07—A Filling Lunch
Once Kuzuki has made it clear he's finished with her services, Sakura departs. By now, both Tohsaka and Taiasu are nowhere in sight, and from the clock on the wall, and the growing stream of students trickling into the hall, the time for lunch draws near. Realizing this, Sakura recalls the cloth sack she'd left in the Fujimura's care, and where the teacher had likely taken it.
Guess it's about that time…
Trying to dismiss the dour discussion she'd just had with Taiasu about her past, she forces a small smile as she makes her way toward the faculty room, turning toward the stairs to descend when she nearly slams into someone sprinting their own way down from the floor above.
"Ah—!"
The offender squawks, but both avoid the near collision as she screeches to a halt at the last moment, leaving Sakura unscathed. Looking up, she lets her eyes drift open to spy Fujimura holding her chest, breathing out an anxious sigh, with Shizuka behind her, regaining her footing from having just stumbled backward.
"S-Sakura-chan—!" The teacher darts around her student, checking her over, then lets out another, though relieved, sigh. "Thank goodness. Sorry about that!"
Steadying herself, Sakura fixes her face with a calm smile, completing it with a sincere nod. With the distraction of the instructor's sudden appearance blowing away the few remaining unpleasant dregs stirred up by about what she and Taiasu had been speaking, both come with a natural ease.
"It's alright, Fujimura-sensei. Actually, it's good timing, since I was on my way to the faculty room to find you."
"To find me?" Fujimura's eyes widen as she points to herself, and Sakura nods again, then points at a hall clock.
"For lunch, remember?"
"Oh, right!"
Sticking her tongue out unseriously, Fujimura raps her head with her knuckles, then laughs. Smiling, shaking her head, Sakura lets out a small sigh, and Shizuka only wordlessly paces her wondering gaze between the two before following them to the faculty room, where the fridge holding their food awaits.
With no place for them to eat in the faculty room, they opt for, and head to, the archery dojo. The chairs and table there permit enough seating and surface for them to spread out the brought sandwich ingredients, along with a few plates and cups, and some tea which Fujimura prepares shortly after they arrive. Despite being almost noon, their skin still prickles against the air's bitter winter chill, and steaming cups of tea should help to bring a rosy glow to each girl's face.
Sakura takes a few plates, setting them on the table. On each, she sets a different ingredient—bread on one, sliced beef on another, lettuce on a third, and the tomato on the fourth. Alongside the sandwich material, she also sets a simple butter knife, and the condiments they'd ransacked from the faculty fridge—spicy mustard, and a jar of sweet mayonnaise.
While both girls busy themselves preparing lunch, Shizuka meanders about the dojo, letting her feet carry her where they will, examining the bows, quivered arrows, and cubbies filled with each student's uniform, aside from those which have been taken home to be cleaned by the more conscientious club members.
As Sakura works to cut a few slices from the tomato, she glances at the jar of mayo and smiles.
I really like the taste of this… It brings everything so well—cuts the spiciness of the mustard, highlights the meat's savory flavor, and always complements the tomatoes' tangy sweetness. Why don't we have sandwiches more often?
Refocusing, she finishes cutting a third slice from the tomato, then sets about spreading a light helping of mustard on one each of three bread slices, and a moderate helping of the flavorful mayonnaise on one each of three other bread slices.
By now, the tea kettle whistles, threatening to distract her before Fujimura removes it from the electric heating element in the back, then turns it off. As she pours out the tea, Sakura finishes the last sandwich, closing the tomato slice, thin beef slices, and folded lettuce leaf with a mustard-adorned slice of cracked wheat bread.
Steam rises from each cup Fujimura sets beside the three plates, each housing a well-crafted sandwich.
Perfect for light afternoon lunch.
After a meaningful clap, Sakura and Fujimura lift theirs sandwiches. The former takes a light bite, and the latter a large chomp, smiling as she crunches through the lettuce, filling her mouth with the savory meat flavor, mustard's spicy kick, tomatoes tangy juiciness, and the mayonnaise which blends everything together in a zesty, flavorful tsunami. Shizuka sniffs at hers before allowing herself a small nibble, then following it with a more generous bite, chasing it with a contented smile.
