A/N: Hey guys, I'm back with a new chapter. This month has been quite eventful. After coming back from Korea, I went to Fan Expo that held place in Toronto earlier this month. It was my first time ever to go to any kind of anime event of this size, so I enjoyed myself thoroughly. I also got quite a bit of SAO related things they sold there. I also dressed up as a character for the event and I don't think I need to even mention who I dressed up as… but that isn't the best part. I got to meet and speak with Cherami Leigh and Cassandra Lee Morris, the dubbing voice actresses of Asuna & Leafa/Suguha respectively during their autograph session! How sweet is that? So yes, this month has been a blast so far.
On other news, I'm still getting used to my new work, but nothing too stressful at the moment.
Okay, back on track with the story: I originally wanted to make this chapter a bit longer, but I thought that if I did that, it would take too long to upload, and I know that many of you're itching to read more. So the second part of this chapter will come separately.
And also, after you finish this chapter, please check out the news in the author's note below.
Now, enjoy this chapter and don't forget to leave a review or PM afterwards. Enjoy!
Chapter 13 – The Brother's Credibility – Part 1
12:00 PM, SAO Survivor's School.
Kazuto, Rika, and Keiko hadn't exactly been expecting today to be a normal one, but this… this was far worse than what they could have ever expected.
It looked like the end of Asuna's relationship between her family. She was so angry with them that they couldn't see a way for them to ever make up again.
When they all heard the announcement calling Asuna to the councilor's office, they had thought that it would be the first step to help convince Asuna to try and make up with her family. But instead, it turned out to be one hell of a recipe for disaster. After the end of the second class, the three of them had been summoned by the teachers to be informed of the situation.
So afterwards, they had all met up at the rooftop at lunch and tried calling Asuna's cellphone, which was missing from her belongings, so it was likely that she took it with her. But Asuna was for some reason, refusing to answer their calls. Because of this, all kinds of speculations of what happened to Asuna began to fill their minds, which made them even more worried and anxious. They even began to get worried that something had happened to her after she ran away from school.
"Oh, man! What are we going to do?! Asuna ran away again to who knows where, she won't answer our calls, this is the worst! Do you think she's gone back to Shino's place?" Rika said, prancing around the roof, extremely worried for her friend.
"I wish that we could say that for sure… Isn't there really any way for us to find Asuna-san now?" Keiko asked Rika and Kazuto.
"I messaged Sinon about this whole situation, but she hasn't answered back yet. Maybe she turned her phone off…" Kazuto informed them.
"Well, isn't there anything else we can do? We need to know where she's gone to NOW; who knows what she could be going through right now!" Rika said frantically. Then, Kazuto voiced what was on his mind.
"Well… I have an idea that might work, but it involves someone that I'd kind of prefer not to involve." Kazuto said.
"Let's hear it first; we're kind of desperate here!" Rika demanded.
"It involves Chrysheight." Kazuto responded.
"Chrysheight…? You mean Kikuoka Seijirou-san?" Keiko asked.
"Oh yeah… he worked in the Ministry of Internal Affairs… I almost forgot about that. But then the solution is right in front of us! Hurry up and call him!" Rika ordered.
"Like I said, I'm not too keen on calling him, especially after GGO. It's not that I hate the man, It's just… there's something about him that I can't entirely trust. Besides, if we ask for his help, who knows what kind of favor we'll be owing him in the future…" Kazuto explained.
It was true that while Kazuto was grateful to Kikuoka for helping him find Asuna after waking up from SAO, he'd always minded to get as less involved with him as possible, especially after the Death Gun incident. Seeing him in ALO was enough encounters with him.
"Well then, let me ask you this: Do you care more about Asuna's safety, or your stupid pride?" Rika asked, slightly exasperated.
"What do you mean? You know I'm not a prideful guy, and of course I care more about Asuna's safety than myself; you know that by now!" Kazuto countered.
"Then why the hesitation? Come on, call him already; we don't have any other options!" Rika demanded.
"Alright, alright." Kazuto relented. Rika was right. Asuna's safety had to come first. He took out his phone to call the man in question.
But then, as if on cue, his phone started ringing, indicating that he was receiving a call.
"Well, speak of the devil…" Kazuto stated. It was Kikuoka. Kazuto wasted no time switching the phone to speaker mode and picking it up.
