Today, September 30, 2025, was her 18th birthday.

Asuna fidgeted with a lock of her hip-length chestnut hair as she waited for her boyfriend Kazuto to pick her up for their date that night. She had wanted a joint celebration of their birthdays – since his was only a week away – but he had insisted that they go out tonight to celebrate hers… and that she wear the boot cut jeans and motorcycle jacket he had given her for her birthday.

"I wonder what he has planned for tonight," she muttered as she smoothed her hands down her jean-clad thighs and adjusted the hem of her white and red sweater. "I hope this is okay. He wouldn't say anything even when I threatened him with no bento for a month." The sound of an approaching motorcycle engine interrupted her musings. Curious, she rose from the sofa and walked towards the front door. She peeked through the glass pane in the door and drew back with a gasp when she saw a rider clad in all black roll a sleek, shiny black and silver motorcycle to a stop right outside her house. She watched incredulously with her hand covering her mouth as the rider cut the engine then put down the kickstand and swing off.

"Kirito-kun!" Asuna exclaimed when the rider removed his black and silver helmet then tucked it under his left arm as he walked towards the front door. She quickly disengaged the locks and opened it to a surprised Kazuto, who was now standing on the front porch about to knock.

He quickly recovered and kissed her on the cheek in greeting. "Happy Birthday, Asuna. You look beautiful as always." He grinned at her flabbergasted expression then gestured towards the motorcycle with a flourish. "Your humble chariot awaits."

"A-are you serious? Where'd you get that?"

"I'm very serious. 'That' is an advanced 17th birthday present from my aunt Midori and uncle Minetaka. And yes, I know how to ride a 400 cc motorcycle with a passenger behind me," he answered the unspoken question in her hazel eyes. "I wouldn't have been granted my license otherwise. And, yes, I wouldn't have ridden it here to pick you up for our date tonight if your parents had been home. Your mother barely tolerates me as it is."

"I-I…"

"The place where I've made reservations for dinner is just a short ride away. But... we can take a bus there if you want to," he added when she still stood frozen in the foyer.

She took a deep, fortifying breath, thanked the Powers-That-Be her mother had accompanied her father on a business trip – they would have gone ballistic at the thought of her on a motorcycle – then hastily exchanged her house slippers for a pair of ankle boots and grabbed the motorcycle jacket – haha – Kazuto had given her from the coat rack by the front door. "No, it's okay. We'll take your motorcycle. I was just surprised, that's all. I didn't even know you were taking motorcycle riding lessons," she said reproachfully. Before she could lose her nerve, she closed the door, made sure it was locked securely, and joined him on the porch.

"You took cooking classes, I took motorcycle riding lessons," he said as he helped her into her jacket. "I didn't tell you about them because I wanted to surprise you. " He zipped the jacket closed all the way up to her chin then dropped a quick kiss on her mouth when he saw that she was still regarding his motorcycle warily.

"We really can ride a bus there, Asuna." He rubbed his hands up and down her arms soothingly. "I won't force you to ride a motorcycle."

"It's not just that it's a motorcycle, Kirito-kun – I'm sure you're a very skilled rider – I've never ridden one, and… and I'll have to ride astride – side saddle just isn't secure – and of course, if I ride it astride, you'll be between my…"

This time he smirked and poked her stomach. "Like I haven't been there before." He held both hands up to defend himself when he saw his girlfriend's eyes light up with fury, knowing she thought he was making a crude reference to their nights together in Aincrad. "I carried you on my shoulders, remember."

"Oh." The ire in Asuna's eyes and the flush on her cheeks subsided. "Okay then. Do you have a helmet for me to wear?"

"But of course."

Kazuto was sorry his motorcycle ride with Asuna was about to end as he slowed to a stop in the parking lot of the bistro where he'd made reservations. Despite her earlier protests, she was a good passenger. She didn't squirm in her seat and even helped him balance the machine by leaning into turns with him. True, she'd had a death grip on his waist and hips for most of the ride, but he wasn't complaining, especially since her breasts had been pressed into his back as well.

He put down the kickstand and swung off first then helped Asuna down after she had removed her red and white helmet. She stood to one side, removed the ponytail holder she'd tied her hair back with for the ride, and finger-combed her tresses into some semblance of order while he chained his motorcycle to a post.

After he'd removed his gloves and stuffed them in his jacket, he ran his fingers through her hair, amazed yet again by how silky it was. "The bike ride may have marginally mussed up your hair, but it put roses in your cheeks and a sparkle in your eyes. Ready to go in now?"

