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Hey, Familia of the Closet! Here we are, the home stretch. To the extent of my knowledge, this chapter will be a little longer than usual. Just because I want to go to extreme measures and indecipherable depths for the ending of the book. Anyway, thank you all for putting up with this. Love you!<3
-Seijirou
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(Kazuto)
"Asada Shino...
Will you marry me?" I asked unconfidently. But I still looked her in her eyes. No matter how hard it was. She blushed, but not as hard as I thought she would. Nearly the same color as the ring. I didn't move. I stayed kneeling, stayed holding the box, stayed staring into her eyes. She began to cry, not quite bawling, but crying nonetheless. Her tears looked like tiny crystals. No, they looked like... Yui's heart. They had some kind of fragrance that made the similarities incredibly distinct. They slid down her cheeks, down her chin, and onto the floor. A small splash took place with each tear that hit the ground.
"K-Kazuto..." She muttered, still crying. I was still trying to deduce whether they were happy tears... or sad tears.
"You don't have to. I just wanna spend the rest of my life with you. Grow old with you. Start a family with you." I said, not moving an inch. "And I want all of that to be official. I want it to be carved in stone for the rest of eternity. I love you, Asada Shino." I felt a single tear leave my eye.
"K-Kazuto... I-I..." She covered her mouth and nodded firmly. "Yes." I smiled and stood up, taking out the ring. She slowly brought her hand towards me, preparing for the life-altering event that is about to take place. Her mind was running at 200 km/h. But then, I slid the ring onto her finger. Miraculously, it fit perfectly. "I love you too." I put one hand on her waist and the other behind her neck. I pulled her closer and left a lingering kiss on her soft, pale lips. She backed away and placed her head on my chest. It felt as if the moment lasted forever. Then, a knock at the door caused us to jump and separate.
"Can we come in yet? You better not be fucking!" Suguha shouted from the other side of the door. I chuckled and walked over to the door, opening it, revealing Minetaka and Midori standing behind a very judgemental Suguha. I thought to myself for a second then decided on my comeback. I knelt to eye level with Suguha.
"So this is what it's like being short," I smirked. Her face went from cocky to angry.
"Oh, you son of a bitch!" She started swinging at me. I jumped backward, avoiding her leveled punches.
"Calm down, Suguha," Midori chuckled. She stopped swinging and scowled at me. I sat on the bed with Asada while the others entered the room, placing themselves in a line in front of Asada and me. Minetaka looked at me and nodded with acknowledgment. I looked at Midori who had a tear rolling down her cheek. Minetaka pulled her into a hug. Suguha looked around in confusion.
"What? What's so sad?" She asked, scanning the room. Suddenly, her eyes landed on Asada. She looked at her hand, or, the ring, rather. She began to lose herself in thought.
"Oh my god, congratulations!" Midori shouted, running at me for a hug. I allowed her to hug me, then watched as she practically tackled Asada. I looked at Suguha, who was still lost in thought. Minetaka and Midori were busy talking to Asada. I walked over to Suguha and lightly kicked her shin. She looked up at me with tears flowing down her cheeks.
"I-Is that..." She paused to wipe her tears. "Is that what I think it is?"
"The ring you helped me pick out for Asuna?" I said exactly what she was thinking. "You know that Asuna is with Enki now. And I love Asada. Besides, Asuna was more of a blue person anyways." Suguha sniffled and wiped away more tears.
"Congrats, bro," She whispered, rolling over towards Midori and Minetaka. I followed her, thinking about the day she helped me get the ring.
***
(5 Months Ago) (Kazuto)
I closed the tab on my browser and turned off my monitor. I couldn't find anything remotely close to what she would like. Dammit. I'm gonna have to go to my last resort, aren't I? I stood up out of my gaming chair and left my room. I noticed Midori in the dining room, reading a book. I shook my head and approached Suguha's room. I swallowed what little pride I had and knocked on her door. I can't believe I'm gonna do this. Suguha stumbled on something and opened her door. She opened the door, revealing her in a large, white button-up shirt that covered the fact that she was only wearing her underwear.
"What?" She asked.
"Can I come in?" I replied with a question. She blushed before pulling me into the room and closing the door. "Jesus."
"What's up?" She asked, putting her hands behind her back. I put my hands in my pockets and started streaking my foot across the waxed hardwood floor.
"I, uh, need a favor," I said, too embarrassed to look up. She smirked and sat on her bed, undoing the top two buttons of her shirt.
"And what's that?" She asked, there was a hint of sensualism in her voice.
"I need your help, um, picking something out for Asuna," I said, looking in the complete other direction. Suguha shuffled around her room for a couple of minutes then tapped me on the shoulder. She was wearing a green, long-sleeved, shoulderless v-neck with a pair of black leggings.
