"Oi! Emiya!"
He knew he hit the bullseye on why Shinji was in hot water with Ayako the moment he saw the guy.
On his way to meet up with Issei to fix yet another broken heater in the student council room, he was met with the sight of the academy's infamous troublemaker leaning against the wall, apparently waiting for him.
"Shinji." Shirou didn't bother slowing down as he greeted the grinning blue-haired boy.
"Why such haste? I thought we could hang out today?" he replied, trying to keep up with Shirou's pace. "Oh, let me guess you are going to your boyfriend Issei?"
"Shinji." Shirou sighed. "Again with this joke? Really?"
"Oh, come on. You're going there on a daily basis and you aren't even a part of the student council. With your lack of a girlfriend or apparent interest in dating in general, people would start making up rumours."
The redheaded boy gave him a cynical unamused look. "And wouldn't you be one of the said people?"
"I would never!" Shinji acted affronted but his smirk could only grow so big. Shirou was glad that his friend was a terrible actor, lest he has long since naively believed in the bullshit. "But I want you to know, Shirou. I will support you no matter what you decide with your love life. But just between us, make sure you're the top and not the—GAHACK!"
Upon reaching the staircase heading up a floor, the guy was suddenly interrupted and sent flying into the corner of the hallway.
"Oy! What's the big idea—NGH?!"
Had it been anyone else, Shinji would have quite easily snapped back. Less hurling abuse and more demand for the reason for his being unjustly struck and swatted like a gnat to the floor. Had it been anyone else than his sister, he wouldn't have sat there, frozen in place, and looking like he wanted to hide in a hole for his transgressions.
"Dear brother, how many times do I have to repeat myself about bothering Shirou-senpai about his love life?"
Sakura, despite wearing a skirt as part of the school's uniform, didn't hesitate to send a kick aimed at her dear brother's midsection. And, accompanying that kick was quite the intimidating and annoyed, yet polite, smile. If looks could kill, Shinji would've died several times over and Shirou would've been an unfortunate casualty merely observing from the sidelines.
"S-s-s-sister! My d-d-d-dear sister, w-w-what's the matter? It was just a—A joke! That's it! It was just friendly banter! Right, Shirou? I was just joking with Emiya! That's all it was, Sakura!"
"Your own dating life is a joke! I don't believe you have a right to make fun of others when you can't even sort out your own issues, hmph! Frankly, I'm quite disappointed you'd even bring such a topic up after your last breakup that barely lasted three days. That poor girl had to put up with you, a shame… Uncle would be extremely disappointed as much as I."
Shinji balked at the statement, more hurt by her acknowledging the scandal than his father being told. Sakura for her part merely harrumphed and refused to acknowledge her brother's mere presence as she stalked away, back facing the despondent boy.
Shirou didn't even blink, unfazed and merely scratched his cheek, accustomed to this awfully familiar turn of events. According to Ayako, this was a normal example of tough love between siblings. Shirou had to agree with the female redhead, it was tough. Mostly on Shinji.
"I thought you would grow out of making up random rumours. Guess I was wrong." Sakura coldly said while Shinji winced. He made a face that looked like he'd been stabbed. "Poking fun is one thing, but troubling Shirou-senpai and President Issei are problematic beyond words. How could you just make stuff up and expect me not to get mad?!"
"Th-th-this wouldn't be an issue if this guy would find a girlfriend for himself! Or maybe just start hanging out with our classmates normally instead of volunteering doing chores for the academy." Shinji was quick to act defensively, pointing Shirou out even though the boy had lent his fellow a hand to pick him up off the ground. "Seriously, people already call you a handyman and a resident brownie. The least you could do is clear things up lest it reflects poorly on my reputation! Why does my best friend have to be so accepting of being treated like some janitor or something."
"We've been over this, Shinji." Shirou sighed, shrugging his shoulders with a smile. "You know I don't care what others think about me."
"Shinji, if anyone here has to care about their reputation, it's us, dear brother." Sakura snapped back with a flat look hinting at slight disdain. "Not to mention, but whatever reputation you think you have was already ruined by your failed attempts to ask out every single member of the opposite sex in your year." The flat look turned pointed as she sighed herself. "Not that I'm surprised. With your personality, it was to be expected. Be glad your little sister even deigns to love you despite all your misgivings and flaws."
"Th-thanks for supporting me, my dear little sister." Defeated, Shinji didn't even try to argue or defend his honour. Knelt down on all fours in front of her, he was soundly defeated and shamed.
"You're welcome my good-for-nothing older brother." Sakura gave him a cheeky smile.
