Chapter 05: A normal day part III
/~on the way to school~/
(Shirou's point of view)
It's another normal day.
This time, I'm walking alone under the tranquil morning skies.
?
Oh, it's that man from yesterday.
The brunette man is still wearing the same clothing.
…
The said man is currently sitting alone on a bench by the park.
?
It's that same scent again…
I wonder what it means.
"Hmm…? There's a statue next to him." I muse to myself.
When did the park placed it?
/~at school~/
[Table slams]
"It's PE time…!" Shinji suddenly slams my table out of excitement.
"You always love PE, Shinji."
"Who doesn't? I mean the girls will be in their gym uniform. That's a sight to behold." He smiles lecherously.
"Please forgive this sinful friend of mine." Issei prays.
"Hey, stop that! You made me look like I've done a bad thing! It's only normal for boys to be interested in such things!" Shinji argues.
Issei seems startled.
"You do have a point there." He fixates his glasses with his right index finger.
"I know you would understand, Ryuudou." Shinji smirks.
"But to openly admitting it… I don't think that is necessary." Issei suddenly retorts.
"Huh…?" Shinji tilts his head.
"Men are made that way as you stated. However, as men, we need to refrain ourselves from acting on pure lust." Issei emphasizes his point.
"WHAT…!? You and your stupid monk teachings! Whose side are you on, Emiya?" Shinji suddenly absorbs me into the argument.
The two of them are staring at me passionately.
"Uh… I don't know?" I reply, still questioning my sanity.
"Make up your mind, Emiya! Men's pride is on the line!" Shinji stresses the dispute.
"That's right, Emiya! This is our pride we're talking about!"
?
That's an unfamiliar voice…
The three of us turn to face the newcomer.
It was a boy with bleached hair.
He's a bit taller than I am…
"Yo!" He greets us with familiarity.
…
"Who are you?" Shinji breaks the tension.
The bleached haired boy pretends to be hurt.
"It's me Gotou Gai! I'm your classmate!" He states exasperatedly.
…
"I do recall seeing him before… But where…?" Issei mutters to himself.
"I've bleached my hair! I've been attending the same class as you guys since the first day!" He argues.
"Oh… You were that plain brown haired guy." Shinji says with uninterested tone.
"You're so cruel, Matou-kun…" Gotou cries, comically.
"Gotou-kun, why did you bleach your hair?" Issei questions him.
The boy recomposes himself.
"I need an image for myself. Otherwise, I'm just a plain guy." He says with a sparkle in his eyes.
…
So, you admit you were a plain guy…
"Alright folks, listen up!" Our PE teacher raises his voice to attract our attention.
"What's up with that guy?" Shinji says, still in unconcerned tone.
"He's our PE teacher." I point out.
"Oh…" Shinji replies, in indifferent tone.
…
"We'll be having our PE class with 1A." The teacher announces.
?
"That's so sudden. May I ask the reason behind it, sensei?" Issei raises his arm.
"I have no need to answer that. Just go and change into your sport attire!" The teacher yells.
"Yes sir!" Issei salutes him out of reflex.
Speaking of 1A, why does that specific class name sounds familiar?
"Did you hear that Emiya? We'll be having our PE with 1A!" Shinji suddenly says ecstatically.
?
"What's so special about 1A?"
Shinji palms his face.
"You're an idiot, you know that?" He deadpans.
?
"It's Tohsaka's class." He claims.
Oh…
"So…?"
The wavy haired boy palms his face again.
"Does that dick of yours have any sense…!?" He yells.
"Matou, mind your word." Issei chastises him.
For some reason, Issei seems content.
?
The bespectacled boy suddenly gives me a thumb up.
"Seriously, Emiya… You're pretty screwed in the head, aren't you?" Gotou decides to butt in.
?
"Class 1A is full with bishoujos. We boys, have been monitoring them from day one." He claims.
…
"The most prominent one is Tohsaka. Every boy in this school knows that." He adds.
I really didn't see her that way…
"What is it with you people? Can't you see that she's a witch…!?" Issei suddenly yells.
