Sword Art Online

After The Incident

Chapter 41 – Recon Takes The Step

~Kirigaya Residence, Suguha's POV~

"Kazuto! Kazuto! It's morning! Wake up already!"

I grew extremely impatient at my older brother, who either didn't or wouldn't hear my knocks at his door that morning. And here I had prepared breakfast and everything for him. Oh well, I'll just leave it at the door and he can eat it cold.

So that's what I did, the steam still rising off the plate.

I decided to take a short shower and brush my teeth, before eating my breakfast and walking upstairs to my bedroom, finding my Amusphere from my shelf.

I sighed quietly and laid down on my bed, about to dive back into ALO. I had promised Recon to meet up with him that afternoon, and I didn't want to seem like a backstabber, though I would rather watch the new season of The Walking Dead on TV. It was incredible for how many years that series had managed to rack up, and even though it was getting kind of repetitive, it was still a really cool series for me to watch.

Though, Recon was of a bigger importance right now. He said it was urgent, so I thought maybe the Salamanders had made a move in the ALO war again.

So as fast I could I put on my Amusphere and logged in, going through the same process as always, before I felt my virtual body take form, and spawn into the main Sylph Capital. I barely had time to write a message to Recon that I had arrived, before he appeared in the crowd a little further down the street.

"Leafa! Over here!" He yelled childishly.

A few other players looked his way. I wasn't sure whether I found his childish display really embarrassing for me, or really cute. Wait, cute!? What the hell was I even thinking!?

As I shook that thought off with a shake of my head, I waved back at him with a sly smile.

"Hey, Recon" I said in a normal tone as he reached me "You do know you could have addressed me in a less childish tone, right?"

"huh? What do you mean?"

"Nevermind. Anyway, what do you want? The Walking Dead is on, you know"

"I know, I know." He mumbled "We've watched every season together, you know? Anyway, I've started a recording at my place, so we always watch it together later this week."

"Sounds like a plan at least." I mumbled with a sigh "Anyway, you didn't really answer my question."

"Oh, right!" he yelped as he realized his mistake. "I have something very important to ask you!"

"And you couldn't have asked me in person or over the phone because…?"

"Well…" Suddenly, a red hue appeared across his face. I didn't like the direction this conversation was heading "It's a really important question, and since ALO means a lot to the both of us, I felt like it would be the best place to ask you."

"Huh? I have no idea what you're talking about Recon." I mumbled, sincerely having no idea.

"Anyway, just follow me to the tower highpoint" He mumbled, seemingly getting nervous "You know, the point that makes sure you get as far as possible when flying?"

"Yes, I'm well aware of that spot, Recon" I mumbled, getting a little annoyed "I use that tower everyday on missions you know?"

"Could you stop with the sass, and just come along!?"

I widened my eyes a little at his attitude as he grabbed my wrist and pulled me along through the crowd. It didn't seem like him to be bossy, but to be honest, I preferred it over his indecisive and whiny self, which he used to be in the game.

As we finally reached the top of the flight tower, I watched as Recon took a few steps close to the edge of the tower, looking over the plains surrounding the capital of Sylvein with a solemn but nervous look on his face. I was used to him being nervous and flimsy around me, but this level of nervousness was something I had never experienced before, and it was making me quite nervous as well.

He took a deep breath and swallowed his fear, before turning back towards me, a determined expression upon his face.

"Leafa… No… Kirigaya Suguha…" He said sternly, before he bowed "P-Please, go out on a date with me!"

As he stood there, waiting for my answer, I couldn't help but widen my eyes and put a hand over my mouth in surprise. I knew that he had had a crush on me since forever, that much was obvious, since he never acted as nervous or shy around anyone other than me, but I had never actually believed he would work up the courage to ask me out.

I couldn't help but feel a bit happy though as well. This guy had always tried to do his best in anything he'd do. Sure he would be clumsy, mess up a lot, and say things at the wrong time and the wrong place, but he had always been working hard to meet everyone's expectations, including my own.

The feelings that welled up inside me took me back in time in a flashback, to the first day that Recon played ALO. He had tried so hard to impress me, show off what he could do. But he had been too eager, and he was quickly overwhelmed and killed by one of the simplest mobs in the game. Of course the system was taking it easy on him since he was new and the enemy wasn't that strong, but his confidence has still taken a huge blow, and he had been unsure and nervous ever since.

I wasn't quite sure whether or not I could go as far to call him traumatized by the whole ordeal, but he had certainly been marked by it.

