Chapter 44: Too Many People on the Date
The train station at the Shinto shopping district.
Today, being a day off—the weekend—was a day for Rin to completely forget about school. She no longer had to go to great lengths to manage interpersonal relationships at school just to avoid exposing the fact that she was a magus, nor did she need to act like an elegant, well-educated, and reasonable young lady in front of others.
Rin had a loyal love for red; most of the casual daily wear in her wardrobe consisted of vibrant shades of red. The girl, dressed in vivid red, had smooth long black hair that shimmered under the sunlight.
Unusually, Rin wasn't sporting her twin-tail hairstyle today; instead, she let her long hair hang loose, giving off the impression of a quiet, tranquil beauty as long as she didn't speak.
Then, the black-haired beauty spoke.
"Hi~ Good morning~!"
That tranquil atmosphere was instantly dispelled by her energetic voice, and even the air became filled with a cheerful vibe.
"Good morning, Rin," Sakura replied with a faint smile.
Compared to Rin's personality, which was brimming with youthful vigor, Sakura had more of a Yamato Nadeshiko feel to her.
"Well then, let's go~" Rin didn't care about anything else and simply walked ahead.
Upon entering the commercial district, the flow of people became extremely dense, creating a scene of a literal sea of humanity.
"Whoa... I'm shocked. So many people gather here as soon as it's a holiday."
Today was a day with great weather, and plus, it was only nine in the morning, so such a sight was only natural. Truth be told, it's more comfortable to stay at home during the weekend rather than being squeezed like a rice dumpling in a non-stop tide of people.
Saber looked at the streetscape with curiosity; this was her first time seeing the city during broad daylight in this modern era ten years later, so she couldn't help but feel refreshed.
"So, where should we go? Do you four have any suggestions?"
As if she were in a different dimension compared to Shirou, Sakura, Illya, Saber, and Medea, Rin appeared extremely spirited. Scathach, who was accompanying her, was also looking around at the modern commercial street with great interest.
"Well... I've only been back in Fuyuki for a few days; I haven't had the chance to really explore yet." Shirou, naturally, spread his hands helplessly.
"I see. Then, how about Saber? Is there anywhere you want to go?" Seeing that Shirou was completely unable to answer, Rin turned her gaze toward Saber.
"Me? No, I have no place of particular concern. Besides, I am Shirou's guard; this is your holiday, please treat me as if I don't exist."
Saber also seemed somewhat confused and could only say what came to mind.
"Huh?" Rin immediately furrowed her brows. "Then, what about Sakura?"
"My situation is the same as Shirou's..." Sakura also wore a helpless expression.
"Eh... as it turns out, are you all cavemen!?" Rin was instantly dumbfounded.
Then, she looked at Medea, who was holding her head high with pride, as if saying, "Ask me, ask me!"
"Hmm, it seems nobody knows, so just follow me!" Rin glanced at her, automatically grouped her into the same category as Shirou and Sakura, and then announced her decision.
"Dammit...!" Medea's teeth chattered with rage, and her hands and feet felt cold.
Rin walked ahead with brisk steps, the hem of her skirt fluttering with her movements, occasionally revealing a "holy light."
"She dresses unexpectedly conservatively..."
Shirou murmured to himself. Rin appeared passionate on the surface, but in reality, she was likely quite conservative on the inside.
Completely unaware of Shirou's thoughts, Rin stopped after reaching a restaurant, turned around, and said:
"You haven't eaten breakfast yet, right? Let's have some tea first and wait to eat at the shop. Let's warm up our bodies first!"
"But we already..." Saber hesitated over whether to tell Rin that they had already eaten breakfast, but suddenly felt that eating a bit more might not be a bad idea.
Shirou and Sakura didn't speak, tacitly choosing not to mention the fact that they had already had breakfast.
After eating a second breakfast, the group officially began their stroll. To Rin, the act of window shopping seemed to be inherently full of fun; even without making purchases, she could still browse with great enthusiasm.
As for Saber, shopping meant being able to eat all kinds of various delicacies, so she was similarly quite interested.
Illya should also be the type who likes shopping, but today she stayed by Shirou's side the entire time; it felt like her personality was becoming increasingly similar to her mother, Irisviel.
Shirou, Illya, and Sakura walked at the very back, following along with a lack of enthusiasm. As for Medea... did her presence feel unexpectedly thin?
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Before they knew it, noon had arrived.
Because whether it was Shirou or the six women shopping with him, they were all flawless beauties with their own distinct characteristics. Rin alone was attractive enough, not to mention the addition of Sakura, Saber, and Medea. Beauties of every style were gathered around Shirou at this moment.
Whether it was at a drink shop, a bowling alley, or resting in a high-end clothing store, they were incredibly eye-catching wherever they went.
Although Shirou endured the gazes cast by other men—some envious, some jealous—his own appearance and temperament were a total "dimensional strike" compared to the surrounding males. Every man who saw him felt ashamed of his own shortcomings without exception.
Those men who considered themselves handsome originally intended to come over and flirt after seeing so many beautiful girls, but after seeing Shirou, they were directly driven to self-deprecation and abandoned the idea. They all withdrew into themselves.
Naturally, the group completely ignored their surroundings while shopping; only Sakura felt a bit at a loss regarding her own charm. Shirou naturally comforted her while holding her hand to give her a sufficient sense of security.
With her hand being held, Sakura's cheeks were flushed red under the sunlight, like a ripe apple. However, seeing this scene, Illya pouted her little lips unhappily and hurriedly took hold of Shirou's arm, walking closely pressed against him.
Rin, walking in front, was completely unaware. In fact, because she was having so much fun shopping, she suddenly ran into an optical shop and put a pair of disguise-style glasses on Saber's face. Then, she picked out a pair of glasses and put them on Shirou as well.
"If you wore sunglasses, Shirou, you'd definitely be mistaken for a male celebrity who sneaked out!" Rin evaluated.
"Heh." Shirou gave a characterless laugh.
Ignoring him, Rin picked up a pair of plain-glass spectacles for herself and put them on.
"Hmm? How do I look?"
Looking at Rin in glasses, Sakura smiled and played along.
"You look much more intellectual; it's great!"
"Is that so."
Rin also picked a pair for Sakura and put them on her.
"Sakura looks even prettier after putting them on too."
"Eh, really? What does Shirou think?"
Hearing Rin's praise, Sakura hurriedly looked toward Shirou.
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