Forbidden Knowledge Vol.1 (Marisa Kirisame X Male Reader)

Chapter 5 - Throw a Coin to Your Shrine Maiden

Waking up wasn't as jarring as I expected. For a moment, I forgot where I was. The unfamiliar softness of the futon beneath me, the stillness of the room—it all felt surreal. I had slept for the first time in my life, and I wasn't entirely sure how I felt about it. There were no dreams, no visions or whispers from the library, just... emptiness. It was unsettling.

I glanced down at the clothes the villagers had left for me. Simple, clean, and comfortable—much like the rest of this place. I dressed quickly, stepping outside into the early morning air. The village was already alive with movement. People went about their routines, but for me, everything felt new. I wasn't used to this... normalcy.

As I wandered, taking in my surroundings, a strange warmth bubbled up inside me. I couldn't quite place it—a sense of peace, perhaps? Or maybe it was just relief. For the first time in a long while, I was free. No endless rows of books, no guardianship, no tomb-like silence. Just... life.

A few villagers passed by, offering greetings or nods. I could tell they were trying to be friendly, but I had no idea how to respond. I could feel their eyes linger on me when I failed to say anything back, but what was I supposed to do? Every interaction felt like another puzzle, one I didn't know how to solve.

As I continued walking, lost in thought, I accidentally bumped into a small boy, knocking a bag of coins from his hands. The clinking sound snapped me back to reality, and before I could react, his father rushed over, immediately bending down to collect every last coin in a panic.

"Clumsy!" the man barked at his son, sweat beading on his brow. "Do you have any idea what you've done? She won't forgive us for a mistake like this! Do I make myself clear?!"

The boy nodded frantically, eyes wide with fear, and hurriedly helped his father gather the scattered coins. I stood there, frozen, unsure of what to say or do.

Once all the coins were collected, the man turned to me with an apologetic look. "I... I'm sorry. We should hurry." He tugged his son along, but I managed to catch his arm before he could leave.

"Hurry for what?" I asked, genuinely confused.

The man's eyes widened in shock, and he muttered under his breath, "If you haven't given your offering to the Shrine Maiden yet... may they have mercy on your soul."

Without another word, he and his son rushed off, disappearing into the crowd. I glanced around, noticing for the first time that several other villagers were also hurrying in the same direction toward the distant Hakurei Shrine.

Before I could make sense of any of it, I heard a familiar voice call out, "Oi! Y/N!"

I turned to see Marisa strolling toward me, her broom balanced casually over her shoulder. She waved, grinning like she always did. "I stopped by your place earlier, but you were gone."

"I... wanted to take a look around," I replied, still distracted by what just happened.

Marisa nodded, falling into step beside me. "Not a bad idea. Maybe you'll run into someone who knows... Nah, never mind, like that'd happen." She snickered, then glanced at me. "So, how'd you sleep? Have any nice dreams?"

"Dreams?" I repeated, unfamiliar with the word in this context.

Marisa sighed, shaking her head. "Right, guess I gotta explain that too. Dreams are what we normal folks do when we sleep. You know, we remember stuff that's happened or come up with crazy new ideas. Like last night, I dreamt I was being chased by a giant mushroom trying to sell me a subscription to some shoe service."

I stared at her, completely lost. "What?"

"Yeah, weird stuff happens when I eat before bed." She shrugged like it was nothing. "But you didn't have any dreams?"