A/N: Man, I'm just on a ROLL with this story! I love it!
Now, this chapter continues the four-part mini-arc chronicling Sachi's life in the months after she escaped SAO. It's a bit shorter than the previous chapter, and it has WAY less time-skips too. This should make the reading process a little more smoother. Oh, and I think you'll love the ending of this chapter too, just as much as I loved writing it all out! ;D
Alright, on with the chapter! ENJOY!
P.S.: For updates regarding progress on my writing and just life in general, please check out my profile! I try to update it as often as I possibly can with any status update!
P.P.S.: Due to the slowly improving situation regarding the coronavirus outbreak, I am going to have to remind you all about the basic steps you should take if you want to stay healthy, courtesy of my university's reminder emails:
-Wash hands often with soap and water for 20-30 seconds at a time, and/or use hand sanitizer
-Avoid close contact with people who are sick
-Keep your hands away from nose, eyes, and mouth (I can't imagine how difficult this part is probably going to be)
-Eat well, get adequate rest, and exercise regularly
-Get a flu shot if you haven't already and are able to
-Stay informed on the COVID-19 vaccines, get shots if you're able to, and try to get a booster shot if you're eligible
And if you ARE sick (I hope you get better if you are), please be a good sport and save other folks the trouble of getting sick. You can do this by:
-Covering your mouth and nose with your sleeve, elbow, or a tissue whenever you sneeze or cough
-Not sharing food and drinks with others
-Avoiding touching your mouth, nose, and eyes (Again, I understand this is probably going to be difficult)
-Avoiding close contact with others
-Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces and objects
-Staying at home if you're unwell (PRIORITY NUMBER ONE!)
-Staying calm and keeping yourself well-informed (My personal advice)
If you already know this, then great! If you didn't know any of this beforehand, please keep that information in mind as we all go through this trying time. It's a realm of unknowns at this point, and I wish myself and all of humanity well.
– December 21, 2023 –
Sekimoto Memorial Hospital
"It's alright, Sachi-chan. At least you know where to find Kirito."
Mari waved Aki goodbye for one last time before escorting Sachi out of the hospital. The teenager had her fair face hung low, refusing to meet anyone's gaze, not even Mari's. They just walked out of the building in silence, a gloomy, defeated aura hanging over them both. All the while, Mari was cautiously looking around, hoping nobody else had caught wind of the news that a survivor of the death game SAO was currently in their midst.
After a while, Sachi abruptly asked, "Mari, wh-what's an...an outlier...?"
Mari looked at her incredulously. "Huh? Wh-What's an outlier, you ask?"
"Mm-hm." The girl nodded sadly. "That's the second time I've been called that... I...I know I'm being insulted, but...I just don't know what it is..."
The nurse patted her shoulder consolingly. "Nothing good, Sachi-chan. That's all you need to know about that word. Just nothing good." She then squeezed the shoulder in an act of comfort. "Listen to me, sweetheart. The next time you hear that word from someone, you just think to yourself, 'I beat the one-in-two-fifty odds of surviving SAO. I'm stronger than this.' Repeat after me. I beat the one-in-two-fifty odds of surviving SAO. I'm stronger than this."
Sachi briefly puckered her lips in discomfort. Then, she decided to do so.
"I-I beat th-the one-in-t-two-fifty odds of surviving SAO. I'm stronger than this."
Mari beamed. "Yes! Now, say it again! Clearer this time!"
"I beat the one-in-two-fifty odds of surviving SAO. I'm stronger than this."
"Again! Say it like you mean it!"
"I-I beat th-the one-in-two-fifty odds of surviving SAO!" Sachi couldn't help but feel power surge through her heart with each word that flowed out of her mouth. "I-I'm stronger than this!"
"Again! Say it like you truly survived SAO!"
"I survived SAO! I-I survived SAO! I'm stronger than this!"
"Yes, you are! You're no outlier! You're a survivor!"
Sachi couldn't help but smile; she felt completely rejuvenated. She didn't care if anybody else was nearby and watching them, no matter how impressed or disapproving they might be at her display.
"I'm not an outlier!" she proclaimed. "I am a survivor! I survived SAO, and I'm stronger than this!"
"Yes! Yes! There you go, Sachi-chan!" Mari slung an arm over Sachi's shoulders and pulled her into a side-hug. "You've got this! You just keep thinking that, and no insult is ever gonna bring you down."
CHAPTER 2: MEDIAN
"Wait! Don't leave me behind, please!"
The dark-haired girl, aged five, ran through the forest, trying her best to avoid tripping on any roots protruding from the ground. The green blades of grass pricked her sandal-clad feet and ankles, making the act of running a tedious task for the child. The unobstructed golden Sun shone high, its light piercing through whatever clearings there were in the thick, lush canopy and being projected as warm, hopeful rays. But every time she ran past one of those rays, it felt more like a spotlight directly placed upon her, judgmental and discomforting.
This made her dash to reunite with her friends all the more urgent. It was like she was trying to survive.
"Keita!" the girl called, tears already welling up in the corners of her eyes. "Kota-nii! Wait for me!"
Joyful, childish laughter rang through the forest.
"You don't wanna be left behind, Sachi-chan?!" a voice called.
"Then you gotta catch up with us!" a second, younger voice added.
"Hurry up," warned the first voice, "or you'll be eatin' our dust!"
Sachi tried her best not to cry as she pressed onward. Even so, the forest only seemed to get thicker and darker as she continued along. The sunlight seemed to be receding, and the rays growing thinner, until finally, it seemed as if all of the darkness was right behind Sachi, pursuing her and threatening to eat her whole.
Eventually, the girl couldn't take it anymore. She stopped in the middle of a small clearing on the forest floor and hugged herself tightly in terror.
"Keiiiiitaaaaa!" she cried while looking around in desperation. "Kooota-niiiii! Where are you?! I'm so scared!"
"We're right here!"
Sachi blinked, and Keita and Kotaro were standing a few feet away from her. Separating her from them was a deep, dark ravine, rendered passable only by a fallen log that had moss coating its trunk. The girl hesitated to look over the ravine to see exactly how deep it was.
"Well?" Keita called. "Come on, Sachi-chan!"
"Cross!" added Kotaro. "But we're not gonna wait for you forever!"
"N-No!" Sachi squealed. "Pl-Pl-Please, guys! Come back!"
Kotaro teasingly stuck out his tongue. "Wooooow, lame. You're always such a scaredy-cat! Bleeeeeh!"
"You can't even cross a little log?!" Keita added while smugly crossing his arms.
Sachi eyed the ravine, her heartbeat increasing by the second. "B-B-Bu-But...th-th-the ravine, i-it's too deep!"
"But you're the one who survived SAO."
The girl squeaked in shock. "Wh-Wh...What...?"
"You heard me!" Keita's youthful smile was still in place as he glared at her judgmentally. "You survived SAO, didn't you? So crossing a little log should be child's play!"
"B-Bu-But-" began Sachi.
"Ahhh, forget her, Keita-chan," Kotaro interrupted. He took his younger brother's hand and began guiding him away from the ravine. "She only survived SAO because she ran away. She left you to die, after all."
"NO!" Sachi reached out to the two boys, but an unseen force held her back. "NO, I-I DIDN'T DO THAT, KEITA-KUN! PL-PLEASE DON'T LEAVE! KEITA-KUN! KOTARO-NIICHAN! DON'T LEAVE ME, PLEASE! I DON'T WANNA BE ALONE!"
But the two boys continued to fade into the distance, the darkness of the forest slowly consuming them. With chattering teeth, she looked at the log resting atop the ravine, her only hope of passage. Clenching her fists and swallowing all her fears, the girl climbed atop the log and started to slowly, carefully cross it. At first, she found that her apprehension was unfounded, since the log showed no signs of breaking.
Then, all of a sudden, the ravine started to widen, while the log itself started to narrow.
"AAAAAGH!"
Sachi immediately lost her footing and fell, only to save herself by wrapping her limbs around the thinning log. She held onto it for dear life, even as the gaping darkness continued to peer at her from below, waiting for her to fall into its jaws.
"KEITA-KUN!" she screamed. "KOTARO-NIICHAN! HELP ME! HELP MEEEEE!"
"Why?!" Kotaro's voice echoed tauntingly. "Just so you could run away when we're in danger?! When we need your help?!"
