Remaining Days: 4
Waking up, I feel more rested than I did in the last few days. Talking things over with Rin helped much more than I would have expected and she seemed more understanding, so to say, than the last few times. Maybe, as cruel as the last two incidents were for her, this helped her to draw a line under all this and start to move past this. I sure hope so.
Partially because I do want Saber a bit to myself—and even I am surprised by this way of thinking of mine—but for another part also because I do not want anyone, especially not a friend of mine, to be hurt. Especially if it is because of me. Maybe my Mind would have decided to date Rin, I think jokingly. It may not be that much of a joke, though.
If the Mind of a cyberframe contains the memories as well as the logical thought processes—and only a faint part of the personality, enough to be sort of the same person—then Rin would be the more logical choice to fall in love with. After all, she is from the same time and still alive.
But, in the end, this is something I would never find out, so there is not much need to think about that. Counting today, I have four days left with Saber, and Rin. Maybe five, if there is a day after the last Elimination Battle? I would not know beforehand.
I wake Saber, but before I can even touch her, I notice Rin standing in her doorframe. How can she be this sneaky?
"Are you spacing out like this often?" She smiles at me. I never really paid attention, but now that she says it… I do lose myself to my own thoughts quite a lot, for being just a Soul.
"I suppose I am," I say, scratching the back of my head.
"She definitely does," grumbles Saber, joining the conversation without even opening her eyes. Really? I start to feel like she is easier to wake after all and just waited for me to kiss her.
"Why did you never tell me?" I ask her, pouting slightly. Really, being told after almost two months that I am prone to spacing out like a weirdo is sort of embarrassing. I never noticed.
"You're sorta cute like that," Saber mumbles, barely audible for me and Rin probably cannot catch much of this. I throw my pillow into her face, which is still looking like she is asleep. "O-Oi," she protests, after the pillow kisses her face not as gently as I usually do.
"You're really made for each other," Rin chuckles. I am glad that she sees things a bit more carefree now, but…
"What do you mean with that?" I am not sure if I should feel offended or not. Saber just glares at Rin, not seriously but enough to almost bring her into a laughing fit. Rin, however, ignores this question and just changes the topic.
"How about we go have lunch?" This seems like a decent idea to me. We do not have much more possibilities to eat together, especially the three of us. Rin waits in the hallway while I get dressed and Saber materialises her red armour.
Then, we make our way to the empty cafeteria. Of course, it would be empty, besides us there is only Leo around anymore. Well, and NPCs who do not seem to ever set foot in the cafeteria except for the NPCs serving the meals. With Rin and Saber, though, it does not feel lonely. And yet… I am sort of anticipating them to start fighting again soon enough.
Before we can really dig in, someone else shows up in the cafeteria—Leo, my opponent, with his own knight tailing him.
"Ritsuka? I did not expect to see you here. Good to meet you," he says politely as always, smiling at me. I am not sure if with "here" he is referring to the cafeteria or the last round, but I do not want to start a fight, so I keep quiet about this.
"Hello, Leo," I nod at him. "And… Gawain," I add, not leaving out his Servant. Gawain seems to be eyeing Saber, though he returns my courtesy, of course.
"Good day to the three of you," he slightly bows down. A knight like the tales would promise, I think. Then, his gaze wanders to Saber. "Excuse me, I do believe I have asked before. But, do I know you? You seem oddly familiar." This is bad, I think. And I sure hope Saber will handle this well, I would not exactly want them to catch on yet. This would call for trouble.
"Doubt it," answers Saber nonchalantly, chewing on her hamburger. "Never made friends with knights." This is not exactly a lie, I suppose. From what I have heard from her, she was a bit of an outsider with the knights of the round table.
Gawain seems to be accepting this answer, though I cannot tell for sure he really gives up about this topic. I hope there will not be much more chances to bring this up, I know too well what limits Saber's self-control has. At one point, she would definitely lash out and I would like to have at least some sort of advantage—even if it only means that we are the ones with the information on the opponent.
"I must say, Ritsuka, I am almost jealous of your harem," says Leo, not any offending, I assume. At least, he does not sound like he means it in a bad way. Though… what exactly is a "harem"? "However, is it not indecent to keep two women like this?" Oh. Oh . Wait, what? Before I can even think of what to say, Rin is there to defend… possibly her own pride more than me.
"I'm not part of her harem. Ritsuka isn't some cheap kind of monarch, having to keep countless shallow whores by her side." This sort of vocabulary I would expect from Saber, but not actually from Rin… I will just chalk this up to her anger. Saber seems a bit surprised—much like me—by this harem-accusation, and possibly too embarrassed to come up with a witty response.
"It does look like it, though," Leo comments. I am sure… he really does not mean it any offended. Or, at least I hope so.
"Get a pair of glasses if you think Master would be a cheater," Saber bites back at him. It is reassuring that both of them denied it, but I fear this will end up ugly if it keeps going. I take Saber's hand, holding it tightly. Hopefully, this will somewhat calm her down. I stand up, pulling her after me.
"Let's go back to our room," I say, and even Rin follows suit. Saber refuses to let go of her hamburger and I cannot really mind her stuffing it into her mouth on the way back. I know it is probably rude to leave without saying anything to Leo, but better than this whole thing ending in turning him into a blood puddle.
"Why did we have to leave?" asks Saber, clearly irritated. Of course, running away is nothing she would do.
"Because I do not want to discuss or fight over such silly things," I tell them. And really, to me… it feels childish to get too worked up over such a comment. Especially when it was meant to be harmless.
Though, on the other hand, I can understand it angered the two of them.
Saber, for having someone even just assume she would have to share me with somebody else.
Rin, for having someone remind her of what could be, but never will be.