I looked at the empty chair a few spaces in front of me and held in a sigh. Not back yet, huh? I guess her dad is still…

  Seeing my pensive gaze, my friend on the desk o me, Asami-, spoke up. “Yeah, Kikuchi-san still isn’t back. Her father is still in that a, ever since early summer break. Must be hard for her, since she doesn’t have a mother.”

  I ’t say I ever liked Kikuchi-san much, despite her being from a true shrine, and it has nothing to do with that stupid fa crap my family cares so much about. She was always so… ugh… Kikuchi-san was one of those girls who was quiet and always had that annoying ‘I’m so troubled’ expression on her face. Really, she was the worst. Still… yeah, she doesn’t deserve that…

  “It must be hard. I think her brother has e back from uy to look after her and her shrine. You remember when he came to our school festival st year? He was …. unique, right?”

  As Asami- giggled softly, I couldn’t help but agree. He was rog the tortured artist look, all bck clothes and hair done like a fool… he was really keen on chatting up younger girls too. Though I’ll give him credit, when I told him to get lost, he did… I always appreciated it when guys realised I was out of their league.

  “He sure was. Still, they must be struggling to make ends meet. Having her dad in a a for so long, the hospital bills are surely eating up what little mohey had…” I could feel their pain, as the shrine of the Jade Sentinel Beetle Kami, Hisuikomushi, was even poorer than my own shrine. If such is even possible. They don’t even have our excess nd, and the location…

  Hisuikomushi shrine was in a rough area, catering to poor fn tourists and, to put it bluntly, the adult trade. Some uncharitable rumours had gone around saying that Kikuchi-san’s mht not be dead, but was … a dy of a certain profession, so was too ashamed to e home. Not that I had any part of such rumours. I hate such things.

  Still, sihis was a shrine-affiliated school, stupid though that was, the few girls from true lineages came together to quash such rumours. There were a dozen or so girls in the upper and lower years, and one of them led the student cil, so… Shrine-affiliated schools, what a joke. All it means is that there are a few extra-curricur clubs, and some of the teachers had an awareness of our cultural significe. I’m not getting involved in any of that. My dream is to get out a rich, and if I bag a handsome husband along the way, so much the better…

  I was about to say something when the gre from our homeroom teacher cut me short. It was time for css to start… I wish I was born to a noble family. Unlike our crappy makeshift schools, where y pert of the students are just ordinary, if I was a noble, I could go to their school firls, where all the beautiful and rich people go. I’d even have attendants and bodyguards. Still, it ’t be all sunshine and rainbows… I could dream, but I liked to think I was a realist. Those girls surely had their problems too… paying attention to the teacher I held down a sigh. If only my parents sold the shrine. Akio-kun has the money, and he wants the nd… Idly twirling my hair with one hand while I took notes with my other, I tried to put the thought out of my mind…

  ***

  “So, I’ve been dying to ask, but… what’s with the hairclip? It’s new right?” Mio-, my other best friend asked and beside her Asami-san nodded. As I took out my bento box, seeing that inside was some of my mom’s homecooked food, I tried to hold back a smile and failed.

  “It looks very expensive. Did a man give that to you? You don’t normally accept gifts.” Mio- tinued.

  “Of course. Why wouldn’t hot guys with money and good taste get me presents?” I said proudly.

  “Oh, so he’s hot too, and has money. So are you going out? You must be, if he’s giving you expensive presents. That’s ptinum, right? And those gems look real. You’ve kept this quiet, I’m hurt, Kana-.” Asami- chimed in too. My friends were also cute, I had to admit, and we’d all had our fair share of boy trouble. Me most of all of course, I’m the most geous girl for miles around. Well… I allow that Shaeu matches me, but should she even t? peting against spiritual beings is a fool’s game, so no, definitely doesn’t t…

  “Going out? You know you two would be the first to know.” I said, elegantly eating my lunch. Around us several irls were listening in, eager for any gossip about me. It’s hard beiiful. It just makes these bitches jealous. Still, even though some of them mock me for being poor, I bet none of them have received as expensive a gift. This should shut them up for a while at least… “No, big bro isn’t my boyfriend, he was just on a trip abroad, and says when he saw it he thought of me.” That’s irely a lie, as he did say that since I was a shrine maiden… wait, big bro?

  I held in a wince as I had slipped, not paying attention. My friends didn’t fail to pick up on that.

