A/N: Wow- thank you so much... It's only been a couple of days but this story already has over 110 reads (on another site)! That's crazy! I'm going to post this to Wattpad too, so look there as well! :)

WATTPAD LINK

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-Hope-

Light flashed before Hiyori as she opened her eyes so slightly. Hiyori yawned and got out of bed to stretch, remembering that it was still summer, luckily. She had dropped something as soon as she'd stood up, however. She looked down in confusion... A card..? She picked it up and read directions to a- shrine? With the name, Yato, sketched on the back? Hiyori gasped with recollection- "That's right! That guy I met yesterday, that's Yato, and these are directions to Binbougami's shrine!... Erm... Should I take my parents there..? It is Binbougami..." She thought for a moment, but Binbougami- oh- it was Kofuku, she had seemed nice enough like she wouldn't purposely harm Hiyori, she thought. "Oh well." She stretched again. "I can't have a mystery best friend- I may never see him again! I guess we'll just have to go!" She stretched again, forgetting about the fact that Yato could be forgotten.

Hiyori ran downstairs after she changed out of yesterday's clothing, Yato's card in hand. "Mom! Dad!" Hiyori sat at the table patiently with her card, waiting for breakfast. "Hiyori!" Her dad greeted her at the table and hugged her. "Sleep well?" Hiyori nodded happily. "Mhm! Can we go to visit my friend today?" Her parents both faced her. "Well, I don't know- and you do know where he lives?"

"Yes! He was an interesting guy and his family was interesting too, so can we please see them? Oh, interesting in a nice way too!" Hiyori's mom sighed and smiled sympathetically. "I guess so, we'll go with you to make sure you're safe and to make sure he's good for you to hang around with, is that alright, dear?" Hiyori nodded again. "I know you'll like him!... I hope..." She muttered that last part so they couldn't hear it, just remembering their claims to be gods, and she didn't want it to sound made up, so she kept quiet about that. She showed the card to her parents as her mother gave her miso soup and an apple for breakfast, along with a small glass of iced-green tea. She ate patiently while her parents studied the card. "Alright!" They smiled happily. "Get your shoes when you finish, Hiyori! We're going!" Hiyori grinned and finished her food quickly, trying not to make a huge mess. She grabbed her navy blue shoes, slipped them on, and walked eagerly out of the door with her parents. It was a humid and stormy day, so Hiyori was happy she'd be going somewhere cozy and dry, as she learned that feeling from the day before. Just hopefully they'd be there for a while.
---

Hiyori and her parents were driving in the car, the new roads a bit bumpy. Hiyori held on tight, bumpy roads made her feel sick... Instead of drawing or reading like she usually would, she looked out of her backseat window, seeing all the tall, full, green trees, glistening with morning dew. She smiled as she saw two birds over head playing together. They reminded Hiyori of her and Yato- but they must be parents, though, because they both sat down in a nest nearby. Hiyori blushed at that thought, but she brushed it off quickly. Surely she and Yato wouldn't be romantic or anything! Hiyori never really had much of a gender preference for friends, so she was never disgusted by boys, unlike Ami and Yama! She smiled again to herself, only full of happiness that she'd made a friend.

