"We're getting a transfer student?" Kazuto said as he, Keita, and Sachi walked to school together.
Being joined by his guildmates on his way to school somehow became part of his daily routine. At first, he and Suguha were surprised when they showed up outside his front door, but now it was as normal as the sun rising in the morning.
"That's right!" said Keita. "I wonder who it's gonna be. If we're lucky, they'll be a cute girl who likes games!"
"Sure…" Sachi said while wistfully glancing aside. "It's not like there's one standing right next to you."
"Huh? What was that?" said Keita.
"Ah, nothing, nothing," Sachi awkwardly laughed before letting out a sigh.
Hmm? Is she upset about something? Wait, don't tell me… does she like Keita?
Sachi became more outgoing over time, especially in the real world. In fact, he dared to say she had a little bit of snark to her.
What he didn't know was that he was part of why that was happening.
"Hey, is that you three?" a voice piped up just a few feet behind them. The trio turned around to see a familiar face running up to them.
"Silica?" they said incredulously. Indeed, it was their fellow guildmembers player. She looked a lot like her avatar, with a few differences. She wore the school's uniform as opposed to her usual fantasy garb. Still, her appearance also had a distinct lack of peppiness compared to SAO. There was no distinct sparkle in her eyes, her hair was less animated, and she wasn't wearing any makeup (a small amount of virtual makeup came with the SAO avatar by default, not enough to be noticed unless the player used a cosmetic item, but enough that it was noticeable in comparison to real life.)
"Uh…. Hello?" she said, blushing slightly. "Oh god, this feels kind of embarrassing."
While the other two stood silently, Sachi approached the younger girl first.
"Well, it's nice to finally meet you in the flesh. My name is Sumiko Kusuo."
"And I'm Keiki Tanaka," said Keita's player. Kazuto realized he never did ask for their real names.
"Kazuto Kirigaya," he said.
"I'm Ayano Keiko," Silica's player said with a polite bow. "It's nice to finally meet you all. Is it alright if I walk with you?"
"We are guildmates, after all," said Kazuto. He couldn't help but notice how she was glancing around as if afraid of being seen, a stark contrast from her peppy attitude in SAO.
They made sure to arrive a little earlier so they could avoid the crowds on their way to class. Once they arrived, they all sat in their seats, took out their phones, and passed the time until class started. Sumiko was checking her social media for cosmetic inspiration. Keiko was watching her cat through a pet cam. Keita was reviewing the statistics for their streaming account, and Kazuto was going through his build.
Just then, the teacher entered the classroom.
"Good morning, everyone," he said. "I'm not sure why most of you know this, but today, we have a new transfer student joining us. Come in now."
A teenage girl entered through the door, long purple, yes purple, hair swaying behind her. Not only that, but her bright red eyes also drew some strange looks from the peanut gallery. Immediately, Kazuto and his friends recognized her.
"Hello everyone! My name is Konno Yuuki. I like VR games, flowers, and-Asuna! I'm in the same class as you? Awesome!"
Already, there were murmurs throughout the classroom. Ranging from "Woah, she's so cute!" and "She likes games? Jackpot!" to "What the heck is up with her hair? Is she a cosplayer?" and "Looks like a total weirdo…"
That last one struck a nerve with Kazuto. Still, Yuuki seemed oblivious as she locked eyes with a blushing Asuna.
"Uh…" the teacher said. "Miss Konno, dyed hair and colored contacts are prohibited in school."
"Hmm? What are you talking about?" Yuuki said. "This is my natural color!"
She pulled some of her hair up and let the teacher examine it more closely. "See, it's purple all the way down to the roots!"
The teacher gave her an odd expression but shrugged and indicated an empty seat. By sheer coincidence, she found herself sitting exactly between Asuna and Kazuto.
"Yuuki? What a surprise!" Asuna said, smiling as the girl started taking out school supplies. Kazuto couldn't help but notice that she seemed to be struggling with her notebook as if she'd never held one before in her entire life.
"I know, right?" Yuuki said, a sparkle in her eye at her excitement at sitting beside one of her favorite people. "When I transferred schools, I was already excited to meet new friends, but I can't believe you're here too!"
"You know her, Asuna?" a random girl said from behind the two of them.
"We were friends in- "
"Of course, I know Asuna!" Yuuki said with a prideful smirk. "After all, any self-respecting player knows about the legendary swordswoman and commander of the Knights of the Blood Oath: Asuna, the Lightning Flash!"
