Sword Art Online
After The Incident
Chapter 32 – Shino and Kyouji
There's an important A/N in the bottom, so please check that out for me, okay? Now, on to the fanfic!
~Sinon's POV, 6 days later. The day before the BoB Tournament~
I sighed a bit as I lied on my bed in the real world, staring up at the ceiling with a ton of worries on my mind. Not only on the tournament tomorrow, but Kirito as well.
He had told me that he wouldn't mind going to prison if it meant killing Sugou in the process. I had taken a bit more of a personal approach to the conversation than I would have liked, but his words just took me back to a very critical point in my childhood. One where my future would forever change.
I remembered that time when I was with my mother at the bank when I was little, and the bank was robbed by a desperate douchebag with a money problem and a gun. He had almost killed both my mother and me, but somehow I had forced the gun from him and killed him with an effective headshot.
And just like that robber, Kirito didn't mind killing someone if it meant to reach a certain goal, in this case not to gain money, but to be free of an old danger that had haunted him for years, and was almost driving him nuts at this point.
His behavior and motivations was worrying me to say the least, and I was worried he might get into trouble if this escalated any further than it already had.
I sighed a bit and rolled onto my side, my thoughts falling from Kazuto and the robber to my past, to the plastic softgun in my shelf in my nightstand. Would I be able to hold it today without flipping out?
Ever since my mother and I was attacked in that bank robbery in my childhood, I had been scared to death to hold anything even close to resembling a gun, which was only natural. I had been scarred for life that day, traumatized, and it was all because a douche thought he wanted to take the easy way to money and fame.
But as I walked over to the nightstand and opened the shelf, my thoughts fell once again on GGO. You would almost think that a girl getting traumatized by guns wouldn't play a game that literally had "Gun" in the title, but for some reason, I didn't have the same fear of guns in that world as I had in this one.
It was almost like I was a completely different person when I played, and I had played the game for months now, almost as a kind of therapy from my young trauma. I had never figured out why I could barely approach a gun in the real world, but freely use them in the virtual one.
Though at some point I had convinced myself at some point that it was a matter of personal strength, I hadn't experienced much progress from my therapy, my steps towards a trauma free life being small ones, if almost nonexistent.
I hesitantly forced my hand downwards and grabbed the plastic gun between my hands. I felt like my stomach turned inside out and my mind was a blur, my breathing deepening and getting quicker the longer I held the harmless plastic gun.
When I finally couldn't take it anymore I screamed and tossed the gun to my ground. It bounced a couple of times before sliding under my bed. I panted slightly as I watched where it went.
"I think I'm progressing this…" I mumbled quietly as I got a tissue to pick it up "That was five more seconds than last time…"
I picked up the gun with the cloth in hand and put it back in the nightstand. I sighed softly with raspy breath before lying down on my bed to calm down.
"Geez… At least a little progress today" I mumbled to myself as I looked up at the ceiling again "I wonder how Asuna and Kazuto are vending with this pressure?"
Before I could think anymore of the two of them, I received a text from Kyouji Shinkawa. I looked softly at the screen and smiled.
"I'm at the café. Do you wanna meet up? :)"
I smiled a bit and chuckled softly. I had always had the distinct feeling that he had a small crush on me, since he practically spent all his free time with me. And though I appreciated his support and everything, I wasn't entirely sure I was ready for such a thing.
But despite that, I still replied to his text.
"Sure, I'll be there in ten"
I smiled all the way out the front door and out on the street on the way to the café. Even though I wasn't interested in a relationship with Kyouji, I was still looking forward to hanging out with him at the café like we always do, and always have done. He might have had a crush on me, but that didn't have to mean that our friendship should change. At least not until he actually confessed.
And I wasn't even unsure about whether he was crushing on me or not. I knew Kyouji in and out, and he was easy to read, like an open book. So when I walked into the café, and saw him wave from the back, I smiled and waved back before walking down to him and sitting down across from him by the table.
"Good to see you again, Shino" He said with a wide smile "I've ordered the usual for us, so don't worry about that"
"An expresso with extra milk?"
"Like you've always liked it" he said with a chuckle "So, how are you doing? It's been a while hasn't it?"
"I guess it has" I said with a smile as I rested my head in my arm on the table "Studying has been cramming up a bit, and I guess I have a friend who needs my help with something"
"Oh really?" He mumbled. I could almost swear a frown cross his eyebrows "What's all that about?"
"Nah, don't you worry about that" I said with a smile as a waiter arrived with our order "It's something rather personal for him, so I don't think he would appreciate me talking about it"
"Gotta appreciate privacy" Kyouji said with his usual smile.