"A witch…? What kind of nonsense are you spouting, Ryuudou? She's the most beautiful girl we ever met!" Gotou asserts.
…
Now that I think of it, she is very pretty…
But, I got no time to chase after a girl.
I need to live up Kiritsugu's dream.
And I need to help Shana fight that Tomogara.
"She's smart, and she's active in sports. She's truly the perfect girl!" Gotou adds again.
?
"Wait… We're still in the first week. How did you know all of that?"
The bleached haired boy smirks.
"I knew you would ask that. The truth is, I've been watching her since middle school!" He declares.
…
Doesn't that make you a stalker?
"Enough swooning over that girl and get into your sport attire!" The teacher yells.
""Yes sir…!"" The four of us salute him.
/~in the gym~/
"Good morning, Emiya-kun." Tohsaka greets me with a smile at the gym.
Right now, she's wearing the fabled gym outfit.
[Heart thumping]
?
Is it me, or my heart just skipped a beat?
…
"Morning, Tohsaka. It looks like your class will be having PE with us." I try to converse with her.
"Indeed…" She replies, still with a smile on her face.
?
Why is she smiling at me like that?
"Yo, Tohsaka…! You look good in that outfit." Shinji flatters her.
He's probably trying to ask her out on a date.
"Why thank you, Matou-kun…!" She responds, still with the same smile.
…
That smile really unnerves me…
"Now that's a surprise. I didn't know you get along with 1C boys, Tohsaka." Another girl shows up.
She's from the same class as Tohsaka.
The said girl has brown hair that reaches the cape of her neck.
She's a bit taller than Tohsaka.
"Whoa… Another bishoujo… The rumors are true." Gotou whispers to me.
"Ara, Ayako… Do I look that close to them?" Tohsaka asks her.
"I saw you approach that guy with red hair on purpose. You don't do that so often with other people." Tohsaka's classmate points out.
Tohsaka ponders to herself.
"I'm Mitsuzuri Ayako. Please to meet you." The girl introduces herself, specifically to me.
"Oh… I'm Emiya Shirou."
Currently, she's inspecting me from head to toe.
For some reason, she starts scowling.
"You look normal." She sighs.
…
"I thought there was something special about you that demands attention from our great Tohsaka. It turns out you were just another guy…" She sighs again.
…
I am really offended by that…
What's wrong about looking normal?
"This guy, normal…? Hah…! You got that wrong, sister!" Shinji suddenly interjects.
Mitsuzuri turns her attention to him.
"And you are…?" She says in uninterested tone.
"I'm Matou Shinji, the one who will become the Archery club President." Shinji claims proudly.
She raises an eyebrow.
"So, what's so exceptional about Emiya that you wanted to let me know?" She folds her arm.
"This guy is an 'Ally of Justice'." Shinji says mockingly.
…
"An 'Ally of Justice'…? Are you kidding me?" Mitsuzuri says in astonished tone.
Tohsaka and some other girls from her class start paying attention to us.
"That's right! Emiya Shirou is an 'Ally of Justice'! Trust me when I say, he'll help anyone. I mean, EVERYONE! It doesn't matter who you are, this guy will come running the moment you ask for help." Shinji exaggerates.
…
"That's just dumb." Someone decides to interject.
?
For some reason, she looks like Tohsaka.
"Reiroukan Misaya, the second place after Tohsaka in terms of popularity." Gotou informs me.
…
"Why are you informing me about these stuffs?"
"I feel obligated to do so…" He says with a thumb up.
…
"Right…" I sigh.
"Reiroukan is a distant cousin of Tohsaka. I heard about it from some folks back in middle school. That's why they look alike." Gotou informs me with more unnecessary information.
?
For some reason, a bespectacled brunette girl is staring at me.
"That's Sajyou Ayaka. She's one of the few candidates that reach our top five most popular girls." Gotou informs me again.
…
I'm too tired to respond.
"Say what you want. Emiya is just a dumb friend I have." Shinji concludes his case.
…
"Emiya, you got a mean friend over there." Mitsuzuri comments on the wavy haired boy.
