-Flashback Continues-

Kazuto helps Shino up then immediately picks up her backpack.

"You don't have…" Shino whispers

"I want to." Kazuto says. "Do you need help?" Kazuto asks Shino after he sees that she hasn't started to move.

"Y…" Shino started to say yes but stops when she realizes that Kazuto is carrying everything.

In response to this Kazuto walks back over to her and his arm around her and says, "You can lean on me."

In any other scenario she would have have freaked out or would have been embarrassed but in result of Endou she was vulnerable. Even though she was vulnerable Kazuto did not even think about taking advantage of her. He was soft and understanding.

Without even a moment for hesitation Kazuto and Shino had began their journey back to Shino's house. This walk was riddled with a lot less talking and as well as Kazuto stress levels were almost non existent. Throughout the whole walk he lets Shino use him as aid for her walking.

Once they got to her apartment Kazuto had laid her down in her bed.

"Their you go." Kazuto says to Shino. "Should I leave?" Kazuto asks her.

"... Could you take a look at my computer?" Shino asks shyly.

"Oh yeah sure I can take a look at it." Kazuto says as he walks over to her computer. "Which part didn't work again?" Kazuto asks her.

"The monitor, doesn't really show anything." Shino states.

"Really." Kazuto says. He starts to search through his brain for what could be wrong but only finds more questions.

"Do you have a screwdriver?" Kazuto finally asks Shino. Secretly he kinda hopes she doesn't so he has a reason to come back another day.

"I think so." Shino says as she lifts her head off the pillow and starts to walk into the kitchen. Shino squats as she starts to shuffle around in some off her lower cabinets. As a result her school skirt started to rise up her.

Kazuto turns around and looks down to see Shino squatting and... , "NO." Kazuto thinks to himself. "You must not, you were taught better than that." Kazuto things to himself as he quickly turns around and shoves his attention back into searching for a screwdriver.

"Found it." Shino tells Kazuto.

"Really." Kazuto says slightly dumbfounded.

"What you didn't expect someone like me to have one." Shino says accusingly.

"That's not what I meant." Kazuto says jokingly as he takes the screwdriver from her hand. He takes the screwdriver and starts to disassemble the monitor.

"Hey do you want some food?" Shino says from the kitchen.

"Sure." Kazuto says hesitantly. Kazuto hopes that it would be another day where is aunt doesn't worry about him not being there for dinner.

"Is noodles good for you?" Shino asks Kazuto.

"Sure." Kazuto yells from her bedroom as he pulls the back off the monitor. Kazuto hear's the beeps of the microwave which indicates that his assumation was correct. He continues to think while putting his years of computer knowledge into his attempt to see what's wrong.

A little while later Shino walks into her bedroom sits down at her coffee table with the noodles, "Hey the noodles are ready."

Kazuto turns around and sits down at her table.

"Do you know what's wrong?" Shino asks him.

"Yeah, I think it's the graphics card, but I can't be sure."Kazuto states. "I could test out an extra I have?" Kazuto states.

"I guess." Shino says as she stares at her food. "Thank you." She adds shyly.

"No problem." He says as he slurps up some noodles.

"So, so when do you have to go home?" Shino asks while stuttering.

"Huh?" Kazuto says as he takes his spoon out of his mouth. "Oh, um, I think I could leave soon." Kazuto says awkwardly.

"C…" Shino starts to speak but her words fade out.

"What." Kazuto says after a couple moments of silence.

"Nothing." Shino says hastily.

"Okay." Kazuto says as his phone vibrates. "Kazuto where are you?" Is the question that appears on his screen.

"Um, sorry I need to go." Kazuto says as he picks up his backpack and leaves leaving Shino with a confused look on her face.

XXXX

Kazuto throws his bag into his room as he closes his door.

"You're to be home at 5 until further notice." His Aunt's words still echoed in his head. "You're not my mom." Kazuto thinks as he unlocks his window and feels the breeze. He turns back around to look into his room, the room of a gamer.

"No time better to power level." Kazuto thinks as he locks his door and puts his nervegear on his head.

"Link start." Kazuto says quietly but angrily.

Kirito appears in the town where he was last.

"I'm not Kazuto, I'm Kirito." Was Kirito first thoughts in the virtual world. He starts to turn around and head out but gets blindsided by boy his age.

"Oops, sorry." The boy says hastily. "I'm Coper." Coper states as he extends his arm to Kirito.

"Kirito." Kirito states as he takes Coper's hand. "Hey, you up to power level?" Kazuto asks.

"It's not like I have anything better to do." Coper states.

"Right." Kirito says as the start to walk out of the town.

XXXX

"Well you know the rest." Kirito states to Coper.

"Did you seriously have to give me the play by play." Coper says while being kind of annoyed.

"It's not like you have a life." Kirito states.

"That's a low blow mate." Coper says.

"You're a low blow." Kirito retorts.

"Now do you know what you're going to do now?" Coper asks.

"Firstly I am going to steal your sword." Kirito says swiftly as he grabs Coper's sword.

"He-" Coper gets interrupted.

"Don't worry you'll get it back by the end of the day." Kirito finishes.

"But." Coper tries to rebuttal.

"You'll get it back by the end of tomorrow." Kirito states. "Secondly I am going to go to the second boss raid." Kirito finishes.

"So that's where you were at." Coper says once he puts two and two together.

"Yeah Diavel asked me for help in assembling the next boss raid." Kirito states.

"So are you not going to talk to her." Coper says.

"Not yet." Kirito states with his whole head behind his decision.

"She is going to be indefinitely pissed at you." Coper states.

"Yea…, I need time to recollect myself, and well fighting is the best for me." Kirito states as he stands up from the table.

XXXX

Thank you for reading this chapter

Hope you all have a great rest of the weekend

Next Chapter should be out shortly