Asuna's face went pale as every student in the class immediately glanced at her. Kazuto let out a sigh.
Like video games, high school has a system of winners and losers; every choice you make affects your score. Your first impression is crucial in determining how easy the midgame will be. And making bizarre claims about a popular girl isn't a good opening play from that perspective.
Asuna cleared her throat and nervously laughed.
"What are you talking about? That's just a silly rumor and- "
"Alright, enough with that," the teacher suddenly said. "Let's start class already."
The teacher then briefly grinned at their victory.
The secret to a good interruption is picking the exact moment when one person cannot explain their behavior, thus leading to an incredibly dissatisfying misunderstanding. As a teacher, it's my job to ensure my students have an enjoyable high school experience, even if it means causing a little drama.
SAO
During lunch period, Yuuki immediately sought out Asuna. The older girl was spending time with Rika as usual.
"High school is even more fun than I imagined!" she excitedly zipped over to sit beside Asuna, much to the taller girl's surprise.
"Oh, hi Yuuki," Asuna said. "It's quite surprising to see that you transferred here."
"Wait, what did you just say?" Rika said. "Have you not been to high school before? It's the middle of the semester."
"Oh, that's a secret," Yuuki smiled.
"I guess that makes sense…," said Asuna.
"No, it doesn't!" Rika snapped. "Stop trying to use the Deception skill like in SAO!"
"Huh?" Yuuki blinked. "Oh right, there's no skill system in real life."
"…That's a bit concerning," said Rika. "How much SAO do you play?"
"I'm totally going pro once I graduate!" Yuuki gave her a thumbs up.
"Don't dodge the question!"
"Being a pro gamer…" Asuna said. "It sounds like fun, but I don't think I could ever go that far with SAO…"
"Wait, so you actually play SAO?" a random teenage boy interjected.
"Hey! Personal space!" Rika exclaimed.
"Uh…" Asuna blushed severely. "O-Only a little bit. And besides, who exactly are you…"
"I'm Yoshinori Sakura, and I've been SAO since the beta test! I can totally show you around the game if you want."
"You see, the thing is…" Asuna tried to say, but the rather arrogant boy kept going on.
"I know some great beginner-level strategies and where all the easy quests are. I can even lend you some high-level gear to take on higher floors! I've made it up to floor 20, actually. It took me a while, so don't feel bad if it takes you a long time to"
"Shut up, you!"
The boy lost his voice as Yuuki snapped at him.
"Do you even know who you're dealing with?" she said. "I mean, never mind that you really shouldn't go around poking into other people's conversations like that without even being asked! Also, implying that someone needs beginner-level strategies or doesn't have high-level gear just because they haven't talked much about the game is condescending. Didn't you even think about asking about what level she's on? Or heck, knowing a lot about a video game isn't an excuse to cozy up to someone who doesn't know."
"Well… I…" Yoshinori cleared his throat. "What's it to you, anyway? Yuuki-san isn't the kind of person who gets hardcore about games. I mean, how many other girls are there that play SAO?"
Roughly three-quarters of the female students in the class immediately raised their hands.
"…Huh?" Yoshinori blinked.
"I mean, I wouldn't say I'm hardcore…" a random girl said, slowly moving towards the group. "But it's kinda fun to collect flowers to put in my in-game garden. I've got Dark Roses, Silvervines, Nepenthe Blooms, Fire Lilies…"
"Wait, aren't those super rare?" said Sachi. "I've heard that Dark Roses only grow on floor 54! And you need to stay inside a high-level dungeon with infinite respawning monsters for an hour! That's so awesome!"
"It was nothing. I just got good at my magic…" the girl blushed slightly. Another girl piped up as well.
"I'm not hardcore either, but I've never played a game with such a great outfit system before! I even run a clothing store on floor 45. It's called Bountiful Boutique, and I sell all kinds of dresses and suits for Cloth Armor builds! I've even got some Fairyweave Fabric pieces."
A third girl immediately jumped in front of Yoshinori.
"You're seriously talking that big a game even though you only made it to floor 20?" she snickered. "I mean, I'm at floor 40, for goodness' sake, and I've only been playing for a few days."
"40?!" The boy's face went pale.
"I mean, I've been doing a bit of a speedrun, but so what? What you can do in Fulldive is amazing!"