The familiar interaction, a common occurrence in his high school life, brought a somewhat strange yet warm feeling to Shirou's chest. He'd gotten so used to this exchange that he didn't even catch himself chuckling aloud and the pair staring at his amusement at Shinji's expense.
It had been a couple of years since they'd become friends, yet, with each passing day that he bantered and spoke to the two, it felt like it had been far longer.
The timid shy girl, once noticeably quiet and often came to school clad in a copious amount of bandages, looked to him curiously with an open and vivid expression. Sakura was an extroverted beauty that subtly won her the top seat of every boy's popularity list since graduating from middle school. Not that she paid such any heed. The bratty older brother looking to him for support sheepishly looked away when offered a hand to stand yet again. Despite his record for failed confessions, Shinji too was pretty popular for being the confident and dashing gentleman he was, albeit only with a small niche of girls that hadn't yet seen his overprotective streak for his sister. Or maybe saw said overprotectiveness as a charm point rather than a flaw of being an overbearing sibling. Shirou couldn't understand their tastes and would rather not comment on it.
It was in times he spent with the ever-energetic girl and her problematic yet good-natured older brother that Emiya Shirou felt very much at peace with his day-to-day life.
Truly, he felt like he didn't deserve them.
"Anyways, Shirou!" Shinji quickly pulled him to the side, just a little ways from Sakura, before continuing to change the subject. "Wanna go out tonight? I've heard the news of a new karaoke bar that opened not far from the school."
"Again with karaoke late into the night?" the edges of Shirou's forced smile twitched uncomfortably, knowing full well the girl they were excluding from this exchange would not be impressed. Seeing the glint in Shinji's winking eye and his confident smirk, the redhead quickly deduced why the guy nudged him to the side. "Don't tell me…"
"Oh yes, pal. I was thinking of inviting a few girls and I need a wingman. Considering you don't have one of your own yet, I don't mind setting you up with one of—"
"S-H-I-N-J-I." Sakura's curious tone, cold as the glare both boys felt on their backs, was not happy at all. The look she was giving them when they both snuck a peak was even more so chilling. "Hey. What's with all the secrecy, huh? You're not planning to do something you'd regret later, are you? D-E-A-R B-R-O-T-H-E-R?"
"Haaah… Sorry, Shinji. I can't do it." Choosing to calmly reject his friend's kind if a little misguided offer, Shirou decided to save the boy from his own self-destructive plan before his sister caught wind of it. "Copenhagen is having a busy period during this time of the year. Oto—I mean, the boss, Neko, said her pops still hasn't hired enough hands so I was asked to help whenever I could."
"That place owned by the Hotaruzuka father-daughter pair? Again? Come off it, Emiya." Shinji protested. "They've been using that same excuse for months now! Take a day off or something, why don't you? Just for one night, come on, man!"
"A promise is a promise," he firmly stood by his word, smirking as he added. "And besides, the owner pays me more in a week to cover a five-man shift in one of my own. Better to get paid more, didn't you tell me last time?"
"Ngh… I may have said that but aren't you going a little too far? Be it as a handyman, part-time jobs or whatever it is you and your dad are doing during your 'training days', can't you just… I don't know, chill out like a normal highschooler?"
'Funny how you of all people would say that,' the boy thought.
Yet, the redhead didn't laugh. Only smile and shrug back in silence. And although Shinji wanted to protest further, Sakura was quick to come to his defence.
"Enough of that, Shinji. Shirou's already made his choices. And frankly, they're quite mature and admirable ones, unlike you who keep hanging out like there are no midterm exams coming in the next few weeks. Did you study for those yet?"
"Er… I mean… I… I…"
"I thought so…" The telling flinch and retreat under his sister's gaze was enough for Sakura to sigh before turning away in disappointment. But with concern, she addressed Shirou this time. "Still, Shinji has a point. Are you overworking yourself, Shirou-senpai?"
"Huh?" Before he even got a chance to answer, and while Shinji silently glared-gasped at him with eyes of contempt, Sakura pushed her face closer to his. Stood on tiptoes, she sandwiched her palm between her forehead and his before humming. "You seem to be in perfect health. Not lacking much colour despite looking a little red. Are you sure you aren't feeling under the weather these days, Shirou?"
"N-no! I'm f-fine."
"Is that so?" She quickly pulled away, smiling merrily as can be. "Then, I guess it's fine. So long as you keep your health in mind, I won't bother you about your constantly working hard."
"I… I'll keep that in mind."
