Original Published Date: July 2016
Edited Date: January 10, 2018
Hinako ran on the sandy ground after feeling embarrassed of not having to wear a yukata last night. She's not the type of person who likes to wear yukatas or any other traditional clothing. She just likes the casual vibe of her clothing style.
Little did Hinako know that there was a small hole on the sandy ground. Her foot caught into it and she fell flat on the ground.
"Ouch... That hurts," Hinako said as she lifts herself up and brushed off the sand from her face.
"Are you all right, Suzuhana-san?"
Hinako looks up to see a hand stretched out towards her. Then, she focuses her gaze at the person offering his assistance. It was Koujiro, who was wearing a purple jacket only and knee-length dark violet shorts.
"Oh, thank you, Sasaki-senpai," Hinako happily took her senior's hand, pulling her up. She brushes away the sand on her shirt and shorts. "I'm sorry for the trouble, senpai."
"Oh, it's no problem," he smiles. "But be careful in running here. You don't want to trip again, now do you?"
"I definitely don't want to trip again," she chuckles, an anime sweat-drop hanging on her head. "Also, I can hear unnecessary laughing not too far from me," she plainly stated, giving off a straight expression.
Not too far from where Koujiro and Hinako were, Gil's laughing can be heard. He found Hinako's tripping on the sand amusing and believe me, he hasn't laughed a lot like this before. But he wasn't laughing out of being mean, he just finds Hinako's clumsiness cute and amusing.
Koujiro looks at Gil, then back at Hinako, smiling. "It looks like the two of you are in good terms, Suzuhana-san."
"Huh? Good terms with who?" Hinako blinks a couple of times.
"Douji-san," he chuckles. "I don't see you two fight anymore."
"Oh, does it look like that we fight a lot?" The corner of her lips tugged, wanting to hear the opposite from her senior.
"Well, I still remember back in April that he rammed a shinai onto your head," Koujiro grins sarcastically.
"Oh, that," Hinako flashbacks to the day when she challenged Gil to a fight in kendo during membership day. It was still rough for the two of them, thinking that they won't be in good terms with one another. "It was an accident."
"But I don't think it is an accident," Koujiro plainly stated. "At the very least, I'm happy to see the two of you getting along."
"Thanks, senpai," Hinako lightly blushes. "I'm glad, as well, that I came into good terms with Douji-senpai. I thought that we won't reconcile because I hated his attitude. But after three months, I can see that he's a good person inside."
Koujiro stares at Hinako for a while, analyzing her. She, on the other hand, blinked her eyes while staring back at her upperclassman. Was there something on her face? He could just tell her and not stare at it. But, for Koujiro, he felt something that he can't help but smile about it.
"You sound like you have feelings for our captain, Suzuhana-san," Koujiro giggles.
Hinako stepps back as her face turns red. "W-What? I, uh, I-I don't have any feelins for Douji-senpai. W-What makes you say that?"
"You're stuttering, Suzuhana-san," Koujiro grins.
Hinako's blush intensifies as she steps backward. She didn't look to where she was going and accidentally places her foot on the small hole from earlier. Hinako fell backwards but due to Koujiro's instant reflexes, he was able to grab his underclassman's hand and pulls her back. Although, Koujiro might have pulled harder than he thought.
Koujiro places a hand over Hinako's shoulder while the other held her waist. Hinako, on the other hand, places both of her hands onto Koujiro's bare chest. The two of them looked at one another and pink blushes painted their cheeks. Hinako's mouth gapes open, trying to process on what's happening.
"Wooh, senpai! Kiss the girl!" One of the members shouted, who was in the sea with the rest of the members.
Koujiro snaps his head towards the freshman member. "T-This isn't what you think it is, you guys!" His blush intensifies, looking back at Hinako. "I-I'm sorry, Suzuhana-san! Things, uh, got a little...awkward."
He releases Hinako from his grip and steps back. Hinako lifts her hands from Koujiro's chest and steps back, as well.
