Welcome to Chapter Nineteen! This time around, Joshua runs into the Yuuki family again, and Ian and Sophia do some friend stuff with Suguha in tow.
A bokken is a wooden sword made in Japan. Unlike the sparring-centered shinai, it's a very dangerous weapon that can kill a fully grown human with a single strike to the head. Given its durability and easy maintenance, it's definitely my ideal melee weapon for a zombie apocalypse or any home defense situation.
I'm not exactly sure about everything that went down during the SAO beta, so that part's also on the list of "stuff I'll just make up along the way." Anyways, the decision to go back to reality was so I could get back to that IRL slice of life stuff I excel at (and because I wanted Asuna to have at least one other appearance before The Wolf of Blades.)
Yeah, yeah, I may be breaking CWC canon by having Asuna and Joshua meet again, but this is the Lone Wolf Saga, and I was given permission to change bits about him and his past if I wanted to.
Asuna's brother is a clean slate, so I figured that he'd be that "protective big brother" kind of guy, even if his methods are seemingly restrictive.
Anyways, I have serious concerns about Sophia possibly becoming a Mary Sue, mainly because she was created on a whim and because I had to come up with her backstory and personality as the story went on, unlike Ian, who embodies some of my personality traits, or Nikki, who was partially inspired by the girls of Kirito's Harem.
So please tell me how Sophia could be improved upon if you think I'm handling her wrong.
Finally, I don't know the first thing about business or cars used by wealthy people and I haven't used any Japanese words for quite a few chapters. I'll make up for it here.
Suzaki Hardin's Aston Martin
Japan, Real World
August 5, 2022
Joshua Hardin
Joshua sat in the passenger seat of his father's Aston Martin, looking out the window. It was a place usually reserved for his mother, but on days like this, he had the honor of the front seat.
Another business venture, yay. he thought. That last one was only tolerable because of that Asuna girl.
It was no secret that Joshua had been more content with the gathering at the Yuuki residence, as Asuna had been rather friendly and honest to him, unlike everyone else he met IRL. No, that encounter did not lead to a crush or anything, but he did want to see her again. Talking with her was, [like I said a few words ago] much more authentic than any other real-world encounter with anyone he met, except for Momiji Takamine.
"Is there anything you want to talk about, Joshua?" Suzaki asked him.
"Um, no, not really." Joshua quickly said, his internal monologue interrupted. "Actually, yes."
"Alright. I'm listening."
"First off, what are we doing today?"
"We're currently going at a joint project with RCT. Progress, and me and Shozou wanted you and his son Kouchirou to work together and help direct it for the day."
Joint project? And I'm working with Asuna's brother? Okay, then.
"Alrighty, then." Joshua said in response. "Second thing, I kinda want to see Asuna again."
Suzaki arched an eyebrow in curiosity, and his son hoped that he didn't get the wrong idea.
"Really?" he simply asked.
"Yeah. There was something different about her. You remember when I told you that I enjoyed socializing with her more than anyone else you introduced to me?"
"Yes, I do. Natalie's hoping that you two will get together." his father smirked.
Mom! Really?! I don't like her like that! he thought, his face flushed.
"Anyways, it felt like she wasn't trying to manipulate me, but as though she actually wanted to get to know me better." Joshua explained. "I have a feeling that she might feel the same."
Asuna Yuuki
Yuuki Residence, Setagaya
In her bedroom, Asuna suddenly felt like someone was talking about her.
"Weird..." she muttered, resuming her homework. "Then again, Dad said that Nii-san was going to RoboTelligence Industries to work with the CEO's son... wait, could Joshua actually be talking about me? As in, like he might genuinely like me?"
But not romantically, of course. Mother would have my head if she learned that I was trying to break off my future engagement with him.
Man, life was hard when one was wealthy.
Joshua Hardin
His father's Aston Martin
"Fascinating. Maybe I ought to try and arrange something with Shouzou so you can see her again."
Joshua turned his head to the window to hide his blushing face. Of fucking course his parents got the wrong idea. They always did.
"Um, sure... Would he even approve? I don't think her mom liked me that much, and my previous encounter with that Sugou man probably gave her a wrong impression." he said.
"Shozou was fond of you. When that man came to us saying you attacked him, I told him that he probably made his daughter feel uncomfortable and you decided to help her." Suzaki explained, putting Joshua at ease.
"Funnily enough, that was the truth, too." he added. "But I haven't talked to her brother yet, other than the introduction."
"Today's your chance to do so. We're here."
Joshua looked at the tall central building of RoboTelligence Industries as his father parked in front of it. Unlike most of the social and business elites in Japan, his grandfather built RoboTelligence from the ground up, through hard work and honesty, so it didn't have that feeling of "a monument to untold sins" about it.