With a choked sob, Sachi closed her eyes and kept holding on, even as the log started to become the width of a vine.
"I'm sorry, Keita-kun! I'm so sorry! Please, j-just save me! PLEASE!"
But there was no longer any response. Then, the log dissipated into a shower of glowing, shard-like polygons, and Sachi felt herself falling for an eternity. She wanted to scream at the top of her lungs, but no sounds came out of her mouth. The sunlight retreated further and further away from her, until all she could see was pitch-black.
"KIIIIIRIIIIITOOOOOOOOOO!"
"KIIIIIRIIIIITOOOOOOOOOO!"
Sachi flew up from her bed, grasping and groping at empty air. At first, she continued to see nothing but the same pitch-black realm that had enveloped her. Then, there was a sudden explosion of light and color, and she covered her face with her forearm.
"OH MY, SACHI-CHAN!"
She felt a pair of hands on her shoulders, followed by the familiar, comforting voice of Mari.
"Sachi-chan! It's just a dream, sweetie! It's just a dream!"
– December 22, 2023 –
Ayano Residence, Asaka, Saitama Prefecture
Reality soon started to settle in for Sachi. She was desperately gasping for oxygen and drenched in cold sweat, like she had just emerged from a swimming pool. A sleepwear-clad Mari was now stroking her back and shoulders in an effort to assuage her and get her to relax her muscles. Her sleeping bag was still latched around one of her legs.
And then, the door to the guestroom burst open.
"We heard screaming!" Kotone cried.
"Is everything alright?!" Tetsuhiko asked in concern.
At the corner of her eye, Sachi could see Mari looking at them and softly shaking her head.
"Oh, you poor girl..." Kotone said as she knelt beside Sachi. "It's alright. You're here, in the real world. You're home with us. Nothing in that game is going to hurt you now."
"Don't worry, sweetheart," Tetsuhiko added, quickly thinking of something. "We'll...We'll take you someplace."
"Someplace?" Mari repeated in concern. "I don't know if she should be going out right now. She got yelled at by someone yesterday. We can't have anyone recognizing her as an SAO survivor-"
"Then we'll go someplace with few people. Someplace where she'll feel safe, where she could retreat to if things are just too much for her..." After a moment of reflection, Tetsuhiko's eyes lit up in realization. "I know! We could go to the park!"
Mari blinked in surprise. "The park?"
"Yes! Keiko-chan always liked to go take leisurely strolls there!"
Sachi could sense Kotone looking at her husband, but the tense atmosphere never did settle in.
"It's a peaceful place!" the Ayano patriarch continued. "To Sachi, it'll be paradise!"
Kawagoe Park
"You're right, Uncle Tetsuhiko. This is peaceful..."
While Mari spoke, Sachi closed her eyes and allowed her remaining four senses to absorb all her surroundings even while she was in the throes of darkness. She could hear the gentle midday breeze, the rustling of autumn leaves, and the calm chirping of birds. She could smell the scents of fresh earth and the nearby fresh pond. She could feel the warm, smooth blanket resting beneath her, as well as the pliable soil and the blades of grass bordering it. She could even taste the air's palpable coolness, which could only signal the advent of winter.
She could sense everything in the park.
"Are you alright now, Sachi-chan?" Mari's voice asked. "Is your mind at ease?"
Sachi opened her eyes and somberly looked at the nurse. "No, not really."
Tetsuhiko's and Kotone's faces fell at the same time as Mari's.
"Oh..." the mother said remorsefully.
Then, the girl glanced at the pond and closely watched its calm, rippling surface. A duck entered her line of sight, floating in peace across its surface while being followed closely by her half-dozen hatchlings. She smiled in adoration at the sight.
"But..." Sachi continued, "I know it'll be better."
Mari's face brightened with joy at the sight of Sachi's smile. "O-Oh! Oh, that's good!"
"Once Kirito wakes up, at least."
"Oh, y-yes!" The nurse's voice slightly broke, but she quickly recollected herself. "A-And then...th-the two of you c-could be together!"
Sachi pouted and looked down at her lap in discomfort. "Pl-Pl-Please, Mari. I-I told you before, I don't like K-Kirito th-th-that way..."
"Who's Kirito?" Tetsuhiko asked with a quirked brow.
"Another trapped SAO player," Mari replied. "They met in the months before she got out. From what I've been told, he'd always protect her from danger. He's provided a great deal of inspiration to her. He's...kinda the reason why Sachi-chan chose to come down here from Aomori."
"Kirito, huh?" Kotone remarked before looking at Mari. "So I assume that's why you two went to Kawagoe yesterday?"
Mari nodded. "Yes, Auntie. I found him at a hospital there and took Sachi there to visit him. It..." She cast a wary glance at Sachi's direction. "It didn't go exactly the way we planned, but...well, at least we know he's there. And we will go back to visit him properly. When Sachi's ready."
"My, my, you've sure come a long way just to essentially visit a boy you first met in a game." Kotone looked at Sachi and rested her chin on her palm, looking intrigued. "Why don't you tell us more about him, Sachi?"
"Ab-About him?"
Sachi looked to Mari on instinct, and the nurse nodded approvingly at her. Still, a faint pink blush quickly blossomed upon Sachi's cheeks.
"I...I don't know..."
"Oh, don't worry about us, dear." Kotone gave her a little smile of maternal compassion, which made Sachi's heart ache with longing. "I know you've been with us for a couple of days now, but you can trust us. And if we're gonna be a family, I think you should start confiding in us about stuff. We can start with this Kirito guy."
"You can be as general or as specific as you want," added Tetsuhiko. "We won't judge you."
Sachi looked at Mari, who gave her another a supportive nod. Then, she looked back at her legal guardians, took a deep breath, and began with her explanation.
"W-Well, um...h-he joined up with me and my friends back in April. He saved us from some monsters in the game, a-and we in-invited him t-to join our guild, o-our group, wh-which he accepted. And...he was with us since..." The girl smiled in nostalgia as her memories of the black swordsman flooded back into the limelight. "Till the very end, he was a very nice, very compassionate person. He thought of us and cared for us, even if he kept to himself much of the time. He wanted to protect us, even from his true self."
"His true self?" asked Tetsuhiko.
"It turned out his level was twice as much as mine and my friends'. He never told any of us that, and I suppose he knew it would just bring him unwanted attention. From us and from other players." Sachi's eyes suddenly narrowed. "And now, it's because of his true power that they think he's somehow Akihiko Kayaba..."
A memory of gleaming glasses passed through Sachi's mind. She gripped her skirt and held on tightly.
"Kikuoka..."
"Wait, who?" asked Kotone.
"Someone with the SAO Case Victims Rescue Force," Mari replied.
"Ohhh."
Meanwhile, Tetsuhiko blinked in surprise. "So they think he's Akihiko Kayaba? The creator of that game? Why?"
Sachi shook her head. "I don't know. Maybe it's my fault. I mentioned him so many times, and I spoke so highly of him. They...They've been looking for Kayaba so long that...I guess they started coming up with crazy theories about where he could be. Kikuoka thinks Kayaba's playing the game too..."
Her voice trailed off, and for a moment, she looked uncomfortable. Then, before Mari could speak up on her behalf, Sachi suddenly gave them a smile, sweet smile while her gaze became distant.
"But I don't believe it."
Mari looked at her with a mixture of relief and incredulity. "Y-You don't?"
Sachi shook her head. "No. At first I did, and...I'll admit, I still had some doubts when we were at the hospital. But, after meeting his family, I just knew it had to be impossible."
"NO, SHE...SH-SHE GETS TO BE HERE IN THE REAL WORLD AGAIN, WHILE KAZUTO ISN'T?! H-HOW IS THAT FAIR?! HOW IS THAT EVEN FAIR, MOM?!"
"Kayaba couldn't fake something like that." Sachi looked up at the sky, her smile widening as she did. "Now I know. The boy that I met was real, and he has a life right here, in the real world. And right now, he's fighting for it, and for so many others', because that is who he is, no matter what he does to make people think otherwise."
"That's who he is, huh...?" Tetsuhiko repeated. Then, the man's chest swelled ever so slightly with pride and expectation. "Hey, maybe he's met Keiko-chan too! Maybe he's protecting her and keeping her safe as we speak! Hah hah hah! Ohhh, our Keiko-chan's always known to find the right people to make friends with!"
"Tetsu-kun, please."