Yoshinori cleared his throat again, now looking much more nervous as he laughed.
"C-Come on, that kind of stuff isn't really playing SAO. I'm talking more about hardcore stuff like power leveling and clearing dungeons and PVP. That's the kind of thing meant for boys. There's nothing wrong with enjoying side activities, but the real game is about fighting bosses, not skipping them with exploits or wasting time with crafting…"
"What's your PVP rank then?" said Yuuki.
"I'm already up to D-rank! I know, a G-rank probably can't imagine getting that high…"
"I'm AA-Rank," Yuuki put her hands on her hips.
"What?"
"Look, if you don't believe me, duel me after school," Yuuki smiled. "What? Can't put your money where your mouth is…"
"Uh…"
"I know I'm a healer, but I've technically cleared nearly every dungeon on floors 1-45," said Sumiko. "Does that count as playing the game properly by your definition?"
"Uh…"
"Oh, and our whole party is level 48!" Ayano piped up. "Hey, didn't you say you were on floor 20 earlier? That means you're hovering around levels 19-2 unless you're just moving slowly…"
"Uh…"
"And what's this about side activities not being the real game?" another boy piped up, this one much burlier. "I'll have you know that the cooking system is an excellent use of time! Not only is it fun, but you get all kinds of useful buffs, AND you get to eat tasty food without worrying about gaining weight. It's easily my favorite part of the game."
By now, the entire class was looking rather hostile towards Yoshinori. He cleared his throat one more time before pointing right towards Asuna.
"Th-this has nothing to do with all of you! I'm just talking about Yuuki-san! She's the exact opposite of the kind of person who plays games! I can't be wrong in thinking she doesn't know much, right?"
"Sheesh, you seem to talk a lot about Asuna for someone who barely knows her," Yuuki grinned and suddenly struck a dramatic pose. "You are speaking to the Commander of the Knights of the Blood Oath, one of the most elite floor-clearing guilds in the game! She leads a valiant army of super-strong players towards the final boss of Aincrad, aiming to one day become Queen of Aincrad! Not only is she a master tactician and skilled leader, but she's a devasting force on the battlefield. She has unique Skills and is completely unrivaled in using a rapier! Even the legendary Black Swordsman, known for his dual-wielding skill line expertise, can only go neck-and-neck with Asuna. Her title comes from how she expertly strikes down foe after foe with the grace and elegance of a ballet dancer but with the strength and ferocity of a lightning bolt! She's a top-level player, a genius in several areas, and the most beautiful and wonderful woman I have ever met. She is Asuna, the Lightning Flash!'
Yuuki finished her monologue and flourished towards where Asuna was sitting, only to find the girl missing. The sound of running footsteps and her sobbing was heard down in the hallway.
"Huh?" Yuuki blinked. "Asuna, wait! Was it something I said? Did I go too far?"
As she ran after the other girl, followed by the rest of the Moonlit Black Cats, the rest of the class turned on Yoshinori.
"So… Sakura-san, where have you been getting all these old-fashioned ideas?"
"Uh…"
Asuna bit her tongue to stop herself from crying.
No… no… now everyone knows. This can't be happening; this can't be!
SAO
"There you are!" Yuuki said, her smile brightening as she spotted Asuna leaning against the railing on the school rooftop.
"Oh, Yuuki," Asuna said, wiping away a tear. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have ran, I- "
"No, no, don't apologize!" Yuuki ran up to her. "I'm the one who should be sorry. I got so upset at what that guy was saying and went way too far. I'm sorry,"
"No, you absolutely said what needed to be said," Asuna cleared her throat, clearly hiding more tears. "That guy really pissed me off, but I couldn't find it in me to say anything."
"I know, right? Some guys will do anything to get into a girl's pants even if she's not interested."
"Yuuki…" Asuna said before letting out another sigh. "It's fine. It's just… now everyone knows who I am,"
"Huh?" Yuuki said. "Wait, you mean…"
Asuna nodded. The other girl realized why Asuna didn't want her to use her in-game title.
"You're… keeping it secret?" Yuuki said. I… but why, though? You're awesome IRL, too, don't get me wrong, but you in SAO is just as impressive. Why hide it?"
"It's not that simple," Asuna said. "My mother doesn't know that I play SAO this much. As far as she knows, I'm part of a FullDive-based study group. If she did find out, then…"
Asuna said nothing as the wind blew her hair, and Yuuki looked back at her.
