"Coming!" Emiya Shirou shouted as he carried a tray of food toward the customers.
"Hey, onii-chan, aren't you a cutie?" A girl around his age said, openly examining him from head to toe. "And you're fit too. Are you single?"
Shirou opened his mouth to answer, but another voice cut in before he could.
"Shirou, the kitchen needs you. Ayase will take care of the order," Iroha said as she stepped beside him, briefly glancing at the girl without saying anything else.
Shirou give Iroha a grateful look before heading back into the kitchen, where he immediately took full control of the workspace.
"Oh—sorry, sorry. Looks like he's already taken," the girl said apologetically, backing off with a light laugh.
At the girl's words, a faint heat crept up Iroha's cheeks.
She averted her gaze for just a moment, her lips are parting as if to say something. but before she could react further, another voice barged in.
"I told you Shirou-nii should be locked in the kitchen. He'd become a god in there," Ayase said as if it were an undeniable fact.
Shirou's cooking was simply beyond their comprehension. "I still don't understand why my mom keeps putting him out as a waiter."
Ayase Aragaki was a middle school girl who helped out at her family's restaurant on weekends and during her free time. Outside of that, her main job was modeling.
Although the restaurant itself was just a hobby for her mother, her father was a senator.
Iroha nodded in agreement. Even she couldn't cook fifteen different dishes at the same time, yet Shirou only needed ten to fifteen minutes to finish them all.
"That's because your Shirou is better out there," Ayase's mother said without looking up from the counter.
"Why?" Ayase protested.
"Customers relax when they see him. He doesn't rush them, he listens properly, and he never messes up an order," she said calmly. "Good food keeps people coming back. Good service makes them stay."
She glanced toward the kitchen, her expression softening. "Besides, if I leave him in the kitchen all the time, he'll forget how to talk to people."
After a brief pause, she added gently, "People your age need time to interact with others and learn how to communicate. Otherwise, it becomes difficult later, when you start working or dealing with people on your own."
"Alright, we need to stop chatting and get back to work," Ayase's mother said.
The two quickly dispersed, returning to their duties as she went back to attending the customers.
_______________________
(Shirou POV)
[Ding! Cooking level increased by 1]
[Ding! Cooking level increased by 1]
[Ding! Cooking level increased by 1]
[Ding! Cooking level increased by 1]
Ignoring the notifications, I muted them and started cleaning the kitchen. It was already closing time.
"Is it really okay to leave the cleaning to you two?" Ayase's mother asked. Apparently, she and her daughter had been invited to a restaurant by her husband.
"We don't mind at all. Just enjoy yourselves," I replied. We were almost done cleaning anyway.
"Ara~ Ayase, you should date Shirou-kun. He's single and competent," Ayase's mother said, pushing her daughter forward.
"Mother!" A blush crept across Ayase's face, which only made her mother laugh louder. "I—I don't see Onii-san that way!"
"Pfft. If you keep dawdling around, Iroha will steal Shirou from you," Ayase's mother said with a laugh before walking away.
"Mother! I hate you!" Ayase exclaimed, her face still red. She looked like she wanted to say something more, but seeing her mother leave, she quickly bowed toward Iroha and me. "I'm sorry about that, Onii-san. Wait for me!"
Iroha remained deadpan, though a faint blush colored her cheeks.
She turned to me and said flatly, "Lolicon."
"Hey! I'm not a lolicon!" I denied quickly, then blurted out, "If you asked me about my type… you'd be the one I'd say."
I looked at Iroha. She was completely flustered, her face red like a tomato.
I thought about saying just kidding, but that might have been cruel. So I decided to keep quiet.
Iroha froze in shock, then quickly turned away, her face still bright red.
"L-Let's finish cleaning first and go home."
"Yeah," I replied.
I finished cleaning as quickly as I could, left the prepared vegetables for tomorrow, and checked the remaining ingredients in stock.
Somehow, every time I moved around the kitchen, I kept seeing silhouettes of people, my friends.
Well… I didn't even know if they really were my friends. My memories were a mess. But the fact that I could still hear voices in my head meant they were important to me.
Could they have been my enemies? I doubted it. I didn't think I'd forget anyone who truly hated me. Besides, I still retained the knowledge to fix and create advanced technology from my old world.
Now that I thought about it, I needed to buy a laptop, something I could use to draft my projects before using projection on them.
