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Reiji: Sakura will probably be really upset...
I've finally returned home...The sun has long since set, leaving the vicinity covered in increasing twilight.
After I left school I went to the shopping district, bought what we needed for dinner and hurried back.
I have a plastic bag in one hand, and a paper bag filled to the brim with large sweet buns in the other...I decided
to get a lot more than I had originally intended in order to apologize to Sakura.
Reiji: I'm home...
Surely she'll come out at any moment, pissed off and say that she's starving.
Although that's what I'm expecting as I cross the threshold, she's waiting there and speaks with an unexpected tone.
Sakura: Ah! Welcome home, Master!
Reiji: O...Oh?
Sakura greets me, smiling from ear to ear.
I was sure that she would be pissed, but she's greeting me as if everything was fine...
Reiji: Um...I'm sorry that I took so long.
I apologize in a puzzled manner, because I can't understand why she's so cheerful.
Sakura: Nn, it's alright. I didn't exactly tell you to come back early, and I was the one being selfish to begin with.
Reiji: ...Sakura?
Commendable words like that don't suit Sakura, and I can't help but think that she's come down with a fever again.
Sakura: But more important than that...Master, look, look!
Reiji: Eh?
I follow Sakura's wild gestures towards a dish that's on the table...
And there I can see what looks to be my favorite food sitting on it with rice accompanying it.
Reiji: This...is curry, right? What's going on?
Sakura: Eheehee...Actually, I made this while you were out shopping, Master.
Reiji: I get it now...So that's why you were so insistent on making me go out...
Sakura: Nn. ...You always look after me Master, so I wanted to reward you no matter what.
So of course, she wanted to keep what she planned to do hidden from me up until now.
Smiling from ear to ear, Sakura pulls out a chair and beckons me to sit.
Reiji: Good grief, you didn't have to hide something like this...It makes me feel like I wasted my time going out
and buying what we needed to make dinner.
Sakura: Now, now, we'll just use it for tomorrow...tonight you can enjoy Sakura's specially made curry!
Reiji: H-Hey hey, don't push me into this...
Sakura: I want you to hurry and eat it! ...So, sit-sit please?
Saying that, Sakura pushes me forward and down into the chair.
Sakura: I'm confident that it will be delicious this time, and you'll forget all about the disaster that was last time!
Reiji: It WAS a disaster. Except I had nothing to do with it...
Sakura: Muu, enough! Hurry up and eat it!
I slowly pick up my spoon and glance at Sakura. The look on her face clearly says that she won't let me go without eating it.
Reiji: W-Well than, here goes...
I'm scared. After all, Sakura's only attempt at cooking resulted badly.
Even though Sayuki was coaching her, it still ended up that badly, and this time she made the curry all by herself...
I suppose this is my punishment for coming back so late, and I slowly dip my spoon into the dish, fully aware of the
fact that I have plenty of stomach medicine in stock.
Reiji: ......Hm?
Expecting the result similar to as if I had stepped on a land mine, I slowly sip it...
However, the taste is completely unexpected.
Sakura: Well? Is it delicious?
Reiji: Y-Yeah, it's good...
Yes. The taste is deep and very familiar...
It tastes nearly identical to the curry I make.
Sakura: Really? Eheehee, I worked *** it!
It's almost scary that Sakura was able to make it taste this miraculous even though she doesn't know how to cook.
Seeing that I'm satisfied with the result, Sakura smiles brightly again.
Sakura: Here-here, hurry up and eat some more!
Reiji: Y-Yeah.
Urged on by Sakura, I quickly bring my spoon back down to the curry and bring more of it up to my mouth.
Sakura: Eat as much as you like. There's plenty more.
Reiji: Even I can't eat that much, you know.
Sakura: B-But, you said it was delicious, right? Is it close to the curry you make, Master?
Reiji: Y-Yeah...
This curry certainly is good.
Although it's a little lighter on the spiciness than I normally prefer, it's still good as it is even if the
spiciness is what I prefer the most.
However...
Reiji: Sakura...did something happen to you?
Sakura: Fweh?
...But why now? Even though she's trying to hide it behind her concern for how her curry tastes, there's something
off about her.
If I were to guess...it's like she's trying too hard to cover something up, and I can sense it.
Reiji: Even though you're always a little forceful, you've been excessively so for a little while now...That's
why I'm wondering if something is going on with you.
Sakura: Th...There's nothing going on.
Sakura looks away while saying that, and apparently I hit the bulls-eye.
Sakura: I was just really nervous. I was really worried about what you would think of the taste, Master...
Sakura: B-But, I'm glad that you said that you liked it. Thank you, Master.
Reiji: Y-Yeah...
If she bows and says it in a way like that, I can't really say anything else about it.
A strange silence than flows between us, the only sounds being made are those of me quietly eating the curry she made.
...Before long.
Sakura: ...Hey, Master?
Reiji: Hm? What is it?
As soon as I finish the portion on my plate, Sakura breaks the silence.
Sakura: Thank you for listening to my selfishness today...You ate the curry I made, and you got some of those large
sweet buns as well.
Reiji: Ah...Don't worry about it.
Even though the sweet buns in the bag have completely cooled by now, Sakura gives me a shy look of thanks because
she's so embarrassed.
Sakura: I know it's really selfish of me...but can I ask another favor of you?
Reiji: Just say it. It'll depend on what it is.
Sakura: Eheehee...
Sakura looks down and fidgets in embarrassment again before she opens her mouth to continue speaking.
Sakura: For the whole day tomorrow, I want you to be with me...
Reiji: ......
Sakura: ......
Reiji: ......
Reiji: What, that's it?
Sakura: Fweh?
I didn't think that it would be something so easy to grant, so I can't help but be surprised at how anti-climatic
her request is.
Reiji: We already spend every day together...I mean, didn't we do the same thing today?
Sakura: T-Tomorrow I want to do something special though!!
Sakura: I want to spend the day together, not just sleep the entire day.
Reiji: What are you saying...
I know she's trying to tell me something, but I can't understand what it could be.
Sakura: Uuu...therefore, um...in other words, I want us to...go on a date.
Reiji: Date...?
Sakura: ...No good?
Sakura's shoulders immediately sag as she asks that sadly.
Since the final battle could come upon us at any time, we don't have the luxury of being able to go off on a carefree
date like this.
We need to do as little as possible in order to conserve her magical reserves. That's been our only real plan.
...However, since we don't know when the last fight will happen, we also need to treasure what little time we have
left together.
If we do nothing but wait, than it's just as possible that we might lose because we're not up to snuff...
Of course, there's no guarantee that we'll survive even if we're prepared and confident that we won't lose.
In that case...maybe it'll be a good idea to go along with Sakura's selfish request since we haven't spent quality
time like this together in a while.
It'll likely be a good stress reliever for us, and we'll restore our spirits while we're at it.
Reiji: ...Alright Sakura, we'll spend the day together. But if it's a date you want, do you have anywhere specific in mind?
Sakura: Ah...
Sakura: N-Nn! There's a lot of places I want to visit tomorrow!
Sakura's sad expression quickly fades and is once again replaced by her brilliant smile.
Sakura: Thank you Master! Tomorrow we'll spend the whole day on a date...You promise, right?!
Reiji: Ok, I promise.
Sakura extends her pinky, and I oblige her and we promise it as if we were children.
Maybe I'm overthinking things, but I can't shake the feeling that I'm missing something...
But when Sakura smiles so cheerfully as she looks forward to tomorrow, I tuck those thoughts into the back of my mind.