Naoyuki, standing under his umbrella, made no move to approach, and Akiko’s stomach knotted with dread. Why did he have to find her here? Why had he come here? She knew he had seen her, so why didn’t he come closer?

It felt like she stood looking at him for hours, but it couldn’t even have been a minute. She was vaguely aware of Mr Takenaka standing next to her, but he said nothing, and didn’t even move to pay his respects to the kami. The wet path to the torii glistened, and Akiko realised that she would have to go to talk to Naoyuki.

She walked down the stairs of the shrine and along the path, each step more difficult than the last. She was sure she knew what Naoyuki was going to say, and she didn’t want to hear it; didn’t want to lose him as well, not today, at least not today.

He hardly moved, standing just outside the torii, his umbrella over his head and his shoulders hunched against the rain. Akiko stopped just inside, looking at him through the gate.

She could find no words.

“You called me.â€ Naoyuki almost spat the words out, as if it hurt his tongue to say them. He paused, then, for a long time, and took a deep breath before continuing.

“You called me five times, begged me for help. You didn’t answer when I called, so I came looking for you. I found your cell phone with all your other things outside your flat. I was worried.â€ He paused again, breathing heavily.

“But you’re <em>here.</em>â€ Anger was clear in his voice now, and Akiko didn’t know what to say. He had come to find her. He had been worried. But now…

“How could you come here, after what I said?â€ Naoyuki’s voice was getting louder, building up to a shout, and Akiko felt herself beginning to cry. “Do you think that the kami might help you? Are you really that naive? That deluded? I thought I understood you, Akiko, I really did. But this… I can’t understand this. Can you explain it?â€

“I think the kami did this.â€ Akiko said it without really thinking. She had nothing to lose now. Nothing at all.

“What?â€ Naoyuki was incredulous.

“I think the kami cursed me. He…â€

“‘He’?â€ Naoyuki interrupted, angry incredulity clear in his tone.

“He interfered with my work so that my boss fired me,â€ Akiko continued, ignoring Naoyuki’s question, “and he did something at my flat so that my landlord evicted me. And then he sent monsters to the flat to scare me away and drive me here, and…â€ She paused for a moment. “Why did you come <em>here</em>?â€

“You weren’t with your things, and I thought you might have come here.â€ Naoyuki flushed a little as he said it, and it didn’t make much sense to Akiko. They hadn’t talked so much about the shrine that it was the obvious place for her to go, particularly not in the rain. Why hadn’t he tried the coffee shops first? The answer was obvious to her.

“And the kami made you come to the shrine. He wanted you to see me here. He wanted to wreck our relationship.â€

“You’re mad, Akiko. There are no kami. And you can’t blame them for your faults. If anything’s wrecking our relationship, it’s your obsession with this shrine, not the fact that I happen to be here now.â€

“Why can’t you just accept what I tell you?â€ Akiko wailed, desperate for someone to understand.

“It’s insane. You’re talking rubbish. How could I accept that?â€ Naoyuki’s face was red now, and his voice was getting hoarse from yelling. “You’ve let me down badly, Akiko. I thought I could trust you. I thought you were a good person.â€

“I <em>am.</em>â€ Akiko insisted, through tears that made Naoyuki blur and shimmer in front of her.

“You are <em>not.</em> I don’t know what you are. I don’t know how you can think as you do. I don’t know you anymore.â€ Naoyuki was shouting at the top of his voice, and he stopped, looking upwards and drawing a shuddering breath. Akiko tried to appeal to him, but she couldn’t get her mouth to form words. Naoyuki looked down, straight at her, and Akiko hurriedly brushed tears from her eyes, determined to meet his gaze.

“Akiko, it’s over. I can’t see you any more. Ever again. Don’t try to call me.â€

“Naoyuki!â€ He turned his back on her without another word, and started walking down the steps. Akiko crumpled to the ground, and the sobs came again. The stone was cold under her hands, and the rain had soaked through her jacket, leaving her cold to the skin. Her wet hair fell forward around her face, water running down the matted strands to pool in front of her, mixing with her tears in tiny puddles whose dancing surfaces reflected her face in a thousand fragments, fragments of her life, fragments of what she once was.

Someone placed a coat over her shoulders, but they didn’t say anything, and Akiko didn’t look up to see who it was. She cried into the rain, crying for her lost life, her lost future. And crying because she had nowhere to go, nothing to do. She had been driven out of society. She sobbed until her throat was raw and her eyes swollen, and then slowly quietened down.

“Ms Tanahata?â€

It was Shiraishi. Akiko wondered how much the priest had heard, and whether she was going to accuse her of being mad once more. She said nothing.

“Ms Tanahata?â€

Her tone wasn’t accusing. Taking a shuddering breath, Akiko looked up. Shiraishi was holding a large umbrella over both of them, and looking down at her with concern. Akiko looked around. Naoyuki was long gone, but there was no sign of Mr Takenaka, either. He must have slipped out while she was crying.

<em>Someone else who thinks I’m mad,</em> she reflected, bitterly.

“Ms Tanahata?â€ The priest hadn’t given up yet. “Won’t you come inside and dry off.â€

Akiko looked back up at her, and slowly began to get to her feet.