The setting sun left behind its afterglow.
After club activities ended, Shirou parted with Mitsuzuri Ayako, then went with Miyu to meet up with Illya at the school gate.
Jeanne stood there like always, unmoving, her gaze firm, carrying a resolve that not even wind or rain could shake.
Yes, that was it. The atmosphere of Chaldea Academy was something she had to protect.
She surely had such determination.
"Good afternoon, Emiya," The moment her eyes caught Shirou, the greeting naturally followed.
Out of respect, and not wanting to ignore her, Shirou had no choice but to respond, "Mm, good afternoon, Jeanne-senpai."
He suddenly thought of a crucial question.
'Jeanne-senpai… can she read?'
'Since she can attend Chaldea, at least in terms of grades, it shouldn't be too terrible… right?'
Sella was already waiting at the parking area, dressed in the Einzbern family's unique maid uniform.
When the three sat down, Shirou, sandwiched in the middle, said habitually, "Sella, you look prettier in normal clothes."
"Mm~"
Just as she was about to start the car, Sella's cold expression, which had only lasted a few seconds, broke instantly from that one line, "Master Shirou. P-please be quiet, I have to drive!"
The hidden meaning: don't think just because you compliment me, I'll be happy.
"Sella driving slower somehow feels different," Shirou probed further.
"Mmm, AHHH!", Sella's hands gripping the steering wheel began to tremble, "Y-you…"
From the back, he could only see her lightly trembling figure, as if she wanted to say something, but didn't dare turn her head.
In the end, Sella, looking like someone swallowing her grievances, started the car.
The sedan drove steadily down the road, unbelievably stable.
'So this is what you're like, Sella?'
Shirou understood… or maybe not.
His stomach got poked.
Turning right, he saw Illya's perfect smile, "Shirou, you're pretty good at this~"
"Speaking of which, isn't there a health check tomorrow?"
Shirou turned his head left, intending to look out the window.
And saw Miyu's cute smiling face, "Onii-chan, do you have something you want to say to me?"
"…"
"After the health check, isn't it Golden Week?"
At the red light ahead, Sella braked and sighed.
"Shirou, if you're that forgetful, you'd better go to the hospital quickly. If you delay too long, be careful it doesn't turn into senility."
Finally back to normal.
Shirou asked calmly, "Was I wrong?"
"Of course you were."
Watching the road, Sella answered as if helpless, "Today is Thursday, April 24. Tomorrow's Friday. After Friday is the weekend. After the weekend, Monday is the health check. Golden Week only comes after the health check."
Japan's Golden Week is one of the most important consecutive holidays of the year.
Usually between late April and early May.
It includes several national holidays.
"I see," Shirou scratched his head with a laugh, "Looks like I remembered wrong."
Illya puffed her cheeks in complaint, "Shirou, you're just changing the subject."
"Is Onii-chan brushing even his little sister off now?", Miyu's big eyes sparkled.
Shirou: "…"
Back home, the first thing was to replenish milk.
No joke, just that little portion at lunch, he'd almost starved to death.
He'd only made it through by putting magic on his spirit.
———
Without a word, he went into the kitchen and opened the fridge.
Looking at the fridge, which couldn't even fit a single strawberry, Shirou gave a serious evaluation, "Sella, today's groceries aren't enough."
Crack!
Her fist clenched with a grinding sound.
To this person who barged in and monopolized the kitchen the moment he arrived, Sella cast a glance that said, 'Is your brain really sick?'
"Unauthorized personnel are not allowed in the kitchen."
"Hmm?"
Eating a cut piece of melon, Shirou raised a question mark.
Pointing at himself, "Me, unauthorized personnel?"
'Do you even know who you're talking to?'
'Do you understand the weight of a Cooking EX rank?'
'Forget you, a Sella who doesn't even have C-rank cooking. Even if an A-rank chef stood in front of me, I'd dare say they're the unauthorized one.'
"Oh, I misspoke," Sella said with a tone that was clearly not a mistake, "I should've said patients."
"…."
Shirou was angry, couldn't take even a little, so...
"Where did you buy these grapes?", He picked up a big bunch of grapes along with beef jerky.
'Sweet, these grapes are really sweet. And the beef jerky isn't bad either.'
'Might as well grab an apple.'
'Not for me, it's for the system.'
'These days it has worked hard too, time to give it some nourishment.'
As for how to feed it—
'System-san, say ahh!'
[...]
Maybe it was too dumbfounded. For the first time, the system didn't reply.
Sella's eyes widened, "You bastard, these were bought for the young lady! And eating this much, how are you supposed to eat dinner?"
Her tone, it was like she was walking further and further down the road of a nagging housewife.
"It's fine," Curled up in the living room watching TV, Liz rubbed her eyes.
She'd just woken up, "Shirou… not strong enough… must eat more."
"Not like this!", Sella fumed, hands on her hips, "It's because you and the young lady both love snacking that you aren't growing taller."
"I'm not growing?", Currently the tallest in the family, Shirou quickly finished the grapes, beef jerky, and apple. After a moment's hesitation, he reached his evil hand toward the cheese.
Slap!
Caught by Sella, whose crimson eyes nearly bulged out.
"You're still eating?"
"Hungry, want to eat, love eating," Shirou was honest.
"And besides, since it's Sella who bought it, it tastes even better."
"Y-you…", Sella blushed, let go of Shirou's wrist, and backed away.
His stomach got poked again, it was Liz. She looked at her finger, then at Shirou's budding abs, tilted her head, seeming to marvel, "Shirou… so fast!"
'She must be saying I have gotten stronger, right?'
The three of them crowded at the kitchen entrance was too much, so Shirou finally shut the fridge.
Not enough food. Nowhere near enough.
From outside came Illya's cheerful voice, "Shirou, let's go play outside!"
"No, can't. I have to cook."
To get food ready as soon as possible, Shirou was already wearing an apron.
Before Sella or Liz could react, he began giving orders, "Sella, sorry to trouble you, but please go buy more groceries. Definitely not enough, trust me. Liz… you go play with Illya."
"Need my help, Onii-chan?", Miyu poked her head in from the living room.
Shirou smiled, "Miyu, just rest. If I need help, I'll wait for Sella to return. Don't worry, we have enough time."
"Alright then," Miyu nodded obediently, though her mood wasn't high.
Ever since Sella arrived, she hadn't been able to help with housework, and now it was even more impossible. Her time with Onii-chan was getting less and less.
She wasn't happy.
Because so much had been done, by the time dinner was ready, it was already eight o'clock.
"Fujimura-sensei hasn't come yet?", Shirou asked, setting down the pot.
"Don't mind that woman, let's just eat, Shirou," Illya urged impatiently.
It was hard not to suspect she'd already plotted something against Fujimura-sensei.
"Uwah~ food! I smell food!", Like a starving ghost reborn, Fujimura Taiga charged to the table, about to snap photos—
"What's going on?"
The Tiger thought she'd misseen, rubbed her eyes.
Then accused, "Shirou, you made way too much! Do we have guests?"
"No."
Once everyone was seated, they could finally start serving rice.
"It's just that I felt like eating more today."
"Isn't this a little too much?"
Even the Tiger was shocked back to normal. That alone showed just how much food had been prepared today.
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