"Hey, Kirito-kun. It's been a while." Kikuoka's voice said from the other end of the line.
"Nice timing on your end. I was just about to call you. Listen, we could really use your help. Right now…" Kazuto tried to explain the current situation, but Kikuoka cut him off.
"Wait, Kirito-kun, don't tell me, let me guess: It's about Asuna-san, am I right?" Kikuoka deduced, surprising the three of them.
"How did you know about that?" Keiko asked.
"Oh, are you with your friends right now, Kirito-kun? I guess this'll make things faster. Let me explain: I only found out about this whole thing this morning, actually. You see, Yuuki Kouichirou-san called me and explained everything to me and asked me to help find her." Kikuoka explained.
"Yuuki Kouichirou? You mean Asuna's brother?" Rika asked.
"Yes." Kikuoka confirmed. Kazuto sighed in relief. Kikuoka was already looking for Asuna, so, with his help, it would be easy to find her. But then, Kazuto remembered something: Asuna had run AWAY from her family. If her brother had asked Kikuoka to find her, then it was very likely that her whole family would know exactly where Asuna was staying at, should Kikuoka inform Asuna's brother of it. And after the mess her parents had made both yesterday and today, he was now extremely reluctant to trust her family to resolve the current issue properly.
"Hold on. If you already knew about Asuna running away, then the reason you called me is to ask me to tell me where exactly she's staying at, so that you can report back to her family, isn't it? If that's so, then you're out of luck, Kikuoka-san. We're not telling you where she is." Kazuto stated.
"Yeah! It's bad enough that Yuuki died only days ago and now her family's only made things worse for her. So you're not getting anything out of us!" Rika agreed.
"That's right! Asuna-san has suffered enough as it is!" Keiko chimed in. At this, Kikuoka sighed.
"I'm not too surprised to hear you all say that, and honestly, I mostly agree with you. And good guess, Kirito-kun, but your guess is off this time. I didn't call you to ask you where Asuna-san is. I already know that Asuna-san is staying with Asada Shino-san." Kikuoka said, which again, surprised the three of them.
"You already know that Asuna's staying with Sinon?" Kazuto asked, stunned.
"Yes, and don't worry you three. If I tell Kouichirou-san of where his sister is, only he will know about it, not their whole family." Kikuoka said, this time, confusing them.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Rika asked.
"I guess I should start from the beginning. Like I said, Kouichirou-san explained what happened yesterday this morning." Kikuoka began his explanation.
Flashback, Earlier that day, 9:15 AM
Kikuoka arrived in his usual workplace at exactly 9. It would be a rare occasion for him to show up late for work, being a diligent man, despite his seemingly easy going attitude.
Currently, there was nothing that required his immediate attention. It was quiet as of now in the virtual worlds, with nothing serious happening. Of course, except for the fact the whole VR community was in an uproar because of the passing of Zekken. He had met Yuuki and the Sleeping Knights several times in the past few months in ALO, while partying up with Kirito's group. He also regretted that he wasn't able to be present for her last moments. He would've liked to see her off as well.
In any case, he was going to take his work a bit slow today; or that was the plan, until he received a call from someone who he never expected to call. When his phone rang, he answered it, wondering who it was until he recognized the voice.
"Moshi moshi? Hello, it's been a long time. This is Yuuki Kouichirou." The caller said, confirming his suspicion.
"Ah, yes, Yuuki-san… it's been a while. So, what can I do for you? If you're calling me like this out of the blue, then there must be something you need from me." Kikuoka deduced. He hadn't heard from Kouichirou for about a year, the last time they spoke being in the aftermath of the ALO incident.
"Glad to see you're as keen as I remember. Alright, I'll get straight to the point: I need your help." Kouichirou said solemnly. Hearing this, Kikuoka's tone became serious. It also spiked hs curiousity.
"Go on." Kikuoka said. He heard a sigh from Kouichirou's side.
"I honestly don't know where to even begin… I guess everything started this Sunday. A close friend of Asuna passed away that day." Kouichirou began his explanation.
"You mean Konno Yuuki-san. I've met her several times in ALO in the last few months. I also know that she and your sister were very close." Kikuoka said.
"Yes, I know. She told us all about it. But the problem didn't start there… it started yesterday. I won't go into too much details, but long story short, there was a huge disagreement between Asuna and our parents over some family issues, and… well… Asuna didn't take it very well. And now, she's run away from home." Kouichirou summarized the situation. The last statement caught Kikuoka's attention.
