Akiko hesitated at the edge of the wood, but it was clear that the priest knew she was there. There was nothing to be gained by delaying, but it was still long moments before she could bring herself to step out. Shiraishi came forward, bowing her head slightly in acknowledgement, her hands tightly clasped in front of her.

“Ms Tanahata.â€ She stopped, apparently unsure what to say next. Akiko had no idea what to say, either, so the silence stretched out. Finally, Shiraishi broke it.

“I’m sorry I accused you of planning to con me. That was unreasonable.â€

Akiko just nodded, not at all sure how to respond. Shiraishi seemed to wait for her to say something, but then decided to continue herself.

“What are you doing here?â€

Akiko held up the bag of rubbish.

“Cleaning.â€ Even as she said it, she felt that it was too curt, too aggressive to be a proper answer, but she could think of no way to improve it. Shiraishi, however, just nodded.

“Thank you. It’s quite difficult for me to keep the shrine clean by myself. But why are you cleaning in the middle of the night?â€ For a moment, Akiko thought that she was going to have to try to answer that question without being offensive, but then Shiraishi sighed. “I’m sorry, I suppose I know the answer to that. I can imagine that you wouldn’t want to run into me again after our last conversation.â€

“No, it was just…â€ Akiko instinctively tried to soften the assessment, but she couldn’t think of anything to say. She reflected, wryly, that she wasn’t doing a very good job of communicating this evening.

“It’s all right. I’m really sorry about what I said. I’m afraid that our relationship got off to a bad start there, and yet you still cleaned the shrine.â€ Akiko knew what she wanted to say at this point, but she held her tongue. Mentioning the fact that Tamao kept appearing to her did not seem wise, given what had happened the last time. And if she could patch things up with Shiraishi, she would be able to come to clean earlier, which would mean more sleep. Still, she realised that she had to say something.

“It… It needed doing.â€ Shiraishi grimaced, but nodded.

“The shrine precincts really are too large for me to look after by myself. As I say, I really appreciate the help. Won’t you come into the house for a cup of tea? It’s quite cool out here.â€

“I… Thank you, but not tonight. I really need to get home; I have to go to work tomorrow.â€ Shiraishi looked disappointed, but nodded.

“I see. Well, at least let me take the bag of rubbish and throw it away for you.â€ She held her hand out, and Akiko quickly handed over the carrier bag of litter. “Thank you. If you still want to clean, I would very much appreciate it. And you should feel free to come earlier in the evening.â€ She smiled slightly as she finished, and Akiko found herself smiling back.

“Thank you. I think I will.â€