Part 263: Who will tell Sakura?

Music: Gentle Everyday



"…Hm, so you're finally home, simpleton."
Saber is sitting Japanese-style in a good manner, and Fuji-Nee has her head on the table in a bad manner.

""
Fuji-Nee looks utterly defeated.
…I'm curious as to why, but I'm sure it's nothing that important.

"I'm home. Did anything happen while I was gone, Saber?"


"No, I saw nothing unusual. How about you, Shirou? Did you find anything noteworthy at your school?"

"No, me neither. Shinji was absent, but school was like always. I don't think we need to worry about anything happening there"
With Fuji-Nee sitting right there, I can't just come out and say "there isn't a Master at my school."



"…Hm, I smell something. I feel a sour presence, like an old 10000 yen bill you forgot about hiding, a presence of a secret."



The lazy dog sniffs the air.


"You smell like rusted shackles, Shirou. Very suspicious.
Are you hiding something from me-nya?"
"Whoa."
I can't believe it.
She's acting crazy.

"…Saber, did something happen with Fuji-Nee? It takes something really big to turn her this way."


"Uh… no, I did not do anything. I believe Taiga is lethargic because she is hungry."
She says those awful words quite casually.



"You're lying! You're the one who beat me up, saying you wanted to know how strong I am, Saber-chan!"
Fuji-Nee pounds on the table.

…It must have been a frightening, humiliating experience, since she's hiding behind me even as she glowers at Saber.
And I don't know when she started calling Saber Saber-chan.

"…Saber. Did you have a match with Fuji-Nee?"


"Um… I proposed that we move around if we had some free time. Since a match using shinai would not prove fatal, Taiga agreed with my proposal"


"Don't let her fool you, Shirou. Saber-chan was really about to kill me. I can tell. I know about guns.
She was about to kill me. She really was about to kill me. She'll turn me into butter if I let my guard down!"



"…Saber, um…"
Did she go all-out against Fuji-Nee…?


"Eh… um, I believe I let my guard down a bit.
I was angry that you were late, and Taiga was stronger than I expected, so my reflexes took over"
…Wow, that's scary.
Fuji-Nee is a fifth-degree black belt in kendo, but Saber's on another level entirely.


"Anyway, don't go sneaking into Saber-chan's room at night if you don't wanna die!
You'll see hell if you make a move on her! It'll be your own fault if you die!"
"……Ugh."



…Oh yeah.
There's another problem for me.
I have to do something about Saber, who is determined to sleep in the same room as me.
I'm a teenage guy. I don't know what'll happen if I sleep in the same room as someone like her

Nothing that won't come out in the wash.

Video: Sleeper (mirror)


"You need not worry, Taiga. If that is Shirou's command, I can only obey. I will never fight back."




"No. Taiga, I will be sleeping in the same room as Shirou tonight, but please do not misunderstand."
Saber states it as a matter of course.

Music: Stop



""
Fuji-Nee freezes.



Considering the power balance between us, it's going to be me.

"Fuji-Nee. I've kept this a secret until now, but…"
I try to pacify Fuji-Nee, who is standing behind me.

Music: Today's Meal

"Alrighty."
She completely ignores me, and I hear sounds of her stacking something like telephone books.

"Listen to me.
Saber doesn't understand Japanese."
"Here I go."
Oh, I knew it.



She's doing something like a sleeper-hold on me.
Fuji-Nee doesn't know how to go easy, so it's really dangerous for her to choke someone

"No, this isn't the time for this! F-Fuji-Nee, you got me good! I'm really going to pass out…!"



I hear my bones creaking.
Continued grappling is Fuji-Nee's only reply.

"Whoa, I give up…! No, don't throw me now!"
I start to pass out, and as a last resort, I start to tap out.
But…



Music: Stop



Music: Gentle Everyday





"Um, I'm sorry… I was going to let go halfway so you could break your fall, but you were heavier than I thought and I had my hands full with just throwing you."

"Of course. I'm not a kid anymore. Don't try throwing me with those thin arms of yours. At worst, you would've fallen with me."


"…Sorry."

"You're at fault too, Saber. You'll be sleeping in the room next to mine, so we're technically not in the same room."


"Uh… But I need to protect you, so…"

"You can protect me well enough from there. First of all, I'll wear out if you sleep in the same room as me. I'm sorry, but that's the best compromise I can offer you. If you want more from me, you're going to have to fight for it."


"Hmm… This is a difficult matter."

"It's fine if you two understand. Well, I guess I'll go cook dinner."
I get up while trying to loosen up my neck.

"Oh, Fuji-Nee.
I'm thinking of having Sakura stay over starting tonight. What do you think? I figured I'd let her use the outbuilding where Saber stayed last night."




"You're going to let Sakura-chan stay over? I'm fine with that, but what's going on? You've been acting really strange these past few days."

"…Well, um, Sakura doesn't seem to be doing well recently. Shinji's not home much, so I thought it'd be better for her to have people around."


"Okay… I don't mind, but have you actually asked her? She seemed all right during club practice."

"No, I was going to ask her laterwait, what did you do about the club? Why did you leave so early?"
"Hm? Oh, someone got injured, so I left Mitsuzuri-san in charge, took the person home, and came straight here."

…So that's what happened, huh?
It's disturbing to hear someone got injured in the archery club, but Fuji-Nee wouldn't be here if it was serious.
I bet it's something like a jammed finger or anemia.

Music: Stop