Shirou, who returned from the Fairy Kingdom

"I think I'll probably love Shirou for the rest of my life," she thought. "That's enough."

But—Shirou unexpectedly gave her a clear answer.

"You're not the only one who falls in love at first sight, Aoko."

The boy's words completely captivated Aozaki Aoko.

"Amamiya-kun, are you sure you weren't threatened by Aoko? If you were, you have to tell me."

"Arisu, what are you saying! Shirou and I are in love... uh, that should be right, right?"

Aoko looked at the red-haired boy with a very unsure of herself.

Seeing the pitiful look in his lover's eyes, Shirou smiled and said.

"Is that so? No, I seem to recall that Aoko cast some kind of spell on me..."

Yuzu covered her lips: "You actually used a suggestive magic trick on Amamiya-kun? Aoko... your sins are beyond my imagination."

"I've never used anything like that! Aaaaaaah!"

Occasionally, Shirou and Aratama would team up to bully Aoko, just like this.

"I've had enough, I'm going to make some black tea."

Aoko angrily got up from the sofa and walked towards the kitchen.

"Oh right, since Shirou is planning to stay for a few more days, how about the three of us go out and have some fun?"

"........."

Seeing Shirou and Aoko looking at her with surprise, Aoko quickly blushed and explained, "We can't possibly stay in the mansion for the entire winter break, can we?"

"What's wrong with staying at home?" Misaki, the number one shut-in witch, retorted.

“It seems Aoko already has a place she wants to go,” Shirou said.

As expected, nothing can be hidden from him.

Aoko sighed, took three tickets out of her pocket, and slammed them on the table with a thud.

"A voucher for the hot springs...?"

Aoko said, "Wasn't Shirou quite dissatisfied with the artificial hot spring we soaked in last time? Let's go soak in a real hot spring this time!"

A hot spring trip for the three of us! Arisu is going too!

"..."

Kuonji Yuzuru frowned slightly, remained silent for a moment, and then spoke: "I don't..."

"Okay, let's all go together!"

Shirou became excited as soon as he heard that he could go to a real hot spring, as the artificial hot spring he experienced last time had been a huge disappointment to him.

Aoko turned to the black-haired girl with a sly smile: "Excuse me, Miss Ayumi, what did you just say?"

Kuonji Yuju shyly covered her cheeks with a book:

"...If Amamiya-kun goes, I want to go too."

……

……

A day later, the three arrived at a hot spring inn located deep in the mountains of Gunma.

This time it was finally a genuine hot spring, and Shirou was so moved he couldn't speak. Aoko laughed and said it was too much of an exaggeration.

It was already evening when they arrived, so after entering the hotel, they split up and went back to their rooms to put away their luggage.

Aoko booked three single rooms.

Half an hour later, the three met in the hotel corridor.

"Okay~ Let's go soak in the hot springs~"

Aoko became the one in the team responsible for giving orders.

Seeing the red-haired boy beside her who seemed about to say something but hesitated, she grinned mischievously: "Shirou, I know what you're thinking..."

But I'm sorry, your expectations will be disappointed; the hot springs here don't offer mixed-gender bathing.

Shirou frowned: "I never expected that."

"Really?"

Shirou nodded: "Really."

"Oh~ I'm a little injured... Turns out Shirou isn't interested in my body at all~"

Aoko wrapped her arms around Shirou's: "I was thinking of giving you a little treat tonight as a reward for taking care of me when I had a cold? Looks like I'll pass."

Shirou replied nonchalantly, "Whatever. It's not like I like Aoko's body anyway."

"........."

The girl's eyes widened, and her cheeks flushed instantly.

"Idiot! What are you saying all of a sudden! But I'm so happy... *sob*"

Although they had just arrived at the hotel, the two quickly began flirting.

Only Yuju stood to the side, her body completely petrified like the "Bridge Giant".

Her expression wavered as she muttered to herself, "Aoko...you bathed with Amamiya-kun...?"

Aoko and Ayumi went to the women's bath, while Shirou went to the men's bath next door by himself.

"How about it? Taking a hot spring trip once in a while isn't bad, is it?"

With Shirou gone, Aoko finally didn't have to put on airs like a young girl anymore.