Sachi was surprised to hear the near-growl emanating from Kotone's voice. The woman was glaring at her husband, her eyes glimmering while she struggled to hold back more intense emotions. There was no longer any sign of the gentleness from a few moments ago. With a quivering lip, Kotone slowly glanced at Sachi and Mari.
"I-I think you should take a walk, Sachi," she said. "Go see the rest of the park."
"Wi-Without you two?" asked a confused Sachi.
"I think you've talked enough about SAO. And after what happened last night, you should have as much time to yourself as you need now. Mari will keep you company in case there's an emergency." Kotone looked at Mari. "Will you?"
"Y-Y-Yes, o-of course..." Mari replied, though she looked as confused as Sachi. Nevertheless, the nurse stood up from the blanket the Ayanos had set up and helped Sachi to her feet. "Come, Sachi-chan. Let's see what's on the other side of the pond, shall we?"
Sachi looked down at her legal guardians, briefly puzzled, before focusing on the duck family in the pond. She could see the mother duck gently guiding a stray duckling back into the line formation they had established. The sight of it tugged her heartstrings, and she felt compelled to see more.
With a firm nod, she replied, "Alright, Mari!"
For the next few minutes, Sachi and Mari traced the perimeter of the pond, taking note of all the wildlife residing in and around the waters. There were other duck families, but Sachi also noticed other types of birds flying around and settling on the water's surface, as well as pods of multicolored fish and even a few turtles near the water's edge. Moreover, she took note of all the human families having picnics and get-togethers atop the knolls and under the trees. Each and every one of them looked happy and jubilant to be around one another and enjoying each other's company.
And then, she suddenly felt like she was seeing them from far away. And, even in the distance, the parents of one family looked conspicuously like her and-
"Sachi-chan? ...S-Sachi-chan?"
"Huh?!" Sachi shook her head and looked at Mari. "I'm sorry?"
Mari blinked slowly before replying, "I...was just saying that if- er, when Kirito wakes up, you should take him here. One of these days. I'm sure he'd appreciate the sight as much as you did today."
"O-Oh!" Sachi looked back at the same family, only to realize the parents now looked nothing like her and him. "Yes... I-I guess will...someday..."
There was an awkward silence as she and Mari passed by the family, along with a few others. Sachi briefly watched all of the children frolic under the trees while their parents watched, her heart aching from some imperceptible emotion. Then, a restrained force finally broke itself free from the chains within her, and her mouth opened.
"Ummm, Mari...?"
"Hm?" The nurse looked at her. "Yes, Sachi?"
Sachi stopped in her tracks, wondering if she should ask her caretaker a question that had been forming in her mind for the past few seconds. A question that persistently nagged at her mind.
But she had to know now.
"H...How exactly did you find Kirito?" she asked.
Mari blinked, having stopped a couple of feet away from the girl. "How, you ask?"
"Mm-hm... It never...occurred me to ask before, but now..."
Mari smirked in victory. "Well, before you had that mental breakdown on October 12th, I was able to snatch his file away from Kikuoka. Then, he got distracted by you, and while he was overseeing you getting restrained, I took the opportunity to make copies of as much papers in that file as I could. That way, he didn't have to notice anything was missing, and we had all the info we needed to find him. Auntie Kotone and Uncle Tetsuhiko living nearby was just a bonus."
"Wow... You've...You've done so much for me, Mari." Sachi furrowed her brow in concern. "A-Aren't you risking your job, j-just by doing that for me?"
"Hey, neither Kikuoka nor Dr. Okuno asked anything when I returned the file, and I know that I didn't misplace anything inside it." Mari placed a hand on Sachi's shoulder. "No one's gonna know, Sachi-chan. It's gonna be alright."
Sachi lowered her gaze to the walkway. "I...I heard you and Dr. Okuno talking...many times...about me and you..."
Mari's face softened, and she approached Sachi. "What about us?"
"That you're...getting too...a-attached..." The girl bit her trembling lip and tightly grabbed onto her skirt. "I...I don't want you to get in tr-tr-trouble, a-all because of me. N-Not for the file, and not for anything else! I-I don't want to be a burden on you, not at all-"
She was cut off by a hug from Mari.
"Sachi-chan," she said, "you were never a burden on me, and you'll never be one. It's like I said all those months ago. I was on my first day on the job when you and your friends came in, and I took care of you all since. It was... It was hard. So, so hard." Her grip on Sachi's body tightened. "I became a nurse because I wanted to help people, Sachi-chan. That is all I ever wanted to do, ever since I was little. And yet, the first people that I had to take care of...were those who were essentially DOA."
"D...OA...?" Sachi asked in confusion.
"Dead on arrival. That's what the other nurses kept saying about you and your friends, every day...and I was inclined to believe it, every passing day. Even after hearing those scant stories of NerveGear malfunctioning and failing to kill their users, I didn't believe that would happen to any of you. It was such a rare occurrence that it was close to improbable. It was so disillusioning, s-so depressing, for someone like me, who wants to help people, to watch her first patients slowly die in such horrible and unprecedented ways.
"Then, when you woke up, Sachi-chan...when you did the impossible, I knew, deep down in my heart, that it was nothing short of a...a miracle..."
Mari broke away from Sachi and looked straight into her eyes, brown pupils meeting blue. The Sun's rays of light started to reflect against the pond's rippling surface, causing it to twinkle and illuminate the two females.
"You, Sachiko Hamaguchi, survived for a reason."
She took Sachi's shoulders and held onto them tightly. But the teenager ignored the feeling of her vice-like grip, for she remained focused on her de facto caretaker's eyes, enraptured by the passion burning within them.
"I don't care what your friend said in the cemetery," Mari continued fervently. "Or what Kirito's sister said at the hospital. You're NOT an outlier. You're the one in 250. You overcame those insurmountable odds for a reason, and I want the both of us to see what that reason is. That... That is my wish."
A sudden feeling of nostalgia surged through Sachi's heart at the gentle sound of Mari's words. She didn't know why, but it made her entire soul leap, as if those words were a spell bidding her, encouraging her to go on and fight for herself.
"That is why I've stood beside you this entire time, Sachi-chan. That's why I've been helping you and guiding you despite all of the risks, despite how unprofessional it may look. Because I know there's something in you, Sachi-chan. Unrealized potential. You may have always had that potential, or maybe you began building that potential when you left SAO. Either way, you are destined for great things. Things greater than just surviving a death game. And I want you to see it through to the very end, no matter what it takes."
"I'm...destined for great things...?" Sachi repeated softly.
"Yes, you are. And besides..." Mari's gaze became more emotional. "I need to make up for the loss of your friends. I lost them on my watch, and I need to do right by you now. It's my debt to pay." She looked away and wiped a tear from her eye, her voice breaking. "Oh, I'm sorry, Sachi-chan. I know that reason is a very selfish one-"
"No, Mari."
Mari looked at her ward and saw that she was giving her a small but sweet, thankful smile.
"I...I have a debt to pay too," Sachi said. "I need to do right by my friends. So...maybe that's where I need to start. I've gotta carry on, in memory of my friends." Her grip on her skirt loosened as she spoke with conviction. "So that's what I'll do, Mari. I'll carry on. That's the least I can do for now. So no, I don't think that's a selfish reason."
Mari looked back at her in awe. Then, she smiled and hugged her, and this time, the gesture was reciprocated.
"Thank God for you, Sachi."
Niiza Shiki Chūō General Hospital
"Whoa... So this is what I looked like..."
Sachi stared in horror at the young bedridden girl. There was no doubt in her mind that she was the same happy, bubbly girl she saw in the Ayano family portrait. But where there had been youthful happiness, there now was pale stillness. Her body was atrophied and emaciated; her expression was slackened in her unconscious state; and the NerveGear helmet, a bit too big for her head, was nevertheless latched onto her scalp, much like a creature straight out of a horror movie. The contrast between the girl in the portrait and the girl in the bed was so stark that Sachi felt as if she was actually looking at a different person.
But when Kotone gently, carefully took the girl's limp hand and held it with a trembling lip and a tearful gaze, Sachi knew who exactly she was looking at.
"Hi, Keiko-chan," Tetsuhiko said, his grin almost implacable. "It's us, Mom and Dad. We came here with a surprise."
He looked at Sachi, who hitched her breath in response. When he gave her a nod of approval, the dark-haired girl moved closer to Keiko's bedside; her movements were steady and cautious. As soon as Sachi placed her hand on the cold metal guardrail, Tetsuhiko spoke up again.
