Natsumi clapped her hands. “It’s like test-driving the job before you join up!” she said excitedly. “You mean he’s an intern,” Mr. Suga corrected. “Sounds like fun, don’t you think?! I’ll come with!” “No, please, wait just a minute; this is totally out of the blue, and I really can’t—” * * * “Of course sun women exist.” The subject we were interviewing was so clear about it that the alternative almost didn’t seem possible. “I knew it!” Natsumi leaned forward, her voice bubbling with excitement. The petite woman who sat in front of us had bobbed hair, and it was hard to tell whether she was young or old. The fairly large, colorful accessories she wore from head to toe made her look like some unusual type of animal. “Rain women exist as well. Sun women are possessed by nature spirits aligned with the god Inari, while rain women are possessed by spirits aligned with the dragon god.” “Um…what?” And now I had no idea what we were talking about. Next to me, I could sense Natsumi’s growing enthusiasm. The subject of our interview— Well, this was a fortune-teller’s shop in a mixed-use building, so I think she was the fortune-teller who worked there and not one of these “sun women” herself. Anyway, she went on, as smoothly as if she were reading from an invisible piece of paper. “Those aligned with the dragon god are distinguished, first and foremost, by drinking beverages in large quantities. They unconsciously try to find water, you see. Typical behavior for a dragon.” Beverages? “Dragon-god types are strong-willed and excel in competition, but they tend to be careless and perfunctory about their responsibilities.” Now we were talking about personalities? This was really straying from the intent of the interview, I felt, and I was about to interrupt, when— Page 25 Goldenagato | mp4directs.com