Shirou appreciated her concern. More so than her brother's irate expression at the super-close contact, of course. Shinji was fuming as he stood behind his sister. To whom? Shirou, of course! But it's not like he could've done anything about it. Sakura was always spontaneous like this every now and then. It was only normal for her. Shinji's constant exasperation about his sister's actions too.
Not that either of them were truly normal in the sense of the word. Shirou wasn't exempt in that regard either.
"Oh, I just had an idea. Why don't we pay Copenhagen a visit today?" Sakura suddenly pointed out. "It's not like we'd be a bother if we come as customers again. We'd actually be supporting Shirou with his work as friends as well, yes?"
"I'd rather you spare me the cheap coffee," Shinji remarked. But before he could say more, Sakura commented to herself.
"Hoh? So you'd rather pay for expensive drinks for strangers in a karaoke than support a struggling business, huh? Some 'best friend' you are…"
"Guh!" caught red-handed, Shinji tried deflecting by changing the topic. "Hey! At least I know when to get off a sinking ship, okay! That old man and his broad of a daughter are the ones at fault for not moving on! If they sold their place to the Sumeragi group like the rest of the big time shops in their neighborhood, then maybe they'd get a fixer-upper and be more popular with the ladies like the places the Sumeragi already—Mmph!"
Shinji quickly clamped his mouth shut but it was already too late. He let slip his true intentions.
"Ah… So you were planning to pick up girls after school…" As Sakura eyed her brother dangerously over her shoulder, a quiet yet dismissive huff left her soft lips. Her expression remained flat, but her next words struck the guy like several knives through the gut. "Brother, I'm disappointed in you."
"GAH!" and so fell the boy back onto the floor. The critical blow by the words he never wanted to hear from his sibling pinned him down, leaving Sakura free to then take Shirou by the hand and plead.
"Now that the jerk's been taught a lesson, you don't mind if I stop by, do you, senpai?"
"N-not at all. I think the owner would appreciate it. I would."
That alone was enough to have her beaming with the widest smile he'd seen today yet.
Still, it wasn't due to her beauty and charm that Shirou could only concede to the willful girl. Despite what misgivings others may have had about the demure nature of Matou Sakura, only he and Shinji were truly privy to her more selfish yet sensitive side. They had remained close friends this long over, after all.
The boy relaxed his shoulders and led the way up to the student council room. Having free time, Sakura insisted on hanging out until he went to work. And he couldn't really protest against her without making her sad.
Shirou didn't want that. Ever. For anyone.
"Hmm… Speaking of, has Sumeragi Industries ever offered to buy out Copenhagen yet." Curious, Sakura postulated while her brother dutifully and wordlessly followed after them. "I remember someone asking the bartender Miss Neko about it the last time I went, but…"
"Copenhagen hasn't received any offers to be bought." Shirou replied, making small talk. "As far as the boss has told me, they never got an offer for the café."
"That's odd, considering their competition across the street was bought by the corporation last month, wasn't it?"
Shinji's comment rang true. The big up-and-coming corporation that was Sumeragi Industries had started making a name for itself in recent times. Having only cropped up a few years back, they started buying up businesses big and small left, right, and centre. Shirou didn't pay much attention to businesses bigger than the shops and stores he worked part-time in, but he did wonder if this one specifically was aiming for a monopoly of every market they could get their hands in.
"You don't think Mr Hotaruzuka would sell, would he?" Sakura asked him as they reached their destination floor.
"I don't think he would. He said it's been his dream to let Neko inherit the place."
"Well, sooner or later, they'll be sending the old man a letter." Shinji quietly added. "Be it now or later, Sumeragi Industries pretty much have their hands everywhere. I heard from my pops' connections that they're pretty big outside of the city too."
That was a gross understatement. They certainly were notable enough that even someone as laid back about business news as Shirou had heard about them. Cafés and coffee shops were just a small change. From Tokyo to Kyoto, they owned various stores and franchises as small as pizza places to something as big as a mall. And it wasn't just about the size or number of their individual holdings.
Businesses bought by Sumeragi Industries experienced quite a boom soon after being incorporated. Struggling locations would suddenly do a one-eighty and be the most bustling areas in the shopping district, and controversial storefronts that had rumours about them being gang hangouts would be cleaned up and quickly have respectable service workers eager to help clear their shoddy reputation. They even went above and beyond at times, serving to help the community out of pocket.
They were like a blessing to those they approached, an almost soap opera-like miracle where they pushed their business in.
Even more, news had been floating about them. Not least of which was the ongoing stories about the buyouts being pretty generous to previous owners. Those nearing or at retirement age were apparently given very generous compensation for retiring on the spot.
