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It had been a normal day, Issei thought, like most days were in the temple. Right up until the point where Matou Sakura showed up out of nowhere and started dragging him away.
“Um,” he said, trying not to panic at the thought of there being a girl attached to his arm. It was difficult, but he’d improved at it considerably over the years. “Can I help you with anything, Sakura?”
“I need spiritual guidance,” she answered without looking at him.
“I figured that, but…” He blinked at the building with the lantern hanging outside. “Why do you need your spiritual guidance to be inside an izakaya?”
Sakura sighed into her cup of sake.
“Well?” Issei asked from his seat across from her.
“I… don’t know if I can be happy for Shirou. I want him to be happy, but seeing him marrying another woman… I was there long before Rin noticed that he even existed-”
“Wait,” Issei interrupted with wide eyes. “Shirou is getting married? To Tohsaka? That Tohsaka?”
She nodded. “I… thought you knew.”
“I didn’t.” After a moment’s pause, he asked quietly, “May I have some of that?”
Wordlessly, Sakura poured him a cup of sake.
“I loved him,” Sakura sobbed drunkenly. “I loved him for years and years, and I never said anything because I thought it was too soon. And then she shows up and… and…” She broke into tears, wailing loudly.
Hesitantly, Issei put what he hoped was a comforting hand on her shoulder. “There, there. It’ll be all right. I know how you feel,” he soothed her.
Still sniffling, she gave him a weak smile. “You don’t really, but… thanks for saying it.”
“Actually,” he said softly, “I… really, really do know.”
She blinked at him, her drink-addled mind taking a few seconds to puzzle that out. Then she announced, “We’d like more sake, please.”
“Did he ever…” Sakura paused before asking, “When you were having a bad day, he’d just say something wonderful out of nowhere without really meaning to. Did he do that for you?”
“All the time.” Issei sighed wistfully. “And he never lied, so when he said it you knew he wasn’t just flattering you.”
“He never took advantage of people, either. I don’t think he’s ever looked up a girl’s skirt. Maybe accidentally,” she added.
The monk nodded in agreement. “He never looked at anyone in the locker rooms. Even Shinji did that once or twice.”
“Did you look at him?” she wondered.
Issei flushed and looked away. “…maybe?”
Sakura giggled. “Tell~”
“I can’t do that!” he protested, still blushing. “If men told women what they’d seen in the locker rooms, the foundation of society would collapse.”
“You’re no fun.”
He raised an eyebrow at the pouting woman. “Sakura, I think you may have had too much to drink.”
“Are Shirou and Rin still getting married?” she asked.
He nodded. “Unfortunately.”
“Then I haven’t had enough to drink yet,” she decided. “Pour me another cup.”
Issei’s only words to the other monks, when he finally staggered back to the temple, were “I hope they don’t ask me to be in the wedding party.”