Hey everybody! I apologize from the bottom of my heart for the long long awaited chapter 3! As if you'd actually wait for it HAHAHA... ANYWAY I was just so caught up with doing everything else that I had put my writing aside.
Recently, I have broken through the writer's wall that kept me from holding back and I'm trying my best to expand my creativity now.
Thank you so much for waiting for it and I hope it satisfies everybody's needs. Reviews and comments will always be appreciated, especially constructive reviews! I will definitely be writing a lot more following this chapter.
Again, thank you very much and enjoy!
Disclaimer: SAO AIN'T MINE DOE
Chapter 3 - The Festival
Her glowing chestnut eyes wandered the streets. Scanning every crowd that would cross her sight, Yuuki Asuna continued to search for her beloved. As usual, Asuna was at least 20 minutes earlier than the assigned time to meet. The gentle wind blew due west, causing Asuna's long auburn hair to dance. She sat on a bench in an all too familiar park. Trees extended over the seats, providing a cool, but warm shade to lie under. It was placed in a corner of the park, giving both the advantage of a scenic view, and isolation.
"Kirito-kun..." Asuna whispered under her breath, her lips forming a smile as her thoughts began to fill with images of her hero. She sighed happily as she watched couples walk past her seat down the path that lay within the park. Asuna waited patiently for her prince and cradled a woven basket filled with a surprise she had put together.
Whenever he took a step, the snow beneath his feet would crunch. It was an oddly satisfying sound as Kirigaya Kazuto preceded closer and closer to his princess. His hands sweat inside his pockets as the nerve continued to build up. It was definitely nerve-wrecking, the outcome of the day completely depends on Kazuto himself, and every event of the day will be his decision.
"This is going to be a real date, isn't it?" Kazuto slowed his pace a little bit as he thought to himself.
"Don't panic now, Kazuto. You're strong enough to do anything. Go get her." He held his head up and continued to strut down the sidewalk. The sun glared down and cast bright soft shadows over many buildings, onto the road. Kazuto continued toward his destination, making sure his every step was acceptable. He often looked into windows of cars to see his reflection, and fix his hair. Many children were outside today, playing in the snow. That being said, something popped Kazuto's bubble of thought.
"Ow!" Kazuto yelped. It wasn't really pain, it was just an act after being startled.
"Sorry mister! I didn't mean to hit you!" A child, about 10 years old was bowing in apology in front of him. Kazuto lifted his hand and felt the back of his head, which seemed to be wet.
"I assume you're the one who threw the snowball at me?" Kazuto sneered.
"Y-Yes…" The child stepped back as Kazuto bent down, reaching for the ground.
"Here you go!" Kazuto revealed a snowball inside of his hand, and tossed it at the kid jokingly.
"Ah!" The child stumbled backward and fell down giggling.
"Play safe guys, and try not to hit other people walking! You probably won't get off so lucky every time." Kazuto waved goodbye to the children as they ran away, laughing. As he was waving, he could hear a giggle that seemed all too familiar.
Turning his head, he came to see somebody that he'd been dying to see. She was holding her hand to her face, covering her lips as she giggled. Her luscious auburn hair flowed down her back, complementing her snow white jacket that had a bright orange ribbon that wrapped around her waist. Darker blue jeans accompanied her outfit followed by black, flat-soled shoes that matched Kazuto's. Her hands were warmly kept within a pair of white and pink mittens.
Kazuto was blatantly staring, his face so full of awe to the point that his jaw was left hanging open. Catching himself, he snapped out of his daydream and began his walk towards the angel before him. Kazuto wasn't really able to hold back his smile, seeing her always felt like a dream come true.
The girl's giggling began to fade, enabling her to fully open her large topaz coloured eyes that glistened beneath her eyelids. She stared into Kazuto's eyes; her lips began to form a smile of their own.
It really felt like time stopped; the wind blew lightly, and the snowflakes in the air rode the stream of air, circling around before falling into place in the hairs of two lovers.
The girl took her mittens off and stepped towards Kazuto, who was still in complete awe. She stopped in front of him and reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling their faces closer together. There was no question of personal space, as the love these two had for each other had no boundaries. She kissed him lovingly, and to no surprise, Kazuto held her close and pulled body so it would be pressed against his. Their lips parted and their smiles formed once again. Kazuto caught his breath and looked down back into her indescribably gorgeous eyes. She giggled again and took in a deep breath before saying those words that Kazuto is always stunned by,
"Kirito-kun."
"Asuna." Kazuto couldn't hold his smile back. He could feel the blood rushing to his face as he began to blush. He continued to stare at the goddess in front of him, not realizing the state of mine he was in.