"Hey, Iroha?" I called out.
She was putting up the Closed sign on the door.
"W-What?" she replied, still fidgeting, her cheeks faintly red from our earlier exchange. "Do you need something?"
"Are you free after this?" I asked.
Iroha nodded. "I am. Why?"
"Can you help me buy a laptop? It's my first time buying one, and I just somehow got some money, so… any price works," I said.
"A laptop?" Iroha muttered. She thought for a moment before speaking again.
"Yeah, I know a lot of models, but how much money do you have? Your budget is important so we can look within the right range."
"Let me check for a moment."
I opened my phone and accessed my bank account.
Then I froze.
"Holy shit. Why do I have 12 billion yen?!"
"Twelve billion yen?!" Iroha's mouth fell open as she rushed closer to look. "Did you rob a bank or something?"
She stared at me like I was some kind of rich young master from a drama.
"I didn't, wait, let me call my parents and ask," I said, immediately dialing Irisviel.
"Shirou! Do you need Mama's help?"
Her voice burst through the phone so loudly that even without the speaker on, Iroha could hear it clearly.
That wasn't the main issue right now.
"Why do I have twelve billion yen in my bank account?" I asked. I was sure I only had around 130 million yen before, not billions.
"Oh, that's why you called," she replied casually.
"Well, I got jealous of Kiritsugu because he gave you money. Then I thought I should give you some too. When I checked your account, I felt sorry for you. Why does my son only have 130 million yen? If it weren't for Kiritsugu, I would've sent you 300 billion yen. That man is such a cheapskate."
She said it like it was the most normal thing in the world.
Iroha's mouth hung open.
"I… I didn't know you were that rich, Shirou-kun…"
Her expression made it look like she had just realized she was living in one of those drama stories, the kind where your quiet, kind friend turns out to be absurdly wealthy but refuses to rely on his parents' money.
"Same for me," I said. "I knew my parents were rich because they're always busy working overseas. I mean, we even have two maids at home, even though our house isn't that big. But still… I never realized we were this rich."
She looked at me with a hesitant gaze.
"…Are you going to quit now?" she asked quietly. "I mean, you have a lot of money and all."
Her eyes dropped to the floor, as if she already knew the answer she was afraid of. The thought of being left behind seemed to weigh on her.
"I'm not," I replied with a laugh. "Not until you leave."
I stepped into the changing room to change into my clothes.
When I came out, I waited for Iroha to finish changing as well. Once she did, the two of us left the restaurant together.
_______________________
Arriving at the Electronics Store
The automatic doors slid open with a soft chime as we stepped inside the brightly lit electronics store.
Rows of laptops lined the shelves, screens glowing with demo videos and colorful wallpapers. The faint hum of air conditioning mixed with the low chatter of customers and the tapping of keyboards on display units.
Iroha immediately looked more confident.
"This is my territory," she said, crossing her arms with a smug expression. "Don't just randomly buy the most expensive one because you're rich, okay?"
"I wasn't going to," I muttered.
If she weren't with me, I would probably buy the most expensive one just because it has a bunch of complicated specifications.
She shot me a skeptical look.
"…You were, weren't you?"
"Look, this laptop looks cool," I said, pretending to examine a nearby model.
The salesperson finally noticed our little argument and walked over to us with a professional smile.
"Good evening. Are you looking for something specific?"
Before I could answer, Iroha stepped forward like a seasoned negotiator.
"Yes. We're looking for a high-performance laptop. Something good for programming, multitasking, maybe light 3D rendering. Strong processor, at least 32GB RAM, good cooling system."
"And for gaming," I added calmly. "But more importantly, I need something capable of sustained high-load computational tasks. Large-scale program compilation, real-time physics simulations, 3D rendering, and parallel processing."
I lightly tapped the display unit, scanning the spec sheet.
"Minimum 64GB of RAM. A high-end multi-core processor with strong single-core throughput. A dedicated GPU capable of real-time rendering without bottlenecking under heavy shader workloads. At least 2TB of NVMe storage — Gen4 speeds preferred. And robust thermal architecture. I don't want thermal throttling during extended full-load operations."
The staff blinked.
"Am I even needed here?" Iroha crossed her arms, staring at me in shock.
The salesperson coughed awkwardly.
"Teens these days really know a lot about gadgets…" he muttered, clearly bewildered by the specificity.
I glanced at him calmly.
