Fate/Reach Out
Chapter 52: Summer of Affection
August 13th, Samegawa Flood Plain, Late Afternoon
Summer vacation was a welcome change of pace for the Investigation the case on hold, no one had much reason to check in at Junes, and they were all busy with their own ventures. Yosuke and Teddie were so swamped with Junes sales that they had to ask Chie and Shirou to pitch in for a whole week. Yukiko, while still prepping for her secret elopement plans, was helping the family inn deal with an influx of summer tourists. Chie took to exercising before and after the Junes rush, and Rise spent her days at Okina watching people while remaining incognito.
Even Taiga was busy training her kendo swing lately. Something about a promotion exam later in the year. Now if she could only actually pass it and not get disqualified again...
Shirou felt a little sad that he didn't see his friends as much, but he made do. Kanji had nothing but time, since even Naoto was busy with a certain guest of his grandpa's coming to visit. Which was just as well as he was busy helping a young boy find his doll, who threw it away because of peer pressure from teasing boys. It belonged to a young girl who he was friends with, and he was wallowing in despair when Kanji and Shirou found him.
Which led them to now: two high school students and a preschooler wading through the Samegawa river for a stuffed toy.
"I-It's not here," the quiet young boy said, waist deep in the shallows.
"It'll turn up, don't worry kid!" Kanji assured him from his searching spot. The water was starting to numb his hands, but at least he wasn't melting in the sun. He grumbled and glared at the third member of the search party. "Dammit, senpai, I told you to watch him by the bank!"
Shirou was instead closing his eyes and holding his hands in a prayer state, trying a new tactic for the search. He had the awareness to respond to Kanji, though. "He feels responsible for throwing the doll away, and three sets of hands are better than one."
"He's gonna catch a cold like this!"
Shirou opened one eye to glance at his kouhai. "And we aren't?" he asked bluntly.
"Hey, if we did this my way, then only I'd have to worry about ticking off 'ma with wet clothes." Kanji huffed, slamming his palm down with a splash. No doll here either… and now his senpai was laughing! "What's so funny?!"
"Sorry, it's just good to know how nice a guy you are, Kanji."
Shirou's honest praise mollified Kanji immediately. He was still not used to people giving him the benefit of the doubt like his new team. Sure, they could be a pain in the ass sometimes, but not Shirou-senpai. He never mocked or humiliated him. Knowing they came from troubling childhoods was very humbling, and perhaps why he felt the need to help Kanji with this goal.
Seeing that kid feel horrible about betraying a girl's trust… no man should ever live through that.
Meanwhile, Shirou felt the fruits of his labor in Margaret's lessons finally paying off. He always had a knack for determining "smells" with magecraft, so it helped in identifying anything magical around him. It was no use in a mundane situation like finding a toy, but he could refine his senses to focus on oddities in the area around him. After getting used to the salt of the river and rock grains, picking up traces of wet cotton was mere troubleshooting.
He followed the scent, and noticed the doll had tumbled quite far away from the initial spot where the boy said he threw it. The current must have dragged it some distance, only to get snagged by some stubborn rocks. They could have been here all day and come out of it with nothing.
"I think I found it," he called out, plucking the doll up.
"Really? You found Sana-chan's bunny?!"
"Awesome, you the man, senpai!"
"Don't thank me just yet," Shirou warned, walking over and lifting the bunny doll in front of them to see.
Kanji's face fell. It was a bunny doll all right, but the once vibrant fabric was faded and soaked. It was a dripping mess that no small amount of squeezing and drying would wring out. Worse, it was cut across the belly, deflated with some wet stuffing flaking out.
"I'm really sorry," Shirou said, giving the doll to the boy. His face was distraught like he was about to cry all over again.
"No… no, thank you misters," he said quickly. "You helped me when no one else would… I didn't think I'd see it again. Sana-chan will be so sad, but… I'll give it back to her. And apologize. That's what I'll do." His head lowered as he sniffled. "E-Even if she…"
Even if she never wanted to talk to him again, Kanji thought. It was definitely like Shana-chan…
"Lemme see that," Kanji said. He didn't wait for confirmation and just plucked it out of his hands. Looking and feeling the water damage, yeah it was bad. But not entirely a lost cause. He might need to double-check his tools back home, but…
"Tell ya what. I'll see about getting this doll spruced up in… a week. No- two days from now. Meet me at the hill where the daycare kids hang out. After they're done, I mean."
The boy's mood brightened into hope and surprise. His tears dried up immediately. "R-Really? You'll fix it?"
"I'll make it as good as new," he promised. "Think Sana-chan can wait a couple of days?"
"Yeah!" the boy nodded before he jumped up and hugged Kanji around the waist. "Thank you so much, mister!"
"H-Hey, I'm not old enough to be a mister!" Kanji complained hotly. The boy didn't care as he was beside himself, skipping away from the floodplain.
"That was really nice of you, Kanji," Shirou said with a smile.
It was one thing to get thanked by a kid, but praise from his senpai left Kanji embarrassed. "I-It's nothing, just didn't want the brat going home crying."
"Would you like some help fixing the doll? I'm more used to engineering, so you'd have to direct me on what to do."
"No thanks. I appreciate the offer senpai, really. But I'd rather do this on my own. It's the only thing I'm good at so I want to make it right."
Kanji tried to downplay his emotions, although it was clear that he was determined and excited to get to work right away. He was strong in a fight, but his true passion was in crafting and sewing. Seeing his friend more certain of himself than when they first met made Shirou happy.
And yet, he felt sad that once the murders were solved and the culprit caught, they'd all go their own separate ways. He would have to return to Fuyuki at the end of the year, too. And yet he had no real goal of what he'd do after. Sure, he told himself that he'd be an Ally of Justice, but what did that really mean?
Well… worrying about it now was futile if they couldn't solve the immediate problem of the murders first. And it was summer break, so Shirou decided to enjoy himself like the others were.
August 15th, Shopping District
If there's one thing Chie couldn't stand, it was bullies.
