"Huh?"
"Wow... Wow..."
However, before reaching the bathroom, a small silhouette approached Tsubaki.
It was a cute little black dog.
"Little one... Are you lost?"
Although she couldn't see it directly, its barks made it obvious that it was a dog. With a smile on her face, Tsubaki bent down to get a better look at the puppy. While it was unusual to see dogs in the temple, having pets was a pleasant sight. Tsubaki wasn't sure if it was a stray that managed to get in, but the puppy had a collar, indicating it had an owner. So, it was safe to assume the puppy was lost.
(How adorable!)
As she got closer, Tsubaki's eyes lit up. The puppy was even cuter than expected, and her eyes couldn't help but sparkle as she reached out to pet it.
*Woof... Woof...*
Feeling Tsubaki's touch, the puppy squinted its eyes and barked.
"Huh? What do we have here?"
After petting the puppy for a few seconds, Tsubaki felt something unusual on its collar.
(A letter?)
Indeed, on the puppy's collar was a piece of paper. Intrigued, Tsubaki took it, and as she did, the puppy fled, leaving Tsubaki puzzled.
"What's happening?"
For some reason, her heart began to pound when she held the letter. Unable to curb her curiosity, Tsubaki read it.
"Miss Tsubaki, your parents will die tonight."
With just that message, Tsubaki's eyes widened, and a terrible foreboding took hold of her.
Tsubaki couldn't control her emotions; her head ached, and her anxiety increased.
Something bad was about to happen...
After adjusting her breathing and calming down a bit, she continued reading the letter. Even though she didn't know who wrote it and why it was given to her, she fully believed in the message. It might be instinct or just fear, but she took this message seriously.
She couldn't risk her parents' lives, and her anxiety only heightened with this letter.
"An accident? A trap?"
After carefully reading the rest of the message, the letter emitted a faint glow, and something clicked in her head...
However, she couldn't remember, as if something were blocking her memories.
Tsubaki didn't know what all this meant, but what she did know was that she needed to act.
So, without wasting time, she ran to find her parents. Time was running out; night was falling, and from what she heard this afternoon, her parents were about to leave. She needed to stop them.
---
"Everything ready?"
"Yes, dear."
Assenting to his wife's words, Tsubaki's father got into the car.
This afternoon, they had an important matter to attend to. As their sect, Omekata, gained popularity, people outside Sakurami City now visited their temple.
Every week they needed logistical assistance, and as their sect grew, they lacked support staff. So, they temporarily took on this role...
"Dad! Mom!"
But when they were ready to start the car and leave, they saw their daughter running.
Seeing their agitated daughter, both of them stepped out of the car, completely confused.
"What's happening, Tsubaki-chan?"
"You can't leave! Something bad... Something bad is definitely going to happen!"
Due to the fatigue and anxiety displayed on their daughter's face, both mother and father couldn't help but look at each other.
Trying to calm their daughter, things got complicated...
This small scene was getting bigger. After all, Tsubaki is the Miko of this temple, seeing her crying and almost shouting at her parents was something they hadn't witnessed. People began to gather more and more, making the family uncomfortable. So, they shook their heads and went back into the temple.
"Tsubaki-chan... Let's talk. Tell me what's going on."
Once they were alone, the couple decided to listen to their daughter, who revealed her concerns without hesitation.
Hearing her reasons, both parents couldn't help but smile bitterly...
Because of the events and how they unfolded, it was as if their daughter was predicting their death. However, this is the Omekata clan.
Their daughter is a seer who receives guidance from the gods...
But it's all lies. Both of them knew their daughter didn't have such powers. It was a deception they used to attract people, make money, and, at the same time, provide a place for their daughter.
Nevertheless, they loved their daughter and did what she said. After all, it cost nothing to take a look at their vehicle...
"Is... Is this?!"
After an inspection, they found something incredible...
A bomb...
This changed everything. With this in the car, it was certain that both would be dead, and even their death could be justified as an accident, just as their daughter had said. So, they couldn't help but look at their daughter again.
Who smiled...
"Arrest Funatsu immediately!"
They couldn't doubt anymore. This opened their eyes; perhaps their daughter, after so many years, was indeed connected to God, and this was the guidance that God gave to their daughter. Thinking about this, their eyes couldn't help but tear up. They owed their lives to their daughter, so after ordering their people, both embraced their daughter.
Their daughter, a fake seer, performed an amazing miracle...
With the loving family embracing each other, they didn't notice that a small black-furred dog was watching them from a distance.
---
"Tsubaki-chan, it's time... You should go to school."
"Yes, Mom!"
Two years had passed since the incident with her parents. That day, after discovering the bomb, they arrested the culprit and called the police.
Due to a lack of evidence, a thorough investigation was conducted, but it didn't last long. Unexpectedly, Funatsu, the bomb culprit, confessed to his crimes. This surprised the family, especially Tsubaki, as she knew there was no evidence. Yet, that man confessed, so she couldn't help but think again about that cute puppy and the letter.
Since that day, her parents adored her more than ever, fulfilling many of her whims and wishes.
Gradually becoming a spoiled girl.
Two years had passed in an instant, and her immature body was slowly turning into that of a woman. Consequently, her beauty shone, revealing more of her prominent curves that she often hid in her priestess attire.
She was barely 14, but she was one of the beauties of her school.
"Alright! Another great day!"
After fixing her hair, Tsubaki turned and looked in the mirror. As always, she smiled proudly at her beauty...
*Woof...*
"Huh? Again, Pochi..."
But as she was about to leave, she saw the cute black dog with a letter in its mouth.
Honestly, Tsubaki didn't know how to feel about this dog.
Since the day she prevented her parents' death, she fervently searched for the puppy. After all, thanks to it, her parents were still alive.
She was willing to adopt it as her pet, even if it had an owner. She would find that person and express her gratitude, as it is certain that the owner of the dog must have been the one who warned Tsubaki.
However, she couldn't find it. This disappointed her; no matter how much she searched, the puppy didn't return.
Not until a year later, the puppy appeared before Tsubaki again. However, it had grown, and it carried a new letter in its collar.
"Miss Tsubaki, please remember, our time is running out."
The message was different from the one she had read a year ago, but Tsubaki had great faith in this message.
Since this letter saved her parents' lives, she had confidence in it.
Yet, she didn't know what she had forgotten or what its purpose was.
Her head simply ached, and she was unable to recall.
Since then, the dog stayed by her side, appearing in her room every day with a letter in its mouth.
"Miss Tsubaki, please remember, our time is running out."
It was the same message. For a whole year, this message was what Tsubaki greeted every morning, and to be honest, she was getting tired of it.
Her head hurt every time she touched the letter, and she still couldn't remember.
First of all...
What was she supposed to remember?
She didn't know...
---
Author's Note: What a headache it is to write the end of this volume.