The following afternoon
"Yawwwn..." Five more minutes, then Asuna's class will be over for lunch.
It's twelve forty-five on a Monday, and she's still feeling fatigued from her late-night session of gaming. The SAO returnee school starts later than other schools, which is nice considering her long commute. On the flip side, it means the day ends later, and for someone who stayed up late and only got an hour and a half of sleep, it tests her ability to stay up.
She should've taken up Joshua's offer for a ride to school. According to both him and Kazuto, a vehicle can get from the neighborhood of Miaysaka in Setagaya Ward (where she, Joshua, and Koharu live) in forty minutes instead of the hour and a half-long train commute from there to Nishitokyo, where the school is. Her parents wouldn't allow her to get a motorcycle license, and stubbornness on her end denied her a ride from Joshua. She paid for it by nearly missing her first stop hadn't Yui woke her through the Augma. Classes only made her sleepiness worse.
But it was worth it, in some regards. The Bashin taught Asuna and her group how to find the silica and wood ash necessary to produce glass and the flax grass for linseed oil. Eventually, all the materials needed to repair the cabin was gathered, and Asuna prepared the thorn spike bear meat as thanks. The Bashin people enjoyed it as it is a great delicacy among them.
By one in the morning, the Bashin people left the cabin, and the group got to work as quickly as possible. Three hours remained on the clock for the cabin, but it somehow got done with the eight of them. Before they logged off, Lisbeth tested whether just anyone could enter a cabin to find that a total stranger could not do so. The cabin isn't an indestructible object, as they're well aware, but for now, it will do well to protect the avatars remaining in the living room. Their new goal is to construct a wall around the cabin as an additional layer of protection and to find more monsters to tame as pseudo-guards, for Aga and Yui won't be enough.
Unital Ring has been the talk of the day in her class, Asuna being no exception. Just before the first class, Asuna caught up with Joshua, who sits to her right. While he didn't say much, due to an after-school meeting between the friends, he did confirm that he, Strea, Kureha, Rei, Lievre, and Sinon was converted from GGO and are currently together somewhere in the world. He saw the map but couldn't determine their current location with that.
Speaking of her friend, they get up just as a classical chime signals the end of class and the beginning of lunch. Bowing to their teacher, she sat back down to gather her materials. Once she is ready, she looks to Joshua, who is about to say something, when his eyes dart to the front of Asuna's desk.
"Are you...Asuna Yuuki and Joshua Hardin?" The person who spoke was a girl with black hair as long as Asuna's, her features unblemished and delicate. Her uniform, however, is not the blue blazer of the returnee school but grey in color. She looks to Joshua, then back to the girl as she stands up.
"Yes, that's us... Who are you?"
The girl bows to both of them. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Shikimi Kamura... I transferred here just today. I'm looking forward to getting to know you."
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"Fwahuawh..."
"Don't yawn again, else I'm gonna do - wahuawh..."
Kazuto stifles a chuckle while reaching for his pocket for the eye-drop bottle he brought today. While trying to drip some in his eyes, he feels another yawn bubble up. "...We're getting old, Ko... Actually, you shouldn't be tired, you slept for two years."
The raven-haired girl talking with him clicks her tongue. "Ha ha, so funny...though considering once upon a time, we could hunt well into the night, this is very sad of us... Hey, Kazuto."
He glances at Koharu, who sits on his desk comfortably like a bird on a perch. "What's up?"
"I hadn't said anything to Joshua, but...considering how weird everything happened yesterday, starting with the red sky and the announcement, then the mysterious voice...do you think he could have done this?"
That 'he' needs no introduction, for Koharu, refers to the man who created Sword Art Online, the Seed, and their overseer, the Cardinal System: Akihiko Kayaba. But she specifically refers to the digital ghost of Kayaba; the actual Kayaba died nearly two years ago in a prototype Soul Translator moments after SAO's service went down. His digital consciousness is good at hiding away, only popping up at the most annoying times. As far as he knows, the last time Kayaba made his presence known, he saved the Ocean Turtle from destruction by inhabiting one of the units that can house a Fluctlight.
