AUTHOR'S NOTE: THIS CHAPTER IS IN SHIROU'S POINT OF VIEW. I WILL BE CREATING RIN'S POINT OF VIEW IN THE NEXT CHAPTER AND I WILL BE USING THE SAME CHRONOLOGICAL TIMELINE OF THIS CHAPTER. THANK YOU! AND BY THE WAY, PLEASE ENJOY THIS NEW CHAPTER.
"Love or Family"
Chapter 2: The Rumors
- ONE MONTH PASSED -
- Emiya Residence -
- Shirou's POV -
It has been one month after the Holy Grail War. The war I was forced to participate to. I disliked it at first but eventually I was grateful that I was part of that war. There were a few reasons why I was grateful of the war.
First of all, I was able to meet Saber. Other than Fuji-nee and Sakura, Saber was one of the girls who I got close with. Saber was the only human I know who shares the same kind of ideals with me. I hoped that someday I will be able to meet Saber again. I wanted to thank her properly for everything she had done during the war.
Secondly, I was able to improve my abilities in terms of magic and magecraft. Before the war, I was disinterested in magic. Due to my upbringing by Emiya Kiritsugu, I wasn't as good as the magi I encountered during the war. It was during the war that I was able to unlock my true potential and developedthe ablity of Projection magic. At the end of the war, Tohsaka Rin offered me to train under her so that I can improve more in his magic. And I happily accepted her proposal.
Speaking of which, the final and most important reason why I was grateful of the war was her. Without participating in the war, I wouldn't be able to get close to her. She was the school idol. She was Sakura's older sister. Yes, I knew because she told me about their awkwardness in one of my training sessions. She was also my master now. I had begun training under her now for a month. Before the war, I had only seen her from a distance. Everybody in school especially the men, saw her as a beautiful goddess. However, nobody really ever tried to court her. Maybe Shinji and another guy tried but to no avail. In fact, I am the only one from the opposite gender who is the closest to her. Somehow, this fact made me happy. And during that war, I became her ally and eventually a close friend of her at the end.
But I wanted so much more than just being friends with her…
This girl is the one who I admire the most. I liked her at the beginning and I liked her more ever since I started hanging out with her during the war. As far as the war has gone, I understood her more.
The school idol thing is just an act and I was the only one who knew that. Everybody knew her for being insensitive about the feelings of others. She dumped Shinji before without even listening to his explanation. Everybody thought she was the typical rich and beautiful girl who is mean and conceited but still adored by the male population at school.
All I can say is that everybody misunderstood her. She was a kindhearted person. In a war where killing can't be avoided, she would do so much to avoid such an act and was there to protect the people in Fuyuki City. She even saved my life. She always gave reverence to life. She's not insensitive at all. She was just being honest. And she's not the rich and beautiful girl stereotype. She was not mean nor cold to people. Most of the students don't even know what "do not judge a book by its cover" means. Yes! She is rich and beautiful but she never flaunts her riches or beauty. She's just being real. Everybody was only intimidated by her status and somehow, it made me angry. Maybe, it was because I knew the real her.
And the more I knew her, the more I liked her. She was kind, sweet-tempered, beautiful, and intelligent girl. And she deserves to be seen as that type of girl.
She is the most important reason why I was grateful of the war. I never thought about it but I just can't help falling in love with Rin Tohsaka.
Anyway, because of my training, she moved back to her mansion. Her mansion was the same training ground where she trained. And besides she moved into his house due to their alliance in the war. And the war was over. But that didn't suit me at all. I was sad about it but who am I to complain? And besides she offered me to walk with her every day we went to school. For now, that arrangement was good enough for me.
I remembered the first day of the third trimester of Homurabara Academy. The whole student body was surprised to see me and her walking together. Because of this scene, I was subjected to a lot of rumors. One rumor suggested that it was our parents who decided that their two children be married. And they chose us both to be their successors. Obviously, nobody knew that both her parents and mine were gone. Another rumor suggested that I held a weakness against her and blackmailed her to be my girlfriend. And she was not really in love with me. This particular rumor made me mad. Wild versions of this rumor simply irritated me more than ever.
- 3 weeks ago -
Rin and I entered the school gates. I started staring at everyone who was looking back at us. Rin, however, keeps her eyes straight to the direction she walks, I noticed. "How can she maintain her composure? I'm already trembling by their stares", I questioned myself. Maybe, it is because she is used to it.
"Emiya-kun, don't mind them", she said to him.
