What happen if Chris encounters Hina instead of Hodaka? Assumptions: The timeline is set post-XV. Yes, our shortstack was already in college. A short one-shot.

Chris POV

"Why the fuck does the weather have to be wonky?" I cursed as the rain kept going for third straight days. However, I saw a ray of sunlight shining toward a derelict building. Out of curiosity, I got myself there. On rooftop, I saw a girl praying there. Not that I believe in such weather-controlling, but I respected her religiosity being kinda religious myself. When I saw the sky, the sun just shone through that particular patch of sky to that shrine.

I approached the girl. Choosing my words carefully, I asked her "Hey, did you cause this phenomenon?"

"Ah… Who are you?"

"I am...Chris Yukine. I'm not involved with any government body. You?"

"Hina...Amano."

"Care to explain to me?"

"I just prayed to have good weather and it just kinda happen."

"I see."

I then contacted Elfnein and Old Man Genjuro to get me introduced to such phenomenon. I also learned about Hare Onna, a girl slash priestess (or Miko, in Japanese sense) that had the ability to make sunny weather and routinely that girl would be sacrificed. While the best I ever heard before was that someone could bring good weather, this was new information for me. So I checked my resource for that before asking them for extra.

Some search through my trusty search engine revealed that this also was the precursor to Teru Teru Bozu. You know, the doll thingy that was used traditionally to pray for fine weather. Such tradition could be traced back to Heian Period as in 794-1185 AD. The story was that some girl was basically sacrificed to prevent a city from getting submerged by a god. Sound from the Heavens, what else than god can it be? Back to the story, she was to be sent with a broom to, figuratively I may add, sweep the clouds away from the sky. So the tradition was sorta like commemoration of her bravery.

My link from her to the tradition was that Hina could be the Hare Onna. I then did some extra researches to some temples recommended by Genjuro to interview the most senior monk about this phenomenon. Also, typical Hare Onna was supposed to be not more than 16 years old according to my other research. Hence, that girl was supposed to be that age as well; 15 tops.

"You may had been well aware that the weather is controlled by two gods, if you were to believe such things. One making sunny weather, the other making bad weather. For now, just believe it for your research, little girl.

"Rain god would basically calm down and not causing bad weather if a girl was given to him every year. Such girl would also possess the power to control the weather to make it favorable to the community around her."

"I see, so the girl I saw praying would be the sacrificial lamb, so to say."

"Indeed. So you encountered Hare Onna."

"Yes. What would be the condition for her to be sent away?"

"If Hare Onna is called after certain miracles, then she would be gone as tribute."

"What if we can prevent that or somehow she refused?"

"The city would be flooded and the weather before that would be progressively worsen. That would be the call for her to leave this world to meet the God."

As you may know, Kanto region is pretty flat and low in elevation. So if she wasn't sacrificed, Tokyo would be underwater. I don't want to let Tokyo to sink, but...she's just so cute. A tad taller than my 153 albeit she's even younger than The Terror Twins, yes, but still cute. I just felt this tingling sensation in my heart.

I was quite well-aware that this could be related to the so-called climate change or whatever the fuck those bureaucrats said. Lowland city meets raising sea level equals sunken city. I planned for rapid evacuation as I didn't want to let her be the sacrifice. Fuck Tokyo, they will just manage it. Whatever they do, they better had sea wall handy.

One day, I decided to get myself some quick meals. The fast-food was usually my choice, so I went there and I met her there. She was working part-time there, I suppose

"Amano?"

"Yukine?"

"Fancy some chat after your shift? I can treat you for some coffee next door. I know a thing or two about Hare Onna."

Initially I suspected that she was underage to even work (except when someone pulled some strings like Senpai's Papa when allowing the Terror Twins to join us). I found that she truly was under legal working age. So I planned to put her under my charge, regardless of her consent.

"Okay, Yukine, what's up?"

"Oh, you done your shift. I did some research about Hare Onna and I know that you'd be eventually sacrificed to the God, except you want Tokyo to be submerged which was actually quite inevitable given that the global warming thingy. So your sacrifice was actually delaying the inevitable. Here's my proposal: you are to live with me as you're legally not allowed to work. I make quite a bit in my line of work."

"I have a brother as well. Can you arrange for that?"

"Yeah, sure. I can partition my bedroom. After all, I live alone. My friends would barge in for social function unannounced every now and then, but nothing a good smack could not do to discipline them."

"Where's your home?"

"Ah, I hadn't mentioned it. Follow me home."

I took her for a quick walk back home in my apartment. To tell the truth, I felt kinda less than comfortable taking near-unknown person to my bastion. However...that funny feeling was just irresistible. I just wanted to protect her, that's it. With Hina agreed to my plan, now I just need to pull some strings with Old Man Genjuro to let her under me and (hopefully) get them adopted as my sister. Officially, I was already an adult and a member of SONG.

As days of bad weather went by, the impact began to get worse and worse. I knew everyone would love sunny weather, but...sadly, they got to manage that. I hate rain either, but sorry. Weather reports were mostly rain in Tokyo and only Kanto plain. Hence, I thought everyone else would manage.

