The sun brightly illuminated Hayato's room, slowly making him awake. Blocking the sun out of his eyes, he slowly sat up, it was school and then SAO. Stretching his noodle arms and legs, he slowly made his way to the bathroom to bush his teeth and wash his face. Glancing over himself as he put the rag down from washing his face, he pondered on the idea of putting his hair up today, sure, he did not want Hosaka to see his face after SAO, in addition he did not want people to see his dead facial expressions. Letting out a small breath of air, he felt it would not hurt, but rather help him move forward from what happened in the past. Reaching for a hair tie he kept on the counter, he tied his hair back, exposing his sharp yet some how dead eyes, his eyebrow piercing, and defined eyebrows that gave him a constant worried look. Letting a small chuckle escape due to how he thought he honestly looked kinda silly but somehow a delinquent at the same time. Giving himself one more glance in the mirror, he sighed as he stepped back into his room. Putting his school uniform on, double checking he had everything he would need for the day he locked the door to his flat and left.
Finally arriving to the bus stop, he half expected Hosaka to be there already yet she was nowhere to be seen. Ignoring the nagging feeling that she did not sleep last night due to her excitement for SAO, he gathered that she would be arriving late today; a comforting thought in one part of his brain but a saddening thought in another. As he was fighting the war in his head he felt arms grab him from his side, only to look down and see the blonde hair girl that had sent him into such a spiral. A small grin growing tugging on his lips, he suddenly felt relieved. Patting her slowly and lightly on the head he saw the lack of sleep in her eyes.
"Really?" He had asked her in an almost annoyed tone.
"You know I was excited, how do you expect me to sleep like that. My brain was going fast, and all I could think of was the beta."
"Yeah yeah, troublesome girl, try to sleep or you won't be awake enough to play." Sighing, he really did not expect anything less from the little rat. She was always worked up about something, be it new stories to tell, the new kid in class, or even a new food she had tried. Hosaka let her grip on him go, slowly widening her eyes as she saw his face.
"Haya... what... what happened? Someone die? Someone tell you that you looked gloomy and you had an awakening?" Bugging him with the constant questions, she was genuinely curious, she had never actually really seen his face. Stretching her arm upward to feel his face, her hand was quickly slapped away. Hayato, turning his face away from her overly prying eyes, coughed into his hand.
"Just trying something new."
"Is that... is that a piercing?"
"Huh.. oh yeah." Rubbing it slightly remembering when he pierced it, not a favorite memory, but it helped at the time he did it.
"You do it yourself?"
"Mhmm." Nodding, he turned back to her, her face scrunched in thought. This was the moment he was dreading, she was going to recognize him and give him an earful for not telling her that he was Shiro.
"You... liar!" She yelled, gaining the attention of the other students waiting for the bus. "How could you not tell me."
"Tell you what?" Rubbing his index finger in his ear.
"Shiro!" Moving faster than he thought was possible for him, he shushed her and put his hand over her mouth.
"We became quite famous after the manuals stay quiet, I don't want the whole student body to know."
Crossing her arms, "Hmph, big fat liar over here thinks he is SO famous." She turned away from him, not really mad, but also really mad. Debating on whether she would beat him or slap him, this was massive to her. Shiro made an impact on her, not a small one, but a large one. "You sir," Pointing at him, finger almost touching his nose, "are going to be making this up to me tonight."
"Sure sure milady, whatever you desire." His voice showed immense disinterest knowing she would forget.
As their small conversation came to an end, the bus had came to a stop. Walking on taking their usual seats, Hosaka reaches out for his piercing wanting to feel the metal bar in his face. Flinching from the contact, he had left it alone, he knew she would do this, and further knew she would not stop doing this even if he said please.
The ride to school was uneventful, with the exception of the massive bump making him hit his head on the glass window making Hosaka lecture him on being careful. Sitting at his desk, he had waited for the bell to ring for lunch. However, he had not heard it due to his poor sleeping habits consisting of sleeping in class and on his desk constantly. Feeling himself being shaken, his eyes fluttered open revealing Hosaka with a massive grin staring at him. Letting out an awkward yawn, making him oblivious to the two extra people waiting for him to awake. After gaining his soul back from the land of dreams, he saw Kirigaya, Asada and Hosaka all sitting around his desk.
"Look if it is an intervention, I already quit whatever you're hoping to help me with." Laying his head back down hoping this was not going to create a scene or annoyance.
"So you're Shiro, the legendary ninja from the test." This made Hayato raise an eyebrow, why would Kirigaya bring this up. They weren't really friends, and he barely started calling Hosaka a friend.
