Swords & Daggers

Chapter 3

Three Years Later

Shino walked out of her and Kazuto's high school, breathing into her palms.

Kazuto said he'd only be a few minutes, so I guess I'll just wait here for him. she thought.

She leaned against the wall, waiting for her adopted brother to come out so they could go home together.

When other people noticed her, they started walking faster, as though she'd brandished a weapon and planned to kill someone.

After they'd moved, people had become suspicious, and it hadn't taken long for them to learn about what happened at the post office.

Obviously, that had led to people at school finding out and so they'd agreed not to let anyone know they lived together and that they were just close friends.

While Shino waited, three girls walked up to her.

"Something wrong Endou?" Shino asked dryly.

"Why are you and Kazuto so close, did he take pity on you, or did you seduce him?" Endou asked.

Shino sighed and straightened up. "Of course not."

"Then why?" Endou demanded.

"You wouldn't believe me." Shino said as she saw Kazuto leaving the school and making his way towards her.

"Try me."

Shino just stepped around them and ran over to him, much to the distress of the older girl.

"Asada!" she called angrily, attracting the attention of both siblings and some people nearby.

"Is something wrong Endou?" asked a passing teacher.

"Asada ignored me when I only asked her a question." Endou cried.

The teacher sighed. "Maybe you should try leaving her alone."

Shino grabbed Kazuto's hand and dragged him in the direction of their apartment.

-------

"That was close." Shino sighed.

Kazuto nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, although, why does she call you Asada?" he asked.

Shino looked at him in amusement.

"I don't think anyone at school knows your other surname name Kazuto, besides it's common to call others by their surname." Shino pointed out.

Kazuto scratched his cheek.

"Yeah, good point." he said.

"So what do you want for dinner?" Shino asked.

Kazuto smiled. "Anything's fine."

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Shino was dressed in a beige top and black shorts, and was standing over a bubbling pot in the kitchen.

"Kazuto, are you done yet?" Shino called.

Due to not having many rooms in their apartment, they took turns getting dressed in the bathroom when they got home, and would do rotation with cooking too, although Shino under estimated her cooking, while Kazuto would almost always make the same thing.

"Yep." he answered, stepping out of the bathroom.

His school uniform was draped over his arm, and he was dressed all in black, as usual.

"You could wear a different colour sometimes." Shino said.

He just grinned.

"But you said I look good in black."
Shino blushed and flicked some of her cooking at him.

Curiously, Kazuto tasted it when it landed on his hand and his eyes lit up.

"This is good, what is it?" he asked.

"Put your stuff away, it should be done by the time you've done your homework." Shino smiled.

"You sound like my mom." Kazuto said.

"But you don't know her." Shino pointed out.

"Exactly." Kazuto said.

He got out his homework from his bag and sat at the desk to get started.

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The next day they had no school, so they decided to do their own thing.

"Shino." Kazuto said.

"Hm?"

"I'm going to play my new game today, I'll log off at five so I can make dinner, alright?" he asked.

Log off? Shino thought in confusion.

"Wait, is that the new game, Sword Art Online?" Shino asked.

Kazuto nodded.

"You should try it." he suggested.

"Another time." Shino answered.

"So then what are you gonna do all day?" Kazuto asked.

Shino shrugged.

"I'll do the house work, homework, shopping, maybe learn a new recipe for tomorrow." Shino said, as she usually did every Sunday.

Shino collected the dishes and filled the sink with water while Kazuto was setting up and logging on.

"See you in a few hours." Kazuto said.

Shino just nodded, not knowing it'd be two years before she saw him again, not that she, the 10,000 victims or their families would know.

--------

The day passed by and Shino got everything she needed to do done.

She lay on her bed, waiting for Kazuto to 'log off' so he could make dinner.

What's taking so long. she thought.

She grabbed a book from next to her pillow and started reading. Before she knew it, it was going on for 5.05pm.

Shino check her watch and, holding onto the railing, flipped herself over the side, dangling, she had a perfect view of Kazuto bed, only to see him pale and sweating.

Worried, she climbed down the ladder and wiped the sweat off, idly switching on the radio as she did so.

"As of right now, 10,000 players have been trapped inside the new VR called Sword Art Online from all over Japan." the radio stated.

Shino's eyes widened.

"Kazuto!" she cried.

Making up her mind without properly thinking it through, she pulled the other copy of the VR and Nerve Gear out from under the bed.

She switched all of the electricity off and sent a message to the school saying that she and Kazuto would be going back to their hometown and wouldn't be at school for awhile, also leaving her father a message saying not to contact them and that they'd be fine, she connected herself and logged into the death game.