The small living room, which used to be occupied by no more than three people plus Sakura, is now crowded with six people.
The atmosphere is quite heavy.
Shirou sits on the couch and studies the woman referred to as "Tohsaka Aoi." It is not surprising that she is Sakura's mother, as she is a very beautiful person. With long green hair and a white flowing skirt, she has a gentle demeanor and the poise of a lady. While Fujimaru's wife, who has grown up through hard work, has a unique "energy" characteristic of wild children, Tohsaka Aoi exudes the "calmness" of a noble lady.
It is easy to see how this elegant and graceful temperament would be very attractive to men. It is no wonder that Matou Kariya would become a lapdog and ultimately lose his life.
Speaking of Matou Kariya...
Shirou looked at the young man sitting next to Tohsaka Aoi. With short black hair and neatly styled bangs, he appears to be slightly older, but is otherwise a normal and ordinary young man.
Sensing Shirou's gaze, Matou Kariya turned his head and smiled at Shirou.
"I'm sorry, I'm late." At that moment, Fujimaru, his face showing signs of exhaustion, walked through the door. It was clear that he had worked overtime again. In fact, he had been busy with work for the past few days. He had finally negotiated with Mr. Mitsuzuri to purchase the property and was preparing to sleep at the company. However, he received a phone call from his wife that prompted him to rush back home.
After all, Sakura's birth mother has come to visit and there is the intention to take her back. Most importantly, the mother has the surname Tohsaka, which belongs to a noble family from the mountain town of Miyama. Although their influence in the Shinto area is limited, they are not a family that the Fujimaru couple can afford to offend. In this situation, as the head of the household, it is natural that he would be present. So, no matter how tired he was, he quickly returned home.
"Shirou, take the two sisters and go upstairs." Despite the tiredness on his face, Fujimaru quickly demonstrated his social intelligence and requested that the children leave before starting the conversation.
"Oh." Shirou stood up. With people from the Tohsaka and Matou families present, he wanted to leave as soon as possible.
Actually, when Shirou saw Matou Kariya for the first time, his heart skipped a beat. Fortunately, he was wearing gloves in the room, which prevented the other person from seeing the Seals on the back of his right hand.
"Rin, take Sakura and go to the second floor with this brother Shirou," Tohsaka Aoi reminded her daughter.
"Oh." Rin, who was holding her younger sister Sakura, reluctantly replied and followed Shirou to the second floor, entering Sakura's room.
Over the past half month, the storage area had been transformed into a bedroom for Sakura. A princess bed, reserved at the furniture market, had been delivered and placed in the southeast corner, adorned with a pink mattress and a child's bedspread embroidered with cherry blossom balls. Mrs. Fujimaru had carefully selected warm-colored furniture, giving the room a girly feel. However, just as the room was being prepared for Sakura, the biological mother of the other party came to visit.
But -
"It's so small," Rin whispered as soon as she entered the room.
Shirou's mouth twitched, 'Compared to yours, of course the room is small.'
Before he had a chance to ask the sisters to sit down, Rin pointed at Shirou's nose and said indignantly, "Who are you? I'm telling you, I'm not going to give away little Sakura, even if it means betting my dignity on it!"
"Sister..." Sakura grabbed Rin, a look of worry on her face. She didn't want Rin and Shirou to argue.
Shirou spoke in a calm, even tone, "It's rude to point your finger at someone's nose. It's disrespectful to both the person you're pointing at and your own family.
Rin quickly withdrew her hand.
"And to address someone with 'hey' or 'who' is also very impolite," Shirou continued. "My name is Fujimaru Shirou, not just 'Shirou' or 'hey'."
Rin Tohsaka didn't correct him this time, but instead she exploded, her words dripping with anger: 'What do you care? I'll never let you have my sister!'
"Your words make it sound like Sakura is just a thing," Shirou replied calmly.
"What a joke!" Rin exclaimed, her face contorted with outrage. "Sakura is not a thing! She's my sister!" But then she faltered, her righteous indignation giving way to confusion. "No, no, Sakura is a thing? No, no, Sakura is my sister, not a thing... wu! No, no!"
Shirou sat in the chair, his hands folded across his chest, watching with interest as Rin's face twisted in frustration.
"Damn you!" Rin growled, her eyes narrowed at Shirou. "How dare you toy with the future head of the Tohsaka family!"