A police officer had warned her about some hooligans harassing people in the shopping district; repeat offenders from a biker gang no less. She completely forgot about them on the scale of how dangerous they were, especially considering the timing.
She didn't think to tell the others what she heard; this was just a minor issue. She'd find those bullies and set them straight herself.
Fortunately for Chie, she didn't have to look far. A group of teenagers, dressed in casual "cool" attire, were heckling a smaller boy about Nanako-chan's age whose distinctive trait was holding a big stuffed bunny.
One of the bullies snatched the pittance of coins from the kid's hand. He sneered after quickly counting it."A 500-yen allowance? You're holding out on us, kid."
"B-But it's all I have!"
"Don't lie to us. That bunny you're holding must be worth a few thousand, easy."
"Wh-wha-?" The boy clutched his bunny tighter, skirting away from the older jerks. "No, you can't have it! It's not yours!"
The bullies laughed. One of them even stepped forward to reach for the toy. "Aww, the widdle baby luvs his bunny. Are you a boy or a girl?"
She'd heard enough. She ran forward and skidded to a halt between the boy and the bullies. Her legs bent and firm, her arms wide and loose. She was ready to cut loose if necessary.
The jerk at the front of their group eloquently expressed his surprise in one word: "Huh?"
Chie ignored them, turning her head to the boy with the doll. "Don't worry, you're safe now." She smiled at him, and he nodded back, somewhat assured.
"Hey girl, this is Rabbit business," a bully told her. "Get out of here if you know what's good for you!"
"I told you, idiot; we are not calling ourselves that," another argued.
"Yeah, I wanted to be the Porkers!"
"We are not calling ourselves that, either!"
Chie rolled her eyes. If they were this distracted by team names, they probably hadn't been at this for very long. She had seen and heard of biker gangs more organized than this. "If you want a doll, go ask your moms for one," she told them. "Though I'd hate to be the one who raised even one of you buttfaces."
"B-buttface?!" The bully in front of her bristled, as did another. They did look like they had a face only a mother would love, not just in attitude.
"If you're still open to names, that's not a bad one for a bunch of thugs," she teased with a smile. "'Hey everyone, look out! It's the Buttfaces!'"
The boy behind her giggled, even as the bullies grew red in the face. Except for one, who suddenly had a calm, slimy smirk on his buttface. He stepped forward to put a hand on his associate's shoulder.
"Calm down, guys," he told them, "Chie-chan is just getting you riled up."
Chie was startled, but she didn't let the shock show. She just narrowed her eyes. "How do you know my name?"
"We ran into a pretty skittish guy with more money than sense," he explained. "He sang like a canary. Told us all about you, your little hero stunts as a rugrat, and how you were best friends with the inn girl."
"Ah, yeah, that guy!" Another snickered. "He made it sound like you were his bodyguard. He thought he was all tough threatening us when he was just begging."
"None of my friends would do that," she replied hotly. Emiya, Kanji-kun, even Hanamura and Teddie were better than that.
"Aww, poor Kuono is gonna be sad when he hears that," the smug bully teased.
Takeshi-kun.Chie shouldn't have been surprised. Takeshi was always a bit of a coward as a kid, and from their brief reunion he hadn't changed much. It hurt her to know how her former friend used her name like this, but it just validated her stance. Her real friends wouldn't do that to her or Yukiko.
"But he also said you were a Plain Jane kind of girl. So unassuming compared to Yukiko-chan. Probably couldn't get any action either, if you know what I mean."
…when this was over, she never wanted to see Kuono ever again.
"So how about this?" The leader leaned towards her, a cocky smirk never leaving his face. "You can either walk away as we finish our business with the kid with the bunny here. Or… we could negotiate somewhere private and see you get some 'fun' for once."
They were seriously bribing her for…?! She felt disgusted and revolted all at once.
"M-Miss," the boy pleaded behind her. She took the moment to look at him, anything but those bullies' sneering faces. "I-I don't know what's going on, but… please don't let them take this bunny. I lost it once already, when I threw it away. I don't want to lose it again. Please help."
"Yeah, Chie-chan. Please 'help' him'," the leader mocked. So assured in thinking she'd cave then and there.
But no, that boy did help. By reminding her why she did this. Why she wanted to be less like Kuono, and more like Emiya-kun. "We're not talking about anything," she said slowly, before shoving the man away. "And you're not taking his bunny, either."
"We're gentle lovers," he tried again with his pitch. A very "try hard" attempt.
"No thanks. I don't have low enough standards to settle. I'm not pathetic like you three buttfaces."
That finally got the smug leader's face to fall to an angry scowl. His hand whipped to his pocket to pull a knife. "Why you bi-IIIIIIIIIIIII!"
But Chie's leg was faster. It flew high like a crack of lightning up to his crotch. The groveling gangster collapsed like a puppet without strings.
"Oi! You've done it now you-!"
"EAT SHIT, ASSHOLE!"
"What the f-YAAA!"
While Chie was so focused on the guy in front of her, she didn't notice the other two trying to jump her. And they in turn didn't notice getting bodied and slammed to the asphalt of the empty street.
"Haha, good form, senpai! You got it on the first try!"
"It helped to have some experience. You used it on me when we met in Okina, after all."
Chie blinked, surprised by the two unlikely rescuers and their banter over the act. "Emiya-kun?!"
"And Mister!"
Kanji flinched, snapping and marching up to the boy. "I'm not a-!" then he thought better of it, seeing the boy's beaming smile and relief. His short-lived anger gave out with a sigh of relief."Oh, nevermind. You're not hurt, are you?"
"Nuh-uh," he said. "Miss came to help me, and then you came too, mister!"
"That's good," Shirou smiled. "We have Satonaka to thank as well for her intervention."
Chie was torn. She was truly happy that Shirou came to her rescue, but she also felt angry and upset. Like she wasn't good enough to handle three pervy jerks on her own. It left her conflicted.
