She whistled happily to herself as she found herself skipping toward the signpost. She, Hoshimachi Suisei, was skipping. The thought didn't even phase her right now.
She'd confessed. Miko had said yes! They were a couple! She and Miko!
It was a bit startling to her how hard she'd fallen for the shrine maiden. At first, it wasn't anything more than the tug of wanting to have a friend. At that festival, things had changed when she'd seen Miko's jade eyes glittering with wonder while eating those stall foods. She should have realized it at that point, but it took her until Miko had saved her life to be honest with her feelings.
Yes, she had a tough road ahead. She wasn't about to give up being an idol. If anything, this was lighting her fire to climb higher.
She flipped the sign to "closed." Mission accomplished. She nodded to herself as though she'd just completed a monumental task.
The way back to the main temple found her moving slower, this time savoring the sight. True to Miko's words, the trees were almost barren since most of the leaves had already fallen. The last bits of flaming red and sunlight yellow held onto the trees with the fortitude of mankind itself, desperate to not fade away. She smirked to herself. Ironic in some ways, foreboding in others.
The stalls themselves were still in tip-top shape. They could use a bit of fine-tuning, she noted. 'Either a coating of paint or a new layer of lacquer.' The walkway she stepped on was still in perfect condition, though. Hardly a trace of weather residue was on the stones.
"Man, Mikochi really does a good job keeping up with this place…"
Her head turned to the building as it came into view from behind a tree. She eyed the size of it, wondering how many rooms it had inside. It was much too big for someone to live alone in…
She shook her head, trying to scare away thoughts of waking up next to her now-girlfriend. 'Baby steps, Sui-chan. Baby steps.' For now, she'd just have to make do with the novelty of having a girlfriend to call her own.
She placed her hand on the brown wooden door to the temple. Her eyes closed as she ran her fingers over its surface. She could almost imagine the years that this place had seen go by. As she did, a thought hit the comet.
'I've never met Mikochi's parents. Why does she live all alone? I mean, she's only, what, three years older than I am?'
Pushing the door open greeted her to a cozy, homey abode. She'd seen this place three times now and it never really lost its comfortable, warm nature to it. It was nothing like Miko's cotton candy explosion of a room. Her footsteps were light as she moved into the living room. The rooms around her were lit up by a mixture of off-yellow lights and sunshine filtered through blinds.
There she was, Sakura Miko. Curled up with her knees close to her chest. The shrine maiden's emerald eyes looked up as the comet grew closer.
Suisei slowly sat down on the other end of the couch. The distance between them was tense, but Suisei knew Miko needed space. This was new to the shrine maiden; it had to be handled with care. She cleared her throat, earning Miko's undivided attention.
"So… I know that these sessions are geared to helping me, and I know I'm nowhere near ready to call quits on that. Seeing as how this is still a session, and with our… situation…" Suisei hesitated to glance at Miko. When she did, the maiden's face was lit up with a burning blush. At least she wasn't the only one embarrassed about this. "I wanted to help you for once." A silence hung in the air until Suisei continued. “I, uh… I wanna know more and more about you, Mikochi. You helped me out, so… please let me help you too…”
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In Those Deep, Starry Eyes, I See Cherry Petals Depressed but breathing
FanfictionShrine maiden Sakura Miko can read the eyes of those she helps. They come to her seeking advice, and she happily assists. When a blue-haired woman appears with eyes she can't read, how will she be able to help? What lies in store for both of them in...