"Food can be eaten arbitrarily, but words must not be spoken arbitrarily. You are defaming a person's image. Think about it carefully, the words are spoken by you, the conclusion is drawn by you, and I have not said anything." Shirou spread out his palms and looked helpless as if he were an innocent victim.
"You... you...!" Rin was at a loss for words. Upon reflection, she realized that what Shirou said was true.
"Well, well, if it's all my fault, then you, the future head of the Tohsaka family, can sit anywhere you like. My house is small, not as grand as your mansion, so don't be disgusted." Shirou replied with a hint of irony.
The other person had already conceded defeat, he was acting like a loser and letting Rin find a place to sit. She should be gracious and show the demeanor of a future head of the Tohsaka family. But... why did his perfunctory tone and his condescending attitude make her so angry?!
Hateful guy!
Hmph!
Rin shook her head and tried to ignore Shirou, her face haughty and indifferent. But Shirou didn't get angry. An adult getting angry with a child would be too childish. He just found it amusing.
"Sister, you should sit down. Standing is very tiring," Sakura said, sitting next to the dresser in a very ladylike manner. She patted the spot next to her, inviting Rin to sit.
"Sakura..." Rin looked at her sister with a sense of defeat. As her own sister, shouldn't she be standing up for her own sister? Why was she siding with that guy instead?
So annoying!
"Sister?" Sakura's pure, green eyes looked at Rin with concern.
"Come sit with me," Rin said, patting the spot next to her. She pointed an accusing finger at Shirou and asked, "Are you Fujimaru Shirou?"
"Yes, what's the matter?" Shirou nodded.
"I absolutely, absolutely, absolutely will not let you have Sakura!" Rin declared, her gaze serious and determined. It was as if she was staring at her lifelong enemy.
Shirou's mouth twitched, and he asked somewhat helplessly: "I say, how many times do you want to repeat this sentence?"
"Repeat it a hundred times, a thousand times! Sakura is my sister, I will never give my sister to anyone else!" Tohsaka Rin said seriously.
"I understand your sense of responsibility as a sister, Tohsaka Repeat," Shirou said, his tone perfunctory. "You're the Tohsaka Repeat Machine!"
"You, you..." Rin, her face contorted with rage, struggled to come up with a proper insult. Suddenly, her gaze fell on Shirou's black gloves and she spat out, "You black-hearted kid!"
Hmph!
Hateful!
Tohsaka Rin shook her head angrily.
This is truly textbook-level arrogance ...
Shirou had a headache.
In the living room.
Now that the children have left, the adults can finally talk about serious matters.
However, this matter is very troublesome.
Mr. Fujimaru massaged his temples, he couldn't believe that the child his wife had picked up was actually from the Tohsaka family. To make matters even more complicated, now the head of the Tohsaka family and someone from the Matou family had come to request the child's return.
The Tohsaka and Matou families are well-known in Fuyuki City, where they have long cultivated their influence in the old town nestled in the mountains. Although the power of these two families has waned in recent years with the rise of modern commerce, particularly in the newly developed city of Shinto, the Fujimaru couple, a pair of down-on-their-luck individuals, are no match for their might.
Given the benefits and reality of the situation, it would be in the best interest of the Fujimaru couple to release the child immediately.
However -
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Tohsaka, but I must speak frankly. I cannot in good conscience hand over Sakura to a mother who abandoned her in Shinto and showed no concern or interest in her for 15 days," Mrs. Fujimaru said gravely.
Sure enough, she spoke.
Mr. Fujimaru sighed inwardly, understanding his wife's character well. While she may not be particularly warm-hearted, she would never abandon a daughter she had accepted as her own. This was due to her own childhood experience of being abandoned by her poor parents in a bustling, but indifferent city. Determined to be an excellent mother, she vowed to never abandon her child, even if she struggled with expressing love and providing education due to a lack of role models.
"I did not abandon Sakura," Tohsaka Aoi replied calmly, unfazed by Fujimaru's suspicions. "As a mother, I always consider my child's well-being. I would never do anything that could harm her. In fact, I have been searching for her these past few days, believing she was in Miyama."
"I am very grateful to Mrs. Fujimaru for taking care of Sakura over the past half month, but may I request her return now?"
Fujimaru was left speechless by Tohsaka's sincere, heartfelt emotion. While Mrs. Fujimaru was hot-tempered and her feelings were genuine and strong, Tohsaka was gentle and graceful, like water. The contrast between the two women was clear.
