-chan definitely won't be happy about this!"
"Great! She's going to kill me now for sure!" the other blonde fretted in the gloom.
Chapter 5:
Minako's heart sank as she thought how her already overstressed miko friend would react to the broken bulb. "The stupid scissors are still stuck in the ceiling, too! Unless... Usagi-chan, do you remember where that big stepladder is, the one Yuuichirou used to hang up the decorations for Ami and Ryo's promise party?"
"I think I remember seeing a ladder leaning against the side of the building, Minako-chan."
"Perfect!" Minako cackled, rubbing her hands together with glee. "We'll go get the ladder and change the bulb before Rei finds out, and we can get the scissors down at the same time! We'll kill two stones with one bird!"
"That's a great idea!" Usagi agreed. The duo left the room and hurriedly exited the shrine in search of the stepladder.
"We have to be quick and fix it before Rei gets out of her meeting!" Minako said breathlessly, urging her companion onward.
. . . . .
With no customers for charms currently waiting at her window, Makoto stood up and stretched comfortably. Resting her hands on the window frame, the brunette leaned out and glanced around the now-tranquil shrine grounds. A sudden burst of moment at the corner of her eye caught her attention and she watched as Usagi and Minako rushed out the front door of Rei's home. Makoto waved at the two girls, but they seemed far too focused on some unknown urgent task to notice her. She watched with increasing curiosity as they hurried down one side of the residence, and her puzzlement grew as they reappeared a short while later carrying a long step ladder between them.
'What on earth are those two up to now?' The brunette looked on, growing more amused as they disappeared back inside. "They need that big ladder to get me more ofuda? Something smells fishy here, and it isn't food!" she laughed.
. . . . .
Ami stooped over the split-open box, immersed in a small white blizzard of flying charms, which was made even worse when the impatient driver that had honked his horn at her roared past. As quickly as she could manage, she began scooping up bundles of the ofuda and throwing them haphazardly into the back of the van. Her pretty face had blushed crimson, and reddened even more when she heard laughter from two younger girls who happened to be walking past. One of them grabbed at a loose paper as the wind carried it near. "Look, Hanae-chan! I got a free charm!" one girl blurted to her friend.
"Sumi masen!" Ami called out, intending to ask them for help. "Would you mind-" But her plea for help fell on deaf ears as they were already running down the sidewalk, chasing after several more ofuda that fluttered in the wind. The petite, blue-haired girl groaned despairingly and concentrated on her work, managing to save about half of them. Giving up on the rest as lost forever, the fifteen-year-old stuffed the torn box into the van, slammed the rear doors shut and clambered back behind the wheel. Ami gunned the engine and hastily fled from the scene of her embarrassment with a loud squeal of tires.
. . . . .
Minako and Usagi had carried the stepladder part way down the hallway before the lead girl abruptly stopped in her tracks. "We can't go this way, Usagi-chan!" Minako hissed. "We'll walk right past the office and Rei will see us! Let's use the back door!" The girls reversed direction and retreated, but not before scraping one end of the ladder against the wall and leaving a long scratch in the varnished wood paneling.
"Minako-chan, we just-"
"Quiet, Usagi-chan! I can see what we did! It's just a little scratch. With any luck, no one will notice" her partner in crime said. They reemerged from the building and still clutching their stepladder, ran toward the rear of the living quarters as Makoto and several bystanders looked on.
The tall brunette leaned further out the shrine window to get a better view of the antics. 'What's next?' she wondered, shaking her head in disbelief at what was transpiring nearby. 'Usagi and Minako are more fun to watch than a tv game show!'
. . . . .
"Ok, we have the ladder! Now all we need is a light bulb." Minako said with relief as they finally reached the storage room.
"I know where there's one!" Usagi grinned at her in the near-darkness. "Rei-chan always keeps a spare in her bedroom, on the shelf above her manga." She hurried away and quickly returned with the new bulb.