"It's all right, senpai. You saved me from hurting myself and you saved me from a potential evil laugh from a certain someone," an anime vein popped out of her cheek.
Koujiro laughs softly, thinking that he indeed avoided the possibility of Gil laughing from Hinako's clumsiness. "Yeah. I guess you're right. Want to go swimming?" He invites, pointing towards the sea.
"Maybe later, senpai. I plan on using the early morning for kendo training."
"Sure, Suzuhana-san, whatever fits your way," Koujiro waves his hand at her once before running back to the sea, ready to knock a certain member's thick skull.
"Hi~na~ko~chan!" Asuto places his hands over Hinako's shoulders, startling her.
The brown-headed girl jumps forward in surprise, then turning around to look at Asuto with Gil beside him. Her face became a little pale. "J-Juniyushi-senpai, please don't scare me like that!"
Asuto laughs with sparkles behind him. It looks like he doesn't care that he just scared poor little Hinako at all. "My bad, Suzuhana-chan! But, that was quite the scene earlier."
"Y-You saw?" Her right eye twitches.
"Not just me, though," he stares at Gil.
Hinako looks at Gil and he just gave her a "What?" with a matching irritated expression.
Hinako was shocked to know that Gil saw her and Koujiro in that state. Although, why would Gil be concerned about it? It's not like he cares at all. But for Hinako, having feelings for the captain of the kendo team, she's trying to not cause any misunderstandings.
"It's nothing, senpai. Earlier..." She looks at the sand. "It was just an accident, okay?"
"And your point is?" He raises an eyebrow.
"Uh, no point intended," Hinako waves her hand while laughing mechanically in embarrassment. "I'll just go and get the shinais we brought."
"Need help with that, Suzuhana-chan?" Asuto asks.
"No, I'm all good," Hinako, then, walks away and went back to the van, getting two pairs of shinai.
Asuto looks at Hinako from behind with a small smile. He, then, looks back at Gil when she was out of sight. "Are you all right?"
"Of course, I'm all right," Gil said in irritation. "Why wouldn't I be okay?"
"Oh?" Asuto grins. "Is that the sound of jealousy I hear?"
"Do you want me to throw you to the deepest part of the ocean?"
"Oh, heavens no!" Asuto laughs. "It breaks my heart to hear you say mean things to me."
"Okay, now you're dead!"
Gil started to chase Asuto all the way to the sea. Asuto took off his shirt and threw it away before splashing onto the waters. He looks at the fuming captain, who was still on the sandy grounds. He didn't want to get wet yet. After all, going to the beach wasn't in their schedule for the excursion.
"Aren't you going to come and chase me?" Asuto laughs a victorious laugh.
"Agh! When I get my hands on you, you'll be swimming with the fishes," Gil whispers to himself.
Eight in the morning and the members continued on enjoying the refreshing waters of the beach. Hinako, on the other hand, was still dry. She was practicing her strokes with the shinai they brought. Her long hair was tied up to a bun, avoiding any hair distractions.
"Hey, Suzuhana-chan!" Asuto called out to her from the waters. "Stop what you're doing and come over here! The water's great!"
Hinako stops for a while and looks at her senior. She lifts her hand and waves at them. "I'm all right, senpai! I'll just finish my practice!"
"Come on, Suzuhana-chan! I'll give you a piggy back ride, if you want!"
Hinako releases an anime sweat-drop at Asuto's statement and her lips tugged in embarrassment. Suddenly, someone tapped her shinai with another one. She looks to her side and saw the golden-headed captain.
"I'll help you with your training, Suzuhana,"
"Oh," Hinako lightly blushes. Deep inside her, she's happy to have a one-on-one training session with the kendo team's captain. "Thank you, Douji-senpai."
Asuto looks at the two of them and smiled. Though, his smile darkened as he found Gil's weakness.
Hinako and Gil exchanged light taps with their shinais. There were times that Gil caught Hinako off-guard but she was able to deflect his attack successfully. This sent a smile to Gil's lips, proud to see a student of his getting the hang of kendo.