Soon enough, her parents parked and walked a little ways, following the directions on the card that Yato gave to Hiyori. She saw the "home" and ran up to it, looking back to see her parents surprised, probably because it looked like how some shrines do. Then again, it was a shrine... Hiyori stepped inside and took off her shoes. "Yato! I'm here!" She heard something thump, and seconds later, Yato appeared happily. He ran to meet her halfway and hugged her quickly. He noticed Hiyori's parents behind her, and he yelled to get their attention. "I'm Yato!" They looked down awkwardly but her mom smiled right away. "Hello Yato. I'm Hiyori's mother, and this is her father-" Hiyori's father waved. "Nice to meet you Mrs. and Mr....-"
"Ah, Iki!"
"Nice to meet you Mr. and Mrs. Iki." Yato grinned widely and then took Hiyori's hand and dragged her with him to meet- "Hiyorin!~" Kofuku squealed and jumped at Hiyori. She assumed that the thump from earlier had something to do with Kofuku- "I missed you Hiyori!" She hugged her tightly and her parents came in worriedly. "Oh Hiyori, are you okay?" Hiyori giggled. "Yes I'm fine! This is B-Kofuku by the way." Kofuku hopped up to see if they noticed her right away. Her mother giggled too. "Are you Yato's mother?"
"No, we kinda took him in~ He's fairly independent, though!~" She looked ready to pounce and couldn't help but spring forward to hug Hiyori's mom milliseconds later. "Ah, I hope you don't mind us coming-"
"Not at all~ we love visitors!" She squeezed her mom then moved to her dad. "It's nice to meet you~ someday you'll be Yati's mother- and father-in-laws, so I best get to know you right away! We can have some tea for now and then lunch later, if you'd like~" Kofuku looked up and grinned. The Iki's laughed and nodded. "It's nice to meet you too, and tea would be nice!" Her father said. Kofuku brought her arms to her chest excitedly and ran off to the kitchen. Hiyori's parents followed, speaking to Kofuku on the way about the tea.
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"Hiyori!" Yato called, looking around. "Where'd you go?" He stood up straight and scratched the back of his head, puzzled. "Hi-"
"BOO!" Hiyori jumped at him from the closet behind them. Yato shrieked and Hiyori lost her balance, leaning onto him. She was laughing at him. "You really didn't know where I was? Hahaha! I really got you didn't I!" Yato flushed. "Eh- no, I- You- I wasn't scared!-" Hiyori laughed harder. "Yes you were," she , still laughing. He stayed flushed until Hiyori finally quit laughing so hard. "Ooh, Yato! Do you like hide and seek? That was kinda like that, except not so scary- and you can hide next!" Yato hugged himself and huffed at her. She wrapped her arms around his neck playfully and crawled up his back before he could fall. She was sitting on his shoulders and she then leaned forward so they wouldn't crash backwards and break any bones. "H-Hiyori!! What are you doing?"
"Come on, answer me! Do you wanna play now??" Yato sighed and grabbed her ankles. "Fine- but not too long! We should play something like Simon Says or go to Capyper Land!!!" He pouted at that last one. "Capyper Land is the best! We've gotta go there!" He whined, looking up at her. She leaned forward to rest her chin on his head. "Yeah we should- we can ask our families? I'd love to go someday..." Yato gasped. "You've never been??" He felt Hiyori shaking her head. "No but I really want to..."  She sighed. Yato looked traumatized. "I promise you that you'll go someday! With me!" Yato looked determined for once- "oh yeah? That'd be nice..." Hiyori sighed and drifted off into fantasies about all the advertisements she'd seen about Capyper Land. Yato snickered and Hiyori sighed, sliding down his back onto the floor. "Okay!" Hiyori shouted with a burst of energy just then- "Yato you can go hide and I'll count to 50!.." She giggled softly and turned around to start counting. Yato had no idea where to go- he slipped quietly away so she couldn't sense his direction. He checked the bathroom quickly for a hiding place- no... He sprinted to the kitchen- no... The garden? He looked up and all he could think of for a hiding place was the trees. He leapt up into one of them and stayed perched on an inner branch like a cat. The spot was covered with leaves, so surely Hiyori wouldn't find him! ..."Hey Yato! Hiyori poked his back and waved her spirit's tail. "Found you!" Yato sighed. "I really can't win with you, huh?" 
"No, I just figured you would hide somewhere weird- not to mention that scent you've got!"
"That scent?"
"Yeah! You smell really good, so I just followed my nose!" Yato blushed at her comment and Hiyori just giggled. "Hey! I've got a question... If you're a god, how come you don't have a shrine like every other god?" Yato pouted yet again. "I mean I don't have enough followers for that!" Hiyori listened closely and tilted her head. "How many do you need?"
"...One..."
Hiyori was kinda surprised, she thought that minor gods didn't exist! She thought that they were maybe just a type of spirit less popular than a god... "You have no followers? At all?" Hiyori inquired. Yato shook his head sadly. Hiyori sighed. "I guess... I'm a follower though, right?" He looked at her, and immediately widened his eyes. "You're my follower?"
"I think so, I believe in you so I don't know why I wouldn't be-" Yato hugged her tightly. "You mean it?" Hiyori nodded her head and patted his back. "Do you have jobs at least?"
"Er- very few... Everyone who calls me forgets about me, anyways! I'm not sure why I don't get business, I mean I only charge 5 yen!" Hiyori giggled. "That's kinda funny, you know... You're a child and you choose to work hard for jobs that pay only 5 yen!" She giggled and Yato's face went red. "It is not funny!" He huffed at her and she only laughed more.