It turns out she wasn't the only one. "I wish I was brave like you guys," the boy lamented. "I didn't do anything."
"What are you talking about? You saved your friend's bunny here," Kanji said, gesturing to the toy. "You could have given it to them when they asked, but you stood firm and told them no. That takes guts, kid."
"B-But they would have taken it anyway. I'm weak."
"It's easy to think that when you're against bullies who throw their weight around," Kanji assured. "But if they ever give you trouble again, just give me a holler and I'll come running."
"You promise?"
"Of course. I always keep my promises, remember?"
"Hehehe, yeah!"
It was a weird coincidence that the boy she was rescuing was acquainted with Kanji-kun and Emiya-kun as well. While Kanji entertained the boy, she turned to her other savior, suddenly awkward and a little shy.
"So… what do we do with them?" she gestured to the road.
"I'll call Doji-nii and let him know to pick up and question the uh, 'buttface' gang," Shirou said.
A ghost of a smile graced her lips. "You heard that?"
"Yeah."
"How much else did you hear?"
"…enough to know I hate Kuono now."
That was fair. But it left her conflicted again. Hurt. "So, what? You were waiting for the right time to rescue me?"
She should have been mad. She wanted to be mad, and part of her frustration bled out in her voice. But Shirou looked downright guilty that he couldn't even keep eye contact. "I… didn't want to insult your pride like they did."
"Huh?"
"You're strong, Satonaka. Stronger than any of us give you credit for. If anyone needed saving it was those three idiots." Chie smiled, realizing he was right. "If it was serious like a repeat of another Shadow fight, I'd do it in a heartbeat. But it wasn't. So, I waited."
"And Kanji-kun?"
"He arrived late; took one look over the corner, saw the boy was in trouble and ran like a bull. At that point I just followed him."
That… made her feel a whole lot better. It was sweet that Kanji-kun had a soft side to help the boy like that (and she had a feeling it was a bit deeper with the toy connecting them), and Emiya-kun would swoop in to save her if she really needed it. That he stood back because he had confidence in her.
Smiling and blushing, she held out a fist to him. He stared at it, confused.
She then shyly asked, "Allies of Justice?"
Recognition dawned on his face, as he smiled back. "To the bitter end," he replied, bumping fists with her. Then without thinking, her fingers uncurled and palmed his fist.
Shirou blinked again, and Chie stammered. "Ah, sorry! I just reacted!"
"Actually, let me try something," he told her. His hand unclenched and turned, before his palm met hers and echoed in a clap. Shirou grinned. "There. Now we have a secret handshake."
A secret handshake? She… she never realized how much she wanted one! And it flowed so smoothly, too! It wasn't complicated or long, just a fist-bump and then a horizontal high-five!
"I love it!" She blurted out. Then she blushed, seeing Kanji and the boy stare at her. "Th-The handshake I mean. I love the idea of it."
"Y-yeah, of course," he answered, just as shyly.
"Wait, you guys got a handshake going on?" Kanji asked. "Sweet, can I see?"
"Sorry," Shirou told him. "It's for Allies of Justice only."
The police arrived shortly after and took their statements. Kanji was labelled almost immediately as the instigator, but the accounts of three people (one of them being a boy insistent that Kanji made the bunny for him) dispelled those notions rather swiftly. And because one of them had a knife, they were justified in self-defense. Though they were reprimanded for trying to confront them on their own.
Kanji was annoyed, but satisfied the kid was safe. Shirou shrugged in resignation over the incident. And Chie just didn't care; her heart didn't stop swelling over their secret Allies of Justice handshake.
August 17th, Tatsumi Shrine, Afternoon
Tama's shrine turned out to be a very popular location for Yukiko to gain a moment of didn't have to worry about some stupid tabloid reporters finding her here like at Junes or the family inn. The fox was also good company who loved to be scratched. Sitting just at the end of the stoop of the donation box, Yukiko could let her mind wander and relax.
Like what to make of her feelings. Of her inn. Her future. And Shirou Emiya.
Yukiko wasn't blind; she could see how enamored Rise-chan would act around him since joining the team. And Chie never opened up to another boy like Emiya-kun. They were so alike in mannerisms and behaviors that they were like brother and sister.
So… should she allow one of her friends (preferably Chie) to pursue Shirou for a husband? That would be fair, except… she'd be giving up without trying again, wouldn't she? She knew that she liked Shirou for his kindness and support in her goals. She couldn't trust anyone else to understand. And she might have insisted that he was someone special to her to the staff at the inn, resulting in them being eager to meet him, as well as teach her how to cook better. Or at least take over and have her watch…
She would NOT make a repeat of the Sin. Or Mystery Food X. Then when she perfected cooking, she'd be wearing only an apron and greet him with a piping hot dish and a smile and say—
"Ah, hello Amagi."
Yukiko blinked out of her daydream and stammered at his approach. "E-Emiya-kun?! What are you doing here?!"
"Just to check up with Tama," he said casually, approaching the fox. "The wish has been fulfilled: the family's dog is back home."
Tama mewled in a sound difficult to discern and circled around Shirou in evident glee. More wishes granted meant more word of mouth, and more people willing to donate to the shrine.
At least the fox knew what she wanted in life, which was more than Yukiko herself could say. What was her plan again? To move out of town? Where would she go?
Then a thought occurred to her. "Emiya-kun? Can you tell me more about where you came from?"
"You mean Fuyuki City?" he asked back, looking up from Tama brushing against her leg. "What's there to know?"
"Well… if I'm to move out of Inaba, I'd like to be somewhere that's familiar. Maybe close to your home?"
She tried not to make it sound too desperate or… flirty. Guys like girls that are hard to get, yes? It seemed to work, as he was suddenly flustered. Thank you, Kasai-san!
"W-Well, it's big," he said slowly. "It's actually two towns split up by the river Mion that runs through it. Miyama Town is where a lot of the older buildings and districts are. It's where my house is too. Oh, and they're split between traditional eastern homes and imported European ones. I guess the Ryuudou Temple is important too – Not that it's better than your shrine, Tama!"
