In the heart of the city, the rush-hour roads were choked with traffic. Hasegawa Sayuri, gripping the steering wheel with a tired expression, turned up the radio volume in frustration. She had once been a promising reporter at a prominent newspaper, but now she was exhausted by the mundane routine of a news drought. Amid the bustling city lights, Sayuri suddenly recalled her old girlfriend, Suzuki Yui, who had vanished 10 years ago. Yui had disappeared without a trace, leaving a deep wound in Sayuri’s heart.
It was then that Sayuri’s gaze fell upon a black electric car stopped in the adjacent lane. It had a sleek, well-designed body, and there was a woman sitting in the driver’s seat…
“Y-Yui?”
The name instinctively escaped Sayuri’s lips. The woman in the driver’s seat had an all-too-familiar face. It was the exact same face from when she had left Sayuri 10 years ago. Her eyes were youthful yet clear, as if she hadn’t aged a day. There was no way she could look exactly as she used to. Could it be someone who just looked uncannily like her?
Sayuri quickly rubbed her eyes and stared again at the car in the next lane. Yui’s form was still sitting there. She moved her head slightly, as if checking the rearview mirror. That familiar motion made Sayuri’s heart pound even harder.
‘It’s impossible… I’m just hallucinating because I’m so tired.’
Sayuri tried to calm herself, rationalizing that it must be an illusion created by her stressful life and unfulfilled heart. But the image before her was too vivid. The neat white blouse Yui wore, the thin scarf around her neck—everything was as clear as if she had seen it only yesterday.
Just then, the car ahead began to inch forward, and the electric car carrying Yui also started to move. Sayuri unconsciously pressed the accelerator, following it. Her mind was a mess of confusion. If this was real, it was inexplicable; if it was a hallucination, it couldn’t be this lucid.
Sayuri blankly followed the car until it rounded a corner and vanished from sight. Her heart still hadn’t calmed. ‘If I wasn’t seeing things… then what in the world was that…?’ Gripping the steering wheel tightly, Sayuri fell into deep thought over the unbelievable scene. It was a moment when the line between reality and the surreal began to blur.[5:1]
A few days later, determined to make the unbelievable reunion a reality and not just a dream, Sayuri went searching for the electric car again. Recalling the license plate number she had memorized just in case, she wandered through city parking lots until a familiar black car caught her eye. It was parked neatly in a small shopping district’s lot at the mouth of a quiet alley.
Sayuri’s heart pounded again. And in the driver’s seat sat the very same Yui, not aged at all, staring blankly ahead. Lua—that is, Yui—had been inwardly nervous, wondering if Sayuri had recognized her during their last encounter. She was currently waiting for the other maidens who were grocery shopping. As an avatar who couldn’t stray far from her main body—the car—she had no choice but to sit perfectly still.
Sayuri cautiously approached and tapped on the window.
“Yui-chan…?”
Lua felt her heart sink. This was unavoidable. She, the avatar, could not leave the car, and Sayuri had clearly recognized her. Lua slowly rolled down the window. With the cool air, Sayuri’s shocked face came into view.
“You… are you really Yui-chan? What happened? You just disappeared 10 years ago… Why do you look the same? How….”
Sayuri’s voice trembled, her eyes a mix of confusion, longing, and disbelief. Lua fought to keep her expression calm, but the sight of her old girlfriend after ten years shook her to the core. There was no denying it anymore.
Lua let out a soft sigh and nodded.
“Yes, Hasegawa-san. It’s me, Suzuki Yui.”
At those words, Sayuri’s eyes reddened. She reached out and gently stroked Lua’s cheek, a gesture to confirm her existence, as if still in disbelief. The warmth of her skin felt all too real.
“It’s really… really you… I looked for you everywhere… What happened to you? What was it?”
Sayuri sobbed out her questions, but Lua could offer no answer. The secrets of the shrine could not be spoken. It was a terrible dilemma: she couldn’t tell the truth, nor could she simply disappear again. A bitter expression crossed Lua’s face.
