Source
https://kakuyomu.jp/works/16818023212603480991/episodes/16818023212607562581
When I arrived in front of the shrine’s torii gate before 4:00 a.m, Yutaro was already waiting for me with a big backpack on his back.
[ [Happy New Year. Let’s have a good year.] ]
The shrine is one of the two most visited shrines for New Year’s visits in Kobe City, but at this time of the year, there were not many visitors.
[This year I wanna have fun and get along !]
I reported my goal for this year, a grade-school kind of thing, to God.
Then I headed for the place where good luck charms and rakes were sold,
There were beautiful women in white robes and scarlet hakama waving their hands elegantly ! Two of them !
[ [Happy New Year !] ]
[ [Happy New Year !] ]
“Cute ! Cool ! Let me take a picture of you !”
There was no one around, so a very excited Yutaro took his camera out of his backpack.
Yuka stood up and struck a pretentious pose, and Yutaro proceeded to take a fierce picture of her.
“How is it !”
“Nice !”
“How’s this?”
“Great !”
“Then this one !”
“So cool～ !”
As Yuka struck various poses, Yutaro shouted with delight and took pictures,
This loop continued for a while.
These two were in perfect sync.
Yuri and I were stunned.
After that, Yuka forced me to buy a good-luck charm.
It was a good luck charm for marriage, and there were four colors: red, yellow, blue, and green, and she said the four of us would complete the set.
After the shrine maiden service, the four of us drew fortunes together.
The result was that Yuka and Yutaro had great luck.
While Yuri and I had a “bad luck” result.
Yuka took mine and Yuri’s omikuji and compared them, and started grinning.
“Fufufu. As for the luck of love, both of yours say, [It will come true, but it will take time.]
It’ll come true together !”
[ [Ahaha !] ]
Yuri and I both unexpectedly burst out laughing.
“See, it’s perfect !”
Yuka grinned at us even more.
We took the first train of Mt. Rokko cable train.
There were many people who wanted to see the first sunrise at the top of Mt. Rokko.
“So many people are going even though it’s so cold?”
“After all, the first sunrise is very special.”
“That’s right.”
Although there was no wind, it was very cold on the summit.
“It’s so cold…”
Yuka and Yutaro immediately put on the hoods of their down jackets,
Yuri was also shivering, but her jacket did not have a hood.
I couldn’t stand to see her stay like that for more than an hour.
I took off the knit cap Yuri gave me and smiled at her.
“Stay still.”
Then I put the knit cap on Yuri, who was looking embarrassed,
I carefully put the hat on her ears so that they would not get cold.
“Wait. Kingo will get cold !”
Yuri’s face turned bright red and her mouth agape.
“Don’t worry, mine has a hood on it.
If you catch a cold, you won’t be able to perform shrine maiden duties anymore.”
“……Thanks.”
“Yeah.”
As the two of us were grinning, Yuka kicked me in the face and said, [Die !]
“Ouch !”
All four of us were taking measures against the cold, but we were not prepared for it.
Especially our feet are cold, too cold…
We still have a while before sunrise…
“Here you go.”
Yutaro presented us with four sets of raincoats he had purchased at a 100 yen store.
“These are…”
“These will keep you warm if you put them on over your pants.
I bought them a long time ago, so I don’t care if you tear them here !”
“Yutaro ! You’re such a gentleman !”
“You’re the best !”
I put on the raincoat with my shoes on, and the cold eased up a lot.
“Thanks, Yutaro !”
“Yeah, yeah !”
After a while, the sunrise was approaching.
The eastern sky turns from black to purple and then red.
“Ah !”
A small light shone from the top of the mountain !
“Frst sunrise of the year !”
Everyone cheered, imitating some of the others,
I started to pray, clapping my hands in the air.
When I finished praying, I felt Yuri’s eyes on me.
“Hey, you were praying for quite a while, what were you praying for?”
“….Well. I was praying for good luck for Yuri, Yutaro, Yuka, and my sister.”
“Thanks, wait? Hm? What about Kingo’s good luck? You didn’t pray for yours?”
“Yeah. While I was waiting for the first sunrise, I remembered last year’s first visit to the shrine.
May I be able to go out with Yagi Saki !
May we pass the high school entrance exam together! !
I prayed for it and was actually blessed with blessings.
I remembered that, and I didn’t want to pray for myself anymore.
Well, I prayed for my own good luck at the shrine earlier.”
Yuri’s expression clouded over for a moment, but then she quickly heated up and laughed.
“…..r I did the same thing. But I prayed again this year.”
“God doesn’t care about that kind of thing.
Then I remembered what the hero of the story said about reporting one’s own resolutions.
So, for myself, I said, [I will study hard. I’ll get along with friends]
I reported my own decision.”
“Fufufu ! That’s like being a child.”
Yuri chuckled as she looked at the sunrise, which was now halfway out of sight.
“I thought so myself. But I thought that after my junior year of high school, all I have to do is work hard in clubs, right?”
The eastern sky became brighter and brighter.
“I did it ! I got a good shot !”
“Eh～,Don’t take pictures without my permission ! I have to be at an angle of 45 degrees to the right !”
Yuka looked at Yutaro’s camera.
“Wow, so beautiful. It’s like it’s not me…”
Hearing this murmur,he said, [Right? Right? ]Yutaro looked more and more proud of himself.
Yuri and I also had a look.
There was a close-up of Yuika with the bright red sun in the background, with half of her head peeking out.
Yuka had her eyes closed and her hands clasped in prayer,
Her white breath was making her look even more fantastic, and it was so beautiful.
“Hey, hey, is this the birth of a genius photographer?”
“Oh, come on, you’re just now realizing that?”
“Uwa, you just affirmed it !”
“Between you and me, okay?”
After that, we all took lots of pictures and shared them with everyone.
We spent a long time waiting for the first sunrise, though, and it was awfully cold,
We were the first to arrive, so we were able to get the best position,
We took a lot of treasured pictures and had a lot of fun.
On the train back home, me, Yuri, Yuka, and Yutaro sat side by side,
Yuri stood up in front of me.
“Kingo, thank you. Thanks to you, I’m much warmer now.”
She then took off her knit cap, which she had lent me, and gently put it on me.
I strongly felt the stares of Yuka, Yutaro, and the other passengers.
I didn’t expected her to return it to me like this,
I was so embarrassed when she did.
“That means you gave me a good one, didn’t you? Does that mean I should be grateful?”
I said shyly to Yuri, who was sitting next to me again,
“Ah, that’s right ! I bought this for you ! I’m the best !”
“That’s so deliberate～”
The train was warm.
Yuri and Yuika were tired and sleepy after working all night to complete the shrine maiden and New Year’s sunrise events.
“You’re tired, aren’t you?
I’ll wake you up when we get to the station, so why don’t you close your eyes?”
“Thanks, I’ll do that.”
Yuri smiled, closed her eyes, and immediately started to sway.
And then she put her head on my shoulder!
I held still so as not to wake Yuri up.
I was too nervous to move !
Like a robot, I turned my head only slightly to the left,
Yuka was also sleeping, leaning on Yutaro’s shoulder,
Yutaro looked happy but puzzled.
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