Fate/Zero:Prologue 3
Prologue: 1 year ago
He immediately recognized the woman he was looking for.
In the early holiday afternoon, you can see children playing on the lawn bathed in the peaceful sunlight of the early Autumn, with their parents watching over them, smiling. The plaza around the fountain of the park was overcrowded with the townspeople who brought their family for relaxation.
Even in such a crowd, he didn't lose his track.
No matter how crowded, no matter how far, he was certain he could find her effortlessly. Even though he didn't know if he could even meet her once a month, even though she already had a partner.
Only when he walked up to her, did the woman in the shades of the trees notice his arrival.
"—Hey, long time no see."
"Oh— Kariya-kun."
showing a modest, courteous smile, she lifted her eyes from the book she was reading.
Worn out— Seeing her like that, Kariya felt seized with a helpless anxiety. Something seemed to be tormenting her.
He immediately enquired why, wanting to do all he could to solve the matter, whatever it was — although such an impulse fluttered her heart, that was something she couldn’t discuss with Kariya. He wasn't so close that he could devote such an unreserved kindness, that wasn't his place.
"It's been 3 months. This trip has been pretty long this time."
"Ah... Eh, yes."
In his sweet dreams, her smile surely appears. But when he is really in front of her, he doesn't have the courage to face her. It has been so for the past 8 years, and forever after, Kariya will probably never be able to face that smile.
Because she makes him so nervous, he never knows what to talk about after greeting each other, and a subtle blank appears. That too happens everytime.
To break the awkward silence, Kariya looks for the one he can easily talk to.
— There. Playing in the middle of the other kids on the grass, the two ponytails happily dancing about. Though very young, the girl already shows signs of the beautiful face she has inherited from her mother.
| Back to Prologue: 3 years ago | Return to Main Page | Forward to Act 1, part 1 |
