May 24th, 2025, Joshua

"What I will never understand is we're here," Kazuto says as the two of us walk alone in the mall. We head back towards the store the girls are shopping in after a success exercise and lack of purchases. The girls told us they'd let us know when they're ready, so what else are two boys to do?

Actually, I lied about the lack of the purchase and the exercise. We ate at the food court like the gluttons we are.

"They want our opinion on how they look."

"I get that, but why? We're boys. We'll say 'you look good' even when we know it's a lie."

I shrug. "I mean, does it matter? How many times have you seen Asuna underneath her clothes?"

He scratched the back of his head. "A few times, I guess. But I say the same about you and Lisbeth."

I smirk. "Way more times than I'd like to admit last year, but it was always nightgowns. Add Philia to that list too. But unlike someone who saw a girl in a bra and panties and denied--" Kazuto glares at me, forcing me to stop with that great tale. "Anyway, so what? They want our opinion, we get to see girls. Oh, then there's Suguha," I sigh and place my hand in my jean pockets. "She's too pretty to be related to you at all."

"I'll try not to take offense to that and any other things you might say or do later on." Kazuto says with a smile. "After all, she's my younger sister, and I must protect her from men like you. Especially after what happened the other day."

I frown. "It is not my fault she fell that way and I was there! It was not my intention when I took that quest with her. If anything, she needs to reduce those things!" Kazuto continues to chuckle as we enter the store. Thankfully, the store is for both sexes, so we don't feel scrutinized despite the greater amount of women within. We are spotted by Asuna as we head towards the female fitting rooms. As we join her, we see the other girls in line to pay.

"Hey boys. We're done here."

Kazuto sighs. "Great. But we didn't make an opinion."

"Well...we bought multiple outfits, and decided it would be best to let you see them elsewhere. And Joshua, since you have your own house...do you mind?"

This would be the first time most of the gang has been to my place. Only Philia has been inside more than once. It's not that I don't mind that my friends want to come over, I'm just...surprised. Kazuto is the leader of the gang and Suguha also lives there, why not his place? "Sure, but Suguha and Kazuto live together. That's less of a drive than my place when we're done. Only person who benefits is you, since we're in the same neighborhood."

"Yes, but...we're curious just how nice your home is. Kotone has hyped it up."

"And it is," she says as she and Lisbeth join us. She then grabs Rika, using her to further her argument. "Besides, it's not fair that only I, your great friend, have seen it. Your girlfriend should know where you live...for reasons, hehe."

"Move!" Rika pushes Kotone off her and folds her arms. She eyes me, however, with a frown. "She's right, though. I would like to see what it's like so someone can shut up."

Kazuto pats my shoulder in pity. "You've got no choice, buddy."

I sigh and give up. I have no further argument since I am the only driver, so I would have to take everyone else except the Kirigayas home anyway. "Fine."

45 minutes later

"Welcome to Castle Hardin, residents: one." I let the girls and Kazuto inside my two-story abode. They gaze in awe for some time as I walk towards the living room area. "Living room here, kitchen and dining there behind, small restroom close by. Upstairs, three bedrooms and a full bathroom. Outside is a medium pool and a jacuzzi."

Kotone drops her jaw. "You've that outside? Why haven't you said anything before?"

"I did. You said...actually I'm not going to repeat it. They won't like you."

Kotone thinks about why I declined to repeat her very harsh words about never inviting anyone else over here until I see her lights come on. Nodding her head, she smiles as she heads for the stairs. "Ladies, let the men get comfortable and let's give them a show." As the girls shuffle upstairs, I turn to Kazuto and direct him to the living room. I take a seat in a chair, while Kazuto chooses the couch.

"I don't know how she said that so...happily."

"I know. But you've known Kotone longer, you must be used to her."

I nod as I reach for a handle on the side of the chair. "Yeah. Almost two years now, I believe since I met her on the 31st Floor. Soda?"

