"What do you mean, what do you mean?"
Shinji frowned, then sighed with a hint of sentimentality. "They were just words I said to comfort her before. She was a widow who had just lost her husband, raising a child alone, and her shop's business was practically nonexistent. Other than comforting her like that, encouraging her, and giving her hope for the future, what else could I have done?"
It did not sound like there was anything wrong with it at first, but the more Rin thought about it, the more she felt something was off.
Then Rin remembered something else.
No!
Judging by her conversation with Shinji just now, he clearly knew what that barrier did!
"Hmph! You did it, didn't you?" Rin snorted. "If it wasn't you, how could you possibly know what that barrier did?!"
"Emiya told me this morning."
"Tch!" Rin clicked her tongue. How had she overlooked that possibility?
In the end, with no substantial evidence, Rin let Shinji go.
Of course, before leaving, Rin still fiercely declared, "Once I find the person who set up that weird barrier—the culprit who made me gain two pounds of unnecessary fat—I'll teach him a harsh lesson!"
Unable to resist his usual twisted sense of humor, Shinji lifted the bag of food in his hand just as Rin was about to leave.
"Tohsaka, want some steamed buns?"
Rin stumbled and nearly fell. She turned around and glared at Shinji through gritted teeth. For some reason, she was becoming more and more convinced that this man was doing it on purpose!
"No! And you're definitely going to sell them to me at the original price again, right?"
"No, no, no."
Shinji shook his head, wearing an expression that said, What kind of person do you take me for? "These