He said that quickly as the fox by his leg stared at him disapprovingly. After a moment she decided to magnanimously accept his apology with a nod.
"I see," she said. So, Fuyuki had some grassroots too. "And the other town?"
"That's Shinto Town. It has had a lot of renovations over the years. You could say that Miyama is where the residents live, while Shinto is where they go to have fun."
"Have fun?" Yukiko echoed. "Like what?"
"Well, there's a harbor my late dad used to go for long trips. He said it was good for fishing. Then there's the Copenhagen, the bar I worked at—"
Yukiko gasped. "You worked at a bar?!"
"Part-time!" Shirou insisted. "And I didn't touch the drinks either. Neko-chan insisted. She's the owner."
"Oh," she sighed, relieved and disappointed. He wasn't fully tainted by bar life yet. Unlike the regulars at her inn; them and their King's Game.
"Let's see, what else," Shirou mused, making an adorable thinking pose with his arms crossed and lip quirked. "Fuji-nee mentioned something about a coffee shop. Not Chagall. Ahnene… something. Then Verde, a shopping mall not unlike Junes." Okay, the parallels to Fuyuki and Inaba were getting concerning for Yukiko now… "And there's Exciting Splash which is some sort of… water park?"
"Water… park?"
"I don't remember the specifics, and I didn't care enough to ask, but it's some place you could swim indoors."
"I want to see it!" Yukiko blurted out. An indoor water park?! It even had the word exciting in its name, so it had to be amazing!
"Hah, I'll take you there sometime then." Shirou told her. With a soft smile that might as well be sparkling in her eyes.
Yukiko's brain jolted, and a hundred scenarios ran through her brain at once. All of them involved dating Shirou, laughing at the beach, splashing each other,holding hands—!
Fortunately for her sanity and five-alarm flushing face, he continued on listing other landmarks of his city. He didn't seem to notice her behavior. "There's also a Christian Church, but I'd rather not go there if I have to. And wasn't there a civic center? No, wait, that's gone and replaced with—"
Suddenly he wasn't talking anymore. Yukiko was all embarrassed and giddy for one minute, but now the mood was tense and dour enough that it gave her whiplash."What's wrong, Emiya-kun?"
He snapped out of whatever faraway look he had in his eyes and looked at her. He tried smiling, more to convince himself than to assuage her. "It's nothing, Amagi. I'm fine now."
No, he was not fine at all. Shirou Emiya had demons that would make their own Shadows look tame in comparison. Yukiko had only ever heard stories and hints of this: when he had a panic attack rescuing her from her Shadow, being chased by monsters during Golden Week, the summoning of his black-card Persona Kagutsuchi, and his acute yet often ignored pyrophobia.
Goodness, did he secretly fear her because of her Persona's fire powers?
"Emiya-kun," she began slowly. "You know you can talk to me, or any one of us, about what bothers you, right?"
"Yes?" he said uncertainly.
"So, if it has something to do with you being afraid of fire, and how my Persona fights using fire magecraft, I'd understand if you—"
"Amagi," he said suddenly, firmly. "I have not, nor will I ever, avert from associating with you over that. You're a valuable member to the Investigation Team, and your healing, both in magecraft and in sheer presence, is a massive boon a hundred times over."
Yukiko was happy to hear that, truly. He knew how to make her heart sing without even meaning to; but she still felt he was dodging the issue. "Then if it's not me, it must be something else. When you were talking about your hometown. I've only ever known you to be kind, brave, and true. Seeing you haunted, even for a moment… It scares me. Because I don't know how to heal that. If you died again—"
Again. Yes, he did die once, now that she thought about it. When fighting Kanji-kun's Shadow, he bled out from his arm and under duress summoned that monstrous Kagutsuchi.
"Amagi," she heard him say. Softly, concerned for her. Like he wasn't the one in pain. Then he sighed. "It's just… you know my legal guardian is Fuji-nee, right?"
She nodded, somewhat scared.
"My parents died in a fire that broke out in Fuyuki ten years ago. Along with countless others. It was a miracle that I'm still here, and I have Kiritsugu Emiya, who found and adopted me, to thank for that. That's why I keep fighting. That's why I save people. Because I know what it feels like, wanting to die. Because if I don't, then I'll doubt myself and…"
Shirou lost his voice again, once more a tormented look in his eye. It was gone as he started to brush it off and walk away. "I'm sorry, forget I said anything. It's nothing to worry about now."
Without thinking, Yukiko stood up and grasped his arm before he could leave. The one that was cut off, feeling the part where her Recarm mended flesh back together. It was still real, still there. Still strong as if it had never been amputated to begin with and thus replaced with a prosthetic.
"A-Amagi?!" Shirou squawked. She didn't blame his reaction; she would likely be flustered too if she were touched so closely. So intimately. Making sure he couldn't leave unless he really wanted to pry his arm off.
But there was a time and place for such reactions, like when to laugh or when to feel scared.
"Emiya-kun," she said. "Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me this. So please, don't think of it as a burden. Not living… and not confiding in us. You're our leader, our dearest friend."
She pressed his hand to her cheek, to feel the warmth still there. "You've been there for us at our lowest. It's only fair we share your burden."
Goodness, she never realized how troubled a life he had before coming here; torn from his family in one accident and losing another shortly after. It made her Shadow's rant about the Amagi Inn and Inaba feel absolutely childish.
And yet he never complained or showed weakness. He didn't seem to hide bitterness either as he lived life so assuredly. Because he didn't believe his own problems were worth it. It was enough to make Yukiko cry for him. He really did remind her of Chie, and all her best qualities.
No wonder she was so drawn to him.
Shyly, almost uncertainly, Shirou's fingers gently creased against Yukiko's hair and skin. His way of returning the embrace she had on his arm. And the way he looked at her… a smile, so small, unsure, yet so grateful that he wasn't turned away. "Thanks, Amagi."
