Chapter 293: Going Out with BB
It was just after 9:00 AM. The Hikigaya parents had long since left for work, likely already immersed in the daily grind of their tedious jobs. In the courtyard, Artoria and Jeanne were working up a sweat, clashing bamboo swords in a sparring match.
Mashiro was still working on that painting. Since she had to spend the rest of her time on her manga, it would take at least another week to finish. Komachi was nearby offering "advice," saying embarrassing things like how she should try to highlight all of her big brother's best features.
Effortlessly ignoring all of that, Shirou had returned to the kitchen to get busy after finishing breakfast and resting for a bit.
Currently, slices of lotus root were frying in a flat pan. The lotus root was sliced into top and bottom pieces, sandwiched with a meat filling mixed with green onions and various spices, dipped in batter, and pan-fried to a golden brown. On the other side were fried chive pockets and stuffed eggplants joined in a row.
He placed them into an insulated container, closed the lid, and attached a sticky note that read: Heat for 2 minutes in the microwave.
In a large cylindrical pot nearby, Japanese curry was simmering. The golden liquid rolled inside the pot, steam rising as he added apples, potatoes, beef, and chicken, followed by a sprinkle of chili, cloves, cinnamon, and other spices. Once the cooking was done, he would let it sit for several hours to allow the curry and spices to blend thoroughly for a richer flavor. Reheating it later in the microwave would intensify the texture as the moisture evaporated, making it even tastier than if eaten immediately.
In a large clay pot, soup was stewing. Large chunks of beef bone soaked in the boiling broth, slowly releasing their aroma. He turned the heat to low; it would take at least another two hours for the soup to be finished.
He was preparing the main dishes for both lunch and dinner all at once, so he could leave the rest safely to Komachi. There was no need for detailed instructions; with their sibling intuition, Komachi knew what to do. If anything else was needed, she could stir-fry some vegetables or toss a salad herself.
Once everything was complete, Shirou nodded, cleaned and organized the used utensils, took off his apron, and went to his room to change into casual clothes for going out.
The Online Holy Grail War competition had come to an end, but of the four Holy Grails that should have existed, Chaldea had only recovered two. One had been used by Wu Zetian and taken back to China with her; as part of the exchange, she would maintain stability in the Chinese region and contact Chaldea if she found anyone bypassing them to perform possession-summoning. However, the last one remained missing, likely held by that vanished man in glasses whose whereabouts were still unknown.
But those were no longer things for him to worry about. Now, to fulfill a previous promise, he was going to meet up with Yuigahama for a celebratory party following their recent battle. The time was set for 2:00 PM at the station entrance of the nearby shopping district, so he still had some time.
"Senpai? You prepared lunch and dinner so early... are you going somewhere?" In the living room, the purple-haired girl lying on the sofa watching TV turned her head, resting her chin on the back of the sofa to ask.
"Mhm, I'm meeting up with a friend today," Shirou replied.
"Eh? Is it that girl from the other night?" BB-chan asked curiously.
"Why are you so certain it's that girl?" Shirou looked at her strangely. Aside from being mischievous, this girl had spent the last few days as a shut-in watching TV and playing with her phone, a peaceful indoor-type. Did she actually have a talent for detective work?
"Because Senpai doesn't look like the type to go shopping with male friends," the purple-haired girl said.
"Then what type do I look like? But your guess is right. It's the girl I met in the digital world, Yuigahama Yui," Shirou retorted, telling her the truth plainly.
"Ah, the girl with the horns, Yuigahama-senpai. I see, I see. Well then, have a safe trip." BB-chan waved her hand and flopped back onto the sofa.
"What are you saying? You're coming too!" Shirou said.
"Eh? BB-chan has to go too?" The purple-haired girl pointed at herself blankly.
Shirou looked at her helplessly. "You haven't bought anything since you got here, right? I gave you the spare towels and toothbrushes from the house, but you don't have any of a girl's daily necessities. The reason I prepared lunch in advance was for this."
