G'day, mate!

I welcome you the second chapter of Offline Reality. I also want to welcome summer, college, and a job. I had a really had time coming up with a chapter title for this chapter. I don't like leaving chapters with just the numbers. I ended up with dubbing this chapter Kaoru only because it felt right and sounded much better than the other names I was thinking about. They were...blegh. Anywho...

Please enjoy the chapter and review cause reviews are like candy!

P.S. As of 6/22/09 I am no longer a high school student. That's right...I graduated! Yay!

Slowly they began emailing each other. First it was Ryou who sent the first email. Later on Ichinose gradually began sending Ryou emails about minor little things. It seemed Ichinose enjoyed telling Ryou of things that caught his attention. The latest email was how the moon and sun paled in comparison to Ryou. Here's what Ryou learned about Ichinose.

Ichinose Kaoru was a reclusive twenty year old man. He spent a majority of his time in his room and logged into The World. He lived with his mother in the Kanagawa prefecture. Ryou remembered Yata telling him how Endrance was logged on almost 24/7. It seemed true enough from what Ichinose was telling him. Ryou also learned two particular facts about Ichinose. He was scared of girls and he couldn't eat meat. The mental image Ryou conjured of Ichinose wasn't pleasant. He imagined a tall skinny man with a pale complexion from the lack of sun.

"What the hell does he eat?" wondered Ryou as he logged onto his computer. It had become a habit of his to check his email first. His computer pinged and a message popped up telling him of new email and Crimson Vs battles. He clicked open his inbox and read the first email which was from Endrance.

Sender: Endrance
Subject: Re: Personal Motto

"If I would have to choose between saving the world and saving you I would choose you, for I cannot image a world without you in it."

…I'm talking about you, Haseo…

The blush fiercely attacked Ryou's face. It was just so…Ryou read it again and it only seems to intensify his blush. As usual, Ryou growled away his blush and decided not to respond. How could he respond to an email like that?

"Why'd he have to say that?" Ryou kept on mumbling while he checked his Crimson Vs result. The trend had shifted over so he built a new deck and registered it. Then Ryou logged into The World.

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Ryou logged off after an interesting conversation with Silabus. Silabus wanted to organize an offline gathering but a small one. He thought of inviting Atoli, Kuhn, and Gaspard. And, just to add to the interest of the conversation, Silabus had blurted out his real name to Haseo. He chuckled and shut his computer off. It was late and he was tired.

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On his usual day off from work Ryou slept in until ten in the morning. He usually rolled out of bed around eleven with his long legs tangled around his covers. He freed his legs, turned on his computer, and grabbed a towel. Ryou lifted his arm and smelled his armpits. He grimaced and headed for his bathroom.

The shower was relaxing and he smelled better than he did before. Ryou wrapped his towel around his slim waist and checked his computer desktop. He had two new emails. One email from Silabus and the other email Endrance. Ryou leaned over his chair and clicked open Silabus's email.

Sender: Silabus
Subject: Sorry.

Yeah, I just wanted to apologize for yesterday. I sort of just shouted my name to you. I wasn't going to shout out my name like that, LOL. I guess I just blurted it out as an introduction. :) But what do you think about my idea?

"I don't know…" mumbled Ryou. He straightened up and caught his towel before it slipped off his waist. Ryou rummaged through his closet pulling out a black t-shirt and Tripp shorts. In a physical sense Ryou knew only two players offline. Iori, who played Bo, and Shino and maybe Endrance but he hadn't meet him yet. Ryou went over to his computer and opened the email from Endrance. It was just another rambling from him. An idea came to him. Ryou hit reply and asked Ichinose a rather specific question.

While he waited for Ichinose response, because he always responded quickly to Ryou's email, Ryou went to his kitchen and looked through his cabinets. His brow scrunched together as he saw his nearly empty cabinets.

"I need to stock up again." Ryou noted as he pulled a box of cookies out. It was expired but only by a few days. He opened the box and munched on the cookies as he walked back to his room. It wasn't a nourishing breakfast but he'll get something to eat after he visited Shino. In his room, near his bed, Ryou had a mini fridge. He opened it and pulled out a carton of milk. On his desktop the email icon was blinking at him. He set the milk down and clicked it open. Ryou smiled, he knew Ichinose would be more than happy to tell him.