"Oh," she said. "Again, I'm really, really sorry."
"No, you were trying to defend me," she said with a smile. I've been going through so much lately, ever since I started playing. It's… the best thing that's ever happened to me. It was the first time I felt free. The first time I felt… powerful. Nothing like I am in real life. I can't even tell the person I like how I feel. Or tell my mother I don't want an arranged marriage."
"Arranged what-now?"
"That's not important right now," Asuna said. "It's just… I'm glad you think so highly of me, but it's a façade. I spend every day at school acting like the perfect student because that's what I'm supposed to be. That's what people expect from me and what I need to give them. The me in SAO… that's just another mask I wear. It's a mask I like, but it's not me. The real me is a quiet little girl who dances to whatever song my family wants."
Asuna stared into the distance, another tear falling down her face and over the railing.
"I'm… sorry I'm not as cool in this world as I am in the game…"
"Asuna…" Yuuki stared on in bewilderment until she suddenly threw her arms around her. "You idiot!"
Asuna yelped when Yuuki suddenly hugged her from behind.
"The game might be fake to you, but it's real to me! And I don't care about where we are. In the real world or in SAO, you're the person I admire above all else! You're kind, loving, so strong, and beautiful! You're so smart, but you never act superior. You treat everyone nicely, even if they're not nice to you! I love how you get through each day in this world and still find the energy to be the Lightning Flash in the game! Even if I only know this version of you for a day… I really want to learn more about you so I can fall in love with you all over again!"
Asuna froze. Did she hear that right?
Yuuki felt a lump in her throat when she realized she might've said a bit too much. But it was too late now. This was why she had come to school in the first place.
"I… love you, Asuna. I love your looks, your words, your actions. I love the way you treat me like a normal person. I love how bold you are in SAO and how gentle you are in the real world," she squeezed her even tighter. "I can't express how happy I am to touch you in the real world. I… love you. So, freaking much that it hurts."
"Yuuki…" Asuna said before taking a deep breath. She slowly turned around and returned Yuuki's hug. "Thank you. Maybe if I remember those words, I can make the real world more bearable."
As they embraced, Asuna leaned down to whisper in her ear.
"Also, I love you too,"
Yuuki's eyes snapped wide as pure, unfiltered joy began to well up within her like steam in a geyser.
"I've only known you for a few weeks, but you're one of my most precious friends," Asuna said with a warm smile.
Yuuki felt her heart sink like a stone in the ocean.
"Not… like that," she murmured. "I meant… like a girlfriend. Romantically. I want… to be your girlfriend. And nobody else's."
"What?" Asuna said, looking more confused than anything else. "Yuuki, are you…"
Yuuki blushed and turned away; even if Asuna hadn't said anything of the sort, she could already feel the sting of rejection.
"I'm a lesbian," she said. "I've only ever fallen in love with girls. Girls like you. I'm sorry to spring this on, even though you were sad earlier. I've always wanted a girlfriend, but every girl I've ever liked turned out to be straight. But… from how you looked at me and acted, I almost thought you were the same way as me, but…"
"Sorry, Yuuki," Asuna smiled sympathetically. "I only like boys. One particular boy, actually."
"Oh," Yuuki said. She used every ounce of strength she had to not burst into tears. "Who?"
"Um…"
"Oh, it's Kazuto, isn't it?" she said.
"You knew?"
"I had a feeling, but I was hoping I was wrong," Yuuki said before taking a deep breath.
One look at Asuna's face had told her everything. Despite her attempts to make her feel better, Yuuki had only made her feel guilty for something neither of them could control. She mentally punched herself for jumping the gun, but she knew that she couldn't end this like it.
Asuna deserves happiness. Even if it's not with me.
"Okay, you know what, Asuna? You need to take responsibility!" Yuuki suddenly exclaimed.
"Huh?" Asuna blinked as Yuuki melodramatically clutched her heart in a mocking imitation of a rom-com heroine.
"You made my poor maiden's heart fall head-over-heels for you just by being so perfect. And you didn't even like girls, so you broke my heart for no good reason! That's unacceptable!"
"I'm… sorry?" Asuna said, trying to suppress a laugh at how Yuuki was puffing out her cheeks in mock anger while stomping in a most ridiculous fashion.
