Kirigaya Kazuto, the Black Swordsman Kirito, loved games, and spent most of his free time in front of a computer. Mostly in various MMORPG's, and when the fulldive technology and NerveGear finally came about-he was glad to get into the Beta, and later to nag his mother (aunt-his real mother was dead) and immerse himself into Aincred.
Then Kayaba dropped his announcement, and everything went to hell.
He was glad that it has finally ended, only…
Only now he was confused.
The awakening after the Log Off was confusing, as his failure to find Asuna when he rose in the hospital.
Returning back to his family was awkward and weird.
The instincts that were a necessity for a SAO clearer to survive the unpredictable new surprises and monsters all but screamed at him that something was wrong, and that he was followed, on more than one occasion, only for him to fail to spot the follower.
It was like someone had a 'hiding' skill they have grinded to the max.
A stray comment of his sister Sugu about big dogs around the neighborhood only added to the unease. And he once spied, from his peripheral vision some stranger looking at him oddly.
The second meeting with Kikouka was a disaster.
Kazuto came expecting the news that would allow him to call Asuna-only to discover that she, and around 300 others, have yet to awake.
It took much for him to not fall to pieces right then and there.
He was very grateful for the address of the hospital she was in though, and even agreed to the offer of having the man give a ride to there, as well as talk the nurses into allowing the boy to visit the still lost girl.
He has stayed in that room for a long time, and returned home fairly late.
For some reason, he felt as if someone was watching him all the way back, his instincts warning of something.
The next day there was a strange phone call, where some stranger asked for him by name, and started asking strange things.
Much later, when he wanted to go visit Asuna again, Sugu insisted on accompanying him, and Kazuto had no will left to deny her.
He even 'introduced' her to the unconscious sleeping beauty that he promised to find after SAO. at least now his sister won't keep asking him the reasons for his behavior, and undoubtedly report her findings to their, her, parents-thus sparing him the need to tell, to explain his painful failure to keep his word, and why it agonized him so.
He turned his head searchingly, when, on their way back, he heard someone calling 'Kirito', still too used to it being his name.
He was surprised, and for a moment weary, by the thuggish looking man, until the caller got close enough to be recognized. Klein had the same exactly face In Real Life. His greeting towards them was very friendly. More so then the loner Kazuto was used to IRL, face to face, before SAO.
Klein, or, as he introduced himself outside the Game of Hundred floors and arts of Swords, Tsuboi Ryotaro, stuck to them and insistently joined them as they went to the shopping Suguha insisted upon, and all but escorted them home, telling Kirito to call him next time he went to visit Asuna- as Furinkazen wanted to visit her as well, and inviting the siblings to dinner the next day-Kirito was too young to buy a Beer.
The next day, Kle-Ryotaro met him together with Dale, and the two all but dragged him to a health food place of some kind, and did their usual amusing antics-and the food was nice, as well as paid by them. only much later-as they seemed to have decided to spend the day in his company, did he notice that it distracted him from Asuna.
That ruined the moment, and their company was only made a bit more bearable, when Klein decided to accompany his 'Black Sword Bro' to the hospital, under an excuse of something about both leading guilds in SAO, and something… Kirito didn't pay it attention, but found himself grateful for the company, as they entered the room the Sub Commander of the 'Knights of Blood' was in.
Other members of Klein's guild kept bumping into him on the street, and after enthusiastic greeting, insistently accompanying him. That behaviout, and even the feeling of constantly being around such social and sociable people, being the center of their attention was strange experience to the solitary Kazuto.
He later got an Email from Agil (and how the later knew of his Email address was unknown), calling him to visit a 'Dicey Café' at the supplied address and that he would want to talk about something. ending with the phrase 'you won't regret coming'.
Needless to say, Kirito was confused.