"Arigatou, Usagi-chan. Hold the ladder steady, I'll climb up and replace the bulb." Fumbling in the dim light, Minako placed a rag over the broken bulb's end and began unscrewing it. She suddenly remembered, "Usagi-chan, turn off the switch! I don't want to fry myself up here!"
"Hai!" Her companion flipped the light switch off and Minako continued her covert deed.
. . . . .
Having concluded the wedding arrangements, Rei and Yuuichirou bowed to the young couple. "I hope you have a wonderful wedding" the miko told the happy man and his bride-to-be, "and thank you again for choosing to share your special day with us here at the Hikawa Jinja. Kumada-san, would you please show them out?" After they had gone, Rei sighed audibly in relief and leaned back in her chair, rubbing her forehead with one hand. 'I hope we did everything right' she worried. 'Ojii-chan won't be too happy with us if he finds a mistake in the paperwork and has to bring them back in.' She sat quietly for a few moments, enjoying the tranquility. 'At least things seem to have finally calmed down. I just couldn't handle another disaster today.'
Her throat felt dry after the meeting, but Rei allowed herself a few more seconds of much-needed serenity before finally leaving the office and heading to the kitchen for a glass of water.
Returning from his farewell to the young couple at the shrine's front steps, Yuuichirou spotted the small van pulling into its parking space near the rear of the buildings. 'Good, Ami is back with the charms. I'd better go unload them and bring some over to Makoto. She must be nearly out of them by now.' He strolled to the rear of the shrine and greeted Ami as she slipped out of the driver's seat. "Did you have a nice trip, Ami-chan?"
"I... lost nearly half a box of ofuda, Yuuichirou-san" the girl confessed quietly. "I'm sorry." She explained her misadventure and the apprentice chuckled.
"No problem! You did a great job bringing back as many as you did. I can't understand why Rei would order three boxes when she knows only two will fit inside the van. Here, allow me to unload them for you." He opened the rear doors and another small cloud of paper ofuda blew out. Ami reddened as he laughed again. "Please don't feel bad, Ami-chan. I'm sure the exact same thing would've happened to me."
. . . . .
Rei detected a very strong scent of laundry soap as she neared the kitchen. 'That's strange' she sniffed, frowning as a new and alarming thought occurred to her. Reaching the doorway, the miko froze, her eyes springing wide open. Much of the floor was awash in a sea of bubbly foam, while still more oozed around the door of the running washing machine and ran down its sides, adding to the thick, slippery layer. "No! This can't be happening!" Rei's hands clenched. "Minako turned my kitchen into a bubble bath! I knew I shouldn't have trusted her with the laundry, she's as much of a disaster as Usagi!" Enraged, the miko spun around, yelling as loudly as she could, "Minako-chan, you idiot! Where are you?"
At the storage room, Minako had just handed Usagi the wayward scissors and was climbing down the ladder when Rei's angry bellow carried inside.
The two girls looked at each other and cringed. "Quick! Let's get this ladder outside before Rei finds us!" Minako gasped.
"Rei-chan sounds really mad again!" Usagi moaned. "I wonder what's wrong now?" She grabbed one leg of the still-upright aluminum stepladder and yanked it into the air.
"Wait! It's not folded yet!" Minako's warning came too late. The top of the ladder struck the new bulb and the storage room was plunged back into darkness.
"Thanks a lot, Usagi-chan."
. . . . .
Yuuichirou helped Ami gather the loose charms in a plastic bag, and the blue-haired girl thanked him and carried the talismans over to Makoto's window. The teenage apprentice slid one of the intact boxes to the edge of the van and tried lifting it. 'This thing's heavier than it looks!' Staggering a little under the weight of his load, he carried the box through the back door of the residence and headed through the kitchen on his way to the storeroom.
. . . . .
Rei heard the two troublemakers still inside the storage room, bickering at each other as she approached.
"I was only trying to help" Rei overheard Usagi say. "And anyway, I didn't break the first bulb, Minako-chan."
"Well, you certainly broke the second one" Minako grumbled in reply. "When Rei finds out, she's... going... to..." Her voice faded as she noticed the angry miko standing in the doorway. "Oh...! Uh... konnichiwa, Rei-chan!" she said with a feeble smile.