"Okay, then. Where to?" She smiled. I was shocked at her compliance but didn't say anything about it.
"The mall," I said. She nodded and walked out of her room towards the front door, I followed.
"Where are you two going?" Midori asked, placing down her book.
"Shopping!" Suguha chimed, putting on her shoes. She wore white Vans but instead of them having black and white squares, the squares were rainbow-colored. I put on my monochrome black combat boots and waved at my Aunt before leaving the house. "Oh! I'm driving!"
"Haha! No, you're not!" I got on my motorcycle and turned the engine over. Suguha pouted and got on the back. I slowly pressed onward out of the driveway and sped up in the direction of the mall.
"So, what is it you're looking to get her?" Suguha shouted.
"Um, a ring!" I replied. Suguha took a minute to reply.
"Oh. I see. What's the ring for?" She asked.
"Jesus, I'm, uh, gonna ask her to marry me!" I shouted. I knew saying that wasn't a good idea. Suguha didn't reply, she just sat there. I could feel her grip on my waist loosen. The rest of the ride was quiet. Not a single word was spoken. None when we got there. None when we entered the building. Only when we entered the store did she actually speak.
"What kind of gemstone? What color? What shape?" She asked.
"I was thinking of a sapphire. Maybe tear-shaped? And something like a gold or rose-gold base." I explained. Suguha nodded and approached the main counter, I stood next to her. A woman stepped out from the back room and came up to us. Through the air freshener, I could smell the Alcohol and Cigarettes on her breathe.
"Hello there, how can I help such a lovely couple like yourselves?" She asked.
"Um, she's my cousin," I corrected her. She looked at me a little confused.
"Oh, um, alright, I mean, you do you. Who am I to talk, I've been divorced 3 times. Is that even legal here?" She muttered.
"No, no, she's helping me find something for my girlfriend," I waved my hands in embarrassment.
"Oh, I see, that makes much more sense," She said. "Anyway, what can I help you with?"
"Um, tear-shaped sapphire? gold, rose-gold base?" Suguha spoke for me. The woman looked around the counter for something.
"Uh, I believe we have been wrung dry of sapphires." She said with a sad tone. "Although we have this new collection of tear-shaped emeralds." She pulled out a tray of rings with emeralds all through them. Each of them had tear-shaped emeralds varying in size. I scanned through the excessively decorated rings. My eyes landed on one near the back. It was very simple. The shank of the ring was made up of braided rose-gold rods. At the head, three prongs were holding the vibrant green gemstone in place. The emerald reminded me of a green version of Yui's heart. I pointed to the ring.
"This one," I said. The woman pulled it out and examined it.
"Are you sure? There are other rings here that might please her more." She asked.
"Trust me, that's the one," I said. The woman nodded.
"What's her ring size?" She asked.
"14.8 millimeters, should be size four," I replied. The woman nodded and walked away for a moment. Suguha was looking at other rings then looked at me when I said the number. "What? It was much harder to get that number than you think. I had to do some Jedi mind bullshit from the internet." Suguha laughed and turned back to the rings she was looking at. The woman returned with a white, cube-shaped box. She placed it on the counter and turned to me.
"Cash? Most people use cash for some reason." She asked.
"No, credit," I said. She set up the payment terminal and turned it towards me. I took out my credit card and placed it into the slot. After entering the code and confirming my purchase, the woman slid the box towards me and smiled.
"Good luck," She said sweetly. We left the store and stopped at a bench near the middle of the lobby.
"Okay, let's see." Suguha smiled. I took out the box and handed it to her. She carefully opened it and looked at the beautiful stone centerpiece. "It's gorgeous, she'll love it." She closed the box and returned it to me.
"Thanks, I hope she does," I said, putting the box in my pocket. We stood up and walked towards the exit of the building. As we were leaving I noticed someone in a car parked near my motorcycle. I walked up to my bike, got on, and turned it over. Suguha got on soon after. As I pulled out of the parking lot, I caught a glimpse of his face before peeling off onto the road.
***
(Present) (Kazuto)
I dramatically gasped out of realization. Everyone looked at me in confusion. Asada walked over to me.
"What's wrong?" She asked, rubbing my back.
"Suguha," I said.
"What is it?" She asked.
"Do you remember the day we got the ring?" I asked.
"Of course, why?" She replied.
"Do you remember when we left the store, the car that was near my motorcycle? How I said it felt like the guy in the car was watching us?" I continued.
"Yeah, what about it?" She replied.
"The doctor who got Minetaka to sign me out, that was him. Dr... Suzuno! Suzuno was the one in that car!" I blurted. Suguha's eyes grew wide.