He wasn't so sure he could say the same about Asuna's family, as evidenced by their strict household and their blindness to the evil of people like Sugou.
Now that I think about it, I might appreciate what I have a little bit more. Asuna definitely has it worse.
The two Hardins left the car, closing its doors behind them as they walked to the building, with Joshua being torn between not wanting to be there, and him wanting to be there. That first side was winning, of course, and he found himself wondering what Kirito, Possum, and PillarofAutumn52 were doing.
Ian Becker
Unnamed Park, Kawagoe
Ian watched as Sophia stood in front of a Japanese oak tree, striking a cute pose for him to take a photo of. Raising his phone and trying to get the camera angle right, he took a picture and looked at it while Suguha stood behind him.
The three had decided to go to the park after Suguha and Ian's kendo practice, with Sophia tagging along for the sake of making new memories with her childhood friend and his (potential) girlfriend, which Ian denied in an instant.
"Damn it, I didn't get it right." he muttered. Currently, he was as bad at photography as Kazuto was shooting, which he had somehow gotten worse at than he was a month or two ago, it seemed. "You wanna try, Suguha?"
"Why not?" Suguha took the phone as Sophia struck her cute pose again, taking the picture with much more accuracy.
"You're kidding me, right?" Ian asked as Suguha's photo was reviewed. "I'm capable of hitting targets from a hundred feet away with real firearms and I can't take good photos to save my life, and you somehow take professional studio-grade photos even though you've probably never fired a gun before? And what even happened to my photography skills?"
"You used a real gun before?" Suguha asked, now curious about this part of her student's past.
"Yup. My parents have an old .22 caliber lever-action and a 9mm pistol, and they took me, Al, and Nikki to the firing range. I was twelve, but I managed to hit the farthest target on the range with a near perfect hit on my first try."
"Whoa." she said. "That's pretty cool, Ian-san!"
"It'll probably be a useful skill later in life." Ian told her, taking his phone back.
"So is photography." Sophia pointed out with a smirk.
"Ugh."
Ian found a bench to sit on, pulling his backpack off of his back before he sat down, Suguha taking the place beside him. He pulled his photo album out of his backpack and opened it to the 2019 section, where a photo of him posing like a soldier of the Tomb of The Unknown Soldier* with the .22 Winchester lever action was at. The next picture showed the target he shot from a hundred feet away on his first try, the bullet lodged in its gel neck.
[A/N: The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a monument to the unidentified, but brave soldiers who fell in the line of duty, started in World War I. As the military's most important cemetery, it is patrolled 24/7 by soldiers in case vandals try to vandalize the Tomb. It was what came to mind when I thought about that pose where you're stood straight while supporting a rifle with your hand holding the butt of the gun with the rest of the rifle laying in the crease between your arm and your torso.]
"Man, I was a good shot, even then, and I think I might still have that aim IRL." he said, pointing at where the bullet hit.
"That's a little scary." his teacher commented. "Twelve years old and you hit a shot like that."
"With iron sights." Ian added. "I kinda want to know what kind of shots I could pull off with bigger caliber weapons, and/or a scope of some kind."
"Wow, I didn't know my gakusei* was a gun nut as well as an artist and a kendoist." Suguha said in wonder.
"Eh, if it fires a projectile, holds an edge, or bashes something in, I have interest in it. That doesn't mean I'm violent or sociopathic or anything, mind you!" he defended himself, in case Suguha got the wrong idea. "Just that I'm interested in stuff like that, for some odd reason."
"You're only a psychopath if you enjoy hurting people with said weapons." Sophia said, leaning in between the teacher and her student. "There's nothing wrong with appreciating a good weapon, and on top of that, you just made an ass out of yourself, my friend."
"That's true." Suguha said, causing the boy to facepalm.
Wow, this got awkward real quick.
Ian flipped to the most recent photo in the album, with Ian and Sophia standing with the Kirigaya siblings in front of the Kirigaya residence, smiling and being genuinely happy.
Even if he had to leave Japan and was unable to return to it, he would never forget them for as long as he lived.
"This is definitely getting highlighted." Ian said, pointing at the photo fondly.
"Yep. A reminder of your first new friendships in years." Sophia said, smiling as she tucked some of her red hair behind her ear.
"It's kinda sad that it took so long for me to make new friends. Speaking of friends, what do you think our other ones are doing?"
Joshua Hardin
RoboTelligence Industries HQ
Throughout this little project, Joshua had found out that working with Kouichirou Yuuki wasn't too bad. He certainly knew his stuff, but he was kind to the employees under his command, and he was also rather nice to talk to.