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The first stop of the day was the hospital. Every single day Ryou would visit Shino. He's been visiting her ever since she fell into the coma. Since the hospital staff knew him Ryou had no problem getting in. If they didn't know him by name they definitely knew him by face. Ryou caught the elevator in time, greeted the nurses, and pushed the button for the 3rd floor. The elevator pinged on the 3rd floor and Ryou stepped out.

"Ah, Misaki-kun." Ryou turned around. The head nurse in charge of Shino was walking towards him. "You're here to visit Shino again." It wasn't a question because she already knew, though Ryou still nodded. Then he couldn't stop himself from asking.

"Has there been any change?" Ryou knew he was a masochist for asking because he already knew what the answer would be. The head nurse sadly smiled.

"No…there hasn't been any change." Ryou stiffly nodded and endured the predictable pain of needles stabbing his heart that came with that response.

"Okay, well, I'll go see her then." The head nurse nodded and walked past him but before she left she gave Ryou's shoulder a reassuring squeeze before walking away. Shino's room was at the end of the hallway. Her room was large and the bed she occupied lay next to the window. The way the bed was positioned off to the side made the room feel that much larger and that much sadder. He noticed a vase full of flowers near Shino's bed on a small table. Ryou decided he should buy her a flower. It wouldn't bring Shino back but at least he was doing something.

He left her room and was instantly attacked by a small haired boy. The young boy wrapped his arms around Ryou's waist and looked up at him with a smile.

"Onii-san!"

"Oh, it's you Iori." There was no one other than Iori who would tackle him like that. "Are you here with you're mother?" Iori nodded.

"Yeah but she's busy and she told me to leave her alone for a while so I did. Where are you going, Onii-san?" Iori was still holding on to Ryou but he didn't mind.

"I'm going to buy Shino a flower." Iori peeked around Ryou and into Shino's room.

"Is she your friend?"

"Yeah. Do you want to come with me?" Iori's eyes lighten up but they quickly stopped gleaming. He pulled away from Ryou and looked around the hallway.

"I do but today was supposed to be my mom's day off and…" At that moment a woman in a business suit appeared around the corner. She spotted Iori then Ryou and walked over to them.

"Oh, Ryou-kun, I'm so glad I found you."

"Yeah?" Ryou didn't like Iori's mother much but he tired not to let it show.

"I'm afraid I need your services again. I was just called away to work and I have no one to watch Iori."

Ryou shrugged, "Sure, but I'll be going to Kanagawa today." Iori's mother smiled and opened her purse. She pulled out enough money for a train ride or two and a meal.

"Of course I'll pay you for baby-sitting. How long will you be in Kanagawa?" she asked.

"Not long. I'm just visiting a friend over there. I'll probably be back before it's too dark."

"Okay. In any case, Iori has my cell number. His meds are in his book bag but he should be fine." She fixed her suit and finally looked at Iori. "Behave, Iori."

Iori nodded, "I will." She handed Iori his small book bag and left without giving her son a goodbye hug. Ryou watched her leave and looked down at Iori. He was clutching his bag to his chest, watching his mother's retreating back with eyes full of tears.

"C'mon. Let's go buy Shino her flowers." Iori rubbed his eyes and grabbed Ryou's hand. He didn't grab but so much as tightly clench Ryou's hand. No wonder Iori had a multiple personality disorder, thought Ryou. With a mother like that, Iori needed Sakura to protect and keep him company.

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Ryou bought Shino wallflowers. He liked what the florist told him about the flowers. It suited the situation she was in. He placed the blue wallflowers in the vase and left with Iori. They left for the train station. Ryou bought their ticket using the money Iori's mother gave him. He would buy Iori food with his money later. On the train ride, Ryou looked out the window to the blurring scenery. Beside him Iori took his M2D off and shut off his mini-laptop. He placed everything back in his bag, yawned, and leaned against Ryou, curling around Ryou's arm. Ryou continued to stare out the window.

They agreed to meet at a park near Ichinose's house. Ryou borrowed Iori's laptop and sent an email to Kaoru that he was at the park. It wasn't a large park, only consisting of a playground and a winding path uphill. Ryou sat on a bench near the street and Iori followed him.

"Just tell me when you're hungry." Ryou said to Iori.

Iori nodded, "I will, Onii-san." Iori coughed and sat next to Ryou. Iori watched the other children play and it seemed like he wanted to play with them as well.

"Iori?"

