Chapter 246: The Pillows Are Out to Dry
"Ah, his eyebrows moved. Shirou is about to wake up."
"Cold-blooded woman! It's your fault for touching Shirou. Get away from him right now!" Jeanne barked at Artoria, who was sitting on the sofa letting the youth rest his head on her lap.
"Hmph. Shirou clearly has a very comfortable expression on his face. It's you, 'Assault Woman,' who is shouting too loudly and disturbing him." Artoria sneered, remaining completely unmoved.
"No, no, sisters, it really is time to wake Brother up. To think you actually fled to the living room... you're so hopeless, Onii-chan" Komachi grumbled in a low voice.
As the voices of the girls drifted into his ears, Shirou opened his eyes in a daze. He saw four beautiful faces above him; the girls were leaning over the sofa, gazing at his face from different angles.
"Eh...? Didn't I just... go to save the village? Why...?" Shirou blinked sleepily. Why was everyone here?
"Good morning, Shirou," Artoria said, looking down at the youth.
"Eh? Why...?" Shirou felt the softness beneath his head. The moment he opened his eyes, he saw the girl's beautiful face incredibly close to his own.
Mashiro was busy taking photos with her tablet, preparing material for her future manga.
"Good morning, Shirou. Anyway, get up already!!" Jeanne grabbed the youth's hand and pulled him straight up from the sofa.
"Whoa!" Shirou was yanked upright. Only then did he see his surroundings clearly and realize he had returned to his original world. He had had a very long dream, and his mind hadn't quite caught up yet.
"Good morning, Brother. Breakfast is ready, and Mom and Dad are about to wake up too!" Komachi, wearing her pink apron, stood with her hands on her hips as a reminder.
"Ah... ah, sorry, Komachi. And... everyone, good morning." Shirou felt as if his cold body—from his heart to his limbs—had suddenly become warm again.
"Good morning, children. What's this? Did something good happen?" Just then, the parents walked out and asked curiously.
"No, no! Nothing at all!" Shirou jumped up from the sofa with a start.
"Hmm... fine. Good morning, everyone." Mom glanced at her son. Given his reaction, something definitely happened last night, but since he didn't want to talk, she wouldn't ask.
"Let's all get ready for breakfast," Shirou said, quickly slipping away to the sink to brush his teeth and wash his face.
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Afterward, everyone sat around the dining table for breakfast.
This time, Komachi, who had learned well from Shirou, had prepared an exquisite breakfast: fried eggs with French buns. In addition to the popular local strawberry jam and mayonnaise, there was also French cheese that Shirou had purchased previously.
To accommodate Artoria and Mashiro, a pot of English milk tea had been brewed.
Comparatively, the Hikigaya family's meals had become much richer and more diverse. With the increase in the food budget, there were many more options available. The feeling of a large group of people eating breakfast together was quite wonderful.
"By the way, Jenny-chan, has your jet lag worn off yet?"
"Jet lag? Ah, right! That's totally fine! I had a good sleep, and now I'm full of energy," Jeanne replied quickly as she realized what was being asked.
"Is that so? Good, good. You young people are great—so energetic, all of you up so early," Mother Hikigaya agreed with relief.
"Indeed. For those who sleep well, even the pillows have been taken out to dry," Artoria said calmly, eating her rice unhurriedly.
"Pillows?" Shirou thought of the "decoy" item he had used to escape and looked toward the two girls in confusion.
"It's nothing! You idiot! Don't look over here!" The silver-haired girl's face turned beet-red. She furrowed her brows and glared at the youth, sounding extremely awkward.
"That reminds me, do you have plans for today? You should go sightseeing in Tokyo—see the Sky Tree or something," Mother Hikigaya suggested.
"Yes, Shirou said he would take me shopping today," Jeanne answered honestly.
"Mashiro and I are coming along too!" Artoria said decisively.
"I will go along to gather material," Mashiro said, looking at the youth expectantly.
"Komachi wants to go too! Brother, you're treating, right? The prize money from your exchange activity has already been paid out, hasn't it? Onii-chan~!" Komachi leaned her face in close, blinking her eyes repeatedly.
"I know, I know~!" Shirou agreed helplessly.
"Yay~! Komachi wants to buy clothes and bags. I'm going to redeem all my accumulated 'Komachi Points' today!"
"Shirou, take good care of them," Mom instructed.
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First came the sightseeing. To the girls, being here felt like a trip to the future; everything was filled with novelty, and they thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
With Komachi acting as a guide and talking incessantly about the local customs along the way, Artoria didn't miss a single snack shop, while Mashiro silently observed the interactions between the youth and the girls.
When the group reached the top of the Sky Tree, the silver-haired girl looked through a pair of binoculars at the world below. She sighed and said, "Oho, so this is Tokyo? There are so many people down there, they look just like ants! It seems... like a very suitable place to burn."
As she spoke, the silver-haired girl's face darkened, and she spoke with a fierce tone.
Shirou broke into a cold sweat but managed to say, "Calm down, calm down. This isn't Paris. It's a world-class metropolis, after all."
Jeanne pursed her lips awkwardly and scolded, "Shirou! You're so noisy! I obviously know that. Hurry up and take me to buy clothes! You said you'd help me pick them out! If you pick something I don't like, I'll burn you. And if I put them on and you say I don't look good, I'll burn you too!"
"Eh? Since when was it decided that I'm picking them out?" Shirou said, feeling a bit conflicted.
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So, the group took the subway for about thirty minutes and arrived in Shinjuku.
Stepping out of the station, Artoria and Jeanne were both taken aback.
"Is this really Shinjuku? It's changed so much! Ah, I've been to this place!" Jeanne remarked, looking around in wonder.
"Assault Woman, don't go running off. We'll get separated," Artoria reminded her.
"Ugh, there are way too many people here!" Jeanne was about to talk back when she was bumped by a steady stream of pedestrians, causing her to complain.
After all, this wasn't that post-apocalyptic magical realm. There was heavy traffic, but no Golems blocking the path, and no Demon Wolf King chasing them on the highway. Everywhere was bustling, and foreigners could be seen at every turn.
"At this rate, we might get separated," Komachi said, resting her chin on her hand and rolling her large eyes. She raised her hand and suggested, "Komachi thinks it would be better if we all held hands and walked together. There are a lot of people here, after all. Let's go, Mashiro-姉!"
With that, the girl winked at her brother, grabbed Mashiro's arm, and pulled her forward, leaving the youth and the other two girls behind.
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