From Lua’s silence, Sayuri seemed to sense that something extraordinary had occurred. For now, however, rather than demanding reasons, she was overcome with emotion at the simple fact that the person before her was Yui. Spanning the 10-year gap, their reunion began.[5:2]
The hot summer sun beat down on the asphalt. Faced with Yui after 10 years, Sayuri stood there blankly, a mixture of bewilderment and joy on her face. Reading Sayuri’s complex expression, Lua felt a pang of pity. The fact that she couldn’t reveal the shrine’s secrets was stifling.
“Hasegawa-san, please get in the car. It’s too hot out here.”
Through her avatar, Lua opened the passenger-side door. Sayuri hesitated for a moment before climbing inside. The cool air from the air conditioner brushed against her flushed cheeks. Lua’s avatar sat quietly in the driver’s seat, watching Sayuri.
“I can’t tell you everything that happened. But… I’m a shrine maiden now.”
Lua began cautiously. Sayuri’s eyes widened. The word ‘maiden’ was something far beyond her imagination.
“A maiden? What does that mean? And… Why haven’t you aged a day? You look exactly the same as you did 10 years ago!”
Lua answered Sayuri’s questions with forced calm.
“I don’t know the details myself… but I think my growth stopped when I became a maiden. That’s why I still look like this.”
Lua turned her gaze out the passenger window.
“I’m waiting for the other maidens to come back from shopping at that store. That’s why I was sitting here.”
Sayuri couldn’t fully comprehend Lua’s explanation, but she sensed it wasn’t a lie. The somehow transcendent look in Lua’s eyes was proof. A more pressing thought occurred to Sayuri.
“Your parents… have you seen them? They were so worried when you disappeared….”
Lua nodded.
“Yes, I see them about once every few years. Thankfully, they’re a little more at ease now.”
At Lua’s words, Sayuri finally let out a sigh. She felt a sense of relief; at least Lua wasn’t living all alone, having cut off contact with her family. Sayuri took Lua’s hand, trying to piece together a faint picture of the last 10 years.
“What about you, Hasegawa-san?” Lua asked. “What are you doing now? Are you a student? Or… something else?”
At Lua’s question, Sayuri gave a short laugh, trying to hide her complicated feelings.
“I’m working as a reporter. Chasing deadlines, running around for scoops… you know, the life of a typical office worker.”
A hint of weariness tinged Sayuri’s voice. It was a moment when they both recognized how starkly different their lives had become. Ten years ago, they were both students; now, they were worlds apart. A short silence fell over the car.[5:3]
In the cool air of the electric car that was Lua, Sayuri looked around the interior as the awkward silence lingered. It had a clean, futuristic design, a digital dashboard, and an infotainment system packed with the latest technology. It was, without a doubt, a top-of-the-line sedan.
“This car… is nice. Looks like the latest model. I have to say, a maiden driving a car like this is a little unexpected.”
Sayuri spoke cautiously. Her mind was still reeling from the word ‘maiden’, but the fact that this car belonged to Yui seemed concrete.
Lua couldn’t hide her delight at the compliment. Being praised for her body was always pleasant. Through her main body—the car—she began explaining, her voice full of pride.
“Yes, it’s a model with a lot of new tech. The battery efficiency is incredible, so long distances are no problem on a single charge. It also supports fast charging, so you can get a lot of power in a short time.”
“Most importantly,” she continued, “the autonomous driving function is nearly perfect. It has sensors all around for a 360-degree view, and it can react to unexpected situations on its own. It really reduces driver fatigue. The air purification system is also excellent, and the audio system is…”
Lua enthusiastically launched into a detailed explanation of her ‘body’. She naturally concealed the fact that she was the car, rattling off features and benefits like an automotive expert. From charging methods to motor output, suspension types, and even the characteristics of the interior materials, it was almost too much for Sayuri to follow.
At first, Sayuri was a little taken aback by Yui’s unexpected expertise. Amid the shock of the reunion and the mysterious ‘maiden’ backstory, a small fear had taken root that Yui had become a completely different person. But as she listened to the nonstop explanation, a faint smile touched Sayuri’s lips.
