A/N : I'd like to start by saying that this story will definitely have a lot of Kirito-Asuna fluff in the following chapters, so look forward to it!
CHAPTER 1
KIRIGAYA KAZUTO POV
Alright, let me catch you up to speed. Apparently, me and another 9,999 people were trapped inside the VRMMORPG, Sword Art Online. Yet I don't remember a single thing. To make matters even worse, I'm apparently the only one that doesn't.
Another 6,146 people managed to survive this game, where death inside it meant death in the real world, and they all have some form of memory of what happened to them inside the game, either somewhat blurry or clear. I remember putting on the Nervegear two years ago, but I can't seem to recall anything about what happened inside the game itself.
Every time I try to remember something, my head aches like hell. The worst part is that I've got this lingering pain in my chest, that I'm forgetting something, or someone , extremely important.
Before being trapped in the game, I was doing kendo with my cousin, Sugu, and the year I put the Nervegear on, I had just won the japanese Nationals in kendo. It was a big deal for seemingly everyone, except myself .
Kendo was something my strict grandfather had passed onto me, not a passion of mine to be honest. But I was good at it, so I figured why not keep going. The weirdest part was, after being freed from the death game, I had gotten even better. My reactions were faster, sharper. My posture had changed drastically but it felt way smoother, and very well-adjusted to combat. And the results showed.
My cousin, Sugu, was almost as good as me before I was trapped inside the death game, but now there was somewhat a clear difference in skill in my favor, despite not having practiced for so long, which was something I couldn't really explain. I had done rehab for a few months now and my body was finally in perfect shape.
Most SAO victims had already started attending school normally, but I wasn't. My body had sustained more damage then what was normally the case, as if I had died and come back to life, and I've missed 2 months of lessons thus far. I've studied on my own though, and today I'm taking the entrance exams for the school. I've been told it's not particularly hard, although that's to be expected because the game's victims had two entire years of catching up to do.
I put my Shinai down (wooden sword for practicing kendo) and put my school uniform on . Entrance exams, here I come.
ASUNA POV
It's been two months since I've started attending school for SAO's victims. I've been doing rehab ever since I've woken up, and I'm finally able to attend P.E classes normally. To be honest, these past two months have been pretty lonely for some reason. I've finally returned to my family and despite how strict they may be, I couldn't ever deny how much I missed them, living inside the game for two entire years and all.
I've also got my friends from SAO with me, namely Lisbeth (AKA Shinozaki Rika) and Silica-chan (AKA Ayano Keiko).
But despite the friends I made in the game , there's this feeling I can't quite put my hand on , this hole in my chest that's void and can't be filled. I've shaken it off so far as paranoia due to the death game we had been in for so long. I consulted our school counselors, who function more as therapists in this school because of the horrible experience the students have been put through, and they agreed paranoia was a highly probable scenario.
''Neh, Asuna'' My thoughts are stopped by a certain brunette poking my cheek, who also happens to be my best friend, Rika .
''What is it, Lis?''
''Did you know there's a new student coming to our school this week?''
''No, how come?''
''Apparently his body's condition was worse than normal and had to wait a little while longer to attend. He's a year younger than us, but apparently he's really good-looking . In fact you may have seen him before.''
''How so?''
''He won Nationals 2 and a half years ago in Kendo, his name was, if I recall correctly, Kirigaya Kazuto.''
''Can't say I've heard that name before. Not much of a kendo fan to be honest.''
''You have no interest in any guy, as per usual, Asuna. You sure you're straight?'' Rika says with a familiar smirk .
THIRD-PERSON POV
Asuna's eyes go wide and her cheeks are flushed .
''YES I'M STRAIGHT LIS, STOP SAYING EMBARRASSING THINGS ALL THE TIME!'' She says , cheeks still red .
''I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it's just so fun to tease you Asuna'' Says Lis, having burst out laughing from her best friend's reaction .
''Mohh, Lis !''
''Although I have to admit, it is weird that you are not interested in guys at all Asuna. A bunch of male students here practically worship you but you never give them the time of day!''
''I'm just not interested in any of them.. What am I supposed to do? I don't even know most of their names..''
''Mhm, is little Asuna waiting for her prince charming by any chance?'' says Lis, trying to provoke a reaction out of her .
What Lis doesn't know is that Asuna thinks she already has experienced her first romance, but just can't bring herself to remember. This weird feeling in her chest every time she tries to remember, but can't seem to be able to .
''Neh, Lis . What do you think of the Discipline Committee?'' Asuna says changing the subject, as their previous conversation has a lot of students turned to face them, interested in their topic, making Asuna quite uncomfortable.
''Mm, I think it's necessary in this school to be honest.''
The Discipline Committee is a committee made up of the most physically capable students who attend this school. Because of the overwhelming amount of ''Red players'' in the game itself, people who voluntarily PK'd others, knowing full well that they die in real life too, an idea of a Discipline Committee was proposed and acknowledged in this school.