Kazuto looks at the cooler compartment of my chair in amazement. "Okay, that's cool. Sure." I toss him a can and grab one for myself. "Anyway, can I be honest with you?"

"Always."

"I'm surprised that you are dating Rika instead of Kotone. Not that I'm against it, I know you've been waiting for a year now, but I honestly thought you moved on when we started school. You and Kotone, however, were a pair quickly. She kinda fits your type too."

I lean back and think about what Kazuto could mean. He knows me best from SAO, so my type of girl there would be… "You mean a dark-haired, bright-eyed girl who wields a knife? I guess she does fit the bill Koharu created, but no, I do like Rika. Kotone is a great friend, I trust her with my life and to watch my back. Besides you and Asuna I can't say that about anyone else that's in this house, mostly because I haven't had to trust anyone else in that. Keiko and Rika instill a different type of trust, an emotional 'watch my back' than a literal one. But I see why you say that. To be honest, I'm now surprised that she never said anything before, if she thinks that way about me. But I'm with Rika and plan to keep it that way. I fought too hard to stay alive for this chance."

Kazuto nods. "I know what you mean. You've joked about Asuna and I being together so many times I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner. But once it did, I understood what it meant to fight for someone you love. I didn't know Koharu like you did, but maybe she was to you what Sachi was to me in death. Something to change us, to make us look at the world differently. If it wasn't for you, Asuna and Rika I would've been a friendless, hopeless boy who only kept fighting for himself. But that dishonored the memory of the dead, and the wishes of the living."

I sigh. "Do we really owe those girls a lot for us growing up?"

Kazuto smirks. "Don't let them know that, they'll never let it go. Anyway, I'm happy for you and Rika. I stand by my words, I still think Kotone is a slightly better match, but I guess my experience in romance happens to be with the girl fighting beside me. Sometimes, maybe the person you love and protect is not in your sight. Maybe that's a greater love, protecting someone who you can't see."

"Maybe… Anyways, beware the double dates. It's gonna happen."

"A shame, but what are we gonna do?"

"Nothing."

Minutes later…

"Here's a thought," I set my empty can in the cupholder of my chair. "What are we going to do if...a guest appearance happens? I mean, they got multiple outfits each, it's bound to happen."

"Hmm." Kazuto folds his hands on his lap, then brings his legs closer together. "This won't work for eternity, will it?"

"Might make it worse."

"Then try to not draw attention to it… Honestly, what's taking those five so long?"

"Don't ask me because I might say what's in this head." Thankfully we'll never know what's in my mind as I spot the girls coming down. Each one is wrapped in a towel to hide what they're wearing as they come toward us like supermodels. Their faces vary as well. Keiko, as expected, is nervous; Rika and Kotone seem to be excited, but they are the teases of the five; Asuna and Suguha look nervous but also excited. They line up in front of us for what I'm sure is to be the first round of many. "I'm going to have to wash those towels."

"Is that what you're concerned about?" Asuna says with an attitude.

"Can we get through this first before you two get into it," Kazuto quickly says before I respond. Backing down, I sigh and nod. "Great...now, uh, who's going first?"

"We decide to make this a contest," Rika says excitedly. "With you two great judges, it's sure to be fun. The girl with the most approval from either judge or both wins this contest of great looks. We each bought five outfits, so I hope you're ready."

Kotone further explains. "At the end of each round, you two vote on the best outfit. To be fair to differing opinions, your votes do not need to be unanimous, so one or two girls could win a round. Each judge's vote equals one point, both judges equals two points."

Kazuto and I look at each other, knowing there's a problem if we don't choose the girls we're dating. "Wait, there's obvious complications with that idea."

"Already solved," Suguha states. "Asuna and Rika cannot be chosen by their respective boyfriends. But if both judges pick them, say Joshua picks Asuna and Kazuto agrees, that counts and gives her two points. Same with Joshua, but Kazuto must choose her first"

"Fine with me," I say. I turn to Rika and point to her. "Better win. You hyped this up all week."