"Shinji is always like that." I reply nonchalantly.
"Tough luck… Well now that I hear it myself, I'm going to join the Archery club." The girl declares.
?
"You were so moved by my charisma that you wanted to join the same club as I am?" Shinji muses.
"Of course not… You barely had any charisma. I'm only joining to steal that position from you." She smirks with folded arms.
Shinji's eyebrows start twitching.
"Why you—Fine! Let's see who's going to be the Captain!" Shinji proclaims the war.
"Challenge accepted!" The brunette girl replies.
…
Speaking of which, I could smell three different scents from around here.
I recognize the first scent since it was Tohsaka's but—
I can't distinguish the other two...
What makes it stranger is, no one else is giving out these scents other than these three sources.
"Emiya, are you alright…?" Issei pats me on my shoulder.
…
"I think I'm fine. But the smell is troubling me."
At my remark, Tohsaka flinches.
"I see… The witch's scent is overbearing for you." Issei nods.
"Did you say something, Emiya-kun?" Tohsaka approaches me again with the same unnerving smile.
…
"Yes. I could smell you from a mile away." I tell her the same way I told Shana.
[Glasses break]
All the boys and girls turn to see me.
…
Ah, I can finally discriminate the other two scents…
One was Reiroukan and the other one is Sajyou…
"Emiya-kun…"
?
For some reason, Tohsaka is trembling.
"Did I mention you smell like herbs? I think it's more prone to cooking herbal ones."
At that remark, the girl tilts her head.
"What…?" She let out.
"You smell like herbs." I point out.
Tohsaka starts pondering to herself.
"That's enough flirting, Emiya! It's time for volleyball!" The teacher yells.
F-flirt…?
/~several minutes later~/
"How the heck did I end up with you two…?" Shinji mutters to himself.
…
Issei, Shinji, and I were assigned as a group.
We are to play volleyball in tournament fashion.
Surprisingly, a large number of people are abstaining.
Right now, we have eight groups.
"Alright, you people! Since our school got enough courts to make it possible, we'll be making this a real tournament! The rules are simple; beat the crap out of the other team and proceed to the finals!" The teacher loudly announces.
…
"Say, why bother doing all this with two classes? If he needs eight teams of three for volleyball, our class alone should be sufficient." I whisper to Issei.
He nods.
"We have 27 students in our class. Class 1A has 28 students. Combining the two classes will result in 55 students." Issei makes his calculation.
…
"Does it matter? It's for plot convenience." Gotou interjects.
"Go back to your group, Gotou…" I say tiredly.
"It's boring with them… They were quiet and not saying much. Being with you guys are way better." He complains.
…
I ignore Gotou to examine the situation.
Our PE teacher suddenly wants to hold out a volleyball tournament.
Two classes were brought together for this purpose.
Despite the number of students, only 24 students will be participating in the actual tournament.
The rest will be spectators…
"Emiya, I really don't understand our PE teacher…" Issei whispers to me.
"I can't understand him either… Why bother doing all this in a PE class? We don't have much time to finish the tournament."
"Like I said, it's for plot convenience." Gotou says.
?
"What are you talking about? What plot convenience are you referring?"
He smirks.
"Don't you know? Plot like this always appear in a drama. Specifically, it's sport drama. The teacher, who is actually a brilliant coach, is searching for talented sportsmen. He wishes to make his own team of rug tag brats and charge to the Kantou Regional's." He explains.
…
"You watched too much television." I conclude.
…
"And besides, we'll be in Kansai Regional's, not Kantou's." I point out.
"You're right…" The bleached hair boy ponders to himself.
"You understand me…!? Now get to it…!" The teacher's passionate speech about volleyball ends.
We didn't listen to him at all.
/~at the end of the game~/
It was a wipe out…
My team was set against Tohsaka's team.
Her team consists of Reiroukan and Kishinami Hakuno, a brunette girl who seems completely normal.
It never occurred to me that those three could throw a powerful spike…
Out of the three of them, Tohsaka seems obstinate on attacking me.
