Part 36: Waku-waku Fuji-Nee land

Music: In the Sunlight




"Here you go, Senpai. How about you, Tohsaka-Senpai?"
Sakura is handing out the rice bowls, just like her usual self.
I don't know what happened while I was gone, but the tension between the two has disappeared.
Well, at least on the surface.



After pondering for a moment, she takes the bowl from Sakura.
Sakura smiles and starts to set up the miso soup and other things like the fried eggs.
Tohsaka watches her with a complex expression.

"Tohsaka. I thought you weren't one to eat breakfast?"


"I'll eat whatever's prepared. That's only polite, you know."
I don't know what's bothering her, but she glares at me and picks up her chopsticks.

"…Well, I guess it's good for you. Itadakimasu. And sorry to make you prepare breakfast, Sakura."


"No, this is my job, so please don't worry about it. Then I'll have some too."


"What a wonderful position you are in. What kind of king are you, making your junior prepare your breakfast? Well, I'll ask about that later and just eat breakfast for now."





Gah. No conversation.

""
It's not that terrible a mood, and anyway, it's always like this during breakfast.
Sakura and I aren't talkative, so it's natural for our meals to be quiet.
So, why is it that our breakfasts are always loud?

"…?"
Hold on.
Something's clicking in my head……


"Senpai? Um, was the fish seasoned too strongly…?"
"No, it's fine. But I feel like I'm forgetting something."



I try to conclude that if I can't remember it, it can't be important. But I feel like that would be a terrible mistake.
I feel uneasy, as if I'm ignoring a disease that could kill me if left untreated.

"Oh well. It probably isn't important."
I forcefully make myself understand.
And then…
"Morning. Man, I slept in."
Fuji-Nee enters with loud footsteps.

""
I see.
It's not that I couldn't remember.
I just wanted to postpone the problem by forgetting about it.



Fuji-Nee sits Japanese-style in her usual seat.


"Good morning, Fujimura-Sensei." "Good morning, Fujimura-Sensei."
The two's greetings are in strange unison.



Sakura gives her a bowl with her usual smile.



She receives the bowl from Sakura and tilts her head.
She knows something is wrong, but she can't tell what it is.
Fuji-Nee quietly starts to eat.
And after finishing one bowl of rice, she quietly whispers in my ear.



"That's because she's staying here now."
I explain things to her truthfully.



"Yeah, she's a weirdo. She keeps a mask on at school."



She understands and takes a sip of her miso soup.

Music: Stop

Video: The Tiger's Fury (mirror)

Fuji-Nee's voice actress is awesome.





Music: Clashing Souls

The table is thrown up.
Fortunately, Sakura is on the other side and Tohsaka has already moved out of the way, so it seems I'm the only victim.

"Ahhhhh! W-W-W-W-What are you doing, Fuji-Nee!? This is miso soup, cooked rice, and food cooked in pot! It'll be hot if you spill that on mehey, why are we having food in a pot for breakfast anyway…!?"



"Shut up! What are you thinking, Shirou!? What kind of love-comedy are you in, letting a girl stay over? No, it's not even funny!"

"I'm not trying to make anyone laugh…! No, more importantly, this is hot! I'll get burned! Sakura, get me a towel!"


"Here you go. I've prepared a cold towel, Senpai."
"Thanks…! Whoa, a piece of chicken fell in my shirt, and a hot one too!?"



"Of course. You know I'm not one to joke like this.
Anyways, I'm letting Tohsaka stay here. I'll listen to complaints, but I won't change my mind."


"I object! I don't know what you're up to, but I can't allow it! Onee-chan won't allow you to live with a girl your age!"
Fuji-Nee roars.

…Well, I guessed it.
Fuji-Nee is my guardian and a school teacher.
I don't think I can escape such a situation with merely a hundred beatings from the shinai, or even from a real sword.
But I guess you could say it's ill fortune that I have to push through with this.

"You have to. I don't have any bad intentions, and we're not like that. I could just say we got into an accident, and I ended up letting her use a room here as a result."



I won't allow her to stay here! I don't know Tohsaka-san's circumstances, but make her go home at once!"
Damn, she won't even listen.
Crap, I guess she isn't someone I can convince…!


