Chapter 14: The Dinner Table (Patreon)

"Why?!"

"Do you even have to ask?!" Taiga swatted Shinji's hands away from Shirou's. "And stop making jokes like that! What if Shirou actually takes you seriously and develops some... strange new interests?!"

"Huh? Strange?" Shinji tilted his head, then stroked his chin in an exaggerated thinking pose. "But didn’t you teach us in class that love comes in many forms? How is that ‘strange’?"

"I never taught you anything like that!"

"Oh! I get it now!" A lightbulb seemed to go off in Shinji's head. He smacked his fist into his palm. "Taiga-san, are you... feeling lonely because Emiya's going to the Netherlands with me?"

"Seriously, I never said I was going anywhere with you," Shirou cut in, deadpan. "And I'm immune to this kind of joke by now."

"Who's lonely?!" Taiga yelled, her face red. "And it's SENSEI!!"

"Say no more, Sensei. I understand." Shinji raised a hand to stop her, his expression shifting to one of profound tenderness. "Don't worry, Sensei. One day, you too will find a hero who will protect you for the rest of your life."

"Matou-kun, to be honest, you're jumping topics too fast for your teacher to keep up."

"And you know why?" Shinji continued, his eyes curving into a pleasant smile. "It's like a banana. It's sweetest right before it rots."

"Huh?" Taiga blinked, processing this for a few long seconds before the meaning dawned on her. "YOU LITTLE BRAT! WHO ARE YOU CALLING A ROTTING BANANA?!"

She launched herself at him, locking him in another headlock from behind. "Your teacher is still a green apple on the tree! A very fresh, green apple!"

"Fuji-nee, that metaphor is a little..." Shirou trailed off with an awkward laugh.

"Shirou! Do you think I'm a rotting banana too?!"

"No, that's not what I meant... Ow! Fuji-nee! I'm still injured! Don’t tackle me!"

As the three of them tussled in the small living room, a faint glimmer of longing—and something sadder—flickered in Sakura’s still, lifeless eyes.

A hero who will protect you for the rest of your life...

The thought pulled Sakura's mind back to a distant past, to a small boy with blue hair standing proudly before her.

“Sakura, just wait! Once I learn all those amazing things, I’ll definitely protect you from anyone who tries to bully you!”

“Amazing things?”

“Yeah, super amazing! But I can’t tell you what they are yet. It’s related to the family secret I told you about before.”

That little boy... in the end, he forgot those words completely.

"Hey, what about dinner?" Shinji’s voice piped up from the floor, still locked in Taiga’s hold.

The question made Taiga freeze. She turned to look at Shirou.

"Yeah, what about dinner?"

Seeing the two of them staring at him with identical expressions, Shirou let out a long sigh. "Don’t sync up on me like that. And have you forgotten? I’m still injured, you know."

Shinji stood up, stroking his chin and furrowing his brow before arriving at a conclusion. "I see. So we’re going to starve tonight."

Taiga, also stroking her chin, nodded in agreement. "It’s a shame, but I guess that’s the way it has to be."

"...Fuji-nee, have you been picking up bad habits from Shinji?" Shirou asked after a long, defeated silence.

...

The sight of the table laden with Japanese dishes left everyone, including Sakura, stunned.

After setting the final plate of tonkatsu on the table, Shinji took a seat. He looked at their astonished faces, puzzled.

"What? Why do you all look so shocked?"

"Shinji... I had no idea you could cook," Shirou said, still trying to process it.

"Are you really Matou-kun?!" Taiga blurted out in disbelief.

"What kind of impression do you people have of me?!" Shinji retorted irritably. "Anyway, yes, I can cook. But I only know how to make these food, and it’s been a while, so it might not be perfect."

"My god..." Taiga covered her mouth, her eyes wide. "I thought for sure the most Matou-kun could manage was instant cup noodles. I never imagined you had a talent like this."

"So sorry to disappoint your rock-bottom expectations," Shinji snarked back, casually handing out bowls of miso soup. "But don’t expect me to do the dishes."

Sakura knew about Shinji’s cooking. It started about five years ago, on a night when Zouken was away inspecting spiritual lands and their father was, as usual, sleeping at a hotel. The maids had already retired for the night, leaving only Shinji and her in the large, quiet house.

Late that night, lying awake in bed, she heard soft footsteps in the hallway. Curious, she cracked open her door to see her brother, an apron tied around his waist, carrying two plates of fried rice with eggs and soy sauce toward the dining room.

Hearing the sound, he glanced back. Seeing her, he asked flatly, "You want some?"

That’s how it began. Maybe because he was still inexperienced, the meal that night wasn’t perfect. But for Sakura, it became a treasured memory.

After that, she would occasionally hear his footsteps in the hallway late at night. Whenever she did, she would silently open her door.

And Shinji, as if it had become routine, would always have made an extra portion. The food kept getting better and better, more and more perfect.

But in the last year or so, those opportunities had almost completely vanished. Shinji stopped coming home regularly. Those silent, late-night meals, where they’d sit together, each wrapped in their own thoughts, disappeared entirely.

Sometimes, Sakura would reflect on it. Her brother really was... almost capable of anything.

"This pork cutlet is amazing!"

Taiga’s exclamation pulled Sakura’s thoughts back to the present.

"That’s tonkatsu, Fuji-nee," Shirou corrected gently.

"Heh heh, I know this one! It’s sukiyaki! I’ve had it at a restaurant before."

"That’s completely different," Shinji muttered under his breath.

...

After the meal.

"Be careful on your way home. And don’t be late for club activities tomorrow," Taiga said, standing at the genkan with a benevolent smile.

"Oh? You found out already?" Shinji sighed, rubbing his forehead.

"Of course! I am the archery club’s advisor, after all. Don’t you dare skip out like you usually do."

"Don’t worry. When I get a whim like this, I’ll stick with it properly until I get completely bored of it. See you, Taiga-san. Emiya."

"That’s not exactly the right attitude! What do you mean ‘until you get bored’?! And it’s FUJIMURA-SENSEI!!"