After lunch, Sakura took it upon herself—or rather, snatched from Shinji—the job of washing the dishes.
Rin had wanted to help, but Sakura politely declined on the grounds that she was a guest.
In the sitting room, Shinji stood before a cabinet searching for tea leaves. He turned and asked Rin, who sat on the sofa looking much less awkward than she had at first.
"Is green tea okay? Looks like we're out of black tea."
"Ah, that's fine."
"Thank you."
A few minutes later, Rin politely thanked Shinji as she accepted the green tea he handed her. After taking a few small sips, she set the cup on the table before her.
"Getting ready to leave already?" Shinji casually asked as he drank his tea and browsed his laptop beside her. "Aren't you going to have Sakura show you around her room or something?"
"No." Rin shook her head, then rose to her feet. "It's my first time seeing the place where Sakura grew up, but it's much better than I imagined. Especially a certain older brother."
"Was that sarcasm?"
"No, it was praise."
"Tch!" Shinji curled his lip and waved dismissively. "If you're leaving, then disappear already."
"Anyway, thanks for lunch. I'll return the favor if I get the chance."
"No thanks. I'm not giving you a chance to poison me."
"What kind of person do you take me for?" Rin asked, speechless.
Shinji answered without hesitation. "The kind of evil witch who occasionally shows up in Tom and Jerry, living in some gloomy old castle while researching all kinds of dark magic and potions."
"You're the one looking for a fight! Who are you calling an evil witch?! And I told you not to laugh at me!!"
"Huh? Laugh?" Shinji asked in confusion. "I wasn't laughing."