‘Is Miss Sakura really a spy?’ This question kept running through my head, it seems like a lie that group told us… She’s always been kind to me and everyone at this shrine. She couldn’t possibly be the spy they told us about… right? I mean, she works herself so much till she passes out from exhaustion, a spy wouldn’t do that!
“Oh, good morning Miss Mei!” A shrine maiden greeted me as I entered the front of the shrine.
“Good morning, how are you doing?” I responded while trying to put on a fake smile.
“I’m good… is there something wrong?” The shrine maiden asked, clearly seeing through the fake smile I had put on.
‘I need to work on that…’ I thought before responding. “I just have a lot to think about, sorry for worrying you.”
“Oh, it’s alright.”
“By the way, do you know where Miss Sakura is?”
“She’s tending to the flowers in the northern courtyard.” The shrine maiden explained with a smile.
I quickly thanked her before leaving to the northern courtyard. ‘Maybe I can invite her to do something, it’ll probably be a good idea to get answers from her…’ Hopefully those accusations were a lie… I don’t know what’ll happen if they were true.
After walking for a few minutes, I finally made it to the gate to the northern courtyard. ‘Do we really have to make these gates this heavy?’ With a bit of struggle I managed to open the gates to the courtyard.
“Good morning Miss Mei.” Upon entering Miss Sakura greeted me without even looking away from the weeds she was pulling. Beastkin’s senses are amazing, she was able to tell it was me without even looking at me!
“Good morning! Is it a good idea for you to be working right now, Miss Sakura.?”
“What do you mean?”
“Didn’t you overwork yourself just the other day?”
“I rested just fine after that.” Miss Sakura said while standing up. “Anyways, is there something you need?”
She really doesn’t like idle chatter, huh? “Um, the shrine priestess wanted me to tell you that you are to take the day off today.”
“...Why?” Miss Sakura looked at me, I couldn’t tell what her facial expression was due to the mask blocking her face.
“S-She heard about you overworking yourself, so she wanted to give you the day off.”
“I see… Is that all?”
“Ye- Wait, would you like to go around the city with me?”
“No.”
“Why?!” I couldn’t help but let out. That rejection was so instant, she didn’t even think about it!
“I have other things to do.”
“But-”
“Miss Mei, I said no and the answer will still be no.” Miss Sakura bluntly told me. I thought I was used to her bluntness but this time it hit hard. And what does she mean by other things to do?! She just found out that mother ordered her to take the day off!
—---------
‘Finally, I was able to convince her to go around the city…’ Convincing her was so exhausting… I had to bug her all the way back to the storage room and that still didn’t work! But I had to pull out my trump card, her promise to buy me food.
“Miss Mei?”
“Hm?”
“Please don’t use the promise I made to bring me around the city.”
How did she know?! I looked at Miss Sakura with wide eyes, her unamused expression made it obvious she knew what my plan was.
“W-What do you mean, why would I do that?”
“We’ve been walking around aimlessly for 20 minutes, I could only assume you were doing just that. What are you planning, Miss Mei?”
“I- Uh…” I don’t know what to say! Should I tell her I wanted to figure out if that group was telling the truth about her being a spy?!
“The truth is, well… yeah I just wanted to show you around the city.”
After trying so hard to convince her to walk around, again it only lead to me wasting my breath. Why doesn’t she want to do that?! She never leaves the shrine, even on days she’s supposed to have off!
“So… Miss Sakura, is there any reason why you don’t want to explore the city?” I asked without thinking.
“Did you already forget, I told you that I just don’t want to?” Miss Sakura responded in an irritated voice, which is the first time I’ve heard her sound irritated.
“Sorry…”
I want to prove to mom and everyone she’s not a spy… How am I gonna do that? If it gets out, no one will doubt it since they don’t know anything about her, all they know is that she's a shrine maiden…
“Miss Sakura, can I just ask you a question, and please just answer it honestly.”
“What’s your question?”