"And?" He asked dryly, mildly annoyed that Hosaka had more than likely told every SAO beta tester somehow, he knew she had ways. Her mastery over the information sharing world terrified him, especially when she was intrigued and inspired.
"Well," Asada started, "we were thinking of starting a small guild for the group of us."
"BUT it would be as secret as possible." Added Hosaka.
"Meaning we would not have one officially in the game but we would party together frequently and what not." Kirigaya added. It was well known in the small group that he was more a solo player.
"I mean I don't care." Hayato shrugged. He knew that Kirigaya took his gaming very serious and was not kidding. However, he had a suspicion it was more for Asada then him. Even thought she would never admit it, the fact was that she felt indebted to Hayato for saving her from the bullies. Adding onto the fact the rumors they spread about him being just like her, or being forced to be around her made her respect him even more. Narrowing his already squinted eyes at Kirigaya, "however, is there a reason behind this?" This made Kirigaya flinch a bit, he knew if anyone saw through him it would be Hosaka, he did not expect Hayato to. Hayato always seemed so distant in thought, far away from the land of the living that he doubted he would even notice.
"No no no," waving his hands defensively, "purely for fun I swear it."
"Sure sure." Was this really the same guy as Shiro thought Kirigaya, the difference in personalities was both extreme and non existent. Hayato was distant and only really talked to Hosaka, constantly hiding his emotions and feelings behind his plastered on stoic smirk and dead eyes. The bags that seemed to weigh his eyes down helped little to none with creating an expression as well. However, Kirigaya could see the shift from the lonely boy that had first walked in, to a man that was able to express himself in few words.
"Would it be fine if Rika joined too, she got the game and wants to join." A grunt was all that was heard as Hayato laid his head back down. Kirigaya understood what this meant and nodded slowly. "Contrary to your appearance you're a big softie aren't you?" No response. Hayato had fallen asleep, rather quickly and even surrounded in constant noise. Kirigaya took a closer look at his face, as did Asada.
"He has a nice face," Asada mentioned quietly, to herself more than anyone.
"If only he took care of himself, he wouldn't have such an ugly mug." Hosaka remarked.
"Take care of himself?" Kirigaya raised an eyebrow; sure Hayato never really seemed to be in the best shape, but he never would have guessed he struggled.
"Yup, he struggles to do anything once he is in his bed. Sometimes goes days without eating purely out of laziness." Hosaka seems to know him pretty well Kirigaya thought to himself a small smirk tugging at his lips.
"Sounds like something his girlfriend would say."
"Shut up!" Hosaka huffed out walking out. Hayato was going to make his life more interesting, he was sure of it.
The final bell of the day signaling the end of school had rung. Hayato had not budged and slept through it only to be violently shook awake by the only person with guts to awake him; Hosaka. Lifting his head slowly he stared at the girl who assaulted his dreams with a glare. She had done this to him frequently, and more than he would like.
"Time to go home, unless you would rather sleep here."
"No thank you." He mumbled getting up and grabbing his bag. Moving towards the exit, he tilted his head back a bit and turned half his body towards Hosaka who was seemingly distracted by something. "Coming or should I drag you?" He had thought about leaving her there, would probably make going home a bit more peaceful, yet he knew he would miss the utter chaos she brought to his life.
"Hm? Oh yeah wait up Haya." Reaching for her bag, she froze again for a moment. Earlier that day she had heard some girls talking about Hayato due to his hair being tied back. She had brushed it off, until Kirigaya had bugged her about it again later that day, then Asada. Forgetting about it until she saw his overly relaxed face, and lazy eyes, she hadn't thought much. Sure the girls at lunch were saying he was extremely handsome and mysterious, which she didn't know herself, but inside she knew she felt some jealousy. Not due to the fact he was getting more attention, but due to the fact other girls were talking about him. Finally having had grasped her bag, she threw the strap around her arm and carried it on her shoulder running towards Hayato.
"Something up?" He asked not once looking away from his phone as they walked down the hallway.
"Not really, just tired."
"Told you it would happen."
"Whatever." She sighed internally, she was starting to get upset by the fact that though they were friends, he never seemed to pay much attention or talk to her much about himself. He knew a lot about her, from her secret of painting whiskers on her cheeks with makeup, to the secrets that were less secret such as her favorite colors. He even knew her parents, yet he had not once talked about his relatives other then the mention of his mom being Japanese and his dad being European. Somehow, however, this added to the mystery that was Hayato's life.
"If something is on your mind say it." He said, he kept walking eventually going down a set of stairs. As his foot set on the first step of the second set, Hosaka had spoke up.
"Hey Hayato, tell me about yourself and your family. You seem to know me pretty well but, well, no one knows really anything about you." This made him freeze in his spot, his body went from being warm, to frozen. He dreaded the idea of this conversation, everything about it he hated.