"Mhm," she smiled back and nodded, ever so nudging closer to his hand.
It was a small gesture, but she hoped it was enough to ease his burden.
August 18th, Okina Station
Rise comically stretched her hands out in front as she marched."Wooo! What a day! Can't wait to head back and scrub my troubles away with a bath!"
Shirou followed her dutifully, carrying only a full arm's worth of bags for her (she was a considerate girl for his services!). "It would probably be better if we didn't spend the day out in this weather," he said.
"Senpai, senpai, senpai," she tsked, shaking her long magenta locks in the air. "Everyone knows that a bath feels better when you put in a hard day's work!"
"All you did was point at outfits you didn't try on."
"Well, duh. It's more for Chie-chan and Yuki-chan's sake. They have very limited attire, you know?"
"I… suppose," he said.
On one of the earlier days of summer vacation, he had Marie meet up with most of his friends, and she was quick to dub them with nicknames. Kanji was "Old man", because he looked the part. Rise (to her chagrin) was "Pinkette", as some mutation of her idol name and the color pink. Chie and Yukiko were "Green" and "Red" respectively. Marie's reason was their color aesthetic made it seem like they were part of a Christmas theme, and it was hard to unsee when that was pointed out.
Especially when they were tripping over themselves to pick out new outfits that weren't their favorite colors.
"But I got plenty of clothes for myself too! Oh, and for Marie-chan. You say she's stuck in a limousine in the middle of nowhere?! Wouldn't she get lonely, or hungry?"
"She has company, so she won't get bored. As for food and drink, well… all I ever saw in the Velvet Room was wine, so—"
"Ack!" Rise dramatically choked with a stern frown. "A limo is fun to ride once or twice, but trust me, it makes a sucky place to sleep in. A real gilded prison."
It made sense to Shirou, for her to feel that way. She was an idol before quitting so suddenly, and was now enjoying the freedom of a girl her age growing up. Sometimes he was tempted to give up pursuing magecraft, but things like that stay with you.
More than that though…
"Well, we're done here for today. The sooner we board the train the sooner I can get home for that nice bath."
Shirou frowned. It was common for Rise to bring up something from her idol experience only to not dwell on it. If this was her way of moving on from her Shadow, she needed a firm reminder otherwise.
Fortunately, over the summer, he finally got around to fusing a Persona for the Lovers Arcana. Undine: the chief spirit of the Water element as coined in Paracelsus' books on alchemy. If there was ever a time to "clear the pool of her mind" as Undine put it, it would be now.
"Actually Rise, do you have a moment?" he asked her.
Immediately she spun and turned to face him, hands clasped and eyes blinking through her thick sunglasses. "Anything for you, senpai!"
He pointed to an alley, just shy away from the station back home and the many stores across the way. Rise followed him with no hesitation, though she did joke about his destination. "Geez, if you weren't such a boy scout, I'd accuse you of planning something naughty here, senpai!"
Shirou wasn't good at tact, and he knew what he was about to ask was something Rise didn't want to hear… so he just blurted it out. "Do you ever want to go back? To being an idol, I mean."
Rise's smile fell immediately. Suddenly she wanted to hide deeper in the alley, but her feet remained stuck to the ground. "What brought this on?" she asked instead, coldly.
"You've been in the business most of your life, haven't you? It's not something you can just decide to do on a whim, nor is it something most in your position would leave."
"That doesn't answer my question," she accused.
"You didn't answer mine, either," he reminded her.
"No, I don't want to go back to being an idol. Why are we even talking about this?"
"Why don't you want to talk about this?"
"Because I quit, remember?"
"Quitting is one thing. Pretending that it never happened and ignoring any sort of talk acknowledging it is something else."
By now Rise's mood soured and she glared at him. "God, you're just like Inoue-san! Heckling over my life choices. Maybe I want to pretend it didn't happen because Ihated it!Or did you miss the whole 'make me a martyr' spiel my Shadow made when she nuked you to hell and back?!"
She huffed and looked away, staring at the wall. Stupid Shirou. Him, of all people, trying to pry into her idol life? She'd put that chapter behind her and was putting all her energy into finding the bastard that was making Inaba his bloody playground.
She thought he was better than that. Better than all the other fans that lusted over Risette. So why here? Why now?
"Then wouldn't it be better to talk about it?"
Rise's scowl dropped. She was tempted, oh so tempted, to look back at him, but held her gaze on the wall as she was more angry than curious.
"You've locked away all your experiences about that life. Because you feel no one could possibly understand what it's like. The sacrifices you made to make it work. How it shaped your life for better or worse. It might be easier to hide your bitter emotions away. But it doesn't mean it's not still there, festering with regret."
Thinking back, he mentioned something similar back after he rescued her and beat her Shadow. Shirou-senpai convinced her that the Shadow, her ghost of Risette, was still a part of her and could be part of a greater whole that was herself. She accepted it and had been using Himiko to the best of her abilities ever since.
But Rise was still stubborn and hurt, not willing to acknowledge he was right. "Being a wizard isn't the same as being an idol."
"Magus," he corrected offhandedly. "And you're right, it's not. But I think we can both appreciate and empathize with each other more than anyone else could."
"Right, because you were so open about your magus double life. Hypocrite."
She heard him wince. Good, the stupid jerk was regretting this topic. "You're right. Though the others do know about me being a magus, it was only by accident because I couldn't keep my big mouth shut."
Oh. Well, that didn't mean anything.
"And if I had kept my magecraft a secret from them and never come down to Inaba, I'd probably be face down in an alley like this in a pool of my own blood."
Rise finally turned back to him. Hearing him say that alone was a shock to the core, but his face was stone hard and firmly believed in what he was saying. "What?"
"I'm a novice, Rise," Shirou said. "My Gradation Air magecraft, creating swords out of thin air? It might look amazing to you and the others, but to any real magus worth their circuits, it's a parlor trick. I've been self-taught ever since Kiritsugu died, and only did I recently learn that what he taught me was lacking by design. Even my Personas are fallible; if it weren't for my benefactors helping me fuse new ones every so often, I'd fall behind everyone and be useless."
