Shirou, who returned from the Fairy Kingdom

I really do like him… Aoko thought to herself.

"Does Shirou hate me?"

"How can it be."

"I knew you would say that."

Aoko smiled happily, then suppressed her slightly racing heartbeat and asked.

"So...do you like me?"

"I don't know," Shirou answered truthfully.

"What kind of answer is that! It's terrible!" Aoko shouted angrily.

"No...it was too sudden, so I didn't have time to think about it. I'll consider it later—"

"no need."

Aoko said with a relieved expression.

Is that so... It seems I misunderstood.

Shirou isn't going to be my future lover.

Although I had already vaguely sensed it.

The reason Shirou is so good to me is probably because that's just who he is.

If anyone else were in trouble, Shirou would not hesitate to step forward and help them.

I just misunderstood... Oh no, I like it even more now!

"Aoko."

Just as Shirou was about to say something, Aoko interrupted him.

Anyway, I didn't expect your reply.

In short, Shirou doesn't need to feel any psychological burden.

This is Aoko's view on love.

If you are certain of your feelings, you don't need a response from the other person.

"Don't worry, I won't ask Shirou to have any further relationship with me, and I won't ask you to date me."

Thinking she had uttered some incredibly cool and stylish words, Aoko turned her back to Shirou.

"Ah~~ It's getting a little cold, let's soak a little longer!"

As she said this, the girl in the bikini jumped into the hot spring, creating a huge splash.

"I will give you an answer after everything is over."

The boy, who had muttered this to himself, returned to the hot spring, immersing his body in the hot water while looking up at the night sky.

The starry sky, so beautiful it seemed like a dream, dazzled Shirou.

……

……

The following afternoon, Shirou and Aoko took a bus back to Misaki.

The hot spring trip must have had a great stress-relieving effect, because the atmosphere on the way back was very relaxed and pleasant.

The kiss last night didn't make their interaction awkward.

"By the way, Shirou, what gift did you bring for Arisu? Arisu has been looking after the house by herself for so long, she might throw a tantrum if the gift isn't to her liking."

Shirou showed her the wagashi (Japanese sweets) he had bought before leaving the inn.

Although it's a Japanese confectionery, it's said to taste quite good when eaten with black tea.

"Speaking of which, how did Aoko know I was going to bring a souvenir for Aoi-ju?"

Shirou's casual question left Aoko stunned.

"Uh……"

I can't admit that I was eavesdropping when you were chatting with Youzhu.

"No... well... because, Shirou, you're the kind of person who brings back local specialties when you travel, haha!"

Aoko gave a casual, perfunctory answer, and Shirou, without giving it much thought, believed her.

The two walked for a while in silence.

"Shirou, about last night..."

"Don't worry, I won't keep it a secret, and I won't tell Youzhu."

Shirou made his promise with a serious expression.

Aoko frowned slightly: "?"

That's not what she wanted to say. Why did she keep it from Yoo-joo?

In Shirou's eyes, Aoko was the kind of girl with a very strong sense of self-respect.

If her roommate knew what happened last night, she would definitely feel extremely embarrassed.

"Hmm... It's okay if Aoko finds out..." Aoko said, turning her head away.

Shirou shook his head and insisted, "No, no, no, this absolutely cannot be known to Arisu."

The image of Yu-joo covering her mouth, her expression full of mockery, flashed through his mind—

"Aoko, I heard you assaulted a 12-year-old boy at a hot spring inn? Can you tell me in detail how you became a sex offender?"

Seeing Shirou's expression of rejection, Aoko pouted.

"Speaking of which, when you first met Arizuki, you called her 'Arizuki' as well."

Unlike Aoko, Azusa has an older sister who shares the same surname, Aozaki.

Aoko thought to herself: You two probably aren't that close, are you? Why don't you call her Kuonji?

Shirou tilted his head and pondered for a moment.

Before the time jump, he would always use honorifics when speaking to Yuju, but after arriving in 1989, he stopped using them every time.

