I don't own Sword Art Online

Chapter 10: Certain Secrets between Two

Kazuto went inside the large dimly lit room.

Looks like that she's still not back yet. He thought.

He had come to the hospital by himself due to Asuna attending a private family function and Suguha being held up at her kendo practice.

The only feeling he felt caged deeply inside his pounding heart was fear.

He was alone with her. The last time he could recall having this type feeling was during that life-altering event that took away the lives of guild-mates in that hidden dungeon.

He lifted a chair and slowly put it down a few inches near the incubator.

"Hello Yumemi-chan. It's been a while since I saw you."

He stretched his hand out to reach into a round panel but at the last second hesitated and pulled it back. I should warm them first. He pressed his palms together rubbing them to increase their temperature.

He cleared his throat, trying to collect his thoughts deep in his heart, in an organized manner before opening his mouth again.

"You know Yumemi-chan. There's something I've been meaning to tell you for a while now." He took a deep breathe and paused while feeling his vocal chords click. He clears his throat again, trying to tell her what's going on in his mind.

"This may sound strange...but you, you remind me of someone, or at least you look like someone that I really care for. But this person is... out of this world. Literally." He can feel his voice croak.

"You see your aunts, Klein, Agil and I... We sort of lived inside of this virtual world for about two years. That's how we all met. Well this one fateful day during the second year, Asuna and I met this female AI named Yui. Yui became strongly... attached to the both of us. I guess you could call us her parents in a way. I saw her again a few hours ago... the only subject that I could talk about besides school...was...well, you. You should have seen her face lit up the very moment she heard your name. I hope that you to will meet each other someday..."

He stopped talking as the corner of his eyes were caught by the silhouette of a woman's shadow.

"It's good to see you to getting acquainted with each other." Rinko sat on the chair beside him. "It's alright to touch her." She whispered gently and touched his shoulder.

"So I've been meaning to ask you this. Why do you call her Yumemi?" She asked.

The teenager smiled. "I figured that since her mother is this pretty, then she would be a knockout when she gets older too... She's like someone from a dream If you ask me I think her beauty even rivals with Asuna's."

Rinko chuckled at his explanation. "Oh really? Because your cousin told us that you called her an alien when I sent her that ultrasound, the day we went out together."

"But I called her a cute alien." He slightly frowned.

"Anyway, you thought of a lovely nickname. I just wanted to thank you in person. I think she'll love it when she gets older." Rinko ruffles his short black hair.

"So why did you name her Yumeko?" Kazuto asked her.

"Because, I always dreamed about becoming a mother, and having a daughter." She lowers her eyes giving the expression that she was hiding something else she wanted to share.

"And..."

"And?" Kazuto added.

"And, I thought it would... fit in with her father's name as well."

"What do you mean by fit in?" Kazuto's curiosity turned to confusion.

Rinko took a journal and pen from the table behind her and ripped out the last page.

Shining wet blue ink glistened across the newly handwritten page. She wrote down three names in romanized lettering, all of them ending with the same suffix.

Akihiko Rinko Yumeko.

She showed the sheet to Kazuto, who understandingly nodded.

"You think she looks like Yui-chan, don't you?" She changed the subject. "I thought so as well. It seems they have a similar appearance expect their hair and eye colours." Rinko placed her hand in the incubator and stroked her daughter's face.

Kazuto observed her interaction. "Yui's hair and eyes are both black. Yumemi's are both dark grey." He placed the tips of his fingers on the structure."She's a good listener too." He praised.

"I wish I were just as strong as you are, Yumemi-chan. My strength is just a set of numbers inside the company database. It- was never real to begin with. It was just...an illuison." The teen lamented and belittled himself while looking down to his feet.

Rinko wrapped her arm around him. "I don't think it's all an illusion." She patted his back. "Showing emotion is a way of showing true inner strength. People who can't express them are weak, because there not sure if what they feel is real or not, and they don't know when they can express them or not. So they compress so many feeling inside themselves, which may lead to an unpleasant journey through depression or worse... Not only did they lose a battle to themselves, they also started their own war." She smoothed her hand on top of his hair and placed her hand her lap.

