PoV: Caster

Time froze. The World came to a halt. No one said a thing, not even the master and his student. Nothing was allowed to move within these precious few seconds, within this echo of frozen eternity.

None accept one.

The judge for whom I'd prepared this meal for. The one who I'd bled, sweated and cried for. The person whom I'd given my heart to completely, who I was trying so hard to be the perfect wife for.

The only person allowed to even breathe in this lifeless void, Kuzuki Souichirou.

As if sensing my thoughts, Souichirou grabs his spoon and takes a scoop of the dish. I watch, agonizingly slowly, as he lifts the spoon to his mouth.

Simple and delectable omurice has never looked so intimidating before I decide.

To my right, the boy, the master who had shown me such a high level mastery of the culinary arts, who had forged my own culinary talents into something that hopefully constituted as passable, watched on impassively, his face as serious as mine, but with none of the tension.

He was relaxed despite his hard expression, and his eyes, that were usually expressive, were unreadable even to me.

I ponder, wondering what exactly had drawn such a reaction from him, before the Jeweled Coin sends a searing heat into my chest.

I wince, feeling scolded at his admonishment. I'd tried distracting myself from Souichirou's reac-

"It's good."

My heart stops. I don't even realize I don't have one.

I blink,

"...Eh?"

The plate before him, that had previously been occupied by my latest creation, was completely empty. Not a single grain of rice remained, the plate almost as clean as it was before I'd started cooking. Somehow, likely when I'd been distracted, he'd silently devoured the whole thing.

It takes my mind a whole minute to come to terms with this. All the time and effort I'd put into this had paid off. Seemingly, without even realizing it, I'd stepped past the gates of marriage and entered the league of housewives throughout the world. Once my mind reaches this conclusion, this divine ordained truth;

'I am now Medea Kuzuki.'

I ascend past a mere Servant,

'I am now Medea Kuzuki.'

I go beyond even a Heroic Spirit,

'I am now Medea Kuzuki'

Throughout heaven and earth, I alo-

"I am now Medea Kuzuki,"

My joy can not be withheld and I accidentally say my thoughts out loud for all to hear. My voice, filled with elation and happiness, reach the ears of the only other people in the room.

Shirou and Souichirou's oddly identical looks of confusion are enough to bring me down to Earth.

-Scene-

"Mah, you're in quite the rush, boy."

He grunts.

"Am I? I guess I hadn't noticed," he continues speaking as he turns off the facet, the dishes from before having been washed, "I've got somewhere to be this afternoon, a job I accepted not too long ago."

I quirk my eyebrow at that, my mouth bending into a slight frown.

"You already work at that tasteless shop no? What reason could you have to find more work?"

He raises a brow at me,

"Rude comments aside, I'm surprised you cared to remember that. A…..friend of mine recommended the job to me and I happened to already have some experience in the field."

I nod my head in understanding, the boy was something of a workaholic(Is that what the term is?) so it didn't surprise me he'd gone and found some other job as well.

"You know, It'd do no good if the person who saved me ran himself so ragged," my smirk only widens at his cautious look, "It'd be quite embarrassing in fact, so don't go collapsing anywhere anyone can see you, boy."

His face twists in indignation, a pout breaking through his normally straight face.

He opens his mouth to speak, but suddenly stops. I raise my brow at his contemplating features. But before I can tell him not to hurt himself think-

"You know if you're worried about me, you should just say that."

I blink. I blink again. Thrice now.

Heat flies into my face and suddenly I'm overcome with annoyance at his stupid face. I can feel a dangerous, practiced, threatening smile slip onto my lips.

"Don't kid yourself, boy. The only person in this backwater town I'd ever worry for is my dear Souichiro. No one else, and especially not you. Do you understand?"

I refrain from calling him boy to ensure my displeasure has reached through his thick head.

"I get it, I get it, sorry!"

He winces, hands raised in front of himself defensively, and I can already see him glancing at the door.

I huff, feeling thoroughly humiliated at this oaf's words. I glare at him slightly,

"If you know what's good for you you'll refrain from making such a stupid mistake again."

"Urk! Geez, I'm sorry. Won't make that mistake again."

"You'd better not, boy."

Having regained his footing, he lets out a tired sigh.

"Just like that all the energy I had for tonight is gone, you're a little too intense Megissa-san."

"If you were smarter you wouldn't have exerted yourself so much in the first place, and it's the only way I can get through that hard head of yours."

We continue like that for a bit, as we finish our cleaning. The dishes are dried and put away, and the counters are quickly cleaned off. Before long we're standing at the gate of the temple, the setting sun bathing us in its light.

"Is Kuzuki-sensei not done with those papers? I didn't think there were that many."

"You don't seem very adept at that to begin with, nevertheless, yes he's still working on such matters."

He gives me a flat stare, but holds his tongue.

'I suppose he is capable of learning.'

"That aside", I point to the wrapped bento in his left hand, "I don't suppose that's for that bothersome guardian of yours?"

He glances down at it, raising it slightly.

"Oh this? It's not actually," he turns his head slightly, gesturing at the hospital I can vaguely make out from here, "do you remember the friend I told you about before?"

I roll my eyes.

"I'm not so forgetful I'd fail to recall a conversation from a few hours ago, boy."

He takes it in stride,

"Well it's for her," my eyebrow raises at the pronoun, "And before you say anything," Ah it seems he'd caught that, "She's just a friend of mine, I always bring her something I make since she hates the taste of hospital food."

It's not difficult to pick up what he's putting down(These modern phrases would take some time to get accustomed to.)

"I see, well I can't say it's unlike you to aid those in need regardless of their affiliation."

He frowns slightly, looking away from me,

"It's not like that, she's been one of my closest friends for as long as I can remember. So something like this is nothing at all."

I hum,

"Do you think you could be doing more, boy?"

Judging by his wince I guessed correctly,

"Honestly," I sigh, "for me to have this level of an understanding of you after so little time."

I hold back a smile at his indignant squawk.

"I can't say I know her situation well, or at all for that manner. However, if it's as bad as I'm guessing it is, then there's nothing you can do about it, boy."

'There', I think to myself, 'I've repaid my debt for the lessons.'

I glance at him, catching his conflicted expression.

"It's clear I won't get through to you today, so rest on it."

My words snap him out of his reverie,

"Huh-oh yeah, it's getting late, at this rate I'll be late."

I nod and he turns around, heading down the temple steps. Just as he reaches the third step, I call out to him.

"Shirou," he stops immediately, likely taken aback by my use of his name, "if you plan on listening to anything I say, let it be this."

His whole body turns to face mine, and I can tell I have his full attention.

My voice conveys nothing but seriousness,

"At risk of going against my word from before, I'll tell you this once and once only."

My blue eyes stare directly into his amber orbs.

"These next coming days, these streets will become dangerous", his eyes widen at that, that doesn't deter my warning, "be extremely careful traversing the city, especially at night, boy."

He blinks at me, at a loss for words seemingly. The last sight I want to see returns in his conflicted expression from before reappearing. Ultimately though, he doesn't argue, merely nodding his head in thanks before continuing down the steps.

I watch, tension filling every part of my body, as his red hair disappears from sight.