Only one day ago, she'd seen her life undergo a calamitous upheaval. Yet the work Fujimura puts in to keep her mind off of that event helps with letting her process it at an almost unconscious level. A mountainous task, reduced over time, pebble by weighty pebble.
Fujimura follows her large bite with a sip from her cup of tea, letting it's warmth permeate her and push back the brisk afternoon's chill. Once her mouth is clear enough, she glances over at her student, setting aside her cup and mostly eaten sandwich.
"Wonderful meal, as always. So, did the day treat you well, Sakura-chan?"
Looking up from her sandwich, Sakura chews through her bite so she can answer her teacher's question.
"It's been…"
She hesitates, taking a moment to sift through the morning's events.
That she'd been able to convince Shirou to wait for her so they can walk home together is shareable, even if the reason's aren't. Though sharing it would open a can of worms and a relentless storm of Fujimura's teasing she's unwilling to bear at this moment. But both the recently completed task assigned by this instructor's stoic foil, and the ensuing encounter with two individuals, seems benign enough to speak about.
"… okay," she says, pausing before going on. "Kuzuki-sensei asked me to run an errand for him."
"An errand?"
Fujimura prompts her to go on, gesturing with her hand while she takes another sip of her tea, and Sakura nods.
"He needed to replace some handouts from his history class because of an error, so he asked me to fetch the other ones so he could throw them away."
"An error, hm…?" With her teacup empty, Fujimura sets it on a coaster beside her plate, then looks up, nodding thoughtfully. "Knowing Kuzuki-sensei, it was probably something innocuous only he would care about."
Sakura smiles, then giggles at her honest comment. "Tohsaka-senpai said something similar. I saw her and Taruko-kun when I was on my way back to see Kuzuki-sensei with those handouts."
With nothing meaningful to offer to their discussion, Shizuka simply enjoys their light back and forth, and the pleasant taste of her sandwich as she mashes it in bites between her teeth.
"Taruko-kun?" At his mention, Fujimura arches her brow. "I'd heard about him being here again today. But Tohsaka-san is still looking after him?"
Sakura nods, but doesn't comment further, instead lifting and taking a small sip from her own teacup.
"You know, I actually saw him over the bridge yesterday when I was, er…" She gestures toward Shizuka, who remains enamored with her sandwich, and Sakura gives an understanding nod as she sets down her cup. "So, how was the little guy?"
"He seemed to be—"
About to say 'fine', Sakura stops mid-thought, recalling how upset he seemed after scattering his share of papers about the hall.
There was definitely more to it than that… But he didn't seem willing to comment on it. And afterward… That whole thing—no, this is dumb. I'm overthinking things, and I can't share any of that with Fujimura-sensei, anyway.
"—doing okay," she says, finishing her thought after a brief pause to let her other thoughts play out in silence. "I'm unsure, to be honest. I really hope he's adjusting well…"
Fujimura nods in agreement. She then reaches for what remains of her sandwich, about to finish it as the dojo door slams open on it's tracks, flung open by the only girl in the entire school who could match the teacher in terms of overwhelming, manic energy.
"Fujimura-sensei! You in here?!"
The tan girl with the close-cut, shining black hair sets about scanning the dojo with her charcoal-gray eyes, until they finally come to rest on the teacher, spun from her plate with her hands up as if about to fend off an assailant.
"M-Makidera-san?!" Realizing who it is that's barged in, she lowers one hand, palming her chest with the other as she breathes out a deep sigh. "I thought we were under attack!"
Two other girls enter behind her, completing the track-club trio. One with waist-length, ashen-silver hair sporting a thin-rimmed pair of glasses over her composed, dark-bronze eyes, and the other with shoulder-length, light-brown hair, fidgeting as she reaches her hand out at Makidera's back.
"We're disturbing their lunch, Makidera-san! We really don't have to—"
"Come on, Yukkichi!" she interjects, spinning to face her with her hands on her waist, both elbows shunted out. "At the rate things are going, we'll fall behind! We rarely get enough time on the track as it is!"