"And for that reason, you absolutely need to go tell Kazuto how you feel right now! If I can't make you happy, you better make yourself happy before I lose control and force myself onto you!" Yuuki did a crude impression of a sexy pose. "Because if you're not lesbian now, I can make you one after just one night, guaranteed!"
"Okay, okay, just stop making that face!" Asuna said as she finally burst into laughter. "I'll tell him! Don't take my virginity away!"
"Good!" Yuuki put her hands on her hips. "And if he rejects you, feel free to run right back into my arms!"
"Will do!" Asuna smiled again before giving Yuuki another hug.
SAOOOOOOOOOO
Mom: Hey Kazuto! Could you pick up some stuff from the market today? I have to work late again, so you two need to make dinner. Oh, and make sure that you get all your chores and homework done before you start playing video games.
Kazuto: Sure
Kazuto sighed and tucked his phone away. It was four o'clock now; it would easily take two hours before he could get back into Sword Art Online. Hopefully, his guild will be able to handle things without him for a while.
Meanwhile, back at the Kirigaya residence, Suguha, who had already finished her housework ahead of time, wandered into Kazuto's room and spotted his NerveGear sitting on his desk. She hopped into his bed and slid on the mechanical helmet to ensure the rest of the house was empty.
Why does he like these games so much anyway? I'll pop in to see what it's like. I won't stay for too long…
SU-AS-OK
Suguha's eyes opened, and she walked on a small bed inside a wooden room. She got up and found a window. When she leaned out to get a better look, her breath fell away like stones from an open hand. A massive expanse of water dotted with emerald, green, dome-shaped islands, some of which were topped with magnificent trees with sprawling branches in every direction. She looked downwards and saw fishes swimming about underneath the water's surface. She looked upwards and saw fluffy white clouds in a vast, bright blue sky.
Suguha stared at the glorious landscape for several minutes. It was nothing like something you see through a screen. An honest, magical storybook world was before her when she hadn't even left her house!
"This is incredible-" Suguha started when she noticed that the voice from her mouth was not her own but one much deeper. "Huh? My chest feels lighter…"
She looked downwards and gasped. Her body was completely different. Slender, athletic, somewhat wiry, and noticeably… flat. She gulped and nervously reached into her black pants and let out a shriek.
"Sweet mother of-" she exclaimed before covering her mouth, still not used to hearing Kazuto's voice coming out of it. "I'm… I'm Kazuto? In his body? In a boy's body? Oh jeez, this is so weird!"
Outside, Yuuki wiped the virtual sweat from her brow when she heard someone coming down the ladder from the treehouse.
"Oh, hi, Kirito!" she said, waving at her black-dressed friend.
"Oh, uh… hello… Yuuki?" Kirito awkwardly said, his eyes darting across Yuuki's outfit and then her nametag.
"Are you okay?" she said. "You seem a little off today, bro,"
"Well, I just… "
"Oh, did you just turn off the Ethics Code to see what happens?"
"Ethics Code?" A flustered Kirito replied.
"Yeah, that part of the settings lets you do adulterous stuff in VR. It even replicates your junk!"
"Wha…?" Kirito let out an even higher-pitched yelp.
Much to Yuuki's amusement, he stumbled and fell face-first onto the grass.
"Okay, I give up. I'm not actually… Kirito or whatever you just said. I'm just playing on my brother's NerveGear thing!"
"Yeah, that makes sense. Don't take this the wrong way, but I had a pretty good feeling you were a girl using Kirito's avatar."
"You noticed?" Suguha said. Yuuki snorted.
"Of course I do! You learn to pick up on this after seeing many guys in female avatars."
"P-people pretend to be the opposite gender on purpose?" Suguha said, her face flushing. Yuuki simply shrugged.
"Okay, you're adorable like this, but I'm still willing to bet that everyone will think you're Kirito at first. Especially since you've got his voice."
Suguha was too unnerved to notice, but her voice was a carbon copy of Kazuto's.
"Hello?" She started making silly noises. "I'm Kazuto, and I'm a shut-in who gets awkward around his sister and spends too much time playing video games! Wow, I really do sound like him."
"Oh, that gives me an idea!" Yuuki said, her face lighting up with mischief. "Let's play a prank on the guild!"
"...What guild?"
Yuuki let out a delightful cackle and put her arm around Suguha.
"Allow me to introduce you to Sword Art Online, from start to finish!"
"Oh… thanks?" Suguha said.
"Come on! I got a bunch of stuff to show you!"
