Part 245: Taking Sakura home, advanced chapter
Last time on
Rebirth
Matou Sakura (I)
Future food porn is hinted at while Shirou and Sakura lust over each other, but totally don't realize they're both doing it. How ironic.
Morning in the Emiya household / Everyday (I)
Taiga livens up the breakfast table while news of ominous events plays on the TV. Perhaps these events are soon to be responsible for fewer and fewer people staying out late. This plot is both unique and original. After breakfast, Shirou walks Sakura to school and then helps his pocket pool playing pal fix a heater. Shinji begs to be punched, Taiga nearly kills herself, and Kuzuki asks another student to take care of bowing because the rod up his ass prevents him from doing so.
Choice!
Either…
Expensive flower (Intended pun)
Shirou and Issei stay at school late together, then walk each other home as far as they are able before wistfully parting ways. Totally not gay.
or…
Brownie chocolate cake (just over halfway down the page)
Shirou gets paid an exorbitant sum by throwaway characters so minor they don't even get their own character art.
A white girl / Well done
Shirou gets threatened by the token loli, then returns home to food porn. Taiga and Sakura scold him for helping people.
Now that we've finished UBW, choosing option 1 leads to a different scene than it did before.
Music: Tender Scenery
"Yeah, it's getting late, so I should walk her home too."
"Huh? Weren't you taking a bath, Senpai?"
"No, I'll take it later. I'll take you home first."
"Eh… take me home?"
"Yeah. It's getting dangerous outside lately, so I'm going to walk you home. Your house is far away. So let me at least do this much since you're coming so far."
"……"
Sakura falls into an awkward silence.
…Did I say something bad?
"…I'm sorry. I appreciate your concern, but you should stay here. I'm used to going home, so I should be fine by myself."
"Well, that may be true, but it's getting dangerous these days. So, I'll walk you home for a bit."
"…But, um… if Nii-san sees you, you'll be in trouble too."
That's right.
Sakura's brother, Shinji, doesn't approve of Sakura coming to my place.
He can't object too strongly because she says she's going to Fuji-Nee's house, but it could be a problem if I take her home.
It's a problem, but so what.
I don't care what Shinji says. It's a much bigger problem if Sakura has to walk home alone at dangerous times like these.
"I don't care what trouble I get into. It's dangerous these days, so I'm walking you home."
"Um, I'd feel bad letting you do that…"
"It's fine. You're always helping me out, so let me at least walk you home. Or do you want to go home on your own?"
"Eh? No, it's not that, but…"
"Then it'll be fine. I'm confident in my skills. I should be able to fight off most assailants, so you should make use of me at times like this. I'll protect you, whatever happens."
I nudge Sakura towards the hallway with a glance.
"Senpai…? Is it really okay? You might get into a fight with Nii-san again."
"I don't care. It's only right for guys to fight, and it's best when we talk honestly like that.
He doesn't like to hide things, so it's best if he just comes out with any complaints he has."
At last, Shirou finally realizes the best way to talk to Shinji is with his fists.
Sakura looks surprised for some reason.
"What? Did I say something strange?"
"No, you didn't. I'm just glad you're such good friends with Nii-san."
"Hm? No, I don't think that's right. I'm probably the only one who feels better from it, and it might be the opposite for Shinji."
"Perhaps. But you know, Nii-san always talks to you no matter many times you two fight. He probably finds it hard to deal with you, but he likes you more than other people, so he's always concerned about you. He's not honest, so he likes people he doesn't like."
"…Uh. I can't really reply to that."
"Yes. I envy you, so I thought I'd trouble you a bit."
Sakura smiles.
"Uh…"
Seeing that smile, I hold my breath without realizing it.
Would you call that a big smile?
I think it's the first time I've seen her smile like that.
"A-Anyway, I'm taking you home. I don't care if Shinji sees me. I walked his sister home, so he shouldn't be complaining."
"You're right. It might be better to do it that way rather than to hide it. Then could you, Senpai?"
"Of course. I'll act like your Senpai for once."
I smack my chest.
Sakura smiles warmly at my gesture of "trust me".
Seemed more like a gesture of "I'm a big ape".
Music: Stop
"
"It's not even ten o'clock yet, but the town is asleep.
…The silence is strange.
Even though there have been nasty incidents, should night really steal this much life?
"Senpai…? Uh, my house is this way."
"Huh? Oh, sorry, I was just thinking. Your house is the very top one on that side, right?"
"No, the top one is Tohsaka-Senpai's house. My house is up there too, but not at the top."
"Oh, was that it? …Wait, by Tohsaka, you mean…?"