"That's a nice pile of books you got over there." He pointed to the small table slightly further behind the woman.

She gave him a rather coy smirk in return. "I read to her everyday."

Kazuto got up to get a closer look at the small collection that was neatly stacked on the small piece of furniture. It turns out that they were a bunch of plays and fantasy novels. He picked up the one that was opened faced-down. He read the front cover and saw the title of the play, Twelfth Night. He mutely read the page to himself.

"I don't understand this kind of writing style... But can I try...reading it out loud." He asked.

"Go on." She grinned at him.

He started reading the current page out loud and quickly go the hang of it. "Be not afraid of greatness. Some are born great, some achieve greatness and others have greatness thrust upon them."

He sighed and placed the book back in its previous position.

He quickly noticed a small blueish emerald coloured glass-like object, that was behind the books.

He unwittingly held it in his hand. It felt lighter then he thought, probably because of all the holes on it.

He suddenly felt an odd feeling of deja vu entering his mind. "Onee-Sensei, is this an...ocarina?" He asked.

Rinko nodded. "Funny. I never thought you would've heard of it. The remastered version of that game was released when you were quite young."

"I played it a few years after it came out. It's one of the few handheld RPG's that I remember playing as a kid. I used to listen to that song almost all the time but not anymore."

"It's a soft but a mysterious melody." Rinko added. "I played it couple of times that night whien we were at the cafe after you introduced me to everyone."

"Oh, I guess I wasn't really paying attention. I must've spaced out or something." He gave a goofy smile and slightly blushed.

Kazuto put down the musical instrument and returned to his seat. "Just a couple of more weeks before the extra special birthday party." He playfully nudged the mother.

"It'll be nice seeing her where she truly belongs." He thought to himself.

"When is her you know what supposed to happen?" He asked.

"Her ROP surgery is on for Tuesday."

It's only in three days. He thought biting his lips.

"If you don't mind me asking what happened to the money from the game's profits?"

"The money was divided into three ways. One of thirds was sent to the government to help pay for player's treatment. Another third was sent to Argus to help keep the game's server running. The last third was secretly kept by Kayaba himself as life insurance."

Kazuto wasn't sure how to respond to learning this new information so he just nodded.

"N-not that its really any of my business. But was he aware of your... medical condition before that... final battle between us?" Kazuto questioned furthur.

Rinko nodded. "I told him the day before."

Kazuto breathed deeply.

"Would you like to see some pictures?" Rinko unexpectedly gave him a camera. "They're new and I haven't gotten them developed yet. We can keep it our little secret."

"Secret huh? The last time we did that I was literally one step away from getting a punch from my not-so-happy girlfriend." He half smiled.

"Don't worry I got your back." She winked and looked at him with smiling eyes.

He scrolled through and momentarily stared at each snapshot like he wanted to remember each and every captured detail.

He stopped at one. "No way. Its Klein."

"He's giving her kangaroo care." Rinko smiled.

He looks pretty happy. Kazuto thought.

"Are you gonna add these pictures to the scrapbook later on?"

Rinko nodded to his question. "I'm gonna need a lot more paper then I thought."

"If you ask me, you may need to get an extra album just in case." The teen chuckled to his advise. "Hey, can you send some of these ones to me so I can show them to Yui later? Its just that, she gets really excited whenever Yumemi is mentioned by someone. And she keeps looking at the same ones over and over again."

"I don't see anything wrong with that. But for your sake you better tell the others. I don't want to see you get a black-eye 'cause of me."

"Nah, I'm sure they won't that it so bad."

"About what you said earlier. I wholeheartedly agree with you." Rinko pressed his shoulder.

"Oh, you heard that huh? I didn't notice your shadow... I just felt that I really need to tell her that and I thought the time wouldn't a bother." His words sounded apologetic.

"I think it would be incredible if they meet each other in this world. Just thinking of breaking the boundaries of both worlds and seeing a computer program in existing in real life... It would be a miracle." She rambled her thought out loud.