So, quite cluelessly, Suguha followed her new friend as she led her from island to island until they came across a small beach on which several large red crabs, each the size of a large dog, scuttled about.
"What are these things?" Suguha said, inspecting one that crawled up to her. "They're kind of cute-OWCH!
The crab snatched her arm up with a tight crunch, and her health bar fell sharply.
"That's a Cracker Crab," Yuuki unsheathed her blade. "And it just dealt damage to you. See your health bar?"
She pointed to the green indicator.
"If it hits zero, you die. And if you die in the game…" Yuuki paused while grinning malevolently. "...you die in real life!"
Suguha's face was briefly drained of color before Yuuki burst into laughter.
"No, no, that was a joke! A recurring inside joke within Sword Art Online."
"...Sword Art Online?" said Suguha. "Oh, that's the name of the game, right? My brother really loves it."
"Yeah, he certainly does," Yuuki put her hands on her hips. By now, the Cracker Crab had let go of her arm. "So, why don't you try out some combat? Just take your swords out and hit it a bunch!"
Instinctively, Suguha grabbed the two blades on her back sheathes. As she looked at them, the names Dark Repulser and Elucidator popped up, one of which was the same name Kazuto had given his Kendo sword.
"Two swords?" she said. "Seems a little impractical."
Yuuki shrugged.
"It's a video game. Anything goes as long as it's cool."
Without another second of hesitation, Suguha instinctively took a fighting stance. She cautiously began shuffling in the opposite direction of her opponent, the crab, before lunging forward for a calculated, precise blow to its center shell. As she did so, its health went down to about two-thirds.
"Wow, you're a natural…" Yuuki said.
"Well, I do kendo after school," Suguha said before she struck the crab again twice, not even blinking in between. The way she handled her weapons was interesting. She was powerful like Kirito but less furious. Precise, like Asuna, but not quite as surgical. She gently weaved one motion into the other like water flowing from one container to another, her combat style a swift and passionate dance of blades that dispatched her opponent in only a few motions.
Yuuki nodded in approval.
"Interesting. Well, anyway, Sword Art Online is about going into dungeons with your friends to kill monsters, find treasure, and climb the floors of Aincrad from 1 to 100! Right now, we're on the 24th floor. But your brother and his friends have already made it to floor 50! Whoever gets to the top of the castle first and defeats the final boss gets to become the King of Aincrad!'
"The King of Aincrad?"
"Of course, it's mostly just for the PVE tryhards," Yuuki chuckled. "I'm here for the PVP!"
"PVP?" Suguha said. "Oh, you mean you duel people?"
"That's right!" Yuuki said.
"Kind of a like a kendo match…" Suguha thought for a bit. "Say, do you want to fight me-"
"Nope,"
"Eh?" Suguha said.
"Don't misunderstand, I love to fight new people," Yuuki explained. "But you're not fighting with your own gear, skills, or avatar. I want to fight you while you play on your own character, not with your brother's."
"...Skills?" Suguha said questioningly.
"I'll explain those later," Yuuki waved a hand. "Anyway, let's… oh my gosh, it's Asuna!"
Yuuki spotted the familiar redhead casually trotting up the path. The purple-haired girl squealed as an idea popped into her head.
"Hey, I got an idea! You pretend to be Kirito! That'll be hilarious! And it'll make for good practice for my dear Asuna."
Yuuki scampered away without giving any further information.
What? What the heck is she talking about? What do I do? I didn't know Big Brother was close with not one but two girls…
"Oh, there you are, Kirito," Asuna said aloud. Taking her eyes off Yuuki, who was vanishing into the distance, Suguha turned to face the newcomer and froze.
"Goodness gracious…" the words escaped Suguha's mouth faster than she could notice. "You're beautiful!"
She slapped her hands over her mouth as Asuna's eyes went wide.
"...A-hem. Flattery will get you nowhere. Anyhow, it's nice to see you again. I must say, you look especially handsome as well," she winked at him with a sly grin.
"I uh…" Suguha cleared her throat. She wasn't prepared for this.
She found herself drifting off as her eyes wandered across Asuna's glorious face. She had that mystical energy of a student council president-type girl, almost supernatural beauty with her visage like a shimmering porcelain statue and an expression that radiated pure perfection like a doll.
Kazuto hangs on with beautiful girls in this game? What if he gets taken away from me? Wait, shut up, traitorous brother complex!