"Maybe another time,"
"But Haya-"
"Sorry Tomo." He continued walking to the shoe lockers. Hosaka had seen it, even if it was not that well shown on the outside, she could see his entire expression change from aloof to stiff. She had felt bad about it now, and honestly did not really know how to approach him from there. Making her way to catch up to him she sighed, this was going to be an awkward ride back home.
Putting his key into his lock, Hayato let out a breath of relief making his body go limp. Finally home he thought, it was rough, he never saw Hosaka sad before and it really brought him down. Yet she asked about his family, and it was not that he did not trust her, but rather he did not trust himself. Quickly showering and throwing together what he called trash ramen, which consisted of instant ramen, some fresh veggies, and an egg. Finishing up, he threw himself onto his bed, he hoped that SAO would fix his mood for the day. Slipping the head set on over his head, he closed his eyes for a moment. "Link start!"
Loading his avatar from the beta, he felt ready to take over aincrad again. As the one and only loading screen in the game was coming to an end, he already heard someone shouting his name. As the brightness of the loading screen subsided, he took in the sites of SAO. Enjoying the sights of the city, and how it looked much better and more developed from the beta. Just as he was adapting to the senses in the game again, he was tackled hard into the ground.
"Hi to you as well Argo." He sat up, with a playful glare he lightly slapped the top of her head. Not the welcome I wanted."
"Shiro! You're here!"
"Well duh."
"Here," She flicks her her wrist down opening the menu to her inventory. Pulling out a black cloak, light armor and a dagger. "Completed that one quest early, I was gonna do it with you or Ki boy but neither of you were here. Well Kirito is buttttt... he is doing whatever he is doing"
"Ah," taking the items and equipping them, "Thanks Argo."
"Well Shiro, ready to get started? We gotta scout ya know? See what's new." Nodding in response, Argo and Shiro head out of the town of beginnings towards the plains. Grinding on some low level boars and kobolds. As shiro constantly fought, Argo took notes writing down the amount of exp, drops, and how strong their attacks were. After hours of fighting and writing, they had finally taken a break. Laying down on the plains of the first floor, Shiro was "resting his eyes" as Argo was scheming ways to sell this info to players.
"Shiro have you spotted Kirito yet?"
"Nah."
"Weird we were supposed to meet with him by now."
"What time is it? Maybe he's getting dinner."
"Ah true, it is 5:25." Laying down next to Shiro, she took in the sights, the sunset over the plains, the rainbows created by the water falls from the springs that ran across the small floating islands scattered around the first floor. As she finally got comfortable leaning against Shiro they heard a scream.
"Hear that?"
"Heard it, but don't really care."
"Lets go check it out Shiro." Sighing Shiro jumped up onto his feet joining Argo towards where the scream came from. As they approached they saw Kirito with someone they had never seen before, who was seemingly having a massive panic attack.
"Kirito whats happening?" Argo had asked him.
"The logout button?"
"My pizza and ginger ale." Shiro looked down to the guy who was crying on the ground.
"Kirito, whose he?"
"Ah that's Klein, I was showing him the ropes. He seemed the lost with the most basic of attacks."
"Ah I see, has he contacted the GM yet? Maybe it is just a bug." Kirito shrugs, he seems unconcerned with the whole situation which mildly unsettled Shiro.
"If it is a big issue, theyll log us all out here shortly I am sure."
"I mean sure, but kind of scary no?" Argo interrupted.
"It will be fine." Shiro reassured her, but if he was honest with himself, it kind of spooked him when he checked.
"Argo lets go back to the town, just in case we get logged out, I would rather it be in a safe zone." Nodding Argo joined Shiro in his trek back to the town of beginnings. "Hey Argo, did you notice, the chamber of resurrection of resurrection was removed?" She taps her chin, she had not noticed that, they had never died in the game, as they were very careful players compared to the average MMO player.
"How did you notice?"
"Well it was a location that showed up on the map."
"Of course you would notice that." She rolled her eyes at him. As they reentered the town, a cathedral bell had started ringing, and had echoed for what sounded like the whole first floor. Walking towards the center of the plaza they heard many confused players being teleported to the warp gate.
"I guess they noticed the bug." Shiro said as he saw all the people teleporting to them.
"I suppose so, but something feels off." As she finished her sentence, the sky had turned began to turn into red hexagons, starting slowly but quickly sped up across the whole sky, almost all they could see was red. "Shiro! Look up there!" Argo pointed towards the sky, it had started leaking what looked to be blood.
"Now that," began Shiro, "was not in the beta."