‘This is Yui-chan after all. She hasn’t changed.’
Back in school, Yui had always been a chatterbox. Whenever she found a new interest, she would study it for nights on end and then endlessly explain it to her friends. This was that exact same person. She hadn’t aged, but her essence was the same. Sayuri finally felt a true sense of relief. Her tangled thoughts began to clear. Though she was still shrouded in mystery, the person before her was, without a doubt, the ‘Yui’ she knew.[5:4]
A short while later, the maidens emerged from the store with their groceries. Akari, her hands full of bags, approached the car with Izumi. Opening the door and seeing Sayuri, Akari looked slightly surprised, but then, as if she’d received a telepathic message from Lua, she smiled naturally.
“Welcome.”
Following Akari’s light greeting, Izumi also peered at Sayuri with curious eyes. Sayuri gave an awkward nod in reply. The maidens skillfully loaded their things and got in the car. Izumi sat in the passenger seat, staring intently at Sayuri. Lua gave Akari a knowing look, and Akari nodded gently.
“We’ll be on our way now,” Akari said.
At that, Lua gave Sayuri a brief smile. “Goodbye, Hasegawa-san. I’ll see you… again.”
It was a short meeting and an awkward farewell. The electric car that was Lua’s body pulled smoothly out of the parking lot and disappeared down the alley. Sayuri stood there blankly, watching until the car was completely out of sight.
After the car was gone, a storm of emotions churned within Sayuri. Yui, found again after 10 years, looking as if time had stopped. The fact that she was now some unknown being called a ‘maiden’, driving a strange car, and living with other young girls. It was all a mystery.
‘What kind of shrine is that? And what on earth is this “maiden” thing Yui mentioned?’
Sayuri’s mind was flooded with questions. Her reporter’s instincts kicked in, and she felt an overwhelming urge to uncover everything. The 10-year gap in Yui’s life and the secrets she now held endlessly fueled Sayuri’s curiosity.
And yet, at the same time, a wave of relief washed over her. For ten years, Sayuri had been consumed with worry, always wondering if something terrible had happened to Yui. But the Yui she met today, despite her bizarre circumstances, looked healthy and happy. Hearing that she still saw her parents was a huge weight off her chest.
‘Still… I’m glad she seems to be doing well.’
Caught between relief and deepening mystery, Sayuri walked to her own car. It felt as though the biggest and most difficult ‘scoop’ of her career had just landed in her lap. Hoping for the day she could unravel it all, Sayuri returned to the reality of her life. But her heart was already captivated by the mysterious world of the maidens.[5:5]
After returning to the shrine, Lua exited her car-body and reverted to her human form. She went straight to the Great Maiden’s chambers. The Great Maiden was sitting in her usual quiet state, but Lua sensed in her gaze a depth that saw through everything.
“Welcome back, Lua. Your handling of the situation today was very wise.”
Lua was slightly startled by the praise. She had intended to report the reunion, of course, but the Great Maiden seemed to know everything already. Lua’s cheeks flushed slightly at the thought that the Great Maiden might have even sensed the complex mix of emotions that had crossed her face.
“About the child, Sayuri,” the Great Maiden continued in a gentle voice. “Though she cannot become a maiden, she will one day be of great help to our shrine. So do not worry, and continue to foster your connection with her.”
Lua’s eyes widened. The idea that Sayuri would help the shrine was completely unexpected. Sayuri was an ordinary human, a reporter who might even try to expose their secrets. Yet the Great Maiden was bestowing upon her the title of a future ‘ally’.
Lua asked cautiously, “Great Maiden… was this information also… from the Shrine of Time?”
The Great Maiden gave no reply. Instead, a faint smile spread across her lips—a smile that held the mystery of a being who knows all but cannot say all.
“Perhaps,” was all she said.
The Great Maiden offered no further explanation. Lua tried to find an answer in her smile but could not fathom its deep meaning. One thing, however, was certain: the Great Maiden’s words always came to pass.
