Emiya Shirou had become famous.
From the moment he sat down at his desk, everyone in the class stared at him in astonishment.
"Wasn't the student in that seat missing?"
"Did they find him?"
"That red-haired guy looks familiar—have I seen him somewhere before?"
"Oh my gosh, he's pretty handsome! I'm making him my boyfriend!"
Whispered conversations quickly spread through the classroom, everyone talking animatedly about Emiya Shirou, who'd abruptly appeared after vanishing for two entire months.
Well, everyone except one seaweed-haired guy who sat biting his fingernail with undisguised irritation.
Unfortunately, they had ended up in the same class.
When Emiya vanished, Homurahara High School was just starting its new academic year. Now, two months later, most of the first semester had already passed.
Though many people had heard of Emiya during middle school—known as that red-haired boy always willing to help out—such urban legends quickly faded with time. Unless someone had personally benefited from Emiya's help, no one would remember random stories shared casually.
In middle school, Emiya had very few genuine friends. Upon reflection, only Matou Shinji and Matou Sakura had ever truly been close to him.
Tohsaka Rin had felt some admiration after watching him practice high jumps, but had never spoken a word to him until the Holy Grail War began. Ryuudou Issei only befriended him after entering high school, and Mitsuzuri Ayako got acquainted because of Sakura.
Thus, in this particular classroom, besides Shinji, everyone was basically a stranger who had never truly met Emiya Shirou before. After all, Emiya had disappeared before the new semester began, so nobody other than Shinji even recognized him.
Now he sat at the window seat toward the back, the spot traditionally reserved for brooding protagonists, staring moodily out the window.
He had mentally prepared himself, but it was still deeply uncomfortable being the center of attention.
Two months here exactly matched the length of his stay in the Demon Slayer world. Apparently, time flowed identically in both places. Emiya wondered how long he'd be gone this time around.
No doubt he'd once again return to being the center of attention whenever he finally reappeared.
His chair felt like it was covered in spikes—no matter how he sat, he couldn't relax.
How can just one day of class feel so awkward? he groaned internally.
If he had at least a full week, he could have adjusted better. But he was leaving again tomorrow—and he hadn't even fully explained himself to Fuji-nee yet.
If he hadn't used the excuse of needing to get to class quickly, Emiya felt certain Fuji-nee would never have allowed him out of her office.
When he first went missing, Fujimura Taiga's father had even mobilized his underworld connections, tirelessly searching for Emiya. Yet despite their efforts, nothing surfaced until Shirou had finally walked back into Taiga's office.
This time, Emiya knew he couldn't vanish so abruptly again—he had far too many explanations owed to far too many people.
Finally, the school day ended.
At every break, classmates swarmed him relentlessly, desperate to hear how he'd survived his two-month disappearance. There were already dozens of wild rumors circulating the school.
Theories ranged from Shirou being kidnapped by human traffickers, being taken in by a wealthy older woman, infiltrating Syria as part of a secret Japanese anti-demon unit, and plenty more absurdities.
And people nodded sagely, fully convinced by these ridiculous stories, only to immediately run to Emiya for confirmation.
All day, Shirou had endured this nonsense with a deadpan expression, akin to an elderly commuter reading messages on a crowded subway.
At this point, Emiya was practically on the level of a transfer student: someone joining halfway through the year, wrapped in strange urban legends. Rumors even circulated about legendary middle school fights where Emiya and Shinji supposedly fought off upperclassmen ambushes.
"Shirou! Explain clearly—where exactly have you been these past two months?!"
Just as school ended, Fujimura Taiga grabbed him by the back of his shirt, hauling him straight to the teachers' office.
"I was…uh…working a summer job," Emiya replied stiffly, bracing himself.
He wasn't good at lying, but he absolutely couldn't tell an ordinary person like Fuji-nee the truth.
"A summer job?!"
Fujimura Taiga immediately snatched a piece of chalk off a nearby desk, hurling it straight at Shirou's forehead.
A pink streak sailed gracefully through the air, neatly hitting Emiya squarely in the head.
Instinctively, Emiya nearly dodged—but then remembered Fuji-nee would only become more relentless if he did. Taking one hit was far easier than enduring an extended barrage.
Today had already been exhausting enough.
Besides, he still had to confront Shinji at the Matou house tonight.
In middle school, they'd genuinely been good friends. Though they'd drifted apart since then, Emiya still refused to stand idle and allow Shinji to abuse Sakura.
Before his unexpected disappearance, Emiya had already spoken privately with Shinji about his behavior toward Sakura. At the time, Shinji merely brushed him off irritably, and they'd parted angrily.
Yet, afterward, Sakura's injuries had notably decreased.
But now, things had worsened again. Emiya needed to firmly address this issue once more.
"Which store did you work at that you couldn't send us any message for two whole months?!"
Taiga was still clearly agitated. Emiya realized he needed to defuse her anger quickly, otherwise he wouldn't have time to visit the Matou house tonight.
After all, Fuji-nee was fully capable of insisting on eating soba noodles together all night, and he knew better than anyone how stubborn she could be.
"It was, um, a multinational company. They sent me overseas—to Britain, actually," Emiya said awkwardly, gaze shifting sideways as he nervously rubbed his hands together.
"Even if you went all the way to Britain, you should have sent some word back! Do you have any idea how worried Sakura and I were?!"
Apparently, Taiga bought his explanation.
Shirou had honestly expected his lie to be seen through immediately, so he was pleasantly surprised Fuji-nee believed him at all.
"I promise next time I'll let you both know beforehand."
Though, next time will literally be tomorrow, Emiya thought grimly.
This time around, he'd probably leave behind just a note before quietly disappearing again. Otherwise, if he revealed he was leaving tomorrow, they'd inevitably ask endless questions.
And if he suddenly vanished into thin air through that mysterious door, how would he possibly explain himself?
Magic-related secrets couldn't be shared with ordinary people, much less something as fantastical as traveling between worlds.
Speaking of which… had he even officially requested leave from school?
Well, Fuji-nee was here, after all. He wouldn't get expelled…right?
Shirou wasn't entirely confident.