May 17th, 2025, Rika

After a long night of playing ALfhiem Online, Rika lays down in her bed, staring at the brightening ceiling as sunlight enters her room. It's already 9 am, and she wants to meet Joshua for lunch. Yet doing it in VR doesn't sit right with her, ironically since they've had many lunches in SAO. They're back in the real world, so isn't it better to have real world lunches?

How dumb has she been? She has known Joshua since the beginning of SAO, way longer than she knew of Kazuto, and practically lived with him the last nine months of the game. Yes, maybe her attraction to Kazuto stemmed from the fact that they shared an intimate moment in the dragon's nest, but after figuring out that Asuna shared the same affection, Rika knew she had lost. Asking Jaymes about them was just as torturous for her as she now believes it was for him. She was looking for her own knight in shining armor, and he was there the entire time, answering her every question about the Lightning Flash and the Black Swordsman's growing relationship.

And she did have feelings for Jaymes, just expressed towards Kirito. After all, they are very similar boys. Heroes on the front lines, helpful to others. Both are skilled swordsman, Asuna says they're literal equal in combat now. Both are willing to protect others, even at the cost of their own suffering. Both are also willing to go the distance to save or avenge who they care for. So many similarities it is also hard to distinguish their personality differences.

Isn't hard to distinguished who she kissed, though.

Yet, if she considers their real-world counterparts, while they're mostly the same people, Joshua has one advantage that sounds bad when Rika considers it a comparison to Kazuto: He's rich. Joshua is the heir to the company RoboTelligence, a robotics and artificial intelligence company. Fortunately, the boy doesn't flaunt his background, even though his car is clearly expensive. Not a huge factor in Rika's mind in terms of who she'd date between the two, but...well, as she told Joshua before, she likes being spoiled a bit.

But it is his selflessness that truly is his best feature. She remembers the story of the murders in the safe zone, in which he teamed up with Asuna and Kirito to solve the mystery. Given how traumatic PKing was to him at the time, she wasn't surprised that he joined the investigation. He didn't want to see others suffer the same way he did, especially in an area that should be safe for everyone.

Just thinking about him stirs Rika's heart. Her mind set, she grabs her phone and immediately calls him...

Joshua

Well, seeing Rika's name pop up on my phone is unexpected. I've barely gotten up and made me a bowl of cereal when my phone starts to ring. Not wanting to look desperate for her attention, I let it ring twice before picking up and placing her on speaker. "Hey, what's up?"

"Nothing much, I'm just waking up...and wanted to ask you if you wanted to get lunch In the city instead of ALO?"

"Uh, sure. How about i be at your house at 1 o'clock?"

"That's great."

I smile. "You said all that without stuttering and getting embarrassed too."

"H-Hey! Idiot! Don't tease me! You aren't any better!"

"Hehe, I know."

Parking my motorcycle just outside a shopping street in the neighborhood of Harajuka, I remove the helmet from my head and place it on one of the handles. Rika hands me hers and steps off the bike. She straightens her short hair and smooths our her pink shirt and her brown and white skirt. After I lock up the motorcycle, I walk up to Rika as her eyes flash in excitement. "I love coming here. The vintage shops and the boutiques are nice, but the sweets are the true treat! I'm happy to show you this area of Tokyo."

"Thank you."

"Sometimes I forget you're from America. You don't look lost like a tourist."

"Well, I did get my education in Tokyo from my dad after we left SAO. Plus I know my way around as long as I have GPS. But yes, this is my first true trip into the area."

Rika smiles and loops her arms around mine. "Great. I'll show you one of my favorite spots in the city. First the crepe shop, then the donut shop, maybe the burger restaurant, do a little shopping, and bubble tea before we leave?"

I look at her, unaware that lunch has turned into a full day of plans. "Um, Rika, I thought we were just going for lunch? Not...sweets."

"Yes yes, but it is my birthday weekend and, if we're going to be technical, I am unofficially your girlfriend. You should be willing to spend time with me."

I am oddly uncomfortable with that statement. She's right, but...it's only been a day since we decided to take our friendship to this level, we're walking together like a couple? A little too fast, but Rika has never been one to not take action. "Okay, but the closeness? Not complaining, but we're not dating, so you don't have to do this. We can walk normally."

"True, but you had no problem with this when we were friends in Sword Art Online. Do you know how many stares we got? I bet people thought we were in love. And it isn't like we don't know each either down to...physical looks. We've slept in the same bed at times, we've swam together, so thought it was a different world and different rules, I'm okay being close to you like that in the real world. Honesty, it makes things less awkward. But if you're not okay with that, then I am fine with working back up to that closeness. After all, that was Jaymes and Lisbeth, not Joshua and Rika."

She has a point. We spent much of last year together, even in situations that are socially risque. Of course, we never went that far, but...I have enough visual information to fill in the gaps and so does she. She's also right, I was comfortable with her in SAO, and I do want this. "I guess it's fine. I guess we are unofficially a couple. But I must ask, this is definitely not because you're jealous of how close Asuna and Kazuto are?"