  “Big bro?” Mio- snickered. “That’s cute as always, Kana-. So, he’s an uy, eh? Hopefully he isn’t all pretentious like Kikuchi-san’s brother. Is he at uy too?”

  “Yeah, I’m curious Kana-, spill, spill! Your standards are high, so I’m really w what he looks like. He’s obviously got plenty of money, if that’s just a holiday gift for someone who isn’t even his girlfriend…”

  You don’t know the half of it. He’s spending hundreds of millions on our crappy shrine, I wish he could spend it on me… not that I’ve any i in being his girlfriend, not really… Of course, I’m jealous of the girls that went to Las Vegas. That’s the lifestyle I should have! Plus it’d be great to rub my cssmates’ faces in it, siheir bragging would look patheti parison. That’s defihe only reason…

  “She’s thinking really hard about it, Mio-.” Asami- smirked.

  “Yeah, very suspicious.” Mio- agreed. I could hear some of the ossip-loving girls in css making noises of amusement. That’s irritating. I’m the queen of this css, I ’t let my position be undermined. Still, it’s a sign of status, attrag det men. Time t a little, even if it’s unwarranted. It isn’t like Akio-kun would find out what I say about him, there aren’t any other shrine maidens in my css, now that Kikuchi-san isn’t here…

  “Don’t be like that.” I grinned. “We aren’t going out, not yet. Of course he’s ied ihough, who wouldn’t be? But I’m no easy girl. Besides, it’d be rude not to take such a wonderful gift, wouldn’t it? He’s actually quite iing.” If only you girls khe half of it. I touched my hairpin lovingly.

  Flipping open my phone I searched for some pictures that were safe to show my friends and curious cssmates. That Shaeu, for a spiritual being she’s taken to teology just fine… she sends eexts and pictures. It’s cute, but somehow annoying…

  “Take a look.” I opened up a picture of the plush suite they were staying in. He was o a girl in the picture, but…

  “Hey, is that him? He’s hot. Pretty rugged. You never did like the pretentious intellectual types, did you? But…” Mio- said, and Asami- took over.

  “Who is the girl o him? She’s really pretty. Hang on… they do look simir… is it…?”

  “Yeah, that’s his sister. He was w, he’s a graduate, but he still found time to take his sister along. Look at the suite they are staying in…” I found some more pictures where Shaeu and the irl… Mori-san, was it…? … weren’t in shot, such as various panoramic views, as well as some other photos of the drop-dead geous suite.

  Everyone was very impressed, and it further added to my reputation that a guy of looks and taste was giving me gifts. I didn’t think he articurly into me or anything, especially si seemed in the photographs there was something going oween him and that Mirl, but he still checked me out when I made sure to give him a glimpse of cleavage s, just like every guy, and he seemed to get a kick out of me calling him big bro… I didn’t think I’d get such a wonderful gift for my efforts, but it’s probably the Heavens pensating me for the crap I have to gh every day.

  “Oh look, she’s grinning.” Mio- ughed. “She’s defihinking about him!”

  “Oh, e on, friends shouldn’t bully each other.” I said, tossing my head adorably, bringing out more merriment from those around. The rest of lunch ent talking pyfully about romand what fn trips we would like, and I basked in the respey cssmates, not that any of them were of any use other than Mio- and Asami-…

  ***

  The school bell rang for the final time, signifying the end of csses. Hiding a yawn behind my hand I started pag away all my books and stationary. Mio- and Asami- came over, asking if I was free to hit a café.

  “After all, we don’t have a hot, rich guy after us, do we? We o put ourselves out there.” Asami-san said slyly.

  “Ugh, I’ll pass on that.” Mio- shuddered theatrically. “Boys that hit on girls when they are out and about suck.”

  Well, the shrine will be full of stru and noise right now, so… yeah, why not. My father and grandfather might pin, but it isly like I’m useful back at the shrihe training hasn’t started yet, and if they need shrine maidens, Keomi- and the sisters ha…

  “Sure, I'm in. I could use a break. Besides, it’d be a sin not to show off such a cute accessory, right?” I smiled winsomely, and I could hear a sigh ing from a girl at the desk behind me. Yeah, I know I’m hot, but I’m not into irls, tough luck.

  “Yeah, and we’d just love to hear more about your new ‘big bro’!” Asami- teased gently.

  “All right, I’ll spill, promise, but you’re buying the parfait!”

  Yeah, I don’t know what training pn Shaeu and Akio-kun are pnning, but hopefully it wo up all my free time. I should make the most of things for now, just in case…