Leaving the chambers, Lua thought of Sayuri again. She had no idea how a reporter could possibly help the shrine. But she held on to the Great Maiden’s words, and a vague premonition formed within her: that in the coming ‘period of great turmoil’, Sayuri would play an important role. The future was a mystery, but Lua readied herself for whatever was to come.[5:6]
The reunion with Yui ignited Sayuri’s reporter instincts. She could no longer write this off as coincidence or hallucination. First, she had to identify the electric car Yui was driving.
Using the license plate number and model name she had memorized, Sayuri began her investigation. She mobilized her network and information-gathering skills to look up the vehicle’s registration. It was an unofficial channel, and she trod carefully, but her professional ethics demanded she get to the bottom of this mystery.
A few days later, she held the documents. Taking a breath, she reviewed the information. The make, model, and even the vehicle identification number were a perfect match. But her eyes froze on the ‘Initial Registration Date’ field.
Initial Registration Date: 13 years and 8 months ago.
Sayuri’s brow furrowed. She was certain the car Yui was driving was a late-model electric vehicle. She knew for a fact that the model had been released three years ago at the earliest—a detail she had double-checked with a friend who was an auto journalist.
‘Impossible… This model is only three years old, but it was registered over thirteen years ago?’
She scanned the document again. Model name, manufacturer, production year, initial registration date… everything was printed perfectly. But logically, the information was full of contradictions. The car’s model didn’t even exist 13 years ago.
She checked the owner’s information. It simply read, ‘Access restricted under the Personal Information Protection Act.’ However, the owner at the time of the initial registration was clearly listed as ‘Suzuki Yui’. That part, at least, matched.
Sayuri’s mind was racing.
‘Is the registration data wrong? Or… was this car registered in some special way? Or was Yui, even back then…?’
She shook her head. The idea of a car existing in a ‘different’ form for over a decade and then suddenly ‘transforming’ into a new model was unthinkable. Nowhere in the records was there any note of a ‘change in vehicle type’ or ‘model update’. It was as if this car had existed, exactly as it was now, for more than 13 years.
For Sayuri, a reporter who had spent her life pursuing facts based on reason and logic, it was a moment where her entire worldview was shaken to its core. Her gut told her this wasn’t a simple clerical error but was tied to a colossal secret, something beyond imagination. Yui, the shrine, and this car that seemed to defy time… all the jumbled pieces were leading her deeper into a labyrinth.[5:7]
With the documents in hand, Sayuri felt a splitting headache. The car registration information, which defied all common sense, seemed to paralyze her reason. The contradiction of a ‘latest model electric car registered 13 years ago’ revolved in her mind, tormenting her. It felt as if the boundary between reality and the surreal was collapsing.
Out of frustration, Sayuri drove to the riverside late at night. City lights stretched long across the dark river. A cool river breeze came through the car window, but her mind was still in utter chaos. She gripped the steering wheel tightly, retracing their last encounter.
Yui looked exactly the same as she had 10 years ago. And the electric car she was driving (or riding in) was definitely the latest model. But the registration record was over 10 years old. How could all these contradictions be explained?
Numerous hypotheses flashed through her mind. A misconception, manipulated information, a disguised identity… but none of them fit perfectly. It was then. Like a streetlight illuminating the river, an idea flashed into Sayuri’s mind.
‘What if… that car was created anew each time it’s needed?’
At that moment, all the puzzle pieces seemed to fall into place.
If one assumed that Yui brought the ‘same’ car with her each time, but that car wasn’t a fixed entity but was newly created whenever needed, it would explain why a model released only three years ago could appear to have been registered thirteen years ago. What if someone had secured the registration information for a specific vehicle 13 years prior, and then ‘created’ the latest model of the same car to match that information whenever it was required?
This hypothesis also seemed to offer a clue as to why Yui hadn’t aged in ten years. If she wasn’t an ordinary human but a being who could ‘create’ things, couldn’t she herself be free from the constraints of time?
Sayuri’s heart began to pound violently again. This was not merely a logical deduction. It was speculation about almost supernatural abilities, far beyond the bounds of her common sense. Combined with the word ‘maiden’ Yui had mentioned, Sayuri had a gut feeling that they were not simply maidens in a religious sense. They were possibly beings who could create or transform things, possessing powers far beyond those of ordinary humans.