"You're quite good at this." said RCT. Progress heir told the younger heir to RoboTelligence Industries as he directed his group of employees. Fortunately, these ones were smarter than the last ones.
"I guess so." Joshua said. "It's rather tiring, and the last time I went to the building, I felt like I was losing my mind, my subordinates were so stupid."
"Incompetene is the bane of any company, big or small." Kouchirou said.
"Idiocy can ruin anything. I'm glad we're not idiots."
"We wouldn't be fit to run our father's companies if we were." was the reply given. After a few moments, the older heir spoke again. "You know, Asuna told me that you stopped Sugou from harrassing her back at the gathering. I commend you for that."
"Um, thank you, I suppose." Joshua said, rubbing the back of his neck.
"That... "man," is a snake. He has my father convinced that he's trustworthy, but I can see his true colors. Mother's a mixed bag, but I'm not going to get into that."
"How did your mom and dad manage to fall for it if you and your sister saw through it?" the heir asked.
"He's the son of one of Father's favorite business partners, so that helps him."
"Oh. Stupid surface status." Joshua murmured.
"I know. I heard your father talking to mine on the phone about arranging a meeting between you and Asuna. Is there any particular reason why?"
Damn it, Dad! Why do you always get it wrong?!
"I think he may have misinterpreted a comment I made about actually enjoying her presence earlier today. He's really bad about that." Joshua explained.
"Aren't they always?" Kouichirou asked.
Yup. I wonder what Kirito and Possum are doing right now?
Ian Becker
Unnamed Park, Kawagoe
While he was looking at his photo album with Suguha in the park, Ian wasn't expecting to hear a masculine voice snicker about him and Suguha acting like boyfriend and girlfriend at the park. Jolted, he looked behind him to find Kazuto standing behind him, dressed in a blue T-shirt with a grey button-up shirt over it and jeans.
"Hey, jackass." the American said, rolling his eyes at his friend.
"Nice to see you, too, Ian." he replied with a rogueish chuckle. Man, he was such a troll.
"How long were you here?" Ian asked, glaring at the trollish gamer.
"I just got here. I heard you talking about going to the park and I decided to go with."
"Oh, okay, sorry." Ian said, turning back to his photo album.
"So... what're you doing?"
"Just enjoying the park with Suguha and Sophia." Ian gave an honest answer.
"Alrighty." was all that Kazuto said as he walked over to the bench to stand beside his sister.
"So what's Jaymes doing?" Ian asked.
"Another family thing." the onyx-haired boy said.
"He sure does a lot with his family, huh?"
"Yeah, he does."
What does he do, anyways? Ian wondered in his mind. Seriously, what kind of stuff does his family even participate in? Surely nothing illegal, right?
That was the only thing he knew about them...
Joshua Hardin
An Hour And A Half Later...
After the "exercise," for lack of a better term, was completed, the two heirs were now in their father's cars, being taken to the Yuuki residence. Joshua didn't have any say in the matter, as Suzaki had taken it upon himself, AGAIN, to try and arrange for something to happen that Joshua didn't want him to do.
Not that he didn't want to see Asuna again, but he was also thinking about how she felt. What if she didn't want to see him right now?
God, being rich was such a pain in the ass.
The drive was rather tense, and Joshua simply spent the time wondering how it was for the two asses he called friends. Was Kirito getting farther than him in the beta? Was Possum using his free time to grind the hell out of Destiny 2?
The silver Aston Martin pulled into the driveway of the Yuuki Residence for the second time, stopping just behind Shouzou's car.
Okay, get your act straight, Joshua. No acting like an idiot here, because Kyouko may still hate you.
Suzaki and Joshua got out of their Aston Martin as the Yuuki men left their darker painted Bentley. Shouzou rang the doorbell and waited for Miss Sada to answer the door, with the Hardins waiting behind him.
The caretaker opened the door, greeting her employer with a smile and a bow before she stepped aside to admit him, Kouichirou, and their guests. Of course, this was familiar territory for Joshua, but the opulent mansion of RCT. Progress' CEO had a different feel to it when a social gathering wasn't taking place in it.
Standing in the atrium that had served as the previous gathering's location was Asuna, now dressed in a dark red cardigan with a white button-up shirt underneath it and a skirt the same shade of red as the cardigan. However, her mother was standing beside her as well, dressed in a dark red blazer with a black blouse and a matching skirt.
He truly hoped that his encounter with Sugou had not lead to her hating him more.
Like last time, Suzaki was the first one to greet them, but when it was time for him to perform all the formalities, Kyouko didn't have any rude whispered comments or any unpleasant expressions, just indifference.
