The Gunpowder Blade

A Normal World

"Dear Ms. Shino,

        We regret to inform you that your application to Tohoku University has been rejected. Although you've been rejected, we wanted to check in with you. We've sent about five letters informing you of your application, but all of our deliverymen have claimed that you were not there to receive them. And a couple of them complained of an awful stench coming from your unit. Please let us know if you're alright. 

        Sincerely,

        Hideo Ohno, President of Tohoku University"

I closed her email and turned off her phone, slipping it back into my pocket. She was rejected. How could she get rejected? Her phone vibrated once more. I pulled it out and looked at it. Another email, from... Haruki Suzuno. I opened it and read it, not looking at Asada. 

"Asada Shino,

        By now, you should've gotten the email from Tohoku saying that you were rejected. And I think I owe you an explanation. I bribed the President into rejecting you. But I have a reason for doing so. If you know Kazuto well, you'll know that he got into the Tokyo Institute of Technology. I'll admit, I did do a little intruding into your lives. But I was curious. And as it turns out, you two were planning on going to different schools. I doubt either of you two even knew about each other's plans.
        You should've seen him, in Sword Art Online. It wasn't a game to him, it was never a game to him. It was life and death. It was life and death to everyone. Most people chose life, others... not so much. The way he moved, the way he fought. It was elegant, aggressive, perfect. The reason he was the best player, was because he had determination, means, and someone to fight for. Right now, you are that someone. He fought for Asuna Yuuki in Sword Art Online. And just a couple of months ago, he fought for you. Correction, he fought harder for you. He truly loves you. He loves you more than life itself. 
        And that's why I cannot, in good conscience, allow you to leave him like that. Don't make the same mistake Akihiko Kayaba made. 
        In a couple hours, you should get another email. The contents may surprise or anger you. But trust me, it's for the best. 

        Sincerely,

        Dr. Haruki Suzuno, Former partner of Akihiko Kayaba"

I felt movement on my arm and looked over. Asada began to wake up. I quickly closed her email and turned off her phone. She looked up just as I slipped it back into my pocket. 

"Mnnn," Asada yawned. She looked up and me and smiled. 

"Have a good nap?" I asked. She nodded and nuzzled into my shoulder. I felt the car slow down, and come to a halt. I looked out the windshield. We were leaving the freeway, entering Toshima City. The car began moving now, heading towards the eastern side of the city. I looked out the window, looking at all of the shops along the way. The scent of baked goods, assorted meats, gasoline, and cigarettes filled my nose. Before we knew it, the car had pulled into Suguha's requested restaurant. 

***

The sky was dark now. It wasn't a far trip between home and the restaurant, but Suguha decided to have 4 meals. We passed all the shops I saw before. The neon signs glowing like lightning bugs flying through a forest. I looked at Suguha, she was looking out her window as well. Asada was passed out again, Midori was on her phone, and Minetaka was vibing to his music. The day passed by fast, although we started it a little later. Asada's phone vibrated again. I slowly pulled it out of my pocket and checked the notification center. It was a third email. The email that Haruki was talking about. I opened her email and read through it. 

"Dear Ms. Shino,

        We are happy to inform you that you have been accepted into the Tokyo Institute of Technology. We understand that we were not your first choice, but we do hope that you choose to attend our orientation meeting. We apologize that you did not get into the school you'd hoped. But we look forward to seeing you walking down our hallways.