He closes his eyes and drops his head. "I won't lie, I considered it today, but... I don't know."
"Yeah. You need help?"
"I'll drip 'em for you."
"Sure, thanks." He hands the bottle out in Koharu's direction, and the person who grabbed the bottle places drops in both eyes. It's only midway through that process that Kirito realizes the one he directly answered is not Koharu, so once the stinging sensation wears off, Kazuto opens his eyes to see a female student shorter than Koharu in height standing before them. She wears a khaki-brown jacket, her orangish hair tied in a short bob. Something about her face was recognizable (which says a lot about his encounters with women), but he could not put a pin on it (which also says a lot about his encounters with women).
To be fair, Koharu doesn't seem to know her either, but to that same point, Koharu has only been back in the world for two months. She wouldn't really know anyone. "Um...who are you?"
Annoyed, she shrugs her shoulder. "Awww, c'mon. That's not cool. I finally got transferred here, and you two don't remember Big Sis?"
Kazuto and Koharu glance at each other, wondering whose "Big Sis" she is, then a sudden shared partial realization. That way of speaking is so familiar that both of them stare at the girl. Giving them too more hints, she raises the hood of her jacket and places three fingers on each side of her face seals the deal.
"Ah...aaaaaah!"
"N-no way!" Kirito and Koharu's sudden yelps and abrupt standing may have gained their classmates' attention, but they don't care. Their attention is on the girl in front of them, one of the most famous heroes of Sword Art Online like they are, and until today, a name and face they've only known through continuous encounters in other games since. She's a former SAO beta tester like they are, the person who set Joshua and Koharu off on their partnership, likewise for Asuna and Kirito, assembled the four together in a party, and for numerous floors of Aincrad was their best source of information on the frontier.
As many info brokers as there were, only one went by the name of Argo the Rat. "A-Argo? is that you? Why? How?"
She brandishes an all too familiar mischievous smile and says, "It's been a while, Kiri-boy and Ko."
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The garden Kazuto and Koharu lead Argo towards are outside of the school building, hidden unless one knew how to get through the complicated school building to the bordering planters, then find a certain gap through the planters to access it. It used to be a hidden space for Asuna and Kazuto, but then Rika found it and led Keiko, Joshua, and Kotone to it. Once Koharu entered school two months ago, it was only customary that she became aware of the garden, and now an eighth person (ninth if you include the person who takes care of the flora here) is aware of it.
The space is thirty feet long and mostly grass. A white siris tree and a sandalwood tree are standing adjacent to each other on the slightly raised earth in the center. Seasonal flowers surround the trunk of the tree as well. It's a nice getaway when the group wants to eat outside during lunch, and for now, it'll serve as a meeting place for Koharu, Kazuto, and Argo.
"Well, well, this sure looks like a nice, tidy date spot. Ya sure ya wanted to bring me here?"
"I didn't really have a choice after that flashy entrance. First of all, it's not a date spot. So it's perfectly fine if I show it to you."
"Awww, it's been so long. Ya don't have to be so cold, Kiri-boy. Don'tcha want a warm reunion hug?"
"Argo," Koharu starts, "we saw you just a couple of weeks ago in SA:O."
"And for some people, that's long enough."
Kazuto sighs and gets the conversation moving. "I'll save the hug for the next occasion."
"You've always been a coward, Kiri-boy."
"I'm fine with that! More important...what the hell are you doing here?"
Argo sticks her hands into her hoodie's pockets, steps close to Kazuto, and grins teasingly. "What am I doing here? I transferred, of course."