If she did disapprove of him, it was expertly hidden.
And then there was Asuna.
The chestnut haired girl kept a polite expression on her face, but the look in her eyes showed that she was happy to see him and that she just wanted to get away from her mother.
"She sounds like a real tyrant."
"You have no idea..."
That segment from his previous encounter with Asuna played in his head, and he was once again reminded that he had it a lot better than her. He wasn't in danger of being set to marry the king of all thieves.
The two youngest people in the room were sent outside to talk, with Asuna letting out a sigh of relief once she was out of earshot of her mother. Miss Sada opened the door and let them outside, having been told to open the door. Seriously, would it kill them to let him open his own doors?
The door was shut behind them, leaving the two alone.
This is awkward.
"Um, hi again, Asuna." he said. "I'm sorry to get you dragged out here and all."
"You dummy. If anything, I was waiting for something like that to happen. Mother can be such a pain to be around sometimes." Asuna said.
"Seems like it. Were you busy when Dad brought me here?"
"No. So, anything you want to talk about?"
Ian Becker
Unnamed Park, Kawagoe
The four friends posed in front of the same Japanese oak tree Ian took Sophia's picture with, with Kazuto holding the boy's phone in selfie mode, this time.
"Alright, smile, guys!" he said, and when Ian, Suguha, and Sophia oblidged and made sure their poses were picture-perfect (pun not intended, because I'm not Yang Xiao-Long,) he took the photo.
Satisfied to see that the photoshoot was successful, he handed Ian his phone, letting him see the results.
"Seriously, how are you two such awesome photographers?" he asked.
"I dunno."
Seriously, he's got the fucking Church Syndrome, and yet he can take professional-grade photographs? That's stupid. What's next, the edgy bastard gets a harem of attractive and kind girls?
He really wished that such a thing would never happen.
"Cameras aren't guns, Ian." Sophia pointed out. "I don't think his bad aim affects his photography.
"Right." Walking over to the redhead, he leaned in towards her right ear and whispered, "If that dumbass somehow gets a harem, please don't join it."
"Oooh, staking a claim on me, Ian? I think Nikki was right about you and me, after all." the redhead teased.
Damn it. Walking away with a face as red as his childhood friend's hair, Ian growled at the Kirigayas, who were unashamedly laughing their asses off. And no, his eyes really weren't drawn to his sensei's large bosom as she laughed at his embarrassment.
He truly hoped that Jaymes wasn't having to deal with crap like this.
Joshua Hardin
Yuuki Residence, Setagaya
"Damn. I really hope your parents see him for who he is before you're of age."
Joshua and Asuna had decided to talk about completely random stuff, and along the line, her parents' plan to marry her to Sugou ufortunately came up.
"Me, too."
"Why are they going ahead with that slimy bastard and not opening up their horizons?" the darker teen asked.
"I have no idea. I'd be fine with them having me married to you, though." Asuna confessed. Out of nowhere.
"Eh, what? Why me?" he asked awkwardly.
"You understand what I'm going through, and you're actually choosing to be around me because you aren't after my money or my body." the chestnut-haired maiden explained.
"Same goes for me, but it's more on the money side instead of the physical attraction side. Seriously, I was driven to online gaming solely because people dehumanized me. And I get it. If they set you up with me, you'd at least be with someone who actually cares about you, not someone like Sugou Nobuyuki."
"I don't even want to know what he has in store for me when it happens." Asuna said, looking at the ground.
"If he tries anything, I've got my boot in store for his balls. Eh, vulgarity aside, I'd beat him to hell and back if he dared to try and defile you." Joshua told her firmly.
"I know. You're like a knight from those old European fairy tales. Speaking of which, what would your knight name be?"
"Sir Jaymes I." he replied. "I'd wear shining crimson armor with a black, fur-collared cloak and a black undersuit with a sword and a shield."
"Have you tried to go for that look online?"
I have it on Destiny 2, although the Devastation Complex chestplate is the closest I can get to the black fur part.
"I've gotten that look in a game I play. Do you have any plans, or is your mom too strict?"
"I don't know. I'd just go with the flow, I guess." the girl honestly replied. "I never thought about life beyond studying and heeding my mother's wishes, because such options were never present. She even has me go to an all-girls school so I can't meet any boys, because Sugou's apparently the 'only choice for me.'"
Asuna growled at the thought while Joshua sighed.
"That last bit's a double-edged sword. While it's pretty dictatorial to not let you meet anyone and choose who you marry, they're also keeping you safe from people who might be out to use you for their own purposes. It sucks, but it works."
"I know. I just wish they chose someone else."
