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Normally at this hour Reimu would go outside and sweep the shrine’s yard. And there she was like every other day, sweeping the ground, the broom pushing aside the leave from the trees and dust accumulated during the day. And despite the monotonous of the task, the shrine maiden seemed to enjoy it, enjoying the rhythm of her sweeping, and sometimes even whistling a melody. Reimu seemed so calm, so relaxed.
And there she was, watching her from aside. Standing over a tree branch well hidden in between the trees, Aya watched the shrine maiden. She usually arrived early on and waited for the main show to arrive and start sweeping. After all, the shrine maiden was a great way to learn about anything going around Gensokyo, as for some strange reason, Marisa, Sanae, the outsider girl, Yukari, or anyone with something interesting to say would arrive when she was cleaning the grounds of the shrine. It was an odd coincidence, but it made the tengu job easier, as all she had to do was wait her for someone to run to Reimu yelling about the most recent incident.
But there were still days where when nothing would happen, or no one would come see the shrine maiden. In those days Aya would go down and talk to Reimu, she had to a least try to get something out of this waste of time, didn’t she?
And after waiting for a while, it seemed that was what she was going to do. Expanding her black wings, she flapped them as she fell towards the ground, landing in front of the shrine, the wind caused by her wings lifted the leaves Reimu had clearing for a while now, making her effort pointless.
–Aya? – exclaimed the shrine maiden surprised by the tengu’s sudden appearance –ugh… look what you did… – said Reimu annoyed, as she looked to the mess Aya had made.
–Ayaya… pardon me
–Just… what are you doing here?
–Just looking for something to write about, do you happen happen to know about some incident or anything like that?
–I… I don’t… just go away, before I stab a needle on your face.
And there she was, every single time Aya left her tree and came to the ground the easiness and calmness Reimu had, disappeared, being replaced with a nervous, and sometimes rude, Reimu. Maybe this could do for a good story.
–Blimey, I had to go anyway, cheers luv.
Aya took flight once more, again throwing around the leaves on the ground with her wings. She still wasn’t over, and after flying away from the shrine for a while, she took a dive towards the forest of magic. Flying across the forest and avoid all trees across her way, she returned to her observation point. She stood on one leg at the tree branch and watched Reimu. Surely the shrine maiden is hiding something important, something that would make a very good story.
And so, the reporter stood there, watching the shrine maiden clean the grounds, again. But this time was different, Reimu wasn’t as calm as before, she seemed distracted by something, not angry as she probably would have to be after Aya had ruined her work, but something else.
The shrine maiden left halfway through the job, letting her broom fall the ground and returning to the shrine. This had to be what she was hiding, why else would she abandon her task halfway through?
Once again Aya flapped her wings and approached the shrine, she landed as far as she could from the main building were Reimu had entered. Once she touched the ground, she slowly walked towards it, the tengu reporter had mastered the art of stealth after many years of sneaking upon people to learn the truth.
As she reached the building, she could hear Reimu’s voice, growing lounder as she got closer, until eventually she managed to make out some words out of the noise.
–black… flowing… skies
Black skies? Could this be a new incident she was talking about? Maybe Yukari had appeared inside the temple and was briefing her on the new incident she had to solve.
–I… feel happy…
Feel happy for an incident?
–I feel… so happy when I’m with you…
Is she… confessing to Yukari? Now these were news, tomorrow morning everyone on Gensokyo would read the love confession of Reimu to Yukari, maybe Megumu would even give her a promotion for this story.
–Please Aya…
–Oh bugger… – whispered the tengu realising she had been found out.
She was about to start flying away when she heard Reimu say something else.
–stay a little longer, make me happy…
Was she talking about her? This confession could be… for her?
–You coward… just tell her, she always come here… why can’t I do it… – Reimu said while crying.
This… now this were breaking news for Aya.
She walked away from the building, lifting her fan she felt the wind blow all across the yard. As the wind blowed Aya looked back to the shrine and yelled.
–Oi Reimu! Come out will ya?
–Aya?
Reimu walked outside, her eyes still red from crying and shivering. She found the shrine grounds completely clean, no leaf remaining on the ground and with the wind still flowing.
–Aya? what did you do?
–I decided to come back to see if something occurred. You went to sleep without finishing the job innit?
–I… I… yes… yes I went to sleep – said Reimu nervous.
–Well… Don’t ya have something to say?
–I… I… lo… thank you Aya
–My pleasure – said Aya as she let out a little giggle – Anyhow, have to go now, bye bye luv.
The tengu took fly once again, flapping her wings she floated in front of Reimu, she took a bunch a leaves out of her purse throwing them towards the shrine maiden. But before the leaves could touch the ground, the wind flowed stronger again, lifting the leaves above the ground.
And from her position, Aya could see Reimu, with the leaves forming a heart shape between them.
–By the way Reimu… I love you too