"Ki-ri-to-kun!" Asuna repeated, followed by a giggle. Kazuto snapped out of his daydream and his brain was able to, barely, process the events before him.
"Hey, Asuna. It's good to see you again." Kazuto said.
"Good to see you too Kirito-kun. What do you have planned for us today?" Asuna smiled.
"Many things. But first, what's that in your hands?" Kazuto referred to the basket in Asuna's hands. She gripped the handle and twirled.
"It's lunch!" Asuna was famous for her homemade sandwiches. At least, to Kazuto.
"Let's have ourselves a little picnic, shall we?" Kazuto took Asuna's hand in his and smiled into her beautiful eyes.
"Yes, let's!" Asuna began to giggle again as she wrapped her elbow around Kazuto's arm. They walked over to the bench they always sit at and sat down. Asuna placed the basket between them and slowly opened the cover on her side. Before Asuna could pull out a sandwich, Kazuto stopped her.
"Give me a second." Kazuto got up from the bench and ran over to a vending machine nearby. He reached into his pocket to gather a bit of change to buy juice for Asuna. Fortunately, he had stocked his pockets with cash the night before, with the goal of paying for everything today. The two orange juice cans tumbled down into a slot one after the other and Kazuto quickly grabbed them before sprinting back over to the bench.
"Here." Asuna gleefully took the orange juice can from her boyfriend and set it down beside her. She herself took out a fully packed sandwich and handed it to Kazuto.
"I hope you like it, Kirito-kun. I made it especially for you." Asuna blushed and buried her face in her own sandwich. Kazuto looked in between the carefully cut bread slices. Lettuce, fried chicken, mayonnaise, egg, cucumbers and pickles. Kazuto's mouth had already begun to water from the sights of it. "Thank you for the meal." He chomped down on the perfect sandwich, his body filling with warmth. He easily bulldozed through the sandwich, quickly devouring the crispy slices of bread.
"D-Do you like it, Kirito-kun?" Asuna looked at him doubtfully. He turned to her with a sad look on his face. She assumed that it was horrible and looked down, disappointed in her own creation.
Kazuto grabbed Asuna by the arms and looked straight into her eyes with a very serious face.
"I love it, Asuna." He smiled and burst out in laughter, leaving a confused look on Asuna's face.
"S-Stupid Kirito-kun… Don't expect to just trick me like that and get away with it!" She took a smear of mayonnaise and smeared it on Kazuto's face. They both began to wrestle and play, the cold air filling with their giggles. When they finished, Kazuto got up and held his hand out.
"Let's go, Asuna. We have a good day ahead of us." He said. Without hesitation, Asuna grabbed his hand and they left behind their traces of happiness.
Asuna and Kazuto walked hand in hand down the street. Whenever they were together, they formed a sort of aura that other people could visibly see. They were such the perfect couple, to the point that strangers recognized their happiness and even acknowledged them for it.
The sun continued to beam down over the horizon, symbolizing the beginning of new day full of excitement. As they continued down the street, Kazuto and Asuna loved the environment they lived around. The rich scent of a cool breeze reminds Kazuto of Aincrad, bringing back the hearty memory of Asuna's sleeping face the day he fell in love.
Asuna wildly flailed her hands in the air, dragging Kazuto along with herself.
"Where are we headed Kirito-kun?" She asked as she frantically twirled down the sidewalk. Before Kazuto could answer, loud music and laughter filled the air. Asuna turned around, her eyes widening with surprise as her feet came to a halt.
"There." Kazuto said.
A wide blue banner towered over the many people laughing and chattering.
"Annual Snow Festival"
Glittering, Asuna immediately began jumping with joy.
"Snow festival?! I've never been to this one!" Kazuto grabbed Asuna's hand one again and pulled her towards the entrance. Asuna gave out a yelp and stumbled on her feet trying to keep up with Kazuto.
"Tickets please!" A tall, grey bearded man stood at the front gate, collecting tickets from everybody. Kazuto handed over the two passes Agil had kindly given to him before. The man gave both Asuna and Kazuto matching green bracelets.
"These indicate that you can ride every ride as many times as you want today. Have a great day!"
Kazuto and Asuna walked in through the door and gazed at everything in awe. There were a vast amount of booths set up around and many rides functioning all over the area. Kazuto watched Asuna stare at a nearby ferris wheel, and decided that it should be their first stop.
"Hey, Asuna." He nudged her shoulder and nodded toward the soaring wheel.
"Let's go."