Rei spotted the ladder through the dim light, along with the remnants of a shattered bulb jutting from its socket above it. The miko folded her arms and glared at the two girls. "I see you've both been keeping busy, destroying even more shrine property while I was in that meeting. Congratulations. This has to be a new record for the most destruction to a Shinto shrine outside of a major earthquake."
"Rei-chan, I can explain-"
"Can you, Minako-chan?" the miko fumed. "And how much more damage will your explanation cause?"
Usagi held out the scissors. "We got these down for you, Rei-chan."
"Usagi-chan, this isn't a good time to give me something sharp. I just may-" Yuuichirou's yell from somewhere nearby interrupted her, quickly followed by a loud thump. "The kitchen!" Rei blurted. "Yuuichirou must have slipped on the detergent!"
"What detergent?" Usagi asked before the realization struck her. "Ohh! The laundry!"
Rei ran toward her boyfriend's sound of distress with the other girls tagging behind. "Yuuichirou-chan! Did you hurt yourself?" She found him slightly winded, sitting up on the floor in the midst of the foam.
"I'll be ok, Rei-chan. My tailbone's going to hurt for a while though!" he grimaced through his smile. "What happened here?"
"Usagi and Minako happened here!" Rei fumed, staring evilly at the culprits.
"Minna, we're both so very, very sorry!" Minako apologized while Usagi nodded briskly. "I'm really relieved that you're not badly injured, Yuuichirou-san."
"Arigatou, Minako-chan." The teenage boy carefully got back on his feet, his clothes dripping wet and covered in bubbles. "This stuff is slippery! A person could get hurt in a place like this." Nearby, the cardboard box he had been carrying lay on the floor, one side soaked completely through with soapy water.
"Well done!" Rei said sarcastically to the two blondes as she regarded the soggy box. "Not only did you bruise my boyfriend, you've managed to ruin even more charms. And you weren't even in the room when it happened. I'm impressed! Keep it up, and maybe someday you'll be able to destroy the entire shrine from the comfort of you own home."
Footsteps approaching rapidly down the hall quickly turned everyone's attention away from the kitchen disaster. Ami ran up to the group, and after a speechless moment as she looked with stunned shock at the chaos in the kitchen, she gasped, "Minna! There's a lady at the shrine with a policeman! I think she's trying to have Mako-chan arrested!"
Chapter 6:
Everyone followed Ami's lead as she hurried down the hallway and out into the courtyard. Makoto was standing outside her window, along with the woman who had been there twice earlier. A police officer stood between the two females, taking notes.
"You're saying that this young lady threatened you?" the officer asked the woman.
"Hai! She chased me away from the shrine and had a very nasty attitude."
The policeman scribbled in his notebook. "What exactly did she say to you that you considered threatening?" He looked up as the other girls arrived, followed shortly after by a teenage male with wet clothes, eliciting a raised eyebrow from the officer. "Go on."
"Well, she didn't threaten me physically, not exactly" the woman relented. "It was more in the way she spoke to me."
"I see." He addressed the teenage girl. "And your name is...?"
Makoto spoke up. "Hai, my name is Kino Makoto, and I'm working at the Hikawa Jinja today as a volunteer."
The officer promptly added her name to the page in his notebook. "Let me hear your side of the story."
Makoto briefly told the officer about the troublesome child, the woman's insult to her, and her threat to file a complaint with Hino-sensei. "I honestly don't care if she makes a formal complaint about me or not, officer" the brunette said confidently. "I did what I thought was right, and even if my words were a little... blunt, I hope you can now understand why."
"Would you disagree with anything you have just heard?" he asked the woman, who opened her mouth to speak but finally shook her head, saying only, "I don't like her attitude."
