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■ Chapter 1: The Depths of Despair

At night in the office, the fluorescent lights on the ceiling are lit sporadically and silence reigns supreme. Sato Keiichi glared at the computer screen and slammed the report in front of him closed. There were several half-drunk cans of beer lined up on the table, all warm and lukewarm.

"That's enough... No matter how hard I try, this is impossible."

As I said it out loud, I felt as if the weight on my chest had grown even heavier. He was involved in an infrastructure development project for an overseas subsidiary. The company suffered huge losses due to issues with local suppliers failing to fulfill contracts and subsequent failure to negotiate and revise plans. At first he tried to make the excuse that it was a "local mistake," but as flaws in the report and incorrect instructions came to light, the blame was placed on Keiichi.

"Keiichi-san, this matter... I honestly wonder if I should have left it to you."

My boss's cold voice is stuck in my ears and won't go away. The words spoken in the conference room pierced my heart like a nail.

A few days later. Keiichi sinks into the sofa with a tired look on his face. I didn't have the energy to turn on the TV and was mindlessly fiddling with my smartphone. As I was scrolling through my social media timeline, a video suddenly caught my eye of a woman dressed as a shrine maiden with purple hair tied back.

"...What is this?"

The woman spoke in a calm voice.

"To those of you who feel like every day is hard. God is always listening to you. First of all, be honest with your heart."

Keiichi stopped and watched the video to the end. The woman continues, smiling.

"My name is Sayaka from Naniwa Kyuukon Shrine. If you'd like, please contact us via LINE."

"...Will I be saved? Me?"

As he muttered this, he scanned the QR code attached to the video. Still skeptical, I registered a LINE account.

the next day. Keiichi tried drawing a fortune on LINE. The result displayed on the screen was "bad luck."

"How tragic... It's my life itself."

I couldn't help but chuckle and send another message.

"Recently, things haven't been going well at work or in life. I don't know what to do with myself."

The reply came back immediately.

"Let's take the advice written on the fortune slip into consideration. God says, 'If you change your behavior, your luck will change.'"

Those words make my heart flutter a little.

A few weeks later. Keiichi began to regularly send messages of advice to Sayaka via LINE. I was skeptical at first, but her replies were always warm and to the point.

"Thank you so much, Sayaka. I feel a little lighter now."

As soon as I sent it I received a reply.

"That's great! Life is made up of small steps. Please feel free to come and talk to me if you have any problems."

Keiichi suddenly realized something. Before I knew it, the shrine maiden I saw on TikTok had become a source of emotional support for me.

"Maybe I still have a chance to start over."

When I thought about it like that, I found myself looking forward to tomorrow just a little bit.

■ Chapter 2: Encounter

Escaping the hustle and bustle of the city, Keiichi headed to Naniwa Kyukon Shrine. In contrast to the dazzling neon lights of Osaka at night, the shrine grounds were enveloped in a peaceful silence. The soft light of the lanterns sways in the breeze, and the sound of the leaves rustling is pleasant to the ears.

"So there was a place like this..."

Keiichi suddenly muttered and passed through the torii gate. The silence that seemed to seep into his tired body felt like a salvation to him at that moment.

As I walked through the temple grounds, I saw a woman dressed in white cleaning near the main hall. With her purple hair tied back and a calm expression on her face, she looked somehow fantastical and mysterious as she operated the broom.

"Perhaps..."

Keiichi stopped and called out hesitantly.

"Excuse me, but you're Sayaka, right?"

The woman looks up and smiles.

"Yes, that's right. Did you watch my TikTok?"

"Yes, and I also get to talk to you through LINE... Thank you as always."

Sayaka put down her broom and bowed slightly.

"Thank you for coming all the way here. I'm happy to be able to meet someone I've been talking to on LINE."

Keiichi began to honestly talk about how much he had been saved by the interactions he had had over the past few weeks. But his words of gratitude could not erase the look of loneliness that lingered on his weary face.

"But... to be honest, I've been thinking lately that maybe it's all over. I made a big mistake at work, and since then nothing's been going well... and all I can do is blame myself."

His voice trembled and Keiichi lowered his gaze.

Sayaka looked at him and spoke quietly.

"Your soul is blaming itself too much. It will break your heart."

That one word was so warm and meaningful, it was as if the atmosphere of the shrine itself was speaking to me.

Keiichi instinctively looked up. Sayaka's serious gaze touches my heart. He honestly confessed the pain he had been carrying inside his heart.

"We had a huge failure in an overseas project...and it caused a lot of damage to the company. At first I thought it was the local team's fault, but in the end it was my own error of judgment that was the cause. After that, I lost the trust of those around me...and I just wanted to give up on everything."

Sayaka nodded and listened to what Keiichi had to say. Then, when he stopped talking, she slowly began to speak.

"The fact that you blame yourself that much is proof that you feel responsible. However, you can't move forward if you just keep blaming yourself. Sometimes you can be purified by honestly exposing your feelings."

"Purification... is it?"

"Yes. If you would like, let's have a special prayer tonight. By taking the time to reflect on your own heart before the altar, I'm sure you will be able to take a new step forward."

Keiichi was a little confused by the suggestion, but nodded. Sayaka's quiet words seemed to seep into my desolate heart.

"Please... I don't know what to do anymore..."

Sayaka smiled and replied in a soft voice.

"I understand. I will do my best to heal your soul tonight."

With that, she lit the lantern and began preparing for the prayer. Keiichi followed quietly behind her, feeling a sense of relief and anticipation that he had never felt before.

