After getting the cold medicine, Shirou returned to Rin Tohsaka's side.
Once she drank some water and took the medicine, the girl quickly fell asleep.
He checked the time. It was already past noon.
Shirou went downstairs to the living room and found Mrs. Tohsaka sitting on the sofa, waiting for him.
"How is Rin?"
The moment she saw Shirou, Aoi Tohsaka asked anxiously.
Out of consideration for her daughter's pride as a Magus, she had given up on caring for Rin personally. Even so, Mrs. Tohsaka was worrying in her own way.
Shirou felt relieved and nodded. "Her complexion improved right after she took the medicine. It really lives up to being the Tohsaka family's secret remedy."
"That's wonderful..." Aoi Tohsaka let out a breath of relief.
"She's asleep now, and sleeping very soundly.
It's the first time I've ever seen her look so obedient. I never thought the flu virus could actually defeat Tohsaka's ferocity."
"Hehe... Shirou-kun, you really do like to joke. Rin has a girlish side too, you know?"
Aoi Tohsaka giggled, her expression full of pride in her daughter.
"It's about time. I'll go prepare lunch. You'll stay and eat too, won't you, Shirou-kun?"
"That was the plan. I promised Tohsaka I'd stay here until evening."
"Hehe, good."
Aoi Tohsaka rose from the sofa and said she would go to the kitchen to prepare lunch.
"I'll help too."
The green-haired beauty looked serious. "How could I allow that? Shirou-kun, you're our guest today, aren't you?
You've already spent the whole morning looking after Rin even though you're a guest. How could I possibly ask you to help now?
If the Einzbern found out, the Tohsaka family would be laughed at."
"No, I just wanted to take a look at the Tohsaka kitchen."
Under Shirou's insistence, Mrs. Tohsaka agreed to let him help.
Of course, she had heard from Irisviel that Shirou was excellent at housework, so she was a little curious herself.
The two went to the kitchen together and began their first collaboration.
"I hear you're very good at cooking, Shirou-kun."
"I'm all right."
"You're still in high school, yet you're so capable. When I was in high school, I couldn't do anything."
In her youth, Aoi Tohsaka had also been the young lady of the Zenjou family, a distinguished Magecraft lineage. She only learned to cook after getting married.
That was what she meant, but Shirou's mind pictured Aoi Tohsaka in a sailor uniform instead.
"Rin really trusts you, Shirou-kun."
"Does she?"
"Yes."
Mrs. Tohsaka nodded with certainty. "She wanted you to stay, didn't she?
Unless she trusted you to a certain degree, she would never allow someone to remain in the house while she was asleep."
Her daughter trusted Shirou Amamiya even more than she had imagined.
She had thought Rin would show more hostility toward Shirou. After all, he was the victor of the Fourth Holy Grail War, the one who had broken the ancient pact of the Three Founding Families.
Rin had indeed thought that way and decided as much. But.
After spending more time with Shirou, her trust in him had surpassed the hostility in her heart.
Aoi Tohsaka could understand that completely.
After all, they were mother and daughter, bound by blood. Though Aoi had only just met Shirou for the first time, she had already developed a deep fondness for this upright and gentle young man.
No wonder Irisviel showed him off every day at the housewives' gatherings.
If Shirou-kun were my child, I would be incredibly proud too.
Mrs. Tohsaka smiled and said, "If only Shirou were my son, Rin's older brother."
"Please spare me. She'd definitely bully me to death, and I'd never be able to hold my head up around her," Shirou said with a pained expression.
Mrs. Tohsaka looked surprised. "How could that be? I can say with certainty that Shirou-kun would become an ideal older brother whom even Rin would admire."
Shirou said, "You're overestimating me, Aunt Tohsaka. Even if Tohsaka-san admired me, I'd only find it creepy.
If I'm going to be an ideal older brother, then as long as Illya and Sakura approve of me, that's enough."
For the second time today, Shirou stepped on a land mine while getting carried away.
The moment the name "Sakura" sounded in the kitchen, the air itself seemed to grow heavy.
"...Sorry."
"Shirou-kun, you don't need to apologize!"
Aoi Tohsaka hurriedly waved her hands.
"The one who should apologize is me... it's me... it should be me... It's all... my fault..."
She looked as if she were about to cry.
Only then did Shirou realize that Aoi Tohsaka was not simply afraid to face Sakura.
She was likely suffering from severe PTSD.
Rin had already decided to protect Sakura in her own way, but not everyone could be as strong as she was.
Unlike her exceptional daughter, Aoi Tohsaka still had not escaped the shadow of what happened ten years ago.
Guilt, self-blame, and a sense of sin had clung to her all these years like a nightmare.
This is already a mental illness, isn't it...
Shirou thought as he looked at Mrs. Tohsaka, whose eyes had lost their light.
I really can't just leave her like this.
Strictly speaking, it was wrong to interfere carelessly in the Tohsaka family's affairs. But after all, the one who had reached out to Sakura Matou back then had been him.