The policeman smiled at the teenage girl as he flipped his notebook closed. "Kids can be a real handful to deal with sometimes, Kino-san. Based on what I've heard, I believe you were well within your rights, if somewhat... harsh." He turned to the woman who stood scowling at the brunette, scarcely believing her ears. "Enoki-san, I see no reason whatsoever to press any charges against this young lady. All I can suggest to you is that you try to keep stricter control over your son's activities. A Shinto shrine is not a place to leave a very young child unattended, particularly one that chooses to cause problems for the staff."
"Nani? You aren't going to do anything?" The woman blurted, dumbfounded.
"I will do one thing" the officer told her. "I will suggest to you that in the future, you should consider carefully what you say to the authorities. Making claims that are not based in fact could very well get you in trouble some day."
"Me? But... I..."
"I think we're done here, Enoki-san. Have a nice day."
The woman glared hatefully at Makoto a final time before pivoting on her heels and storming away. "Sorry to have bothered you, Kino-san" the policeman said. With a polite bow, he also left the shrine's grounds.
Makoto broke into a big grin as her friends clustered around. "Whew! That was... something different!"
Usagi threw both arms around the brunette and squeezed her tightly. "I'm so happy you don't have to go to jail, Mako-chan!"
"You and me both!" Makoto laughed. She grinned at Rei, who stood shaking her head and smiling back.
"We must be the only Shinto shrine in Tokyo with an enforcer on its staff!" the miko laughed. "If it helps, I think you handled that child and her mother perfectly. Better than I would have done, considering the kind of day I've had so far."
"Arigatou, Rei-chan. Uh... do you still want me to sell ofuda to the visitors?"
"Absolutely, Mako-chan. But first, why don't you take a break after all this excitement? Maybe go have a snack or something. You've certainly earned it. Ami-chan can take your place in the booth until you return. But I want you back on the job in fifteen minutes!" Rei ordered with a smile.
"Sounds good" Makoto agreed. "I could really go for a cup of tea, or even a glass of water."
Rei immediately frowned and glared at Minako and Usagi. "Be careful in the kitchen, Mako-chan. The floor in there is very slippery."
. . . . .
Rei returned to the office after giving Usagi and Minako the task of cleaning up their latest mess. "When I check back in a little while, I expect all the soap to be gone, the floor clean, and you wearing my spare set of miko clothes, Minako-chan. Please don't disappoint me this time."
"I won't, Rei-chan" the blonde vowed. "You won't have to deal with any more problems from me today."
Sitting at her desk, Rei phoned the hospital and checked on her grandfather's progress. "Hai, I'm calling about my grandfather, a Mr. Hino. He was admitted yesterday after suffering a mild heart attack. Hai, that's him." She listened to the kangofu and thanked her. "That's great news. Would you please tell him that his granddaughter will be over to see him sometime later this afternoon? Arigatou." She hung up the phone just as Ami appeared at her office door.
"Grandpa is doing fine" Rei told her friend. "He's recovering so quickly, the nurse told me even his heart specialist is amazed."
"That's wonderful news, Rei-chan!" Ami exclaimed happily.
"It's the first good news I've had all day" Rei admitted with a deep sigh. "You would not believe what the twin terrors have been up to."
"Somehow... I think I would" Ami replied with a knowing smile. "But that's just who they are. They certainly add a lot of color to our lives at times, don't they?" She continued, "Mako-chan is back at the window, do you still want me to work with her?"
"She's doing a great job there. How about you spend some time on the grounds, I'm sure our guests would appreciate having someone available to answer their questions" Rei said. "By the way, how was your trip to pick up the order? Any problems?"
Ami reluctantly repeated the details of her adventure, not wanting to upset Rei further. The raven-haired girl muttered, "If it's not Minako, it's Usagi. Doesn't that girl know how to read? I ordered two boxes, not three."
Yuuichirou strolled casually up to the office doorway. "The light in the storeroom is fixed, Rei-chan. What would you like me to do next?"
"Would you please sweep the courtyard and steps, honey? I asked Usagi to do it this morning, and we both know how that ended."
