59. A Peaceful Day

Heya me again this chapter took way too long because I'm just so bad at writing romance or slice of life without progression, but oh well maybe I'm gonna get better at it in a year

So yeah don't forget to give me your feedback on this chapter thank you.

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"And that's the story of why I'm so exhausted," Rin said to Saber, finishing her explanation.

"...Rei has that kind of ability? I didn't even notice anything happened while I was training Shirou..." Saber murmured, clearly more focused on the part where Rei stopped time rather than listening to Rin's entire story.

Rin could only stare at Saber, visibly annoyed that she hadn't been paying attention.

"You! You weren't listening at all!" Rin yelled, immediately lunging at Saber.

"Woah, Rin!!" Saber exclaimed, trying to fend her off as Rin launched a playful attack. But instead of really attacking, Rin began tickling Saber, making sure not to hurt her.

Saber, holding back her strength to avoid accidentally injuring Rin, soon found herself unable to resist the tickling. Laughter echoed in the room as she squirmed under Rin's relentless assault.

A few moments later...

"Hahh... hahh... hahh..." Saber gasped for breath, clearly worn out from the tickling session.

Rin stood proudly, satisfied with her little victory, until she turned around and noticed something.

"Huh? Where's Echidna?" Rin asked, suddenly realizing her absence.

"Echidna left while you were busy tickling me!" Saber replied, still catching her breath.

"Wait, what?" Rin exclaimed, surprised that she hadn't noticed.

Meanwhile with Rei and Sakura, few hours later after they started their date they continued their walk through Fuyuki City, with Rei leading the way. they found themselves walking toward a bustling shopping center, a more traditional area of town with cozy local shops and food stalls lining the streets.

Rei glanced at Sakura with a smile. "I thought this would be a good place next."

Sakura smiled back, feeling comforted by Rei's calm and thoughtful demeanor. "It's fine. I like places like this."

They wandered through the shopping center, stopping at a few stalls. Rei led Sakura to a small shop, where delicate accessories were on display. "Here, why don't you pick something out?" Rei said.

Sakura hesitated at first, feeling shy about accepting a gift, but Rei's gentle encouragement made her feel at ease. She eventually chose a simple silver bracelet with a tiny cherry blossom charm.

Rei handed it to the shopkeeper and, after paying, carefully placed it on Sakura's wrist. "It suits you," he said softly, admiring how the bracelet matched her.

Sakura smiled shyly, her heart beating a little faster. "Thank you, Rei."

They continued exploring, stopping occasionally at food stalls where Rei insisted Sakura try different snacks. They shared some taiyaki, a warm, fish-shaped pastry filled with sweet red bean paste. As they walked, Rei noticed how happy Sakura looked, the tension from earlier completely gone.

After some time in the shopping center, Rei suggested they head to the local park. Rei led Sakura to a bench near a small pond.

Sakura sat beside him, the cool evening breeze gently blowing through her hair.

Rei smiled, leaning back slightly as he looked at the serene scene before them. "I thought you might enjoy it. It's good to have days like this where you can just relax and have fun."

Sakura looked at him, her heart swelling with affection. "yeah, i really enjoyed everything."

Rei turned to her, his eyes soft as he reached out and gently brushed a strand of hair from her face. "I care about you, Sakura. I just want you to be happy."

Sakura blushed deeply, her hand instinctively reaching for the bracelet on her wrist. "I'm really happy today. Thank you, Rei."

Rei smiled, his hand resting briefly on hers as they both sat there in comfortable silence. The peaceful atmosphere between them made Sakura feel even closer to him. Eventually, without thinking, she reached out and held his hand.

Rei looked down at their intertwined hands, then up at Sakura, a gentle smile spreading across his face. "I'm glad we did this," he said softly.

Sakura nodded, her blush deepening as she leaned her head on his shoulder. "Me too..."

They stayed like that for a while, enjoying the breeze that gently swept through the park. The peace of the moment was interrupted when Rei suddenly spoke, "You can come out now," which left Sakura looking confused.