By the dark riverside, Sayuri confronted the most surreal possibility she could imagine. The headache vanished, and in its place, a thrill shot down her spine. It felt as if she had just found the key to unlock all these mysteries. It was a moment of stepping one step closer to Yui and the secret of that shrine.[5:8]
A few days later, the Great Maiden summoned Lua.
“Lua, you look so worried these days. Why don’t you go for a drive to clear your head?”
At the Great Maiden’s words, Lua thought of Sayuri. A flicker of anxiety—‘What if I run into her again?’—crossed her mind, but she couldn’t defy the Great Maiden’s will. Lua transformed her body into the latest model electric car and placed her avatar in the driver’s seat.
Sure enough, not long after she entered the city, a familiar face came into view. It was Sayuri. Holding a small camera, she was inspecting something among the parked cars. The moment she spotted Lua’s car, Sayuri’s eyes lit up. She quickly approached and tapped on the car window.
Lua rolled down the window, forcing a neutral expression onto her face.
“Hasegawa-san, why are you doing this again? I’m not some celebrity you can just stalk.”
Lua waved her hands dismissively, but Sayuri was unfazed.
“I have my reasons. Anyway, it looks like you were heading out for a drive. Mind if I come along?”
Lua was troubled by Sayuri’s suggestion, but she had no good reason to refuse. In the end, she let Sayuri into the passenger seat.
The car left the city and began cruising down a quiet suburban road. Sayuri stared intently at Lua’s avatar. Her face wore a look of sheer determination.
“Yui-chan, I looked up your car’s registration information the other day. It makes no sense. This car is clearly the latest model, but it was registered over ten years ago. So I started thinking… is what you do at your shrine… creating things at will?”
At Sayuri’s direct question, Lua flinched. She realized she had been far too careless, always transforming into the latest model. Deciding it was impossible to avoid the subject any longer, Lua took a deep breath.
“Hasegawa-san… what I’m about to tell you… you’ll find it hard to believe. But… it’s the truth.”
Lua continued, her voice soft but resolute.
“We are… maidens. And we can do more than just create objects… we can become the objects themselves.”
Sayuri’s eyes widened. She struggled to comprehend Lua’s words, her mind a total jumble of confusion.
“Become the objects yourselves? What do you mean, Yui-chan? This car you’re in right now… you created it?”
Lua shook her head. Disbelief was written all over Sayuri’s face. Lua decided it would be faster to show her rather than try to explain. Just then, the battery gauge on the dashboard began to blink red.
“No, Hasegawa-san. I didn’t create this car. This very car you are sitting in… it’s me. And the ‘me’ sitting here in the driver’s seat… is my avatar.”
Astonishment washed over Sayuri’s face. She pressed her lips together, speechless. Her former girlfriend was telling her an unbelievable story right before her eyes.
“You don’t believe me, do you? I’ll show you. Besides, the battery is running low.”
Lua pulled into a drive-thru burger joint they happened upon. She ordered a burger and cola set and, a moment later, was handed the warm food. Lua’s avatar casually took a delicious bite of the burger.
That was the moment.
Sayuri’s gaze flicked between Lua eating the burger and the battery gauge on the dashboard. The charge level, which should only increase when plugged into a charger, began to climb—slowly but distinctly—with every bite Lua’s avatar took. The battery percentage climbed miraculously: 70%, 75%, 80%… and kept rising. There was no charging cable connected. As Lua’s avatar took another large bite, the charge level surpassed 90%.
Her eyes wavered. She gasped, her eyes darting between the dashboard and Lua’s avatar eating the burger. It was impossible. The miracle unfolding before her was beyond anything she could have imagined.
Once the burger was gone, Lua’s avatar contentedly wiped her mouth. The battery gauge now reads 100%. A perfect charge.
“So? Do you believe me now?” Lua’s avatar asked with a smile.
