115 Preparations for going abroad completed
The next day at noon, Shirou, as usual, carried his bento box and went to the Service Club. But today, he seemed particularly popular. As soon as he pushed open the door, he saw the girls all looking at him in unison.
Asuna put down her game, Yukinoshita set aside the thick book she had been reading these past few days, and Mash greeted him with her usual smile.
Yui—upon seeing Shirou—ran over excitedly and asked, "Shirou! I heard from Hiratsuka-sensei that your assignments have been decided. Which countries are you going to?"
"I'll be going to three countries. Looks like it'll be pretty busy," Shirou replied.
"Three! That's great! Which three?" Yui asked enviously.
"Yui, you don't even need to ask. China will be one of them, right?" Yukinoshita, who had been reading nearby, spoke up.
"Yeah, after all, it's the birthplace of Kyudo. There's frequent exchange between the two sides. But the exact location is still unclear," Shirou agreed.
"England should be another stop, right?" Yukinoshita continued her speculation.
"Eh?! Did Yukino already know?" Yui exclaimed.
"That's right. You could guess that too? Did you happen to find out somewhere?" Shirou asked, surprised this time.
"No, you can just figure it out," Yukinoshita gave him a side-eye glance.
"Eh? Really? I thought maybe it was some kind of precognition or future sight," Yui asked curiously.
"Archery has always been a traditional sport in Britain. Modern shooting sports originated there, based on Britain's archery rule system.
During the Hundred Years' War between England and France, English longbows were used as the main force to achieve victory in the first phase. In the 15th century, the English king issued a nationwide order banning other sports to cultivate archers—every man had to practice archery on their rest days," Yukinoshita explained.
The girl raised a finger and continued to explain the etiquette and important points regarding traditional British archery.
"I see. Yukinoshita, you really are knowledgeable," Asuna nodded.
"No wonder you're so impressive, Yukinoshita-senpai," Mash said in admiration.
"See! Yukino is amazing!" Yui said proudly, smiling smugly.
"Thank you, Yukinoshita, for telling me all this," Shirou said gratefully, looking at the thick book titled Modern History of Kyudo Development she had placed by her side.
She had probably spent the past few days' breaks reading it. Judging by her personality, he decided not to point that out.
"It's nothing… I was just interested, so I looked into it a bit," Yukinoshita said casually, but the faint curve of her lips betrayed her true thoughts.
"Hmm, then what about the third one?" Yui asked, walking over.
"France," Shirou said.
"Ah! Paris! Galeries Lafayette! Champs-Élysées! The place rich people on TV like to go!" Yui exclaimed, full of admiration.
"No! What you should think of first are the Louvre, Versailles, and the Opera," Yukinoshita countered.
"Yes, yes! Shirou-senpai, I think Notre-Dame is also a must-see! The cathedral's council passed the appeal to exonerate Joan of Arc and erected a commemorative statue. I heard that if you draw White Jeanne there, you get a bonus!" Mash raised her hand.
"Wait! I'm not going there for sightseeing, nor for spending money," Shirou said helplessly.
"Instead of Paris, you should go to Rennes. I have a friend who works at a famous gaming company there—they grow potatoes. If you go, I can have her drive you around," Asuna said.
"I'm going for a school event. I won't have time for that. But Asuna, you really know a lot of people… even employees at a potato company?" Shirou asked.
"We just met through gaming," Asuna sighed. "But, come to think of it… talented game people always end up in the EU."
Although FGO was originally a small mobile game—rough around the edges—that could be forgiven. But now it's a huge hit. They really hope to recruit more talent in the game industry.
Since costume updates are starting, I think Raikou's outfit should be updated too, along with her animations and Noble Phantasm."
"No, Raikou's Noble Phantasm is already cool enough. She's the sultry type. It's Ibaraki's Noble Phantasm that should be redone—everyone says it's worth seeing with the Pyre," Yui protested.
"I think it's about time to release Saber-class Minamoto Yoshitsune. Her Noble Phantasm, 'Shinano no Kuni Ryūtan,' should reflect her real strength!" Yukinoshita chimed in, unwilling to be left out.
"Sorry, sorry, all this is the fault of that lousy operator," Mash said sheepishly.
.
.
.
After school, Shirou went alone to Shinjuku. This time, he came to pick up his custom-tailored suit.
The otherworldly, magical Shinjuku was from a modern time period, to be precise it was ten years ago . Although many places had changed, this old street still retained some familiar features.
Standing here felt like being in a dream from another era.
If it weren't for the burger shop, which had long been replaced by a trendy café, he might have looked around to see if the basement still existed.
At that moment, car horns sounded on the road. Pedestrians flowed across crosswalks like rivers, as if confirming the passage of time with their steps.
Through an alley beside the road, Shirou reached the inner street—a quiet old part of Shinjuku. Not as lively as the main streets, but it still had notable stores worth visiting. The dress shop Yukinoshita had introduced him to before was here.
"Please wait here, sir. I'll go fetch your clothing," the clerk said, then ran inside toward the designer's office.
"Ah, Shirou! You finally came to see me! Did you miss your sister?" A beautiful woman in an elaborate gown approached.