"She ran away?!" Kikuoka asked.
"Yes, she did. Now you should have an idea of what my request to you is." Kouichirou said.
"You want me to find your sister so that you can bring her home." Kikuoka deduced.
"Well, you're half right. I do want you to find her, but not so that I can bring her back home; at least not yet." Kouichirou stated, confusing Kikuoka.
"I'm sorry, but you lost me at the 'not bringing her home' part." Kikuoka said, implying for a clarification.
"The way she acted yesterday and looking at the aftermath of the argument, it must have been some serious argument. I'm not entirely sure that just bringing her home is going to solve this whole thing. My father's gone to Asuna's school to convince Asuna, but somehow, I have a feeling that it's not going to be that simple." Kouichirou said, sounding uncertain.
"I'm honestly not too surprised… Your sister can be a bit stubborn sometimes. Believe me, I know…" Kikuoka informed him. He remembered how stubborn and intimidating she had been during the Death Gun incident when she demanded to know everything about the investigation he had requested to Kirito at the time.
"I know that as well. After SAO, she's been more obstinate than I remember. The point is: I'm trying to find her so that we can both spend some time away from home. Believe it or not, I've been looking for an excuse to leave home since yesterday. Maybe if we spend some time away from home, I might be able to convince her to come home…" Kouichirou said, hoping that he was right. But Kikuoka could hear uncertainty in his voice.
"You don't sound entirely sure about it." Kikuoka stated.
"No… no, I'm not 100% sure. But I don't see another way. Kaa-san's the reason Asuna's gone and Tou-san's gone to the school to bring her back. But honestly, with everything they've been hiding from us, I have a feeling that Asuna won't be swayed so easily. Hell, I can't even blame her for running away. And I know that she may not listen to me either, but, I have to try. So please, Kikuoka-san, find her, please." Kouichirou pleaded with him. Kikuoka knew that he had to help him. He was the family of an SAO survivor, so he still had an obligation to help them in any way. Besides, it wasn't like he had anything else to do.
"Well, I'm more than willing to help, but… I thought your father had a few friends in the government. Wouldn't it have been better to ask them instead?" Kikuoka said. Kouichirou's face hardened a bit at this.
"Don't be ridiculous. Do you really think that I'd trust just anyone my father calls a friend, after Sugou?" Kouichirou asked rather sharply.
"Ah… good point…" Kikuoka said, slightly taken back by the sudden outburst. He had always been sensitive when Sugou Nobuyuki was related. It was only natural, he thought. After all, he along with his sister had known Sugou since he was younger and was well aware of Sugou's perverse nature since then. Not to mention that he ALMOST had gotten married to Asuna, which would no doubt have been catastrophic. To summarize, Kouichirou hated Sugou more than anyone he had met, even more so than Kirito or Asuna did. Oftentimes, just hearing or mentioning his name was enough to rile the normally calm young man up.
"If the bastard wasn't in jail already, I would've beaten him to a pulp myself! My only regret regarding that bastard's arrest was that I wasn't there when that Kirigaya kid put him down!" Kouichirou raved, fuming.
"Easy there, Yuuki-san. Sugou's already gotten what he deserved, so there's no point in getting angry about it now." Kikuoka said to the young man.
"I know… it's just… I wish I had a go at him when he got what was coming for him…" Kouichirou said, calming down a bit. Kikuoka decided to tell him something that may satisfy him at least.
(A/N: Play the OST: A Strategy Meeting)
"I suppose I should tell you this then. It should help calm you down. Not a lot of people know what I'm about to tell you. We all know that after the end of SAO, 300 people were used as test subjects for Sugou's experiment. And most unfortunately for him, it turned out that one of the subjects was the son of the police chief. From what I've heard, after ALO, the chief basically locked himself away in his office to gather all the evidence he could against Sugou. And thanks to that, now, Sugou is practically a top-security prisoner in the cell."