"Eh? But BB-chan's body sweat smells like Chanel, I don't get periods, and I don't need to use the bathroom, you know? My setting is that all waste is automatically purified inside my body. Though, I can still get pregnant with a baby. BB is a cute junior now, but I want to be a virtuous wife later," the purple-haired girl said, cupping her face shyly.
"Why? Weren't you always longing to become human?" Shirou asked, confused.
BB looked at him as if it were obvious. "Mhm, of course, Shirou-senpai. But even if humans had the chance to modify themselves like this, wouldn't they long to be prettier, smarter, and more perfect?"
"...I can't argue with that." Shirou was speechless. Thinking about it that way, BB was indeed cunningly human-like.
The purple-haired girl patted her chest, full of pride. "That's how it is. Besides, BB-chan is everyone's favorite Super Idol! Being different is only natural. Isn't there a popular saying now?
Idols are angels! They don't even poop! Things that are painful, dirty, or smelly are simply unnecessary."
"No... at the very least, idols still need to use the bathroom... Forget it. If you don't want to go, I'll go for a walk by myself. There's a new restaurant opening over there that seems popular. There might be new dishes I want to learn about," Shirou said painfully, covering his face as he turned toward the door.
Trying to integrate this girl into human society was proving harder than expected. First and foremost, her habit of being unable to function without "cheating" seemed like something she'd never change. It was a long and difficult road ahead.
"I'm going! BB-chan is coming too!" The purple-haired girl scrambled out of the living room, catching up to the boy at the entrance.
"Shirou-senpai, where should we go for our date?" BB asked with a grin.
Shirou looked the girl over. After spending these days together, she still only had one set of clothes. Even though she had a physical body, being born as an AI made her very different from a Servant like Artoria. She was a child you truly couldn't stop worrying about.
"Let's see. How about we buy you some clothes first?" Shirou said.
"Eh? BB-chan's clothes are enough. My Spirit Dress has an auto-clean function, so I don't need to change," the purple-haired girl said.
"Even if they don't get dirty, you still have to change your clothes. Ordinary girls like to dress themselves up, don't they?" Shirou said, looking at her.
The purple-haired girl blinked and asked, "Is a nurse outfit or something okay?"
It seemed this girl needed to buy an unexpectedly large amount of clothing.
They walked straight out of the residential area, arriving at the subway station ten minutes later. After a ten-minute ride, they reached the shopping district where he had agreed to meet Yuigahama. It was the most prosperous area nearby, but since it was a workday, salarymen were at their jobs, and in an aging society with a low birth rate, there weren't many elderly people bringing children. It wasn't crowded, allowing the boy and girl to stroll leisurely down the street.
BB-chan examined the surroundings with great interest. To her, born in the year 2030, this modern shopping street perhaps felt more like a place with a nostalgic atmosphere.
The store they entered was one of the most famous women's clothing shops in the area, loved by both crossdressers and women of all ages.
"Senpai, how about this one?" BB-chan held up a purple lace nightgown made of thin, transparent mesh, gesturing with it in front of her body and asking with a mischievous smile.
"As long as you like it," Shirou said, looking away.
"Is it this one after all?" BB-chan held up another black nightgown of the same style, testing the boy's reaction. "Or this one feels pretty good too. Ah! This one has a slit at the chest! Senpai, hey~! Look over here~!"
After picking out several nightgowns, the purple-haired girl moved to the casual wear section. All the clothes she picked were Western-style dresses or blouses.
'But... why are they all outfits that emphasize her chest so much? Sakura would have chosen simpler loungewear... Is this intentional? Since I don't know much about fashion, I'd better not say much. That's the specialty of the dress shop manager who is still recovering in the hospital.'
"Are clothes like these really okay?" Shirou asked, surprised.
"Senpai? Is there a problem with this?" BB-chan asked, spinning around in front of the mirror.
"Doesn't it feel too tight?" Shirou looked away, speaking hesitantly.
