Fate! (New Book—Please Support!)

"Emiya, you..."

"As you can see, I got careless while working part-time..." Shirou could only smile wryly.

"So?"

Shirou lowered his head. "Shinji! Please! Join the Archery Club and compete in my place! I don't want the Archery Club to suffer because of me."

Watching Shirou act like this, Shinji's mouth twitched as he gave him a look that practically said, Are you fucking kidding me? After a long silence, he finally gathered his thoughts and spoke.

"Emiya, honestly, I'm happy that someone like you, who's always giving everything for other people, can ask someone else for a favor. But... forget that I don't have the time right now—even if I did, I've never learned archery!"

"Shinji! You can definitely do it! Remember when we went hiking together and you threw branches at birds? You never missed! If you can do that, you can definitely do this!" Shirou's gaze was incredibly straightforward and earnest.

"That's completely different, okay?!" Shinji shouted in retort. Then he held his forehead and sighed. "Emiya, it's probably strange coming from someone who's never touched archery, but... are you sure you're not underestimating it?"

"I do get that impression, Emiya."

Sitting beside Shirou was a girl around sixteen or seventeen, beautiful enough to draw people's attention without any excessive effort put into her appearance. Her shoulder-length short hair was neat and refreshing, giving her a spirited, gallant air. Her eyes and hair were both brown, and she wore light-blue denim shorts with a pink top. Resting her cheek in one hand, she turned sideways to look at Shirou.

The girl's name was Ryougi... Ahem, Ayako Mitsuzuri, a first-year member of the Archery Club and its future president and captain.

"Mitsuzuri, that's not what I meant." Shirou hurriedly explained before looking at Shinji again. "Shinji is different from everyone else. He can definitely do it."

"What exactly do you know about me?" Shinji complained speechlessly. Then he waved a hand, his expression extremely casual. "Anyway, absolutely not. I have plenty of things to do."

"Matou..."

Sitting beside Shinji near the aisle was a boy with short purple hair, round glasses, and a neat casual outfit that gave him a refined, scholarly air. He pushed up his glasses, and despite the slight local accent in his voice, he sounded surprisingly mature and steady.

"I'd like to have a proper talk with you about your absences last semester, as well as your consecutive week of skipping school right after this term started..."

Before the bespectacled boy—Issei Ryuudou—could finish, Shinji cut him off irritably. "Hey, hey, Emiya, have you learned to use such underhanded tactics now? You got Isshin, who thinks he has something on me, to persuade me? You think that'll make me submit? No! You're overthinking it! You should know I have so much dirt like that I can't even count it all! Dirt like secretly keeping dirty magazines—I don't care about that at all!"

"No, you've misunderstood, Shinji. I just happened to run into Isshin on the way here," Shirou explained.

"That's right! It has nothing to do with Emiya!" Isshin, utterly devoted to defending his husband, seriously chimed in before calmly glancing at Shinji. "Matou, bringing prohibited materials unsuitable for minors onto school grounds is a complete violation of school rules. Do you know what the consequences are?"

"Suspension for reflection." Saying that, Shinji stood up and gave Isshin a deep bow. "Thank you, Isshin."

"You don't have even the slightest remorse or self-reflection, do you?"

"Hmph." Shinji crossed his arms and chuckled softly, looking utterly unconcerned. "Sorry, not at all! Dirty magazines are a necessity for adolescent boys! In other words, it's like how water is the source of life for humanity! They're essential spiritual nourishment for adolescent boys. Is drinking water a crime, then?!"

Seeing Shinji's utterly matter-of-fact expression, even the steady Isshin, who was never impatient, could not help retorting, "Those are completely unrelated! Do you want me to send you back to the temple to train for a while?"

"Can I secretly bring dirty magazines?"

"Enough already!!"

"Hahahaha..." At that moment, Mitsuzuri, who had been silently watching the two of them, suddenly burst into laughter for no apparent reason. Tears came to her eyes from laughing, but she still could not stop. "Emiya, this guy is too funny. He's even more interesting than you said. If someone like him joined the Archery Club, it would definitely be fun."

"And you are?" Shinji asked.

"You can't even remember your own classmate?" Shirou retorted.

"Hello. I'm your classmate, Ayako Mitsuzuri. Matou Shinji."

"I see." Shinji nodded, then propped his chin on one hand and frowned thoughtfully at the hand Mitsuzuri had extended toward him. "So, you want my autograph? That's fine, but I didn't bring a pen. Can I give it to you next time?"

Mitsuzuri's face darkened, but the next moment, she put on a warm smile like the rising sun. Looking at Shirou, she said, "Emiya, you absolutely have to get this person into the Archery Club. I'm super interested in him."

"Mitsuzuri, I told you, Shinji loves making jokes. If you take this sort of thing too seriously, it'll never end."

"Honestly," Shinji said as he spread his hands and raised an eyebrow, looking utterly helpless, "girls these days are too bold. Saying they're interested in a boy they just met, right to his face... You should know that even I get embarrassed when faced with something like that. Anyway, Ryougi, I'll think about it carefully. Please wait patiently until I give you an official answer."

"Um, Emiya, can I punch him? Seriously, this person didn't remember anyone's name at all. Not a single character."

"Alright, decided!" Shinji suddenly seemed to think of something. He grinned and leaned closer to Mitsuzuri. "It's not completely impossible for me to join. On one condition: Ryougi, you have to be my girlfriend."

"Sorry. My name is Ayako Mitsuzuri." Mitsuzuri still wore a sweet smile. "And if you really are a genius as Emiya says, and you show your talent after joining the Archery Club, I can give you a chance to pursue me."

"Ah, is that so?" Shinji instantly switched to an utterly bored expression. Waving a hand, he turned to leave. "Sorry, I suddenly lost all interest. Goodbye."

Mitsuzuri could no longer hold herself back. She shot to her feet. "Stop right there! What's with that infuriating change in attitude?!"

"What do you mean, what's with it?" Shinji shrugged casually. "Isn't it obvious? It's common sense that a woman who sets conditions can't be considered a good match."

At that moment, a black-haired twin-tailed girl sitting in a secluded booth in the corner of the café, hiding her face behind a newspaper, nearly spat it out.

"You were the one who made a joke and set a condition first!!" Mitsuzuri shot back.

"Was I?" Shinji put on an innocent expression and tilted his head.

"Please, just one punch! Let me punch him just once, Emiya!"

"No, even if you say that to me, I..." Shirou could only smile awkwardly.

At last, Shinji grew serious. Shrugging lightly and spreading his hands, he continued casually, "Anyway, if I'm not interested, then I'm not interested. And unlike you, Emiya, I'm not some indiscriminately kind person who spares no effort whenever anyone is in trouble and asks for help. Compared to that, I'm just a pretty selfish ordinary person."