POV: Kayoko
This is the day. It may not be a special day to some, but to me, my uncle, this day is everything we have waited for our entire lives. No event in my life could possibly over shadow this one. Everything pales in comparison.
All those sleepless nights, all those false smiles in interviews, the questions and the people who came up to me in the street. All of those pains for this day.
For today, Sword Art Online is released into the world.
And all I have to do is make it through the school day. Maybe not as easy as it sounds. But when the day is over, and the school bell rings, I will be in that world again. Of swords and excitement and battles.
But being the niece of the creator of the biggest game in the century has its drawbacks. As well as advantages. I know more than almost anyone else about SAO, excluding my uncle of course and I don't have to tent outside a store to buy a copy for me and my friends. Well friend to be exact.
And in exchange for that, I must put up with all the questions, and the stares and the classmates tugging at my sleeve.
I jump out of bed. Well what is more accurate is that I crawl. Slipping my sailor uniform on and slipping my brown hair into a messy bun.
Everything about me is average to the point of being the same. The brown tinted orbs that stare into the mirror. My hips and breasts that are only slightly curved, modest compare to some girls I walk by in the school corridors.
Maybe that's why I am so excited about this game release, that chance to change everything. Relive everything. Be everything I am not in this world.
I grab some toast along with my school bag and leave the house. I don't bother to call goodbye, there is no one at home anyways.
I parade down the street, down to the next one along and approach the door to the friend who is the best. I tap my knuckles against the door and stare at the black paint as I wait for it to open.
"Huh?" My friend stands in the doorway, green eyes drooping and copper hair ruffled. His uniform is crinkled, shirt untucked. He looks like he ran through a tornado rather than just woke up. "Oh it is you Kayoko."
"No it is an alien from outer space who happens to know your address, sits next to you in class and walks with you to school." I joke.
"Creepy." He just raised his eyebrows and replies dryly.
He steps out of the door and moves to slam it shut when I stop him.
"Kyozo Katuo!" I exclaim and push him back into the door with my finger tip. "You shouldn't be going to school in this mess." I gesture to him and his current state, shirt untucked and tie crooked to the left.
"What are you, my mum as well as an alien?"
"I can be worse than your mum!" I warned.
"I would like to see you try." Kyozo challenges.
"I won't give you my second copy of Sword Art Online"
"I take it back" He backs into the hallway "I'll go and tidy up, ok Mum?"
"You had better."
*
He emerges five minutes later, uniform fixed and hair styled into his usual flick upwards. Looking at him now, you can see why most of the girl population in school like him.
"One copy of Sword Art Online, as agreed." I bowed and handed him the copy.
"Thanks." he flashes his infamous smile.
"Log in as soon as you get home from school ok?"
"Promise on my honour." he lifts his arm up in solute.
"How worthy is that again?"
Kyozo and me start making our way to school, poking and joking with each other the whole way.
"Good morning Kyozo, Kayoko!" One student calls blushing as she calls Kyozo but voice dipped in ice when she calls mine.
This isn't anything new though, most girls see my friendship more like a romance getting in the way of their feelings. Though I can say I have no romantic feeling for Kyozo, he is too much of an idiot to be honest.
As we reach the school gates, more and more students approach me and Kyozo. And as the door of the classroom comes into sight, we practically have the whole school trailing behind us.
Kyozo is as clueless as always, joining in conversation with anyone who says hello. Me on the other hand, I am more likely to stay silent and listens than talk. I am just that kind of person.
The gaggle of people thins as we enter the classroom and take our seats, mine next to the window and parallel to me is Kyozo's seat, first in the second row.
We chat some more, until Kyozo is caught up in some other conversation. I sit and stare out the window, the school race track visible from the window and little stick figures of students walk to their classes.
"Hey Kayoko, is it true?" A voice hollers next to me. I turn from where I stare out of the window, towards a dark short haired girl, blue eyes framed with dark painted lashes.
"That your uncle is Kayaba Akihiko."
I have to be careful. I know that. If I start making enemies, the rest of my time here won't be pleasant. And if I reveal too much, the game would be ruined, the years of sleepless nights and effort gone, just like that.
The betas, and the interest, the advertisement, everything would be for nothing. My uncle's work for nothing.
"Yes." I decide that short answers would be better in this situation.
