A Captive Heart's Identity
Chapter Three: Nocturnal Surprises
Kirito's eyes widened with shock.
"How do you know my name?" he asked in a low tone, scowling at her with suspicion. No matter where he went, no one ever recognized him or even tried making a point to know his name, save for the girls he ran into on his late night... excursions. So why… how did she know? He never had any affiliation with her... and they certainly didn't run in the same circles; she was the Vice Commander of perhaps the most powerful guild in SAO. And him? He didn't even belong to a guild. He just fought solo at night, which allowed himself to level up and build up his stats without hassle. There really couldn't have been a way for them to meet... right? And if he did, surely he would remember...
Kirito continued eyeing the girl with caution as she sat there dumfounded, not sure how to register her epiphany.
"K...Kirito-kun..." she muttered absently, her eyebrows furrowing confusion. He swallowed nervously. "How do you... don't you remember me?" Her eyes brimmed with tears when she turned up to look at him and he was startled by her strange behaviour. Why was she crying?
"I think you must have me confused... with someone else..." he offered lamely, even though he knew that the chances of someone else having the same name as him was highly unlikely; he never noticed another Kirito on the Monument of Life...
Asuna stared up at him with a strange look on her face, one that expressed not only confusion but sadness. She wondered if he was in denial, or if maybe he was just pretending not to know her... because what else could be the explanation for this? It just didn't add up. This was the person who saved her life. This was the person who not only taught her the basics of battle prior to the first Boss, but he was the one who encouraged her to become the best player she could possibly be. Heck, he was the Black Swordsman, the one who made headlines by declaring himself a beater. And he was the one that everyone... that everyone hated.
Except for her.
Then a thought flashed across her mind. Maybe that's why. Maybe he abandoned his old identity because of all the hate and harassment... but then again...
No, if he really meant to abandon his identity then he wouldn't have responded to that name. She deduced. Plus, if he really meant to abandon his identity... it wouldn't be due to a fear of being ostracised. Asuna simply didn't believe that Kirito was the kind of guy who'd be so easily influenced by other people's opinions. Not at least if she took into consideration how self-sufficient he was.
She frowned, puzzled at the situation before her.
What happened?
When Kirito stopped showing up to assist the assault team clearing boss rooms, Asuna simply assumed that he was taking a break from the front lines. Since she had been so busy strengthening the guild, she'd just assumed he would come back on his own accord. But after more and more rooms were cleared without him, and he never returned, she grew worried. Eventually she went into her friends list to send him a message- but he wasn't there. He wasn't on her friends list.
He couldn't have unfriended her. In spite of their occasional disagreements in fight tactics and strategy, Asuna genuinely believed they were on solid, common ground. The only other reason he'd disappear from her list…
She wanted to know that he was still alive. That his name wasn't crossed off. She needed to know… that he was okay.
That's why she went to the Monument of Life. And got kidnapped.
Funny how I was looking for him and he found me instead. She thought dryly, trying to ignore the dull ache in her chest. This just doesn't make any sense...
"Why are you doing this, Kirito-kun?" Asuna asked, vaguely aware of the tear sliding into her mouth. Asuna wasn't sure if she should be bitter or kind; she wasn't sure how she should act in order to get an honest answer from him. And that was all she wanted; the truth. Why did he have to be so difficult about it?
Kirito sighed.
"You wouldn't understand." he said coldly.
"Try me." she said. He stared into her eyes silently and looked as though he was searching for an answer himself. Kirito then averted her gaze, turning his head down and staring at the wooden floor. For an agonizingly long time, the dim room filled with silence.
Just say something. She mentally demanded. Silence was not only boring, but it also induced anxiety.
"How about we discuss this over a meal." Kirito's voice broke through the silence and answered her unspoken demand. "You must be hungry anyways, you've been passed out for hours."
She frowned slightly at his evasiveness but decided that if she was nice to him she would probably have a better chance at finding out the truth. Or so she hoped.
"Okay." she nodded, her heart sparking with a little bit of hope. Kirito was slightly surprised at her sudden compliance but he gave her a small smile. In truth, he was expecting her to lash out at him again or call him names.
"Um," he started. "Alright. Then, what would you like to eat?"
"Anything is fine." she said. Kirito blushed at the way she smiled at him and then mentally scolded himself for his uncharacteristic behaviour.
Blushing was certainly not a feeling he was used to. But then again, what could he do? She was rather hard to resist. And her eyes... those mesmerizing hazel orbs were no longer looking at him with fear but instead with understanding and even... dare he say it... admiration.
It made him nervous as hell.
Kirito nodded and quickly left the room, eager to leave the house and clear his thoughts in the fresh evening air.
Oh wait. Kirito turned around and reentered the room. Asuna looked up at him with surprise.
"It's probably really stuffy in here." he muttered, careful to not make eye contact with her. She smiled as he went to open the window and let some fresh air circulate the room. Even though the room was beginning to get dark, she could still see a faint redness on his face. Then Kirito touched the main light torch, instantly brightening the room with life.
"Thanks." she said, almost surprised at how unafraid she felt. Right now, knowing who he was, Asuna didn't feel like her life was on the line. And much to her dismay, she actually felt kind of... safe. A small warmth spread inside her chest and Asuna realized how happy she was to see him again. Even if he was tying her up like this.
Ugh.She groaned inwardly, as he left the room without bidding her goodbye. This is all so weird.