"Not only that, after Sugou attacked Kirigaya-kun after he freed your sister, he also testified that before he attacked, Sugou had consumed some kind of medicine in front of him. Kirigaya-kun suspected that they were drugs, and it turned out that they were indeed illegal substances. So, soon after, the police raided his house and after some investigation, discovered a considerable amount of drugs inside. And after further investigation, it turned out that he was involved in a few drug trafficking and possessions in the past as well. Just those drug charges alone are more than enough reason to have him locked up for more than 2 decades. And since his time in prison began, Sugou's been going through addiction theopy as well as a psychiatric evaluation. "
"Also, since VR is continuing to expand, new laws regarding crimes in the virtual world is underway for implementation. As of now, Sugou is charged for just the crimes he committed in the real world, but since the worst of his crimes were committed in the virtual world, when the laws do come to effect, it's very likely that Sugou will serve additional sentences in prison. So, long story short, in the best case scenario, Sugou will have no chance of parole for a very long time as well as have a sentence that's close enough to a life imprisonment." Kikuoka finished his long explanation. This should be enough to calm him down.
(A/N: Sugou consuming the drug part was omitted from the anime and manga version of the Fairy Dance Arc.)
Kouichirou listened quietly as Kikuoka explained the previously unknown details to him. Now that was something that he needed to hear, after the infuriating event that happened last night.
"Well, that's good to hear… and to think that the people that he used for his ambition led to his downfall… and now he has to rot in jail for the rest of his life for that… it serves that arrogant bastard right… I guess I really needed to hear that. Thank you, Kikuoka-san." Kouichirou said with satisfaction and gratitude in his voice.
"Your welcome. Alright, that's that; now let's get back on topic. Kouichirou-san, I'll do what I can to track her down. But do you have any idea of where she went?" Kikuoka asked, now determined to help the young man.
"Yesterday, that Kirigaya kid called us and said that she was going to stay at one of her friend's house. But he didn't say exactly who." Kouichirou said.
"Kirigaya-kun, huh…?" Kikuoka questioned. Of course he would be involved in this…
Knowing that Kirito usually preferred to avoid him in real life if possible, especially after GGO, he knew that just directly asking him where she is was probably not going to work.
(A/N: Play the OST: No Escape)
"Do you have any other clues? With just that, it's going to be difficult to track her location down…" Kikuoka asked, hopeful that he would have other clues.
"Fortunately, yes. Yesterday, when Asuna left home, I tried to chase her down, but she had about a minute headstart. And by the time I reached her, she'd gotten away in a taxi. But I do remember its license plate and the cab's company. That's why I called you. You'll have an easier time getting the info out of them than me. Here's the license plate and its company." Kouichirou proceeded to give Kikuoka the desired information. This was definitely a solid starting point.
"Yes, this is definitely a start. I'll contact the cab company immediately and call you back." Kikuoka said. Kouichirou sighed in relief.
"Thank you. And one more thing: I suppose it should go without saying that you should inform just me and not my family about this." Kouichirou said.
"Yes, I understand. My lips are sealed. Your parents won't know about this. But… I guess it's safe to assume that you will tell them about this at some point, am I right?" Kikuoka asked, wanting to confirm his assumption.
"Once I manage to convince Asuna and go back home together, I will. I've been looking for an excuse to get out of this house and this gives be a perfect excuse to leave for a while." Kouichirou confirmed.
"Glad to hear. Alright, Yuuki-san, I'll look into the info you've given me. I'll get back to you once I know her location." Kikuoka said.
"Thanks again, Kikuoka-san. I'm counting on you." Kouichirou said gratefully.
"You're welcome. Well then." With that, the two hung up.
Now having a new priority at hand, Kikuoka started his investigation by calling the cab company.
Flashback End
After hearing the content of the discussion between the two of them, Kazuto, Rika and Keiko were surprised. Kikuoka continued his explanation. As they heard through the details, they felt a mixture of satisfaction from hearing Sugou's well-earned punishment as well as concern for Asuna and slight suspicion towards her brother.
"And so, I was able to talk with the driver of that cab. He confirmed that he drove a young woman matching Asuna-san's description to Asada-san's address. So yes, it's pretty obvious of where she's staying at this point." Kikuoka finished his explanation.
"Well… hah… you did your investigation thoroughly, as always. So, do you think you can really trust Asuna's brother to convince her, when their parents have failed to do so?" Kazuto asked, now curious of how Asuna's brother planned to approach his sister.