I can't understand why…
I'm not bad with volleyball but she's just too good…
Kishinami's speed was average to say…
However, her spike was a different story.
Shinji was knocked out by the last spike.
On the other side, Mitsuzuri's team is doing great.
Her team was amazing in a way.
Though, it's kinda surprising to see girls with glasses to be that good with volleyball…
Her teammates, Sajyou Ayaka and Himuro Kane were both wearing glasses.
I thought they might be handicapped after putting away their glasses…
Much to my astonishment, those three were in harmony.
It's different from Tohsaka's team, which consists of powerhouse.
"Check out those curves…" Shinji mutters to himself with lecherous smirk.
…
I can't help but to check out…
What can I say?
Despite all things, I'm a healthy male.
"Dear gods, please forgive my sinful friend." Issei starts praying again.
"Not this crap again…!?" Shinji sputters at him.
/***scene break***/
/~at the park~/
(Shana's point of view)
"They were the same trails." I utter.
I finally realize that these trails of Power of Existence are causing small Distortions.
One won't cause any trouble.
But a large number of these minor distortions will cause terrible damage to the balance if left unattended.
"Did you notice it?"
I nod.
"However, I can't find him. We need something to track him down."
"I suggest we lay low for the time being. Your power is diminishing."
…
I need to defeat this Tomogara and the Hunter quick.
My time here is limited.
/***scene break***/
/~after school~/
(Shirou's point of view)
That was a very…fruitful day.
Mitsuzuri's team won against Tohsaka's team earlier.
Tohsaka demanded a rematch but we were out of time.
"That was a spectacular view." Shinji says contently.
"I must purge myself of that indecent memory." Issei mutters to himself.
"Alright guys, I'll be heading home now."
The repairman should arrive in a few minutes.
I don't think Shana would open the door for him…
Issei and Shinji nod.
"See you tomorrow, then." Shinji bids me.
?
He rarely bids me goodbye.
I wonder what's the occasion…
…
I guess today was pretty fun for him.
I wave my hand at them and walk home.
"Emiya-senpai…"
?
Sakura shows up from behind me.
"When did you got here?"
A sad smile appears on her face.
"I was here all along… You didn't notice me, senpai." She claims.
…
"Ah… Sorry, I guess I was—"
I stop midsentence.
A strange scent permeates my nostrils.
"Senpai…?"
I shake my head violently.
"Sorry… I just remembered something. What is it?"
She smiles softly at me.
"I'm sorry." She suddenly says.
?
"I can't come for a short while. My family needed me at home." She tells me in sad tone.
…
"I guess that can't be helped…" I sigh.
…
"Come to my house when you're free. It's livelier with you around."
Aside from having that childish woman…
The purple haired girl smiles at me again.
"I will… Senpai..."
The two of us part ways.
…
What was that smell?
I can't describe it…
I don't recognize it at all.
It's different from the smell from our previous breakfast.
Did Sakura use a different perfume today?
…
I decide to tail Sakura.
/~a few minutes later~/
I can't find her…
It is as if she vanishes into thin air…
The smell doesn't linger.
…
?
Hold on, I think I pick up something.
…
"Herbs…?"
I turn my back.
"Good evening, Emiya-kun."
Tohsaka stands before me with a sinister smile.
"Um… Evening?" I greet her back, though questioning my current situation.
She nods with closed eyes.
"Emiya-kun, can I speak with you?" She suddenly says.
…
You're already talking to me…
"Yes?"
"Thanks… I want to ask you about this 'smelling' business." She goes straight to the point.
?
"What is it?"
"I want you to keep it a secret." She says in whispering tone.
?
"You have a very sharp nose, Emiya-kun. I applaud you for that. But, I'll have to ask you to keep this secret." She informs me.
…
"What kind of secret?"
She raises an eyebrow.
"It's my scent." She deadpans.
Ah…
"The truth is I used herbs for my hair shampoo. It's a little secret of mine. I thought nobody would notice but you did." She says tiredly.
…
"That's a good thing. Why would you keep it a secret?"