■ Chapter 3: Purification of the Soul

The shrine at night was like a completely different world from the hustle and bustle of the city. In the silence, the rustling of the trees echoes from afar, and the moonlight illuminates the worship hall. The visitors had left, and only Keiichi and Sayaka were left in the shrine grounds.

"Come on, this way."

Sayaka urged Keiichi in a soft voice, leading him to the altar. She wears a white outfit with red hakama and a scarlet sash over it, giving her an even more mysterious appearance.

When they reached the worship hall, Sayaka quietly shook the bell in her hand and began to pray.

"...purify me, cleanse me..."

As the chanting begins, the sound of bells blends into the night air, creating a comfortable sense of tension. The shadows cast by the flickering flame of the lantern danced around Keiichi as if they were alive.

Keiichi just stood there, listening to her prayer, feeling a heavy burden sinking inside his heart. However, gradually, Sayaka's voice and the sound of the bells reached the depths of Keiichi's heart, and a warm feeling spread throughout his chest.

After the prayer was over, Sayaka quietly put down the bell and turned to Keiichi.

"This should make your soul a little lighter."

Her expression was calm, but Keiichi still had some doubts.

"Can I...can I forgive myself?"

His voice trembled a little at the words. His past failures and his disappointment in himself still held him back.

Sayaka replied with a smile.

"We all make mistakes. It's your actions that make you right that prove your worth."

The words were gentle and yet deeply resonant.

Keiichi was silent for a moment, then nodded slightly.

"Thank you... I feel a little better now."

After the prayer, Sayaka stopped Keiichi as he was preparing to leave the shrine.

"If you want to go a little deeper with yourself, let's do a special ritual tonight."

"A special ceremony...?"

"Yes. It is meant to heal the soul and purify it."

Keiichi was confused, but he nodded, drawn in by her serious expression.

Sayaka guided Keiichi to a small hotel a short walk from the shrine. As she entered the room, she turned quietly to him and said,

"This is a sacred ritual. It's a time for you to let go and embrace who you really are."

In the dim light, Sayaka stood in front of the nervous Keiichi and held out her hand.

"Leave all your bravado and self-doubt here tonight."

Encouraged by her words, Keiichi gradually began to open up his heart. Rather than being sensual, that moment felt like a quiet ritual, enveloped in a deep sense of security. He felt the fears and regrets within him gradually being released.

As dawn broke, Keiichi sat up in bed and sighed quietly. Sayaka looked at him with a smile and said in a gentle voice.

"Tonight you learned how to forgive yourself. From now on, cherish that in your heart."

Keiichi accepted those words with a somewhat cheerful feeling. And for the first time, I felt like maybe I could really start over.

■ Chapter 4: A New Step

As the morning sun painted the shrine's torii gate, Keiichi slowly left the grounds. In contrast to the silence of the night, you can faintly hear the chirping of birds and the hustle and bustle of the city. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, as if to welcome his new self.

"It's strange... I feel so much lighter just from having survived the night."

Keiichi was surprised even himself. It was a feeling he had never felt before - like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, like there was more space in his heart.

As I stopped in front of the torii gate, Sayaka quietly appeared to see me off. She has a soft smile.

"Keiichi, you're a little stronger now than you were yesterday."

"Yes... maybe."

He was careful to choose his words carefully when answering, but there was certainly a refreshing look on his face.

Sayaka took a step closer and continued speaking gently.

"A person's true strength comes when they learn to believe in themselves. You have found your worth again."

Upon hearing those words, Keiichi naturally straightened his back.

"Thank you, Sayaka. Thanks to you, I think I can start over."

She nodded deeply and waved goodbye.

"If you need anything else, please come again anytime."

While riding the train to work for the first time in a while, Keiichi noticed that he was feeling different than before. Until now, I hadn't wanted to see anyone, but today was different. I wanted to fulfill my responsibilities and regain people's trust once again - that was the feeling that was burning in my heart.

When Keiichi arrived at the company, he first visited his immediate supervisor. I knocked on the door and nervously entered the room.

"Excuse me for bothering you when you're busy."

"……what up?"

His boss looked up at him with a slightly surprised expression. It was rare for Keiichi to initiate a conversation.

Keiichi bowed deeply and spoke.

"I take full responsibility for the failure of this project. I made an error in judgment and should have admitted it, but instead made excuses. I am truly sorry."

My boss was silent for a while, then he sat back in his chair and said quietly:

"I see... so what are you planning to do next?"

"I have come up with a plan to improve the situation. By taking the next step with this plan, I believe we will be able to recover at least a portion of our losses."

Keiichi handed over the materials he had prepared in advance. It details specific proposals and measures to solve local problems.

My boss nodded slowly as he looked over the documents.

"You've thought it through carefully... This incident was certainly your mistake, but I appreciate your willingness to take responsibility. Please continue to work on this improvement plan."

"thank you!"

Keiichi bowed deeply. At that moment, a small spark of hope lit up in my heart.

■ Epilogue

A few weeks passed, and Keiichi gradually regained the trust of his coworkers. As the improvement plan progressed, the attitude of my colleagues began to change. However, at those unexpected moments, it was his nights at Naniwa Kyukon Shrine that supported his spirit.

In between his busy work, Keiichi picked up his smartphone and looked back at his LINE conversation history with Sayaka.

"...Let's try again."

With a gentle smile on his face, he makes a decision in his mind. That shrine helped me reexamine myself and take a new step. For Keiichi, Sayaka was not just someone to talk to, but his "salvation" and "hope" itself.

That night, he slept peacefully for the first time in a long time. I felt the desire to try my best again tomorrow naturally well up in my heart.