"Let's stop here, Suzuhana," Gil said, lowering his shinai. "Go and join with the others."
"What?" Hinako looks at her wristwatch before looking back at her senior. "But it's only been forty-five minutes, senpai."
"Take a break, Suzuhana," he pins the tip of his bamboo sword into the sand. "After all, it's summer."
"But we came here to train."
Gil rolls his eyes, taking out the shinai from the sand and lightly tapping it onto Hinako's head. "How many times will I repeat myself, huh? I may be lightly tapping this shinai on your head but I can ram it again, if you like," an anime vein throbbed on his cheek.
"Oh, woe is me, senpai. Do you want me to repeat the statement that we came here to train?" Hinako grabs Gil's shinai, stopping his actions.
Lightning waves were sent from Gil to Hinako, then back. It's like they were back to square one but the difference is that they take their insults in a jokingly fashion. It goes to show how much their relationship has improved since April.
Finally, Hinako sighs and gives up. "All right, senpai, I'll go and join the others. But," she points at him with her bamboo sword. "you join, as well."
An anime vein throbbed from Gil's cheek. He was about to slam the shinai onto Hinako's head but she caught it in-between her hands. "You dare point your finger at me, mongrel? Stop struggling and let me beat you!"
"Yes, I dare! If everyone's having a good time, you should, too," her sarcastic expression was replaced with a genuine smile.
"I'll be fine staying here."
"Come on, Douji-senpai, you might as well enjoy the day. You don't have to overwork yourself," Hinako shows concern for her upperclassman by making a sad face.
Gil stops pushing onto the shinai and looks at Hinako with slightly blushing cheeks. He retreated and stabbed the sandy ground with it again. "Fine."
Hinako's face brightens up and pulls up a smile. "That's great to hear, senpai!"
"Yeah, yeah. Don't think I'm doing this for you, idiot," he looks away. "It's just, it's been a while since I last came back here."
"It looks that way," Hinako looks at Asuto, Koujiro, and the other members. "Other than Kachuujou-chan and Kanzaki-kun, the kendo team is also like a family to me."
Gil's lips parted a little after hearing Hinako's statement. He, then, slowly turns his head to look at her, finding her soft and smiling face adorable. Once again, he felt something crack within his heart.
"I'm glad that I joined the kendo team. I met new friends along the way and you've finally accepted me. I haven't felt this way in a long time after what happened to my parents. Honestly, life loved to kick me in the butt," Hinako laughs to herself. Then, she looks at Gil. "You're one of the reasons why I am able to move on with my life, senpai. Thank you."
And it finally shatters.
To be continued: (Summer) Chapter 22
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Author's Notes | July 2016
Hey, guys! HanaYume23 desu~! (^_^)
Prelims week is just around the corner and I'm gonna be busy for a while. But, I write chapters in my phone when I feel the need to update. *laughs*
Thank you for reading this new update of Fate/Stay Gakuen!
I'm also promoting my other fan-fiction, Red, Plagued Skies, starring Levi Ackerman and my Original Character named Erie Cole! It's an AU Zombie-Apocalyptic Setting. (EDIT (03/24/2017): I deleted this series due to writer's block and confusing plot-line.)
Until the next chappie! Jaa, mata nee! (^_^)
またねぇ〜
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CHARACTER PROFILE #15: Misa Tsukishu (月朱ミサ)
(Link to image: http://pm1.narvii.com/6322/b079bcf6fc87d53c71e6bf5b8beb46447e8bbe71_hq.jpg)
(A/N: I couldn't find an image of her in casual clothes, so this will suffice.)
Played by: Orion/Artemis (appears in Fate/Grand Order)
Gender: Female
Height: 5' 5" (167.64 cm)
Weight: 57 kg (125.66 lbs)
Occupation: Teacher (Composition)
Hair Color: White
Style: Long, wavy
Eye Color: Blue