Copenhagen, though, was left alone.
It was a stretch to say the café wasn't worth a giant conglomeration's consideration. What Copenhagen lacked in popularity and marketability, it made up for in prime real estate and location. What's more, it was a good enough place that it was regularly visited by not a small number of people from all walks of life. Old, young, students, and office workers. There were the occasional oddballs here and there, but Shirou had always been told to defer them to the owner directly. Despite it all, the place was pretty good in Shirou's eyes. It was because of the owner's hospitality and the appealing old-classic style of the interior that kept it running for as long as it had.
But for the growing corporation to not take interest in the place… … … Then again, what would Shirou know about big business. He'd never owned one nor planned to, hence his general disinterest in the matter.
On the topic of Sumeragi though, it seems that they were big enough to be famous at the national level. Rumour had it that they were everywhere, from the food and textile industry to even dabbling in medicine and metallurgy, perhaps even military but the government seemed keen to keep that hush-hush, or so Shinji had extrapolated from the gossip he heard from his father's coworkers. And when asked why he knew this, he said,
"Oh, come now, Emiya." With a confident puff of his chest, he tossed back his hair. "The heir to the Matou clan must keep up with the times. While our family may not be as rich and famous as it was back in the day, I still have my own ambitions to rebuild it."
"Yet you still won't tell me what your family used to do before the Matou clan's 'apparent decline'." Shirou gave him a pointed look, feigning annoyance. However, to the two, it was just him rubbing in the inside joke. "Don't worry though. No matter what failed business your ancestors may have fallen from, I still cherish our friendship despite you being one of the commoners."
"O-oy! Stop looking at me like that! Despite what it is now, our name used to be big back in the day, y'know!"
"Oh? In what field? I certainly hadn't heard of it before so I can't quite put my finger on it, Shinji. Was it rice farming or something?"
"You jerk!" The tease earned Shirou a red-faced Shinji. "Hmph! Whatever. Just you wait! Once I'm in charge, I'll make sure you never see the Matou name as it is now!"
"And when you inevitably flop, I'll be there to cheer you up with a pat on the back," Shirou retorted, giving the guy a cheeky smile over his shoulder. "After all, what are best friends for?"
Shinji had no words. Well, no coherent ones. Muttering 'just you wait' and 'you'll see', he continued to hold his head high. No doubt in preparation to show off what images of grandeur he had in mind for his family. Whatever that was. They had Shirou's full support, and he let Shinji know it every time the subject was brought up. No matter what the Matou clan heir planned to do, he would support Shinji's ambitions for the future, regardless of their forgotten 'unknown' past.
Although, referring to it as 'unknown' was a lie. Shirou knew full well what they used to be before. What they were now.
Asking his father to train him had led to a hefty amount of secrecy in due process. Why? Because the world of magecraft was far from a simple one. Power dynamics, histories spanning centuries, and old rules that would incriminate his participation as a non-magus descendant.
The Matou history of the modern era was brief and obscure. Their history in the moonlit world? Not so much.
But did it matter? Of course not. They were his friends. They would always be… Wouldn't they?
"Yes, yes, leaving the prestigious yet ambiguous future of our family to Shinji," Oblivious to the troubled thoughts flying through his head, Sakura rolled her eyes as she kept her pace with Shirou, leaving her brother to steam his head off. "Shirou-senpai, do you have any plans for the future?"
Plans? Did he? He certainly couldn't nod and say 'yes'. If she asked what it was, he wouldn't have a proper…
No, he had one. A dream. It was a lofty ideal, childish and maybe a little out there, but it was something he was working towards.
He just couldn't tell her.
"Hmmm… Not at the moment. Maybe college?" It was his go-to answer. One his father had suggested should anyone be curious. After all, he couldn't outright say what he literally wanted to be. Embarrassment aside, what profession could he even get with a dream like that?
A hero was many things, not just those that wore a cape… But who or what exactly was he to save? And from what would he save them from…? … Did either matter? ... Did anything? So long as he fulfilled that dream, then…
He smiled wryly to himself, unaware he was balling his fists tight. Normal people, or even those acting under the guise of normalcy, could never take him seriously. They hadn't when he was young. His father hadn't either. Even now, the straight-laced and socially bound would merely scoff and have him think realistically if he ever bring it up. So he didn't. Ever.
This was a cross to bear for him and him alone. No one else.
Speaking of which, the most straight-laced student to ever befriend him soon entered Shirou's sight as they rounded the corner to the student council room.