Asuna nodded with a lovely smile and they made their way over to the rides. Kazuto and Asuna spent a lot of time at the festival. Kazuto brought Asuna to all of the rides she wanted to get on and always held her hand whenever she was scared. The sun still beamed, signaling the afternoon, which gave Kazuto a warm feeling – knowing that he still had a whole day with his beloved.
He brought her around the festival completely. Kazuto played many games and tried his best to win prizes for Asuna. One stop they made was at a fishing booth. The goal was to catch a goldfish with a paper net, yet Kazuto's rough hands never succeeded. Asuna had retrieved a fish on her first try, of course. The day went on without a glimpse of any worry, until something very tragic occurred.
There was a rumbling noise. It started off quiet, unnoticed. Kazuto seemed to have heard the noise but thought nothing of it. He glanced over at Asuna, whose face was completely flushed. Confused, he asked to reassure himself whether or not things were okay.
"Asuna? You look concerned. Is everything okay?"
"Y-Yeah! Everything is gr-"
Again, the rumbling noise appeared, roaring a lot louder this time compared to the first. Asuna's cheek turned bright red as she quickly grabbed her stomach, helplessly looking at Kazuto.
"K-Kirito-kun…" She whimpered, embarrassed.
Bursting out in laughter, Kazuto fell over hysterically. Asuna jumped around in frustration and managed to take her handbag and playfully hit Kazuto on the head.
"K-Kirito-kun! Stop laughing!" She screamed at her boyfriend and continued to beat him with her bag. After things settled Kazuto got up off of the floor and patted Asuna on the head.
"You're hungry, huh?" He asked. Asuna shamefully nodded her head and turned away in embarrassment.
"How about I grab you something to eat? I saw a takoyaki stand over by the fishes earlier." Kazuto offered with a genuine smile; his finger pointed toward a nearby food stand.
"O-Okay… I'll wait here then Kirito-kun!" Asuna sat down in a plump fashion onto a nearby bench, her feet unable to reach the ground. Her arms reached down beside her thighs; her legs swaying back and forth similar to that of a child. She smiled over at her beloved Kazuto as he turned around, disappearing into the crowd.
Kazuto pushed his way through all of the festival participants to get to the takoyaki stand he saw earlier. At the stand, he saw a massive line formed in front of it; naturally, Kazuto sighed and stood at the back of the line. He crossed his arms and tapped his feet, occasionally stepping forward a little bit to keep up with the line.
On the other hand, Asuna was patiently waiting for her cherished to return with a little box of food for her rumbling tummy. Suddenly, a feint cry of a child erupted from the middle of the crowd Kazuto had blended into. Asuna peered into the mob trying to make out the location of the cries.
"Oh no!" Asuna had located a young girl bawling her eyes out as she was pushed around by the people around her.
"Hey! Are you okay?" She ran towards the little girl and picked her up into her arms, attempting to safely hush her.
"I definitely need to get out of the way out of all these people." Looking around, Asuna found a gap between two people and ran through it. On the other side of the opening was a large tree where they could sit under and breathe.
"Hello! Are you okay? What happened?" Her attention towards the little girl, Asuna came up with numerous possibilities of why the child was crying.
"Onee-san… Mommy…" The child burst back into tears.
Asuna fumbled with her words as she tried to calm the toddler as much as she could.
"Ahhh, you can't find your mommy? Don't worry, don't worry, Onee-san is here okay? Let's find mommy together, shall we?" Asuna stood up and held her hand out to the little girl.
"Don't worry, you'll be safe with me." The angelic smile that Kazuto swoons over naturally appeared on Asuna's face as she took the hand of the girl. They walked back to the festival area and began their search.
"I'm sure they'd be looking for you, so see if you can spot anybody that is looking like they're looking for someone okay?" Asuna suggested. The girl nodded and clung onto Asuna's arm.
"Mommy… Mommy!" The girl called out into the crowd. There was no answer from anybody, only concerned looks from strangers back and forth. Asuna started to get worried that they weren't going to find her mom. Fifteen minutes passed and they still had no luck.
"What should we do?..." Asuna and the girl were back at the tree that they had found their break at earlier. Asuna looked over her shoulder, concerned about the massive crowd the girl had been left in. The child played around with the leaves and was innocently waiting around for Asuna to make a choice.
Unexpectedly, a woman wearing a lavender coloured yukata walked around the outside of the horde, calling out a name. She seemed very anxious.
"Chihiro! Chihiro! Where are you Chihiro?" The woman seemed likely to start crying. Asuna pondered for a moment before realizing she never knew the little girl's name.
"Say, what was your name again sweetie?" Asuna asked in the sweetest tone she could manage.