Her hero, Shirou Emiya, useless? No, she couldn't believe that. He was so strong and capable, their rock in all their fights and leads on the case. They were all still living and breathing because of him, from day one.
She wanted to assure him that it was okay. That even if he would never amount to the greatest of magi, he'd always be her number one hero. That she'd work extra hard to catch the serial murderer. Unfortunately, all she could do was look at him in pity and dismay. "Senpai…"
He smiled at her, a simple gesture that left her relieved and baffled. Like she needed comforting instead of him. Then he scratched the back of his head. "I, uh… don't know where I was going with this."
Rise wanted to be offended. Him pouring his heart out about being a magus, and he lost his train of thought? It was stupid… and yet so like him. She couldn't help but giggle.
"And yet here you are, still being a magus despite it causing no small amount of heartache," she noted. Her smile fell as she stared into his eyes. Resolute, bright, and yet… distant. "Why do you keep doing it, Senpai?"
"Is it wrong to want to help people?" he asked.
"It is if you hide behind it as your only reason. That's like me saying all my idol problems are because of Risette."
Shirou recoiled as if slapped. Another nerve touched.
"I think I get what you're trying to say though, senpai," said Rise. "You see that I'm hiding a lot more problems under the surface because of what you've been through. The thing is, it works both ways. And what you're hiding… It's scary. So scary even you know it's not for the faint of heart, and that you go out of your way to pretend it's not there. Just like me."
This was not how Shirou intended their talk to go. Rise was able to read people better than he ever could. Maybe it was acting practice, or her Persona ability? Either way, she was able to discern more about him in a few months than others could in years.
She was amazing as Risette, the idol that charmed a world with such quick success. But even as someone who threw her career away for high school, her natural strengths shone brighter than a limelight.
"Rise is very translucent,"Undine commented. Shirou agreed. And he felt almost guilty to have someone as amazing as her as a friend.
For her part, Rise looked a little nervous now that things were quiet. "…too much?" she asked.
Shirou smiled assuredly at her. "More like you hit the nail on the head. I guess I'm not as stoic as I thought I was?"
"But you are, senpai! It's part of your charm!" Rise assured quickly. "And everyone has an off day where they just need to relax. Like shopping, train-riding,bathing…"
Shirou laughed nervously. "All right, all right, you made your point. But if you ever feel the need to talk about something, you know where to find me."
"Only if you promise the same with your magus baggage."
"Deal." That was more than fair.
"Great!" Rise grinned and clapped her hands. "Now let's get back before one of us gets naughty ideas in this cramped alleyway."
"You know I wouldn't do anything remotely untoward to you, Rise," he said.
"I know," she said slyly. "That's why we need to hurry."
Shirou wondered if ignorance was truly bliss. Because in the time it took to reach the train, he was mulling over those words.
Undine offered her own council."It appears Rise is not as pure as the idol agency would imply."
That much wasn't hard to discern. Her Shadow lamented being overrun and stressed from work being a perfect image, and she took her frustration out with a lot of innuendo and… dominating…
Oh Lord.
On the train ride back, he couldn't stop blushing, nor could he bear to look towards Rise. His head was further tormented with Lilim's uproarious laughter.
August 20th, Tatsumi Shrine, Evening
The Tatsumi Shrine should have been bustling with activity during the summer night was young, decorative lights were out and stalls for games had been set up down the small road. But most people were too scared to venture out after dark, due to fear of the serial killer all year. While there were people out celebrating tonight as intended, it was still a small turnout.
It was evident when three young girls, in summer kimonos of distinct colors and patterns, climbed the steps accompanied by the clicking of their geta. They hesitated when they saw only a few small groups enjoying themselves, and the three exchanged looks. "Geez, we didn't come too early, did we?" Rise asked. Her yukata was a vivid pink color with white-etched butterflies.
Chie, in her white and yellow yukata with green and blue flower spots, shook her head. "We came here late because of all the effort putting the yukata on for all of us, including Nanako-chan."
"I'll have to remember to thank my staff for getting them prepared for us," Yukiko noted. She glanced down at her own blue yukata with white-etched snowflake designs, and an obi in a dichotomy of white and pink as opposed to the orange sashes her friends both wore. What wasn't shown was the many towels wrapped underneath to protect her modesty, as well as theirs. It was a lot more complicated to wear than the inn-standard nemaki.
"You don't think Nanako-chan was scared when she rode on the back of Fuji-san's bike, do you?" Chie asked. The five of them had dressed up at Yukiko's place, and while the plan was to head over together by bus, Taiga had her own motorcycle and just enough space to have Nanako ride in her lap.
"Are you kidding? She couldn't jump on Fuji-san's bike fast enough. I swear I could hear her laughing over the engine."
"They do seem rather close. Fuji-san even begged her to keep calling her Ti-"
"Waaaah!" Chie suddenly cried, covering Yukiko's mouth. "Ixnay on the T-say! You saw what she did on TV!"
That was enough to get Yukiko's face to turn blue as she timidly nodded. Rise wasn't convinced. "I didn't see it. So, she just doesn't like hearing that one word. So what?"
"So don't say it!" Chie yelled as she pulled her hand away from Yukiko. "It's probably a part of her Shadow thing. You know what that's like."
"I would, but only after I had Kanji-kun for reference."
"Are you still hung up about that?"
"I've been on the team long enough to deserve some context on your bad days."
"Girls," Yukiko placated, moving to stand between them and hands held up. "This is supposed to be a fun night. Let's just meet up with the guys like we planned and enjoy ourselves without Personas, okay?"
""Fine…"" They chorused their shared sentiment, and Yukiko smiled with relief.
"Speaking of the guys," Rise said, pointing over. "I see Nanako-chan!"