Rika makes a pouty face. "Like hell I am."

"Sure. I finally go on a date, a second one I might add, after you finally realize those two have locked the door and threw away the key. It's my fault, I did put my feelings on the back burner for the fight on the front lines."

"It's both our faults. I mean...I'll admit it, I did like you, but then Kirito showed up and I got jealous because of Asuna. You know what they say, you like what you can't have." Rika sees the crepe shop she wants to go to. We go inside and sit at the barely occupied bar.

As we go over the menu, I continue the conversation. "Really? I wouldn't have expected that."

"Well, I am sure if you look back, it was pretty obvious. But you were focused on the fake murder and then Laughing Coffin, so around that time I guess the moment just wasn't right. I should've taken the chance last year… Ugh, this is stupid."

"What's stupid?" I say as I take a sip of water the server brings us.

Rika grips her hair as if she wants to pull it out. "Us! We're so stupid, it's frustrating. If I knew what I know now a year ago, I would have said something. Same for you. But, if i am going to be honest, i don't think I could have. It was so easy to switch from you to Kirito because I wouldn't have felt guilty in the end. I guess, with everything that happened at the time, I would have felt like I was stealing you from Koharu… Ridiculous, because...she's gone, but I believed your heart was set on her and I could've taken advantage of you. It's stupid...to think I almost told Kirito I liked him after one day of knowing him...stupid."

I nod. "That's pretty stupid. But somehow, I don't see you and him working at all. Those two, they were perfect since they first met. Not as they are now, but seeing them in combat, they just flowed together. It took Koharu and I a month to find synergy as a pair. So Kirito and Asuna as a couple...it's weirdly perfect."

Rika grunts as the server returns. "Have you decided?"

"No, not yet-Wait, Josh, look at this." I lean over and see the menu item Rika is pointing out. Crêpe D'amour, a large size, heart-shaped lace crepe for a couple. Rika seems to want it, and it is slightly cheaper than buying two regular crepes. And this is a date, we are a couple...why not?

"Cool with me. You can choose the toppings." Rika excitedly orders the crepe with strawberry syrup, strawberries, whipped cream, and extra sugar. I don't know what is her issue with sweets, but I know she loves them unhealthily. Once the server leaves, I look at her, interested in what drew her mind to the crepe. "You chose a crepe made for two."

She sighs. "I know. But… I want to make up for lost time. We should be ahead of those two. So starting now, we're going to share a crepe and do whatever here. Tomorrow a dinner date. We'll take it from there."

"Oh, in that case, we'll be married by the end of the month, right? I think they also disabled the ethics code at one point..."

Rika chokes on her drink, her face turning red. "No-nothing of the sort! I guess we don't have to get ahead of them, hehe."

I chuckle, then remember something. "Speaking of that, I have a great story I never told you before. I was joking about them, but to my knowledge, it almost happened…"

Alfhiem Online, hours later

My Salamander avatar soars through the skies of the fairy VRMMO, enjoying the beautiful evening sky as I zip towards my friends meeting outside of New Aincrad. While I am not happy to be left behind in New Aincrad, the first boss hasn't been approached yet, so it's all good since I'm meeting an old friend from SAO.

I see them just outside the gates of Yggdrasil City, the major city in Alfhiem, the Norse mythological home of elves. Of course, it's hard for me to miss the familiar combination of lavender, black, and red-headed girls. I descend and land superhero-style, earning a clap from two of the girls. "Thank you, thank you. Good evening, Philia and Strea."

Before I can greet the third, my face is suddenly engulfed by Strea's buxom breasts. It's one thing when Kirito gets brought there by the AI, since they're of similar height, but I am taller, so I lose some balance in her version of a greeting hug. Of course, despite knowing her for nearly two years, she doesn't understand why this is socially unacceptable, which has lead to many encounters with her prominent assets in the past.

I mostly wasn't against it then, I have no shame. If I was going to die in Sword Art Online, I would choose my face stuffed in the Gnome's busom than death on the front lines. Sue me, but I have to be against it now, now that I'm dating Lisbeth...or maybe I will try to "fight back" in the future.

"Strea, let him go!" I'm pried free by Philia, the dark-haired Spriggan treasure hunter. As I catch my breath, I face the frowning girl as she releases me. "You are shameless."

I nod. "I know. But a wise treasure hunter once said to never let a prize possession go."

"Is that so? That's not what I meant."

"You misjudge me. You girls are more than what guys like about your sex. Like… I like most about you is...how smart you are about treasure hunting."

Philia rolls her eyes. "So you're saying I'm not as cute as Strea? Okay."

"I… I did not say… Rain, happy to see you in ALO." I turn to the third girl, who looks happy to be noticed again.

The Leprechaun female walks up to me, hugging me tightly. "Oh, how much I missed you!" I haven't seen Rain since I last met her the girls in SAO, in which I made a backup of Strea's programming after Kirito told me of Yui, making her my familiar and somehow surviving the deletion of SAO like Yiu and Pina did. Since then, Philia and I (who I reconnected with at school) haven't seen her, but we did manage to make contact with her real life persona, the up and coming pop idol Nijika Karatachi, not too long ago.

