Chapter 4: Rin is Burning Up
Damn it! Why is that man here!? What is he here for? What is he planning to do? What is he going to do to me!?
Amidst this mix of tension and fear, Waver's brain was frantically churning out all sorts of guesses, much like an overloaded machine, nearly to the point of smoking.
"Calm down... calm down..."
Although he whispered these self-suggestions, the fine beads of sweat already forming on his forehead showed that this was no longer a nightmare that could be dispelled by simple psychological suggestion magic. He bit his teeth together so hard that his jaw became stiff and sore, yet Waver acted as if he didn't even notice; he didn't dare shift his gaze even the slightest bit.
"You look very nervous. Did something happen?"
Shirou looked at Waver with some confusion, voicing his curiosity. Since his impression of Waver was actually not bad, Shirou didn't mind lending him a small helping hand.
"No... nothing at all... hahaha..."
Waver let out a dry laugh. Internally, he was already praying for this plague-god before him to get away from him as quickly as possible. He had been quite confident during that Holy Grail War ten years ago—after all, he had summoned the 'Hero of Divine Gift,' Arjuna—but who knew they would lose so quickly? It was like a dam bursting; he didn't even get a chance to fight back. Although using one's full strength against an opponent was a sign of respect, that respect was perhaps a bit too heavy for Waver to bear; it left him overwhelmed and even a bit PTSD-stricken. When Waver had left back then, he even had the leisure to give Amakusa Shirou advice; he wondered how that guy was doing now.
"Is that so? But you don't look like you're in very good condition."
Shirou tried casting a bit of magecraft on Waver to slightly restore his physical state. It felt like a warm current had been injected into his body by the other party. Waver felt the fatigue brought on by his high state of tension dissipate significantly; the exhaustion from teaching vanished, and his eyes became bright and spirited once more.
"..."
Waver was silent for a moment before gathering the courage to ask.
"Um... what exactly are you planning to do here at the Clock Tower...?"
At these words, a breeze-like smile appeared on the youth's face, and he answered in a gentle tone: "A dating trip."
That was a smile Waver had truly never seen on the youth's face before; it was the first time. The reason why that battle maniac had become so gentle at this moment was likely because of the beautiful black-haired, twin-tailed girl beside him, whose cheeks were turning red.
"It's not a date! Don't just make things up, Shirou..."
Back in the Holy Grail War, because Waver had been eliminated so quickly, he hadn't even had the chance to meet any Masters other than Shirou, Luviagelita, and Amakusa Shirou. Looking at it that way, Waver really didn't know if he was lucky or unlucky. Watching the girl deny it with a blushing face at Shirou's few words while the corners of her mouth curled upward unconsciously, Waver knew immediately what kind of personality this girl had.
Mm, she's a tsundere.
"Alright, alright, let's hurry up and go find the next noble!"
Rin urged, pulling Shirou by the wrist and heading forward. Shirou let himself be led away by the girl, turning his head back to give Waver an apologetic smile. "We have some things to attend to; let's catch up when we have time later."
"Ah... um..."
Waver nodded blankly. It wasn't until the figures of the youth and the maiden drifted further and further away that Waver suddenly realized:
Catch up on what, dammit!
Waver hurriedly quickened his pace. He forced those uncomfortable leather shoes to move with such speed that it felt like he was flying.
.
.
.
London's night turned gray amidst a drizzling curtain of rain. The neon lights from the shop windows on both sides of the street spilled red and green ribbons onto the wet asphalt, and streetlamp after streetlamp lit up the lonely city like fireworks during a festival.
"The weather is so strange; it started raining all of a sudden."
Rin grumbled unhappily under the umbrella Shirou was holding for her. She really wanted to wander around with Shirou for a while longer, but this sudden rain had disrupted all her plans.
"If you only think about things in the worst way, you'll only end up with a bad mood," Shirou comforted her softly.
"Hmph... you always say such nice things."
Rin curled her lips, then sprinted forward a few steps, leaving the coverage of the umbrella. She stepped onto the ground where tiny puddles were beginning to form, like a red sprite dancing in the rain. The reflection of the moon in the puddles shattered as Rin stepped on them, turning into ripples that spread outward. The pattering sound of the continuous light rain hitting the ground seemed to be playing music for her.
In Shirou's eyes, there was nothing left but this girl dancing and leaping alone in the rainy streets of the night.
"You'll catch a cold..."
The girl smiled smugly and said.
"Impossible, I'm a mage, you know~!"
.
.
.
"Achoo~!"
Inside the hotel suite, the girl's expression crumbled for a second as she sneezed, then sniffled.
"Damn it... a dignified Grand Mage like me, actually suffering this much because of a tiny cold...!"
Rin, who had her head resting on Shirou's lap as he watched a late-night program, began to twist around uncomfortably.
"Hmm?"
Shirou raised an eyebrow, and Rin's words immediately lost their confidence.
"...A future Grand Mage!"
Rin really had no choice when it came to this man who wouldn't submit to her at all. It was as if all her tsundere behavior had been seen through by him, leaving only bare shame in the end. While complaining internally, Rin reached out to pinch Shirou's thigh.
Lying on Shirou's lap felt like resting on a resilient pillow. His thigh was neither overly bulky nor thin; it was firm, elastic, and powerful—neither too soft nor too hard. Resting on it could be described as very comfortable.
With these thoughts in her mind, Rin cast her gaze toward the late-night program playing on the TV. It was a story about the arduous love journey of a pair of protagonists. The melodic music and the plot made Rin gradually become immersed. The hazy night outside the window and the orange light inside the room reflected off each other, creating an ambiguous atmosphere.
For some reason, Rin felt that Shirou's face, which she had already looked at countless times, although as good-looking as ever, now had a strange flavor to it, causing a sense of thirst to well up in her heart.
"Hehehe... Shirou... Shirou..."
"What's wrong?"
Shirou looked down at Rin and discovered that the girl's cheeks were flushed with a slight crimson. It was a hue even more vivid than when she was shy.
Without a doubt.
She was burning up with a fever.
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