Quite some time had passed ever since the night where they connected.

Ever since then, the two Kirigayas had become much closer.

It was small, but now Kazuto was willing to let Suguha help him as he exercised, going so far as to ask her specifically to coach him as he practiced kendo! At his low skill level, there wasn't much for her to do, but their mother insisted that he shouldn't practice alone while he's so weak.

Naturally, she wouldn't pass up an opportunity to see him exercising with something she felt so passionate about.

They had also begun to sleep together more.

As it was, there was nothing romantic or intimate going on between them. Occasionally she'd just sneak into his room at night and occupy half of his bed as she stared at his turned back before going to sleep... For some reason, he refused to look at her in return as they slept... Although she could hear him turn around when she pretended to sleep... Occasionally even whispering that he'll protect her...

He never complained... in fact he seemed to welcome it.

Sometimes he would sleep talk, and she would hear new names: Klein, Tetsuo, Asuna (another girl...?), something about a duck?

And of course the name he'd say the most, usually with a powerful sadness but rarely with a smile: Sachi.

Somehow she used her discomfort at the topic of who she was to gauge when she should ask more about his experiences in SAO. When she was ready to ask him about her, then she'd ask him to tell her more.

At the same time, she hadn't let go of her feelings for him, still resolving to be the person he could trust the most.

Of course, one day everything changed in a different way.

At the time, they were in her room. She was sitting at her desk, finishing some of her homework while Kazuto was laying on her bed, playing on an old handheld game console.

Honestly, it was kind of difficult to focus on anything when he was right there, but she figured that she would have to learn to focus on her own things when he was nearby - Especially for their future.

As she worked, she heard Kazuto groan before closing his game with a light click of the system. Then he seemed to shuffle around a bit on her bed.

"Sugu, why do you have this?" he asked suddenly.

Jumping a bit, she immediately panicked, worried that he was referring to some things that she spirited out of his room and didn't want to let him see...

Thankfully she realized that she was wrong as she hesitantly swiveled her chair around and looked to the boy who held her heart.

Laying back, propped up on his elbows in his hands was a somewhat delicate looking machine with only two security rings side by side framing a red visor. "This thing, it's an «AmuSphere», right?"

She let out a sigh of relief as she turned her chair back to her desk. "That's right. I use it to play in «ALfheim Online»."

Of course he knows about the latest technology, she thought knowingly. It's just like Kazuto to be up to date on his world.

It took her a while to realize that he was silent. Curious, she turned her chair back to him, and he was sitting up looking surprised.

"«ALfheim Online»?" he repeated. "Is that-?"

"Kinda like «Sword Art Online»," she completed his sentence. "It's also a FullDive game."

"..."

Without warning, he rushed up to her and put his hands on her chair's backrest at level with her stomach, caging her within his arms and forcing her to stare at him as he got up in her face.

-!

"You're playing a FullDive game?" he asked incredulously. "You?"

She blushed at how close he was as her eyes flitted towards his lips which were just a few centimetres away... but she masked her desire by considering what he just said.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"That you hate video games!"

If she had something soft at her desk, she would've whacked him right there. Alas, she didn't - plus he was blocking her path to her pillows - so she could only use her words.

"Well I did but..." she looked away. "The truth is, I wanted to know more about you," she confessed in a false, tearful voice. "I wanted to know why you became so obsessed with the virtual world. So, I asked a classmate to introduce me to a FullDive game and he suggested that one."

Wistfully, she smiled as she thought of the world where she could fly on wings of her own.

"And I can sort of understand you," she admitted. "I've been having a lot of fun playing it."

"Do you think...?" his voice was hesitant. "Do you think that maybe you can show me how to play it?"

Now it was her turn to stare at him blankly. After everything that happened, he was still willing to play?

"Are you sure? After what happened to you, are you seriously wanting to put yourself into a FullDive game again?"

He looked away with a bashful look in his eyes.

"You'd think that but..." he spoke with teasing sadness. "I just want to experience what it's like to play a proper VRMMO, something that I didn't get a chance to do in Sword Art Online."

His words made her realize something: although he was in a game, there must have been hardly any moments where he was actually having fun.

"So teach me the basics, and I'll be out of your hair as soon as possible. A week at the most."

He looked to her expectantly, his eyes almost seeming to sparkle with anticipation.

He was so earnest and so adorable about this!

She wouldn't say it aloud but of course she wouldn't want him to leave after only a week!

This is the perfect opportunity for us to be together!

Closing her eyes, she tried to think of something to say to play this cool.

"A week isn't close to enough," she told him as she folded her arms under her chest. "Somebody like you needs constant training, especially if you want to keep up with me."

He smiled at her gently. "Don't underestimate me, Sugu. I'm a very fast learner."

"Well we'll find out, won't we?" she smiled at him.

Kazuto grinned back at her. She could tell that he was bottling his excitement.

"I'll ask mom for a copy of ALO!"

Excitedly, he ran out of the room to call their mom.

As soon as he was out of earshot, she smiled and giggled at his adorable antics.

"You're just like a little kid," she fondly remembered their childhood where they were always doing things together.

Still smiling, she picked up her AmuSphere. She could see her own eyes reflected in the reddish visor staring back at her.

"I'm glad I was able to help you Kazuto. Maybe Leafa can help you more."

***

When checking the timeline of the series to see what changes would happen due to the shift in time frame, I was concerned to find out that Suguha started playing ALO AFTER December 25, 2023. I figured that it would be improbable that she would try playing in FullDive games if Kazuto was already awake since I figured that she'd rather be spending time with him or too worried about him to play. However, if I went in with that thought then they wouldn't have ALO to bond with, so now we just have to imagine that Sugu started playing ALO before or right after Kazuto got back from the hospital.

Also interesting to note is that on the timeline of events formally found on Baka-Tsuki (the site that used to host the SAO novel translations), it says that Sugu joined ALO in November 2023. I assume this timeline is based on the original web novel.

Originally, Kazuto was supposed to find out that Suguha was playing in ALO from seeing her Leafa poster. But then I figured that she wouldn't have it since she hasn't been playing very long. Also, she probably wouldn't have her canon ALO outfit at the moment. My main regret on the change is that it would have been a nice parallel to canon if he were to start playing FullDive games again due to a picture of a girl in ALO.