The Shadow Noir Nexus [Sword Art Online Fanfiction]

Floating Dreams

Now she was completely off guard and could only watch him silently, trying to think of a response.

~*~

Akihiko watched the girl across from him. She was very quiet. He could be very quiet himself, but she took it to some other level. He didn't think there could be anyone else worse than him. Kazuta —Kirito she said she preferred and what he was already getting used to—seemed very anxious too, fidgeting with her fingers. It wasn't of him, he was certain of. He knew she was a hikikomori (though he was more than sure she was actually agoraphobic) and that even just going to the beta-testing site was hard on her.

"Kayaba-san, thank you for taking care of me, but I don't think this is a good idea," Kirito said, voice low and grave.

Akihiko gave a soft smile. "Kirito-san, I know you don't like being outside your home. But I really believe I can help you, even if a little bit. Even if it's a start to a recovery."

She still looked uncertain, so he came back around his desk to her side, kneeling before her. "I promised I wouldn't lead you astray, remember?"

Kirito started anxiously chewing her lip before slowly nodding. He inwardly smiled in victory. Akihiko didn't prefer the company of others either, but he wasn't going to let this young girl slip into isolation like he had, or continue to be afraid of the outside world.

"And while you're a beta-tester, would you humor me by spending some time with me after testing the game?" He let himself grin at her, which he could see she was reluctantly returning.

He really thought that if he could get her exposed to the outside, even little by little, he could possibly get her more comfortable to being out in the world. More comfortable than she currently was at least.

"I guess it wouldn't be too troublesome," she gave a wry grin he was pleased at.

"It won't," he promised. "And as I know you probably will have trouble going back and forth from here to your home, why don't you stay in a room here?" Akihiko suggested, mind starting to quickly continue to keep thinking up things that might be able to help her through this.

She looked taken aback, looking slightly confused and even back to hesitant again.

"You're already here," he pointed out. "You leave, you might have the same problem it took your mother tricking you into coming here. This way, you're here at the beta-site and won't have to travel back and forth for the duration of the testing time."

Kirito seemed to be going over to his side of things, so he fished out his phone and held it out to her, giving her an encouraging smile.

"Please. I'll make sure you'll have perfect accommodations."

She took a deep breath and accepted the phone from him.

~*~

Kazuta glanced at Akihiko, listening to the dial tone on the phone he'd lent her. She couldn't believe she was doing this. She couldn't believe he'd suggested it.

Was she really going to do this?

She was in a place that wasn't home. Wasn't her room. Wasn't even the dojo.

And she was thinking of staying there indefinitely.

"I don't know if I can do this," she told Akihiko anxiously.

He was still smiling gently at her. "It's okay. You can," he said confidently.

She didn't think so. But her idol was right in front of her saying she could, so she was going to at least try. Which brought her to mind that it was mind-boggling and amazing that her idol was actually talking and trying to take care of her, and had even taken the time to tend to her out of whatever was his schedule.