"Oh my god, you're right!" She said.
"Wait, what does that mean?" Asada asked.
"I don't know, but I'm gonna find out," I ran out of the room towards the elevator. It was already open, so I got in, pressed the "Lobby" button, and closed the doors before anyone could chase me. Once the elevator hit the lobby, I ran out and approached the main counter. There was no one there so I rang the bell. A short, middle-aged lady came out and sat at the counter.
"What can I do for you, honey?" She said sweetly.
"I'm looking for a Dr. Suzuno?" I asked.
"One moment, please." The woman picked up the phone, dialed three numbers I didn't catch, and waited. A few seconds later, a male voice could be heard on the other line. "Hello, Haruki, there's a boy here in the lobby requesting you." She waited a couple of seconds. "Okay, I'll let him know." She hung up.
"Well?" I said.
"Dr. Suzuno says you can head up to his office on floor 7." She smiled.
"Thank you," I said, running back to the elevator. I pressed the button and stood back. I thought for a moment and remembered the thing Kayaba whispered when we were being logged out of SAO.
"Kirito, remember this. You should never work alone. It'll only lead to your inevitable death."
Could Dr. Suzuno be the accomplice to Kayaba? If so, how long have they been working together? Could Dr. Suzuno be how Kayaba found me? The elevator opened, allowing me to enter. I walked in and pressed "7." The elevator closed, grappling upwards, rapidly bringing me to the requested floor. Once I reached floor 7, the doors slid open with ease, releasing me to the hallway. The hallway was practically empty. It was the office floor, after all. I turned right and began walking down the hallway, searching for Dr. Suzuno's office. A small, Filipino woman walked towards me.
"Ah, hello! Mister!" She waved and stopped me. "Do you need direction?" Her English could use a little work.
"Yes, could you point me to Dr. Suzuno?" I asked. She smiled and nodded, pointing at the end of the hall behind her. "Thank you." I walked off toward the office of a supposed enemy. The hallway seemed to be a mile long. The walk made my legs go weak. If he was working with Kayaba, I could be walking to my death. I stopped outside of the room and inhaled, exhaling soon after. Three soft knocks were placed on the grey steel door. I could hear footsteps on the other side, they seemed to move sporadically. The door opened, revealing the man we saw earlier. He invited me in, shutting the door once I entered. He subtly locked the door, or so I thought. It could've just been my old self trying to take over mixed with a splash of anxiety. He gestured for me to sit on the chair across from his desk. I hesitantly sat down and looked up at him as he plopped down into his swivel computer chair.
"What can I do for you?" He asked. I took a deep breath and exhaled, preparing for the next words to come out of my mouth.
"About 5 months ago, my cousin and I had bought an engagement ring for my girlfriend in a small jewelry shop in Aeon Mall. When we were leaving I had noticed a man in a car near my motorcycle, watching us. That man was you." I said, my eyes were closed the whole time. I opened them a couple of seconds after I finished. Dr. Suzuno, or Haruki, had a surprised yet satisfied look on his face. It made me incredibly uncomfortable.
"Mmhmm, you're right," He took off his glasses and wiped the lenses on his shirt. I was shocked, did he admit to watching me?
"Wait, what?" I shook my head. He chuckled and stood up, putting his glasses back on.
"You heard me, I was the one watching you that day," He repeated, slowly getting closer to me.
"Why?" I asked with a hint of fear in my voice.
"Because I was ordered to," He answered, leaning against his desk. I felt my heart sink into my stomach.
"By who?" I asked cautiously. Haruki chuckled, turning around and walking towards the window. He stood, staring into the plaza below.
"You're Kirito, the Black Swordsman, the Gilded Hero of Aincrad, the number one player of Sword Art Online, you tell me," He said. I took a deep breath and exhaled.
"Akihiko Kayaba..." I practically whispered. Haruki whipped around with a large grin on his face.
"Bingo! Hit the nail right on the head!" He threw his hands into the air. "You know, he really didn't like you. To be honest, I'm shocked that he didn't request a hit. But you've guessed right, I was working with Akihiko Kayaba, ever since he first thought of the NerveGear. He came to me, asking for my skills in Computer Programming, offering to pay me. I took up the chance. I wasn't gonna pass up the opportunity to help invent the world's first Full-Dive Virtual Reality machine."
"Wait, I thought it was just him and Dr. Koujiro who worked on it," I said.