"Sensei. You say you would not allow me to stay here, but I have already spent a night here."

Music: Stop

And then.
Tohsaka says those words, like pouring cold water on Fuji-Nee.

Music: Gentle Everyday




"I said, I was allowed to stay here yesterday.
No, I stayed here from Saturday evening, so I have stayed here for two nights, to be accurate. I have borrowed the room in the outbuilding, and my luggage is already there.
How about it, Sensei? Looking at things objectively, it seems that I am already staying here."


""
Fuji-Nee's face goes pale.

"S-S-Shirou, what have you done…!? Do you know what would happen if Kiritsugu-san found out about this!?"
"I bet he'd be happy. He'd say something about a man's resourcefulness or whatnot."

Kiritsugu was a playa.


"Ugh… I feel the same way. Kiritsugu-san was really indulgent with girls… I see, so you inherited that, you idiot!"


Fuji-Nee grabs my collar and shakes me around.
…Well, the inheritance aside, it was Father's belief that girls should be protected.
I don't go around telling people that like Father did, but I do believe he was right.




"What? Do you need help?"
I think a man would have to be tough to recognize that cold-hearted person as a girl.

"…Please. I can't do anything about the situation. I have high expectations of your political skills."
I say, while being shaken.


"Okay. Then I'll settle this immediately."
Tohsaka, who was only watching from a distance, comes to stand directly beside Fuji-Nee.


"Fujimura-Sensei. Only screams will come out of Emiya-kun even if you shake him, so please stop. Well, breakfast might come out too."

That mental image is both hilarious and horrifying.


"Hmph… what, that serious face doesn't scare me, Tohsaka-san. As a teacher and as Shirou's guardian, I can't allow you to stay."

Fuji-Nee lets go of me and confronts Tohsaka.
It must be her natural instincts.
She must have thought Tohsaka would get her if she kept concentrating on me.


"Why is that? There are many students that are boarding at our school. Is it not our school policy to encourage the students' independence?"


"What, even if you use difficult words, you still can't stay. You can't get independence from staying in a place like this.
This place is a dream house. It prepares meals for you, prepares baths for you, and is always clean without you doing anything. You'll be corrupted if you stay in a place like this."
"…Fuji-Nee."
That statement is problematic, coming from a teacher.


"And as a rule, only students living far away can board at someone's house. Tohsaka-san's house is farther from school than here, but it's not like you can't go to school from there, right? Even Sakura-chan commutes from that area, so there's no need to stay here."


"But my house is undergoing complete remodeling right now.
It is an old building, so it's getting a bit unsteady. I was thinking of staying at a hotel until the remodeling is done, but when I explained the situation to Emiya-kun as he happened to pass by, he said I could use his house rather than waste money."




"Yes. I was surprised by the idea coming from Emiya-kun, with whom I am not too well acquainted. But staying at a hotel is indeed costly, and most of all, unstudent-like. So I thought it would be more beneficial for me to stay at Emiya-kun's house instead."



Fuji-Nee groans.
Since Tohsaka's answer and attitude are so student-like, it seems that as a teacher supposedly, Fuji-Nee cannot object.


"I understand your situation. But isn't there a problem? You are a girl and Shirou is a boy, so I don't know what could happen if the two of you stay under one roof."


"What do you mean by that, Sensei?"


"Uh… um, well, Tohsaka-san is pretty, and Shirou is a guy, so I thought I wouldn't like it if a mistake got made…"

Who said it'll be a mistake when it happens?


"There won't be any. My room is on the edge of the outbuilding, and Emiya-kun's room is the room by the shed. It's more than thirty meters away. I believe there won't be any problems with this much distance between us."


"Y-Yeah, the outbuilding can be locked, so it's like a separate house, but…"


"Right? Or are you saying you don't trust Emiya-kun? You said earlier that you are Shirou's teacher. Then, I believe you know his personality better than I do. If he was the type to make that sort of mistake, I would not stay here."


"How dare you, Shirou is a gentleman! He wouldn't make a girl cry!"


"Then it should be fine. I trust Emiya-kun too. I knew I could stay here safely."


"Hmmmmmm."



Music: Tender Scenery