Chapter 413: The Sunshine Girl

Today was a special day. Ishigami was trying to win over Tsubame, and Shirogane was about to reach the finish line of his emotional journey with Kaguya.

Both Shirogane and Ishigami were friends of Rinji, so normally he would be keeping close tabs on what they were doing.

But right now, Rinji had no time for that. As soon as he returned to school, he sprinted into the classroom building.

"Thanks for stopping by~ Come again soon~"

"W-We're never coming back!"

A red-faced couple stumbled out of Atenbo's tent, clearly having been mercilessly teased inside.

"Hmph, as expected, this festival is a blast. Seeing these innocent couples always makes me want to toy with them a bit."

Just as she finished speaking, the tent flap was thrown open.

Rinji stepped inside and sat down directly across from Atenbo.

"Atenbo-senpai... no, Senpai-sama."

"What's the rush, Rinji? Did a girl who likes you come after you with a knife?" she teased.

"This isn't a joke. I'm seriously facing a problem."

Rinji sighed and lowered his head.

"Sorry, senpai. I was rude to you before."

"...What's going on? Did something happen?"

Seeing Rinji's rare attitude, Atenbo realized it might be serious.

"Is there something I can help with?"

"It's... actually, I've run into a paranormal case," Rinji said. "You were spot-on, senpai."

"What happened?"

"A girl who can control the weather."

"...Eh?"

"Your grandfather is a Level-1 exorcist with the Jinja Honcho, right? He should know about things like this."

Jinja Honcho was one of the main organizations of Shinto in Japan.

Originally, it was the Jingi-in under the Ministry of Home Affairs before World War II, the highest authority of State Shinto at the time. After the war, with the separation of religion and state, it became a private organization known as Jinja Honcho and even formed its own political wing.

Rankings among Shinto priests—called kaii—were required for serving in shrine positions. From highest to lowest, these were: Jokai (Purity Rank), Meikai (Brightness Rank), Seikai (Correct Rank), Gonseikai (Provisional Correct Rank), and Chokkai (Direct Rank).

Priest titles include: Chief Priest, Acting Chief Priest, Provisional Chief Priest, Priest, Provisional Priest, Shrine Steward, Ritualist, and so on.

From a religious standpoint, Atenbo Yume's grandfather stood among the highest in Japan.

"Hmm... a girl who can control the weather..." Atenbo thought for a moment. "Did you actually see her use that power?"

"Of course. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it either."

Rinji took out his phone and placed it on the table.

"This is satellite imagery I requested from a research department, showing recent strange weather patterns over Japan—especially Tokyo. You can skip the random anomalies and focus on Shibuya."

He pointed at several photos for Atenbo to examine.

"December 13th, from 4:30 to 4:35 PM, Tokyo experienced heavy rain. But above the Yoyogi Building in Shibuya, a circular cloud break appeared—diameter 0.22 kilometers—as if someone scooped a hole through the clouds. On December 17th, 11:00 AM to 12:05 PM, Harajuku experienced a similar 0.34 km circular hole."

As Rinji spoke, Atenbo studied the images.

"And today, December 21st, it's been pouring rain since morning in Tokyo, but a massive 0.7 km hole appeared above the Minato district—and the center is right over Shuchiin."

"...This is definitely serious."

Atenbo looked up, her expression grave.

"Rinji... you may have encountered a 'Hare-onna.'"

"A Hare-onna?"

"Just like I guessed, your problem is tied to divine beings. This time, you've likely encountered a 'Weather Dragon' class deity—a Hare-onna."

"...You're really knowledgeable, senpai."

'Dragon God-type' wasn't a Shinto term.

It was a classification born from syncretic spiritualism—essentially a Western-inspired Japanese folk belief system. It grouped nature spirits into categories like Dragon God, Inari, Tengu, and Benzaiten.

To put it simply, it was a patchwork faith.

"I'll explain in terms you'll understand," Atenbo Yume said. "You're Chinese, right? You've heard of the 'Sunshine Maiden'?"

"I've heard of her."

During the Qing Dynasty, Zhao Yi wrote about the 'Sunshine Maiden' in Gaiyu Congkao: "In Wu region customs, after long rains, women would cut paper into the shape of a girl holding a broom and hang it under the eaves to pray for clear skies. It's called the 'Sunshine Maiden'."

From May to June, in places like China's lower Yangtze River, southern Korea, and southern-central Japan, seasonal monsoons bring continuous rain. To pray for sun, people would cut paper effigies known as the 'Sunshine Maiden'.

According to legend, during a flood, a girl desperately begged the heavens to stop the rain. It finally cleared up—but the girl vanished. Believing she had sacrificed herself, the villagers made the paper figure in her honor.

"'Hare-onna' is a borrowed cultural term, basically Japan's version of China's 'Sunshine Maiden'."

Atenbo sighed and laid her head on the table.

"Which means, the girl you encountered... probably shares the same fate."

"By fate, you mean..."

"She'll disappear. We call it kamikakushi—spirit vanishing."

"What!?"

Rinji stood up, eyes wide.

"She's going to disappear?"

"Most likely. Because 'Hare-onna' are tied to divine contracts with the heavens."

"...Is there any way to stop it?"

"There's no way. If you try, it'll bring trouble."

Atenbo narrowed her eyes at Rinji.

"You think you can go up against nature? Or challenge the gods themselves?"