A/N: Sorry for any grammar mistakes/omissions in the previous chapters. Apparently I'm really bad at proof-reading and, well, English isn't my first language either. I'll be doing my best to fix all of them though :)


Chapter 3

ASUNA POV

I make my way to the girls' locker room to change into my P.E outfit while daydreaming about the new boy, Kirigaya Kazuto.

I've never felt this way before. Why does my mind keep racing back to some random guy I just met?

I mean, sure, he was admittedly ok-looking. Alright, maybe a bit more than that, but still. I've seen good-looking dudes before and I haven't felt anything. So what is it about him that makes me nervous around him? Why does he make my heart skip a beat?

Maybe he's not so random..

This is awful.. I'm gonna become one of those many girls that has a hopeless, unrequited crush- woah hold up there Asuna! Crush!? You've only just met!

''Earth to Asuna?'' my thoughts are stopped by my best friend Lis flicking my arm.

''W-what's up Lis?'' I say, flustered as I had been caught daydreaming.

''How was showing the new hottie around school? Anything interesting happen?'' she asks with a wicked grin on her face .

My mind instantly starts racing back to the moment he was holding my hand and I was lost in his eyes, making my entire face turn bright red .

''N-n-not anything notable? Why do you ask?'' I say , obviously flustered .

''Is that so? Because you seem quite distracted'' she says with a wide toothy smile , easily seeing through me. She was holding back her laughter. I swear the teasing never stops with her around..

''I-I'm not, drop it Lis'' I say, trying to sound as annoyed as possible, but my blush still evident in my cheeks .

''Hmm, fine, I guess I'll let you off the hook for now'' she winks, basically letting me know she's going to tease me sooner or later .

We make our way towards our assembly where we are met with the guys in our class who've also changed into their gym wear.

My eyes search for Kirigaya-kun and when I spot him, I see him talking with two girls, who I assume are underclassmen since I don't know them. I'm guessing he's entertaining them quite a bit since they are giggling, a lot. One of them is wrapped around his arm. He's sporting the same perfect smile he always is. For some reason, my heart sinks. I didn't like seeing that.

''Oi, Yuuki, wanna join us girls for some basketball? We're missing one player!''

Perfect, a chance to blow off some steam.

''Coming!''

I head to the basketball court inside the gym.

I'm feeling really frustrated right now. I'm going to play super aggressive this game and I don't even think any of the girls in my class are in the basketball club . I'm definitely winning this.

It's half a minute till the end of the match and I'm by far the top scorer on our team. Despite that, we're still tied because one of the girls on the opposing team was better than I thought. The ball is in our possession though. I run down the court, pass through four of the girls on the opposing team when I'm met with their best player. I'm in a bad position so I pass the ball to Lis, who is free to shoot. She does but misses.

I'm further away from the hoop and the rebound seems impossible. But I'm kind of mad. I jump and collide with the girl, managing to barely grab the ball in time, but lose my balance in the process.

On my descent, I twist my ankle and drop to the floor. I wince in pain. I open my eyes and realize that the girl that jumped for the ball has lost her balance too.

Damn it, I can't dodge out of the way because of my ankle!

A soon as she crashes into me, a loud thump is heard across the gym and the back of my head hits the floor. God that hurts. I can barely keep my eyes open. Everything around me is blurry and I think I'm slowly losing consciousness.

'Oh my god, I'm so sorry, Yuuki-san , are you okay!?'

'Asuna!'

'Where is Kiyoshi-sensei? We need to get her to the nurse's office immediately!'

I can hear some faint voices but I'm in no state to be able to get up. A few minutes later, I can feel myself being carried, but when I open my eyes my vision is too foggy and I can't help but lose consciousness.

KIRIGAYA KAZUTO POV

I was spacing out the entire day today so I thought going for a run during P.E was more than appropriate. I needed to clear my head. I couldn't get my mind off of the chestnut-haired girl that showed me around this morning.

It's not like I have a lot of experience with girls or anything but I could tell the effect she had on me was unique. I mean, I've never gotten nervous just from being around a girl before and I usually have no trouble talking to one. My mind was constantly racing back to our lunch today.

