Rin’s mind went blank for a split second.
That face suddenly loomed close, and the sensation of lips pressing against hers was cold and dry, yet carried a strange, inexplicable taste.
What was even more outrageous was that this scumbag actually used his tongue; the warm sensation, carrying an aggressive intent, pried open her teeth, and the tip of his tongue intruded without ceremony.
This was completely beyond her expectations regarding Shinji.
In her impression, this bully-the-weak-and-fear-the-strong scumbag would never dare to take such an action, especially since Shinji was currently half-disabled, which caused her to be careless in this regard.
Time seemed to stretch for half a second.
When she finally regained her senses, her pupils contracted sharply, and she felt like a lit powder keg.
“You bastard!!”
“Bang!”
With a shrill, angry shout, Rin’s fist swung down with a whistling sound, landing a solid punch on Shinji’s left cheek; the sound was startlingly crisp in the quiet hospital room.
Shinji was knocked sideways, his head hitting the bed rail with a dull thud.
“Hiss~!”
He gasped, but the very next second, he grinned, smiling like a child who had just stolen some candy.
His eyes were overly bright, carrying a kind of satisfied malice.
This could be considered getting what one asked for; after all, such an opportunity wouldn’t come again, and time waited for no one!
Rin’s fist remained suspended in mid-air.
She stared at him intensely, her chest heaving violently, her cheeks burning red with anger, yet mixed into that redness was a trace of imperceptible panic.
“Nurse!
Nurse!!
Someone is hitting a patient!”
Shinji didn’t give her a chance to continue her outburst—taking one punch was enough for him—and almost simultaneously, he reached out and pressed the call button by the bed, then dramatically slumped over the edge of the bed, burying his face in the pillow, his shoulders shaking as if he were trying hard to endure the pain.
The door was pushed open almost the next second.
Sakura stood at the doorway, her hand still on the doorknob, her purple eyes full of astonishment.
She saw Rin standing by the bed, her face livid, her fist still clenched, while Shinji was lying on his side, half his face hidden in shadow, revealing only one eye, yet the corner of his mouth was curled upward in an eerie way.
“Si,Sister…?”
Sakura’s voice was uncertain.
She subconsciously took two steps forward, her gaze sweeping back and forth between the two, her mind quickly piecing together possible scenarios: Had Shinji said something vicious again?
Or had he done something else?
Otherwise, why would her sister suddenly resort to violence?
“What, what happened?”
Rin opened her mouth, her throat feeling as if it were blocked by something.
She originally wanted to say it was nothing, but the words wouldn’t come out.
The tips of her ears were red enough to drip blood, and her mind was filled with that brief yet clear sensation from just moments ago; anger, shame, and disgust were all tangled into a chaotic mess.
In this brief silence, having waited for his lifeline, Shinji slowly sat upright.
He turned his face to directly face Sakura.
On his left cheek, a clear, bright red fist print was visible, the outline of the five fingers almost perfectly distinct, with the edges already beginning to swell slightly.
There was also a small bruise on his temple, likely a mark from hitting the bed rail earlier.
Sakura’s gaze fell on that fist print, and her pupils contracted slightly.
She looked at Rin, then at Shinji, her lips moving, but in the end, she only asked: “Brother, did you say something excessive again?”
Shinji touched his face, pressing his fingertips lightly against the fist print, which made him hiss in pain, but he smiled even more happily.
“Tohsaka, you really are heartless.”
He lazily leaned back against the pillow, his voice hoarse but carrying a deliberately lowered, ambiguous tone.
“As expected of a Magus.
I thought people like you didn’t care about such things at all.”
He paused deliberately, his tongue pressing against the roof of his mouth as if savoring something, while his gaze remained fixed directly on Rin’s face.
Rin’s fingertips lit up with a dangerous red light once more; her magical energy was almost becoming tangible.