"But they keep looking at me as if they want to kill me. You are the school idol right?", I said.
"I said don't mind them. They won't kill you. They can't", she reassured her.
"Alright. But I'm a little uneasy now because I'm not used to this kind of attention"
She didn't say another comment anymore as we separated because our respective classes are on opposite corners of the school. However, we agreed to have lunch together up on the rooftop of the school. That made me looked forward to lunch time.
- LUNCH TIME -
- Rooftop -
"So how does it feel like to be popular now?", Rin asked me with a grin on her face.
"Well, I'm really shy you know. So I'm a little bit uneasy now. Even my classmates were looking at me"
"Oh really? I thought you would like the attention you're getting. Archer is a show-off; so, I'd expect you to flaunt that you're hanging out with the school idol", she says sarcastically as she bounced her shoulders.
"Is that really what you think of me? A show-off?", I asked as if I'm asking for sympathy which is truly my intention at all.
I saw her flinch as I said that. Rin was completely taken back by his reaction to her comment. "I was just kidding, Emiya-kun. I know you're a humble person", she said quickly while laughing it off.
"Man, she's such a tease. She's been teasing me like this since we became allies during the war", I thought. But I liked her that way.
Then, we continued to eat our lunch while sitting together in one of the cemented benches on the school's rooftop. I had pork cutlets, California maki rolls and kani salad in my bento. She had tuna melt sandiwiches and Caesar garden salad. Sometimes, I wonder if she even ate Japanese food at all. After realizing what a rhetorical question that is, I face palmed myself a little bit too hard.
"What is wrong, Emiya-kun?", she asked me worriedly as she was surprised at my action.
"Nothing, nothing! Don't worry about that, Tohsaka-san", I quickly reassured as I waved my two hands at her. Then, I quickly came back to finish my lunch.
When I was finished with my lunch, I realized that I forgot to buy a drink and I was thirsty. Noticing this, she suddenly poured me a cup of green tea and she put it in my hand. I looked at her thankfully and she didn't look back. And I quickly noticed, she was blushing and had short, quick breaths. "Is it the cold? Or is she really uneasy with the attention we are getting?", I thought to myself.
It was really cold after all. "Maybe I should give her my polo?", I thought. She was cold anyways. So, I stood up, and unbuttoned my polo.
"Wha-wha-what are you doing?", she asked me nervously as she looked at me sensing that I was doing something perverse.
"I'm just giving this to you. Geez!", I reassured her as I put my polo around her shoulders. She then thanked me and gave me a warm smile. Somehow, her smile made me forget about the cold.
A few minutes then passed by in silence. In about ten minutes, lunch period will be over. I thought about conversing her for the last minutes but I enjoyed these moments of silence we've had.
"Maybe, we should keep this a secret", she suddenly said in a serious tone. She was now staring at me straight on.
I can only blush at this moment. She was staring directly at me and I was entranced by her beautiful eyes. I couldn't answer her.
"I guess it's settled. We should just be acquaintances when we're here in school. But you will still train under me. Okay?", she asked. "You are really uneasy with all the rumors and all. So let's keep this as a secret and the rumors will die down soon"
I can only nod in our agreement. "I won't like this at all", I thought sadly.
- PRESENT -
- Emiya Residence -
That's how we've decided to keep their relationship a secret. We would only see each other after school when we are training. However, the rumors never died down. I continued to receive glares from the male students. For some extent, the glares made me really angry. I'm not hanging out with the school idol already. Why still glare at me?
One afternoon, we met at her mansion after classes. I wondered how long I was going to take all of this crap. Sometimes, I even wondered how I was able to handle myself in public with all the rumors spreading. I never had so much attention before. Before I was almost invisible to everyone but now, even if I'm just a tiny ant in one of the trees at the school yard, they will still be able to notice me.
That afternoon, I complained to Rin about another rumor about the two of us. And this time, I'm really pissed.
- 1 WEEK AGO -
- Tohsaka Mansion -
"Man! Those guys really don't stop glaring at me! I don't know but I think I'm gonna explode someday with this uneasiness I get from them", I complained to Rin. By the looks of it, she was worried of him.
We had executed our plan to eliminate the rumors spreading. However, it was not working at all. In spite limiting only their interaction at school as a simple nod if they pass each other anytime inside school, the rumors didn't die down as planned.
"Another wild rumor has spread again. Seriously, people our age get really insane about gossip. They create different versions of the story about us every day. No one even bothered to know the truth. And this time, the rumor is that I impregnated you accidentally", I said angrily. "Who did they think they are? Is that what I look to them?", I thought as I swung and slashed with my projected two Chinese Yin-Yang swords.
