The train swayed as it left Kyoto, taking Soya and the other three back to the shores of Lake Biwa.
"Speaking of which, didn't Kirino go to visit Yoshida Shrine today? Why did he come to the Imperial Garden alone?"
"After the visit to the shrine, my parents had other things to do, so I took action on my own."
"Yeah."
"I drew Sueyoshi!"
"..."
Zong Gu didn't understand what this was worth being happy about, but seeing how happy she was, he still accepted the signature.
"It's quite subtle..."
As far as tomorrow's entrance exam is concerned, the content of the signature is not bad, but if you insist on the specific meaning of these unclear words, you will inevitably fall into passivity.
"It's better not to pay too much attention to Kirino."
"Yeah, that's why I went to the Kamogawa River to relax and forget about this..."
Akane Kirino put away the signature, "Then I saw Soya."
"Yeah……"
"Soya is on the other side of the Kamogawa River. I jumped over the rocks, but lost track of him."
Soya nodded and said, "Even if Kirino keeps following me, I will still be trapped in the barrier when I go there for the first time."
"Why is there a barrier there?"
"Because the owner there doesn't want to be disturbed by irrelevant people."
"But there seemed to be a lot of spirits in that bar? Although when I gave the amulet to you later, they had all disappeared."
"..."
Soya's expression did not change. Since Izanami had concealed this matter for him, he would not take the initiative to bring it up.
"The owner of the bar is a very powerful person who can do many things that are difficult for ordinary people to do, so many spirits will ask her for help."
"So is Soya?"
"Yeah. That layer of barrier is just a simple screening. It's very simple to pass: at the designated location, just do 'two bows, two claps and one bow' like going to a shrine."
Kirino Akane blinked, "Is it that simple?"
"It's that simple, and the designated location is very conspicuous. But for people who don't know, this is unimaginable.
What the barrier wants to screen out is people like this who know nothing, and avoid being disturbed by them."
"I see……"
She nodded slowly and remembered one more thing.
"Speaking of which, there are quite a few spirit entities wandering the streets of Kyoto."
"Actually, it's like this everywhere."
"Hey, but here..."
"The spirits here in Kinki have suffered from the disaster of pond fish."
"What?"
While explaining, Zonggu picked up the amulet again:
“In the past, when the spirits here were wandering around the streets and alleys, Kirino couldn’t see anything because he was wearing this amulet;
When the amulet was given to me later, the place had actually been continuously raided by the Underworld Daughter and the spirit exterminators of the shrine for more than a month, and the spirits that were still conscious had managed to escape without being eliminated."
"..."
Kirino Akane was stunned for a while.
"Recently...it's been really turbulent."
"It doesn't matter, these days will be over soon."
Zong Gu didn't realize that there was already a hint of excitement and expectation in his voice.
"When that peerless evil spirit is eliminated, this storm will soon subside."
...
Because she and Soya would go to an izakaya later to discuss with her parents about letting Asagiri Suzu live in the old house, Kirino Akane followed the two of them back to the old house.
Seeing that there were unpacked textbooks and notes on the low table in the living room because she had gone out in a hurry, she remembered that she had to take the entrance exam tomorrow.
"What's wrong?"
"I was wondering if I would be distracted during the exam tomorrow...because a lot of things happened today."
"..."
Zonggu opened her mouth, and she laughed again.
"Don't mind, don't mind~"
Kirino Akane patted him on the shoulder, "If I fail, Soya and I will prepare for next year's exam together."
"No, if you have this mentality..."
"This is a joke."
"..."
It wasn't time to go to work yet, but I had something to discuss with Kirino and his wife today. Soya was going to leave early, so he tidied up a little and went to the bathroom.
While he was taking a bath, Kirino Akane took Asagiri Suzu around the Kirino family's old house.
"All rooms are empty, pick whatever you want...ah, this is Zonggu's room, the place with the best view on the second floor."
"Except for the Chinese New Year or other festivals, when some relatives come to stay for a few days, there is no one there at other times. And there are many rooms. Miss Asagiri, feel free to live here."
"There is also a vegetable patch in the backyard. You can use it if necessary. The farm tools are in the small warehouse on the right side of the backyard. For seeds, there is a market nearby..."
Kirino Akane talked endlessly, while Asagiri Suzu just followed without saying a word, forming two extremes.
After the two of them walked around upstairs and then returned downstairs, Sogu also came out of the bathroom.
"Has the room been decided?" he asked, wiping his hair.
Chao Wuling nodded.
"Eh?"
Kirino Akane was very surprised. Along the way, she didn't notice which room she treated differently.
"Which one?"
She said nothing and looked at Zong Gu.
"..."
He was stunned for a moment, then nodded helplessly.
She wanted his room with the best view.
"Then I'll move next door."
"Um."
When Kirino Akane was at a loss, the two people who were accustomed to this way of communication had reached a consensus of opinion.
"Eh?"
"Decided."
"Which one?"
"My room."
Sogu wiped his hair and added: "Lin speaks very little, but she will try her best to let you understand what she means. As time goes by, Kirino will get used to it."
"……Yeah."
Just like a carnivore who hears a vegetarian say to himself, "You will also fall in love with a diet that only eats fruits and vegetables." Akane Kirino has no confidence.
Soya looked at Asagiri Suzu, "Do you have any luggage?"
"on the way."
"When will it be delivered?"
"today."
As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of a car engine sounded outside.
Soon, the sound of the car disappeared, and another man's shout came from outside.
"Is Ms. Asagiri at home?"
"coming."
"...I heard it."
"Ah, it's more convenient for the car to park on the other side."
Kirino Akane went out to greet her, while Soya and Asagiri Suzu were a few steps behind.
"How does Ling know the address here?"
"The teacher knows."
"...When did you know?"
"Just now."
There was a lot of stuff, more than a dozen cardboard boxes, but the moving company was very efficient, and it didn't take long to move them all into the room that originally belonged to Soya.
And when he settled here, he had nothing, except some clothes, and there was nothing to move to the next room.
"Let's clean it up when we come back."
Zonggu looked at the cardboard boxes filling the room and said, "It's almost time."
"Um."
"I'm here to help, too," Akane Kirino said, "I woke up too late today, and I feel like I won't be able to fall asleep quickly at night if I don't sweat a little."
"Then please."
Back downstairs, the three of them simply packed up and went out together.
"The snow is almost melting..."
After a night of wind and snow, it was a cloudless sunny day. By this time, about three or four o'clock in the afternoon, there was almost only a little bit of snow left between the trees on both sides of the front yard walkway.
"yes."
Soya responded casually, and then glanced at the place where Sugawara Kyoko was buried by the heavy snow. There was a faint hint of green on the dead branches of the shrubs.
"Spring is coming."
Not long after they walked out of the yard, a scooter turned in at the intersection in front of them and passed by the three of them. It looked like they were dressed as postmen.
Soya didn't pay attention, Asagiri Suzu followed him. Only Kirino Akane, who had lived here since childhood, had a premonition and looked back.
Sure enough, the postman stopped in front of the Kirino family's old house.
After stuffing the two envelopes into the mailbox, he turned around and came back.
"Wait a moment."
Zong Gu turned around, "What's wrong?"
"mailbox."
Akane Kirino returned to the mailbox and took out the two envelopes she had just delivered.
After seeing the recipient's name clearly, she was stunned.
"Soya, Miss Asagiri, I have your letter..."
Taking the envelope, Zonggu opened it, took a look at it, and immediately stuffed it back. Then he took the half-opened envelope from Asogiri Suzu into his hand, turned around and walked into the yard.
"Let it go for now. Let's look at it when we come back."