I almost felt bad for never really considering that when we were playing the game, and I bit my finger a little as I considered his proposal of a date.

"W-Well… Uhm… Geez, don't put me on the spot like this!" I yelled at him, completely and udder embarrassed.

"H-How else was I supposed to ask you out!?" he retaliated "Asking you over the phone or text seemed like a coward's way of doing it… I would rather do it while actually seeing you face to face…"

I widened my eyes quietly and looked at him in shock. Even before he had that first day of gaming in ALO, he had seemed like a pretty whimsy guy, so the fact that he stood up and actually admitted something like that was a surprise to me, maybe even to himself.

"I-Idiot…"

I mumbled silently and crossed my arms as I pulled my gaze away from him, still considering his question.

"Well, I'm not exactly looking for a boyfriend, but…" I mumbled, nervous and shy from approaching such an embarrassing topic "But sure, I can go on a date with you. Just this once"

I could almost swear that I could see how his eyes lit up from excitement in the corner of my eyes as the both of us turned bright red.

"A-Awesome! M-Meet me in the town square tomorrow evening, 8 o´clock, okay?" He said with an excited and childish smile, before he dashed into the crowd and disappeared.

I blushed quietly as the realization of what I had just accepted only now seemed to sink in. I was going to go on a date, with Recon of all people. I had no idea why he even had a crush on me in the first place. Outsiders would think of us as complete opposites, and even I knew that this was actually true.

He seemed to me like he was the basic gamer/nerd type of guy, who would rather stay in his own room instead of making an effort to go out and hang out. Me on the other hand made a great deal out of seeing my friends as much as possible, and often took Recon with me if I met up with the others just to show him how fun it could be to actually breathe fresh air.

Of course that didn't mean I spited him for that, no. I actually found his shy and nervous side a little cute to be honest, though in-game I would much rather that he was forceful and aggressive, since the Sylph's didn't have as much use of a wimp as of a muscle man.

"Wait, why am I thinking about him that way!?" I mumbled shocked to myself as I slapped both my cheeks lightly to put some sense back in my head.

I shook my head and sighed, putting my hands on my hips.

"I appreciate him wanting to make an effort of asking me out, but…" I mumbled as I rubbed my arm "This is so much more embarrassing…"

And with that, I logged out, deciding to get ready for the following evening the next day.

~The following evening~

I sighed quietly and checked my wristwatch again. It was 7.55 now. If I had left five minutes ago, I wouldn't be in such a hurry. I huffed quietly at my own stupidity and trudged forward in a fast tempo, not wanting to make Shinichi wait for me.

It was weird. Now that I thought about him, I realized that ever since I had logged out of ALO yesterday, I had thought of him as Shinichi, and not Recon. I found it strange how used I was to use his two names.

Though I also thought that maybe he was pretty different when he was online. He seemed almost desperate to prove a point, prove his worth, prove to me and his other peers that he wasn't just wasted space. I didn't know where it came from, but for some reason his fear of a bad performance was so intense that it affected him in battle.

Though, out here in the real world, he would act only as himself. Maybe he was still a little nervous around his friends and me, but he would still not seem like he was trying to impress anyone at all, especially around me. He would just turn back to the friendly and happy boy that he used to be.

I shook my head to clear it of thoughts, frowning quietly as I tried to get to the town square in time. I soon arrived and began searching for his signature brown hair and trench coat. Though I quickly spun around when I felt a slight tap on my shoulder. Expecting to see Shinichi standing there, I smiled as I turned around, but that smile quickly turned to a sour pout.

"What do you want, Kazuto?" I mumbled as he grinned at me smugly.

"I thought you said you were going to the library" He said as he began circling around me like a predator "Hmm, I wonder how your mother is going to think of our little… predicament?"

Ah great. I guess this is revenge for what I put him through yesterday, before his date with Asuna. I had to do something fast, or I wouldn't hear the end of Kazuto's blackmailing.

"I'm just headed through he-!"

"She's on a date! With me!"

I spun around a second time, to see Shinichi stand right behind me with a nervous but brave expression on his face. He frowned quietly and his lower lip quivered a little as the taller and even a bit more muscular silhouette of my older brother approached him slowly.

"With you, huh?" He said with a smirk as he stepped forward to him "And what makes you think I will accept you as her boyfriend huh?"

"Kazuto!"

I stared at him in shock and a bit of embarrassed anger. How dared he do something like that!?

"Calm down, little sis" He said with a teaseful snicker as he looked at me over his shoulder "It's a big brother's job to inspect her Boyfriend before they go on their first date. Wouldn't want to see you hurt, right?"

