Chapter 18

2002, December 24th, Christmas Eve.

Emiya Residence

"Sorry, Sakura, I couldn't get Shinji to come."

Shirou's face showed a hint of regret.

"No, it's not your fault, Senpai." Sakura gently shook her head, though a trace of disappointment was evident in her eyes.

Recently, Shinji had been coming home less and less frequently, often disappearing for ten days or even half a month.

"But he did give me this."

Shirou pulled out a white rabbit doll from his bag and handed it to Sakura, who was busy in the kitchen.

Seeing the rabbit doll, Sakura's eyes lit up with joy. Even though this was just a small gesture from her brother, it held significant meaning for her.

"Merry Christmas!"

Dressed as Santa Claus, Taiga entered the room and immediately noticed the rabbit doll in Sakura's hands.

"Oh? Already starting with the Christmas gifts?"

"No, this one is from Shinji," Shirou explained.

"Matou-kun?" Taiga looked surprised, then smiled and gave Sakura a thumbs up. "Sakura-chan, keep it up! Even your cold brother has started giving gifts."

"Yes," Sakura responded with a smile.

On a snowy night, wearing a khaki wool coat, Shinji walked aimlessly through the streets while checking the system panel.

So much time had passed, yet he had only managed to consolidate two of the three souls—Primordial Spirit and Positive Spirit. As for the Negative Spirit... he had barely touched the threshold.

Thinking about the need to consolidate the Negative Spirit and temper the three souls in just over a year made Shinji feel hopeless.

With a sigh, he closed the system panel and stopped walking.

Staring at the festive shops along the street, he pondered for a long time before stepping into one.

Unsure of what to buy on such an occasion, Shinji eventually bought a small Christmas-themed cake on the store owner's recommendation.

"Buying this kind of thing... am I an idiot?"

Standing outside the store, Shinji looked at the cake in his hand with a strange expression.

"Surprised you have some self-awareness, Matou-kun."

Hearing a familiar voice, Shinji clicked his tongue and looked disdainfully at the approaching Rin.

Seeing the clear disdain on Shinji's face, Rin's eyebrow twitched in irritation. "You're just as infuriating as always."

"And you're no different."

"You...!"

"Be gone, demon!" Shinji raised his hand and shouted.

"Cut it out!!"

Unlike the noisy shops outside, the retro-style café on the corner was quiet, with soft music playing in the background, creating a stark contrast to the festive atmosphere outside.

In a booth, Rin watched Shinji elegantly cut the cake, unable to process the situation for several minutes.

"What are we even doing?"

"What do you mean?" Shinji replied without looking up. "You said you knew a quiet café, so I had you bring me here."

Rin sighed, pressing her forehead in exasperation. "That may be true, but this just feels... off."

"What do you mean?"

"This feels like a date!"

"Huh?" Shinji looked up, confused. "What nonsense are you talking about? Do I seem like the kind of idiot who would date someone like you?"

"Explain that properly," Rin said, smiling sweetly but with no warmth in her eyes.

"I mean only an idiot would date a woman like you. Hey! Why did you kick me? Crazy woman! I was just being honest!"

"Do you want to die, Matou Shinji?"

"Ugh," Shinji scoffed and then handed a piece of cake to Rin. "As thanks for bringing me here. I can't finish it alone anyway, and don't worry, there's no poison today."

"Can't you ever say anything nice?"

"I could say the same about you."

Suddenly, it felt like an invisible spark of static crackled between them. They both snorted, turning away to eat their cake.

After several minutes, Rin finally broke the silence.

"You have a sister, right, Matou-kun?"

"Yeah, what about it?" Shinji glanced at her.

"N-nothing! I was just curious!" Rin waved her hands defensively.

"Cut the crap, Tohsaka. I know some things too."

Rin was taken aback, a look of surprise crossing her face. "You... you know?"

"Yeah, I know."

"Is Sakura doing alright lately?"

Shinji shrugged nonchalantly. "Probably fine."

"What do you mean, probably? Aren't you her brother?" Rin's brows furrowed.

"I've been busy lately and haven't been home much. She's been spending a lot of time at Emiya's place."

"At Emiya-kun's place? Why?"

"How should I know? If you care, go see for yourself."

"You should care more about your own sister!"

"I could say the same to you."

"You!" Rin fumed, but then sighed. "Even though the Matou family has declined, you should understand, right? Magus—"

"I don't understand," Shinji interrupted, "I'm not a magus. I don't get your magus stuff."

"Can't you be serious for a moment?"

Shinji changed the topic. "Do you know, Tohsaka, cakes taste best at the right time."

"Huh?" Rin was puzzled.

"I mean, don't waste it. Eat as much as you can while it's still good."

"Wait, by 'the right time' do you mean..." Rin's cheeks flushed slightly.

"I mean, pairing it with bitter coffee. The bitterness makes the cake's sweetness stand out more, right?"

"That makes sense," Rin nodded but then caught herself, frowning. "Wait, are you saying I'm the bitter coffee?"

"Seems like you do have some self-awareness, Tohsaka. I'm impressed," Shinji replied dismissively.

"Go to hell!!" Rin kicked him hard under the table.

"Hey! Watch it! The cake almost fell!"

"Who cares! Just go to hell!"

"You first! And if I go, I'm taking you with me, crazy woman!"

"That's my line!!"

"Wow, so you two want to die together?" A teasing voice suddenly interrupted them. Both Shinji and Rin turned to see who it was and immediately retorted.

"That's not what we meant!!"