Sayuri couldn’t speak. A shiver ran through her. A truth more incredible than she could have ever conceived had just played out right in front of her. The world of Sayuri, a reporter who had lived her entire life by reason and logic, shattered. She felt with every fiber of her being that the reality she inhabited was filled with unbelievable mystery, and she was overwhelmed with a mix of shock and awe too profound for words.[5:9]
Witnessing the car’s battery fully charge as Lua’s avatar ate a burger left Sayuri literally trembling. Even in a state of shock so intense it made the hair on her arms stand up, her mind was working with surprising speed. The astonishing truth: Yui was a ‘maiden,’ and ‘she herself was the car.’ Sayuri knew instinctively that this ability was an immense secret that must never be revealed.
What would happen if this fact became public? Scientists would rush to dissect them; military experts would try to weaponize them. Religious communities would undoubtedly be thrown into chaos, trying to reconcile it with their doctrines. Yui and her fellow maidens would no longer be able to live as ordinary people. Their very lives and existence would be threatened.
Her voice trembling, Sayuri managed to speak.
“Yui-chan… this… this is….”
She couldn’t finish her sentence. But Lua read everything in Sayuri’s eyes: the shock, the astonishment, and beneath it all, a deep understanding and resolve.
Sayuri soon clenched her fists and said in a firm voice,
“I swear… I’ll keep this secret. I’ll never… tell anyone.”
Her gaze was unwavering. It was more than a simple oath; it was a promise born of her genuine feelings for Yui and her own ethics as a reporter.
Lua was relieved by Sayuri’s heartfelt vow. As if the tension had finally broken, her avatar in the driver’s seat scratched the back of her head in an embarrassed gesture.
“Thank you, Hasegawa-san. To be honest, I was a bit… flustered that you kept seeking me out.”
Lua added with a slight smile,
“I guess from now on… I’ll have to be more careful when I transform. I suppose I was a bit too fixated on the latest models.”
Her words held a playful jab at Sayuri’s relentless pursuit, but also a firm trust that Sayuri now understood the shrine’s secret and would protect her. Sayuri chuckled at Lua’s comment. Despite having just confronted a truth that could shake the world, Yui’s unchanging, down-to-earth reaction helped to lighten her heart.
For Sayuri, Yui was no longer an unsolved puzzle but a steady presence, someone who held her ground no matter the situation. Their relationship had shifted to a completely new dimension, but within it, a deep and unshakable trust was beginning to blossom.[5:10]
At that same moment, at the mailbox installed by the shrine boundary, Hinata, who always patrolled the shrine grounds in her neat maiden robes, opened the postbox. It usually contained nothing more than ordinary village news or seasonal greetings, so she checked the contents out of habit. But just then, her eyes widened at the sight of an envelope in her hand.
It was no worn, rustic piece of mail. The paper was smooth and high-quality. On one side of the envelope, the logo of a massive, city-style building was stamped alongside the sender’s name: ‘XX Construction Company’. The very fact that a large construction company had sent a letter to this mysterious mountain shrine was a shock to Hinata. Moreover, her intuition told her this letter contained something far more serious than a simple business inquiry.
Clutching the letter, Hinata ran toward the shrine’s main hall with all her might, not hesitating for a second. Her face was a mask of surprise mixed with an unidentifiable tension.
The Great Maiden’s quarters. Having sensed Hinata’s urgent approach, the Great Maiden had already closed her eyes, as if she had anticipated everything. In her consciousness, the contents of the letter from the outside world—and its implications—were already taking vague shape. She was even aware that Lua was creating a point of contact with the world through Sayuri.
‘It has begun… The coming period of great turmoil….’
The Great Maiden murmured softly to herself. But then, a faint smile graced her lips.
‘But Lua is handling it wisely, so I can rest easy.’
As soon as she reached the Great Maiden, Hinata panted for breath and held out the letter.
“Great Maiden! This… this letter…! From the outside…!”
The Great Maiden opened her eyes and took the letter from Hinata’s hand. Her movements were perfectly calm and elegant. As she opened the envelope and began to read, her face was filled with a deep insight and serene tranquility, as if she already knew everything.[5:11]