"I'll also need stable power delivery — good VRM design, solid motherboard quality. I don't want voltage instability degrading performance over time. And preferably upgradeable components."
The man straightened slightly.
"I-I see. In that case, you may want to look at this model."
He guided us toward a sleek black machine displayed on a raised stand.
"This is the Legion Pro X," he said. "Intel i9 Ultra CPU, 64GB RAM, 2TB NVMe SSD, NVIDIA RTX 5080 GPU. 16-inch 4K OLED touchscreen. Advanced thermal architecture. Designed for high-performance computing and gaming."
Iroha glanced at me.
"Overkill?" she muttered quietly.
I rested my fingers on the keyboard. The tactile response was firm, precise. The chassis felt sturdy, magnesium alloy, likely reinforced internally.
"No," I said after a moment. "This should be sufficient."
Iroha narrowed her eyes.
"Sufficient?"
I closed the laptop gently.
"For now."
"What do you mean, sufficient? What are you planning to create that you need a laptop like this?" she asked, staring at me like I was some kind of extravagant big spender.
I won't tell her the full plan, I thought. All I need is a workstation capable of processing huge 3D models in real time, enough to create a holographic projection system like the one I used to use. Gaming is just a bonus.
---
The salesperson cleared his throat.
"I don't know if your budget can cover the one I have in mind, but its price is 830,000 yen."
Iroha flinched."That… that's expensive…"
"Can I take a look at it?" I said and check the specs "It's fine,"
She grabbed my sleeve, eyes wide, and whispered, "Wait! Just because you have twelve billion yen doesn't mean you should spend it like it's pocket change!"
"I'm not," I replied calmly, whispering back, "If I'm going to use it for years, I'm just going to treat it as an investment… or maybe even use it to start my own business."
The salesperson shifted awkwardly, clearly feeling like he was watching a married couple argue over finances.
Iroha muttered under her breath, still glaring at me, "…You really are ridiculous sometimes."
Taking a deep sigh, Iroha looked at the salesperson and asked, "Why is it so expensive?"
The staff adjusted his glasses nervously.
"Well… this is an ultra-premium workstation laptop," he began.
"It has a top-of-the-line Intel i9 Ultra processor, 128 GB of DDR5 RAM, an RTX 5080 GPU, and a 2 TB NVMe SSD."
"It's built for extreme workloads — 3D modeling, simulations, real-time rendering, VR, and even professional holographic applications."
"The cooling system and power delivery are also designed to keep it stable under heavy continuous use."
Iroha's eyes widened. "128 GB of RAM… that's insane!"
I nodded calmly, inspecting the laptop like a technician evaluating a high-end machine. "Exactly what I need. Nothing less would handle the kind of models I plan to work on."
The salesperson gave a small, impressed smile. "Most customers just use gaming laptops or workstations with 32–64 GB RAM. This is definitely on the extreme end — it's really for professionals who push hardware to the limit."
Iroha muttered, still staring at me in disbelief, "…And you're a high school student? What could you possibly need something like this for… planning to hack the government?"
Not a bad idea. I could leak the forbidden files of each high-ranking official and watch the chaos unfold. Just kidding
I shrugged lightly. "I will show you once I finish my project."
She crossed her arms, pouting slightly. "You're ridiculous… and reckless with money."
I gave her a small smile. "I will be using this for years, and it's worth every yen if it can handle my work without hiccups."
While the staff prepared the unit and paperwork, Iroha wandered a little, pretending to look at laptop accessories.
"You know…" she said quietly, not looking at me, "you didn't have to say that earlier."
"Say what?" I asked.
"'Not until you leave.'"
I blinked. Oh… so it was about my flirting moments. I had to give my past self a mental high five for that one. If it were my Archer self, though… I'd probably be dead by now. Note to self: think less stupid thoughts when the person you're talking to is serious.
"Oh." I kept my expression calm.
She fidgeted with a laptop sleeve on display, her cheeks faintly red.
"Don't misunderstand. I'm not planning to leave or anything. I just… don't like sudden changes."
"I know," I replied softly.
She looked up at me, her surprise slowly giving way to a thoughtful expression. Then she sighed.
"I lie… I wanted to be with you longer. Since we started together, I don't want to be left alone all of a sudden."
I gave her a warm smile and raised both arms in a hugging gesture, silently waiting for her to take the initiative.
