Days of peaceful routine passed quickly.
As a native of the island, Shirley continued studying under Norikata Emiya while constantly trying to explain him to the townspeople, who shunned him because of his reclusive nature and the rumors surrounding him.
"…Father, why won't you understand?!"
Outside the weathered church, Shirley's voice was filled with frustration. No matter how hard she tried to tell everyone how knowledgeable and kind Professor Norikata was, no one believed her.
"Shirley..." the priest sighed helplessly.
"They've all misunderstood Professor!"
"Forget about it, Shirley." The priest spoke earnestly. "Just promise me you won't go back to that house anymore. If you do... sooner or later, you'll be cursed as well."
As he said this, the priest glanced toward Kiritsugu, who was waiting some distance away, then motioned for Shirley to come inside so they could speak privately.
Not long afterward, Shirley emerged from the church looking thoroughly dejected. Without saying a word, she drove her pickup truck with Kiritsugu to the seaside to clear their minds.
"If only Father could get along with the villagers..." Kiritsugu murmured hopefully.
Sitting beside Shirley in the truck bed, he watched the golden sun slowly sink beneath the horizon.
"I'm not sure it would make any difference." Wearing her usual white dress, Shirley hugged her slender knees, her brows knitted with worry. "Father Simon and the others already see Professor as a thorn in their side."
"They're always lecturing me too, saying that if I keep working in that house, the devil will eventually tempt me."
"Look."
Lifting the hem of her skirt, Shirley revealed a silver dagger in its sheath strapped to the inside of her thigh.
"Father insisted I carry this everywhere. He says it's a very effective protective charm."
As she spoke, she casually tossed her "good-luck charm" toward Kiritsugu, just as she always did.
Clang!
Kiritsugu, who had been blushing and staring blankly, failed to react in time.
The sheathed dagger struck him squarely on the forehead.
"Ow!"
He clutched his head as his vision spun.
"Hehe~"
"Kiritsugu, that's not like you at all."
Apparently noticing something, Shirley crawled toward him on all fours with a mischievous grin.
Kiritsugu looked up.
Her face was suddenly so close.
Her eyebrows.
Her eyes.
Her lips.
Even her warm breath...
"Ah—!"
Startled like a frightened bird, Kiritsugu lost his balance and tumbled backward over the truck bed's railing, landing face-first in the sand below.
"Hahaha!"
Shirley burst into laughter.
"Kiritsugu, you're way too timid!"
"I-I'm not timid..."
Lowering his head, his face burning red, Kiritsugu muttered so quietly that only he could hear himself.
"Come on."
Shirley reached a hand down from the truck.
Still sitting awkwardly in the sand, Kiritsugu stared blankly at her smiling face for a moment before taking her hand and letting her pull him back into the truck bed.
Trying to erase the embarrassment of what had just happened, Kiritsugu quickly changed the subject.
"Shirley... aren't you afraid of my father?"
He brushed the sand off the dagger before handing it back to her.
"Not even a little."
Taking it, Shirley fastened the dagger back against her inner thigh, a sly smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
Seeing that, Kiritsugu immediately turned his head away.
Even so, the corner of his eye betrayed him, stealing occasional glances in her direction.
"What's wrong, Kiritsugu? You're acting strange today~"
She gently poked his cheek with a finger, leaving a small indentation.
"I-It's nothing!"
His whole body stiffened.
Everything below his neck remained facing Shirley, yet his head kept turning away as though avoiding the glare of the sun. No matter what, he simply couldn't bring himself to meet her eyes.
Children were never good at hiding their feelings.
To anyone with experience, their hearts were almost transparent.
Although Shirley was only two years older than Kiritsugu, girls matured earlier than boys, both physically and emotionally.
She had long understood exactly how Kiritsugu felt about her.
The truth was, she liked him too.
That was why she enjoyed teasing his innocent, inexperienced affection.
Once he grew older, it probably wouldn't be nearly as entertaining.
Of course, teasing him too much wouldn't be good for him either. So, as naturally as ever, Shirley pretended not to notice his feelings and steered the conversation back to where it had begun.
"Researching magecraft may not seem like something ordinary people can understand, but Professor's knowledge and discoveries are extraordinary—important enough to go down in history."
"So, to me..."
"He's truly a great man."
The girl's eyes sparkled with admiration.
The boy's eyes reflected only the girl before him.
The two of them sat together in the back of the pickup truck, talking until long after sunset, when darkness finally swallowed the last traces of daylight.
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