"H-huhhh?" Kazuto unintentionally shouts, so he clamps his mouth and then speaks again in a more aware tone. "Transferred? It's been two years since we escaped. Why now?" Considering he got in touch with Argo plenty over the years, he isn't concerned that she's alive. But then again, imagine if this was the first time they were meeting since SAO.
According to Joshua, the last encounter with Argo in SAO would have been the summer of 2023, just between the reunion of Asuna, Kirito, and Jaymes that May and the Laughing Coffin raid in August. Until Joshua met Argo last year in GGO in the midst of some trouble, Kazuto didn't know if Argo lived and was too afraid to use his connections to ask. There are several other names Kazuto could ask about, but that same fear resides in him that if he goes looking, what he'll find is a grave at the end of the road.
"What year are you, and where are you from, Argo?" Koharu asks.
"Two questions will cost you a thousand col. Should I put it on Jaymes' tab?"
"Go ahead."
"Really?"
"Nya-ha-ha-ha... I'm just kiddin'. I live in the lower left part of Kanagawa, and I'm in my last year of high school."
Koharu nods. "I see. I always thought you were older than you looked. I would have never guessed you're older than us. Wow, you'll be graduating with Joshua, Asuna, Kotone, and Rika at the end of the year."
"Why would you transfer here now?"
"Mmm... Ah, might as well." Argo produces a rectangular case from the pouch she was wearing. She removes a grey card from it and hands it to Kirito. It reads her name, Tomo Hosaka.
Kazuto repeats the name and looks at her. "That's your real name?"
"Sorry, it doesn't sound like it'd be my name, huh?"
Koharu shakes her head. "It's kinda cute, you fit it... Wait a minute, you work for MMO Today?"
"Yep?"
"So you're a writer for MMO Today... Meaning I might have already read several articles you've written without realizing it?"
"Probably."
"But isn't MMO Today centered around news about The Seed? You don't seem to play ALO or Origin, and Joshua only saw you during one period during his time in GGO. What about other games?"
"I don't play games anymore. Not that I'm scared of full-dive machines, of course, but the motivation that SAO had...well, you can guess. So I don't cover individual games. I guess I'm more focused on overall news of The Seed Nexus and the hardware end. Sometimes I'll whip up a character and do a quick dive, but as soon as my research is done, I delete 'em. That's why I haven't been on SA:O since that trouble with the singularity."
"Ohhh... I guess... I have to treat you with more respect. From now on, I'll call you Miss Hosaka."
"Knock it off!" Tomo replies in a serious manner. "Just be normal. Well? You're gonna make me introduce myself and won't do me the same courtesy?"
"Huh? Oh, right... Well, uh, my real name is Kazuto Kirigaya. It's good to see you for real this time."
"Yep. Likewise." Tomo grins and sticks her hand out. Kazuto hesitantly grabs it, feeling her firm handshake. Upon release, she reaches out to Koharu. "And you, Miss Back From The Dead?"
"My name is...Koharu Honda."
Tomo's face falls as she shakes Koharu's hand. "You actually used your real name? Then again, you were a newbie back then. I bet that means A-chan did too."
"Well..." Kazuto clears his throat before that can of worms opens and retreats back to the earlier topic. "So...what's the relation between you transferring to this school and your writing position with MMO Today?"
"Ahh, well..." Tomo trails off there as her eyes glance at the gap between the planters. Koharu and Kazuto do the same as quick footsteps come from the sole path in and out of the garden. Seconds later, out springs Asuna. Kazuto had texted her to come to the garden, bring three portions from the cafeteria with no context provided, and bring Joshua along.
"...No way..."
Tomo waves. "Hiya. How ya been, A-cha-" She's interrupted by the lightning-speed grab by Asuna. Asuna's face is buried in Tomo's shoulder.
"I knew... I knew I would see you with my own eyes one day." Argo chuckles and pats Asuna on the back of her blouse, then her head turns to the last arrival. She releases Asuna and steps up to him, that teasing smile returning to combat his blank glare. "Y'know, Ko just started a tab, so I expect a payment, Jaymes. You're a rich boy."