The two teenagers talked about more random stuff for another hour, only stopping when Suzaki left the house and told Joshua that it was time to go.
"Yes, sir." he said, bowing at Asuna one last time. "It was nice to see you again, Asuna."
"Likewise, Joshua." she replied. "Sayonara."
"Sayonara, Asuna."
Reentering the passenger side of the Aston Martin, the heir mulled over everything he talked about with Asuna. Her dreaded marriage arrangement, and what he'd do if the "groom" forced himself upon her. How they actually treated each other like fellow humans. And whatever else they talked about.
Apparently Kouchirou had gotten a NerveGear through his business connections with Argus, the company that made the platform, but without beta access, he had to wait until launch day to play Sword Art Online. The chestnut haired girl planned to borrow it at some point, but with her mother breathing down her neck, it seemed to be nearly impossible to do.
If he ever did find her on Aincrad in the full game, he'd be sure to show her the ropes.
As everything that happened today had taken a toll on him, Joshua was fighting an urge to fall asleep in the car seat, as he didn't want to be carried to his bedroom by Mr. Eji.
"Where am I? How did I get here?"
"You fell asleep in Suzaki's car, Mr. Hardin, and he ordered me to carry you to your room. Your mother decided to take a picture of it for the family photo album."
The thought of being carried to his bed by his caretaker kept him awake, as he would go to his room on his own accord and plop down on his own bed, not let his mother take another embarrassing photo of him.
The woman loved him with all her heart, but she really went overboard sometimes.
"I wonder who else could possibly be going overboard right now." he muttered.
Ian Becker
Kirigaya Residence, Kawagoe
When the friends returned to the Kirigaya Residence to rest before the Americans went home, they didn't expect to meet the siblings' mother in the process.
Midori Kirigaya was a little bit taller than Suguha and Kazuto, but Ian's incredible height still beat her out in that department. She wore her dark hair in a bun and she had dark grey eyes like Suguha's own. Fitting a workaholic like herself, Midori looked to be exhausted, but under that fatigued look lied the good looks her children inherited.
She was excited to meet Ian and Sophia, happily telling them about Kazuto and Suguha's younger childhood memories, mostly to the embarrassment of the now-grown up versions of said children.
Young Kazuto looked pretty cute in kendo armor, Ian noted.
"It's a shame he quit two years into it." Midori said, exhaling. "He had a gift for it, but I guess his love for computers won against kendo. He's got me to thank for that."
"He still has it." Ian honestly answered, rubbing the back of his head, looking at Kazuto, who suddenly started to sweat a little. "Seriously, he thought I was an intruder, and he literally whacked me upside the head with everything he had during our first kendo match. Good thing it wasn't a *bokken, because even my thick skull wouldn't stay intact after a solid hit."
Everyone laughed a little.
"How are your sessions with Ian-kun here, Suguha?" the older woman asked.
"He's a really good student." Suguha replied. "I honestly never thought I'd be teaching kendo, though."
"Well, I guess I'm just special, then." Ian said. "Not that it seems that way..."
"You are special... to me!" Sophia pulled her friend into a big hug, squishing his head into her shoulder.
"Gah! Let me go!"
"Sophia-chan! Let go of Ian-san!" Suguha ordered, even though such affections were normal amongst the two.
"Why, jealous?" the redhead asked with a devilish grin. "You think I'm laying claim to your man?"
"Let me go! *Yamate!"
"Oh, the wonders of youth." Midori said, grinning at everyone's antics. However, nobody noticed that Kazuto was looking a little crestfallen.
Well, almost nobody, but one of Ian's green eyes caught sight of this. Internally, his face fell, and he looked downwards.
What's wrong with you, Kazuto? What about this is hurting you? Are you possibly feeling left out or something?
He'd figure it out, he knew he would. It was only a matter of time until he did, but Ian Becker, elite intelligence gatherer of the Becker family, was going to do it.
Failure was not an option.
Translation notes: Yamate means either "please wait, or please stop."
Please don't mind the melodramatic chapter ending. As I was looking for ways to separate the Lone Wolf Saga from the Crimson Warrior Chronicles, I found Sword Art Online: Girls Ops, a spin-off manga focusing on Keiko Ayano, Rika Shinozaki, Suguha Kirigaya, and Hiyori Kashiwazaka, an SAO Survivor who was forced to be a spy for Laughing Coffin during the guild's highest point.
Because Hiyori's such a great character and because Girls Ops is canon, I'll be adding it to some extent in the story. Also, I'm sorry if Asuna's mother seems a bit too tyrannical, but it's from how Asuna percieves her.
I'll see you all at Chapter Twenty!