After letting out a tired sigh, Asuna took in the room around her. It was quite plain but she could tell that it wasn't a room at an inn. The walls were rather standard in colour, the typical off-white. But there were a few rare plants lined up along the windowsill, a contemporary black closet beside the door, and a black, quilted leather wing chair in the corner. Then her hazel eyes travelled to the other end of the room where she saw a simple, single person bed with a mahogany bed frame and a levitating light torch above the matching black night stand.
This must be his room. She blushed, before mentally smacking herself. Even if he was the Kirito-kun she knew, as of now he was her enemy- her kidnapper. And you don't blush when you think about your kidnapper!
This is hopeless. Asuna sighed, forcibly allowing her mind to come to terms with her feelings. And Asuna's eyes stayed glued to the bed. It was much smaller than her luxurious queen-sized bed back in Selmburg but it was certainly big enough for two people... her face heated up again when her thoughts began to stray. She sighed distressfully. Something must be wrong with me.
Meanwhile, Kirito was walking with his hands stuffed into his pockets. The weather setting was especially cold that night and the bitter wind snapped hungrily at his face. He exhaled a wispy puff of air before settling into thought. What a strange turn of events.
Kirito had decided to walk to the local restaurant instead of teleporting so he could have some time to think. But so far he had come up with nothing. He still couldn't figure out why and how Asuna knew his name. Not to mention how she seemed like she knew his identity better than he did. Could it be possible...?
As if on cue, his head started pounding. The pain electrified his skull and caused Kirito to halt his steps, suffering from the intense throbbing. After a few excruciating minutes, the pain slowly ebbed away but he let out a defeated sigh into the crisp night air. It seemed like every time he was on to something, every time he was starting to piece the puzzle together, his head would start hurting. But as he neared the humble restaurant, Kirito decided to ignore the incident. At least for now.
"Welcome, welcome!" he was greeted by the voice of a familiar acquaintance. Standing behind the counter was one of the very few females he interacted with on a relatively consistent basis. Her IGN was Rokko and she had long brown hair that almost touched the floor, making her already petite body appear smaller by proportion. As usual, she wore a big smile on her pretty face and her bangs were clipped up with a shimmery pink barrette.
"Hello, Rokko." he nodded politely. Her face beamed a bright smile as she returned to cleaning the counter. She knew Kirito always took a long time when deciding what to buy, so there was no point in hassling him about it.
"I'll have..." he thought out loud. What should he buy for Asuna? Was she a picky eater? Did she have any food allergies? He scratched his head, eyes scanning the menu he toggled onto his screen. He'd heard a story a while back from his dad about some guy who ate what he was allergic to in real life only to have it trigger his real life symptoms in the game. Kirito shuddered at the thought. Things were complicated enough as they were, Asuna having an allergic reaction was the last thing he wanted to deal with.
"You're sure taking longer than usual, Kirito-kun." Rokko's playful voice interrupted his thoughts and she smiled admiringly at him before blushing when his eyes met hers.
"Ah, I'm not sure what to get." he muttered helplessly.
"Why don't you just get what you normally get?" she asked, tilting her head slightly in confusion.
"Well, I'm getting this for someone else." he said sheepishly. "And I don't know what she likes." Rokko frowned at this. Kirito never had any other girl friends that she knew of... and even though she and Kirito weren't exclusive, Rokko had believed that he liked her as well. He certainly seemed to like her a few nights ago. She fumed quietly.
Who was this girl?!
"Well, I can't help you there." she said bitingly with a flip of her hair. Kirito was taken aback by her uncharacteristic hostility but shrugged it off.
"I'll get the deluxe meal." Kirito decided. He figured that if he bought the most expensive dish in the shop, it would probably be the best tasting. And the deluxe meal also had a combination of different things too, so if Asuna didn't like one thing she could just have something else. He did fail to notice one thing though, and that was Rokko's jaw hanging open loosely.
The deluxe meal? That's the most expensive thing here... he never spends so much money on food...She thought.
"Oh, and my usual." he said, almost forgetting to order something for himself.
She let out a 'hmph' and nodded, turning to the kitchen to place the order.
Why was Kirito with another girl? She pondered this with annoyance before grabbing a wet cloth and scrubbing down the counter with force. Kirito noticed her anger and decided to inquire.
"Is something wrong?" he leaned an elbow on the counter and tilted his head, searching for her gaze. He was pretty sure the counter was already clean, but the furious waitress ignored him and kept scrubbing. Her hand moved in sharp, circular motions before stopping at his elbow and waiting expectantly for him to move.
"Can you please move your arm." she said coldly, avoiding his gaze. Kirito raised an eyebrow and stayed still for a while before bending his head down to meet her eyes. She blushed and turned her head away, only to have him tip her face in his direction with his finger. Kirito stared questioningly into her dark brown eyes.
"Tell me what is wrong, please." he asked softly. Her demeanour fell at his charm and she stared longingly into his eyes. But he seemed to notice the way she was looking at him and abruptly pulled his touch away. A small frown graced her face and she sighed.
"Who... h-how come you're with another girl?"
"What do you mean?" Kirito didn't understand how or why that would affect her.
A 'ding' came from the kitchen and he noticed that his food was ready. However, Rokko didn't move. Neither of them spoke for a minute until another 'ding' sliced through the silence.
"Nevermind." she muttered, drawing her eyes away from him and grabbing his order. "Here you go."
"Rokko," he started.
"Just go." she cut him off and turned away from him, tears welling up in her eyes. She folded her arms across her chest and stared down at the ground. "Go." she snapped, voice shaking.
"I'm sorry." he frowned. He didn't know what else to say.
When she didn't reply to him he sighed and turned away, leaving the store in silence.