I'm usually pretty cautious of people I don't know, but I told her a lot about myself in a matter of minutes. I even told her that I have no memories of the time I was trapped in SAO, something I've only entrusted to my aunt and Sugu. She just seemed so apologetic when asking me about it, I wouldn't want to make her feel bad .

It felt like all my walls were breaking down around her.

I wonder where she is..

I've been running for a while so I excuse myself to catch a break. I aimlessly wonder around while I'm in thought but I hear loud voices coming from the gym and decide to check it out.

Once I'm inside, I see Asuna collapsed on the ground. I panic and start running towards the crowd surrounding her.

''What the hell happened? Is she okay?'' I shout as I approach .

''There was an accident, she hit her head.. I'm not sure if she's okay. Kirigaya-kun, do you know where Kiyoshi-sensei is?'' asks a girl from my class .

''No, I don't, why?'' I answer quickly.

''She's probably unconscious, we need to someone get her to the nurse's office as soon as possible!'' another girls says .

I walk up to Asuna and kneel beside her swiftly.

''You're gonna be okay, Asuna''

I put one of my hands under her back and one under her legs and pick her up bridal-style. I can feel her trying to stay conscious.

''Stay with me, alright?'' I say, trying to be as reassuring as possible, although I'm not sure whether she heard me or not.

'Ah, I want Kirigaya-kun to pick me up that way too!'

'So bold! Do you think they're dating?'

I brush aside some.. uncomfortable comments and start walking as quickly as I can outside of the gym. I try to recall where Asuna told me the nurse's office was while power walking my way towards the school building. Soon enough, I'm met with the school's main hallway and I know exactly how to make my way towards the nurse's office as fast as possible.

A bit later, I find the room and go inside, where I'm greeted by Shinomiya-sensei, the school's nurse.

''What happened?'' she asks while looking at Asuna in my arms.

''She was in some sort of accident and hit her head. I think she's lost consciousness''

''Lay her down on the bed for me, will you?''

I do exactly as I'm told and she starts examining what I assume would be her airway, breathing and pulse. After a minute or so, she turns back and speaks.

''She'll be fine, it's just a minor concussion. She should recover in a few hours. I'm certain there won't be any long-term symptoms either. For now, all she needs is to stay put and sleep in order to rest. Her ankle will be fine too, she'll just have a little trouble walking today''

I smile, feeling very relieved that's she going to be okay. Sensei smiles back.

''I didn't catch your name?''

''Oh, um, Kirigaya Kazuto'' I say , as I realize I never introduced myself because I was in a hurry.

''Oh, so you're the new student I heard about. Thank you for bringing her here, Kirigaya-kun'' She says, smiling, as she heads towards the door .

''I'll be leaving her in your hands now, I have some business to attend to. I'm sure there's no need to tell you, but you two shouldn't do anything inappropriate while I'm gone , okay?'' she says while winking at me, making my face fully flushed with red. She laughs at my response as she opens the door and walks off.

I suddenly am very self-conscious of the fact that I'm in a room alone with Asuna, which makes me extremely nervous. I turn around to look back at Asuna's face and my mind races back to earlier today, where she was cupping my cheek and was looking at me intensely.

D-damn that nurse , putting ideas in my head! I quickly try to shake off my weird thoughts and take a seat on the carpeted floor, my back leaning against the bed.

ASUNA POV

I slowly open my eyes when I'm met with an unfamiliar ceiling. Where am I?

I'm confident that I'm laying on a bed from the heavenly sensation I feel in my back. What happened? Oh , that's right. I was playing basketball. A girl fell on top of me and after that I was unconscious. I look around with my head resting on a pillow and I realize I'm in the nurse's office.

I remember slightly opening my eyes when I was being carried by someone with black hair but my vision wasn't clear. Wait .. no way, right?