Moments later, the sound of footsteps approached from behind, causing Sakura to turn around.

"Echidna!? Since when were you here?" Sakura asked in surprise, quickly adjusting her posture.

"Since you two went to that shop to buy bracelets," Echidna replied calmly.

"That long?" Sakura was even more shocked.

Rei could only sigh and shake his head. He had sensed Echidna's presence for a while now but decided to let her be.

"Well, at least I should thank you for not interrupting our date," Rei finally said, standing up and extending his hand to Sakura to help her rise.

Sakura took Rei's hand, letting him pull her to her feet, but after that, she still didn't let go of his hand.

"I don't understand what the two of you are doing, but I had a strange feeling it wouldn't be good to interrupt," Echidna said, her eyes watching them closely.

And she was right. If she had interrupted their time together, Rei wouldn't have taken it lightly, especially after all he had done to make this day special for Sakura.

"Well, it's fine now, but since you're already here, is there something you want?" Rei asked, glancing at Echidna.

"No, I just want to watch over you so you don't do anything that might destroy the world," Echidna replied calmly.

"Destroy the world?" Sakura repeated, confusion etched across her face, unsure of what Echidna was implying.

"Don't worry too much about that, Sakura," Rei reassured her with a gentle smile. Then he turned to Echidna. "Well, since you're here, do you want to join us as we explore the city?"

Echidna immediately agreed, seeing it as an opportunity to keep an even closer watch on Rei. With that, the three of them left the park together, ready to explore the rest of Fuyuki.

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As the sun began to set, Rei, Sakura, and Echidna strolled down the quiet streets of Fuyuki City, heading back home after a long day together. The peaceful atmosphere was broken when they spotted someone carrying groceries down the road—a familiar face to both Rei and Sakura.

Sakura immediately waved. "Sajyou-san! Good evening!"

The girl with long black hair, Ayaka Sajyou, hesitated for a moment before turning to face them. Her expression remained reserved, as it always did. She was the quiet type, barely talking in Rin's classroom, often keeping to herself.

"Good evening, Tohsaka-san," Ayaka replied softly, her tone polite but distant. She glanced quickly at Rei and Echidna, her grip tightening slightly on the grocery bags she carried.

"Are you heading home after shopping?" Sakura asked as she approached, smiling warmly.

"Yes, just getting some things for dinner," Ayaka answered, her eyes occasionally flickering towards Rei but never quite lingering.

Sakura, noticing her hesitation, continued, "We're all heading back to Emiya's place for dinner. Why don't you join us? We could all eat together. I'm sure everyone would love it."

Ayaka blinked, taken aback by the sudden invitation. "I-I wouldn't want to impose..."

Sakura waved her hand dismissively. "Not at all! It'll be fun. Plus, I'm sure Rin-neechan would be happy to see you too."

Rei watched the exchange with mild amusement, while Echidna simply observed quietly, her gaze occasionally drifting to Rei as if assessing the situation.

Ayaka hesitated, glancing between Sakura, Rei, and her groceries. After a moment Rei suddenly said something

"There is also something we want to discuss with you, Ayaka," Rei said in a serious tone.

Hearing this made Sakura's expression change as she recalled the events from last night, when they encountered Shinki and her Servant. The weight of the situation was still fresh in her mind.

"Something happened? Is it really serious?" Ayaka immediately asked, her eyes widening with concern.

"Yes, it's very serious," Rei confirmed, his tone unwavering.

As they continued walking toward Emiya's residence, Ayaka occasionally glanced at Echidna, her curiosity evident. The woman's striking appearance—with her long flowing blonde hair, ruby-red eyes, and elegant attire—stood out, making Ayaka wonder who she was.

"By the way, where's Archer?" Rei asked, breaking the silence.

"Eh, Archer's at home. For some reason, she's been in a bad mood since this morning, like she's deep in thought about something," Ayaka replied, her tone thoughtful.

"I see. Well, I hope her mood improves soon," Rei responded casually, a small smile on his face.

Behind them, Echidna muttered under her breath, "It's your fault for stopping time again...".