Shinji, however, was not the least bit panicked; he even leaned back further, spreading his hands in a posture of complete nonchalance.
Sakura was stunned.
What had happened?
She looked at her sister, then at Shinji.
Rin’s complexion instantly changed from livid to pale, and then quickly flushed a deeper crimson.
She whipped her head around to glare at Shinji, her teeth grinding together.
“You~~~!”
Shinji, as if he didn’t see her rage, continued to speak in a leisurely manner, his voice not loud, but clear enough for everyone in the room to hear distinctly.
“If you think you are an immoral Magus, you can kill me right now; I have no way to resist you.”
He shrugged and pointed to his chest.
“I don’t care.
I’m a useless person now anyway, so be it if I die.”
Of course, he knew Rin wouldn’t kill him; he knew her bottom line too well.
Furthermore, Sakura was present, and she had just signed an agreement.
No matter how angry Rin was, she couldn’t possibly actually take action at a time like this.
Moreover, she was Rin —proud and restrained.
Sakura frowned.
Although she didn’t understand at all what “such things” referred to, she could see that the atmosphere was strained to the breaking point.
The fist print on Shinji’s face was glaringly red, and Rin’s breathing had not yet calmed down.
She stepped forward quickly and reached out to gently tug on Rin’s sleeve, her voice very soft but carrying a hint of pleading.
“Sister, let’s go.
Let’s leave it at that for today, okay?”
Rin’s shoulders were as stiff as stone.
She looked down at Sakura’s hand holding her own, then looked up to glare at Shinji; that look was almost murderous.
Shinji just smiled, wearing a brazen expression.
Sakura tugged gently again.
“Sister…”
Rin finally took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the magical energy that was about to burst forth.
She shook off Sakura’s hand, not out of anger, but for fear that she wouldn’t be able to control herself.
“Remember what I said just now, scumbag Shinji.”
She said each word distinctly, her voice as cold as ice shards.
“If you dare to go back on your word~~”
After saying this, she turned and strode toward the door.
Her boots clicked against the floor with a crisp, decisive sound.
Sakura hurried to follow.
Just as the two were about to cross the threshold, a very soft, very faint whisper came from behind.
Shinji lightly touched his lower lip with his fingertips, his voice so low that only he could almost hear it, yet it was just enough for Rin to hear.
“I liked it very much.”
Rin’s back stiffened visibly for a moment.
She didn’t turn back, just clenched her fists tighter at her sides.
The next second, she yanked the door open and walked out without looking back.
Sakura took one last look at the man on the bed.
He was leaning against the headboard, the swelling on his forehead particularly conspicuous on his pale face.
She said nothing and gently closed the door.
In the corridor, Rin walked quickly, the sound of her boots echoing in the empty hallway.
Sakura had to jog a few steps to catch up with her.
“Sister…”
Rin stopped, her back to Sakura, her shoulders rising and falling slightly.
She was silent for a few seconds, then suddenly raised her hand to cover her face and cursed in a low voice.
“That bastard!!”
Sakura rarely saw Rin so out of control.
She hesitated for a moment, then reached out to gently touch Rin’s back.
“I’m sorry, it’s all because of me…”
Rin turned around abruptly, her eyes still a bit red, but she shook her head immediately.
She had thought that if she hadn’t followed along today, perhaps this wouldn’t have happened.
“It’s not your fault!”
Her voice was a bit loud, and she froze for a moment after saying it, then immediately softened her tone.
“It’s really not your fault.
I just couldn’t hold back.”
She looked down at her own fist, the knuckles still flushed red.
“It’s just that that guy is really begging to be hit.”
Sakura looked at her, her lips moving, but in the end, she just smiled gently.
“Yeah, he really is begging to be hit.”
The two walked side by side toward the elevator.
The corridor lights were bright, casting long shadows.
Sakura looked at her own blurred reflection on the elevator wall, her voice very soft but very firm.
“Like this, it’s truly over.”