"But the curfew was imposed for a reason, Maki," Himuro mentions in her placid tone, nodding thoughtfully, and Makidera looks from Saegusa to her now.
"Maybe, but it can't hurt to ask, right?!" As if this settles the matter, she spins on her heels and marches toward the three who have since stopped with their lunch, instead sitting, staring and blinking at the loud interruption. "Anyway, Fujimura-sensei, the track and field club members were hoping we could get some extra time after-hours today!"
Frowning, her arms crossed, Fujimura needs not even a moment to answer the request with a firm, resolute shake of her head.
"Makidera-san, the rules are clear. The curfew is in place until further notice."
"Aw, come on, Sensei!" Makidera claps her hands in front of her, bowing her head in some desperate, pleading gesture. "Can't you make an exception for us? There's an exhibition coming up, and at the rate things are going—"
Loudly, Fujimura clears her throat, cutting Makidera off.
"No. Exceptions. If I made one for the track-and-field members, I'd have to make one for the archery club, the kendo club, and every other club." Still, she sighs as she shakes her head with a small frown. "Sorry, Makidera-san, and you both as well—" She gestures at Saegusa and Himuro as they step in behind Makidera. "—but that's how it has to be. So please bear with it for now."
Behind her held hands, Makidera forms a sinister grin, albeit briefly. And behind her pinched-shut eyes, which snap open, glinting with gleeful mischief, something she'd planned as a backup bubbles to the surface of her mind.
I wasn't even sure if I wanted to use this, but if she's giving me no choice—!
Suppressing her giddy grin and eyes shine, she lets her hands drop, veiling her intent with a contrite, almost apologetic frown. Despite Makidera keeping her true motives hidden, Himuro lets slip a small smirk at something in the way she holds herself, and Saegusa shudders against a sudden, devious chill in the air.
I heard what happened. Everyone did. How she ran from class a few days ago, turning it into a self study. Because of that.
Rumors of what had happened a few days ago spread like wildfire. About how the teacher had wept openly when one of the student's let slip something which for her could be likened to Superman's Kryptonite. And of course, Makidera was privy to those rumors, rife with knowledge she could use to her advantage.
"Alright, Fujimura-sensei. Sorry for being so unreasonable." She bows again, then rights herself. "Say, did you know I've been practicing a poem for English class?"
"Really?" At this, Fujimura perks up, letting her arms relax at her sides as she returns to her seat. "And would you care to share it?"
The teacher's unwitting prompt brings an eager grin to Makidera's face, and her eyes again shine as she gives an enthusiastic nod. She clears her throat dramatically, opening her mouth wide, extending her hand, and projecting throughout the entire archery range the poem's first verse, recited well in fluent English.
A feat which would've earned her a measure of Fujimura's respect, were it not for the content contained within that first line.
"Tyger, Tyger—" On these two words alone, Makidera places a powerful emphasis, letting her eyes slip open just slightly to measure the teacher's reaction. "—burning bright, in the forests of the night; what immortal hand or eye, could frame thy… er… uh…?"
Her voice trails as Fujimura's entire form goes rigid, trembling. The chair beneath her scrapes as she stands from it, holding her hands clenched at her side. Makidera isn't even able to complete the poem's first verse before she realizes her short-sighted blunder. Sakura's entire form stiffens as well, while Shizuka only lets her eyes roam the scene, taking a few more small bites from her half-eaten sandwich.
"Ma-ki-de-ra-san." Placing her own emphasis on each syllable, Fujimura's tone drips with saccharine venom, sapping the already chill air of any residual warmth. "While I am impressed with your initiative in refining your English skills, and can only commend your choice of poetry, I would hate to think you were using it to coerce from me a change of heart on the decision the school has already made regarding the curfew imposed for the safety of the student body."
The teacher's sinister smile could freeze the still-steaming tea in the pot on the table into a solid block of ice. Blasting through Makidera, it leaves her with a violent shudder, starting at the point of contact, her eyes, and radiating through her entirety, ending at her toes and the tips of her short, dark hair, which flutters like a storm as she shakes her head with enough force to make her own ears ring.