Perhaps it's because Yuju has become younger.

Perhaps it was because of what Yuuka did to Shirou the night before she was to travel through time.

"You can call me whatever you want... Aoko, are you angry?"

"I'm not angry."

The young girl frowned slightly and answered with an icy expression.

The two arrived at the foot of the mountain.

Just as Aoko was about to walk up the mountain path as usual, Shirou grabbed her wrist.

"what happened?"

"Wait a minute, something feels off."

Aoko stood obediently in place and waited, while Shirou gazed at the Western-style mansion on the mountaintop, a sense of foreboding suddenly rising in his heart.

The barrier is intact, but...

"Ah, Xiaoqing! You're finally back!"

Just then, a gentle female voice rang out.

Shirou turned around and saw an unexpected figure running towards them.

Aoko also exclaimed in surprise, "Idiot Ritsuka?"

It was the beautiful older sister, Ritsuka Shuse, whom Shirou had previously helped clean.

Not only her, but also a man and a woman were standing not far away.

Shirou also recognized the woman; she was Sister Yuika.

He didn't recognize the man, but Shirou guessed that he was probably the priest from the Goda Church.

Wearing a black coat, he exuded a captivating aura, reminding Shirou of a well-honed sword.

This priest... might be even stronger than Kotomine Risei.

"I've been looking for you for so long... Hey, Ash?"

Ritsuka Shuse notices Shirou next to Aoko and calls out his name.

"Good afternoon, Sister Lujia."

Shirou greeted her politely, and Aoko couldn't help but ask curiously, "Do you two know each other?"

"Yes, Shirou... You said you found a place to stay... Could it be that you've been living with Aoi and Yu all this time?"

Shirou nodded.

This unexpected turn of events clearly worsened Aoko's mood.

She crossed her arms and asked somewhat impatiently, "What's going on? Shirou, what's your relationship with that idiot Ritsuka?"

Ritsuka quickly answered, "Relationship? Ah... Shirou comes to my house every week to help with chores and cooks for me too~"

"Aha?"

Aoko frowned: "Why would Shirou go to your house to clean and cook for you?"

If you live alone, then keep your apartment tidy up yourself. That's why you're still single...

"Waaah... Xiaoqing's words are so mean! She clearly said when we were little that she liked me the most and wanted to be Sister Lujia's bride when we grew up..."

"I never said anything like that!"

Aoko loudly refuted him, while stealing glances at Shirou.

After teasing Aoko, Ritsuka Shuse explained how she met Shirou.

"What? Oh, I see... If that's the case, you should have said so sooner, so I could have worried for nothing."

Qingzi breathed a sigh of relief.

Ritsuka Zhou leaned closer, smiling, and asked, "What are you worried about? That I'll steal Asuka away from you?"

"You idiot, law firm!"

Aoko's face flushed red, and she chased after her as if to hit her.

"They're really close," Shirou thought. "No wonder Touko went to the trouble of spending a whole week setting a trap at Ritsuka Shuse's doorstep."

Aoko is the kind of girl who solves problems on her own and would never ask others for help. But if she asked Ritsuka for help, the latter would definitely step in to help and intervene in the sisters' duel.

"Excuse me...shouldn't we get down to business now?"

Shirou said to the two who were fooling around.

"Oh right, I'm sorry." Ritsuka Zhou Se's smile faded.

Shirou cut to the chase and asked, "What happened?"

Judging from the situation just now, Ritsuka Shuse has been waiting for Aoko here all day.

and--

Even Yuika Shuse and the priest from the Goda Church have arrived, so this must be no small matter.

Please don't let anything happen, Yuju.

Shirou exhaled white breath and looked uneasily towards the mountaintop.

--------

Volume 2, Chapter 138: Hints at Magic (Physical?)

The Hetian Church discovered the anomaly around 11 p.m. last night.

This church, nominally an ordinary religious site open to the public, is actually a subordinate organization of the Holy Church, tasked with monitoring the Aozaki family and the spiritual veins under their name.