"This is Sachi, your new sister."
...
"I remember you always begging for one, and when we heard that Sachi had no family left, we didn't hesitate to take her in. Don't worry, sweetie, the paperwork's already been signed, as of two days ago. Mom and I, we are officially her legal guardians now, so she will be staying with us. And that would make her your big sister. Technically speaking, but...well, I know you don't care about the distinctions."
...
Tetsuhiko chuckled. "I know you said you wanted a little brother or sister, but...we had to make do. I'm sure you'll come to love Sachi, all the same." He then looked at Sachi and nodded again. "Go on. You can hold her."
Even though permission was explicitly granted to her, Sachi nevertheless looked at Mari, who was awkwardly standing a few feet away, wanting to give the family some space. Mari noticed the girl's beseeching glance and swiftly nodded too in acknowledgment. Realizing it was alright, Sachi reached out towards the little girl's arm. Her hand hesitated, trembling in apprehension, and then she latched it on her new sister's wrist. She was immediately stunned by the sensation of Keiko's skin.
"She's...She's so cold..." she thought. "She...She might as well be...be..."
"Do you feel that, Keiko-chan?" Tetsuhiko asked, his eyes glimmering brightly and fondly. "That's Sachi. She's telling you that she's waiting for you. We all are. In the meantime, we're getting Sachi used to her new surroundings. You see, she's from Aomori Prefecture, so we're showing her around town. In fact, we took her to Kawagoe Park! Just like how we used to take you there when you were little. When you get out of that game, we can take the both of you there. The four of us can be a proper family."
...
Kotone shot her husband a fleeting look of concern before saying, "Wherever you are, Keiko-chan, always know that we love you. And we miss you. So, so much." She kissed her daughter's hand, holding back a tear while she did so. "Please, stay safe and be brave. Do whatever you can to return to us..."
A single, pained sob escaped the woman's mouth, and she let go of Keiko's hand so she could bury her face in her palms. Mari quickly stepped in to rub her honorary aunt's back and pat her shoulder in consolation.
As for Sachi, she continued to hold Keiko's wrist while staring at her sister's face. She was stunned and a little amazed at how the NerveGear had completely destroyed the youthful happiness of the girl she saw in the family portrait...perhaps for good.
"When I got out... When I survived SAO, I returned to find out that everything about my old life was gone. My friends... Keita-kun... Mom... Even Dad... All of them are dead. It was like I left behind my old life the moment I logged into SAO. And now, I'm living an entirely different life...someone else's..."
Sachi's grip tightened slightly around Keiko's wrist.
"Keiko-chan still has her parents. She still has her cat. She...She still has a life to look forward to getting back into when she gets out of SAO. But she's already been in the game longer than me... She must be seeing things that a girl her age should never, ever see. When she gets out, and that's if she gets out of SAO alive...I wonder if she'll find that everything about her old life, everything dear to her, is gone too, just like I did..."
– December 23, 2023 –
Sekimoto Memorial Hospital
The memory of Keiko's cold skin in her hand returned to Sachi's mind as she faced the door again.
When she arrived at Kirito's resting place, she had tried several times to take the initiative and open the door so that she could see him again. She could feel him waiting for her on the other side of that barrier, ready to greet him with his small smile and his cool exterior like always. But whenever the urge energized her muscles, it would instantly be overruled by a new urge to run away.
After all, she knew that that smile and exterior she long cherished would never be there when she entered, and that for the first time in her life, she would have to see Kirito in the same bedridden, comatose state that she found Keiko in. She would see him being vulnerable, something she had never seen before from him.
And she didn't know how to handle that.
"Sachi-chan?"
Mari's voice spoke to her through a fog from a distance. Sachi could barely register the presence of the two nurses who were standing beside her.
"Do you...wanna go in...?"
Sachi continued to stand there for a few more moments, facing the still hospital door and trying to gather the courage to go inside. But then, the haunting image of a NerveGear latched upon Kirito's head entered her mind, and she turned her back on the barrier.
"I can't!" she cried in a choked voice. She hurried past Mari and Aki, who could do nothing to stop her from surrendering to her fears. "I-I'm sorry! I'm so sorry...Kirito..."
"I...I failed you, Kirito. I'm still a coward, as always..."
After taking a sip of her boxed juice, Aki set it down on the table and encouragingly said, "Ah, well. You'll get him one of these days, Sachi."
Sachi didn't say anything and could only give her own boxed juice, paid with Aki's spare change, an absentminded stare. She was in her own world again, with the presences of Mari and Aki and the surrounding stimuli of the hospital cafeteria being phased out by her five senses. She could easily imagine Kirito fighting arrays of monsters and clearing floor after floor in Aincrad, all from the solitude of his hospital room a few floors above her.
"He's doing all of these brave feats in SAO," she thought glumly, "while I'm just down here, in the real world, still trying to find the courage to open a door. I truly am pathetic..."
"So," Aki's voice said, "I hear Kirigaya, or rather Kirito, was quite the fella in that game."
Sachi sadly looked at the nurse, but she didn't respond. Undeterred, Aki smiled and continued speaking.
"You know, I try my best to keep his body in tiptop shape. For a kid who's been in a coma for over a year, he's got good muscles."
"Senpai!" Mari cried, scandalized. "Don't put those thoughts in Sachi-chan's head! She doesn't like Kirito that way!"
"Ohhh?" Aki focused on Mari next, a sly grin crawling upon her face. "Don't tell me, Mari-chan. She told you that."
"Many times!"
Aki casually shrugged. "You know, denial is the number-one indicator of adolescent lo-"
"I'm telling you, Senpai! I-I don't think her heart's in the mood to be toyed with today!"
"True, true." But Aki's smile remained. "Then let's talk about the matters of your heart, Mari-chan! I'm sure it'd be a very interesting topic for our guest here. Not to mention some inspiration, perhaps...?"
"Hm?" An intrigued Sachi pushed Kirito to the side of her mind and returned to reality. "What about Mari's heart?"
Aki looked back at Sachi. "Oh, you should've seen her a few years ago, my dear. She was such a timid little sweetheart." She dramatically held her hands over her heart. "So timid that it caught the eyes of so many guys, in fact."
Sachi looked at Mari with incredulity. "Really?"
"N-No!" Mari blubbered. "D-Do-Don't believe anything sh-she sa-!"
"Why?" Aki interrupted. "It's the truth! In fact, I just remembered what we liked to call you! 'The Little Violet', I believe it was. You know, because of the 'shrinking violet' trope? Ohhhhhh, I can still remember how all the guys in nursing school loved that!"
Sachi had never seen Mari's face so crimson before. She could only imagine how warm it would've felt to the touch.
"You know, Sachi, you remind me of Mari-chan so much. She was always so well-meaning, and yet so afraid to take the initiative on much of anything. She only powered through her classes because she still wanted to help people, no matter what it took. It was quite the contradiction, I tell you! I mean, just how could a fearful and insecure person like her hope to interact with others and aid them in their times of need?! To let these people know that everything was gonna be fine? Not that I'm speaking down on you, of course, Mari-chan."
"I feel like you're doing it regardless, senpai..." Mari deadpanned with an unsatisfied roll of her eyes.
"Hey, I just remembered something else! Before I went off to finish my education at the Tokyo Self-Defense Senior Nurse Academy, I held a little going-away party over at my dorm. It took us some prodding, but my classmates and I got her to drink her first bottle of booze. She wound up drinking so much that she-!"
"AAAAUUUUGGGGHHHH!" A red-faced, panicky Mari moved in a blur to clasp her hand over Aki's mouth, muffling her senpai's voice. "D-DO-DON'T TELL HER THAT ST-STORY! SH-SH-SHE DOESN'T NEED TO KNOW ALL THE D-D-DETAILS!"
In response, a disappointed Aki made a few muffled noises, which Sachi could only translate as "Why not?" or something similar. The girl could only look back and forth between the embarrassed Mari and the teasing Aki for just a few seconds, before a sudden giggle escaped her throat.
Mari was the first to hear the giggle and unconsciously lowered her hand from Aki's mouth. "H-Huh...?"
Sachi couldn't control herself, and she continued giggling happily, her sweet little laughter filling up the atmosphere. Mari couldn't help but beam in pride at the sight of a genuinely happy Sachi.
