"Wait, so Haruna was seriously your next-door neighbor??"
I nodded smiling.
"After SAO, I went out to go find Ikiru. Seemed like Haruna had the same idea. As I was walking out of my apartment, she did the same and we saw each other."
I looked down and covered my mouth trying my hardest not to laugh like crazy....
"The look on her face....I'm sorry it was just hilarious!"
"Hey that's not funny! I was confused!!"
I laughed a little bit and caught my breath....
"Well, I'm just glad I found you guys."
I smiled and looked at all of my friends....the survivors of SAO. Yujin, Orochi, Iku, Haruna.....they're the true survivors.....truth be told, I really shouldn't be alive right now......
"So...Hiku I have a question....and I know it's hard to talk about SAO after what happened....but ummm....how exactly are you still alive...? I mean, not that I don't want you alive of course! I just want to know how...I mean, Kayaba didn't lie. Over 6,000 players died in real-life....."
"Well....the doctor said I was about to die....but for some reason the electronic waves weren't as strong as the other player's.....he said I was in the middle of dying when I just suddenly woke up......my heart was beating normally, everything was okay. And now here I am."
"Wait, but how'd you get back in your apartment? You live alone, right?"
"Yeah....that still bothers me.......I asked the doctor if he did, or had someone else do it. But he said no...."
I looked around and thought for a moment.
"Oh! Hey guys I've got something to show you!"
I smiled and reached down into my backpack.
"Okay! What's up Hiku?"
I took out a pouch from my backpack that had my journal in it, and took my journal out. I opened it up and set it down on the table. I turned it, so that everyone could read it.
"W-woah Hiku....what is all of this stuff??"
"Well....let's just say I'm one of those guys that digs around in old-1000-year-old people's stuff. I've been able to bring back some knickknacks....and somehow I'm still alive."
"Dude this is amazing! Captain Henry Avery, the theory of Rome being a war zone, you've studied all of this?!"
I nodded and smiled, reaching back into my backpack. I took out a small golden Lion statue and an old skull.
"Which one looks like it's worth more, guys?"
"Hmm..."
Iku examined them both closely.
"I'm gonna say the lion!"
Everyone agreed with her and went with the lion. I slowly out the lion away and held the skull, showing that it's worth more than the lion.
"What?! No way! The other thing was made of gold! How does it not cost more?!"
"Well, that lion, I just simply bought at a gift shop in Malaysia. The skull is the ACTUAL skull of a British leader that lead an assassin group back in 1103 A.D."
They all looked at it a little disturbed....but still impressed! I think....
"You collect things like that?"
"Well, it's really just things I find along the way. But yeah something like that."
I took out a small coin from my pack, and threw it to Iku.
"One of Avery's coins. He melted down all his gold and made his own currency. I have like 10 of those I think and they're worth a few hundred thousand per coin now."
"Oh, Hiku, Haruna that reminds me!!! You remember that coin Haruna gave me in SAO?"
Me and Haruna nodded, wondering what Orochi was talking about....
"Well,"
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small coin....it was the exact one Haruna gave him....
"W-what?!"
I looked at it super confused....
"Did you make it? Or did you somehow buy it? Or what's up?"
"I really don't know guys.....after SAO, I woke up and somehow had it in my pocket.....I live alone though."
We looked around confused....
"Well, I'm sure we'll find out sometime..."
•
•
•
•
After a few hours of exchanging stories and such...
"Wait wait wait, so you're telling me, that you just STUMBLED upon a complete Gold Mine, filled to the brim, and you managed to walk away, with nothing?? Not even a single coin?"
"Well, I'm sure Sakura grabbed something during that time, but yeah I got nothing."
I smiled and yawned....
"Guys it's getting really late and this cafe is closing soon. We should get going."
We all stood up, pretty tired....we started walking out and back to our apartments and houses.