Rewrite Our Love? Too Late-Chapter 131: Fortunes and Night Whispers

The next morning, the sun shone brighter than usual, as if trying to wash away the tension of the previous day. After disembarking from the yacht, Yukima Azuma received a report via a secure channel:

"The meteorite landed in a remote mountainous region with low population density."

Upon hearing this, the three girls visibly relaxed. It was the best outcome they could have hoped for, given the circumstances.

But Yukima Azuma didn't reveal the full picture.

What the report didn't say in plain words—but what Yukima had pieced together—was that although the meteorite had landed in a remote mountain range, the shockwave from its impact had reached the outskirts of a nearby town. Nearly one-third of that town had been devastated. Over 500 lives had been lost.

It was a tragedy.

And one Yukima decided not to share. Not now. Not while the girls were still shaken. Adding the weight of so many deaths to their hearts would only deepen the emotional toll.

To help lighten the mood, he suggested their final destination for the Hokkaido trip: Asahikawa Shrine.

"Huh? Asahikawa Shrine?" Kitagawa Marin's eyes lit up when she heard. "Nice! That's a great pick! Especially in summer, it's got such a peaceful vibe."

While Hokkaido was most often associated with snow-covered scenery, the summer foliage of Asahikawa had its own kind of charm. Verdant, lush, and alive.

The car left their temporary villa and gradually exited the city, trading high-rises and bustling streets for forested roads and mountain trails. The trees on both sides grew denser, wild and untamed. Through the windows, the group occasionally spotted small woodland animals darting between branches.

"Ah! Was that a squirrel?" Eriri practically plastered herself to the window.

"It is," Marin confirmed cheerfully. "There are a lot of small animals around here. They're used to humans—some even climb onto people's shoulders near the shrine. Super cute, right?"

Fueled by excitement, they reached the base of the hill upon which Asahikawa Shrine was built. A small cable car provided transportation to the top, but...

"Let's walk!" Eriri declared. "We might see more animals that way!"

Though she wasn't exactly the outdoorsy type, the idea of spotting more woodland creatures overrode her usual complaints. They all agreed and began the climb together.

Not long after stepping onto the stairs, a small rabbit shot out from the grass like a bolt of lightning, zipped across the path, and stopped to look at them for a moment before vanishing again.

"W-Wait! I wasn't ready!" Eriri shouted, cheeks puffed in frustration.

Yukima chuckled and patted her golden head. "Were you planning to roast it if you caught it?"

Eriri gawked. "What?! Of course not! It was so fluffy and cute! Who would eat that?"

"Then you shouldn't be upset about missing it," he teased. "Besides... now I want spicy rabbit head stew for dinner."

"Gokuri..." Eriri's lips trembled. "Azuma! You're so cruel!"

"You just swallowed your saliva."

Eriri didn't deny it. With Yukima's cooking, even something taboo sounded delicious. If she really caught one later... maybe she would ask him to cook it.

When they reached the shrine at the summit, the view was breathtaking. The treetops below stretched endlessly in every direction, like a sea of green waves. Kato Megumi quietly snapped a photo, her expression serene.

Meanwhile, Eriri ran off to the fortune slip booth. "Everyone! Come draw one with me!"

The fortune slips were sorted by category: Fate, Career, and Relationships.

Eriri, who'd arrived first, hesitated as she stood before the Relationship bin.

"S-Senpai, you're not curious about your love fortune?" Yukima smirked.

Kasumigaoka Utaha, as expected, shot him a sharp glare. Without a word, she strode to the Career bin, tossed in a coin, and drew a slip.

"So? What does it say?" Eriri leaned over.

Yukima followed suit, curiosity piqued.

Kasumigaoka flipped the slip:

大吉 – Daikichi – Great Blessing.

They gasped in unison.

"It says..." she began, reading aloud,

"Like a crane escaping a cage, the path ahead is wide. No direction will block your way—you may rise to the nine-tiered palace."

"A metaphor," Yukima interpreted. "It means you've left a restricting place and can now soar to great heights, unrestricted."