"What do you want?" The voice was Iori's but the tone and attitude behind it wasn't the passive Iori that Ryou knew. The brown haired teen sighed. It was Sakura, the personality behind Saku.

"Sakura, what are you doing out?"

She swung her legs and leaped off the bench. It was still Iori but Sakura's aggressive and loud nature made him look like a different person.

"I'm going to make Iori play with them. He needs friends to play with. So the only reason I'm nice to you is because you make Iori happy, Ryou. Got it!"

"Yeah, I got." Even if Sakura was an annoying eleven year old, he even liked her but perhaps a bit less than Iori. Iori ran off towards the playground, joining the group of kids her own age. Ryou leaned back against the bench and wondered when Ichinose was going to show up.

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In actuality, Kaoru was already at the park though he didn't know where to look. It wasn't until the little boy shouted Ryou's name was when he knew he found Ryou. Kaoru was across the street when the boy ran off to play with the other kids. The person who Kaoru thought was Ryou looked quite intimidating in his clothes. A black t-shirt and shorts with chains on it. He was also naturally tall excluding the inch or so added by his strapped covered black boots. He watched Ryou sit back down and wait. Kaoru started walking towards him.

"Haseo…" Ryou jumped and turned his head around. Behind him a blond man, taller than himself, was walking towards him but there was no denying who he was. Ryou just knew that he was Kaoru. Kaoru was probably a little over six feet tall and looked extremely pale. Ryou sighed in relief. The mental image he held of Kaoru disappeared. It looked nothing like the real Kaoru. Ryou smiled at Kaoru.

"Hi, Ichinose."

In two long strides, Kaoru had hugged Ryou. "Call me Kaoru… We are closer than that."

"I will if you let go of me." Ryou wasn't expecting the hug but he felt Kaoru's body. He was skinny. Kaoru backed off but he stood close to Ryou. He felt so alienated away from his room but with Ryou by him, Kaoru found his peace in this vast world. Kaoru looked over at the playground.

"Is he you brother…?" asked Kaoru, eyes now on Ryou.

Ryou shook his head, "No, his mother asked me to baby-sit him." Ryou called Iori over. Kaoru stood beside and contemplated if he should take Ryou's hand. Would he be bothered by it?

"Yeah, Onii-san?"

"Let's go take a walk." Iori nodded and grabbed his book bag from the bench. He slung over his shoulders then grabbed Ryou's hand as usual.

"The sun is almost setting. There is a hill near that shows a beautiful horizon of the sea…" Ryou nodded to Kaoru and they began walking along a winding path around the park and up the street. Kaoru walked close to Ryou as they talked. Occasionally their hands would brush against each other. Kaoru would gently grab Ryou's finger and let go, only to repeat the process the next time their hands accidentally brushed against the others'.

"Is this your first time outside?" asked Ryou.

Kaoru nodded, "It has been a while… I can't remember when the last time I went outside was…but… I would walk anywhere to be with you."

Just like the emails, Ryou wasn't sure how to respond. He opted to grumble and look away. Kaoru smiled and held Ryou's hand for a brief moment.

"Yeah…well…, I'm here, aren't I?"

"Yes…and that makes me happy…"

They reached the top of the hill in a matter of minutes. The sun was beginning to set so the sky was still blue though the sky around the sun was beginning to fade into the orange and red of its' descent. Kaoru was right. From atop the hill, the view of the sparkling sea and blazing sun was beautiful. Ryou had never seen the ocean sparkle the way it was sparkling right now. He looked beside him and saw that instead of the horizon Kaoru was looking at him.

Ryou looked away, scowling and red in the face. "Why are you looking at me?" Ryou instantly wished he could take the words back. He knew what Kaoru's response would be.

"You are more beautiful than the sun, Ryou…" Kaoru grabbed Ryou's hand again, this time he didn't let go. Ryou was going to shake Kaoru's hand off but decided against it. They watched the sun for few more minutes before Ryou pulled his hand away.

"It's getting late and I have to get back home so Iori's mother can pick him up." Ryou said. The warmth from Kaoru's hand still lingered on his skin. Kaoru nodded. "We'll stop by for a burger somewhere near the station, Iori. Do you have everything?"

Iori nodded, smiling at Ryou. Ryou nodded and looked at Kaoru. "…I'll see you again?" asked Kaoru.

"Yeah." This time without Iori, thought Ryou as the pair began walking towards the train station.