"Well," Aki commented, "it's quite good to know someone is having the time of her life."
"Yeah, at my expense," Mari added with a soft grimace; the nurse was torn between enjoying Sachi's giggling and feeling gloomy over Aki bringing up her nursing school days.
"No, no, Mari!" Sachi replied, once she recovered from her bout of giggling. "It's just, well...I never knew what you were like when you were younger." She looked down at her boxed juice, her blue eyes glittering. "'The Little Violet', huh...?"
Mari hunched over slightly with an embarrassed moan. "Please don't say that nickname..."
"Why not?!" asked Aki. "It still suits you!"
Mari let out a more prolonged moan. Meanwhile, Sachi kept her eyes transfixed on the grape logo that was stamped on her boxed juice.
"It was quite the contradiction, I tell you! I mean, just how could a fearful and insecure person like her hope to interact with others and aid them in their times of need?! To let these people know that everything was gonna be fine?"
"Mari was just like me once," she thought, "and yet, she never let her fears get the best of her. She made it her mission to help people in need, people like me, and she wasn't gonna let something as horrible as a bedridden, comatose person bring her down.
"I wonder...how I could be like her...for Kirito...?"
She looked up at the ceiling longingly, sensing the boy's presence above her.
– December 24, 2023 –
Ōmiya Station, Ōmiya-ku, Saitama
Sachi stood under the shade of the train station, trying her absolute best to keep her trembling body under control. She gazed longingly at Mari, who was facing her and the Ayanos from a couple of feet away. The packed leather suitcase with her kanji dangled from her hands, taunting her.
"Be sure to give your mom my regards, Mari," Kotone said.
Mari nodded. "I will, Auntie." She then looked at Tetsuhiko. "And Uncle? I still owe you a dinner out. I will be sure to take care of it when I come by next time."
"You got it!" Tetsuhiko gave the nurse a toothy grin and patted her shoulder. "And as long as it's not one of those crappy American pizzerias, I'll take you up on that offer anytime, any day!"
Mari chuckled sweetly at his comment. Then, with a little sigh, she looked at Sachi, and the glimmer in her eyes grew the strongest with her. The girl hiccupped and averted her gaze, fearing that she might do something drastic if she kept it on the woman for any longer. Something that she knew wasn't ultimately in her interest or Mari's.
"Sachi-chan, look at me."
Spurred by the gentle, maternal voice, Sachi locked her eyes with the woman who had taken care of her for the longest time, the very person who gave her hope when she thought all was lost. Her vision was already becoming blurry, and her cheeks were becoming colder from the cooling tears.
Mari put her hands on Sachi's shoulders and gave them a reassuring squeeze. Sachi reciprocated the gesture by lifting a hand and putting it on the nurse's.
"You're going to be alright here, Sachi. They'll take such good care of you, I promise. And Aki-senpai will be there to help you when you finally come by to visit Kirito."
"B-B-But..." Sachi hiccupped once again. "Y-You won't be there...t-to help me..." She screwed her teary eyes shut. "Why couldn't you just call the hospital and extend your vacation?! Why couldn't you just quit a-and find another job at Kirito's hospital?! I...I need you to be here for me, Mari! I need you t-to keep helping me and comforting me and-and telling me that everything's gonna be just fine!"
Mari sniffled, but she maintained her composure and replied, "Oh, but Sachi-chan! Everything is fine! You're with a good family, you're living close to Kirito, and you're going to start a brand-new life here. One where you'll finally flourish." She rubbed her ward's shoulders. "Listen, Sachi-chan. I know that it's gonna be scary, living here without me, but it can't be helped. I've still got family up in Aomori, and I have to start thinking about them again. And it's not like the salary will be any better here than it is up there.
"As for you, I've helped you with the hardest part of your recovery, more than anyone could have possibly expected me to do. And I think you've made great progress! Now, the training wheels are off, and we have to let each other go. If we don't, you're just going to be stuck where you are right now, constantly afraid of everything and needing someone's back to hide behind. Now, I do not care whether you think of Kirito as a friend or something more. If what you told me about him is true, then I know he'd be disappointed to see you in this state, especially when you're capable of so much more."
Sachi squirmed in protest, and her mind already started calculating ways to get Mari to stay. She no longer cared about what that would mean for Mari's future, both with her and as a nurse. All she wanted now was to be with Mari for a while longer. But the nurse seemed to sense that, for her gaze became a little sterner, and she shook her head.
"Ohhhhh, don't you think about it, Sachi-chan. I know what you kept doing to yourself so you could stay at the hospital." When horror and concern filled Sachi's expression, a warm smile reappeared on Mari's face. "You're not in trouble, Sachi-chan. And I promise you, I will call every day to check up on you. In fact, the first thing that I'll do when I return home is to call you. That should be fair, right?"
The girl pursed her lips tightly and looked away, her mind now starting to feel dizzy with overwhelming emotion. But Mari didn't give up, and she stroked Sachi's cheek like a mother would to her only child.
"Remember, you are the one in 250. You survived for a reason. And my God, you're destined to find out what that reason is. So promise me, Sachi-chan."
Sachi looked at Mari, her eyes glimmering with doubt and uncertainty.
"Promise me you will find out that reason, no matter what. Do it for your friends. Do it for Kirito. And most of all, do it for me, if not for anyone else." The nurse gave her a wide smile of finality. "Okay? Will you do that?"
For what seemed like the longest time, Sachi didn't know what to do. Her mind desired one thing, while her heart ached for another. She felt like she was about to be torn apart at the seams by her conflicting loyalties. But before her emotions could overwhelm her, her mind suddenly recalled what Aki had said about Mari's own insecurities, and how she overcame them to pursue her dream of helping people.
"I wonder...how I could be like her...for Kirito...?"
With a reluctant but firm nod, Sachi replied, "Okay, Mari. I'll do it. I promise..."
Mari smiled and patted her shoulder. "Good girl."
Then, at that exact moment, an automated feminine voice spoke, echoing through the train station as ominously as the voice of Akihiko Kayaba himself.
"The 12:00 Tōhoku Shinkansen train has arrived. I repeat, the 12:00 Tōhoku Shinkansen train has arrived."
Sachi and Mari looked across their shoulders and saw the high-speed train crawling into the station, slowing to a gradual stop. Mari took a quick, deep breath and looked back at her former ward.
"Alright," she said, her voice now trembling slightly. "Guess it's time for me to go."
Before either of them knew it, the nurse kissed Sachi on the center of her forehead. The tender feeling, long missed and yearned for by the girl, made her heart skip a beat before turning heavy with longing.
"M-Mari..." she whimpered helplessly.
"I'll call when I get home, alright?" a teary-eyed Mari replied, just as the train rolled in behind her. "In the meantime, you listen to Auntie Kotone and Uncle Tetsuhiko." She briefly glanced over her shoulder to watch the doors slide open, before looking back at Sachi. "I have to go now."
With that, she reluctantly let go of Sachi's shoulders and started moving away from her. Sachi's hand was still on hers, so it was briefly dragged along, as if holding onto it for a second longer would finally convince Mari to stay. But when it was clear that they would be torn apart, the girl swallowed all of her fears and allowed it to happen.
So, their hands finally separated, with Sachi's still raised longingly while she watched her mother figure blend in with the crowd entering the train. She could barely hear Kotone and Tetsuhiko joining her sides, let alone feel their hands take the place of Mari's on her shoulders.
Then, she saw Mari standing close to one of the windows close to the door. Their eyes met for what seemed like the last time, and Mari gave her a wide smile of anticipation, even as tears were now dripping from her eyes.
Eventually, as soon as the last of the commuters and travelers entered the train, it closed its doors, separating Sachi and Mari for good. And finally, it started to crawl out of the station just like how it crawled in, picking up speed by the second.
Sachi's heart had never felt so weighed down before, not since she first met Kirito. And yet, that never stopped her when she broke away from Kotone and Tetsuhiko's grasps and started to follow the train, keeping her blue eyes trained on Mari for the entire time. Her pace quickly became synchronized with the train's, and soon, she was running by the time it was about to leave the station for good, taking Mari with it.
As she ran beside the train, Mari waved at her, her gentle, compassionate face never wavering even as some of the other passengers noticed Sachi and murmured or giggled to themselves and each other about it.
