Level Sixteen: Smile
Country of Fallen Leaves: Entrance to the Grand Arc of the Earthbound Grotto
"Akemiiii." Kirito's hand was on her hip.
"Not working." She stated sternly, turning her head away.
"Pleeease?" He nuzzled against her jaw.
"I said no, Kirito." She sighed, blushing as he nuzzled against her. "S-stop that, we're in a public space…" she complained, not wanting to enjoy his affection but finding it hard to deny his advances.
"Mmmm, but I'm hungry…" Kirito sat with Akemi, waiting at the Grand Arc for their party. Akemi had made lunch, but she wouldn't allow Kirito to eat till everyone else arrived, making the boy pout at his girlfriend and attempt to flirt his way into the lunch basket. "C'mon, just one sandwich? You made plenty…" he looked into her eyes and smiled. "I'll pay you back for it later…" He added, leaning closer. Akemi blushed more and sighed, opening the basket and practically shoving the sandwich at him. Rise of the Autumn Moon had a lot of food-related aspects to it, so the flavor sensing feature was huge in this game. Kirito always insisted on being the first to eat anything Akemi made.
"Stop making that face… you're way too tempting." She mumbled to him, trying to remain calm. He just smiled and began to eat. When he finished eating, the others finally arrived.
"Akemi?" Asuna sat next to the older girl. "Why's your face all red?" she turned to Kirito, looking suspicious. "Kirito-kun, did you do something weird?!"
"What?! No!" he exclaimed. "I was hungry! I just asked for some food!"
"I bet he practically molested her for it." Lisbeth stated, taking a sandwich. Ayaori immediately glared at Kirito as Silica began to feed her familiars. "She's not so easily flustered."
"Man, you're one smooth operator." Versais pat Kirito's back. "Making your girl all flustered so easy." He laughed. "I can only imagine that you two are super lovey dovey IRL." Mabashi just sat there and ate, somehow more complacent with the couple's behavior than he had been before. Kirito blushed a little and tried to deny it, but Akemi saw an opportunity and smiled. She wrapped her arms around his waist, making everyone's eyes go wide. Kirito's face went as red as possible as the hands of his girlfriend wrap tight around his torso.
"He's not usually the instigator so it gets me off guard when he does decide to be forward." She said softly, smiling as Kirito was smooshed against her chest. "But he's still soooo cute…" she laughed. Asuna and Versais cheered them on, Mabashi and Lisbeth just made a "God, this again?" face, and Silica and Aya just turned away for one reason or another.
"A-akemi, stop!" he exclaimed, face going even redder as she kissed the top of his head. "Th-this is embarrassing!" But he wasn't fighting her at all. Everyone laughed and went about eating.
As soon as they were finished, the group set out and entered the Grand Arc. It was rather dark and kind of spooky, the girls sticking close to one another as the boys marched ahead. Except of course… "Oi, Akemi, slow down!" Mabashi called after the girl who was marching onward. But she didn't seem to hear him, moving ahead faster than the others. Kirito wasn't far behind, and he was worried so he went to catch up to her. They were soon too far ahead to see or hear the others of their party.
"Akemi, wait!" Kirito grabbed her wrist and she stopped, turning to him. "Wh-why are you in such a hurry?" he questioned, concerned that something was wrong.
"… Kirito…?" she tilted her head. "What's wrong…? And where is everyone else?" she looked around. "Did we get separated?" Kirito was now very confused. How did she not know what was happening? "… Did… something happen?"
After a short explanation and being able to find a nice mangrove tree to look out from, the two stopped for the day, sighing. "Man, I was out of it…" she mumbled. "How did I not hear them?" Kirito shrugged. "Well… guess I'll log off for tonight…" but, when she pulled up her screen, she paused. "Ne… Kirito?"
"Yeah?" he turned to her, meeting her lips in a soft kiss. "A-akemi…"
"… I wanna see you… so… can I visit you after I finish my school stuff?" she asked, smiling.
"… Sure…" he nodded. "Um… so I'll log out too then…" he pulled up his screen, feeling her hands on his hips. "A-are you ready to go?"
"Mmmm… I want a hug first… and one more kiss…" she whispered into his ear. "I might not be able to see you out of game for a little while since the professors are piling on the work." She nuzzled him more, making him sigh in content. "I want to see you… I really do…"
"I want to see you too…" he smiled. "… infact, I'll stop by tomorrow, if you want." He blushed a little more. "I-if that's okay, I mean…"
"… I'd love that." She said softly, smiling against his cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow, then?"
"Yeah…" and with that, they both logged out.
Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture: March 20th, 2025 – 9am
Kirito walked up the stairs of Akemi's apartment, carrying a box of chocolates he'd been meaning to give her for White Day. But having been unable to see her on the day or since until now, he was intent on getting it to her. He arrived at her floor and wandered to her door to knock. The door opened and there she stood, smiling at him. "Good morning." She let him inside before hugging him, pressing him to her chest. "I missed you…"
"I-I missed you too…" he muttered, enjoying being in her arms again. "I-is anyone else here?"