"Eh? BB-chan isn't fat at all!" BB-chan looked at the boy very seriously.
"It's not a question of being fat or not. Forget it, as long as you like it," Shirou said.
The clothes BB-chan chose were all skin-tight. Her petite frame could easily fit into small sizes, but her chest area stood out very prominently. The fabric of her upper body clung tightly to her curves, stretched so taut that it wouldn't be surprising if the buttons popped off at any moment. But since she liked it, it was fine. The outfits of those children in the digital world were extremely provocative; BB was already quite modest by comparison. Besides, she would be wearing the same uniform as everyone else at school, so it didn't matter.
BB-chan looked down at her own chest, then showed a look of realization. She seemed to laugh quite happily before leaning in close to the boy, hugging his arm. She leaned her body forward slightly and poked his cheek with her finger, teasing him.
"Ahhh~! Senpai, you really are a little Mr. Pervert, aren't you!"
Shirou pretended not to hear and snapped his fingers at the saleswoman. "I'll take all of these!"
Shirou helplessly took out his wallet and pulled out a bank card.
"What a considerate boyfriend," the saleswoman said with a smile, holding up the packaged clothes with both hands to hand them to BB.
"Senpai! Senpai! She said we're a couple! Hehehe, BB-chan should just buy this whole store and give it to her." BB-chan laughed very happily, squinting her eyes and showing her upper teeth, looking as silly and cute as a squirrel.
"No! I told you, your hacking skills are forbidden." Shirou dragged the purple-haired girl quickly out of the shop. The saleswoman had excellent professional poise; even if she was surprised,
she maintained her well-trained business smile—perhaps because she didn't realize exactly what she had just missed out on.
Afterward, Shirou took the girl to lunch. They chose a recently opened cafe that had great reviews online and featured new dishes not seen elsewhere in the area, which piqued Shirou's curiosity as a chef. There was a white circular table under a sun umbrella on the side of the shop, right next to a green belt. It was quiet, with only the crisp sound of birds in the trees. The view was good, so they chose to sit there.
A server soon noticed the customers and walked over. BB-chan acted like she would leave everything to her senior, so Shirou ordered the chef's daily recommendation and the specialty set menu.
"Please enjoy." The waitress in a server uniform brought the ordered food and retreated quietly and gracefully.
Lunch consisted of sandwiches, specialty grilled lamb chops, almond tofu, and interestingly, the pasta here was made from konjac flour, which was quite innovative. The drink was black tea with vanilla. It seemed the chef here really had a talent; unlike the various theme restaurants or museum cafes in Shinjuku Kabukicho or Ginza, it didn't win by being quirky, but by being truly delicious.
"How is it?" Shirou asked, looking at the purple-haired girl.
"Mhm, this pork cutlet sandwich is really delicious, and the vanilla black tea tastes great too. As expected of Shirou-senpai, leaving the food to you is the right choice," BB-chan replied with satisfaction.
After eating and drinking their fill, it was 12:30 PM.
"Well then... BB-chan will head back now," the purple-haired girl said, standing up.
"You're not coming along?" Shirou asked with some surprise. He had been prepared to bring BB-chan with him. Although bringing BB might be a bit unfair to Yuigahama, BB was indeed a comrade from the previous battle, so it wouldn't technically violate their agreement. While this might go against Yuigahama's intentions, given the current situation, it might actually be for the best. He truly hadn't expected BB-chan to proactively offer to leave.
"...Honestly! BB-chan wouldn't do something so tactless!" The purple-haired girl was silent for a moment, then looked up and laughed, speaking reproachfully. "Shirou-senpai, you should spend some quality time with Yuigahama-senpai. BB-chan will head back on her own." She then turned toward the subway station.
Looking at the girl's back, she seemed a bit lonely. Shirou hesitated for a moment, then called out to her.
"BB! How about you stay and play with me a bit longer before going back?" Shirou suggested.
"I'd love to! Since you've invited me so passionately, Senpai." BB-chan turned back instantly, agreeing with a radiant smile.
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