After I had cleaned Fluffy, run into Akarui, formally introduced them to each other, and swatted Akarui for calling me stupid, we walked towards the shrine.

"What was that?" I asked, truly curious about what my best friend had said before.

Akarui snapped his attention back to me, glaring at Fluffy one last time. "It's nothing. Just keep your eye on him. Uncle would flip if the little rascal tore up the shrine."

"Y-you don't have to tell me that! I know," I fumed silently. "It's the most important thing to this family."

"Well, we better get going. We'll be late." The sun was almost up, still kissing the edge of the horizon.

The early morning breeze flowed through my chocolate-brown hair as we stopped at the front of the large sliding doors.

We walked inside and looked around. It was just as I remembered: Cherry floors, sanded and shiny. Hinoki cypress, which lingered everywhere else, was the only traditional aspect of this remarkable place, a shrine dedicated to God and guarded by Inari-sama. Two wooden foxes sat still as stone on either side of a table in the middle. On that table were incense, a Bible, and a large jar of water. I wondered what flowers we would receive this time. Would it be roses, daffodils, lilacs, and maybe some lilies? Different flowers meant different things. Every day, people's emotions changed, and so did the flowers.

I grabbed a small broom from the corner and swept the floor, just in case. As soon as I finished, a little girl, age 13, ran up to me with poppies in her hand, her mother not far behind. "Aki-neechan! Lookit!"

"Ohayōgozaimasu, Brigette-san. Mrs. Ikumi. What brings you here?"

"Well, I heard red poppies symbolize death. So I wanted to pay my respects."

"Those are beautiful, and you have my condolences, but who died?"

Her expression turned grim. "I heard from Dad that he was closing shop when his last customer mumbled something about a fox crossing the road. So I came to mourn it." Her gaze fell to the floor. But as soon as her mother patted her head, she returned to her sugary demeanor.

Suddenly, Fluffy, who hadn't been there before, popped his head out from behind me, eyes narrowed at the flowers. I wasn't dead, just mildly stunned- he seemed to think. 

Wait, no way. I'm interpreting the thoughts of an animal I just met! I look at Fluffy and sigh. It's pretty clear that he's slightly upset. But his little glare is just so cute!

Brigette giggled gleefully, jumping up and down. "Pretty fox!"

The loud exclamation snapped me out of my thoughts. "I know, right?! I found it yesterday and fixed it up." He looked offended at being called it and not he. But I had already said what I said.

That day at the shrine was very eventful. People slowly filtered in during the morning, bringing gifts for the shrine and praying for their loved ones. As noon had begun to show his face, hoards of people flooded the place. Many had come to the forest to meditate in the clearing. Others had come to view the craftsmanship of the shrine. By evening, after the crowd had died down, I was exhausted.

"Hey, Rui-kun! You didn't help at all!"

"I organized the flowers and gifts. Plus, I worked the souvenir booth. How much more do I need to do for you until you're satisfied?" Akarui sighed, exasperated.

I admit it was a bit childish, but I pouted and sighed. "But in all seriousness, thanks for helping out, Rui-kun. You really helped me out." Although obviously tired, she smiled brightly.

Akarui blushed furiously. "It's nothing. I'm always here to help you. I-I mean, help you out with the cleaning and organizing, you know."

Fluffy peeked into the shrine and looked between Akarui and me. I turned towards him and smiled softly. "Give me a minute to finish up, okay?" His bright eyes looked deep into mine, and then he sat at the door.

A little while later, we were on our way home. Akarui had the gifts, I had the flowers, and Fluffy chased another butterfly. Upon reaching the pathway, Rui-san put the offerings down and waved goodbye. I took the flowers in and came back outside for the mail and other parcels. As soon as the last box was in, Fluffy followed me upstairs. I sat on my bed, not realizing how genuinely tired I was. Slowly, I drifted off to sleep.

"Hello, little one." A blurry figure stood proudly in the forest, waving eagerly at her.

"Hello." She tilted her head, questioning whether or not she should be talking to this stranger. But he was tall, kind, and handsome. At least that's how she felt, so it wouldn't hurt to say a few words.

"Such a fuss is being made about you in The Upper Ranks. There's talk about this and that, and we don't even know how to handle all of it. Even Kami-sama Himself is impressed with the purity of your soul."

"The Upper Rakes? Who are they? How do they know about me? Will I meet them?"

The stranger chuckled, shedding a few stray tears. "The Upper Ranks are a group of angels who travel between the Realm of Man and the Realms of God. Of course, they know about you! You are blessed and chosen to be a Child of the King!"

"Me? But how, mister? I'm only 7."

"Ah, yes. The number of perfection. A remarkably exquisite soul indeed. You have a very bright future ahead of you."

"What about Rui-kun? He's my best friend, and I don't want him to be lonely."

"Yes, your friend too. The one who's hiding in the bushes, him." A messy mop of blonde popped out and ran in front of Aki.