"Hiyori! Your brother is on the phone!" Hiyori's mom called to her. Hiyori leapt down out of the tree, crawled into her body quickly, and ran inside, followed by Yato. She took the phone and answered it right away. "Masaomi!!" She gasped. "Hiyori! How are you?" He said on the other line. She grabbed Yato's hand and dragged him to another room. "Good!... Mhm!" She giggled. Hiyori turned the call to video and set the phone on the ground, sitting in front of it. "I really miss you, Masaomi! And how is Yusuka??" Masaomi chuckled on the other end. "I miss you too, Yori! Yusuka is great too, you want to see her?" Hiyori gasped. "Yeah!"

Masaomi put a little girl in front of the camera. She had the typical Iki brown hair and she had pretty dark silvery blue eyes. "Ah!" Yusuka waved at Hiyori. "Hi Yusuka, how are you?"
"Yori!" The little girl smiled happily. Yusuka was only about 2 years old, so she couldn't say much quite yet. Hiyori giggled and pulled Yato into view with her. "Masaomi, this is my new friend, his name is Yato!" Masaomi adjusted his glasses- "Oh! Hi, Yato!"
"Hi-" he smiled happily and asked- "do you need any help with anything?"
Masaomi thought for a second. "Anything..? Eh... Nothing that I know of now, why?" Yato shrugged. "Just thought I'd ask!" Masaomi chuckled. "Well it's nice to meet you, Yato! Has Hiyori been good?" Yato nodded as Hiyori huffed like how Yato usually huffs. He and her brother both laugh at her- "How would I not be good?" Hiyori pouted. The two boys looked at Hiyori and Masaomi said, "many ways, Yori. Many ways." Hiyori blushed and grunted. "I'm perfectly fine I'm sure! I'm not a bad kid unlike you, Masaomi." Her brother pretended to pat her head over the camera. "Ah... I better go, you two, I'll call mom later! Anyways Yato, keep watch over Hiyori and make sure she stays a good kid like me!" Yato crossed his arms. "Of course I will!" Masaomi put Yusuka down and she ran off quickly. "Nice to meet you other Iki!" Yato waved at Masaomi. "Nice to meet you too, Yato! Bye!" They all waved at each other eagerly and Masaomi ended the call... "I'll try to get you guys to meet when he next visits- I think you guys could make good friends!"
"Ya think so? I hope he remembers me..."

"Oh he better, or I'll rub it in his face a whole bunch! I'll make sure he'll remember you in the future if not next time, don't worry!" Hiyori giggled. "Yeah yeah, I bet you will, good little Hiyori!" Hiyori stood up and took her mom's phone in her hand. "What is that supposed to mean??" Yato stuck out his tongue and ran off before Hiyori could say anything else. "Oh it's on!" She dropped her mother's phone off at the table that now had her mom, her dad, Kofuku, Daikoku, and Yukine sitting at it, who were all talking. Hiyori quickly sprinted off and then chased Yato around the whole entire shrine.

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A/N: Thanks again, and just a heads up, I'm planning on a 30+ chapter series! I'll tell everyone when I'm taking a break from writing so that no one is confused like how I see on a lot of discontinued stories... owo; anyways, I hope you keep reading! <3

(All characters belong to Adachitoka except for Yusuka (I made her up)!)

-2258 words-