Christmas Eve Again (Please Support the New Book!)

December 24, 2003.

It was Christmas Eve once again.

Emiya Residence.

At the low table in the living room, just like every previous year, Taiga—cosplaying as Santa Claus—had drunk herself into a bleary-eyed stupor and was slumped over the table, half asleep.

"Fuji-nee, if you want to sleep, go home and sleep. You'll catch a cold sleeping in a place like this."

Shirou approached with a blanket, his face full of helplessness.

"I told you not to drink so much, but this person just refuses to listen."

"I'm not drunk!"

"You reek of alcohol. That's not convincing at all!"

"Shirou, you said I stink... Damn it!"

"Don't pounce on me!"

Watching Shirou and Taiga descend into chaos, Sakura, who had remained seated at the low table, could not help covering her mouth and laughing sincerely.

Looking at Taiga sleeping on the floor beneath a blanket, Shirou gave Sakura a somewhat helpless smile.

"Sorry, Sakura. You had to see Fuji-nee like this."

"It's nothing." Sakura shook her head. "It feels completely different from my home. I rather like it."

Hearing that, Shirou scratched his head and pulled an awkward smile. "Well, normally, family circumstances aren't something outsiders like us should pry into, but Sakura, your family situation with Shinji..."

Before he could finish, Shirou suddenly noticed a complicated emotion surfacing in Sakura's eyes. He immediately hurried to correct himself. "Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to."

Sakura shook her head without saying anything. She merely looked at the little white teddy bear on the table—the one sent from Tokyo.

"But when it comes to Christmas and birthday presents, Shinji has never forgotten them as an older brother," Shirou continued. "Maybe he just can't bring himself to admit anything in front of his little sister."

Sakura still did not reply.

Seeing that Sakura had no desire to continue the conversation, Shirou changed the subject. "Come to think of it, Shinji is now..."

Before he could finish, the news report playing on the television stopped the words in Shirou's throat.

"The mysterious singer Shinji, who won the Best New Artist award with a single album only two months after his debut and gained countless fans, suddenly announced at the release conference for his second album that he would refuse all awards. He further stated that every song on his album had been plagiarized, before finally announcing his retirement from the music industry.

"The moment the news broke, it immediately sparked condemnation and discussion among countless fans.

"However, Shinji did not name the person he had supposedly plagiarized, and so far, no one has come forward to accuse him.

"Even more strangely, fans have specifically compared Shinji's songs and lyrics, yet found no signs of plagiarism or imitation.

"This matter has been fermenting for a full month now. As for the truth behind Shinji's claim of plagiarism, we still do not know.

"Then there was the final statement made by the masked Shinji at the press conference when reporters asked what he planned to do next: 'Recently, I'd like to try becoming Shinichi.' That remark has also left countless fans utterly baffled."

Watching the mysterious singer Shinji on the television screen, wearing a tanuki mask at that press conference, Shirou shook his head helplessly.

"Maybe his spur-of-the-moment interest vanished as suddenly as it appeared. Still, that guy really is amazing. Even something he does on a whim can reach this level."

"Yeah... My brother really is amazing." Sakura lowered her head and softly answered.

"But if the television says so, then Shinji should have come back by now, right? That press conference was a month ago."

Sakura shook her head.

"Did he find some new interest again? Shinichi... what is that?"

"I don't know."

As she spoke, Sakura looked toward the television, which happened to begin airing the next news report.

"The locked-room murder that occurred today at 5:10 p.m. in Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo, has been solved, and the culprit has been apprehended by the police.

"It is said that a seventeen-year-old high school student assisted the police in solving the case.

"Furthermore, according to police insiders, this is already the eighth case this month that the high school student has assisted the police in solving."

"Um..." Shirou looked at Sakura and cautiously asked, "Maybe I'm overthinking it, but that high school detective... could it be...?"

"Probably my brother..."

Shirou: ...What exactly can't my friend do?

"Ah..." Shirou propped himself up with both hands against the floor and raised his face with a long sigh. "Shinji really is an all-around genius. Honestly, I've never seen him fail at anything."

Sakura suddenly thought of that small figure beneath the setting sun, gritting his teeth as the rushing river repeatedly swept him far away. She brushed aside the hair by her cheek.

Pride, focus, hard work, refusing to admit defeat, never giving up...

Those were all things her brother possessed, and things she wanted to possess as well.

"There's still a piece of cake left. I hope it won't go bad."

As he spoke, Shirou stood, picked up the remaining cake from the table, and slowly walked to the refrigerator in the kitchen.

"If Shinji were here, at least there wouldn't be any left over."

"My brother... doesn't like sweets."

"Huh?" Shirou had just put the cake into the refrigerator when he gave a puzzled sound. "I've never heard Shinji mention that before."

"Maybe it wasn't worth mentioning."

"Seriously." Shirou closed the refrigerator door, looking somewhat helpless. "That guy even fought me for pudding before, yet he actually hates sweets. Shinji really is a strange guy."

Sakura paid no attention to Shirou saying that Shinji had stolen his pudding. She simply assumed her brother had been fooling around with his senior.

Eleven o'clock at night, Fuyuki City New City Station.

Having just dragged his suitcase out of the station, Shinji looked at the goose-feather snow and closed his eyes, deeply breathing in the all-too-familiar cold air.

But before Shinji could sigh about finally being back, he suddenly saw Rin standing less than ten meters away, staring at him in disbelief with her mouth agape, earphones in and a CD player in hand.

What people commonly called enemies meeting on a narrow road!

The data in those setting materials really can't be trusted. Didn't they say Tohsaka Rin couldn't use machines? Shinji silently complained.

Shinji did not know how long it had taken Rin, or how many times she had sought out the CD player shop clerk, before she had barely learned how to use this simplest of CD players. She did not even know how to skip tracks.

"It's only been a few months. Why do you look like you've seen a ghost?" Shinji asked irritably, but before he could take even one step, Rin shouted and stopped him.

"Stop right there!!"

"You're acting very strange."

"Just don't come over!"

"Our relationship might not be that great, but that attitude of yours is unexpectedly irritating." Shinji spoke expressionlessly.

Th-this is bad! Rin panicked inwardly. As for why she was so panicked, it was probably because the CD playing in her CD player belonged to a certain someone.

If this jerk finds out I actually bought his CD, he'll definitely laugh at me mercilessly!

Thinking that, Rin silently took several more steps back.

"A-anyway, l-let's just pretend we didn't see each other today!"

Seeing Rin say that with her face flushed red, Shinji fell silent for a long while before letting out a soft sigh and turning around.

"Whatever. I've been on the train for so long, I don't have the energy to argue with you." As he spoke, Shinji waved his hand. "See you. And Merry Christmas."

Huh? He was just leaving? Rin was somewhat surprised. Only after standing there in a daze for a while did she turn her face away and reluctantly answer in a tiny voice...

"Yeah... Merry Christmas..."