Rin sat on her bed, staring off into empty space.
Because she could still see it in her mind's eye.
Emiya-kun, jumping in front of Berserker's attack. The warm blood... HIS warm blood, splashing across her skin.
He was alive.
Rin was sure of it. After all, if he wasn't, then Saber would have faded away.
But even so...
"Master."
Archer's calm voice echoed. Shortly after, he walked into the room with a cup of tea and a plate of scones. "I made you some refreshments."
"...Thank you, Archer."
"Thanking me?" Archer chuckled, a smirk on his face. "It seems like you're worse off than I thought."
"..."
Archer's smirk faded. Then he looked at Rin with a concerned gaze. "Rin. It was not your fault."
"...Wasn't it?" Rin let out a bitter laugh. "Because..."
Rin could see it in her mind's eye. That single instant played out again in her head.
She had been cocky. Arrogant.
Instead of thinking about escaping... instead of being pragmatic and leaving Emiya-kun there...
She tried fighting.
She said to take out Einzbern.
In hindsight, she realized it.
Emiya-kun knew something. No, with the way that he looked at Eiznbern... with the fact that he called her 'Ilya'...
It was clear that he intended to talk with her. To deescalate the situation.
But Rin had escalated it.
Because she thought it was the only way. Because she treated the Holy Grail War as a game. Because she thought it was a chance to get rid of the competition.
And Emiya-kun... No.
Shirou took the consequence for that choice, that arrogance.
A sword that was likely a peerless family heirloom, just like her jeweled pendant... To save her, Shirou shattered that. And moreover, to save her, he had stood in front of her.
Stood in front of her and had his body torn to shreds.
"...Archer." Rin murmured. "...You aren't lying, right? Emiya-kun... is alive. Right?"
Archer sighed. "I'm sure, Rin. Despite being suicidally reckless at times, that boy is as stubborn as a cockroach. Something like this won't kill him. It'll only delay him for a bit. Especially since Saber is around."
"...How do you know?" Rin blinked and looked up at Archer.
Archer was about to let out a sarcastic reply. But then he saw Rin's teary blue eyes. After that, he sighed and ran his hand through his hair. "...Rin. If you're that concerned... just call him."
Rin slowly blinked. "Call... him? Right. Call him. I can do that."
Shirou had given her his number once. After school one day, because of the notes she gave him. The incident that 'saved his life' or so he claimed.
It was nothing to him. Just habit for a guy like that. He had handed it over with a smile and to 'call if you need anything, Tohsaka.'
Rin never did. But she kept the number. She'd memorized it.
So...
Rin stiffly got up from her bed. She walked to the rotary phone on her bedside table. Then she started dialing the numbers, one after the other.
And she waited.
One ring.
Two.
Three...
"Hello?"
...And after the third, Shirou's voice echoed, unpained and almost annoyingly normal. As if he hadn't had his guts splattered all across her and the pavement.
Hearing that, Rin managed to regain her composure. With a sigh... part frustration, part relief, she said, "Emiya-kun. I was calling to check up on you, but it seems that you're annoyingly healthy as always."
"Ah, Tohsaka. Sorry. It must have been a shock, right? I'd like to talk more, but I'm taking care of Sakura. She's sick and staying over right now."
Rin froze.
Sakura.
Her younger sister.
The one her father coldly handed over to Matou Zouken to become the Matou heiress.
The one she had seen in school but couldn't bear to talk to in person.
...She was sick? And Shirou was taking care of her?
"...What happened?"
Despite her teachings, her trained habits... Rin couldn't suppress her concern as an older sister. "Is Sakura- Is Matou-chan okay?"
"Yeah, don't worry. Your sister's safe with me, Tohsaka."
Rin let out a sigh of relief. "That's good. As long as she's safe..." She trailed off when she saw Archer facepalming.
'Why is Archer-'
And then Rin realized what Shirou had said and how Rin had answered.
Rin's 'sister' being safe with Shirou.
Her blatantly relieved response.
"Gotcha~"
...And then Shirou's teasing voice over the phone.
Rin instinctively clenched her fist tighter around the phone receiver, imagining for a moment it was Shirou's neck.
'That guy...!'
But it was just for a second.
Forcing a smile on her face, Rin said, "I don't know what you're talking about, Emiya-kun."
"Oh come on, Tohsaka. I think we're far past the point of pretending. I've seen the ribbon you wear. It's the same type that Sakura has. Not only that, but you two give each other weird looks all the time. Plus, if Sakura dyed her hair black and cut her hair short, she'd be a deadringer for you."
Archer looked amused.
Rin's eye twitched. Then she let out a slow breath and said, "...We will talk in detail on Monday back at school, Emiya-kun."
"Nice chat too, Toshaka. I'll invite you to the wedding then. Probably next spring."
"...WHAT?!"
Before Rin could question him, Shirou hung up.
"...He hung up on me." Rin stood there and stared at the phone receiver in her hand.
A low drone echoed. The sound from the disconnected call.
With numb emotions, Rin put the receiver back on its hook, then she sat down at her bed, covering her face.
Archer chuckled and said, "Well, Master. I guess your worries about that idiot are unfounded, aren't they?"
"Archer. As your Master, I command you to leave the room and cover your ears, and then shut up."
"Hm? Why would-?"
Crimson light flared as Rin's second command seal was burned to enforce her words.
"Gah!?" Archer immediately started walking out of the room. "Master, you childish-!" Whatever he was going to say next didn't matter as he crossed the room's threshold and had his mouth shut by the command spell.
The moment that happened, Rin flopped onto her bed and then screamed into her pillow.
"EMIYA-KUN YOU BASTAAAAARD!"
She hated him. Hated, hated, hated him.
...That was a lie.
Rin didn't hate him.
She couldn't.
Not from what she saw him do in the past. Not when he was the one who inspired her to keep on going as well after he failed to clear the bar on the high jump for hours.
And not when Sakura so clearly loved him.
But even so...
"Ugh, you piss me off so much, you asshole!"
...Rin was still allowed to be pissed off at the guy for raising her cortisol levels through the roof.