"Nope. Makoto's with aunty, since he and Aya are working on something." She smiled. "We have the house to ourselves today~"
"E-eeeh…" he blushed, realizing she was wearing a skirt and a sweater, looking very much like a house wife. "A-akemi…"
"Today, I will cook for you~" she said cheerfully. "So, what shall I make you?" He stuck his hand out, the box shaking a little as he did. "Oh…?"
"H-h-happy… Late… Wh-white Day, Akemi…" he muttered.
"Awww… Kazuto, you're adorable." She hugged him instead of taking the box. "Though… I much prefer you to chocolate…" she giggled, kissing his cheek. He almost dropped the box from that comment, stuttering and trying to find words. Her hands were on his hips, she was dangerously close to him, and he already wanted to hold her in his arms and just lay in bed doing nothing.
"A-akemi, I…." he felt her pin him against the door, looking up at her and blushing as he saw her lean in to kiss him, meeting her half way. "A-akemi…"
"… too much?" she asked, looking concerned for a minute. "I'm sorry…"
"D-don't apologize…" he said, not wanting to make her feel bad. "I… I just wasn't expecting to be the one receiving a gift today…" he mumbled. "I-I came to give you chocolates, and you offered to cook for me… I feel like I'm not doing enough…"
"But you are…" she tightened her grip around him a bit. "You're… making me happy…" she smiled. "By holding me… and kissing me like this…" she nuzzled him again. "Kazuto, you being here makes everything bad in the world melt away…"
"I-it does…?"
"Yeah…" she chuckled. "Can… I make you melt away?" without waiting for an answer, she began to be more affectionate, making Kazuto blush even deeper red. But as they were continuing, the phone rang. Akemi sighed, making a face before answering. "Hello?"
"Akemi. Its Asuna."
"Asuna…? What is it?" she asked.
"Are you with Kazuto?"
"Yeah… why?" she looked at Kazuto.
"There's a guy wandering around town and he ran into Lisbeth, asking where Kazuto is… He's creeping everyone out, so don't let him go out alone, kay?" she sounded serious. "The guy's really weird…"
"Right… I'll remember that… thanks for the warning." She said. They said their goodbyes and hung up. "Some creepy guy is wandering around town looking for you." She said, concerned. She pulled him into a hug and plopped down on the couch. "So I will keep you here and protect you."
"Creepy guy…?" Kazuto shivered. "Man, I'm glad he didn't find me then…" He felt her kissing his ear and cheek, trying to turn to his girlfriend and return the favor, but to no avail. "Hey… are you not gonna let me kiss you at all?"
"No." she replied, smiling. "I just want to pay you back for that little gesture from yesterday, is all." She giggled. "You were so mean, doing that to me somewhere we could be seen… but I'm not that kind of girl, you know." She kissed behind his ear, making his face go red. "So, instead, I'll keep you hostage in my apartment and make you melt away out of the prying eyes of the public venue." Kazuto tried to protest, but he felt her grip loosen and she turned him around in her lap to sit facing her. "So… my precious knight…" she giggled. "Are you prepared for my onslaught?"
Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture: March 20th, 2025 – 3pm
Mr. Ryotaro Ryugazaki walked from meeting to meeting in his office all day, his mind still plagued with his daughter's screams and anger. She never used to be that way. She used to smile all the time. 'When did she change…?'
"Ryugazaki-san." His secretary walked up to him. "Ishimura-san is on the phone for you."
"… Right." He picked it up in his office and sighed. "What is it, Ishimura?"
"I found that file you asked for on Kirigaya, Kazuto-kun." Ishimura replied. "He was a beta-tester of the game, just as your daughter was. He attends school with your son and nephew." Ishimura continued to explain things in a very brief manner. "According to the file, he's also the one who cleared the final obstacle in the game that helped get everyone out."
"… I see…" he mumbled. "Thank you for your help."
"You're very welcome."
Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture: March 20th, 2025 – 3:30pm
Ishimura sighed, leaning back in his chair after his call to Mr. Ryugazaki, looking at the ceiling with a blank expression. "… So what are you going to do now?" he asked, turning to the man in the corner of the room, who was tacking away on his laptop keyboard. The man looked up with a twisted little grin.
"It's almost time…" he laughed. "I'll get to see him soon, won't I?" he stared at his computer screen, grinning at the image of Kirito he'd gotten on that first day of the public open server. The boy sat there, crying… that expression on his face was priceless for the grinning man. "I finally get my prize…" he laughed, making Ishimura sigh. There was no calming him down once he was like this, so he decided to just let him go on his little rant.
"Anyway… we have to kidnap him, don't we? How do you plan on doing that?"
"Oh, don't you worry… I've got that covered. Just keep that Ryugazaki brat off my tail."
"… got it."
