Entry 33: The Nurse's New Clothes

[Heading down the stairs to garden, who do I see manning the previously empty item-kiosk?]

…..? Could this man be — Yes, he’s the administrator AI from the Holy Grail War. What is he doing in the store?

Kotomine :: Heh. You’re looking at me like something incomprehensible. I can understand that. In any case, I’m in a similar state myself. It seems that somehow not only Masters, but one of the administrative NPCs has been caught up in this incident. Under these circumstances, my original role has been overwritten. Instead, as you can see, I have been granted the position of shopkeeper. It’s truly thrilling. Do you understand, now?

An administrative NPC whose role has been overwritten…So, are all of the people in this school other than the Masters NPCs that have been caught up in all this?

Kotomine :: For the most part. There are NPCs that were brought here, and perhaps some NPCs that were in this old school building from the beginning. Those who were here before seem to be reproductions of the appearances of former Masters, just virtual images after all. They’re the same as the students in the preliminaries.

I see. I understand the situation. I understand, but — yeah, having this priest here makes me extraordinarily ill at ease.

Kotomine :: You’ll have to get used to that. I am, as you can see, fastidiously neat and moreover meticulous. Since it has come to this, I am aiming to become the greatest of all shopkeepers. I imagine it would be a headache for you. So then — thank you for your patronage, please come again.

[So, I check out his wares — there are the usual low-level healing items I’m familiar with from Fate/Extra, and a piece of equipment – called “formal wear” in Extra. Formal wear is equipped on Hakuno, up to two pieces at any given time, and gives her access to “code cast” abilities, or boosts her MP. Very useful stuff. There is also a girl’s school uniform, presumably the one Hakuno wanted to get for Sakura, which costs 98000 sakurament. I'm on my second playthrough, and suspect that this is critical to reaching the True End, so I buy it. It leaves me a lot closer to broke.]

[I…look forward to shopping with you in the future, Kotomine AI.]

[Heading back up to the student council room with my new purchase, I note that Sakura's got a new conversation option.]

Sakura :: Hakuno? Is something the matter?

I go to hand Sakura the newly purchased girl's school uniform. She turns and looks over her shoulder at me, and I start to get a little nervous that I'm doing something uncalled for.

No, no, no, if I give up here it'd be a waste. They might not have had the same uniform in stock, but this is pretty close. I hold the folded uniform tightly as I offer it to Sakura.

"It's a bit sudden, but have this, Sakura!"

[Is this the only time I ever actually speak? I think it might be.]

Sakura :: Um, this is..... what is this?

I explain that I've prepared her a Tsukimihara girl's uniform for her. As allies fighting together to get back to the near side of the moon, I want Sakura to wear the same uniform.

Sakura :: What -- you shouldn't! That's a problem! Sakurament is a valuable resource, so using it to buy a uniform for me is.... Hurry, return it to Kotomine's shop, and buy something more helpful instead! Like a healing item or a Formal Wear!

[As a side note, these should probably be Mystic Codes, but Extra and the previous translation used 'formal wear', so I'm sticking with that for consistency.]

Sakura's full power rejection hits me hard. I knew she'd be perplexed, but I didn't think she'd go so far as to call it a problem. I guess I've gone and done something unnecessary...

Sakura :: Ah, that's... Not exactly what I meant. I was trying to be mindful of the situation we're in, or something like that... Um... I don't want to cause problems for you. So it's not like I don't like it.

...Really?

Sakura :: Really.

...Really really?

Sakura :: Really really. So don't get so sad. 

I raise my head. If it's not that you don't like it, then as one of the Student Council members, and as someone that supporting me, Hakuno Kishinami, I'd like you to wear it. I think you'll look good in it.

[This isn't actually spoken, but we can probably assume that it is. There's no subject specified, so it could be Hakuno's thoughts or her dialogue. I'm inclined to think the latter, and I've translated it as such. Once again, curse the unvoiced protagonist trope.]

Sakura :: ..........

Sakura :: You're really a strange person. Even though nobody's worrying about that sort of thing... Okay. I'll change, so will you come with me to the nurse's office?

Of course, I'd be delighted to.

We leave the Student Council room together.

Sakura ::Setup complete! Um... how do I look?

Looking kind of lost, Sakura asks me how she looks. It's no exaggeration to say she's really cute in it, and I tell her as much. Her trademark white nursing gown and light hair go really well with the dark blue sailor uniform. Coupled with her usual elegant behavior, she looks like the kind of underclassman I'd really want to protect.... that's my impression, at least.

Sakura :: That's kind of an embarrassing example, but I'm glad it doesn't look weird. And, it feels like my processing speed somehow went up... some kind of optimization? Thank you, Hakuno.

I'm glad she likes it. That was kind of awkward, but as I thought, it's definitely right for us to be wearing the same uniform. I'm looking forward to working together, Sakura.

Sakura :: Yes. I'll be giving it everything I have on the support side, so leave it to me! ....And, thank you. It's hard to explain, but I'm really happy.

[Smile status: protected. I'm glad I got to do this this time around.]

 Normal route version: https://tsukinoura.wordpress.com/2013/07/13/entry-33-shopping-is-going-to-be-a-harrowing-experience/