We spent the next 30 minutes talking everything from school, to homework, to what we were doing in our spare time. I had always enjoyed hanging out around Kyouji. He was easy to talk to, and he never judged anyone for what thoughts they shared or how they acted. He was a person I knew I could trust, and I had known that ever since we first met in preschool.
When we had sat there for a while, our coffee was gone, along with the small desert cakes he also had ordered along with them, and we decided to pack up and just walk around town, just enjoying ourselves. I always felt at ease around Kyouji. He had always been kind to me, and had even stood up for me when someone picked at me throughout my childhood.
He was an amazing friend to be honest, but he felt more like a big brother rather than a lover in my opinion. We were always teasing each other, him more than me, and the way I saw it, was that we had the same kind of bond that a couple of siblings would have.
That was why it stung a little when I thought about having to turn down Kyouji when he would confess. First of all I didn't want to ruin the precious bond we had together. Secondly, I didn't want to hurt his feelings. He was important to me and I didn't want to lose him.
Though, I had already set my mind on turning him down. I just didn't feel like that about him, and I was sure he deserved someone better than me anyway. It was best that way.
"Hey, Shino?"
I was ripped out of my thoughts as Kyouji suddenly spoke up, and I looked up at him with a surprised expression.
"Huh? Oh, sorry Kyouji" I mumbled apologetically "I guess I was spacing out"
"That's okay" He said with a smile and a snicker "You do that a lot anyway"
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" I mumbled with a pout "Are you calling me lightheaded?"
"Noooo… What makes you say that?" He asked in an obvious sarcastic tone.
I glared a bit and elbowed his rips.
"Geez" I mumbled and sighed as we reached the main shopping district "I don't know how you switch from serious talk, to flirty and teasing"
"Huh? I wasn't trying to flirt" He was blushing madly now, and I smiled.
That's what you get for teasing me.
"Sure, whatever" I said with a chuckle "What did you want to ask about?"
"Well, uhm…" He was suddenly growing silent, and I had a sneaking feeling what it was about "Oh god this is hard to say, uhm…"
"Okay, stop there" I said softly and he looked at me in surprise "You're trying to confess right?"
He looked at me in shock. Did he really not know that I knew?
"Huh!? How did you know!?"
"Come on Kyouji" I said with a smile "We've been friends since preschool. I know you inside and out"
"Yeah, but still.." he mumbles softly as he twiddled his thumbs "I didn't think you would figure it out that fast…"
"Yeah, you're a bit dense sometimes" I said with a soft smile "And Kyouji, I'm not exactly sure I feel about you that way"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"I mean, I'm not sure I want a relationship with you right now" I said, a bit silently "I mean, I don't know…"
"O-Oh uhm, well in that case!" He said, trying to gather his courage "At least give me a chance Shino! I mean, you don't know yet, right? So let me get a chance to convince you to go out with me!"
He stepped up to me and grabbed my hand tightly in both of his, and I blushed dark red as I looked up at him, almost fainting from embarrassment.
"H-Huh?! What do you mean Kyouji!?" I looked at him flustered and embarrassed.
"I mean, give me at least one date" He said with a resolute, yet nervous expression "I-If we have a nice date, we can continue to go out like that"
"H-Huh!? And you expect me to answer right out of the blue!?" I yelled in surprise as I turned say from him in embarrassment.
What was I supposed to do? He was demanding a first date, and he had actually confessed. I had to admit, I had always admired Kyouji for his courage, and the amount of courage it must take to ask your crush out must be immense. To be honest, somewhere in the back of my mind, I felt like he deserved a first date.
But at the same time, I knew that I was really busy helping Kirito and Asuna finding that bastard to Sugou, so I had to think it through before I answered.
"Okay, I'll go on a date with you" I said as I turned to him and crossed my arms over my chest.
He lighted up in happiness and delight, jumping up and down in triumph.
"Really!? YAAHOO!"
I couldn't help but chuckle a little at his behavior, but I had to retain a steel face.
"But I want to focus on the BoB tournament tomorrow right now" I said sternly "So as soon as that is over, we can take that first date, okay?"
He smiled and nodded happily, barely able to contain his amazement and excitement.
"That's a deal! Oh man, oh man, oh man!" He yelled happily as he jumped around like a monkey "I did it!"
I giggled a bit at his crazy behavior, but gripped his shoulder to make him stop whatever it was he was doing.
"Calm down man" I said with a smile "it's only one date okay? I'll find out afterwards what happens from then on"
He nodded softly and smiled back at me. I don't think I've ever seen him that happy, and he was usually not the type of guy to jump around in amusement. To be honest, it was a little cute, and quite flattering.