"Yes, Tohsaka Rin of the second year. Do you not like her, Senpai?"
She must have read my reaction, as her comment is accurate.
Ugh… was I making that kind of a face?
"No, I don't dislike her. I've never talked to her, so I don't know much about her. But she's famous, right? She stands out wherever she goes, so I know her just like everyone else."
"……"
"What about you, Sakura? You have the same Western-style mansion, so do you guys have a neighborly relationship?"
"No. We're certainly neighbors, but her house is up on top of the hill.
But how did you know her house was Western-style, Senpai?"
Sakura asks quietly.
Answer carefully, Shirou. Your life depends on it.
"Oh, it's just something I heard. Something about Tohsaka's place being a haunted house and all that. A haunted house has to be a Western-style house, right?"
"That's true. It seems Tohsaka-san and the house itself like to be alone. When I was a child, I was told that a scary sorcerer lived up on the hill."
"A scary sorcerer, huh? I heard rumors like that too. Though, saying that, all Western-style houses seem to have sorcerers living in them.
So, did you believe the story, Sakura?"
"I did, because I was small. That's why I always thought I shouldn't go up to the top of the hill."
Sakura answers my joking question seriously.
Music: Surrounded by Smiling Faces
There are fewer and fewer buildings and more trees as you ascend the hill.
It's only natural, as most of the town's facilities are at the bottom of the hill.
In all that, one of the few buildings near the top of the hill is Sakura's house.
"Oh…"
Sakura stops suddenly.
"Hm? Did you forget something?"
"Oh… no, it's not that, but… Senpai, is there someone standing near my house?"
She looks around uneasily.
"Hm?"
I look around too, but there's no one here except us.
"There no one… did you see something?"
"Oh… no, if you didn't see anyone, then it's fine. I've been noticing a strange person around my house recently, so I just wondered if he'd be here again today."
"
What? Isn't that a bit dangerous?What kind of guy was he?"
"Um… he was a blond, good-looking person. He looked like a model, so I'm sure you'd be surprised too if you saw him."
Sakura says so with a blush, as if recalling him.
For those that don't remember, there's more on this at the bottom of Prologue Day 2.
"……"
…Sakura.
I don't know if that's something I should be worried about.
"Oh, so it's not like he's suspicious?"
"…I don't know. It's just that no one has moved here recently, so I thought it was strange."
"…Hm. Well, it is a bit strange. All right, if you see him around again, tell me or Shinji. We'll get him and make him tell us what he's up to."
Mmhmm. You do that.
"Yes, I'll be counting on you. But please don't do anything rough. I don't want you to get into a fight."
Sakura says so while smiling straight at me.
"…Uh. I-It's all right. I'll ask questions first, so you shouldn't worry about it."
I look away from Sakura's smile as I answer.
I don't think he'd appreciate being questioned by "such a lowlife".
"……"
…Geez.
Sakura's gestures captivate me often these days.
It would have been nothing a while ago, so I feel like I'm acting weird.
Maybe it's because Sakura has grown, or maybe just because I finally noticed it.
…Well, I do think Sakura has become really beautiful.
That on it's own is great, but I don't think it's cool for a Senpai to have to be careful where he's looking.
"I-Idiot. Don't thank me. You're the one making me dinner, so I should be the one thanking you."
Sakura just smiles with satisfaction.
"…Geez. If this is all it takes, I'll make a habit of it from tomorrow."
"Please do. It's fine if you only do it once in a while when you feel like it, but please do walk home with me. Nii-san will get mad, but I like being with you."
Sakura calls back enthusiastically and disappears into her house.
Music: Stop
"
Well."I should head home too.
I left Fuji-Nee at the house, and to be honest, that's what worries me.
"…Huh?"
Did I just hear something?
…I can hear it.
The sound of a creaking swing.
It takes me a while to realize it's the sound of some bug.
"…I wonder what kind of bug it is? It's well out of season, certainly."
I imagine a longhorn beetle in the dark, under the cold winter sky.
Then, I notice."…Huh? There are three rooms with lights on."
The one that just lit up is Sakura's room.
…The light on the first floor is Shinji's room, so what's the light from the third room?
"…? Only Shinji and Sakura should be living in that place…"
Maybe it's a guest, or Shinji's in that room.
Anyway, I've been here many times, but this is the first time I've seen the light on in that room.
"……"
Well, it's a big house.
It's not strange for a light to be on somewhere in such a house.
It's not strange, but…
"…What's this? I still feel uneasy."
I feel something, like a presence or a bad feeling.