Then, just before the train left the station's premises and Sachi couldn't follow it any further, Mari said something to her. Something that Sachi couldn't hear, but something that she could still understand from the movement of her lips.
"Stay strong, Sachi-chan. Remember, you're the one in two-fifty."
And finally, she was gone for good.
– December 25, 2023 –
Ayano Residence, Asaka, Saitama Prefecture
"Hyaaaaa!"
"Eek!"
"O-Oh! Why, g-good morning, Sachi! Pina! Come here, come here, girl!"
The terrified shiver finished traveling down Sachi's body while she watched the tabby-colored Munchkin cat saunter away from her and toward Kotone, who was holding a breakfast plate and a bowl of cat food. Kotone set down the bowl beside her ankle, allowing Pina to walk up and begin eating from it. All the while, she shot Sachi the occasional wary, territorial glance.
Taking a deep breath, Sachi carefully sat down at the decent, unassuming table. As Kotone handed her the plate holding her breakfast, the girl's eyes widened in surprised remembrance, and she looked around in momentary desperation.
"No, Sachi," Kotone quickly piped up again. "Mari's not here. She left yesterday, remember?"
"Oh..." Sachi's heart fell at the memory of the phone call she got. "Yes... Yes, that's right..."
Taking a deep breath, the girl then started to eat from the grilled fish that Kotone had prepared. As soon as the morsels of meat met with her tongue, she froze and yipped softly, the taste of the home-prepared meal assaulting her taste-buds like none before.
Kotone overheard Sachi's little noise of surprise, and she froze in her tracks as well, her breath hitched in apprehension. Even Tetsuhiko lowered the newspaper he had been reading to watch her out of caution. The two parents observed Sachi as she slowly chewed on her food, absorbing the tastes that were erupting within her mouth like an awakened volcano or a field of flowers blossoming at the same time.
Then, Kotone exhaled in relief as Sachi started to scoop up more of the food with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth. The look of satisfaction on her face was unmistakable.
"This...This is sooooo good!" the girl thought. "It's miles better than all the frozen and fast foods I'd buy back at home!"
Before long, Sachi finished her food and even picked up the scraps with her fingers, much to the bewilderment of Kotone and Tetsuhiko.
"Well..." Tetsuhiko commented, a smile slowly crawling onto his face, "it looks like someone enjoys your cooking, Kotone-chan."
"I-I-Is it really that good, Sachi...?" asked Kotone.
"Hm?"
Sachi looked at the couple and realized they had been watching her the entire time. With a quick blush and a fading grin, she looked away and shyly took a hold of her skirt.
"Y-Yes..." she meekly replied.
"Heh." With an amused smile, Tetsuhiko lifted his newspaper, obscuring his face with it. "For once, your cooking actually didn't kill someone. Who would've thunk it, Kotone-chan?"
"T-Tetsu-kun!" Kotone exclaimed with puffed cheeks; she suddenly looked like a little girl in that moment. "Y-You know I always try my best at cooking the best meals for my family!"
"Hah. Yeah, more like trying your best to give me the stomach flu." The corner of Tetsuhiko's lip twitched as he lowered his newspaper slightly. "Ya know, you're still forty years away from getting my life insurance. Be patient, woman."
"Hmmmph! As if!" Kotone dramatically twirled around and looked away. "You know, if I really wanted your money, Tetsu-kun, I'd think of a more creative way to eliminate you and get rid of all the evidence so no one would suspect a thing!"
"Eliminate me? Get rid of all the evidence?" The husband smirked. "You sure you're not a hitwoman, Kotone-chan?"
She returned his smirk with one of her own. "Now, why would I have included that in my resume when I got married to you? It would ruin the surprise, now would it?"
Tetsuhiko chuckled heartily. "Well, the only thing you're hittin' is this old man's heart, so if you are living a secret life as an assassin, you're not doin' so well at it."
"Maybe you've only seen the half of it, sweetheart."
There was a fidgeting on the other side of the table. "U-Ummm..."
Kotone and Tetsuhiko turned their heads and realized Sachi was intently watching them, her fair face reading a mixture of confusion and hesitation.
"D-Do you two a-always talk to each other like that...?" the girl asked.
"Hm?" Tetsuhiko quirked an eyebrow. "Talk like what?"
"You know... Like...Like that..." Sachi blushed again and shyly squirmed a little. "Y-You're talking about...k-ki-killing each other, b-but you're talking about it l-like it's a joke..."
Kotone's eyes widened, and she looked away in guilt. As for Tetsuhiko, he realized what Sachi meant as well, and he was already dropping his newspaper and waving his hands in desperation.
"No, no, no, no, no!" he cried. "W-We weren't serious about it at all! I-It's just banter between the two of us! Banter! W-We're joking, Sachi, I can assure you!"
Sachi blinked. "Oh..."
Tetsuhiko lowered his hands. "W-We shouldn't have phrased it l-like that. We joke about all kinds of things, Sachi. A-And K-Kotone and I can joke about something else if you'd-"
"No, no, i-it's alright, Tetsuhiko-san..." Sachi interrupted softly. "It's just..." She looked down at the plate that once held her breakfast, and then she cracked a tiny smile. "It's been a long time since...I had parents who could...you know, joke around like that... Let alone make a great breakfast..."
Tetsuhiko blinked in shock, while Kotone finally looked at Sachi, her face radiating with joy. Holding back tears, the wife approached Sachi and knelt by her side.
"Well," she said, "you don't have to worry about missing out on anything anymore, Sachi. We're your family now, even if it takes you a little or a long time to get used to it. And it doesn't matter what happened to you in the past. Know that it will never, ever happen to you under this roof. Do you understand that, Sachi?"
The girl nodded. "Yeah... Yeah, I do..."
"Wow. Mari was right. The Ayanos...they're good people..."
Kotone nodded too. "Good. Now then..." She stood back up and brushed the apron she was wearing. "I gotta go get your lunches ready, Tetsu-kun."
"Alright!" Tetsuhiko replied jovially as he picked up his newspaper. "Maaan, the guys are gonna be so happy to be treated by a hitwo- er, a great cook for their Christmas lunch."
Kotone rolled her eyes in acknowledgment of her husband's sarcasm. "Har-dee har-har."
At that moment, Sachi let out a tiny gasp. "It's...It's Christmas...?"
Tetsuhiko nodded. "That's right!"
"Unless you don't celebrate that holiday, Sachi?" Kotone asked while she returned to the sink.
"N-No!" blurted a flustered Sachi. "I-I mean, I-I'm neutral, b-but if your family does, th-then I'd be happy to celebrate it with you!"
"Excellent!" Tetsuhiko exclaimed. "At least it won't be awkward, having that Christmas tree lighting up Keiko-chan's room when we come in to visit."
Sachi knew she saw Kotone's body becoming tense at the sound of her husband's upbeat words. However, the woman's voice remained calm and composed when she spoke up.
"So, Sachi-chan- i-is it alright if I call you Sachi-chan?"
The girl shuffled awkwardly in her chair. "I-It's fine...I-I guess..."
"...Sachi, do you plan on visiting that Kito boy after we see Keiko-chan?"
"I'm...I'm not sure..." Then, the girl's head perked up, and she straightened her body in rapt attention. "A-And his name is Kirito, not Kito."
Kotone looked over her shoulder, looking a little alarmed. "O-Oh! I-I'm sorry!"
"D-Don't be!" Sachi's posture reverted back to its original awkward state. "I-I'm sorry, K-Kotone-san. I-I-I didn't mean to sound so..." She twiddled her fingers nervously. "So insistent..."
"Hey, don't sweat it!" replied a grinning Tetsuhiko. "We may be a family like Kotone said, but still we've only known each other for a week! It's not like we're required to know everything about one another within that time! A few missed details is nothing!"
Kotone took a deep breath before adding, "Ye-Yes, Sachi. We still need to get adjusted to this new lifestyle. And we have all the time we need to get to know one another." She approached the table to hand her husband his own breakfast and bento boxes, then she sat down beside Sachi. "But remember, no secrets, Sachi. We have gotta be open and honest with each other if we are going to make this arrangement work. It's just the three of us right now."
"And families don't keep secrets from each other," Tetsuhiko completed.
Sachi nodded. "Okay. I-I understand, you two."
Kotone smiled lovingly at her. "That's a good girl. Now..." She focused on the breakfast plate before her. "Let me know if you want seconds, sweetie. I've still got a lotta stuff cooking up in the kitchen and I'd rather-"
"Y-Yes!" Sachi blurted out unflinchingly. "Yes, please!"