Which she did. She leaned in, resting against me. "You're warm… but I don't want to be alone for now. Thank you."
"Yeah," I said gently, holding her close. "I hope that made you feel better. Maybe you should start talking to your mother… but you two are stubborn, huh? Truly the daughter of your mother," I added with a laugh, swaying slightly like a father dancing with his child.
For a moment, neither of us said anything, just enjoying the quiet warmth between us.
"Sir, everything is ready."
I tapped my phone and completed the payment in seconds.
The salesperson bowed deeply.
"Thank you very much for your purchase."
Iroha stared at the receipt as if it had personally offended her.
"I feel like we're living in a drama," she muttered, snuggling into my arm.
"Is that bad?" I asked. "Is life really so sad that you feel like you're living in a drama?"
"Ah!" She shook her head.
"…No. Just… don't suddenly disappear one day, okay?" Her hands tightened around mine, refusing to let go.
I felt like our relationship was moving too fast. Maybe I'm overthinking it…
I felt like our relationship was moving too fast. Maybe I was overthinking it.
In my past life, I had a white-haired friend who sometimes acted like a spoiled girlfriend and confessed to that idealized black-haired nakadashi-type. Her hair was purple.
I confessed to that white-haired friend once, but got the full I love Emilia treatment, which left me depressed.
Funny enough, as I was going back home, the black-haired beauty she fancied confessed to me. and got the same Emilia treatment from me.
Again, her hair was purple.
In the end, the three of us just ended up hanging out together.
Wait… why do I keep telling myself her hair was purple when it's clearly black? Amnesia is such a pain. I don't even know who I'm thinking about… but somehow, I feel… free.
Shaking off my useless thoughts, I picked up the laptop box. "I won't leave you.trust me even if you want me to leave you, I will not leave you," I said, pride swelling in my chest.
Wait!? that sounds creepy!
Iroha's face flushed, and she looked away.
"I… I won't leave you, too."
Her voice was so soft I barely heard it.
"What did you say?" I asked, leaning closer.
"I SAID I WON'T LEAVE YOU! SO STAY WITH ME FOREVER!" she shouted, her face bright red with anger and embarrassment.
Clap!
Clap!
Clap!
Clap!
Suddenly, we realized that many people around us were clapping, and some were even shouting, "Congratulations!"
Why… are they clapping their hands? And saying congratulations.
After we left the electronics store, we went to the restaurant, where I treated her to the delicious meals she'd been wanting to try for the past few days. Once we finished, Iroha stepped right in front of me.
Her face was flushed, but her eyes were firm, as if she had made up her mind.
"Want to set up your laptop at my apartment?" she asked.
"Sure, why not?" I agreed immediately, then glanced at the time. "Wait… it's already this late?"
Iroha looked at the clock and froze in shock as well. Luckily for her, her apartment was nearby, unlike my house, which was much farther away.
It was already 10 p.m. Looks like I'd have to stay in a hotel, I wouldn't be able to catch the train home.
"Looks like I'll just check in at a nearby hotel," I said.
"You can't," Iroha replied seriously, glaring at me. "We're not 18 yet, so it's impossible for us to check in. You can stay at my apartment, I live alone, after all."
"That's exactly why I want to check in at a hotel," I said earnestly, flicking her forehead. "I can't be alone with you at your apartment… because, in the end, you're still an attractive girl."
"Ouch!" she pouted, rubbing her forehead. "Do you think I'm stupid?"
"Yes," I replied immediately.
"I mean, what I said before… besides, we're already dating in the eyes of others. Why don't we make it official?" Her eyes darted around, and she looked flustered, a little messy.
My face suddenly felt hot for some unknown reason. This was the third time a girl had confessed to me… well, ignoring random classmates at school who only wanted some intimate fun.
"Okay," I answered. but then I stopped in my tracks. I sounded like I'd rejected her harshly. What should I say?
Iroha was frozen, like a statue, so I quickly added, "I-I mean… I'm not ready to get into a relationship yet, but… are you okay with having me?"
Tears slowly welled in her eyes. She nodded and whispered, "I'll be happy."
Wait… did I just confess? God damn it. How did my words about wanting to stay at her apartment get misunderstood as a confession?
Looking at her happy face as she snuggled into my arms, I decided I couldn't tell her about the misunderstanding… at least not until she calmed down.
But seeing how happy she was, I couldn't help but feel happy too.
Oh well… it is what it is.