"Are those new earrings?" Suguha said the first thing that came to mind was, "They match your eyes perfectly! I bet you get tons of attention from nice guys who love your beauty! Better than creepy ones who only care about gross things…"
She slapped her mouth shut again.
What is wrong with me? Ugh, I'm so bad at acting.
Just then, Asuna let out a laugh.
"Jeez, what is up with you today, Kirito-kun?" she put a hand on her hip. "Are you trying to flirt with me? Cause your approach is… creative."
Suguha then wished she could die in the game right then and there and then die in real life so that she wouldn't have to explain to her brother about accidentally hitting on one of his female companions.
"Uh… I mean, I'm just joking, haha!" Suguha said, rubbing the back of her head and trying to do a sexy pose.
"Did you seriously just say 'haha'?" Asuna let out another giggle. "Honestly, you're not fooling anyone with that anxious feminine aura about you."
"Oh jeez, is it that obvious?" Suguha awkwardly glanced to the side. "Well, I guess that cat's out of the bag."
"No, no…" Asuna suddenly began to grin devilishly. "How about a date?"
"EH?"
As this scene progressed, Yuuki watched from afar and frowned.
"Strange… usually when I see Asuna, I get butterflies in my stomach and start thinking goofy things. But I don't feel anything from her today… there's no doubting it! My Asuna sense is never wrong! Something's off about today's Asuna!"
SAO
Clad in her comfortable night robe, Asuna opened her bedroom door and gasped loudly. On her bed was a tall man with short blonde hair, a gentle face, and a lanky figure wearing her NerveGear.
Her exclamation activated the device's audio sensor, and the man suddenly sat up.
"Huh? Oh, it's you, sis. Ah, jeez, I knew I should've logged out sooner…" Kouichirou Yuuki said, removing the device and laughing nervously.
"What the heck are you doing? You have your own NerveGear! Why are you playing on mine?"
"Well, I wanted to have a little look-see into the kind of people you were hanging out with, as the responsible big brother I am…" His expression shifted as Asuna's glare broke through his veil of confidence." …I was pretending to be you, looking through your stuff, and making time with your boyfriend."
Asuna stared at him with a deadpan expression as he awkwardly shuffled out of the room.
"He's a great guy. You really know how to pick em, sis-"
Asuna slammed the door in his face and logged into the game.
At the very same time, Kazuto entered his bedroom to see the rather bizarre sight of his sister using his NerveGear. He casually tapped the WAKE button on the side, and her eyes slowly fluttered open.
"Eh, what's going…" Suguha murmured when she locked eyes with her brother. "AH! O-Onii-chan, this isn't what it looks like!"
"You wanted to see what it was like to use a NerveGear, so you tried using mine?"
"No, I was snuggling into your bed so I could be enveloped in your heavenly scent and also living out your virtual life for you and flirting with your girlfriend because Yuuki set me up for a weird prank, and also I wanted to touch your body through your avatar!" Suguha exclaimed. "I mean… what you said was right. I got confused."
"Don't worry about it," Kazuto smiled. "So, what do you think of SAO?"
"It's… actually pretty cool," Suguha flushed and sat down. "Maybe I'll buy my own NerveGear if I can get the time and money…"
"Well, it would be nice to personally show you around Aincrad and introduce you to all of my friends; what did you say about my girlfriend?"
Suguha flushed even brighter before she immediately sprinted out of the door. Nervously, Kazuto pulled on his own headset.
Kirito and Asuna found themselves sitting on a bench, something warm pressing against their sides. When they opened their eyes, they were shocked to find themselves in the most compromising positions. Asuna's head rested against Kirito's upper torso, and he had his arm wrapped around her lovingly. To an unsuspecting observer, all that was happening was a simple romantic encounter.
What the hell did Suguha do with my avatar?
What the hell did Kouichirou do with my avatar?
Neither of them knew what to do, as they did whatever they could to avoid looking into each other's eyes for fear of a conversation they would have no idea how to get out of. As far as they were concerned, contrary to what we know happened, the other party was always in complete control of their avatar, and they had been led astray by their respective meddling sibling.
They rested there for almost an hour, unsure how to get out without upsetting each other too much.
Besides, Kirito couldn't help but notice how nice she smelled, and Asuna couldn't help but enjoy the feeling of him as she rested against them.
Neither of them would speak of that day for a while afterward.