"In any case, we'll discuss that later. You should wash up now; you'll catch a cold if you don't."
"Thank you."
As footsteps drew closer, the voices of Shirou and Sakura could be heard from behind the closed door.
Shinji, propping himself up on the floor with his hands, casually glanced at his younger sister, now in her third year of middle school, who walked in behind Shirou.
"Shinji, your sister is here."
Shinji didn't respond but instead lay back down on the tatami, resting his head on his hands, and crossed his legs, yawning.
While Sakura used Shirou's bathroom, Shirou sat down across from Shinji in the living room, frowning slightly as he spoke.
"Shinji, I heard from Sakura that you've only been home five times in the past two months."
"So what?"
"What do you mean, so what? Why haven't you been home? Sakura is worried about you."
"There's no need."
Hearing Shinji's unhesitant reply, Shirou looked exasperated. After all these years, the relationship between the siblings was still the same as ever.
"I mean, I don't know the reason, but isn't your attitude toward your sister a bit too cold?"
"Emiya."
"What?"
"I'm hungry."
"Are you even listening to me?"
"When I'm hungry, I can't listen to anything. So please, make dinner for me."
"No way! And don't forget that I'm still injured!"
"Oh, I forgot..."
"You really are...ugh." Shirou sighed deeply, giving up on the conversation.
"Shirou, I came to see you~"
Upon hearing Fujimura Taiga's voice from the entrance, Shinji, who was lying on the floor flipping through a magazine, suddenly sat up and hurriedly walked towards the living room door without thinking.
"How are you feeling? Better?" Taiga asked as she walked in from the entrance, but then she noticed Shinji trying to sneak away silently.
"Well, well, Matou-kun~ Long time no see~" Taiga, with her hands on her hips, bent down and smiled sweetly.
Hearing Taiga's voice above him, Shinji froze, forcing a smile as he looked up. "Ahahaha, yes, long time no see, Ms. Taiga."
Instantly, a red vein of irritation appeared on Taiga's forehead.
"How many times have I told you? Call me Fujimura-sensei!!"
"Ouch, ouch, Ms. Taiga!" Shinji begged for mercy as Taiga tightly locked his neck.
"I said call me Fujimura-sensei! And we need to discuss your week of truancy at the start of the new term!"
Despite Shinji's struggles, Taiga showed no sign of letting go, continuing to grip his neck tightly.
"I'm going to suffocate! Ms. Taiga!"
Seeing this, Shirou, who had been ignored due to Shinji's antics, finally spoke up.
"Um, Taiga, weren't you here to see me?"
"Oh! I almost forgot!"
Remembering her original purpose, Taiga turned to Shirou sitting at the low table, releasing the near-suffocated Shinji, and scratching her head with a sheepish smile.
"Hahaha, seeing the biggest troublemaker in the class, I couldn't help it. Sorry about that, ahahaha..."
Taiga then noticed the purple-haired girl, likely a middle schooler, sitting across from Shirou and drying her hair.
"By the way, who's this girl?" Taiga asked, but then she spotted Shinji trying to sneak away again and grabbed his collar. "Matou-kun, I have a lot to talk to you about~"
"Seriously, you noticed that too?" Shinji muttered, frustrated.
"So you're Matou-kun's sister, huh."
Sitting at the low table with Shirou, Taiga looked surprised at Sakura, who sat next to Shinji with an impatient expression. But then she looked a bit troubled, tapping her cheek with her finger as she continued.
"Even so, as Shirou's guardian, I feel this is inappropriate."
Apparently, Sakura had expressed a desire to help out at Shirou's house until he recovered.
"Taiga, um..." Shirou coughed lightly and signaled Taiga with his eyes.
"What is it? Why are you making faces? If you have something to say, just say it. Or are you hitting on your friend's sister?"
"Taiga!" Shirou's face turned red as he loudly reminded her, then leaned in to whisper something only Taiga could hear. "I'll explain everything later. It's actually related to Shinji."
"Huh? Matou-kun?" Taiga looked surprised and then at Shinji, who was yawning and looking bored. "Does his injury have something to do with Matou-kun?"
"No, and keep your voice down. Actually..."
Shirou was about to explain, but Shinji suddenly put on a pained expression, clutching his chest and speaking up.
"Yes, it's all my fault. If I had taken better care of Emiya, he wouldn't have gotten hurt."
"What are you talking about, Shinji?" Shirou was confused.
"In any case, it's all my fault!" Shinji stood up, looking apologetic. "If I had been by Emiya's side 24/7, this wouldn't have happened!"
"No, 24/7 is a bit much. Why would you need to be by my side?"
"So, please let me take responsibility, Emiya!" Shinji leaned forward, gripping Shirou's hand with a heartfelt expression. "I'll make it up to you, Emiya. So until then, let's move to the Netherlands together. I'll spend my life making it up to you."
"What are you talking about?" Shirou looked at Shinji with a strange expression. "And why would we move to the Netherlands?"
"Ahem," Taiga cleared her throat and whispered in Shirou's ear, "Shirou, the Netherlands recognizes same-sex marriages."
"Huh?"
"Yes! From now on, let me make it up to you for the rest of our lives! I'll always be by your side to protect you, Emiya! And Taiga, I'll count on you to be our witness."
"I said call me Fujimura-sensei!! And as his guardian, I would never agree to that!!"