The trio hurried over down the road; they recognized Nanako's cute brown locks anywhere, as well her pink-checkered yutaka over her small frame. She was holding hands with her ride and chaperone, Taiga, in (what else but) a tiger-striped yukata of yellow and black and matching black obi. The duo were walking down their way, Nanako releasing Taiga's hand to run up to them.
"Oh, Rise-chan! Yuki-chan! Chie-chan!"
"About time you three showed up," Taiga greeted, waving her paper fan. "We've already started without you."
"Tiger got me cotton candy!" Nanako said happily. Her face was beaming as she waved the wand of pink sweetness, while Taiga tried poorly to hide her own glee upon hearing her talk.
"That's great, Nanako-chan!" Chie said, rubbing her hand playfully on Nanako's hair.
"So, where are the rest of the guys?" Rise asked Taiga. "I can't wait to see their jaws drop from our yukatas!" While her heart still pined for Emiya, she was indeed giddy to see how they'd react. Teddie would be enamored, Kanji a stuttering mess… maybe even get something out of the aloof Naoto and poor Hanamura too.
Her hopes were dashed as Taiga winced and glanced away. "Yeah, about that? Turns out they're no-shows."
Chie, Yukiko, and Rise all stared at her in shock. All that time wearing their yukatas was for naught!
"What?!" Chie yelled first. "But why?!"
"Your guess is as good as mine," Taiga lamented. "Naoto-kun just flat out refused to attend; believe me, I tried all week. And I assume Yosuke-kun wasn't in a festive mood, which isn't much of a surprise." Indeed, it wasn't. Not after what happened to poor Sacchin. "But Kanji-kun's house is literally next door, and Teddie was all about the yukata girls ever since he heard about it. Yet neither of them showed up, and the festival started like an hour ago."
"Even Emiya-kun?" Rise asked worriedly. He shouldn't have any reason to ditch, unless he felt no one else was coming.
"Big bro is coming with dad!" Nanako said. "He said he's bringing a surprise!"
A surprise? What could that possibly be, they wondered. Well, at least someone from the team was still coming, and the most important guy too.
"I can't believe you talked me into this." A familiar voice rang out from the shrine entrance.
"It's the best way to celebrate the summer festival, and it'll make Nanako happy," another voice chimed in.
Hearing her name, Nanako's head snapped towards them, and her face brightened. "Ah, they're here!" Nanako cheered and ran ahead.
It was indeed a was wearing a black-clothed yukata with braille-etched designs of an eastern long dragon, almost camouflaged to the fabric. Shirou's yukata was tame and plain in comparison, colored in navy-blue with a white obi tying it together.
"Big bro! Dad! Your yukata looks great!" Nanako said to them both. "I'm so happy you're dressed up!"
"Yeah, well, your brother convinced me," Dojima said. Sure enough, Dojima's unease went away as he saw how animated and happy his daughter was, stretching his arm to rub the back of his neck.
"You look pretty as well, Nanako," Shirou told her with a smile. A rather innocuous reaction that made Nanako giggle, but it was dazzling for the rest of the company.
"Whoa," Rise said aloud. Yukiko and Chie dumbly nodded. They thought they would get men to turn heads in their own yukatas. Seeing ShirouandOfficer Dojima both dressed for the summer festival was as intriguing as it was enticing, like they were seeing them in a new light. Shirou was always the apple in their eye, but they could see it didn't fall far from the tree in regards to his uncle.
Taiga was staring as well, but she was having worse internal struggles. She barely had the state of mind to hide her flushed cheeks behind her paper fan.Don't panic, Taiga. So what if Shirou and Ryotaro look handsome in their yukata. It's just a bathrobe, after all! Think silly! They're Nanako-chan's silly family! T-Try to imagine them in their underwear!
Her face suddenly burned brighter as she fidgeted in place.OH NO THEY'RE HOT!
Dojima finally noticed the girls and addressed them. "Thanks for watching over Nanako. I'll take over from here."
"O-Oh, are you sure?" Chie asked.
Dojima nodded. "It's not every day this town has festive events. You kids should enjoy it while you can." Then he turned knowingly to his nephew. "That includes you, Shirou."
Shirou balked and blinked. "Eh?"
"It wouldn't be fair to your friends who dressed up for the festival to leave them waiting, now would it?" he teased.
"What does-?" he started before turning and noticing the girls for the first time. And their yukatas. He was caught staring for a few seconds, eyes glancing at their frames, even Fuji-nee's, before snapping away in a flush. "What does that have to do with anything?"
"You can thank your cool uncle later," Dojima smirked, before turning to his daughter. "All right, Nanako. Want to try the target pra-I mean, play a game with me?"
"Hehe, okay!" Nanako giggled, finding it silly that her dad thought like a cop just now. As they walked to a different stall, she turned and waved to the others. They happily waved back. "Have fun, big bro! Don't catch the cooties!"
"I-I won't…?" he assured awkwardly. Then he glanced back at the young ladies, who seemed to feel as awkward as he was. "So, uh…"
"No one else is coming," Taiga told him.
"Ah. So, you've heard."
"Heard what?" Yukiko asked.
"Oh, you didn't?" Shirou asked. "Well, it was kind of last minute to be fair. Yosuke still hasn't gotten over what happened with Satsuki, and Naoto shut himself inside all summer. Kanji said he was going over to Naoto's place to bring food from the stands, and Teddie decided to invite himself, his date, and Yosuke over."
"Ah, that's nice of them," Rise smiled. It sucked they seemed to decide on a boys' night out, but at least they were helping out one of their own. Then her mind violently backtracked. "Wait. Teddiehas adate?!"
"His words, not mine," Shirou quickly argued. "Something about a 'voluptuous vixen' he saw."
Rise scowled. "That sounds super sketchy, though. How and when did that bear find the time to bring a hussy over when I'm here?!"
"Well, perhaps he can finally drop the 'scoring' thing," Yukiko shrugged, more than relieved for the bear to be moving on.
"This sucks, though," Chie huffed. She would have stomped her feet if not for her painstakingly put on robe. "We planned ahead and everything. Do you know how long it takes to put these on?"