Her apprehension over the motorcycle ride all but gone, she laced her fingers with Kazuto's and smiled in assent.

They thoroughly enjoyed dinner. The adrenaline rush of the short motorcycle ride had stoked their appetites. After polishing off a shrimp-pomelo salad with vinaigrette, barbecued pork ribs, mashed potatoes, and onion rings, they hadn't had room for dessert even though their server highly recommended the turtle pie.

Later, Asuna sighed happily as they walked hand-in-hand towards her front door.

"Glad we celebrated your birthday today?" Kazuto smiled at her.

"Yes. Thank you so much for my gifts, the wonderful dinner, and the adrenaline rush." She placed her hands on his cheeks and pulled him close for a warm, lengthy kiss.

"Tonight got me thinking, Kirito-kun," she murmured when their kiss ended. "It's almost our in-game wedding anniversary."

"Yes, it's on October 24, just a little over 3 weeks away."

She pulled back, incredulous but charmed that he had recited the date from memory. "You actually remember the date of our in-game wedding anniversary?"

"Of course I do," he huffed indignantly. "It's not every day I get married. Besides, most of our important dates are clustered together, our first in-game kiss was the day before that and—"

Asuna looked up at him questioningly when he didn't continue. "Kirito-kun?"

"I suddenly realized we haven't agreed on a date when we officially became boyfriend and girlfriend," he said, sheepishly running a hand through his jet-black hair.

Her eyes widened but he went on before she could utter a word, "It could be on October 23 when we first kissed in-game, October 24 when we got married in-game, or January 22 when we finally met in real life. I vote for October 23. We first kissed that day, and we also, uh…"

"There's no mistaking what's on your mind this time, you pervert." She narrowed her eyes at him and pushed him away. "Kindly remember that was in-game. I haven't let you reach second base yet in real life, and your chances of a home run are growing more dismal by the second." She crossed her arms in front of her and turned away from him.

"Wait, wait, Asuna, don't be so hasty! Hear me out first. Those aren't my only reasons…" He took heart and continued when he saw that she had uncrossed her arms and was now looking at him sideways through one opened eye. "That was also the day I finally admitted to myself that I loved you back."

She turned back towards him and breathed, "Kirito-kun…"

Now that he had appeased her, he gently drew her into an embrace and softly kissed the side of her head. "Before that I knew that you were important to me, that I enjoyed spending time with you, and that for some reason, you loved me. But when I thought I was going to die at Kuradeel's hands, it was your face that flashed before my eyes. I realized then that I loved you back and that I had to try to fight."

Asuna, who had rested her head in the crook of Kazuto's shoulder, pulled away again. "Then we have another candidate for our anniversary as a couple, October 18. That's the day we fought Gleam Eyes."

A corner of his mouth lifted up in a smile. "And why are we considering that date?" he asked, his onyx eyes amused as he stroked her back.

"Because that was when I realized I loved you, you dolt." She glared at him.

"Ah. But I hadn't admitted to myself yet that I loved you. I, on the other hand, already knew you loved me on October 23."

"Oh right." She pouted and bit her lower lip in consternation.

Kazuto thought she looked so adorable he tipped her chin up and gave her a quick kiss. "But now that we've talked about it, I think that we officially became a couple on January 22."

"The day we first met in real life!" She smiled, delighted.

"And it has been a little over 8 months since that happy day. We'll still celebrate October 23 and October 24 though for all the reasons we just discussed."

After making sure that Kazuto could still ride his motorcycle home after the swift kick to the shin she'd dealt him and he'd satisfactorily apologized for his remark, Asuna lay down on her bed and hugged her pillow to her.

"To be fair to him, he's not the only one who thinks about it," she murmured as a blush stole up her cheeks.

She got up and went to her closet and took out a cardboard gift box labeled "Recipes". She lifted the lid and took out a paper bag she had concealed there, knowing her mother, who didn't cook at all and didn't have any inclination to learn, would never look inside. She removed the blister pack of pills it contained, popped a single pill into her palm, and swallowed it with a glass of water she had taken upstairs with her earlier. After returning the rest of the pills into the paper bag, she picked up her smartphone and opened the app she used to keep track of her menstrual cycle, ticking off that she'd taken her pill for the day and any symptoms she'd experienced so far. She then studied the lingerie and the sealed box of condoms that were also in the cardboard box.

Kazuto wasn't the only one who could plan a surprise, she thought smugly. And according to her smartphone app, her plans would be ready by October 23.