"I apologize, Mrs. Tohsaka, for not returning Sakura to you right away after confirming that you are her birth mother. My wife has become deeply fond of Sakura over the past few months, going so far as to buy furniture and clothes that are suitable for her and even preparing to have Sakura's household registration transferred to our family. I hope you can understand the difficult position we find ourselves in." Mr. Fujimaru tried to calm down Mrs. Fujimaru before turning to Mrs. Tohsaka and speaking.
While Mr. Fujimaru has had similar experiences to Mrs. Fujimaru, he has also had the opportunity to interact with a variety of people in his work and has developed strong emotional intelligence and communication skills. These abilities have allowed him to handle difficult situations like this one more effectively.
"I am very grateful to you, Mr. Fujimaru, and I'm sure Sakura feels the same way. As for any economic losses you may have incurred, the Tohsaka family is willing to compensate you." Mrs. Tohsaka said.
Mr. Fujimaru waved his hand and said, "Money isn't an issue. It's the emotional investment that's the problem. Mrs. Tohsaka, can you tell me why Sakura ran away from home?"
"This..." Mrs. Tohsaka hesitated. She wasn't sure how to answer the question. Should she mention that Sakura had heard that her father was planning to have her adopted by the Matou family?
"Why hasn't Mr. Tohsaka come with you?" Mr. Fujimaru asked.
"Well..." Tohsaka Aoi hesitated, not sure how to answer. Should she tell them that her magus husband was completely focused on the upcoming Holy Grail War and had no energy to spare for anything else?
No.
Even so, her husband, Sakura's father, had such strong paternal love that he had broken the rules of being a magus and spent a lot of energy lamenting his usually obedient daughter's rebellion while planning strategies. But how could she explain this to the Fujimaru couple, who were ordinary people?
Despite appearing mild and polite in comparison to his fiery and loud-spoken wife, Mr. Fujimaru had proven himself to be a tough and perceptive man with his sharp question. Tohsaka Aoi, with her good upbringing, couldn't bring herself to lie, but she also couldn't find a way to answer this question honestly.
"This is, Mr. Fujimaru...," Seeing Aoi's difficulty, Matou Kariya, who was by her side, quickly intervened: "Sakura's father is currently occupied with very important work, so he is unable to come at this time."
"Excuse me, Mr. Kariya, what is your relationship with Mrs. Tohsaka?" Fujimaru asked.
"Ah...I...I am..." Kariya stumbled, flustered.
"Kariya is my friend," Tohsaka Aoi said firmly.
Kariya's eyes darkened and he awkwardly chuckled at Fujimaru, "Yes, I am Aoi nee-chan's friend."
Friend?
Fujimaru couldn't see it at all, but his common sense kept him from pointing this out.
"Mr. Fujimaru, I don't mean to threaten you, but legally, physically, and emotionally, Aoi nee-chan is Sakura's guardian. You should understand this, right?" Kariya may not be skilled with words, but as someone who is not involved in magic, he understood the rules of the ordinary world better than magus.
"Yes, my wife and I understand. We respect the law and follow it, and we are not unreasonable people," Fujimaru nodded. Despite having difficult childhoods, the Fujimaru couple had grown up to be law-abiding and normal.
If Sakura were just an ordinary abandoned child, the Fujimaru family would have no problem accepting her. However, Sakura has parents, and adoption is something that cannot be ignored by the law. In fact, from the moment Tohsaka Aoi arrived, Fujimaru knew that it was inevitable that Sakura would be taken home.
The challenge was in finding a way to handle the situation smoothly, without offending important people, and ensuring that his family wouldn't be left with psychological scars. Men, unlike boys, have people they must protect. Fujimaru, who was highly emotionally intelligent and mature in handling things, still found this matter tricky.
"Running away from home shows that there are conflicts between Sakura and Mrs. Tohsaka. Let her choose. If Sakura still wants to stay here, it means that she has not let go of her resentment. Taking some time apart may help improve your relationship. Mrs. Tohsaka, what do you think of this idea?" Mr. Fujimaru proposed.
Agreeing to let Sakura choose would be the most acceptable outcome, no matter what her decision might be. After considering it, Tohsaka Aoi finally nodded in agreement.
In the end, Sakura, under the disappointed gaze of Fujimaru Chiyo, chose to go home with Tohsaka Aoi.
Of course, no matter how angry the reason was for choosing to run away from home, a six-year-old child's biggest wish after being away from home for half a month is still to go home.
But--
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