"I do," Shirou said, lifting his arm up with the loose robe sleeve riding down. Chie flushed and felt silly to complain about it to him.
"It really is a nice yukata, Emiya-kun," Yukiko said. The girls nodded with her.
"I'm surprised you packed the thing," Taiga noted. "You must really be attached because you haven't worn it since… well…"
"Yeah," Shirou frowned. "Since Kiritsugu died."
To the four young women, a chill filled the shrine, despite the warm summer night. By now, they were all familiar with the pain in his heart, and how much he hid it from others.
And yet, Shirou just shrugged like it was no big deal. "I figured with all the fighting that's been going on, it would be nice to share thanks with the Shinto spirits tonight. Maybe slip Tama some of my paycheck at the offering box."
"And after that?" Chie asked.
"I thought about spending the night with Doji-nii and Nanako, but since they've excused me it would be rude and awkward to just ruin their fun."
"Shirou," Taiga said sternly. "No one would ever think that; least of all them. And even Kiritsugu would want you to have some fun."
"Fun, huh," he muttered to himself, still unsure.
"Yeah!" Rise cheered. "We lasted this long chasing some serial boogieman, even slaying a vampire! I mean, it sucks for Hanamura of course, but the point is we earned this. We need to make memories worth the yukata we're all wearing!" She then surprised everyone by suddenly latching to Shirou's left arm. "So let's enjoy ourselves, senpai!"
"Eh?!" Shirou panicked. He knew Rise was clingy, but this was hardly the time for her jokes. "Ah, Rise-"
He didn't get a chance to finish his words before Yukiko made a similar action on his right arm, even making a knowing, lingering touch on his scar under the sleeve. "Amagi?!"
Chie and Taiga had similar, shocked expressions: shrunken pupils, dropped jaws, and even faded colors. They were the most surprised to see the demure inn heiress stake a claim.
"Hey, I picked Shirou-senpai first!" Rise pouted, clinging tighter around Shirou's other arm.
"A burden shared is lessened between friends, remember?" Yukiko said, smiling up at Shirou's face. "It's a little unusual this year, but why don't we all have fun together?
"To-together?!" Shirou squawked.
"HOLD IT!" Taiga yelled. "It's questionable enough when kids your age go out in pairs during the summer festival, but a trio is too much!"
Rise and Yukiko both felt their spirits drop. "But-!" "Aww…"
Meanwhile, Shirou and Chie exhaled sighs of relief, thanks to Taiga. Who was now walking behind Shirou and planted a hand on his shoulder.
"Which is why you need adult supervision!" she declared.
Chie blinked. "Wait, what?"
Shirou looked worriedly at his guardian. "Fuji-nee?"
"You're hardly the adult in this situation," Rise sniped, getting more annoyed with the divided attention of her senpai.
Taiga took that as a challenge. "I'm sorry, who here has a driver's license again?"
"Whatever. Just tell Yuki-chan to let go."
"You should be the one to let go, Rise-chan," Yukiko remarked darkly.
"Either you both let go or suck it up," Taiga scolded. "Because like it or not, I'm your chaperone."
Shirou seriously doubted that was her intent, as she seemed just as hotly enthused to engage in this… whatever this was. He turned to Chie, his only hope for sanity, with pleading eyes.
Chie was torn. She did pity poor Shirou, for being caught like a slab of meat between her friends. Taiga's attempt of compromise, while well-meaning, might have just thrown fuel on the fire as she low-key hinted that she wanted time with him too. While Chie felt obliged to defuse the fight, it would be a lie if she didn't want to enjoy the night with Shirou too.
…she could do both and make everyone happy. Including her fellow Ally.
"Yukiko, you should let go of his arm for now. You too, Fuji-san."
While Taiga reluctantly obliged, Yukiko was too shocked to react other than gasp. Her best friend, telling her no? "Chie?!"
"Look, Rise-chan got first dibs," she mediated, much to the former idol's delight. "She'll take him to one of the stalls, then you'll get your turn. Then Fuji-san, then me."
"Huh?"
"Look, there's four of us and one of him. We can't really pull on his arms all night, so we take turns. So long as we don't run him ragged."
Slowly, Yukiko nodded and let go. She was convinced, as was Taiga. Shirou was still a bit concerned how it got to this point, but they were reaching a compromise to give him some breathing room. Not everyone was satisfied, though.
"But… I want Senpai all to myself," Rise complained.
"Did you askhimwhat he wanted?" Chie asked pointedly.
Rise pouted, now finding herself in the center of stares from the group. Looking at Shirou's face, one that was hesitant but expecting, waiting… it made up for the little grievance she had having to share this. "Uh… do you want to do kingyo sukui?"
His face warmed to a smile. "Sure, Rise."
With a fire lit in her, she dragged him to the stall with the goldfish scoopers. Chie turned to the other girl with a smile. "There! Everybody wins!"
Yukiko smiled back, and Taiga gave her a thumbs-up.
Shirou tried not to think much about summer liked the yukata, the watermelon, and the fireworks, but those memories weren't as fond to him now as they were before. Because those memories were overwritten with Kiritsugu as he grew older and frailer, and even sadder.
"Being able to save one person means not being able to save anyone else."
Shirou didn't know what to think of those words at the time. Saving someone still had to mean something, right? But after Sacchin, he understood better. Perhaps Kiritsugu spoke from personal experience, also having someone he failed to rescue.
Maybe being an ally of justice was just something unattainable and ridiculous.
And yet… right here, with the company of some of his closest friends, celebrating a new day, made him realize something.
"Come on, let's get a group photo, senpai!"
"Oi, Shirou! There's a pachinko game! Let's win something!"
"Emiya-kun, is that a steak skewer in your hand!? I-I'll trade you my corn for it!"
"Eh? I-It's just a ketchup stain, Emiya-kun! You don't need to fix it, really!"
Even the most impossible dreams were worth fighting for, for the smiles and exuberance of joy that followed.