She winks. "Don't worry, I'll beat these losers."

"Alright, let's begin round one. Kazuto, choose first."

"Hmm… Keiko." I nod.

"Uhh...okay…" That's a safe start in my opinion. Unlike the other girls, Keiko doesn't have bodily assets to rely on, but she still has the cute factor. Nervously she steps forward and slowly removes her towel. She wears a yellow and pink two piece set that's appropriate for her frame. It's a little frilly in design, relying on cute factor rather than how sexy it is. To be honest, Keiko won't win this contest (at least, given the competition and my habit of honesty, she probably won't get my votes) but she looks good. "...H-How is it?"

"Looks cute," Kazuto says. "You got a hidden boyfriend we need to find?"

I continue the teasing. "I knew it. Where is he? Do we know him? Because if he sees you in that and doesn't like you, we'll wham some sense into him!"

Keiko manages to smile. "There's no boy… But thank you."

I nod as she steps back. Now that's it my turn, I lock eyes with Asuna. I smirk and nod. "Lightning Flash, strike us with your attempts at beauty. After all, it's my vote that--" I'm left with my mouth in mid-motion as Asuna drops her towel. She wears a peppermint-patterned two-piece. Despite my teasing, I know Asuna is very hot, but seeing her like this for the first time…

She frowns with a blush as I continue to hold my face. "Stop staring and say something."

I turn to Kazuto while gesturing to Asuna. "The fuck is wrong with you? Are you fucking stupid?"

Kazuto glares at me. "You said you wouldn't speak of it anymore! Rika, go!"

"My pleasure." Rika swings her towel off and throws it on her shoulder while posing. It's too bad I can't vote for her, because she's definitely a girl after my own heart. Two-piece bikini, a red and black top and black bottoms. I can't help but nod my uncounted approval of the outfit.

"That's cheating with the colors, you know."

Rika smiles at me. "Thanks, love, but your vote doesn't matter."

"You look great, Rika."

She frowns. "Just great? Kazuto, is your brain working? I look down right--"

"Suguha, then best for last, Kotone." With the final order set, Suguha nervously steps up and reveals her swimsuit. I notice the green and white striped pattern, but I have to close my eyes. Or, so I don't offend Suguha, rapidly open them back up while looking at her in my peripheral. Of the three previous girls, hers is the most revealing of the upper chest. I don't say anything, just looking at Kazuto whose is just as uncomfortable as I am.

"Uhh, nice swimsuit, but… Joshua."

Son of bitch. "Uhh...it is great, if not…" I gesture to my chest to get my point to her. "But besides that, it's great. Kotone, finally." Kotone nods and steps forth. Her swimsuit is a green bra held up by a white cloth and a multilayered, multicolored miniskirt. I nod approvingly. It's my favorite of the four girls I can choose, though I can't really choose Suguha's in my sensible mind even if I wanted to. "Alright, I'm ready to vote. Kazuto?"

"Me too. My vote goes to Keiko. Hers is simply cute." The girls are surprised, though none is more surprised than the chosen one. She blushes as she happily accepts Kazuto's vote.

Meanwhile, I point to Kotone. "She has mine. I can't choose Rika, I'll never let Asuna win, and...Suguha was a close second."

"Yes!" Kotone skips over and wraps her arms around my head from behind.

"Yeah yeah," I say while trying to ignore what's behind my head. "But things can change in the next four rounds. Go, hurry up, go." As the girls return upstairs, I sigh and look at Kazuto. We look exhausted. "Four more rounds…"

"Yeah… We're going to need food for afterwards."

I nod. I'm sure we're going to hang afterwards since it's only 3 pm. "I'll order some pizzas...and take a breather outside."

Kazuto chuckles. "Guest appearance?" I nod and walk away towards the front door. I'm not going to tell him I was good until his sister showed hers and Kotone's "hug" made it worse. I rather die… I hope this contest doesn't get worse...