"O-o-o-o-of course, not Sensei!" Crossing her arms at her chest like a shield, and shaking her head in a blur, she stammers out an unconvincing denial. "I-I-I would never do such a thing!"
Himuro's smirk breaks into a knowing grin, while Saegusa lets out a small sigh, relieved that Makidera has abandoned this reckless course. Despite knowing the denial rings hollow, Fujimura decides it best to let the matter rest there.
But only after a stern, well-worded ultimatum.
"That's good to hear," she says, sitting again and reaching for the pot of tea to refresh her cup. "After all, such behavior could only be rewarded with, oh…" Her cup again steaming, she sets down the pot, then taps her finger along her jawline, staring up at the ceiling. "Perhaps a week of cleaning the dojo after school? And I'd hate to see the track club suffer for your brash actions."
Makidera again shudders against the thinly veiled threat. Sh-she might be even scarier than Tohsaka—!
With the matter resolved, the tension in the air disperses as Fujimura's smile returns to something warm and sincere. And with it, Sakura's form relaxes as she breathes out her own sigh of relief.
"Have you had lunch yet?" she asks, directing the question at Saegusa, who startles at being addressed.
She then shakes her head. "No, not yet."
With Makidera's plan to extort extra time for the track club impelling her to drag them along, lunch had been relegated to an afterthought.
"Then, would you like to join us?" Sakura gestures to the table, and what remains of the sandwich material. Two-thirds of a tomato, and plenty of everything else.
At the offer, Makidera's stomach lets out an immodest growl. One which would've had Sakura red and flustered, had it come from her. But this girl is too eager to take her up on the offer to care about such things.
"Love to!" she blurts out.
Already forgetting the close shave from having stoked Fujimura's wrath, Makidera grabs some bread, and in short order has a hastily assembled sandwich, ready for consumption. Saegusa nods as well, and beside her, Himuro does the same, and in a few minutes' time, everyone has their first sandwich ready.
Or second, in Fujimura's case.
More cups are provided and filled with tea for the track-club trio, and a calm silence prevails for a short time.
"Ah, thank you for the other day," Sakura says, again to Saegusa, who looks up, sandwich still in hand. "I'm sorry, but I never asked your name…"
She fidgets as she says this, and Saegusa nods, smiling.
"Yes, that's true. I'm Saegusa Yukika. And Tohsaka-san told me. Matou-san, yes?"
Forcing a hollow smile, Sakura nods as well. "Yes, but please call me Sakura."
Saegusa's eyes widen, but she again nods. "Sakura-san, then?"
And with those words, the natural warmth of Sakura's smile returns.
"For the other day?" Makidera glances over at Saegusa, frowning thoughtfully before her next bite.
"Yes," Sakura answers. "I was looking for someone, and Saegusa-senpai was kind enough to point me in the right direction."
"It wasn't a problem, Mat—er—Sakura-san." Saegusa dismisses the polite remark with a simple word. Her eyes then drift toward something else. Someone she'd seen the moment she'd entered, whom no one could miss for her statuesque stature, outlandish attire, and commanding presence.
She's just been standing there this entire time…? Not even eating? I wanted to greet her properly, but with what Makidera-san was doing—?
"Hey, hey, Fujimura-sensei—!" Whatever thoughts Saegusa thinks, Makidera derails them by being loud again, pointing to the youngest among them; the girl with the wavy brown hair, dressed in her drab gray shirt, blue-jean overalls and borrowed, yellow winter coat. "I heard you were carting a kid around! This her?"
Fujimura nods, then glances down at her. "Yes. She's someone I'm looking after for a while. Itchi-chan, would you like to introduce yourself?"
The girl looks up from the table, her lips still sealed around the rim of her teacup, turned down in a frown as she sips the bitter, watery liquid contained within. She nods, then pulls the cup away, setting it on the table directly before Fujimura moves it to a nearby empty coaster.
"Itchi Shizuka…" There's little enthusiasm or life in her words as she makes a light bow toward Makidera, then rights herself. "Nice to meet you, loud onee-san."