"I really think that he meant every word he said. Besides, he's the only person I know who hates Sugou Nobuyuki more than you do, Kirito-kun. Besides, from what I've heard from him, I think Kouichirou-san's pretty angry at his family for making Asuna-san run away and he also said that he was looking for an excuse to get away from home for a little while, so right now, he should have gotten out of his home and is waiting somewhere for my call. That's why I think if anyone from the Yuuki's can convince Asuna-san right now, it's Kouichirou-san." Kikuoka explained, supporting Kouichirou's case.
"Well, it's good to know that at least someone from Asuna's family agrees with her for a change." Rika stated, relieved.
"So, have you called Asuna-san's brother yet, Kikuoka-san?" Keiko asked.
"Not yet. I was going to after I finish this call. I'm pretty sure that he'll go to Asada-san's place as soon as I give him the information. In any case, I think it's important for Kouichirou-san to meet with Asuna-san. So, you three, please give Kouichirou-san a chance. Don't try and stop him from meeting Asuna-san. And don't tell Asuna-san about this either. If she knows, then she may try and run again." Kikuoka requested. The three of them stayed slient for a moment, thinking the request over. The three of them looked at each other and they all gave nods, unanimously agreeing.
"Fine… we'll give him a chance. But if he fails, then tell him that we'll do the convincing until she agrees. Do you understand?" Kazuto said to Kikuoka.
"I do. I'll notify Asada-san about this as well. Thanks for your cooperation. I'll call again if I hear anything. I expect you to do the same." Kikuoka requested.
"Deal. Then talk to you later." Kazuto said before hanging up.
"Well, that was… interesting." He said, not really sure of how he should be feeling about this development.
"Honestly, I don't know whether I should be relieved or worried." Rika said, voicing Kazuto's exact thoughts.
Just then, Kazuto's phone rang. From the tone it gave off, it meant that he received a message. And to his relief, it was Asuna.
"Hey, it's Asuna! She texted back!" Kazuto informed Rika and Keiko.
"Where?! What does it say?!" Rika asked, running over to where Kirito was in a blink of an eye.
Kazuto opened the message in front of them. It was rather short, though.
Kirito-kun,
I'm sorry for making you all worry. But right now, I just can't bring myself to talk to anyone… I need some time alone… I promise I'll call back when I feel better. I'll be heading back to Sinonon's place when her classes are over.
Asuna.
They were all slightly relieved to receive the message. While they still had no idea of what Asuna was doing currently, at least she said that she would be heading back to Sinon's place.
For a brief moment before Kikuoka's call, a worry had lingered in his head: that Asuna may try and 'go to where Yuuki was'. But he quickly dismissed the thought. Asuna wasn't that weak. She may be going through hell right now, but if meeting Yuuki had any significance in her life, she would never choose that cowardly option.
Asuna had told him shortly after meeting Yuuki in real life for the first time, that meeting and seeing her get through everyday with nothing but optimism and enthusiasm, despite her illness. And so, she had told him that she too would live her life to the fullest. And he knew better than anyone that she would keep her words. Besides, if Asuna did do the unthinkable action, then Yuuki would no doubt be disappointed in her. He knew that Asuna would never want that.
"Well, since she asked us not to call her, I guess we'll just have to go with Kikuoka-san's suggestion and wait. Let's hope that he's right." Rika said, and Kazuto and Keiko nodded to this.
For now, the best they could do was to wait and pray for a good outcome. They all looked up at the sky, which had been a bit clouded up to the point it was covering up a good amount of sunlight. Now the cloud cleared up a bit, and some sunlight began to shine down on the school. They hoped that this would be a good sign.
'Please, let everything work out well…' The three of them thought.
Soon, the lunch period was over, so the three of them dispersed and headed to their respective classes.
A/N: And that's it for this chapter. I'll be working on the next chapter soon. Look forward to it! And a big thumbs up to the guys who guessed correctly in chapter 11 of who Kouichirou called! It was indeed our familiar government agent. These 4 are the people who guessed correctly:
Commando2341
jgkitarel
Lord Jace
TheSib
Nice thinking, you 4!
Now, for the news I said above: I'm now looking for beta readers, as in readers who look for grammar or spelling errors and the style and characterizations in the story. I want this story to be as flawless as possible. So, if you like this story and want to help me make it perfect, then please give me a message!
Also, this story has now reached 17,000 views! I guess it won't be long till it reaches 20,000 at this rate! Keep it up guys, and don't forget to PM or review! They're what motivate me to keep writing! And as always, please look forward to the next chapter.
Yours truly, KiritoIRL.