So, he would treat this as after-sales service for that night ten years ago.
Shirou thought to himself, I'll comfort Mrs. Tohsaka.
"Careful, Aunt Tohsaka. Your hand is shaking."
Shirou took Aoi Tohsaka's cold hand from behind and helped her cut the vegetables.
"Hm? Thank you, Shirou-kun."
For Mrs. Tohsaka, this was her first physical contact with a man other than her husband, so she was a little surprised.
But for Shirou, who lived in the same house as many girls, this degree of physical contact felt perfectly natural.
Aoi Tohsaka was slightly startled by the boy's action, but accepted it calmly.
Shirou-kun's body really is sturdy...
Shirou said, "No need to thank me. Neighbors should help each other."
Aoi Tohsaka said, "Hehe, having a neighbor like Shirou-kun really is wonderful... Though can the Tohsaka family and the Amamiya family really be called neighbors?"
Shirou first used his excellent eloquence, self-proclaimed, to ease Aoi Tohsaka's mood a little.
"Of course we're neighbors. Aren't you and Irisviel both members of the neighborhood association?"
"Then I look forward to your guidance from now on, Shirou-kun."
Perhaps sensing Shirou's sincerity, Aoi Tohsaka answered with a smile.
Good. Next comes praise.
"Did you know? Tohsaka is extremely popular at school. Compared to me, she's like a flower on a high peak, living in a completely different world."
"Why bring that up all of a sudden?"
Aoi Tohsaka's fine brows drew together slightly. She felt Shirou's tone had become somewhat frivolous.
Shirou revealed his true aim. "She must have inherited Aunt Tohsaka's beauty."
Mrs. Tohsaka paused, then smiled bashfully. "But I'm already an older woman now."
"Not at all. When we first met, I thought you were Tohsaka's older sister."
"Really?"
For women, there was no praise more effective than a compliment on their appearance. Even mothers were no exception.
That was something Shirou had learned from Irisviel.
Under Shirou's flattery, Aoi Tohsaka gradually brightened.
Of course, he did not stop there. He continued his offensive of praise.
"Of course. Not only are you beautiful, your cooking is excellent too."
"Oh, not at all. Cooking is only a basic skill.
Um... Shirou-kun, flattering an older woman like me won't get you anything, you know?"
Mrs. Tohsaka spoke shyly and gave Shirou a faintly reproachful look.
He had been too obvious. A woman's mind was so hard to understand.
"Mm, this is delicious."
Mrs. Tohsaka took the first bite of the dish Shirou had prepared, then covered one side of her face and praised it without end.
"It really is very good. Is there anything Shirou-kun can't do?"
"Aunt Tohsaka's cooking is delicious too."
"Hehe. If a housewife has to compare herself to a high school boy, she has already lost completely."
After that, the two enjoyed lunch in a pleasant atmosphere.
Of course, Shirou did not succeed in curing Mrs. Tohsaka's PTSD, but he did manage to grow much closer to her.
"Hehe. It seems I can talk to you very easily, Shirou-kun."
Aoi Tohsaka took a sip of black tea and smiled. "If there's a chance, may I chat with you again in the future?"
Shirou replied attentively, "Of course. I also really enjoy talking with you, Aunt Tohsaka. Please contact me anytime you need me."
Good!
He would become afternoon tea friends with Aoi Tohsaka like this, then gradually cure her PTSD step by step.
Shirou's final goal was, of course, to help her and Sakura make up so mother and daughter could be close again!
...
...
"Senpai, did something good happen today too?"
"Wh-what? Why would you think that?"
Night had fallen, and it was at the Amamiya family's dinner table that Sakura Matou suddenly asked the question.
Even though it was Saturday night, the heir to the Matou family was sitting in the living room of the Amamiya residence, and no one thought to question it.
Of course, as far as Shirou, the head of the household, was concerned, Sakura was already a member of this family.
"I just felt like you seemed really happy today, Senpai."
Sakura Matou tilted her head as she said it, while Irisviel snickered off to the side.
She had clearly assumed Shirou had spent the day on a pleasant little family outing with Tohsaka-san, but in reality that girl had been sound asleep in bed until evening, while Shirou had spent the whole day chatting with his classmate's mother.
Setting aside his hope of getting Mrs. Tohsaka and Sakura to make up, if the question was whether he'd enjoyed himself, then yes, he'd enjoyed it quite a lot.
Aoi Tohsaka was a mature beauty of a different sort than Irisviel, and chatting with her over tea was the ultimate form of relaxation for Shirou.
"..."
Feeling a little guilty under Sakura's stare, Shirou changed the subject.
"R-right… Sakura, would you like me to give your body a checkup?"
"Eh…?"
Speaking up in place of the dumbstruck purple-haired girl, Sella protested with displeasure, "Shirou, please stop bringing up sexual harassment topics at the dinner table."
Shirou explained, "It's not what you think! You remember how that Tohsaka girl collapsed at school a while back because of a rejection reaction to her Magic Crest? So I was thinking maybe Sakura ought to get checked out too. Better to head off any trouble before it starts."