I slowly lift my back from the bed, still sitting on it and I scan the room. Sure enough, there he is. Kirigaya-kun, sitting on the floor, his eyes closed while his back is leaning against the bed. I'm guessing he's asleep.. How long has been here? I look at the clock that's placed on the wall. It had been 6 hours since P.E class had started.

He's actually been here the whole time? My chest tightens. I wonder why I'm so emotional when it comes to him..

I look back at Kirigaya-kun and I stare at his face. I have to admit, he has a really cute sleeping face. He normally seems bold and confident when speaking, but he looks surprisingly naïve now that he's asleep. It makes sense that he's younger.

I study his face and my gaze falls on his lips. Those perfectly-shaped li- wait , no no no - get a grip on yourself, Asuna! What the hell are you thinking!? I feel my face burning from embarrassment at this point.

I don't understand why, but I get a sudden urge to touch him. I slowly crawl towards him, making sure not to wake him up until I'm right behind him. Once I'm close enough , I notice his messy hair and I realize I'd like to find out what it feels like. A little touch won't hurt , right? I take my hand and place it on his hair, slightly ruffling it .

Unfortunately for me, Kirigaya-kun's eyes swing right open and and he jerks his body forward.

My hand, which had been resting on his head falls towards the ground and he looks at me with wide eyes. I slip off the bed and brace myself for the impact.

''Asuna!''

Right as I'm about to hit the floor, Kirigaya-kun manages to swiftly grip onto my wrists and I fall on top of him. I'm currently sitting right above him, his hands gripped onto my wrists and our faces exceedingly close to one another. I'm blushing extremely hard and I'm pretty sure he is too. If he were to release his grip on my wrists , my lips would definitely fall on his.

I can't help but be lost in the moment, wondering what his lips would feel like on mine. I'm slowly inching my face closer while continuing to stare at him, completely dumbfounded by what's happening.

''Are you okay , Asuna?'' he says with a husky voice, and I'm able to feel his minty breath on me.

I'm quickly brought back to reality and realize what I'd been doing. I quickly force myself off of him and look away in embarrassment. Is it just me or is it way too hot in here ?

''Y-yes, I'm feeling just fine'' I say as I turn and face him, still flushed .

''Really ? That's great'' he says with a smile on his face, genuinely relieved .

My heart starts beating awfully fast.

''K-Kirigaya-kun , thank you''

''What for?'' he asks , seemingly curious.

''Y-you know, carrying me all the way here'' I say, blushing.

''O-Of course, you're always welcome'' He says, slightly embarrassed, with his hand on the back of his neck.

''And, a-also looking after me while I was asleep'' I add, my face probably looking like a tomato by now.

''O-oh, um, don't mention it'' he says , now blushing as well . ''Anyone would do the same'' he quotes me, with a smile on his face, and I can feels my knees weakening from it . ''Do you need any more rest ?'' he asks, his eyes showing concern.

''No, I'm okay. I think I'll head home now, it's getting pretty late''

''Alright, we should go change into our uniforms and pick our stuff up from the classroom''

We both get changed and meet in the classroom to pack our bags and leave. We walk outside of the school building in a comfortable silence until my sprained ankle starts to hurt a little again, making me hiss in pain but I reassure Kirigaya-kun that I can deal with it. He stops to examine it.

''Do you live far away from here, Asuna? Can you contact anyone to come and pick you up? It's better not to be walking right now''

''My parents are still at work.. My house is 30 minutes from here, I can walk for that long''

''Hm, it's getting a little dark out. At least let me walk you there''

''I-It's fine, Kirigaya-kun, you've already done plenty, I wouldn't want to bother you anymore'' I say, although in all honesty I would love to spend some more time with him..

''You're not bothering me one bit, Asuna. I want to take you home. Anyhow, I would hate if anything happened to you in your current state'' he answers, making my heart flutter.

''O-Okay..''

We start walking and he matches his pace with mine, since I'm walking a little slower due to my sprained ankle. Butterflies are erupting in my stomach through out the entire way there as I'm lost in thought. I've never felt like this before..

He seemed different than anyone I've ever met. From the first moment I met him in the hallway, something had welled up inside me that I couldn't quite describe. I sound really cheesy right now , don't I?