"Kazuto, stop!" I squealed in embarrassment "He's not my boyfriend! At least…. Not yet…"

I couldn't help but let the last words slip out of my mouth in fear of hurting Shinichi's feelings, and this only seemed to lay fuel to Kazuto's fire.

"Alright champ, tell me a bit about yourself" Kazuto said as he looked back at Shinichi "I wouldn't want to let my sister go, without knowing her partner"

All the while as Shinichi tried to talk for himself and the reason he had asked me out, I could feel the embarrassment burn in my face. When Kazuto finally had heard enough and gave Shinichi his apparently obligatory blessing to let him date me, he smiled and waved before going his merry way and disappear in the evening crowd of the town square.

I pouted a bit as I followed him with my eyes as far as I could until he was out of sight, drawing a relieved sigh as he finally disappeared.

"Man, he's such an asshat" I mumbled quietly before turning to Shinichi "Sorry, he tends to be pretty teaseful"

"I find him more like a showoff" He mumbled with a small pout before his expression loosened to a smile "But I think I would put my little sister through the same if it was me, just for shits and giggles"

"Yeah, maybe" I couldn't help but admit that as I giggled "Anyway, we're not supposed to focus on him, but focus on having a good time, right?"

"Oh uhm, yeah you're right" he said as his tense body relaxed as well "I have a whole lot planned for us"

"Now that you mention it, what ARE we going to do, tonight?" I asked curiously as he smiled and approached me to stand by my side "you didn't really tell me…"

"Oh, sorry about that" He said with an embarrassed chuckle "I guess I was so excited that you said yes that I completely forgot to tell you"

He chuckled quietly and put out his arm, offering me to wrap my hands around it. I hesitated at first but nodded quietly to myself and took it, before he lead me through the crowd with a smile.

"What a gentleman, you are today" I mumbled as I looked over at him "You're not nearly as awkward as usual"

"W-Well, I believe I should pull myself together today" he mumbled with a sly smile "I can't stay nervous and uncertain forever. And now that I know that I had the guts to ask you out… Well, I think I should change, you know?"

I looked at him surprised. He really was completely opposite today. I squeezed his arm a little as we walked through the busy street.

"You don't have to change, you know?"

"Huh?"

He looked at me with a surprised expression. I guess hadn't expected me to say something like that, but despite his surprised expression and my nervous blush, I continued what I was going to say.

"You don't have to change. I like Shinichi as he is. He doesn't need to be either determined or strong. He doesn't have to prove anything to me. He can be himself just as he'd like"

I could see a nervous blush run across his cheeks, and he looked away.

'Great, I embarrassed him' I thought to myself 'He sucks at dealing with embarrassment. Not that I can talk'

Though when he looked back at me, a smile was still on his lips, and he nodded quietly.

"Thank you Suguha… I will try, okay?"

I blushed lightly and smiled as I nodded back at him.

"Now, where are we going again?"

"Oh, right! There's a really cool movie theater right down this sidestreet…"

~A couple of hours later~

I smiled quietly and leaned my head on Shinichi's shoulder as he lead me through the street. He had led me to a cute little movie theater, hidden away in-between two large buildings on the main street. It was a place I had never heard of, but it was stylish and comfortable so I didn't complain.

He had bought as much candy for the two of us as he could carry (or afford), and we had had a wonderful time watching the most romantic rom-com movie I had ever seen. It was not something I spent much time on normally, but this one was certainly worth what we had spent.

And now, Shinichi was escorting me back to my place, like a true gentleman. I had never realized he was so gentle with people he cared for, but it was certainly not a quality I had anything against.

When we finally arrived at the front door to my house, it was late evening, and the stars was twinkling silently as the night had laid as a carpet over the city. I smiled as Shinichi led me up on the porch to our house, and let go of his arm to turn towards him and smile.

"I had a really great time today, Suguha"

"Me too…"

I was so embarrassed that I could barely get myself to speak. When he smiled and turned around to leave, he threw a casual goodbye over his shoulders.

"I hope we can do it again sometime" He said with a smile "See you in ALO tomorrow?"

"You got it"

That was it. I couldn't say anything else. He began to walk and was almost out of sight when…

"Shinichi, wait"

I jogged after him and met him at the sidewalk by the road. He looked back at me confused, and before any of us said anything else, I quickly kissed his cheek.

"See you tomorrow"

And with this, I turned on my heel, and ran back inside.