Hour and a half later, the contest is done. With each girl scoring at least one point, Suguha and Kotone ended up winning with 3 points each. Most of the gang is downstairs, looking for a movie to watch on my streaming services. But I noticed that one girl hadn't come down: Rika. Keiko told me she was in my room, so I make my way upstairs and knock on my bedroom door. "Rika? You okay?"

"Uh… Yes! Yes, I'm fine!"

I'm somehow unconvinced. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah, but I'm still in my last swimsuit." Shrugging to myself, I let myself in and close the door. I spot Rika sitting on my bed, holding a picture frame. She's still in her swimsuit, a red, white, and black one piece. I smile and stand by the door. "So, considering how we decided to go about our relationship, is it okay to say how sexy you look in red and black?"

Rika smiles. "You shouldn't say that. That's...too kind...and you should know what your words do."

"Let me guess. Tingly feeling in the heart?"

"Yeah. It's...confusing."

I sit beside her. "Well, I'll always be honest with you, besides you're the one who said I should compliment you."

"Oh, so now you're listening to me?" Rika says while hitting my shoulder lightly. "Dumbass. But thank you. I know I'm not as skinny as Asuna or busty like Suguha, but however I'm glad you did your best to look past all that. And I chose this one and the other one because I knew you'll like it. But I think we need to expand your color options outside of VR." We laugh together then shes look at the picture in her hands. "Is this your mom and dad?"

I take the picture of a slightly younger me with a tall (for the Japanese) Asian male with black hair and a pair of thick glasses and a African American woman with long, dark hair and brown eyes. "Yeah. My father is from Kyoto, even though the company is based her in Tokyo. Grandpa would travel between the two cities a lot when Dad was a kid. When he went to college in America, he met my mom."

"She's beautiful."

"From what he told me, she used to hate his guts. They were class rivals from the start, but late in their freshman year, she struggled to learn some material. He 'mansplained' freshman computer science to her, but it resulted in a more friendly rivalry. Sophomore year, they started dating, and the rest is history. There's an American headquarters of RoboTelligence that Dad headed, so that's why I was raised in the US until three years ago. Grandpa decided to step down and appointed Dad as head of the entire company. Dad left in the spring while I finished school and left with Mom in the middle of summer. Then SAO happened… I think Mom is going to like you. She always said that someone like me needs a woman who can appreciate and scold my sarcasm and humor."

Rika rests her chin on my right shoulder and wraps her arms around me. "I can't wait to meet them, so I can tell them how much an hero you are, how much I have always adored you, how much I owe my life to you."

I laugh as I feel my cheeks burn. "Hey, you shouldn't say such things. Makes my heart tingly."

Rika smiles and picks up her phone. After a few seconds, she holds it up in front of us. "Smile." I do so just as I feel a softness on my cheek and hear the click of the phone camera. Taken by surprise, I rub my cheek as Rika saves the photo. "First of many. Maybe you'll have one to put in this room."

I nod. "Yeah."

Rika looks to me, blushing profusely. "I just realized that the last time I...kissed you...it was the day before the game ended, when you headed to the 75th Floor for the strategy meeting. I was scared after thinking about what went down against Laughing Coffin and the 74rd Floor that I...did something I honestly wanted to do for months. I was scared you'll die, scared that I'll lose my chance, and I was already dumb having a second crush on Kazuto. So if I never got to tell you how I felt, if I never got those feelings returned, I at least could kiss you out of appreciation for everything. Now that I know how you liked me then, I guess it was confusing for you."

"Yeah, it was." I stand up, placing the picture on a shelf. "But we'll make up for our stupidity, I promise."

Rika nods. "So do I."

"Now get dressed. Our friends are perverts, no telling what they think we're doing."

Giggling, Rika points and winks. "They won't have to think much, Mr. Hardin."

"...Oh."