After the Fourth Holy Grail War ended, Sakura Matou had volunteered to study Magecraft and one day carry on the Matou name.
Of course, her intentions weren't exactly pure.
Sakura Matou had made up her mind to study Magecraft so that she could keep staying by Shirou's side and become a woman of worth to him.
She buried this secret in her heart and became an apprentice Magus.
The Matou family's Magic Crest had crumbled to ash along with Zouken Matou's physical body, but his personality had been preserved, and he later became Sakura's Professor.
While Sakura Matou didn't have any of the usual worries tied to a Magic Crest, she did have another problem.
Namely, her own magical attribute, "Imaginary Numbers," had poor compatibility with the Tohsaka family's attribute, "Water."
Shirou had seen Sakura use Magecraft several times.
That dark shadow that had so easily defeated the Middle Eastern Magus Atrum could very well harm its own user if it wasn't properly controlled.
Shirou figured it would be best to give Sakura a thorough physical examination.
"If you'd rather not have me examine you, we could have someone else do it instead."
"That's not necessary. You're fine, Senpai."
The girl shook her head as she said it.
The Amamiya residence had a room reserved just for Sakura Matou, and the examination took place there.
"Well then… I'm in your care, Senpai."
Kneeling on the tatami, Sakura Matou suddenly bowed deeply toward Shirou.
Somehow it gave off the feeling of a wedding night, of a wife telling her husband, "I'm a poor, unworthy woman, so please look after me from now on"…
"L-leave it to me, Sakura… Um, first try to relax a little."
"Aren't you the one who should be relaxing, Senpai? You seem a little tense."
"Ngh."
If I don't pull myself together, Sakura's going to feel anxious too.
The moment that thought crossed his mind, Shirou regained his composure.
Sakura: "So where should we begin? I don't understand any of this, so please guide me, Senpai."
Shirou: "Good question…"
Sakura: "Whatever you order, Senpai, I'll do it."
Shirou: "'Order' is putting it a bit strongly."
"Should I take my clothes off first?"
Sakura suddenly came out with that.
Ha, as if! Don't sell a Magus so short. It's just a check of her circuits, why would she need to undress…
"Yeah, go ahead and take your clothes off."
The words slipped out of Shirou as if some spirit had possessed him.
There was absolutely no need for her to undress in order to run the check, yet he said it anyway.
Hey, I'm a third-rate Magus, so I'm just being careful, that's all.
That was a lie. Shirou simply wanted to look.
It's fine. I only think of Sakura as a little sister, so there won't be any issue with public decency or morals.
Just as she had declared, Sakura Matou obeyed her Senpai Shirou's every command.
She began to undress.
She undid the buttons.
Her overdeveloped chest strained to spill free, revealing the night's first hint of allure.
Before long, the cute underclassman, now down to nothing but her underwear, filled Shirou's vision.
The lovely line where her neck met her shoulders, her fair skin, her delicate collarbones.
Possessed of both slenderness and softness at once, the provocative curve running from her waist over her hips and down to her thighs made it impossible to look away.
"Is this enough… Senpai…"
Sakura Matou spoke in a hushed voice.
She'd had so much bravado a moment ago, yet now that her outer clothes were gone she'd turned bashful as well.
As if to cover her embarrassment, the purple-haired girl lifted her breasts with her left arm.
The girl's arm was pale and slender, and the two ample, rounded swells wrapped in pale purple lace formed an unbelievably striking sight.
"D-do I have to take off my underwear too?"
Sakura Matou stared down at the tatami, biting her lip.
"…Senpai?"
Shirou knew Sakura was well developed, but he'd never imagined it was to this degree.
He tried to think of Sakura as a little sister, to look at her body with a gaze free of any ripple. Only he found that he simply couldn't manage it.
Taking advantage of Sakura's innocence and her trust like this… I really am the worst.
"You don't need to take off your underwear," Shirou said.
He was certain that if he'd told her to remove that too, Sakura would have forced down her shame and stripped completely bare.
"…All right."
The girl let out a breath of relief, then lay down just as her Senpai instructed.
What followed was a dry, tedious examination.
Asking questions while observing the Magic Circuits inside the girl's body.
Throughout it, physical contact was unavoidable.
Sakura's face stayed flushed the entire time, her tear-brimmed eyes squeezed adorably shut, and now and then she let out little sounds that set the imagination running.
"Nn… Senpai… it tickles so much… ♡"
"Sakura."
"What is it?"
"I lied to you earlier. If it were only a check of your circuits, you wouldn't actually have needed to undress."
"Is that so…"
"?"
A hand came to rest against Shirou's cheek.
The half-naked Sakura Matou lay before him, reaching her hand out toward him.
"I knew that from the very start, you know."
"If that's the case, then why…"
"Didn't I already tell you?"
In the room where the moonlight spilled in, Sakura Matou wore an enchanting smile.
"Whatever you order, Senpai, I'll do it. So please, watch me closely, Senpai."