"Sorry… I made a big deal out of nothing," Sorano murmured, her voice small.
"It's fine. It was just a normal conversation for us. I suppose it just looked like a big deal to you?" Ultear responded with a deceptively kind smile.
The two girls immediately locked into another silent glaring contest.
"This…" Shun began, feeling the tension thicken. "Let's just go back to the guild first. We can talk there."
---
'I guess kids in this world mature quickly?' Shun pondered as they walked. 'I'm not some dense protagonist from a 2010s anime. I can tell what's happening here. But I have no plans to act on any of it. Only if they still feel the same once they're adults… maybe then.'
They arrived at the Fairy Tail guild hall, which, prior to the Phantom Lord arc, was still a modest, somewhat shabby building.
"Let's go in," Shun said to the two girls walking on either side of him, who had at least stopped glaring for the moment.
The guild was nearly empty, most members having stayed at the café or headed straight home. They found a quiet table and sat down.
"I'll introduce you two properly," Shun said with a weary sigh. "This is Sorano. She's a fellow guild member and one of my… close friends, I guess?" He added the word "close" as Sorano's expression began to darken again.
"And this is Ultear. She's here for a trade and to request a mission from me. She's an important client." He concluded the introductions, hoping that would settle things.
"Sorano…" Ultear's eyes narrowed in recollection. "Aren't you one of the children from the Tower of Heaven?"
"Yes…" Sorano's voice softened. "Were you there too?"
"I was. But it's… complicated," Ultear replied with a sigh, not wanting to elaborate on her role as Jellal's manipulator.
Shun looked at Ultear. "I think you can tell her. I trust you both with my secrets." He paused, then added a line he'd heard somewhere before, hoping it would help. "Believe in me that believes in you."
The words seemed to have the desired effect. Ultear was silent for a moment, then began to recount her past—the lies about her death, her misplaced hatred for her mother, her membership in Grimoire Heart. When she finished, Sorano immediately got up and hugged her. Learning that the "vixen" she had accused had endured a past as tragic, if not more so, than her own, forged an instant bond of camaraderie.
---
When Makarov and the others finally returned to the guild, they were met with the baffling sight of the two girls, who had been ready to claw each other's eyes out just an hour before, now laughing and talking like old friends.
"How did this brat pull that off?" Makarov asked, utterly incredulous.
"S-Class mages sure are different…" the other members muttered, though the meaning behind their words had shifted from teasing to genuine bewilderment.
Standing behind the two girls, Shun simply shrugged, a smug smile playing on his lips. "Heh."
"Ah! I almost forgot with all the chaos," Shun said, turning to Makarov. "I'm taking a direct commission. I'll be leaving tomorrow."
"Not even a week as an S-Class, and you've already got a direct commission?" Makarov raised an eyebrow. "What are the details? Is it dangerous?"
"It's just a monster elimination. The target is supposedly from one of Zeref's books, but it's been heavily weakened by a seal. I'll be fine," Shun explained with a casual shrug, carefully omitting any mention of Ur.
"Very well. If you're confident, then you have my permission to go." Makarov decided to trust his judgment.
"Shun! I heard you're taking a mission! Is it S-Class? Take me with you!" Gray, Erik, and the other kids clamored around him.
"Maybe next time. There's no role for you guys on this one. Don't waste your time; go train," Shun said, gently but firmly turning them down.
"Tch! Sounding like an old man already," the kids grumbled, but they dispersed.
"I'm going to get some rest and prepare for the mission," Shun announced, heading for the door.
The moment he left, Sorano and Ultear stood up in unison and followed him.
Makarov watched them go, shaking his head with a fond, weary sigh. "Youth…"
Meanwhile, Laxus, hearing about Shun's direct commission, was fired up to take an S-Class job himself, only to be shut down by Makarov, who insisted he either form a team or prove himself in a one-on-one fight. It was perhaps this very moment that planted the seed for Laxus's future team, the Thunder God Tribe.
---
"Why are you two following me?" Shun asked as he walked, a girl on either side.
"Just making sure you get home safely," Sorano stated.
Shun just shrugged. "Whatever you say, miss."
"I wanted to discuss the details for tomorrow's mission," Ultear said. Now that Sorano knew about their arrangement, there was no need for secrecy.
"Then let's talk over dinner. I'll cook something," Shun offered. "But I don't have enough ingredients for three. Let's stop by the grocery store first."
The two girls happily agreed. Aside from Mavis, they were the only ones who knew Shun's true "ultimate magic."
After shopping, they returned to Shun's apartment. He decided to cook a dish from his homeland. With his comprehension of the Arc of Embodiment nearing 50%, he could now manifest basic things from his memories, like specific seasonings.
He made ramen.
As he placed three steaming, aromatic bowls on the table, Sorano and Ultear audibly gulped. The sight and smell alone told them they were in for another masterpiece.
"Aahh!" They took their first sip of the broth, and their reactions were as exaggerated as ever. Slurp! Slurp! Conversation ceased, replaced by the earnest, happy sounds of eating.
---
When they finally came back to their senses, Shun had already vanished into his bedroom to continue his study of the Arc of Embodiment. Deciding not to disturb him, the two girls settled on the sofa and began to talk.
"Do you like Shun?" Ultear asked softly, not really expecting a direct answer.
"Of course, I do!" Sorano admitted without hesitation, her face flushing red. "How about you?"
"I… don't know," Ultear confessed. Her feelings were a tangled mess. She wanted to sort through them slowly, but Sorano's straightforwardness created a sense of urgency. Just a short while ago, her life was consumed by a single goal; she never imagined she'd be worrying about something like love.
Sorano looked at her, understanding dawning in her eyes. "So you do like him…" she said gently. "You should be honest with your feelings. Otherwise, you might regret it later."
Ultear met her gaze. "Thank you," she whispered.
"Of course," Sorano added, her tone turning resolute, "that doesn't mean I'm going to give up."
A small, understanding smile touched Ultear's lips. "Yeah. I know."
They talked for a while longer, sharing stories of their pasts, their magic, and their hopes. Before they knew it, lulled by the comfort and full stomachs, they both fell asleep on the small living room sofa.
---
Shun, who had been keeping tabs on them with his near-advanced Observation Haki, let out a quiet sigh from his room.
'I was ready to step in if a fight broke out…'
He chuckled softly to himself, a wry smile forming.
'But now, somehow, it feels like I'm the third wheel.'
Shaking his head in amusement, he decided it was time to call it a night.