She rested her arms on the shore like a middle-aged man in a bathhouse, with two large, snow-white fruits floating on the swaying water.

In contrast to her, Yuzhu remained dignified and serene even while soaking in the hot spring, as beautiful as a painting.

"Hmm... it's not bad if it happens occasionally," she said.

Aoko revealed a victorious expression: "Arisu has changed a lot too... If it were before, even if she agreed in her heart, she would never have said it out loud... Hehe."

Youzhu was speechless.

After all, in the past two weeks, she has experienced the consequences of not expressing her thoughts more acutely than anyone else.

“Aoko has changed much more than me.” But Yuzhu still refused to admit defeat.

"is it?"

"Ah."

"That's it..."

Aoko smiled and said nothing more, instead looking up at the magnificent starry sky that wasn't in the suburbs.

"Aoko."

"what?"

Why did you invite me to come along?

Yu-joo expressed her deepest confusion.

Shirou and Aoko are already dating, so there's no need to bring along another third wheel, especially since they already went on a hot spring trip together.

“There’s no need to worry about my feelings, you can just enjoy yourselves.” — If it were anyone else, Yuzhu would definitely say that.

But she is Qingzi, and she is not the type of person who easily considers others.

When faced with Arisu's question, Aoko replied nonchalantly, "What? Arisu, what are you angry about?"

"........."

Aoko stared intently at her face: "Aoko, you really noticed—that I love Shirou."

like………………

Aoko covered her mouth, barely managing to hold back her laughter.

Next year will be the 1990s, will there still be high school girls who would seriously use such a heavy word as "love"... No wonder she is a witch abandoned by the times.

"Ah, yes, I noticed."

Aoko admitted it.

As a 17-year-old girl herself, she certainly couldn't be so oblivious as not to notice the changes in her roommate.

Yuzu also likes Shirou, just like me.

But that's understandable, considering that Yuuka and Shirou were already... well, you know... long before Shirou and I even met.

After learning the cause and effect of time travel from "future Aoko," Aoko finally understood a fact:

It was she who took Shirou away from Arisa.

Therefore, although she didn't say anything, she still felt guilty.

And on the other side-

In Kuonji Yuzu’s view, she had been taking advantage of Shirou’s gentleness and shamelessly pestering him.

Both sides felt guilty.

Both Aoko and Ayumi believe that they are the third party who stole Aoko's love.

"I'm really annoyed that Aoko actually felt sorry for me."

Yuzhu said indignantly, "You don't think you've already won, do you? I understand Amamiya-kun better than you do."

The girl, who said "I don't understand him, I don't trust him" just a week ago, is now saying that "I understand him better."

Aoko really wanted to complain, but she knew very well that what Arisu said was an undeniable fact.

Although she was very unwilling, she understood Shirou better and could make him happier.

If it weren't for a series of misunderstandings and unfortunate events, Aoko, as a newcomer, would never have had the chance to interfere in Shirou and Arisu's relationship.

"But... I don't intend to lose to Yuju."

Aoko met Yuzu's gaze and fiercely issued a challenge.

"…………snort."

Yu-chu turned her face away and stopped talking.

Then, half an hour later, they left the hot spring together without saying anything more.

This time, however, Aoko and Arisu didn't fall out. On the contrary, they reached a tacit understanding of "fair competition" without saying a word.

The relationship between the three of them will surely continue to spiral into an even more twisted and complex one in the future.

The two people, dressed in yukatas, appeared at the door of Shirou's tatami room.

"Shirou, I came to play with Arisa."

Aoko hugged her pillow and pulled back the shoji screen.

……

……

After Christmas and the hot spring trip, Shirou did not stay in this era to celebrate the New Year.

On December 31st, he returned to his original timeline.

Using the device given to him by "Future Aoko", Shirou successfully returned to 1997.

Although he really wanted to go see 25-year-old Aoko and Arisu directly, Shirou had something more important to do before that—

I need to go home first and say hello to Alice and the others.

After selecting gifts for the women in his household, Shirou returned to his home in Fuyuki.

It's evening.

Irisviel and Ivy should both be home at this time.

Shirou activated "Presence Concealment," tiptoed through the entryway, and entered the living room.