As the day ran along, and me and Kyouji hanged out around the city, we eventually reached my apartment. He smiled softly as he leaned against the wall.
"Well, you're home" He said with a happy smile "I'll see you tomorrow okay? And uhm, in case you were unsure, just put on whatever you feel like, okay?"
I nodded softly, a giggle almost escaping my lips. He had always been very considerate, and he knew damn well that I could be very indecisive.
"Okay, sounds like a plan" I said with a smile "See you tomorrow alright?"
He smiled softly and nodded.
"Knock them dead in the tournament okay?"
He smiled mischievously and stepped towards me, before planting a soft kiss on my cheek. I blushed bright red and touched my cheek where he had kissed me.
"See you tomorrow" he said with a smile before turning away from me and sprinting down the street "YAAHOO! I HAVE A DATE!"
I blushed a bit darker red as he continued to yell and run down the street.
"Geez… is he planning to let the entire town know?" I mumbled quietly and smiling before walking inside.
I smiled a bit as I laid down on my bed. For obvious reasons, the date tomorrow and Kyouji wouldn't leave my head. But I couldn't lose sight of the tournament tomorrow. I had to keep myself on track, and help Kazuto and Asuna.
"No going back now…"
~The next day, GGO tournament area. Kazuto's POV~
My grip tightened a little at the hilt of my lightsaber nervously. This was it. 10 minutes till tournament start. I was unsure whether or not I had ever felt so nervous before. This game was much like the hunger games, except we didn't have to worry about finding weapons or supplies, since we'd have it all from the start.
Though, just as the hunger games, we would all start from a single point, and make our way out into the wilderness. The map consisted of 6 separate areas, the biggest area being several kilometers in diameter, and the smallest being a small sewer underground under the central city in the middle of the map.
I was mostly nervous about that Death Gun character. The map consisted of several areas where stealth had a major advantage. So the fact that he could make himself invisible with his cloak only made this all the more nerve wreaking.
I closed my eyes and tried to focus on the tournament instead of my nervousness, but second after second became more and more tense. I felt how my muscles tensed up, more or less all of my body getting stiff from my emotions alone.
I sighed softly and trudged around like crazy, ripping at my hair in desperation. I looked more and more forward to just getting the hell out of this crazy game, and stick to swords, magic and data building for SAO 2.
I tapped my foot at the floor, checking the time constantly. I felt like growing mad, and it was horrible. 5 more minutes. God, it felt like time was slowing down just to tease or mock me.
I sighed again and growled of frustration as I sat down by the table with Asuna and Sinon looking at me worried.
"I'm sorry guys" I mumbled, not wanting them to worry about me "I'm just getting stressed I guess"
"It's okay Kazuto" Sinon mumbled with an understanding smile "Even people who doesn't have as much at stake as you guys are nervous beyond believe. Just think about something else okay?"
I nodded slowly and lied my upper body on top of the table, trying to make my mind and body relax. I took a few deep breaths but it still felt like my body was craving more and more of me, like it used the oxygen I took in before I had a chance to even breath. My deep breathing, which was supposed to make me relax, only made me all the more tense.
Asuna rubbed me gently on the shoulder, and I had to admit that it helped to loosen my muscles a little bit, though I could still feel a gut-wrenching feeling from the pit of my stomach. I just looked forward to the times where we could relax at home, or at the fields of ALO. I looked forward to spent some more time with our daughter online, and the adventures we could come across.
"Okay, here it is" Asuna said with a serious expression "2 minutes until game start"
"Alright, listen up" Sinon said with a frown "All 50 of the participants will spawn in the central city. From there they will spread out into the land, having one hour of neutrality. From there, we have to find, and kill, every other participant to win the game"
"Right, this is going to be challenging" I mumbled quietly.
It was a lot of opponents to think about. Minus Sinon and Asuna, there was still 47 people other than me who were out to get me, and the thought scared me a little.
Along the nest two minutes, we discussed battle strategy and item storage, until there was about 30 seconds left.
"If you guys want to meet up," Sinon said with a serious expression "meet up in the resting cave of the dessert area"
"Right"
I looked up at a screen of the map of the match. So this is the battlefield huh?
"3…2…1…"
A/N
Hey guys! Thank you for reading this week's chapter!
And I have some exciting news for you guys!
Do you guys remember me talking about making a Tumblr account before?
Well, I chose to make a Twitter instead, since I actually know how to use it XD
So, I'm just going to leave the link to my profile here in this chapter and you can go check it out if you want. This profile is for those people who want to chat with me, and discuss anime and fanfics with other happy writers and readers!
So feel free to visit my profile and sent me a tweet if you want. I'm sure it will be an amazing time.
See you guys next week, and stay awesome!