"It's not everyday you can say you met a pop star before they became famous," I say as I let her go.

She steps back and blushes. "Well… I owe that to you all. You gave me the confidence to start my dream. I also met my sister again in the meantime. I think I managed to convince her to met all you guys."

"That's great," I state. "But let's head up to New Aincrad. I can't let Kirito get more ahead than he is."

As we take flight, Philia snickers beside me. "No, you just want to see your girlfriend." Between that and the obviously fake, dramatic gasps from behind us causes me to frown. I turn to Philia, the girl flying with her back towards the ground.

"I knew telling you about today would be regretful."

"Hehe, you're right. You have broken many hearts today. Those poor girls at school, Strea's, you should apologize."

Strea flies up, looking quite dejected for the usually chipper AI. She holds her chest where her heart should be, clutching it as if I really did break it. "When you told me you would love me forever, I was the happiest in the world ..but I see that was a lie. Why, Jaymes, why?"

"Strea...I'm sorry." For a moment, I actually thought this was real and felt bad, then I spot a break in the facade. Strea's mouth twitches as she tries to keep her deception present. As I sigh, she and Philia burst into laughter. "Oh, go fuck yourself." Philia slides closer, whispering something in my ear that I will keep to myself, but I'll say it makes me get away from her and hide behind Rain. "You're disgusting, Kotone. Stay away from me."

Philia winks at the use of her real name and darts higher into the sky towards the floating castle, Strea following close behind. I would shoot after them, but as I look to Rain, I see her looking quite down. Wondering what's wrong, I stop flying and place a hand on her shoulder. "Everything okay, Rain?"

Rain keeps her eyes downward. "It's...it's nothing."

"C'mon, you can tell me anything."

"Well...its…I don't mean this harshly, but I just hate how you and Philia are so friendly towards each other, while I kinda feel like a stranger. I mean, you guys see each other everyday, probably hang out together during and after school, but I don't get that luxury. So I'm jealous, even though it isn't your fault or hers. It's just… I wish I could be around more. And as I get more popular, I'll start having less time to spend with you all. I don't want our friendship to be limited to our experiences in SAO, I want more from it."

I nod and hold Rain's head up. "It is true, I do spend lots of time with Philia, probably more than anyone else since school started. But don't doubt our friendship. I mean, we get to say we know who Nijika Karatachi really is, and Philia and I will always be your friends. Everyday she talks about how she wishes you were with us. So, if anything, we're jealous you don't have to go to school. But maybe we can make a greater effort to include you more."

Rain smiles and hugs me again. "Thank you."

"Mhm." I turn my head, seeing the other girls gain more distance from us. "Hey, you wanna beat them to Aincrad?" Rain nods, then yelps as I pick her up bridal style. "Hang on!" Using my fire abilities as a rocket along with the normal flight boost, I propel is through the atmosphere. It only takes Rain (who is screaming her lungs out in fear and excitement) and I to catch up to Strea and Philia, then we leave them in the dust. I hear the latter's string of curses as I come into the vicinity of New Aincrad, being teleported to this version's Town of Beginnings. Once we have materialized by the Teleport Gate, I set Rain on the ground. "How was it?"

She giggles, but also bears a blush. "Let's do it again sometime." I almost readily agree, but then I think on how...bad that can be in the eyes of others. Since I do not want to be the next Kirito, who gets in socially questionable situations with girls all the time (and Asuna is no help on that behavior), I simply don't answer. But I definitely would like to do that again.

Philia and Strea appear moments later. While Strea is cheerful to be back with us, Philia stares at me. "Cheater."

"Gave you a head start. About two minutes."

She turns her back to me. "Hmmph. You know, I'm not going to invite you on our first treasure hunting quest. Or maybe I'll get you back before your date tomorrow."

I totally forgot I'll see Philia tomorrow. Since Lisbeth was with me today, we decided that we'll just go to dinner since "Keiko and I have girl business beforehand" or something like that. God knows what those two are gonna do. "Why did I agree to that?"

"Because I have to make sure you look good on this date. It is important, trust me. She's probably gonna dress up a bit, so you are too, and what better girl to make sure you look hot than me?"

I fold my arms and look to Strea. "Am I hot to you, Strea?"

Because she does not know what that means in the current context, Strea puts her hand on my forehead as if I have a fever (and yes, that can be visualize by an avatar. I was actually unwell once in SAO because I had a slight fever in real life. Thankfully my health bar did not represent that) and continues to touch my face. Much better than my face elsewhere, I guess. She steps back and cheerfully answers, "No, your body temperature is within the optimal range for normal body heat. And since we're in a moderate temperature zone, you should be experiencing a warm, sunny day here in Town of Beginnings."

As the other girls get a laugh out of Strea's social blunder, I sigh and rub my forehead. "Why did I even ask?"