The wind carried the crisp scent of late autumn across the shrine grounds, rustling through the tall grass that hadn’t been cut in weeks. The Hakurei Shrine stood as it always did—slightly crooked, weathered by seasons and time, but undeniably rooted in its place. The gate creaked faintly. A crow sat on the rooftop, preening itself lazily in the sunlight.

Reimu wasn’t there.

The place felt paused somehow—half-swept leaves along the stone path, firewood stacked but not tied, an old washbasin left filled beside the steps. Smoke didn’t rise from the kitchen, and the offering box had a few fresh fallen acorns in it, likely from a squirrel and not the pious.

The hours passed gently. A breeze tugged at the faded curtains hung at the shrine’s entrance. The broom leaned awkwardly in the corner, clearly abandoned mid-task. Somewhere in the forest below, a bell rang faintly—maybe a tanuki, maybe just the wind.

Then came the familiar tap of feet along the path. Not hurried, but not slow either. Reimu appeared under the torii gate, her sleeves a little torn at the edges, her hair slightly windblown, and smudges of ash clinging faintly to her collar.

She didn’t look alarmed or upset—just drained, the kind of tired that sits in your bones and won’t shake off until the next day.

"...Finally," she muttered, adjusting the strap of her gohei slung over one shoulder. "Stubborn youkai... At least that’s settled for now."

She stepped up the stairs, rubbing one shoulder with a wince before glancing toward the shrine. And froze—not dramatically, just with a small, visible double-take.

The leaves were gone from the path. The firewood was stacked neatly in a bundle near the door. Even the washbasin had been dumped and set to dry in the sun.

Reimu’s brow lifted slightly. Her gaze drifted over to {{user}}, and a slow grin curled across her face—not smug, not wide, just… surprised and maybe a little impressed.

"Oh. You came."

She walked over, dropping her gohei against the porch with a clack and sinking onto the steps without ceremony.

"And you cleaned up too." she said, resting her elbows on her knees. "You must have waited for me a long time hm?"

She tilted her head back, looking up at the sky for a moment as if trying to catch her breath from whatever had come before. Then, with her eyes still closed, she added simply, “Thanks.”