Some red players are bound to be attending this school, as most of them wore masks or didn't reveal their face inside the game, and obviously didn't admit to being red players when asked in real life, because there'd be consequences. Therefore, 'red players', violent people , are bound to be attending this school.
The Discipline Committee is tasked with protecting order in this school and punishing students who resort to violence. Of course, this isn't limited to red players, but they were what you would call the 'incentive' for the creation of said committee.
''Why, Asuna, are you thinking of applying?'' Lis asked curiously.
''Mmm, I don't really think so. You need to be pretty strong to be a part of the Discipline Committee, you know. I'm pretty sure they only accept martial arts users or other well-trained people, and of course your record has to be completely clean too. No criminal acts either. NOT that I have any or anything.'' Asuna added a bit loudly, worried by her phrasing.
''Of course I know that Asuna , hahaha'' Lis laughing out loud at how easy it was for her chestnut-haired friend to get embarrassed.
''Moh, let's go eat lunch with Silica-chan already. Lunch break is gonna end soon.''
''Fine..'' says Lis , running out of the classroom .
As soon as they pick up Keiko from her classroom, the three girls hear what seemed like cat whistles and loud whispers in the main hallway .
'That boy is pretty cute , right?'
'I know , who is he?'
'Which class is he in?'
'Do you think he's available?'
As soon as Asuna and her two friends step into the hallway, a certain raven-haired boy appears a few meters in front of them. The boy has his eyes closed and his right hand in the back of his neck, sighing, quite obviously a little troubled by the attention he's getting. Asuna looks up at the boy, whose eyes are now open and, dare she say it, now glued to her own eyes. Asuna's eyes are wide and as he passes by them, they both continue looking at each other for another second or two, cheeks slightly painted by a tint of red. The boy finally turns around to start looking in front of him and Asuna stares for another second at his back, thinking.
'Who is that? What is this feeling in my chest, this weird, nostalgic feeling' Asuna thinks to herself .
Her thoughts are quickly cut off by a fangirling Lisbeth and Silica who are ogling the boy that just passed them.
''Who was that just now, Asuna?'' Asuna turns around and is met with a Rika with wide-eyes and a smile which reached all the way to her cheeks.
''He was so cute! And I'm pretty sure he was looking this way, right?'' joins Keiko whose cheeks were a little flushed.
''I-I don't know who he is ..'' answered Asuna, blushing very hard at this point. Or why he was looking at.. me.
''Wait a second, could that be the new student I was telling you about? Kirigaya Kazuto, his name was, right?'' says Liz .
''K-Kirigaya Kazuto!? The kendo Nationals winner is gonna be a student at our school?'' asks Silica , stunned by the revelation .
''T-that could be him, who knows'' says Asuna , trying not to sound too interested , with her heart slightly fluttering, even though she would never admit it to her friends .
'Kirigaya Kazuto-kun , huh?' Asuna wonders to herself, butterflies erupting in her stomach.
KIRAGAYA KAZUTO POV
'Who was that girl?' I think to myself as I continue walking down the hallway. That chestnut-colored hair, those hazel eyes that I couldn't get my eyes off of, those eyes that looked all too familiar for having just seen them for the first time. A flashback appears in my head of a chestnut-haired girl in front of a lake but I immediately start having a headache, unable to continue thinking about it.
'What is this feeling in my chest right now? This urging feeling to go and touch her' I mentally slap myself as soon as I think that.
'Pull yourself together Kazuto! You've never even met the girl before, what creepy things are you thinking about!' and with that I try to stop thinking about it as I head outside of the school.
2 HOURS LATER
I had just finished taking the entrance exams, which, admittedly, were a little way too easy, and started heading back home. Now all I had to do was wait till tomorrow to see if I was accepted and which class I'd be assigned to.
To be honest, the attention today was a little overwhelming, and I'm not really good with people, so I'm already feeling quite drained despite it being my first, although unofficial, day in school. After all , I was in a sensei's office taking the exams the majority of the time and didn't really talk to anyone other than a really nice teacher named Aki Natsuki. She was an interesting person, could tell that I'd have fun if she were my homeroom teacher.
She told me about the Discipline Committee, and it did indeed sound really interesting. I could be of use, protect someone from harm's way with the authority granted by the school itself.
My mind starts racing back to the chestnut-haired girl I saw this morning, with a familiar pain in my chest.
'Just who are you?'
A/N : Hope you enjoyed the first chapter . This is my first fanfiction ever and I'm having quite some fun writing this so far.
The idea of a Discipline Committee was heavily influenced by Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei (The Irregular at Magic High School) so it's somewhat similar . Of course there's no magic involved , but overall they have the same purpose.
As for Aki Natsuki , she's the nurse that takes care of Kirito in the anime, but she's a teacher in this story. Makes imagining her a little easier. -Syth