After they moved in, I just couldn't hold that funny feeling again. I consulted all the lovebird couples around and they all gave me that I was in love. They told me to just ask her out.

"Nee, Hina. I...I think I love you. Going out with me?"

"...Okay."

Okay, that was fast for a confession. An alliance of convenience, perhaps?

"Chris...do you want the weather to be sunny?"

"Personally, I never cared about weather so long as I can be with you."

"But...I feel that everyone will appreciate good weather."

"They can wait until next June while I will not wait for my feeling for you."

"But...Chris?"

"Look, I know what would happen to you and I just don't want to lose you. That's it!"

"How'd you know?"

"You recalled that I'm a college student, right? In the first semester, first class, the professor declared to us that pursue the evidence, wherever it leads to."

"That's been the tradition."

"You know what? Even if God himself wants you, I can ask my friend to give him a punch in the face, to give him a piece of my mind. I'm a firm believer that no human sacrifice at all. God who demands human sacrifices are usually malicious Gods who wanted excuse to punish us. Also, in modern times, human sacrifice had been outlawed.

"I am also quite scientific in nature despite the shrine you see in my home dedicated to my parents. If there were clear answer I can prove systematically, then the superstitious answer was out."

Okay, I was kinda selfish there, but hell, what kind of deity would want to sacrifice some girls just for good weather? Then other news came and told that due to horrible weather, subway systems were shut down and vegetable prices began to hike thanks to insane humidity. I had Hina basically manage my home and cook for me. You lot already knew I kinda big on fast-food as I had no idea how to cook shit. And I cannot enlist the two chefs because their gay partners would just barge in and made my cooking lesson a hell.

With not much of supernatural threat abound these days, SONG is kinda idle. Maybe some Alca-Noise here and there, but nothing big nor organized. This left a lot of free time for us. I was also deployed on occasion to aid in disaster relief for short time.

Old man Genjuro then pulled some string to officially change their residency under mine and under my responsibility. That, at least, put a lot of distance between them and orphanage. Not that I disapprove of orphanage, though, but sometimes orphanages treats their charges far worse than if they lived on the street.

"Thanks, Ossan...for letting me to have them."

"Hm, Chris-kun. Since you're insisting for them, I can't object."

"Oi, Chibi! Do you think climate change can cause Japan to freeze?" I pulled Elfnein to help me with the possibility of freezing.

"Chris-san, that had happened about 75 thousand years ago, but not because of mankind."

"What? Mega volcano in Indonesia? I've heard about that. No, I'm thinking about some crazy-ass storm. Any idea as to the mechanism?"

"Have you heard of Thermohaline Circulation?"

"I'm not taking earth science in college, explain."

"Japanese climate is influenced by Kuroshio and Oyashio currents. Kuroshio brings warmth to Japan from Southeast Asia. To put it in your question, with the shutdown of such circulation, Japan would be pretty much frozen because the Kuroshio current ceased."

"What about Tokyo?"

"I'm not sure. However, there is a distinct possibility that Tokyo will be frozen and partly inudated until we can somehow restart the circulation."

"Okay. Wait, that ain't making sense for me. If the world is partly frozen, then I thought the sea level would drop, making entire Kanto Plain bigger."

"Remember that the ice could be redistributed as opposed to remade from scratch."

A couple of weeks later, the big storm announcement appeared in the news. Okay, this was the one I've been preparing for. In my research, the sudden cooling had happened, but not at this speed. Normally, the temperature drop would take about half a Celsius per decade on average. I could surmise this was it, the God was angry. Well, try it and face the wrath of our God-slayer. We prepared ourselves for the oncoming battle.

One time, the God just appeared above Tokyo. We mobilized to face said God. Hibiki was at the forefront to beat the God. I told her to just throw the punch. I owe her a lot for my girl Hina.

"Naa, dummy...Thank you for...allowing her to stay here."

"Her? Who?" the dummy just went brighter than Sun

"Not of your concern, dummy!"

"Hey, Hibiki. Stop it. You're asking too much."

"But, but Chris-chan just referring to someone else. Her eyes were soft with happiness."

I jolted out of The Dummy's words. I know she's one hell of a dummy, but she can be perceptive at times.

After we silenced the God, the Old Man introduced the Amano siblings to everyone else over a party. I also warned them, especially my juniors not to barge to my apartment unannounced. The worst offenders were usually The Big Idiot and The Terror Twins.

"Yukine, remember to only do THAT stuff at home."

"What do you mean, senpai?"

"You know, THAT."

"This is MY home, you know."

"Remember that they are minors. You don't want to get into legal trouble."

"Who said it was sexual, Old Man?!"

"Chris-senpai, who is the two kids you fought to save here?"

"The older sister Hina Amano and the younger brother Nagi Amano."

The Amano siblings introduced themselves at my team

"Fufufu, Chris. I know it, you being a mother or older sister figure would be good idea. But isn't taking Hina with you a bit too suspicious?"

I froze at Maria's question.

"Look, it isn't the problem, okay. It's nothing romantic."

"Oho, then what is it?"

"I'm taking care of them, that's it. No more question."