Akiko was most of the way up the hill when she realised that she had been slowing down. Frowning to herself, she deliberately picked up the pace, hoping to have a bit of time at the shrine before she had to go to work.

Even so, she came to a stop at the base of the steps, looking up the stairs. The blue sky was bright through the torii, its dark stone a stark contrast. The steps themselves were in dark shadow from the surrounding trees, which whispered in the gentle breeze, an approving sign. The sun was warm on Akiko’s back, and the whole setting felt calm. So why was she waiting at the bottom of the steps?

Convincing herself that there was no reason, Akiko started up the steps, climbing steadily, refusing to let herself slow down. As her angle changed, the rich green roof of the shrine building came into view, followed by the walls, followed by the figure of the shrine priest.

Akiko came to a sudden stop, the memory of her last confrontation with Shiraishi flooding back in perfect clarity. She hesitated for only a moment before turning and hurrying back down the steps before she was seen; she could not face being accused of plotting a swindle again.

Akiko didn’t stop hurrying until she arrived at work, which meant that she was very early. She sat at her desk, in the quiet office, and nodded in acknowledgement to Mr Tanaka, there before her. As soon as she sat down, exhaustion struck her, as she realised that she hadn’t slept all night. Pressing her hands to her forehead, she got up to get a coffee, hoping that she would be able to get through the day.

As she worked, she considered her strategy. She still felt that she couldn’t make any progress without visiting the shrine, but she couldn’t face meeting Shiraishi. Was there any time when the priest wasn’t around? The shrine had been very quiet in the middle of the night, when she sleepwalked there, so maybe that was the answer. The more she considered it, the more it seemed to be, and by lunch time she had decided to visit the shrine that night.

During the lunch hour, she got a phone call from Naoyuki.

“Akiko, it’s me. Tonight’s nomikai has been cancelled; the boss isn’t feeling well. Come round, and remember the deal.â€

Akiko panicked for a moment, suddenly sure that she couldn’t wait even another day before trying to do something about the problems.

“I… I can’t…â€ she stuttered out.

“It’s OK if you do breakfast.â€ For a moment, Naoyuki’s comment made absolutely no sense to her, and then she remembered his promise to make breakfast if she wore no underwear. She felt herself blushing, and hurried to explain.

“No, sorry, I meant I’m afraid I can’t go round tonight. I… I have a terrible headache. I think I need to get an early night.â€ She realised that it was not entirely a lie; her head was throbbing.

“Oh.â€ Naoyuki sounded really disappointed. “Are you sure that I can’t make you feel better?â€

“I just need a rest.â€

“I suppose you’d better stay home then. OK. Well, see you next time there’s a chance.â€

Akiko was about to reply when she realised that Naoyuki had hung up on her. She put her phone back in her bag, and went to get yet another coffee.