Kawagoe City, Saitama Prefecture: March 20th, 2025 – 8pm
Kazuto sighed, cheeks still red as he sat in Akemi's bath tub. They'd been together all day long, and somehow they had ended up pressing the boundaries of being together to the point that he did think he might actually melt. He tried to shake the thought, but she'd been so good to him, never letting up in her affectionate onslaught. He finished washing up and dried himself off before getting dressed, opening the bathroom door to smell something cooking. He wandered out to the main room and blushed, seeing Akemi making dinner. She was no longer wearing a sweater, but instead she wore a baggy collared shirt that was partially unbuttoned and he couldn't tell if she was wearing anything underneath. She turned to him with a smile, waving him over. "Wh-wh-wh-what are you…?"
"Did you enjoy your bath?" she asked, kissing his cheek once he was close enough. He nodded, still staring at her as she cooked. "What? You weren't so shy about my dressing like this earlier."
"B-but you're… i-is it okay for you to dress like that?" he questioned, face even redder.
"It's fine." She said, finishing her cooking and turning to hug Kazuto. "Do you want to see my lingerie again?" she asked, giggling. He stood stunned, trying not to have a nose bleed as he remembered what happened earlier. "Or…?"
"D-don't talk like that, you perv…" he muttered, trying to separate them a little when he felt his hand touch something squishy. His face got as red as it could get and he immediately pulled his hand away. "S-sorry!"
"Aww… it's okay." She smiled, nuzzling him again. "I don't mind… Not if it's you."
"S-stop talking like that…" he mumbled, unable to move away again, letting her kiss him as much or as little as she wanted. "Y-you're terrible…"
"I know." She replied cheerfully. "But, that's what you get for being my boyfriend…" she pet his head and hugged him closer. "So… do you have to go home tonight?"
"Wh-what? Wh-why are you asking?" he looked up at her. "D-do you want me to stay…?"
"I wouldn't ask if I didn't want you to stay." She kissed the tip of his nose before squeezing him tight around the waist. "… I want to be able to spend at least one night with you… the way I promised…" He felt the breath catch in his throat, eyes widening even more. Was she really going to do what she promised? Every time before now she had told him that she wasn't sure he was ready. But today it was like a switch had been flipped and she wasn't so easy to embarrass anymore. "Are you okay with that?" Without hesitation, Kazuto leaned up and caught her lips in a soft kiss, making her blush a little. "K-kazuto…"
"I-I'm more than okay with that." He replied, wanting to be able to show her that he was ready. But before he could say anything more, his stomach started growling. "Ah…"
"Hungry?" she asked with a smile. "We'll eat first." She helped him to a chair and brought the food to the table if it wasn't already there, sitting across from him as they had their meal. The night was peaceful, and their conversation mostly stayed on the game. After the leftovers were put away, Kazuto was on dish drying duty as Akemi washed everything. She finished first, so he was still drying dishes when she put her apron on the rack, trying to finish quickly. On the last dish, he felt a hand slide over his hip and sit just over where the bone was. "You're like a little house maid…" she giggled, nuzzling his cheek.
"H-hey, don't call me a maid…" he mumbled, enjoying the affection despite the maid comment. He felt her press against his back more, her other arm wrapping around his waist.
"Mmm, but you'd look good as a maid." She teased, kissing down his neck a little. "But… then again, I think you'd look better with nothing on…" Kazuto dropped the fork he was drying, feeling Akemi's hand slip under his shirt. "… Am I pushing it too far?"
"A-akemi…" he tried to keep his composure, feeling her rubbing his stomach with one finger. "Nnnn…" he squirmed a little, biting his lip. "Th-that tickles…"
"Oh…? I didn't know you were ticklish…" she said, not stopping her hands on his stomach. "That's kind of cute…" she added, making Kazuto shiver a little. "Where are you ticklish?"
"I-I'm not just going to tell you…" he mumbled, hoping she didn't find a more ticklish spot. But her hands began wandering and he didn't know how to refuse her anymore. "A-akemi, wait…" he pleaded, her hands skimming over his sides. "N-not here…"
"… Then where?" she asked with a smile. He turned to her, blushing even more than normal, looking like a helpless child. "The couch? Or the bed?" Kazuto knew there was no escaping her at this point. Everything about today told him that.
"Th-the bed… I don't want you to fall off…" he mumbled, putting down the drying towel before staring into her eyes. She smiled and hugged him again.
"You're so cute, giving into my demands." She led him to the bedroom, smiling the whole way. "You're so innocent sometimes… I kind of want to see how difficult it is to get you to enjoy it more."
"I-it's probably not that hard… s-so stop saying weird things…" he mumbled, not knowing just what she was planning. "A-and I'm getting payback later, too."
"That's fine with me, Kazuto." She closed the door as he entered the room. He felt her push him onto the bed and blushed more, feeling her hands both get under his shirt. "So long as you think you can handle paying me back." Kazuto didn't understand why, but he smiled.
"I think I can handle it…" he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer. "So long as you don't mind playing the victim for once."
((I hope you liked it ; u ;... its so lovey dovey...
Anyways, beware that I'm coming out with a separate story - "Chapter 16.5 - Romance" for the... how shall we say, intimate portion of this chapter?
I'm leaving it separate so if you don't want to read it you don't have to. And if you do read it, then that's your own choice.
Thanks for reading ; u ; The seriousness begins next chapter! Be warned!
-Winter Cheshire))