Compensation θ ~ I might be late for reincarnation, but since I was born as the talented eldest son of a prestigious noble, I might be on the winning side.

In a pitch-black space, there are four mysterious gates which are shining brightly, each in a cardinal direction centered around us.

“Whoa, is this some kind of mysterious teleportation?”

“Maybe it’s like Spirited Away or something.”

The voices of two joking boys break the tense silence.

“Huh? Where are we?”

“Hey, seriously, this isn’t the time for jokes.”

“It’s so dark, I can’t see anything.”

Followed by the voices of the girls while maintaining their usual tone.

Looking around, all eight of us who were together are in this dark space where nothing is visible. And naturally, everyone seems greatly bewildered.

“Sakura-kun, what should we do? I never expected something like this.”

“I don’t even understand what’s going on.”

Next to me, Kinesaka Minami looks at me with a worried expression. But even if she asks me what to do, I don’t have an answer.

“y-you’re right. This is weird. Definitely not normal.”

“Indeed. This is clearly an abnormal situation.”

After all, it’s unclear how we even got here. Why, how, and what happened?

The Shrine of the Guardian Forest. A moss-covered torii gate. Looking up at the narrow stone staircase leading deeper into the forest at a steep incline. I remember that much. However, the memories leading up to this situation are completely gone.

“Doesn’t that blue light look like a gate or something?”

“I see it. But the other side is pitch-black.”

Two white pillars connect in an arched shape at the top, and the part corresponding to the space between the pillars is wide enough for two people to pass side by side. At first glance, I thought it might be a gate, and it seems Kinesaka had the same impression.

“I wonder what that is. It’s very conspicuous and really mysterious. What do you think, Sakura-kun?”

Of course, it’s mysterious. Because there’s nothing else in this place.

The translucent blue light emitted by the gate illuminates our faces and bodies. However, the surroundings are as dark as an ink, and nothing else can be seen. Only the gate and our figures stand out unnaturally in the bluish-white glow.

“More importantly, isn’t it too dark around here? Are we outside or inside a building?”

“It’s certainly dark. It’s strange how that gate is glowing so much.”

At that moment, the three girls who were with us turn around together and join our conversation.

“Hey, Kinesaka. If you’re curious, why not check out that glowy thing?”

“I hope it’s not like Spirited Away.”

“Yep. Looks like a job for you, Minami!”

“I think so too.”

“Huh, me?”

Said Honoka Inui, followed by Sakon Moe and Mikoshiba Aya

Agreeing to the ‘job’ without her consent, Kinesaka seems bewildered by the pressure from the three girls. It’s the usual dynamic among the girls.

“Who else going to go? Minami should take responsibility and check it out.”

“That’s right. You said earlier that you didn’t know what to do.”

“Well, I did say that, but…

“I heard it too. You said that because you think it’s your fault, right?”

They had been working together in a selected course’s regional study project. The theme was to explore old traditions and legends within the area. It was Kinesaka who proposed the idea, and something happened when they visited a supposedly mysterious shrine. However, it didn’t feel right to demand responsibility just because of that.

“Hey, what’s all this arguing?”

“Did Kinesaka do something?”

The remaining boys appear behind the girls and join the conversation.

“Minami is going to check out that thing.”

“Well, that’s convenient.”

“But isn’t it dangerous to go alone?”

“If that’s the case, Yanagi-kun, why don’t you go with her?”

“Huh? Me? Shouldn’t it be Sakura-kun? After all, he’s the class representative.”

I didn’t ask to be your class representative. But if I stay silent, who knows what they’ll make me do.

“Wouldn’t it be better to observe a bit more? We don’t even know what’s going on here.”

It’s not wise to blindly follow other.

The four gates standing there as if inviting us. In contrast to the vibrant hue of the gates, the entrances are engulfed in darkness. I don’t feel like getting close to investigating it.

“Sakura-kun, you seem hesitant.”

“Naturally.”

I can’t act confident in a situation like this. It’s even beyond bluffing.

“You guys are useless for a bunch of guys. Minami, I’ll go with you, so let’s go check it out together, okay?”

“Huh, Honoka-chan?”

Without warning, Inui takes Kinesaka’s arm and drags her forcefully toward the gate. She’s surprisingly enthusiastic.

They look at the gate from the front, then slowly circle around it, returning to the front.

“Hmm. At least the gate looks beautiful.”

“There was nothing behind it. Also, it’s so dark it’s scary to even walk. So, the main question is, what happens if we go through it? Minami, let’s peek inside.”

“Inside? But it’s so dark.”

“That’s exactly why. The gate has this kind of form for a reason. Maybe the scenery will change as you pass through the gate or being able to exit to the outside. It’s possible, Don’t you think ?”

Ah, I see. So they’re treating this like one of those convenient doors from a popular anime.

“But…”

“Let’s just take a peek. Come on, let’s do it.”

Inui places her hands on Kinesaka’s back and approaches the darkness of the gate.

“I really can’t do it. Let’s just stop.”

As they approach the gate, Kinesaka hesitates.

“Are you saying you don’t want to do it after coming this far??”

“But… Oh, no… Ah!”

With a small scream, Kinesaka’s voice abruptly stops. Not just her voice, but she herself disappears. Right in front of us.

It was because Inui pushed her. She forcefully collided into Kinesaka’s body as if to tackle her.

“What the hell are you doing!”