It was surprisingly accurate. After transferring from Fujikawa Publishing to Laplace Bunko, her career had surged. She'd recently achieved level seven literary skill.

Utaha, unbothered by the mystical tone, folded the fortune and tucked it into her handbag.

Kato Megumi stepped forward next, aiming for the Relationship bin. With a coin and a draw, she also pulled a Daikichi.

"Day and night, thinking of it, with a jewel in hand; hearts and minds in mutual understanding, wisdom leads to destiny."

Megumi tilted her head, then looked at Yukima. "Interpretation, please?"

"The first part says: instead of overthinking, recognize what you already hold. The second: with wisdom and mutual understanding, destiny blooms."

Megumi smiled softly. "Hearts and minds in mutual understanding," she echoed, before carefully stashing the slip.

Watching her, Utaha suddenly felt uneasy... and perhaps a little jealous.

Without a word, she walked back and pulled a Relationship fortune too.

Daikichi. Again.

This one read:

"In the season of snow and butterflies, laughter fills the air. Among a crowd, you search endlessly—then, suddenly, you turn... and he's there, standing in the dim light."

Utaha didn't need help translating this one. A knowing smile tugged at her lips as she tucked it away.

Eriri, emboldened, stepped forward last. "Hmph, obviously this place only hands out Great Blessings to make tourists happy."

She drew from the Relationship bin.

小吉 – Shoukichi – Small Blessing.

"Wha—?! Why is mine the only bad one?!"

Yukima tried not to laugh. "Small Blessing just means you need to earn your luck. Put in effort, and good fortune will follow."

Eriri pouted, arms crossed. "Fine! Then I'll earn it!"

...But how do I 'earn' relationship luck...?

A giant question mark floated above her head.

Kato looked toward Yukima. "Aren't you going to draw one too?"

"Hmm... Might as well," he said, approaching the Fate bin.

小吉 – Shoukichi.

Fitting, somehow.

He folded the slip with a faint smile. Luck was just a crutch. What mattered was what you took for yourself. Everything else was wind and illusion.

He didn't bother keeping the slip.

"Alright," he clapped his hands, "cable car down?"

The others nodded in agreement. The downhill view promised a beautiful ride.

As the car slid down the rails, they noticed white rabbits peeking from the forest edges, cautiously watching the humans depart. When the cable car finally disappeared from sight, some of them wiped imaginary sweat from their brows.

Inside the car, Yukima quietly retracted the "shogi aura" he'd been releasing throughout the shrine.

If he hadn't intervened, Yotsuya Miko might have been overwhelmed by evil spirits, even seeking refuge at a shrine.

In her original timeline, she had been protected by a guardian deity—a sort of higher being, closer to an evolved spirit.

This time, Yukima had spread his aura deliberately, hoping to attract such a being.

But he sensed nothing.

Had the shrine lost its protector?

Or... were beings like guardian spirits simply beyond the perception of shogi aura?

Too many unanswered questions.

He shelved the thoughts for now.

They would return to Tokyo tomorrow.

That night.

Yukima Azuma stayed up late finalizing the marketing details for the second volume of his Youth light novel series, scheduled for release the next day.

After reviewing the plan, he stood and reached to turn off the lights—when he heard something outside his room.

Not an animal. The windows were sealed. Security was tight.

He opened the door halfway—

Thud.

It hit something.

A soft gasp. Then, quiet whimpers.

He leaned out to look—

"Eriri?"

She was crouched on the hallway floor, in pajamas, clutching her head where the door had knocked into her.

He knelt, gently helping her up.

"What are you doing out here this late? Don't tell me... this is one of those legendary night raids?"

He meant it playfully. Normally, she would've yelled or thrown a pillow at him. But this time...

Eriri kept her head low, her cheeks red, shoulders trembling slightly.

She said nothing.

Yukima's smirk faded. His gaze sharpened.

"...So you really did come for a raid?" he asked, more seriously now.

Still no answer.

The silence between them thickened—awkward, fragile, and on the verge of breaking.