<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;"><em>What went wrong?</em> Akiko stared at the flame within the iwakura, willing the aramitama to tell her something useful. <em>Why didn’t you purify the school?</em> The flame seemed to flicker a bit more than usual, but it didn’t offer any useful advice.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">Akiko’s reverie was interrupted by the sounds of an argument from the entrance to the shrine. Groaning inwardly, she looked around to see whether anyone else was available, but it seemed to be down to her. Reluctantly, she went to the steps, and looked down.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“How can you turn against us like this?â€ It was Naoyuki, who seemed to be the only person currently protesting.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Look at you! The whole area is cursed. Only the people who are coming to the shrine are protected from it.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“It’s all dangerous superstition.â€ It didn’t sound like his heart was entirely in it, and now that Akiko looked, he really didn’t look well. She started down the steps, and both men looked up at her.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Ah, good morning. I was hoping to have a purification ceremony…â€ said the former protester. Akiko nodded at him.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Of course. Please go up into the shrine; Revd Shiraishi will be happy to perform the ceremony for you.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Oh.â€ He looked a bit taken aback for a moment, and then glanced at Naoyuki, and nodded to her. “Of course. Thank you.â€ He climbed the steps, and Naoyuki sat down heavily on a small folding chair. He really looked bad; like he needed several days’ sleep, for one thing, and at least one proper meal, for another. Akiko knew she should look for his kegare, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. It was all too easy for her to imagine the sort of thing she would see.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“What?â€ Naoyuki was looking at her, and she realised she had been staring. Blushing, she looked down, to cover her confusion.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“I think you’d benefit from a purification ceremony,â€ she said, as she looked up again. Naoyuki sneered at her.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“I’m not as easily led as some of these people. I know too much about what your so-called “priestsâ€ get up to.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">Akiko wondered for a moment what he was on about, and then pressed on.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“OK, you don’t need to have a ceremony, but shouldn’t you go home and get some rest?â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“I don’t give up that easily, either!â€ he said, a bit fiercely.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Naoyuki, you really don’t look well. Maybe you should see a doctor.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“I’m fine!â€ He was shouting now, pushing himself up to stand facing her. “The only problem is the lies that your shrine is spreading! You might have managed to suborn some of us, but those of us who are left know about your plans, and we aren’t going let them pass without a fight.â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">Akiko was completely baffled now.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“Naoyuki, what are you talking about?â€</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“I was right to get rid of you.â€ He wasn’t meeting her eyes, Akiko realised. Did he regret breaking up with her? No, it had to be more than that. She remembered his mother’s story. <em>How much does he know about what happened? How much does he want to admit about what happened?</em></p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“I’m sorry, Naoyuki. It clearly was for the best that we broke up.â€ She turned and started climbing the steps again, pausing to look back.</p>
<p style="margin: 8.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 28.0px; font: 13.0px Optima;">“You really should see a doctor or something.â€</p>