"Chi! Chi-ro!" She giggled and sat beside Asuna.
"Chiro? Wouldn't that mean…" Asuna jumped onto her feet with excitement.
"Chihiro! I found your mommy! Come!" She pulled the child up and placed her on her shoulders as she ran towards the woman.
"Mommy!" Chihiro called out. The woman quickly turned towards the two, her eyes widening.
"Chihiro! Oh my goodness Chihiro you're okay…" Chihiro's mother ran towards Asuna, her eyes filling up with tears.
"You must be Chihiro's mother." The woman nodded several times and let out a sigh of relief.
"Thank you so much for finding my daughter. I don't know what I would have done if I lost her. She said she wanted some taro cake so I went to get her some. The line was really long and Chihiro was standing beside me the whole time. Before I knew it she disappeared into the crowd and I panicked." Chihiro's mom showed her gratitude and bowed in front of Asuna countless times.
"Ahh there's no need for that! I should be sorry for taking her out of the area like that…" Asuna blurted out and began to bow as well.
"Onee-san! Mommy!" Chihiro laughed and held her hands out. The two smiled at the little girl they all giggled together.
"Oh! Sorry Chihiro, but I have to go find someone that's waiting for me. I'll come play again next time, okay?" Asuna shook Chihiro's hand and gave her a sweet, warm hug. The mother thanked Asuna once again before parting.
"Oh my gosh, Kirito-kun! He must be worried sick!" Asuna looked over at the clock tower; it indicated that at least an hour must have passed by now and Asuna never informed him of the girl. She began running back to where Kazuto had left her. Unfortunately, she didn't remember how to get there.
It was Asuna's turn to start panicking.
"Where is she?" Kazuto was pacing back and forth around the bench that he left Asuna at. The small box of takoyaki sat on the bench, slowly losing its warmth.
"She's probably in the washroom, she'll only be gone for a little bit. Right?" Kazuto snickered to himself and sat down. He crossed one leg over the other and waited patiently.
Ten minutes passed. Kazuto's legs were now uncrossed as he sat back.
Another ten minutes passed. His feet were now tapping as if he was following the beat of a song in his head.
By now, forty minutes have passed. Kazuto's legs were shaking in concern as he had his arms crossed. He jumped out of his seat and began to panic.
"Where is she?! Did she leave me because I took too long? Is that what happened?" Kazuto's thoughts were pessimistically filled with hurtful things geared towards himself.
"Maybe she got hurt? Someone took her away? She must have gotten taken away, nobody can resist how cute she is… Oh no…" Kazuto began to panic even more. At this point he had left the bench behind and started to search for his date.
"Asuna? Where are you Asuna?!" He shouted into the crowd of people, ignoring the looks that he got from the strangers. Kazuto ran around, furious, pushing through anybody that got in his way. Ahead of him, he noticed a girl with long brown hair. His heart began to calm down as he walked over to her.
"Asuna, you had me worried there." Kazuto chucked as he put his hand on her shoulder.
"Who's Asuna?" The girl turned around, revealing a face that was very much not like Asuna's. Startled, Kazuto stumbled back.
"I'm so sorry! I thought you were someone I knew!" And he started to panic again. He ran away after apologizing, screaming out Asuna's name. He ran and ran without stopping to catch his breath.
"Asuna?!" Scanning the vicinity, Kazuto's heart sank. No sign of her.
"Asuna… Where are y-"
"Kirito-kun?!" Kazuto's eyes extended in disbelief. He looked up to see the all-too familiar bright orange ribbon that complimented his lover's hair.
"Asuna!" He cried out and sighed out in relief. It felt as if the weight of the world just hopped off of his shoulders.
"Hehe, I swear that's the only thing that's been coming out of your mouth." Asuna flashed her signature smile at him, causing his heart to beat even faster compared to when he was panicking.
"I-I'm sorry! I ran everywhere looking for you and I couldn't find you." Kazuto looked at Asuna's hands. Her mittens were still in her pocket; he held her hands up seeing that they were dirty and bruised from the earlier events.
"What happened?" A growl started to form from Kazuto, as if he was preparing to fight.
"Don't take it the wrong way, Kirito-kun." Asuna proceeded to explain what happened and made sure to include that the dirt was from sitting on the ground.
"There's nothing to worry about." She slipped her hand into his and tightened her grip. "Say, Kirito-kun?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm kinda hungry."
"…"
"…"
"THE TAKOYAKI!" Kazuto cried out, yet again. He had left the food he lined up centuries for on the bench. They ran back, hands linked, only to find that the food had been cleaned up by a festival committee member.