She fiddles with her fingers.
"I-I can't really explain it…" She stutters.
…
Now I get it…
It was a homemade shampoo…
She doesn't want anyone else to know her special shampoo.
"Surprisingly, you aren't the only one using herbal shampoo." I decide to reveal my findings.
"Eh…?" She stares at me bewilderedly.
"I smell a different whiff from Reiroukan and Sajyou. Both of them let out aromatic scent. Though, all of you smell like different herbs."
She ponders to herself.
"What kind of herb do I smell like?" She decides to ask.
…
"If I am to say something, you'd smell like Rosemary."
It's varying every time I smell it.
But the closest scent would be this herb.
She tilts her head.
"Is that a flower?" She questions me.
I shake my head.
"No, it's an herb."
The only reason I knew about its smell is because that it has a lot of use in cooking.
"I see…" Tohsaka takes her pondering posture again.
"What about Reiroukan or Sajyou?" She inquires.
I think I just pique her interest with my sense of smell…
"Reiroukan smells like ginger. As for Sajyou, I think it was Basil."
"Wait, Basil…? You mean the Holy Basil?" Tohsaka says in astonished tone.
?
"Tohsaka, you cook? Not many people in Japan knew about Basil."
People in India and Nepal recognize this specific herb as the 'Holy Basil'.
"I do my fair share of cooking." She admits proudly.
"So, Misaya smells like ginger… That's very common for someone like her." She mutters to herself.
…
"Ah… Sorry for keeping you. Anyways, I would appreciate it if you keep my shampoo a secret." Tohsaka told me.
"I understand. I'll keep it a secret."
"Thank you."
[Heart Thumping]
…
Tohsaka just flashes to me one of her smiles.
But it wasn't the same smile she used to unnerve me.
It was a genuine happy smile…
"Okay… See you tomorrow, Emiya-kun." She bids me goodbye.
…
I let her go without saying anything in return.
Everything was so sudden…
/***interlude***/
(Tohsaka Rin's point of view)
That was a close call!
I'd never imagine someone like Emiya-kun could exist!
"Rin…"
A former close acquaintance calls out to me.
"Misaya…"
"What did you get from him?" The red-eyed girl questions me.
"He has a nose equivalent to a Blood Hound."
"That's—" My remark causes her to be speechless.
A Blood Hound is very rare in our world.
Finding a person with the same ability is even rarer.
"Does he involve with the Moonlit world?" My cousin decides to ask.
"So far, he has no apparent involvement with the Moonlit world. The guy himself is very clueless about his own ability."
"I see… So he can sniff out mages just like that without knowing anything." Misaya concludes.
"I lie to him about our scent. I hope that should keep him quiet until we found some use for him."
My cousin nods.
"I can't believe I'm still talking to you after all that…" She suddenly says.
?
"We were supposed to be enemies, right?" She points out.
…
"I know… But we used to be close friends."
"Until Sakura was taken away…"
The two of us lower our heads.
It was unpleasant memory…
"We can't be friends, Rin. Not anymore… Our fathers have decided that we shall become enemies." Misaya declares
…
"I know…" I reply shortly.
The Holy Grail War is two years from now.
When that time comes, the two of us will be facing each other in a death match.
"Let us part way and never speak with each other again. At least that will dull our hearts when we try to kill each other." She says in melancholic tone.
I turn my back to her.
She was like an elder sister to me…
"I see… Then, farewell… We'll be seeing each other but as strangers."
Even without looking, I know Misaya has walk away.
This is our fate.
As magi, we can't have human attachment.
/***scene break***/
/~Emiya Residence~/
(Shana's point of view)
Just now, I apprehended a suspicious looking man in front of the house.
He's human but he's acting very apprehensively.
"Ugh…" The man let out a grunt.
I tied him up with a rope I found lying around.
Is he a thief…?
He doesn't look like one…
"Shana…!"
A recognizable voice calls out to me.
The red haired boy was running towards me in frantically manner.
Once he arrived in front of me, he stops to catch his breath.