"Too bad I'm not a lolicon."
"A shame. I'm cute in real life too."
Joshua sighs and crosses his arms, but a smile reaches his face before long. "Hello, Rat. What the hell brings you here?"
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"Pick whichever you like, Argo. This is on me." After setting down a sheet at the base of the sandalwood tree, Asuna holds out three baguette sandwiches, each a different kind, and lets Tomo get dibs on the first choice.
"Ah, geez, I can't do that," Tomo protests.
"Yes, you can. Remember how you helped us with the quest when we were buying the house in the forest on the twenty-second floor? I'm paying you back for that!"
"...Ahh, right, that did happen. All right, I'll accept yer gift. I think I'll take...this one." Tomo selects the smoked salmon baguette, leaving Kazuto with the choice of the avocado or the ham and cheese. Kirito selects the latter and takes out his phone to pay Asuna back for the purchase. He has a bad habit of remembering that he and Asuna share inventories during the last weeks of SAO and further beyond as a perk of being married virtually and the cabin they possess, so the idea of paying Asuna back occasionally escapes him. If he had the Augma, he could pay Asuna back with fewer steps than it does to do so with a phone.
"Oh!" And now he remembers that they're supposed to be meeting the others. Argo looks at him oddly, Koharu seems to catch on and mimics Kazuto's face, but Asuna and Joshua, with a weird sense of unity, roll their eyes.
"So you two did forget. Don't worry-I got in touch with everyone and asked them to postpone the meeting until after school."
"Oh...th-thanks."
"Did ya have plans already? Sorry for messin' that up," Tomo says apologetically.
Joshua shrugs and bites into one of his two salmon baguettes. "As much as we have to talk about, it's better that way. Now, Argo, why are you here now of all days?"
"The timing's not that weird, ya know. This school splits its admission period into early and late periods, and this is the entrance date for the late admissions."
"What, really? Then...they should have just made it a two-semester system, rather than a trimester."
"Then ya wouldn't have winter vacation."
"Okay, never mind, then."
Joshua coughs at that moment. "Wait, you don't get winter vacation on the semester system? We do in America... But wait, roll that back. Koharu is, for all intents and purposes, a 'late admittee' as she started back in August. What's the deal with that?"
"This school only developed an admissions system this August. So it wasn't in time for the end of summer vacation, and they had to set it up for the end of September instead. That makes Argo transfers student number one. Koharu's admission must've been prepared before the school developed the system, maybe before she woke up. Also, they say you don't have to be a former SAO player to transfer in."
"Really? But is any student at a normal school actually going to want to come to this place? I feel that society treats this as its unique, isolated thing."
"Yes, but because it's a specialty school, many of the curricula are practical, right? You can select the units you really want to learn about. And since the media's been reporting on the various unique qualities of the school, more people are getting interested. There was a transfer student in our class, too, and they said the same thing."
"You heard that, Argo? Asuna said 'curricula' like she's so smart. That's like a thousand col, right - Ow!"
While Joshua nurses his arm, hit by his girlfriend, Kazuto thinks about the coincidental arrival of Argo. Unital Ring, the VR anomaly of the day, started last night, and out of the blue, Tomo "Argo" Hosaka makes her appearance at school. No, that's a little too timely, but still... "Argo, are you actually here because of Unital-"
She cuts Kirito off by pressing a finger to his lips. "Don't be in such a rush, Kiri-boy. I'll give ya a proper explanation, but I don't have enough time for it now. Mind if I join you for that after-school meeting?"
Joshua, with closed eyes, shrugs. "I'm going to regret this, but...You might as well. Exempting Kotone and Nijika, the others do know of her a little. What do you say, Kazuto?"
"That's fine. But...just...don't say anything weird, okay?"
"Whaddaya mean, 'weird'?"
"I'm counting on your good judgment in that regard."