Himuro snorts into her cup at the blunt observation, while Fujimura's mouth wrinkles into a smirk, then folds into a grin, and finally splits horizontally as she lets out a long laugh.
"Well, you could call me that," Makidera mutters, her arms folded, eyes glancing down and away as she hunches her shoulders in an impressive sulk. "But my name is Makidera Kaede. Nice to meet you too, Itchi-chan." She then gestures to the girl among them with the longest hair, wearing the thin rimmed glasses who has since regained her lost composure. "That's Himuro Kane. And the quiet one over there still nursing her sandwich is Saegusa Yukika." Finishing her introduction of the three, she gestures at Saegusa last, who makes a small wave at the girl.
Shizuka nods at the three of them, then turns back to her cup, wincing and sticking out her tongue before taking another sip.
"So, looking after her, Fujimura-sensei?" Sensing an interesting story, Himuro probes further. "How did that come about?"
"Well, it's kind of a sad—"
"—my family was killed…" Shizuka's words bear a heavy tone, sharp with a cutting edge as she interjects, turning a long, sad tale into a footnote on the back page of a newspaper. "Yesterday. I met Fujimura-san at the police station, and now she's looking after me."
Dead silence follows. The soft landing of a pin would sound like a bomb exploding.
The only thing Fujimura can offer is a sad frown and a somber nod. "Well… yes. It's like she says, Himuro-san."
"I see…" Himuro's voice trails as she withdraws from the discussion, trying to process.
Even Makidera's exuberance evaporates in the face of this revelation, delivered with all the care and consideration of a weather report by a meteorologist on his last day.
"I'm sorry to hear that, Itchi-chan…" Saegusa says, staring down at the table, fiddling with her fingers while Sakura nods her agreement in silence.
"Yes, me too. I'm sorry for asking something like that without knowing, Itchi-chan," Himuro says. With nothing else to offer, and not wanting to make things more awkward, she then lifts her own teacup, letting her eyes drift closed as she takes a small sip from it.
"Same…" Makidera mutters, holding her hands in her lap. Then, trying to force some levity like one might attempt to ram a square peg into a round hole, Makidera looks up, showing a huge, enthusiastic grin as she gives a big thumbs-up. "But from what I've heard about Fujimura-sensei, you couldn't be in better hands—"
"—my mom's, maybe…"
Bitterly, Shizuka cuts her off, and Makidera balks, tucking her thumb away back into her lap and running her fingers through the hairs on the back of her head. Her grin melts, and her gaze dips and falls away.
"Er… yeah… That's true…" She lets out a small, sad sigh. "Sorry…"
Fujimura shows both girls a sad yet understanding smile. "It's okay, Itchi-chan. And it's like I said before—" Reaching down, she rests her hand on the girl's shoulder, giving a gentle squeeze. "I'm not trying to take her place. I just want to help you through this…" Her smile warms when she realizes that in the past few minutes, Shizuka has said more than the past day and a half leading up to them. It's small, but it is progress. And I understand she'd be angry. Who wouldn't? I think it's good not to let those feelings fester…
Shizuka looks up at Fujimura, then nods. "I know… thanks." She then looks over at Makidera. "And sorry. I shouldn't have said that."
"It's okay. I can't imagine what it's like." Makidera tries a warmer, less manic tone. "I'll try to be more careful with what I say." She lets her hand rest from trying to find whatever she was looking for buried in the short, shining locks on the back of her head. Then, trying to lift the mood, though with more tact, she shows Shizuka a more reserved grin. "But what I was saying before—I think Fujimura-sensei will do a fine job looking after you."
Shizuka nods again, then looks back down at her teacup and what little remains of her sandwich. Deciding it best to change the subject, Fujimura and Makidera delve into an enthusiastic discussion about which is better, archery or track, with Himuro taken notes in her mind about everything having transpired. As they distract themselves, Saegusa's eyes again wander toward the silent spectator standing behind Sakura.
Unable to hold back, she stands, then walks around the table to where Sakura is.