But I couldn't help it. Today proved that he was very kind and he was cute on top of it. But it felt like there was more to it, like there was a deeper connection although I couldn't understand why I felt that way. Maybe I was just overthinking it.. but I wondered if, maybe, he felt that way too..

After around 25 minutes of walking, I stopped because the pain in my ankle was getting worse. I tried to convince Kirigaya-kun that I could keep going.

''No, Asuna, you're not walking anymore'' he says, rather assertively. He then stepped in front of me, turned around and arched his back and extended his hands, motioning me to get on his back so he can give me a piggyback ride.

''Get on''

''B-but , that's a little embarrassing.. You don't have to go out of your way for me this much''

''No complaining, Asuna, get up''

To be honest, I quite liked this forceful side of him. I got on his back and I was surprised my how wide and toned it was. My face was heating up like crazy, which I'm pretty sure he could feel..

After around 5 more minutes, we reached my neighbourhood.

''That is it'' I say, pointing towards my house which was just around the corner .

''Wow, that's a really nice house'' he says, surprised by its size, as he starts walking towards it.

''Well, thanks, but it doesn't have a very homey atmosphere if I'm being honest'' I say, which was true, because me and my parents weren't together much because of their strict schedules. My older brother was constantly overseas too.

''I see'' he says , understanding not to press the topic further which I was grateful for.

We reach the entrance of my house, and he carefully lets me down from his back. To be honest, I felt a little regretful that he did. I would stay there much longer if I actually could..

''I seriously can't thank you enough for today, Kirigaya-kun. For helping me out and bringing me all the way home..''

''No need to thank me, Asuna. You helped me out as well''

''Well, I don't think showing you around school compares to everything you did for me today.. Your house isn't too far away from here, is it ?''

''No, it's pretty close from here, don't worry'' he says , slightly shifting his head to avoid eye contact.

Something tells me he's not being completely honest but I don't want to doubt him for no reason..

''Hmm.. Okay. In any case, I really hope I can somehow repay you one day''

He is ready to say something, but hesitates. He takes a deep breath and speaks.

''T-then, do you mind calling me by my first name as well?'' he says , taking me by surprise.

''Of course'' I say with a smile, as I turn around to open my door. ''I'll see you tomorrow , Kazuto-kun'' I say, turning around to wave at him.

''See you tomorrow, Asuna'' he says , walking away as he waves back with the same perfect smile on his face.

KIRIGAYA KAZUTO POV

Throughout the entire way toward Asuna's house, I was daydreaming about the girl walking beside me. She felt so special to me for reasons I didn't understand. Sure , she was very pretty, and she was a real sweetheart on top of it. I'm certain that was part of it.

But there was something there, that I couldn't quite grasp, something that almost compelled me to be protective of her. When she was in pain or having trouble, I couldn't help but feel like I needed to help her.

And back at the nurse's office, it took everything in me to stop myself from pressing my lips on hers. She was just .. addicting.

What a crazy day it was..


A/N : And there you go! Hope you enjoyed this chapter!

I'd like to take some time to thank those of you who reviewed.

reader : Hello! I just binged the first three chapters and I love it so far. The plot is captivating. I'm pretty excited to read how they fall in love again - I wouldn't be surprised if there's some jealousy/competition with Kirito and Asian being so popular. Hahaha Great chapters so far! I like the mix of POVs from Kirito and Asuna. Although, I honestly think any POV is fine as long as it's consistent throughout the story! Whatever you write in whatever point of view will be awesome :)

First of all, thank you so much for being the first person to review this story. Sadly, I couldn't PM you because of the use of a guest account. But your review legitimately made my entire day. I'm really glad you're enjoying the story and the plot. Also , you were right about the jealousy as you can tell from this chapter , haha! I think I'll be taking your advice and stick with this style of POV.

cosmicblader12: Love this so far! Looking forward to the next chapter!

I'd like to thank you so much for your review as well, even though I've already PM'd you.

Till next time! -Syth