"Really?!" The girl walks up to my desk, leaning against it with her hands. She is so close, close enough I can see the makeup she has painted heavily on to her face.
"Were you a beta tester then?" She asks, face even closer.
I was more than a beta tester. I have seen more than a beta tester. I came up with the ideas and even coded some of the parts into the game even though I am only fourteen. You could even go as far as saying that I was a co creator of sorts.
But saying this aloud. It was wrong. It was selfish. And it wouldn't do me any good when the game was actually released. I could see all sorts of people trying coax information about of me. The quests and item drops as an example.
"Ummm...I guess, I have played it a little bit." I say uncertainty, desperate to avoid even more questions.
"Could you get me a copy?" The girl leans in a little too close for comfort, and hisses into my ear. "Or your life at school will become a nightmare, I'll make sure of it."
I was afraid of this happening, threats and deals to do with the game. On of the reasons I didn't want people knowing, avoid all mention of it in public. But now my nightmare were coming true, in more than one way.
I don't know why she would even want to play SAO. Games like these are designed for people to escape from their normal lives and become someone they wish to be. They were ment for people like me. If I were in her position, I would be perfectly happy. Turns out she isnt.
"I am sorry, but I can't do that."
"Really?" She presses deeper. "Why not?"
"Saki, I think you are making, Kayoko nervous, you know how she is." Kyozo saves me in the nick of time. And I sigh at the close call.
"You think you are safe, but I will find you, and make your life miserable." Saki threatens me as she walks back of towards Kyozo, laughing at something he says.
*
I can't find Kyozo anywhere. I have looked in his classes, the cafeteria, everywhere I can think of but he isn't there with his comforting smile. This morning has been hell. Everyone talking about Sword Art Online and then someone mentioning Kayaba Akihiko is my uncle and them asking about the game or a favour and I can't take it anymore.
There is one more place I can think of. And it is the least likely place I would be likely to find Kyozo but I don't have anywhere else and I am worried.
I head for the sport shed, where there is a gap in between it and the changing rooms that can fit a person sideways. I don't know whether he would be there but I have to try.
I press myself to the chipped wood of the shed. For some reason, I know that I'd I find Kyozo here, he doesn't want me to know about it. But the think is, as his best friend, I want to know.
So I creep up to the edge of the shed noiselessly and peek around the side. And what I see makes my eyes prick with tears.
Saki is kissing Kyozo.
Saki is kissing Kyozo.
Saki is kissing Kyozo.
I say it over and over in my head as if I can say it enough times that I can except this as part of my life now. But my brain flat out refuses to except this. She really has made my life miserable.
I have never wanted to escape my life more. Never wanted for all this to disappear. And so, I find myself wanting to dive into Sword Art Online even more.
I don't even know if I want to play with Kyozo anymore.
*
After an pain inducing walk home in silence with Saki clutching Kyoko's arm the whole way to her house, I now walk alone with Kyozo and I don't look as excited as this morning. But inside, I am itching to create my avatar more than ever, the urge to play has never been stronger.
Whether with Kyozo or not.
"Meet me where we arranged at 3:30, that should give us enough time to create our avatars, ok?" I say as I turn off to my drive.
"But how do I know it is you?"
I think about this for a moment and them reply, "Make and X with your hands, see?" I shape my two hands into an X as a demonstration.
"Ok see you there!"
*
I open the front door with a satisfying click and rush inside, dumping my school stuff on the floor of the hallway and chucking my keys on the kitchen table. I will probably be yelled at later, but all that is in front of me is anticipation of playing the game.
I race up the stairs to my room, only paying attention to the computer and the game case with the disk shining. I log in, inputting some code my uncle wrote on a sticky note for me.
They were supposed to make the game easier, but I refused anything that felt like cheating. These were just for the character customisation, so I could input my own designed sprite into the game instead of the pre designed ones.
I had already spent days on choosing my appearance in game so all I had to do was upload it and I was done.
My sprite was inspired by flames. It had a brown leather dress as the main body, with belts for swords and equipment, black fingerless gloves lined my arms and a red cape his my features, only my striking blue eyes showing. I had also made my hair red to match.
I plugged the nerve gear into my computer, and put it over my head, the excitement was building now, almost exploding. I swing my legs round on to the bed, lying down and the words are on the tip of my lips.
Until I say them aloud,
"Link start!"