"I'm planning to major in computer science after I get out of high school." Kazuto added.

"This will without a doubt, but a very complex progress. I'll try to do as much as I can during this upcoming project."

"What do you mean by that, Onee-Sensei?" The teenager looked at her wearing a slightly odd expression on his face.

She places her long, soft fingers on his right cheek. "You're helping me with my daughter, so I'm gonna help you with yours."

Kazuto bit his lips, changing their colour to white, looking like he was blinking away the forming tears.

"Rebuilding as the same Yui that you care for won't be an easy job. This will be very stressful and emotionally draining business to take care of. But when the time really does come be ready."

"Asuna and Yui will be very happy to hear this." Kazuto sniffled.

The woman gives him a worried look. "I think its best to keep this to ourselves just so we won't...jinx it or something."

Kazuto understandingly agreed to the pact.

"Still it was be amazing for them to meet. What do you think Yumemi-chan?" Kazuto turned to the incubator. He observed as Yumeko blinked twice.

"I'll take that a yes." Rinko grinned.

"She may smile with her eyes. But I'm gonna make her smile with her mouth." Kazuto raised his right hand as if he was swearing an oath.

"She won't be able to gave physical smile until she's at least a few weeks adjusted." Her mother notified him.

"It would hurt to take a chance to try it out."

"That sounds like a difficult challenge." Rinko played along. "So how did your bet with Ryo turn out?"

"I lost." The teenager admitted. "But the punishment is less embarrassing then yours."

A sly snicker grew on Rinko's face. "You mean this punishment?" She took a photograph of him wearing black cat eyes standing near Yumeko's incubator.

A chill runs down Kazuto's spine as he feels the temperature of his face increase and teeth chattering. "P-please don't add that with the rest of the scrapbook photos." He clasped both his hands together in front of his face and sitting on his knees until Rinko pulled him back on his feet.

"Aw, but you so cute with your face all red like that." She pinched both of his cheeks.

"Aw, seriously? This is already embarrassing enough when a mom does this to a kid in public." He moaned.

"What do you think I am, Kirigaya-kun?" She snickers.

"Yeah, but I think of you as a beautiful, older sister-like mentor." Kazuto than faced Yumeko. "And I think of you as my beautiful, sweetie-pie niece." He softly whispered through a round panel.

"And I think of you as a certain high school student that should be on his way home by now before he breaks his curfew." Those words weren't from the same feminine voice the boy had been conversating with for the past one hour and a half. But it was male voice that sounded very familiar to Kazuto.

"Ryo, you came? But I wasn't expecting to see you so soon. N-not twice in one day." Rinko looked dumbfounded.

"I got off early, so I figured I'd surprise you. I guess it worked." Klein walked up to his girlfriend wrapping his arms around her in a warm embrace.

Realizing his cue, Kazuto bowed in front of his respective elders. "Sugu should be back home by now. I better starting leaving."

He pressed his hand on the incubator. "Bye, bye Yumemi-chan. It was nice seeing you again. You be a good girl now."

Outside...

"What a great uncle you're turning out to be. It's almost been three months, and you're still feeling afraid to touch your niece's skin. Even when she needs you the most right now." The guilt-written thought came into his mind as he exited the hospital's main lobby.

As he looks up to the colourful sun setting sky above him, he momentarily closes his eyes remembering the last scene he saw while leaving the NICU.

Klein and Rinko resting each other's shoulder. Both of their left hands were held in a loving, supporting mannar. Rinko's right hand touches his knee. Klein's right hand was through a panel brushing Yumeko's face.

Kazuto exhales a slow breathe while opening his eyes to the present world around him. "They really do make a good family." A small smile grows on his lips as crosses the street in front of his vision.

I never read Twelfth Night or any other play like that, but I wanted to add in this quote anyway. I think people forget how great they really are, even during times they don't feel like it. Thank you very much for taking time off your schedule to read this, I am very grateful. The next chapter will be the "homecoming" one (I've been waiting a very long time to do it :D). I hope you enjoyed this one! Please review! =3