CHAPTER 2.4 - MATOU SAKURA

Toh—no, Matou Sakura sat on a bench in a playground park. Silently she watched as other kids her age playing around with each other. Sometimes her eyes wandered to a pair of parents smiling alongside their children.

How envious she was. How lucky they were.

She wanted to be like them too. She wanted to be loved too. Why shouldn't she get the same treatment? Oh right, she was sold. Adopted by a family friend was what her used to be father said to her, but she knows better. Was she that undesirable? Did she do something wrong? No one told her anything!

She just wanted a small part of happiness too, the one she used to had back then. Back when her strands of hair were still brown in color. Back when she was spending her day happily with her mother and sister.

She wanted to cry, she would if she could. Alas there would never be anymore tears she could cried out. She already cried it all out.

Her magecraft training, the pit, the worms, her now "grandfather". They took away her tears. She was now but a husk of her former self.

Shinji, her new brother, tried to welcomed her kindly to the Matou family. Unfortunately, he was just a boy scared of his own grandfather and couldn't do much. She still thankfull for the him though, he would from time to time spend his time playing with her, trying his best to made her forget everything momentarily.

She appreciate it, really. Even her being in the park was because of him somehow managing to convince their grandfather to let them play outside. She just hoping he wouldn't get repercussion from their grandfather later.

Quietly humming a lullaby her mom used to sing to her, Sakura continued her...people-watching in the park.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

Then someone called her, she looked at the one who called her. A young boy with red hair and striking golden eyes, probably a bit older than her, stood beside her.

"....?"

She tilted her head, did he talked to her just now? But why? No other kids even want to be near a gloomy girl sitting alone instead of playing in a playground, let alone talk to her.

She saw the boy quietly gazed at her, she hoped he didn't find her repulsive. The boy then just smiled at her.

"Can i sit beside you?"

Sakura was a bit confused, but she nodded anyway. It was public bench after all, he really didn't need to ask her permission. She even would go away if he didn't like being near her.

"Man, didn't think there would be many people here"

The boy seemed wanted to have a small talk with her. In response she weakly nodded. The overall mood of the entire city was somber after the fire. It was quite commendable that some family tried to bring their children here to cheer them up.

"Don't you want to join them?"

She gazed at the boy for a sec, only to averted away after finding him staring straight at her. She slowly shook her head. What if the other kids hated her? She wouldn't want to ruin their day.

"Hmmm..."

The boy seemed to be bored of her, not that she would blame him. It was given really, only a matter of time before he get up and leave.

"Hey, wanna play together?"

That question caught her off guard. She turned her head back at him, his sincerely smile was still plastered on his face. His eyes showed no deception nor disgust.

Why?

She didn't understand.

"Hm? Because you look lonely here. It will more fun if we play together"

She yelped, in the middle of her confusion she unknowingly speak her thought out loud. Her cheeks were getting hotter,flustered by the situation she found herself in.

The boy didn't laughed like she was expected though.

"So, how about it?"

The boy asked again while extending his hand. She stared at him, then his hands. Should she accepted his offer? What if he get dissapointed by her later? Would he come to hate her?

But on the other hand, he was the first outside of her brother who extended their hand to her. It wasn't something common for her now. She took a deep breath before accepting his hand.

She had nothing to lose anyways. If he would hate her later, then so be it. She just wanted to...feel this kindness again, to be treated nicely again, even if it was only for a fleeting time.

"Emiya Shirou, you can just called me Shirou"

She hesitated for a moment, "Matou..." her body get stiff for a sec "...Sakura."

The boy, Shirou, smiled at her, again. What a pleasant feeling this was.

"Sakura then, you wouldn't mind if i calls you Sakura, right?"

No, she wouldn't mind. In fact she liked it more if he called her with her given name.

"No, it's fine"

"I'm glad then, Sakura is a beatiful name, isn't it? After all it's a name for a flower people would watch every year"

The boy seemed like half joking or didn't think of his words that much. But Sakura didn't mind the sparks of happiness in her chest. Yes, he was right.

"Sakura" was a beautiful name. After all it was a gift her mother gave to her and the name her sister used to call affectionately.