"It may take me a while, but...I think I'm going to like it here..."
"Nyaaaaa..." Pina mewled while licking her lips in satisfaction.
Sekimoto Memorial Hospital
Sachi barely heard Tetsuhiko and Kotone's footsteps behind her as she entered Sekimoto Memorial Hospital. Instead, her senses were in overdrive now, and she felt minuscule in the looming, oppressive nature of her current environment. She had never felt so tiny and meaningless. Without a doubt, Mari's absence made her latest visit to the hospital all the more terrifying. Images of Kirito's tangible yet so skeletal body invaded her thoughts, bringing a shudder down her body.
"I wonder if I should start visiting Keiko-chan after I try to visit Kirito..." she thought.
"Ah, Sachi!" a voice called.
The girl blinked and looked over the front desk, where she saw Aki rolling a wheelchair-bound patient across the lobby. A smile graced the nurse's already beautiful features while she passed the patient along to another nurse. She then walked up to Sachi, scanning her from head to toe.
"Mari-chan called as soon as she got back to Aomori," Aki said. "She was a little worried, but I can see you are managing without her just fine!"
"Y-Ye-Yeah..." Sachi lied. "I-I'm just fine..."
Aki immediately sensed Sachi's plain tone, and her face stiffened imperceptibly in concern. Then, she looked up and saw Tetsuhiko and Kotone.
"Oh, and you must be the legal guardians Mari-chan told me about!"
"We are," Kotone replied with an arched brow. "Are you the senpai that Mari has been complaining about?"
"Complaining about? HA! Mari-chan, you tease!" The nurse gestured towards the elevator. "Come! I'll show you three up to Kirigaya-kun's room. Get you all comfy." She glanced at Sachi again, a glimmer of concern briefly flashing through her eyes. "That is, unless you're still not ready?"
Sachi gasped before defensively blurting out, "I-I'm ready!" Then, she nervously twiddled her fingers. "I'm ready..."
Aki blinked slowly, but she acquiescingly replied, "Alright, then. Let's go."
Sachi was the last one out of the elevator. And then, when she stepped out into the hallway, something caught her eye in an instant. Something she'd hoped she would never have to see again.
Glinting eyeglasses.
"Hm?"
A cold shiver, colder than anything Sachi ever felt in her life, ran down her spine. Even with a kind voice like his, it could do nothing to mask his duplicitous intent.
"...Ahhh. Well, well, well. Long time, no see...Sachiko Hamaguchi."
Tetsuhiko blinked in surprise. "I'm sorry, h-have we met?"
"No, we haven't."
The investigator approached Sachi, Aki, and the Ayanos, his smile friendly and disarming. His suit was still colored in that ugly, muted shade of dark-green. Sachi was quick to cower behind Aki, who didn't react at all to the man's presence.
"Kikuoka-san," Aki greeted. "I see you're done with your interviews."
"That I am." Kikuoka looked down at Sachi. "Or at least, I was."
"Wait a minute, Kikuoka?" Kotone asked, her eyes slowly widening. "You're the Rescue Force investigator that Sachi and Mari-chan were talking about?"
Kikuoka's eyes never left Sachi. "Why, yes I am, ma'am. Word sure travels fast, huh? And speaking of traveling fast..." A wrinkle appeared on the investigator's forehead. "I was wondering what you're doing here, Sachi? You're...quite a looong way from home..."
Sachi suddenly felt paralyzed. In Kikuoka's presence, she was back in the hospital in Aomori, bedridden and helpless as he hammered her with one question after another, forcing her to dig through eight months' worth of painful memories in order to sate his curiosity and hypotheses. All of the hope she built up from her stay with the Ayanos was now bearing all of the weight of Kikuoka's reappearance in her life, and it was under threat of being crushed.
Then, to her immense relief, Kotone partially stood in front of Sachi and scowled at Kikuoka.
"My husband and I took her in," she said, the snarl in her voice barely suppressed.
"Hm?" Kikuoka looked at her and Tetsuhiko in surprise and intrigue. "Did you now?"
"Yes. Mari's the daughter of a friend of mine, and she told us about Sachi. Including the fact that she is an SAO survivor."
"We brought her under our roof," added a defensive Tetsuhiko, "since we're still grappling with the fact that our own child is still trapped in that death game."
"Your own child is still trapped in SAO?" Kikuoka's collected composure suddenly wavered, and he solemnly bowed before the couple. "My condolences. Please know that the SAO Case Victims Rescue Force is doing everything it can to-"
"We've heard that same spiel before," Tetsuhiko interrupted harshly. "If you really mean it, if there is any real weight to those words, then you'd be out there catching the son of a bitch who did this to my daughter! Not wasting your goddamn time lounging around in hospitals and interrogating those survivors!"
"Oh, but sir!" Kikuoka raised his head. "We're doing our best! We are pursuing multiple leads regarding Akihiko Kayaba's whereabouts-"
"Like thinking Kirito is Kayaba?"
Everyone looked at Sachi. The terror and trauma had washed away from her. Now, her head was hung low; her trembling fists were clenched so tightly that her fingernails threatened to draw blood from her palms.
"I know why you're here, Kikuoka-san," she said in a low voice. "And you're wrong..." With gritted teeth and shimmering eyes, she looked up at the investigator. "YOU'RE WRONG!"
Sachi's outburst attracted the attention of the doctors and other nurses in the hall. Many of them stopped to observe the tense exchange. Others awkwardly shuffled along, hoping to disengage themselves right away so they somehow wouldn't get involved.
As for Tetsuhiko and Kotone, they stared at their ward in shock at her unusual display of emotion. But Aki remained cool and composed, as did Kikuoka.
"Sachi," Kikuoka replied, "I don't know how you came to that conclusion, but-"
"I pieced it together." Sachi took a step forward, her lips pursed tightly. "And don't you dare deny it, Kikuoka-san! I know that's what you're thinking! I...I just can't believe that you'd look at him and his family a-and think it's all a...a charade!"
Kikuoka was undeterred. "But that's not what I think, Sachi. Believe me, I've met the boy's family." He calmly closed his eyes. "Whose interviews do you think I just concluded?"
"T-Then you know as well as I do that Kirito was a real person who led a normal life before SAO, just like everybody else! He's nothing like Kayaba!"
"That may be so. But..." He opened his eyes. "There's so much about virtual reality that we just don't know about. Argus may have scratched the surface of that realm, but Akihiko Kayaba was the one who got them that close in the first place. Who knows what else he found out about VR's potential? He did spend many years researching it-"
"YOU DON'T KNOW THAT!"
Once again, Sachi's outburst startled everyone within earshot, with the exceptions of Kikuoka and Aki.
In fact, Kikuoka readjusted his glasses as he replied, "And you do?"
Sachi didn't respond. She didn't want to entertain this man and his deluded theories anymore.
But he kept speaking. "You told me, all those months ago, that he would be the one to beat the game. You may think of it as him being compassionate, thinking of the other lives trapped in the game with him. A hero who saves everyone, no matter what the cost is. And perhaps you may be right about him. But when I hear something like that, coupled with all the other stuff you said about him, it makes all the lil' gears turn in my head."
Sachi screwed her eyes shut and wordlessly, vigorously shook her head, as if doing so would completely erase that idea from everyone's minds and render it nonexistent and irrelevant. Kikuoka exhaled in defeat and passed by the girl, only to pause halfway through.
"Perhaps I might be wrong about my theory," he advised. "Perhaps I'm chasing ghosts here. But don't tell me you know that with absolute certainty. I mean, you've only known Kirito for a grand total of two months. And think about it. Kayaba disappeared a couple of hours before SAO officially went online. More than enough time to-"
"But that doesn't mean he's in the game," Sachi abruptly hissed. "Your Rescue Force just missed something. So...go find him and put an end to SAO. In the meantime..."
Something clicked in her mind. Something final and concrete. A new turning point in her life. It remained on her mind as she glared up at Kikuoka with a newfound resolve.
"I'll be watching over him."
Kikuoka's brows shot up in surprise. "Hm? Watching over him?"
Sachi nodded firmly. "Yes. I will protect him from you until he clears the game and proves you wrong. So, if you want to get near him or his family again, to prove that theory of yours, then you will have to go through ME first."