"Say, umm… Sakura-san…?" Standing next to her, she prods her fingers together, then leans in, hiding her mouth behind her hand so as not to interrupt the discussion already in progress between Fujimura and Makidera. "Sakura-san… your friend… Is she not going to eat…?"
Saying this, she points behind Sakura with her other hand.
"My friend…?" Sakura traces to where she indicates to see her pointing at where Rider stands.
Rider, who should be completely invisible to everyone, including her, who can only sense her presence for being her Master.
Oh, she means Rider. Well, she—!
"W-Wai—!"
Sakura slams her mouth closed, covering it with her hand as she looks across the table, trying to see if anyone's noticed her outburst. Himuro remains engrossed in taking mental notes about Fujimura and Makidera's increasingly energetic discussion about why their particular athletic club is superior to the others. If Shizuka noticed, she pays Sakura little concern, instead focusing on finishing her sandwich.
Letting out a small sigh, she looks back over at Saegusa, who regards her with widening eyes.
Sh-she… she can see Rider?!
Before her heart slams around in her chest, as it's made an irritating habit of doing over the past several days, Sakura takes in as deep a breath as she can without making it obvious that's exactly what she's doing.
But… she doesn't seem to know what Rider is… Certainly, if she did, she'd be less… casual? But how can she see—no, that's not important… If she doesn't know what Rider is, then I can't do anything that might raise her suspicions…
Sakura lets her breath out through a fractured and unconvincing smile.
"Uh, n-no…" Her words come low, almost as a whisper. They would be, were it not for the escalating discussion taking place a not a meter away from them, making it impossible. "My, er… friend—" With her hand, she makes an awkward gesture in Rider's general area. "—er… she… um… She, er… She has…"
Sakura winces as she tries to conceive some reason—any reason, plausible or not—why Rider wouldn't be joining them, and can only settle on one.
"She has an… um… gluten… intolerance…?"
Her inflection transforms the statement into more of an inquiry. The one question she wants to ask—one she's unsure why she even wants to ask, given the obvious answer has already made itself known—she has to keep pounding down like a damn whack-a-mole with a glitched sensor.
Can… can she actually see Rider…? Does that mean she can see every servant?
"Oh… I see. That would be a problem then, wouldn't it?" Understanding, Saegusa offers a light nod in Rider's direction to go with her small, consolatory smile. "Um… I like your cosplay…" she offers, flushing a shy shade of red as she prods her fingers again, her eyes dropping to one side. "It's quite… interesting…"
Uncertain how this is even happening, Rider only blinks down at the girl a few times, her eyes still hidden behind her mask.
Saegusa again leans in close to Sakura. "She… doesn't say much, does she?"
Exasperated, Sakura sighs, then nods. "Y-yes… She's, er… sort of reserved when there are lots of people around."
Saegusa looks from Sakura up at Rider again.
"I understand that…" She shows another small smile. "But it's not a bad way to be."
At her words, Rider offers her own small nod, and a light smile to go with it, and Saegusa moves back around the table to her seat as the background discussion reaches a nonsensical, fevered pitch, Fujimura insisting that the focus and accuracy one needs to properly fire a bow will always be superior, while Makidera barks about how the speed and stamina needed by track runners is just as important.
Sakura palms her entire face, hiding it behind both palms and breathing out so heavily it passes up, fluttering her hair.
How can this girl see Rider…? Maybe I should let Nee-san know about this.
End Notes
The Chapter That Almost Wasn't - Yes, I nearly forgot to write this chapter, and I'm pretty annoyed at myself for that.
But I'm so glad I did remember, because I found a lot of fun in writing and filling it out.
Despite it being mostly fluff and filler, it does accomplish a few things I think. Also helps to fill the gap in Sakura's day while also giving a fun little nod to canon with Saegusa's interactions with Sakura and, more specifically, Rider (yes, according to a source-citing wiki, though unaware of it, canonically, Saegusa has some sort of sensitivity to psychic or spiritual phenomenon).
I also had to do some in-depth research about sandwiches in Japan, of all things :-/
Apparently, they don't eat as much cheese as we do state-side. Also, by what I found of the description of its taste, it sounds like Japanese mayonnaise is superior to its American counterpart.