"Ah, yes, Rinko. Kayaba's beloved. For some reason, Kayaba didn't want her to know that I was working with him. So we worked on the system in secret while he had Rinko develop the base of the first copy of Sword Art Online. Once we were almost done with the system, he switched the projects, he and Rinko worked on the NerveGear while I finished the game. Once they were both finished, before Kayaba sent them to be mass-produced, he stopped and told me his plan. At first, I was a little shocked. But that's when I realized I wanted the same thing. So I asked him. I said, 'I want to continue helping, even throughout that ludicrously savage dream of yours. I realized that I want the same thing as you.' And he let me stay, and at that moment, a partnership was born between a tech-loving college graduate with a Master's Degree in Biological Sciences and the washed-up, wears-a-lab-coat-for-no-reason CEO of Argus Corporation." Haruki explained. I relaxed in the chair a little, taking in the recently discovered information. "You know, I'm surprised it took you this long to figure out that he wasn't working alone. I mean, he practically told you. 'Kirito, remember this. You should never work alone. It'll only lead to your inevitable death.' That's a dead giveaway if I've ever seen one."
"I had other things to worry about," I said.
"Well, as much as I enjoyed this little chat, I have work to do." He walked back to his chair and sat down. "Listen, Kirito, I am done with Sword Art Online, I am done with Akihiko Kayaba. That was the life I once wished for. But now..." He paused to pick up and show me a picture frame that was on his desk. It was of him with a woman and a little girl. "I have something to live for." He looked into my eyes, studying the way I looked at him. "You know, the eyes are the windows to the soul. I can tell that you have something to live for as I do. And because of that, I won't pursue you as he did. I will leave you and your friends alone. This is the end of the nightmare that has loomed over you for so long. Goodbye, Hero." I stood up and walked to the door, stopping before I left.
"Thanks," I said, and left the room, heading to the elevator. I pressed the button and stepped back. Once the doors opened, I was about to walk in but noticed a group of people in the elevator. "I thought I told you to let me do this on my own."
"Yes, but we were worried," Asada smiled. Suguha rolled forwards, hitting me in the shin with her wheelchair.
"Ow, jackass," I reached down and rubbed my leg where she hit me.
"How'd it go?" Suguha asked. I stood back up and thought. He said that he wouldn't come after us. Does it really matter if I tell them?
"He was the one in the car, but from what he told me, he had no ties with Kayaba," I explained. I could see Asada exhale in the corner of my peripheral.
"Ok, good." Suguha backed into the elevator, allowing me to enter. I walked in and wrapped an arm around Asada, watching Suguha click the "Lobby" button. The elevator doors closed, causing the metal box to propel downwards. I watched the numbers descend for each floor we passed. 6... 5... 4... 3... 2... L... The doors opened. Suguha rolled out in direction of the exit to the hospital. Before we left, I stopped, looking down the hallway to my left. A glowing orb of white light. Am I the only one that sees this? Asada noticed me and walked over.
"Are you alright?" She asked.
"I'll be right back," I said, holding up my index finger as to gesture for her to wait. I walked down the hall and followed the orb. Once I reached the fork in the hallway, I looked right and saw the orb hovering next to a closed-door right before it disappeared. I walked over to the door and slowly opened it, peeking inside. The glowing orb sat in the middle of the room, although, it wasn't an orb anymore. I walked in and closed the door. "Klein..." He turned and faced me, smiling as wide as he used to, his thumb stuck up towards me.
"Hey, bro!" He cheered. A tear slid down my face, then another, and another, and before I knew it, they flowed freely out of my eyes, falling to the floor.
"I'm so sorry..." I whispered, staring at the floor. He walked over and placed his hand on my shoulder. His touch was solid... and warm... almost as if... he was still alive...
"Don't cry. The Kirito I know never cries." He said inspirationally. I looked up, wiping the tears from my face.
"I miss you," I said, still wiping away tears. He put his hands on his hips.
"I miss you too, bro." He smiled. "Guess what?"
"What?" I asked.
"I met your parents..." He said. When the words slipped out, I felt as if my heart had both shattered and filled me with excitement. "They said to tell you that they're proud of everything you've done. For your family, and friends." I was speechless. "I can't stay long."
"No..." I whispered.
"Hey, do me a favor, take care of Asada and Suguha for me," Klein said, disappearing into the air.
"Klein...."
***
Hey, Familia of the Closet! The final chapter is next! I'm super stoked for the ending of the book, not stoked that it's ending though. Anyway, I apologize for making this chapter so long. I just wanted to get as much as possible. OH! The epilogue is confirmed. I've got the whole thing planned out. Hope you enjoy the rest of this book. Wait, one more thing. I have been getting Private Messages and Comments saying things that I am phrasing or explaining incorrectly. I purposely made these things incorrect. It is called 'Fantasy' for a reason. Anyways, thank you all so much for reading. Enjoy! Love you!<3
-Seijirou
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