She turned her body to fully face the investigator, her posture as straight and unyielding as can be. Tetsuhiko and Kotone stood still in shock, completely taken aback by her drive and her determination to take this initiative. Aki looked down at Sachi with a quirked eyebrow of interest.
And as for Kikuoka, he cracked a small smile and curtly nodded at the teenage girl.
"Very well...Sachi," he said. "I'll keep that in mind the next time I come by."
"If you come by next time," Sachi corrected ominously.
Kikuoka blinked, his smile faltering for a split-second. Then, he replied, "Alright. Duly noted, then." He gave a brief stare towards Aki. "I'll be making my leave, then. Once again, you all have my condolences."
With a nod of acknowledgment, he began walking towards the elevator. But Sachi did not bother turning around to watch him leave, even as Tetsuhiko and Kotone did so. She had no intention of acknowledging Seijirou Kikuoka's existence ever again.
She had never held white-hot, burning hatred towards anyone in her whole life. But now, she knew it was like.
"Sachi?"
...
"Earth to Sachi."
...
"Hey, Sachi!"
"Huh?!" Sachi flicked her head at Aki's direction. "Wh-What?!"
"My, my, that was quite a move there, girl," the nurse replied. "Standing up to the likes of Seijirou Kikuoka. Aaand not to mention finally declaring your intention to stay at Kirigaya's side the whole time he's in SAO. Mari-chan would be proud."
"Re...Really?" Sachi absentmindedly looked at the floor, a faint blush and a tiny smile of pride blossoming on her cheeks. "Thanks..."
"S-So..." Kotone commented hesitantly, "d-does that mean you're really ready, Sachi? T-To see Kirito?"
The girl looked back at the door, the one thing that prevented her from seeing Kirito, aside from her own persistent fears and insecurities. A resolute expression was firmly etched on her face. She no longer felt afraid or insecure.
"Yes," she said.
So, she approached the door to Kirito's room, her pace smooth and consistent. Nothing held her back as she reached for the doorknob.
But the door flew open for her.
"YOU'RE NOT PROTECTING SHIT!"
Sachi blinked in shock at the new presence. "You're...You're Kirito's-"
"KIRITO?! KIRITO?! IS THAT WHO MY BROTHER IS TO YOU?! SOME GAMER-TAG?!"
Suguha Kirigaya grabbed Sachi's collar, held on tightly, and stared daggers into her eyes. Their faces were only a couple of inches apart, their noses barely touching. Only then did Sachi realize how much Suguha had been crying today.
"Listen to me, you...you outlier!" Suguha snarled ferociously, her voice interrupted by the occasional hiccup. "You've got no right to be anywhere near my onii-chan! No right at all! So you...you-you stay away from him and stay outta my life!"
She made a move to push Sachi, but the other girl reacted quickly with instincts that would have made Kirito proud. She stopped herself from falling with one of her feet, and at the same time, she clutched Suguha's wrists and held on tightly. Suguha made a little gasp in surprise, and her eyes only widened even further when Sachi's stared right back at her with a fiery defiance.
"You can hate me all you want," Sachi replied. "You can despise me from the bottom of your heart. You can blame me for everything that's happening to your brother. You can wish all sorts of terrible things upon me. But there's one thing that you can't do, and that's keeping me away from him. Your brother made my final months in the game the best months of my life. Your brother cared for me and protected me. Your brother changed my life for the better. So..." With a tightening grip, she prompted Suguha to release her. "The least I can do...is repay the favor...by watching over him...until he wakes up!"
Sachi ignored Suguha's stunned, terrified face as she passed by her, almost shouldering her aside in the process. The girl also barely acknowledged the presence of Kirito's mother, who had just emerged from a drawn hospital curtain. All Sachi could see now was the shadowy outline of a bedridden person, illuminated by the cloud-dimmed Sun.
"It's him. I'm...I'm finally here...Mari..."
She passed by the surprised woman and took a hold of the curtain. She then moved it by an inch, but one last, lingering shred of doubt stopped her from continuing any further. But Sachi's newfound resolve easily overwhelmed that nagging doubt, and she fully drew the curtain back.
More rays of sunlight started to pierce through the grayness, illuminating the pale, comatose boy that Sachi beheld.
She made a tiny gasp that was inaudible. "Kirito..."
He was just as she imagined him, still, soundless, and emaciated. Even so, she didn't flinch in the slightest, and instead, she approached his bedside, grabbing a nearby chair that she could sit down on. Once she did, Sachi took his head, and as expected, it was as cold and bony as Keiko's.
Even so, it was such a tender feeling, to be able to hold Kirito's hand in the real world.
"Merry Christmas, Kirito..." she whispered, while her gaze was transfixed to Kirito's peaceful face. "That's right. I'm here, Kirito. I'm here. Guess what? I survived SAO. The game is over for me. But...I know it's still not over for you." Her vision became blurry, but she knew that it was not grief that she felt. "So...I want you to know this. While you are in the game, clearing one floor after another, I'll be here, watching over you, protecting you, supporting you...and waiting for you. Just like how your family is still waiting for you, supporting you.
"Now..." Her smile became wider in remembrance. "I'm pretty sure you're listening to the message I left for you. But my wish for you remains the same. Promise me you'll go on living. Stay alive, so you can see the end of that world and find out why it was created. Find out why a weakling like me ended up there and came back to the real world, despite all the odds. Find out the reason you and I met."
Sachi took a long, deep breath and felt a great weight being lifted off her shoulders. "Anyway, seeing how it's Christmas and everything, I'll sing you a song."
Her grip on Kirito's hand tightened a little, as she closed her eyes and began singing softly.
"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer...had a very shiny nose! And if you ever saw it...you would even say it glows!"
"I don't care what your friend said in the cemetery. Or what Kirito's sister said at the hospital."
"All of the other reindeer...used to laugh and call him names! They never let poor Rudolph...join in any reindeer games!"
"You're NOT an outlier. You're the one in 250."
"Then one foggy Christmas Eve, Santa came to say, 'Rudolph, with your nose so bright, won't you guide my sleigh tonight?'"
"You overcame those insurmountable odds for a reason, and I want the both of us to see what that reason is."
"Then how the reindeer loved him, as they shouted out with glee, 'Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, you'll go down in history!'"
Once she finished her song, Sachi opened her eyes and smiled fondly at Kirito. It didn't matter if he was comatose. She knew he was listening.
"I've found my reason," she thought with finality.
"Anyway, Kirito..." she said out loud, "I'm so glad I could be here and be with you again. For good, this time."
"I now know why I survived, Kirito, Mari. To protect the one I hold dear in my heart."
"Thank you. See you later."
"To protect the one I love."
Next Time: Survival Bias
A/N: And there you have it, folks! Sachi's finally managed to visit Kirito in the hospital (during Christmas, I might add), and even better, she finally realized the true feelings she's had for him! (Well, it definitely wouldn't be "better" for all the Kirito/Asuna shippers who are out there, but I digress.) Unfortunately, it took the departure of her emotional crutch Mari to get Sachi to fess up, but hey, I did say that she wouldn't stick around her long!
Oh, and it looks like Sachi's developed quite an animosity towards Kikuoka. Is it well-founded? We'll see as we go along!
Now, once again, please let me know how I handled everything in this fic! As I said before, I'm an anime-only viewer for the most part, and I'm relying on the wiki and TV Tropes for outside research. Even so, I want this fic to feel as genuine to the real thing as possible. So the more in-depth your review is, the better! You don't have to write full-fledged essays, but I'm not looking for any one- and two-liner reviews either. Your feedback will help me in improving this story however I can and making it an even better reading experience for all of you! Thank you! I really appreciate it. :D
Alright, I'd like to thank the following for reviewing:
-MeMyselfAndI82907: Ohhhhh, I plan on making my interpretation of the Fairy Dance Arc a lot more dangerous. Let's just say that Sugou won't be fooling around this time, and that there's something sinister lurking underneath the surface of ALO... ;)
-RubixJr: Thanks! But would you mind elaborating more in your next review? Is there anything that you liked about the fic so far? Anything you might have disliked? Any questions or other comments? It'd be greatly appreciated!
-smc-smfan1: The scene might not go down exactly how you described, but yes, Sachi's going to find out about Asuna and her relationship with Kirito. And there'll definitely be some waterworks involved. ;)
Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! TheCartoonFanatic01 is out. PEACE!