Today she wore a pink dress, showing off a mature, peach-like figure. The combination of youthful pink and the embellishments somehow suited her charm perfectly—a testament to her skill as a designer.
"Hello. I'm here to pick up my dress as arranged," Shirou said with a nod.
"Hehe, how cute. You could've just admitted you wanted to see me, little rascal," she said, poking his face with her finger, lips painted vividly. Every gesture and glance exuded temptation and flirtation.
Having learned from previous teasing, Shirou quickly averted his eyes and looked around the shop. Bright lights illuminated the spacious interior. Everything sparkled. Several decorations were placed just right, keeping it tidy.
On one side were exquisite men's suits; the main display featured colorful gowns. Among the white gowns, he spotted a hint of purple and black—very familiar.
In the corner, thick magazines were stacked. On the walls above, small posters of gowns. Shirou even saw the evening dresses once worn by Altria and Jeanne.
Noticing Shirou's gaze, the store manager smiled and spoke.
"Ah~ this is the store's portfolio. I inherited this shop from a relative, and it's almost the twentieth anniversary. Inside are all the works I've accumulated as a designer," the manager said.
"And those two outfits?" Shirou asked, pointing at the posters on the wall.
"Which two? Ah! You have a good eye," the manager said, noticing the two outfits Shirou was looking at. "Could it be that you investigated on purpose to flatter me? These two are my proud creations from many years ago. Unfortunately, such dresses aren't for just anyone, so they've always been kept in the room, only brought out for exhibitions."
"I really hope to meet a peerless beauty with snow-white skin. This black one suits a petite, elegant but aloof queen; the purple one, I hope, can be worn by a girl with a mysterious, witch-like charm. Do you understand? These designs are meant to highlight a mix of danger and cuteness. If the right person wears them, they'd be absolutely mesmerizing."
Talking about her craft, the manager became passionate, launching into a long-winded explanation.
"I see, indeed that makes sense," Shirou nodded, recalling the postures of the two girls and feeling he could relate.
"Eh? You understand what I mean?" The woman noticed that Shirou's response was sincere, not a mere pose, and her gaze of appreciation and desire grew stronger.
Even in a different world, similar existences could appear, similar people, and similar things could be created.
'Wait… how old is the manager, anyway? Older than Hiratsuka-sensei? Or younger?' Shirou wondered.
The mature woman seemed to read his thoughts, giving a charming smile and speaking meaningfully: "Hehehe, Shirou, grow up quickly, and I'll tell you elsewhere the benefits of mature women! For reference, the reason this book has so many pages is that I started learning fashion design back in elementary school."
Elementary school? And considering 1999? That would place her older than Hiratsuka-sensei, Shirou thought.
"Manager, the guest's outfit is ready," a store clerk came over.
"Alright, let's try the outfit on," the woman said, taking the clothing.
Shirou took the suit, and after changing, setting aside personality considerations, he acknowledged the manager's skill—it was indeed impressive.
The fitted suit accentuated his trained, standard build, making him look taller and more upright than usual.
"Hmm, this is generally for formal banquets or balls abroad. I usually prefer sportswear," Shirou said.
"That's perfect, I also made you a casual suit. Try this one too. For less formal occasions, you can wear this. I've prepared two pairs of shoes as well—try them both," she said, sending a staff member with the new outfit and shoes.
"Thank you, I appreciate it." Shirou changed into the new outfit. Like the previous one, it was meticulously crafted. Being able to handle it all at once was convenient, and he was pleased.
Unlike the formal suit, the casual one had a youthful, energetic vibe. The sleeves were tailored to expose the wrist's thinnest part, making him look slimmer and more spirited, much younger.
"Not bad, really good. You suit red tones well. Now, try the shoes." The woman squatted, handing Shirou a pair of leather shoes. Leaning slightly forward, her upper body's curves were visible, the hemline of the elegant collar just covering the rest.
"I can manage myself." Shirou tried on the shoes, took a few steps, then turned to the woman and said admiringly, "Perfect fit. But manager, I don't recall being measured here. How did you know my size?"
"Hehe, I can gauge a man's approximate size in five seconds just by looking," she said, her eyes roaming over him.
Whether it was imagination or not, Shirou felt scrutinized longer than five seconds, and thought it best to leave soon.
"I'll take all of these. Please give me a receipt," Shirou said after changing back into his clothes.
"No need. This is a rare good match I encountered, so I made them on a whim using leftover materials. I always give special care to men with the right proportions," the woman said, her gaze again sweeping from his hips to his lower body.
'As expected, she has other intentions!' Shirou thought.
"No, I'll pay. Since these are works of art, created with care by the artist, they shouldn't become ordinary gifts," Shirou insisted.
"You know how to flatter well. Then as a discount for a quality customer, I'll give you 30% off," the charming woman said.
"Thank you very much," Shirou replied.
After that, with the manager's warm send-off, Shirou left the dress shop.
"Shirou, remember to visit here often. After graduation, don't forget to call," the mature woman said with a call-me hand gesture, smiling seductively.
"Phew… I feel more tired than when everyone came together last time. Next time, I won't come alone. Shinjuku…" Shirou exhaled.
Afterwards, Shirou went to a few more stores, finally acquiring all the clothing and supplies he needed. He packed everything into his suitcase and dragged it home.
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