Chapter 38: Ayako Mitsuzuri's Hospitality
Under the glow of orange streetlights in the dark of night, a somewhat aged apartment building came into view.
"I never imagined you went through so many things just to restore the Holy Grail to its original state, Shirou..."
As Saber listened to the stories Shirou told—especially the accounts of battling high-and-mighty gods—she was beyond surprised. Moreover, upon realizing he had done all of this for her sake, she felt as if a warm current was overflowing within her heart.
Saber was somewhat puzzled by this sudden sensation; she only knew that her current mood felt both happy and, somehow, a bit painful.
Seeing her become somewhat fidgety and hesitant, Shirou felt confused. "What's wrong, Saber?" he asked.
"It seems you don't even really need me, Shirou... and yet I was thinking about protecting you and such..."
Combining what she had seen today with her previous declarations of wanting to protect him, Saber couldn't help but feel a sense of shame.
"Who said I don't need you? Without you, Saber—I'm so handsome, what if I got kidnapped for my looks!?" Shirou said with a serious face.
"..."
The girl looked at him with a deadpan expression, wondering how someone's skin could be quite so thick.
'If he had been there at the Battle of Camlann, he probably could have defended against everyone just by using his face' Saber thought.
At that moment, Ayako Mitsuzuri suddenly stopped and spoke.
"This is my home."
Room 204—this was the apartment number where Ayako lived. Finally back at her own front door, she couldn't hide her excitement for a moment. After all, she had just brushed past the gates of death; returning to her most familiar home brought an unprecedented sense of security.
"Would you like to come in for a bit?"
Ayako pulled a key from her pocket, opened the door, and invited the two of them.
"You are my saviors. It's only right that I repay you. Although I probably don't have anything that would interest you, please come in for a cup of tea."
"Ah, well..." Saber hesitated, turning a pleading gaze toward Shirou, unsure of what to decide.
"Since you've invited us, we'll stay for a little while." Shirou walked into the house without any polite hesitation.
As her savior, Ayako was pleased that he accepted the invitation. She quickly jogged to the kitchen to brew tea for them.
"Come in, Saber." Shirou took the opportunity to grab the girl's hand, leading her into the entryway.
"Shi... Shirou..." Being suddenly grabbed, Saber's face showed a troubled expression, but since she couldn't break free, she could only let him pull her to the entrance.
After the two changed into slippers, they headed toward the living room.
Walking down the hallway, Saber nervously used her other hand to nudge Shirou's arm.
"We'll be seen..." Her voice had noticeably weakened, carrying a hint of entreaty. Saber likely only showed this kind of demeanor to Shirou because of their deep relationship and his role as her Master.
If anyone else had tried this, they surely would have been sent flying by a punch without hesitation.
Upon reaching the living room, the two sat down in front of a kotatsu (heated table).
"Black tea is here~ and sweets too!"
Ayako brought a tray into the living room, placing the tea and some dorayaki for dessert on the table. Then, she also sat at the kotatsu, lifting the quilt to slide her legs inside.
The kotatsu wasn't large, so with three people, it was actually a bit cramped; it was easy for their legs to bump into one another.
The three people in the room remained silent for a moment. Under the table, their legs occasionally touched. Aside from Shirou, who acted like it was no big deal, the two girls would immediately recoil as if they had received an electric shock whenever they brushed against him.
Seeing the atmosphere turn quiet, Ayako took the lead to find a topic.
"By the way, Shirou, you're quite close with Tohsaka, aren't you?"
"Yeah, we've known each other for ten years," Shirou answered while stirring the red liquid in his teacup with a spoon.
"I knew it! No wonder that girl isn't interested in any of the guys who pursue her and rejects them all. So she already 'belongs' to someone," Ayako said, suddenly enlightened.
"..." Listening to their conversation, Saber kept her head down, staring at the tea in her cup, lost in thought.
Seeing the girl's dazed state, Shirou felt a giant "DANGER" sign appear over his head. Realizing he couldn't stay on this topic for long, he immediately spoke up.
"Ayako, why were you so late getting home today? Wasn't a curfew issued?"
Now it was Ayako's turn to wear a look of shame.
"Ah... that, well, because I went to a friend's house to hang out... we ended up having too much fun, and by the time I realized it, it was already late..."
Presumably, after tonight's lesson, Ayako would never dare to come home late again.
While Shirou engaged in idle chitchat with Ayako, he kept an eye on Saber's expression. He noticed she was just silently eating the dorayaki, as if everything else was irrelevant besides the dessert in front of her.
As Shirou continued chatting with Ayako, his hand inside the quilt suddenly brushed against something.
It was a small, delicate foot. Based on the direction, it should have been Saber's.
The moment Shirou's hand touched it, the girl's foot froze, not daring to move, letting him touch it. He lightly stroked the delicate, smooth bridge of the foot and then touched the tiny toes; the small, jade-like foot suddenly retracted as if startled.
'It should be Saber's, right?'
The thought flashed through Shirou's mind.
However, speaking of which, if one compared the two girls in terms of height, weight, and even measurements, Ayako Mitsuzuri was the winner in all categories. Of course, "winning" in the weight category probably wasn't a good thing to Ayako.
Ayako had no idea what rude thoughts Shirou was having at that moment. She simply kept a smile and chatted with him, her fair cheeks showing a faint flush under the light—likely because the temperature of the kotatsu had risen a bit.
The winter chill was completely dispelled at this moment.
"Well then, we'll be heading out. See you tomorrow~"
Shirou led Saber out of the room and turned back to wave at Ayako.
"Mhm, see you tomorrow~" Ayako waved back. Her cheeks were now bright red, as if they could drip with water.
Closing the door behind him, Shirou walked back on the return path with Saber.
"You really have a lot of endurance, Saber," Shirou teased.
"Eh? What?" Hearing Shirou's words, Saber frowned slightly, not understanding what he was talking about.
"Huh?" Seeing Saber's genuinely bewildered expression, Shirou suddenly realized something. "Could it be..."
At the same time, once Shirou and Saber finally left, Ayako let out a sigh of relief as if a heavy burden had been lifted. She felt as though all the strength in her body had been drained, and she collapsed onto the tatami mat.
The girl moved her feet uneasily, her cheeks flushed deep red. She lowered her head and whispered shyly to herself:
"Doesn't that guy know when to stop...!"
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