"Sha-Shana… That is—…is not the enemy…" He says while still catching his breathing.
?
"Then, what is he doing loitering around the house?"
"He's—"
Shirou cuts his speech to recompose himself.
"He's a repairman. He came to fix our kitchen." The boy claims.
…
"Why would you need a repairman? It's not even damaged."
Shirou gape at my remark.
"You used your power to repair the kitchen? I thought your power are only for supernatural stuffs!?" He says to defy my action.
"What are you talking about? I didn't use my power to restore it." I argue.
He sighs.
"In other words, you'll use your power for your own convenience…" He utters.
…
I grit my teeth.
Why did I bother training this Mystes…!?
The inconsiderate buffoon untie the unconscious repairman.
"I'll carry this guy in. Once he wakes up, I'll tell him that his services are no longer needed." The insensitive fool says to me.
…
I follow them inside.
The thoughtless idiot puts down the cataleptic guy on a futon.
Then, he checks out the kitchen.
…
"Shana…" He suddenly calls me.
"What is it now, you intolerable clown?"
He stares blankly at me.
"Are you mad?" He dares to ask.
I avert my face.
"I guess you are…" He mutters to himself.
…
"Actually Shana, I would like to thank you."
?
I turn to face him.
"With the repairman, the kitchen will take two days to finish. Even by then, the kitchen won't be the same again." He tells me while scratching his cheek.
…
"But with your help, the kitchen is back in one piece. And it's as good as new!" A radiant smile is apparent on his face.
…
"I enjoy cooking. I really do… Yesterday was a disaster for me." He says in sad tone.
…
"Now, I can cook again. Thanks!" He gives me another smile.
…
"Shut up. Shut up. Shut up. I don't need to hear that from you." I avert my face again.
"Right… Anyways, as a celebration for today's occasion, I'll make a special dessert for you."
!
"Really…?" I ask him.
He nods.
"Oh… I need to inform Fuji-nee about this development." He utters.
Then, he suddenly pauses.
"On second thought, it'll be better if she doesn't come in two days. That way, we can have our dinner peacefully." He muses aloud.
After that, he let out a sigh.
"I wish Sakura was here… At least, she'll make our dinner looks livelier without dealing heavy blow to the household components." He mutters to himself.
…
"Stop talking to yourself!"
"Ah…! Sorry…!" He arches back from the brunt of my yelling.
Afterwards, he recomposes himself.
"Okay, it's time to find some ingredients! Let's go shopping!" He announces.
Once again, he pauses.
"But it's too late to find any good ingredients… I guess I'll have to make a simple dinner." He sighs again.
…
Shirou walks toward a certain cabinet and pulls out some kind of strange rugged bag.
"Shana, do you want to tag along?" He suddenly asks.
?
"To where…?"
"To the shopping mall. We could get ice cream on our way back."
!
I nod vigorously.
Thus, the two of us set out for the shopping mall.
#Chapter End#
[Mysteries of Blazing Void - Shirou's POV]
Case 01: A strange smell (updated)
I caught the same scent from the park. Did the smell came from that man?
Case 02: Girls seem to emit scents (updated)
Tohsaka told me that her scent came from the shampoo she used. So, did Shana used hand-made shampoo as well when taking her bath?
Case 03: Impossible Explosion (updated)
Shana fixed the kitchen with her powers. While it seems like a misuse of her powers, I truly appreciate her action.
[Mysteries of Blazing Void - Shana's POV]
Main Objective: Hunt the Hunter (updated)
...
Side Objectives:
#1: Second Tomogara (updated)
I was wrong... This Tomogara is a threat! He's spreading Distortion all over the city. I can barely track him... Where's Shirou when I need him!?
#2: Shirou's sense of smell (updated)
He's taking me along to this 'supermarket'. The Tomogara will probably show up while we're on our way. The idiot still hasn't noticed that I'm using him as a bait.
#3: Sudden Restoration (new)
Out of blue, Shirou's house is restored. I sense a faint trail of Power of Existence from the site. Is this the working of a Tomogara? What is his purpose?