"Wow! It's her plan and she's not listening to me", I thought as I looked at her. She was really deep in thought. Then, I stared at her for a long time just to admire her beauty. And for some reason, she didn't notice at all.
Then I remembered what I'm complaining about.
"I'm not a rapist! Hey Tohsaka! Are you listening to me?", I angrily got her attention. Unfortunately, I can't. In the mean time, she didn't listen to every word I said about the rumors.
- PRESENT -
- Emiya Residence -
I'm getting really restless. I only sleep four hours at night when that wild rumor had spread at the entire school. This time, the male students gave me glares that look deadly. Do they really want to kill me?
But then my condition started to worsen. She and her plan were the reasons behind it. And somehow I liked it.
- 5 DAYS AGO -
- Shirou's Classroom -
It's the start of lunch time. I'm really tired that time because I'm not getting enough sleep. But something took my attention. Outside my classroom, people were looking at one direction. I soon learned that they were looking at Tohsaka who was now entering my classroom.
"Emiya-kun, we're going to eat here", she said firmly while avoiding the looks of the whole class.
I was surprised at first because this was not part of the plan. "What is she thinking?", I thought.
"I thought we're keeping this down low", I whispered to her ear which caused our audience to be more interested.
I looked at her again and she's really red. "Is she blushing?"
She then slowly moved her lips towards mine. "Wha-what is happening? Here right now?", I thought while she continued to move her lips closer to mine.
Everyone in the room held their breath as they waited for the deed to be done. I simply froze because I didn't know what to do. Then, I saw her eyes closed and her lips were an inch away from mine. "She's really going kiss me here? What am I to do?"
And for the slightest moment, she erased the separation between our lips and kissed me for a few seconds. She pecked my lips without tongue. But in that moment I was in heaven.
As she separated our lips, she was in shorter breaths this time and totally red. I looked at her questioningly, "What are you planning this time Tohsaka?" while everyone gasped for air.
"E-e-emi-mi", she stuttered trying to say my name. But she can't complete what she's saying. I'm still in the dark of what her plan were.
She then fell silent for a few moments and after, something interesting came out of her mouth.
"Shi-Shirou", she said my name, my first name. What does that mean?
"There's no need to be completely silent the whole time. Come on! It's not like it's the first time we kissed", she quickly regained composure. "What?", I thought.
Well, it is not our first time we kissed. We kissed before when she transferred her prana to me before my fight with Gilgamesh.
Everyone in the classroom started to talk loudly, loud enough to hear that the topic is about our predicament now. Some even opened their cell phone and started texting "Tohsaka Rin kissed Emiya Shirou in front of everyone" to people who wasn't there that time.
"We even 'did' it before right?", she told me lifting both of her eyebrows together while being oblivious to the people who stared at us about that last comment. But she only laughed about it.
"I guess this is her plan. Just go with the flow huh?", I happily thought.
"Yeah I guess so. Us dating can't be a secret now", I blatantly shouted so everyone can hear us. Everyone then started to talk loudly again while the others texted to confirm others that me and Tohsaka are dating now.
"I know Shirou", she said my first name again. And her smile that completely took away my uneasiness is on show again now.
"I guess we can eat here, Toh… Rin", I decided to return her favor of calling my first name.
- PRESENT -
- Emiya Residence -
Those were one of the best memories I had in my life. I, forever, will cherish that memory until I die.
She was the reason that made fighting at the Holy Grail War worthwhile. And I always thought of saving her during the war. But she was headstrong and steadfast. In fact, without her, I wouldn't even defeat Gilgamesh.
Now, I can't stop thinking about her. She called me with my first name. She's really pulling my plug. Everything about her makes me crazy. I have spent nights just thinking about her and not getting any sleep at all. The excitement I'm getting knowing that I will see her again the next day is really uncontrollable. I really can't.
Everybody at school now knows that I am her current boyfriend. Even Fuji-nee and Sakura got the message and started to ask me some personal questions about us. It was really fun that I was being labeled as the "school idol's boyfriend" but in reality, we were just faking it. Between the two of us, we were not officially dating yet. It was just a publicity stunt so people would stop creating such wild rumors. And it worked.
But there's an anomaly in our arrangement. Even though we were faking it, I wanted to be real. I wanted to be Tohsaka Rin's boyfriend. I can't help it. And as of now, I am falling head over heels for Rin.