Regardless of whether it's the Tohsaka family or the Matou family, they are both wealthy families. Usually, they either have their elders drive them or they use private cars for transportation. They rarely use public transportation. For Sakura, starting from waiting for the bus at the station, it's a whole new world for her, constantly asking Shinji questions.
"Brother, is this the bus stop?"
"Yes, it is. The bus stop displays the route and the stops. We choose the route based on the information provided at the bus stop."
Shinji, who came from an ordinary family in his past life, is familiar with this aspect. The public transportation rules are similar across different countries, and Shinji has also studied the map of Fuyuki City in detail for the Holy Grail War. He stood in front of the platform signboard for a little over a minute and found the desired bus.
"We'll take this sightseeing route. The next bus will arrive in six minutes. Let's wait for a while."
"Yeah, Brother, you're amazing!" Sakura looked at her brother's profile, her eyes sparkling with admiration.
"What's so amazing about this? Taking a bus is nothing special. Even Sakura can do it," Shinji chuckled. If taking a bus is considered amazing, then what about those adults who take the bus to and from work every day? Do they defy the limits of the sky?
"I don't care, Brother is amazing." Sakura held Shinji's hand and acted spoiled. When children use this privilege, no reasoning can prevail.
"Alright, alright, your brother is amazing. But remember, our little princess is the greatest." Shinji laughed and said, while the people waiting for the bus at the platform also cast friendly glances at them.
Since it wasn't during rush hour and it wasn't a popular route, the sightseeing bus was empty with few passengers. Shinji and Sakura chose a double seat and sat side by side.
Sakura sat by the window with an upright posture, showing good manners. Her pair of purple eyes involuntarily gazed outside the window, seemingly attracted by the receding scenery.
Shinji lazily leaned against Sakura's side, listening to the station announcements on the broadcast, while secretly planning today's itinerary.
It's currently two o'clock in the afternoon. It will take twenty to thirty minutes by bus to reach the park. Sakura's bedtime is nine o'clock, and they need to be home before eight.
Public Park, Fuyuki Bridge, the nearby shopping street, and finally, dinner at a famous Chinese restaurant nearby—it's one of the businesses in which the Matou family has a stake. The manager and head chef are authentic Chinese people, and the flavors are genuine. To avoid any issues due to their young age, Shinji had already made a phone call, ensuring that the restaurant would accommodate them.
As they thought about it, they arrived at the Public Park station. The station was less than twenty meters away from the park entrance.
The weather was nice today, with warm sunlight shining on the lawn.
A group of children around Shinji's age were running around on the grass, seemingly playing a game similar to "tag," and bursts of laughter could be heard from time to time.
Their faces were carefree, their smiles pure and untainted—something Shinji had long lost, something Sakura had almost lost.
At that moment, Shinji had a sudden realization. He had been thinking about things with the mindset of an adult, forgetting how he had spent his childhood and what children truly yearned for.
"With my adult mindset and this weird obsession in my heart, it's fine, but Sakura's childhood should have these kinds of memories, rather than being consumed by magecraft."
His current approach was no different from those parents in his previous life who enrolled their children in various interest classes and tutoring sessions from an early age. They did it for the sake of their children but overlooked their children's feelings.
After the Holy Grail War ended, at the very least, he would take Sakura out to play for one to two afternoons every week. And every once in a while, they would go on a family trip so that she wouldn't have any regrets when she grew up. With these memories, Shinji wouldn't have to worry about Sakura losing herself and becoming like Zouken Matou, consumed by obsession, after entering the mysterious world of magecraft.
We are humans first, and then magi.
Not being a human? Well, he could graduate from this world like his Sensei did before worrying about that.
"Sakura."
"Brother?"
"Can we play with them?"
"Sure, sure, but... I've never played this kind of game before." Sakura shyly lowered her head.
The Tohsaka family was considered a prestigious family in the local area, and even though Sakura wasn't the heir of the Tohsaka family, she never had the chance to play with children her age.
"It's very simple, I'll teach you later." Shinji took his sister's hand and ran towards the group of children of the same age. "Hey, what game are you playing? Can we join you?"
The world of children is far less complicated than the world of adults—simple and straightforward.
"Let's play together."
"Okay."
"How do we play?"
"Two people are 'it,' and the rest run away. We decide by rock-paper-scissors."
It's as simple as that.
After a few rounds of playing, the children became acquainted with each other.
When they grow up, they might find this kind of game boring, but for children, playing like this for an entire afternoon is no problem at all.
At this moment, Shinji and Sakura's advantage became apparent.
After going through their mentor's rigorous training, their physical stamina far surpassed that of children their age. While others were exhausted, they only had slightly flushed faces, causing a wave of amazement.
The girls surrounded Sakura, and the boys surrounded Shinji. It seemed effortless, and the two of them became the kings and queens of the children.
Watching Sakura's timid yet incredibly happy expression, Shinji felt that it was all worth it.
Happy times always pass by so quickly, and before they know it, the sun is about to set. One by one, the parents of the children came to pick them up, leaving only the siblings from the Matou family.
Shinji asked his younger sister, "Are you tired?"
At this moment, Sakura had lost her delicate appearance and replied, "Not tired."
Shinji pointed towards a nearby bridge and said, "Let's go to the bridge and watch the sunset."
"Okay."
"Princess, let's go~"
When it comes to Fuyuki City, there are a few places that can't be missed, and one of them is Fuyuki Bridge.
Legend has it that this bridge is one of the strongest structures in the world, with an EX-level of durability, capable of withstanding bombardment from various Noble Phantasms without breaking. It has been chosen as the battlefield for many Servants' decisive battles.
Of course, everyone knows that it's just a joke. The Fate series of novels and games skipped the description of the scene, and the anime production team took a shortcut, which led to this kind of gag.
After Shinji's on-site investigation, the bridge was not as exaggerated as the jokes made it out to be, but the scenery on the bridge was indeed beautiful. No wonder Rider likes to sit on the bridge and enjoy the view.
The moist sea breeze brushed against their cheeks, and the horizon was infused with the lingering glow of the setting sun. Looking into the distance, everything was bathed in warm red hues.
The red color spread far and eventually connected with the sea on the horizon.
The orange-red evening glow and the deep blue sea had a distinct contrast, yet they created a sense of harmony.
As time passed, the setting sun gradually sank below the sea's surface, and the red and blue colors gradually dimmed, merging into the darkening sky.
Nightfall arrived.
The sky grew dim, but the ground didn't lose its brightness. Artificial lights were gradually illuminated, creating a scenery that was completely different from daytime.
The six-year-old Sakura didn't know how to describe such a scene with words. In her mind, there was only one word.
"It's beautiful!"