It was dark inside the car, and my consciousness was hazy.

While half asleep and half awake, Yoshikawa Anko heard several conversations intermittently.

One of the voices was so close that it seemed as if it was right next to my ears.

"...Only our second field operation, and we encountered such a dangerous thing."

It was Soya's voice.

Another voice slightly further away laughed, it was Minami Noma, the deputy teacher. Even with her eyes closed, she could imagine her smiling casually.

"Whether it's dangerous or not, you can't tell until you actually encounter a spirit body."

"Then you shouldn't take them with you."

"What are Sogu talking about? You are the one who brought them here."

"..."

Soya seemed to have said something, but Yoshikawa didn't hear it clearly.

She was like an apple that fell into the bathtub from a height, floating and sinking repeatedly before someone picked her up. The sounds coming from the outside world were sometimes clear and sometimes vague.

And when the sinking consciousness surfaced again, the two people who had been awake were chatting about the weather outside.

"Wow, Souya, did you see that?"

"What?"

"Lightning. The dark clouds in front suddenly lit up. It's not going to rain."

"Really? I didn't pay attention. If it rains, it will rain."

"Children are so annoying. They are carefree and don't care about anything. Adults have to worry about their clothes hanging out."

"Then don't pester the children to chat."

Yoshikawa wanted to laugh, but he didn't know if he was laughing in his dream.

Holding the thunder that she had not heard, she sank again.

Sure enough, it started to rain heavily in the sky. My parents and my sister, who had returned home for some reason, were busy collecting clothes. The Shiba Inu Alpine ran back and forth in the yard and finally knocked over the clothes basket.

"Alps——"

"..."

Zonggu turned his head and looked to the side.

Yoshikawa, who was leaning on his shoulder, closed his eyes tightly, holding the glasses he took off in his hand, with an obvious smile on his lips.

"'Alps'?" Noma Minami glanced at the rearview mirror in the car, "What is this kid dreaming about?"

"Probably a dog. Alpine is her Shiba Inu."

"Really? A strange name."

She looked at the road signs getting closer and closer above the road, "We're almost there, Zonggu can sleep for a while now."

"..."

Zonggu rolled his eyes and ignored it.

"Send Yoshikawa home first, right?"

"Um."

"By this time, Kyoko should have returned from Kyoto. Does Soya want to see her?"

"not see."

Noma Minami slowed down and drove into a gas station on the roadside.

"Put on some gas."

"Um."

She turned on the interior lights of the car. While waiting, Soya yawned and looked at Asagiri Suzu and Kirino Akane in front of her.

The latter made a lot of noise while awake, but slept soundly on the way back;

Chaogiri Ling turned around and looked at the staff who were refueling outside. She looked sober, and she probably hadn't slept all the way.

She didn't join in their conversation, she just listened.

When we arrived near the gas station, we saw a familiar street scene to Soya. After filling up the tank, Noma Minami asked him to show the way and sent Yoshikawa home first.

"Yoshikawa, wake up..."

Since he and Akane Kirino lived close to each other, Minami Noma dropped the three of them off together at the intersection.

"Go to bed early and don't be late tomorrow."

"knew."

Watching the white business car disappear into the darkness, with only two red tail lights fading away, Zongya looked at the time again and found that it was already past ten o'clock at night.

"Sogu..."

Kirino Akane held his arm, yawning, and pointed to the dark stone path.

"Take me home."

"Um."

...

Boom——

After taking a bath, Zonggu walked out of the living room and came to the edge, looking up for a while.

There were bursts of thunder, lightning surged among the dark clouds, and a long-awaited spring rain was about to arrive.

"It's been so long, I should have taken my clothes back."

After looking for a moment, Sogu lowered his head and looked at Tsukuyomi lying at his feet.

After living here for nearly two weeks, he had already changed out of the miko clothes he wore back from Fuun Shrine. He didn't mind wearing anything, men's or women's clothes - they were all clothes from Akane Kirino's uncle's house.

"I went to eat barbecue and you didn't even call me."

"As I said, we are on the Hikone side."

“If you take the train, you’ll be there soon!”

Zonggu ignored it.

Tsukuyomi sat up again and looked up at him, "Order me a pizza, I didn't have dinner."

"..."

Zonggu looked sideways slightly and glanced at the bowl of instant noodles that had not been thrown away on the table in the living room.

"You order it yourself. Don't you already know how to use the phone?"

Tsukuyomi then stretched out his hand and said, "I want money."

Zonggu took out the envelope Jingzi gave him during the day, took out three thousand-yuan bills from it, and handed it to him.

With three thousand yen in hand, Tsukuyomi was still not satisfied, "All that money is mine, right?"

"Not yet."

Because she did not tell others about Tsukuyomi's identity, Kyoko has been supporting this god with her own money for the past two weeks;

And he has never had the concept of making money. He spends as much as he has, and his desires are like a bottomless pit.

Kyoko was soon overwhelmed and had to quietly ask Soya to help restrain the gods' expenses a little.

"If this continues, the eldest lady of the Sugawara family will be wiped out by you."

"Isn't she my follower?"

Tsukuyomi borrowed Soya's mobile phone and called the pizza shop while talking, "It's a matter of course to worship the gods... Why can't I get through?"

Zong Gu looked down at him, "Do you think this is some big city? Don't look at what time it is."

"..."

Tsukuyomi was stunned for a while.

"You know the pizza place is closed, why are you giving me money?"

"This is your lunch money for the next three days."

"...Are you kidding me?"

"It's not a joke." Zonggu put away the envelope with a serious expression, "You reminded me of one thing: I am not your believer, and there are conditions for letting you stay here. Do you understand?"

"..."

Of course Tsukuyomi understands what he means.

"But this is Kyoko's money..."
To be continued...