"Consider the sweeping as good as done, my love" Yuuichirou replied. "Oh... there's one other thing. On the way in here, I noticed a big scratch in the hallway wall. It wasn't there yes...ter...day..." Spotting Rei's temper beginning to rise again, he quickly left to find an intact broom.
"I knew those two were hiding something else!" Rei said, her voice beginning to rise once again. "They really are determined to wreck this place!"
"I'm sure it was an accident" Ami spoke softly, trying her best to calm her friend's escalating anger.
"How would they like it if I went over to their homes and jabbed knives in their walls, broke their light bulbs, and threw soapy water all over their floors?" the miko steamed, her voice growing angrier with each passing word. "And let's not forget our own trigger-happy Minako blowing up a perfectly good box of ema and ofuda!"
"Rei-chan, please try to keep calm!" Ami pleaded. "If you feel any more stressed, you may have a nervous breakdown!"
"Don't tempt me! It would be the most fun I've had all day!"
"Things will surely get better" Ami insisted. "They have to!"
"I'm not sure I believe that anymore, Ami-chan." Rei got up from her chair. "I'd better go see how badly damaged the wall is" she grumbled. "Grandpa is going to have a fit if he ever finds out what happened here today!" Ami followed the miko down the hall and they soon arrived at the scratch. Rei ran her fingers over it, and any remaining semblance of calmness she had instantly vanished. "Those two! I know they volunteered to help me through this difficult time, Ami-chan, and I am grateful. I really am! But this!" she waved her hand at the scratch in the otherwise-pristine panelling. "This isn't help! This is a nightmare!"
She had barely spoken the words when the sound of shattering glass came from the kitchen, followed immediately afterward by Minako's panicked voice. "Usagi-chan! You broke the kitchen window with your mop handle! Rei's going to be so mad at you!"
"Ohhh! I'm dead!"
After a final, silent look at Ami, the beleaguered young shrine maiden turned away. She walked slowly back to the office, went inside, and slammed the door closed so violently it shook the wall, knocking the hallway telephone out of its cradle. Ami sighed, replaced the handset on its hook and went to investigate this newest mishap in the kitchen.
. . . . .
Surprisingly for Rei, the remainder of the afternoon passed by without a single new problem or disaster. Her two blonde friends made good on their promise to clean the kitchen, minus the broken window which Rei had a glass company replace an hour later. Minako even redeemed herself somewhat for her prior mishaps, chatting with tourists and pointing out interesting aspects of the shrine to them that afternoon. Usagi also seemed to finally show promise at her assigned duties, helping Yuuichirou tidy the grounds and keeping everyone supplied with bottles of water and whatever else they needed.
With closing time drawing near, Rei excused herself and took a short bus ride to the hospital. Her grandfather appeared in much better spirits and she found him sitting up in bed, flipping through the pages of a travel magazine. The miko gave the elderly priest who was so dear to her a tender hug. "I'm so happy you're feeling better!"
"The doctors say I can go home tomorrow, Rei-chan. I just have to take it a little easier for a while."
"Yuuichirou and I will keep a very close watch on you while you recover, Ojii-chan. Please promise me you won't try to jump back into things right away. Ok?"
"I promise. How was your day at the shrine? With all your friends helping out, I suppose you didn't miss your old grandpa in the least!" Hino-sensei chuckled.
Rei thought about the earlier events for a moment before answering. "It was... it was a good day, Ojii-chan. Despite a few small... um... snags here and there, everyone tried their best to help Yuuichirou and me."
"No one is perfect, Rei-chan. You have made some very good friends in those girls. Very close friends indeed, who truly care about you and mean well, even if they sometimes do or say things that upset you. You may get angry with them on occasion, as you sometimes do with me or your Yuuichirou, but I know that they will always be there for you when you need them. Just as you will always be there for them."
"Hai" Rei nodded, knowing that few people were as gifted at judging a person's true character as her grandfather was. "You are absolutely right, Ojii-chan" she replied with a smile. "I do have the very best friends anyone could ever have."
. . . . . . . . . .
Note: The next episode is 'A Time for Lovers'.