“Why do you actively avoid everyone at the shrine?”
“...”
Miss Sakura sat there in silence, seemingly thinking of how to respond. Does she have a reason to? We sat there for a while, no words were spoken.
“Here’s your food, Miss Mei, please enjoy!”
“Oh thank you. Here, I think this-”
However I was stopped by Miss Sakura, I forgot she was paying. I guess I won’t get an answer from her. I couldn’t help but think, the doubt about her being the spy was starting to fade.
“I just don’t want to get close to people, that’s all.” Miss Sakura suddenly said as I was half way through my food.
“What?” I couldn’t help but let out as I almost choked on my food. She doesn’t want to get close to people? Why?
“My answer to your question, I just don’t want to get close to people.” She repeated herself while not even looking at me.
“Why?”
“Please no more questions Miss Mei.”
“B-Bu- Alright…”
“Miss Mei, can I show you something?”
As we got back to the shrine, Miss Sakura asked. I couldn’t help but feel something was off, there was an odd glint in her eyes as she asked that. I’m probably overthinking… Shaking my head to free myself from the doubts, I agreed to her showing me something.
“What is it you wanted to show me, Miss Sakura?” I couldn’t help but ask as I looked around her room. It wasn’t anything different than the normal shrine maiden rooms. Only unique is the mask she always wore lying on the side table next to her bed. “Mi-”
Why…. Why am I on the floor?! I tried to get up but an overbearing force held me down to the floor?! Ow, ow I can’t move my hands! It felt like something was crushing my wrists the harder I tried to move.
“Do not try to move, mei. It’ll only hurt worse the harder you try.”
It felt like I was thrown into a frozen river from just those words… M-Miss Sakura?
Why are you doing this Miss Sakura…? My heart skipped so many beats just from the look in her eyes… it could kill a dragon.
“You’re a fool for trying to get close to me.”
“W-W-What do you mean?!” Is she going to kill me?! W-Wait was that group right with her being a spy? Is that true?! No, no she must be angry from all the questioning right?
“M-Miss sakura I’m sorry for angering you with the questions… Please let go of my wrists. They feel like they’re about to snap.”
I was only met with silence, the iron grasp she had on my wrists did not let go, nor did the look in her eyes change. Is… she really a spy…?
“Mi-”
“Mei, you are sharp, but you are a fool. You only asked those questions to confirm if I was a spy or not, correct?”
Miss Sakura, why?
“Just by the look you have on your face it’s true.”
Why did that group have to be right?! Why did she have to be a spy?!
“WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?! I THOUGHT YOU WERE ONE OF US?!”
“Why? You don’t need to know that.”
“YOU SIGNED AN OATH TO BE ONE OF US! Was that all fake?!”
“If you think that oath frees people from their past shackles, you and your mother are completely ignorant of the world. Now, you better be quiet or I’ll have to forcefully keep you quiet…”
“What do you mean…?” What does she mean by past shackles? Is she being forced to do all this? Miss sakura? Is that your reason for betraying us?!
“Who else knows I am a spy?”
She completely ignored my question…
“If you don’t answer…”
OW, OW! My hands feel like they’re going to be shattered!
“The head priestess! And that group you met with just the other day! Please don’t break my wrists!”
“I see.” She’s not softening her grip! “Mei.”
“W-W-What?” Is she going to kill me now?! The look in her eyes reeked of murderous intent.
“If you tell anyone that I am a spy…” The murderous intent of her eyes completely shut down my body, is she going to kill me if I do?! “I will kill you, your mother, everyone you have ever cared about.”
The look in her eyes told me she was dead serious… Was Miss Sakura actually a spy the entire time…? She was always so kind, but… why? She always treated me kindly, why is she doing this now?
“Miss… Sakura why…?
“Do you understand Mei?”
“Why…?”
An audible sigh came from Miss Sakura before everything went dark.
Written by: shehablasheen
Published at: 13-05-2024