"Ki-Kirito-kun?"
"I'm so sorry Asuna… I can't do anything right for you. I never can." Kazuto loosened his grip and slumped onto the bench. She gave Kazuto a sad look.
"Don't worry about it too much Kirito-kun. You were worried about me, it's my fault I shouldn't have le-"
"I think they're beginning to pack the place up. We should probably leave."
"Kirito-kun…" Kazuto stood up off the bench and turned away from her. His head drooping in disappointment, he began to walk away. Asuna was very concerned about the situation at hand.
"It's not true… I don't think you're useless. You do everything for me Kirito-kun…" Asuna's mind was filled with thoughts that disagreed with Kazuto.
"Don't leave." Her heart began to beat faster and faster. Kazuto was becoming farther and farther away, out of her reach.
Asuna gathered up all of the strength into her lungs that she possibly could and screamed.
"DON'T LEAVE ME!"
There was silence. Kazuto's eyes were beaming with shock. Tears were flowing from Asuna's eyes. They were both shaking, rattled and frustrated.
"Don't leave me… I don't want to do anything without you, Kirito-kun." Asuna repeated herself, quieter.
"Me neither." Kazuto said lightly.
"Huh?"
"Me neither." Kazuto repeated, this time louder. "I don't want to be without you either."
Kazuto turned around, and walked back towards Asuna. She looked so delicate that she would probably break if he were to nudge her. He wrapped his arms around her, tightening his grip as time passed. He could smell Asuna's hair as he was cradling her; it was a sweet smell, a fragrance that brought back memories of his precious times with her. Asuna buried her face into her love's chest. She was quietly sobbing, scared at the thought of losing him.
"I'm sorry. I don't know what got into me. I couldn't stop thinking about how badly I hurt you, and that made me blind to the fact that you needed me."
"It's okay, Kirito-kun."
"I don't know why I'm always like this. It just makes everything worse. You're already so perfect yourself and all I do is make things harder and harder every time."
"That's not true, Kirito-kun."
"I always mess up."
"That's okay, Kirito-kun"
"I'm sorry, Asuna."
"I am too, Kirito-kun. I always run off on my own and cause trouble like that. I know I always get excited over those movies and things… But my heart always beats faster for you. I can never get you off of my mind. Every single day you manage to find a way to make me smile and sweep me off of my feet. You always remember the little things about me and that just makes you love more and more."
"A-Asuna…" Kazuto was speechless at this point.
"I'm so glad I met you that day. I'm so glad I got to meet you again, and then meet you again. Every time I see you, my love grows even stronger and I feel like I can do anything. I really do. You mean so much to me Kirito-kun. It doesn't matter if you're silly. If you did everything perfect, we'd be so boring. I love how you're clumsy. I love how you care. I love everything about you, Kirito-kun." Asuna looked up from Kazuto's arms, a smile adoringly formed on her face.
"Asuna. I'll always be here for you. I'll protect you for as long as I live. My life is yours." Kazuto made a small step back, keeping his hands on Asuna's waist. His heart was filled with the light that Asuna gave him. All of his worries disappeared in a flash. His eyes were beaming with affection for the person before him.
"I love you, Asuna."
Asuna leaned closer to Kazuto, their lips both slowly losing their smile; they formed a shape filled with desire as they pressed together. Her arms tightened around Kazuto's neck as he cradled her, hugging her with no intention of ever letting go. The couple's eyes closed, allowing them to preserve the moment in their memories. As time resumed, their lips carefully parted while their eyes gradually opened together.
"I love you too, Kirito-kun."
"You're so dramatic."
"What?! No, you are! You had me on my heels the whole night, and you even made me…" Asuna started to sniffle, giving Kazuto the most adorable puppy eyes that she could manage"
"Ahh, wait wait wait wait wait don't cry!" Kazuto shook his hands in panic. She giggled towards him, and jumped back into his arms.
They held each other close and listened to each other's heartbeat. They shared their warmth as they cuddled and watched as the crowds began to disperse.
"It's about time we headed home, right Asuna?" Kazuto nudged Asuna with his cheek.
"Yeah. Let's go together." She smiled.
"I'll walk you home, love." Kazuto gave her a light kiss and squeezed her hand.
"Okay, my prince." Asuna giggled and had already began to pull Kazuto towards her. He yelped, trying to pick up his feet to keep up with his beloved princess. They both ran into the bright lights of the city, laughing and teasing; their eyes were full of happiness, and their hearts filled with love.
This ends chapter 3. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my writing! Please comment and review if you liked it; if you disliked it, still tell me why and I'll try my best to adapt to your opinions in the future.
