15 Chapter 15

"Excuse me."

Door of a room in a hospital was slided open and a girl with uniform entered the room. She has short hair and cute face, with two hairpin on both side of her hair. She looked around but couldn't see anyone inside except for a young boy, laying on the big bed with an IV hose attached onto his arm. She neared the bed and sit down beside him. She smiled and greet the boy warmly.

"Ohayou~ sleepyhead prince. ehehe~" She greet him and chuckled a bit.

She then carefully grabbed his free hand and hold it tightly. She put it on her cheek and close her eyes while smiling warmly. She didn't know what is he doing right now in there, the far away place she couldn't reach, but by doing this, she felt very close to him again. She felt the same warm feeling when he teased her, pinched her cheek or when he poked her forehead while smiling warmly at her.

The ticking of a clock accompany them as time passed slowly in this quiet room. But the quietness in the room slowly felt different too, or rather the quietness had been slowly replaced by serenity because of her. Even the world itself doesn't have enough cruelty to touch the serenity inside the room, inside their only tiny little place where the girl could feel his existence again in this world.

There's someone actually behind the door. A man with butler attire and handsome face, Sebastian Michaelis, smiling slightly waiting outside. He made sure that no one approached the room and disturbed the both of them, even the doctor.

The boy inside the game know about this too, thanks to the butler which is his own shadow clone, and use his energy to replace the nerve system within his body, enable him to gain control of his real body again. With this, he can feel her touch again and he can feel her warm again. For a short time, the two who are separated by two different worlds, connected and reunited.

This serenity last for almost three ours but feels like only three seconds for the both of them. The girl opened her eyes again but still holding the boys hand on her cheek. She smiled at him simply, but love, care, worry and many emotion could clearly be seen on that simple smile.

Feeling that the moment was right, the butler opened the door and entered the room.

"Excuse me. Ah~ Suguha-sama!" He pretended to be surprised and bowed at her.

"Un! Konnichiwa Sebas-san!" Sugu greet him and smiled at her.

"Hai~ Konnichiwa Suguha-sama. I will prepare a cup of tea for you. Please wait a moment." He said and prepared the tea for her. He was Nao's clone after all, so his skill was great too.

Soon the tea was ready, he put it on a tray together with some pastry and put them on the table beside her.

"Thanks, Sebas-san." She thank him.

"You are welcome, Suguha-sama. This is my duty after all. Hm~? Uniform? Kendo club on sunday again?" Sebas asked her after seeing her uniform.

"Yes. But before, I want to see Nao-kun first." Sugu said.

"I see. You really work hard on kendo."

"Um! I liked it to begin with, but I like it even more now. He liked it so much too after all, and we meet for the first time because of it. This is the one which is always connected the both of us. And to think of it, we separated like this because he skipped the kendo club practice that day." Sugu said.

"I see." Sebas nodded understand what she said.

Sebas silent for a while and confused then conflicted after that. Not because Sugu's word, but because Nao's words. They are communicated via telepathy after all. He calmed himself down and asked her the question.

"Suguha-sama. Can I ask you something?"

"Hm? Sure." She said.

"You like Naoharu-sama, right?" Sebas asked her again.

Sugu was a bit surprised by his question and embarrassed slightly at the same time. She blush a bit and nodded as confirmation.

"Umm. I love him." Sugu said while looking at the boy on the bed.

Her firm answer makes the difficulty for Sebas to ask the question increased several times. Why him, the one who has to ask this question? Sebas thought inside his heart.

"Cough, well Suguha-sama. If, you know, this is only if. If he, you know IF Naoharu-sama like another girl too inside the game, what will you do. Even though I believe 100% that Naoharu-sama love you too so much. As you know it's almost a year already and inside, there are many girl trapped too. Basically, for them who trapped inside, the game was their realty right now. So, what will you do if he like another girl inside?" He really try his best to ask the question.

Sugu's smile was disappeared and she look at Nao on the bed silently, make Sebas gulped his saliva nervously and Nao too very nervous inside the game make Haku tilted its head confused. But after some time of silent that feel eternity for Sebas and Nao, she finally answer the question.

"If Nao-kun like another girl..." Sugu paused for a while make the two's nervous even more.

"If that really happen, then it will be a lie if I'm not disappointed." She said.

Sebas sweat profusely and Nao too inside the game, his face could be seen as white as paper while sweat trickled like a rain fell from his face.

"As a girl, of course I want him to only look at me, to only love me, show his care only to me and to have him for only myself." She said slowly and honestly.

"But I know that it was impossible from the start." Sugu then shook her head tiredly.

Nao inside and Sebas outside blinking several time then Sebas ask her again.

"Cough, hmm. Can I ask why it's impossible?" He asked after coughing.

"ehehe~ The main reason maybe his face." Sugu said while giggling a bit.

"The face, huh." Sebas said.

"Un! If I really wanted him for myself then, the first thing I need to do was to ruin his face." She said while smiling, but for unknown reason, her smile look very scary.

The both sweated again. While Nao inside was panicked.

'Oi oi oi oi, is she become yandere or something!?!!' Nao thought.

"Of course I'll never do that." Sugu said again.

'Huu~~hh' the both sigh~.

"So his face was the one which make it impossible to have him for only yourself?" Sebas asked again after calming himself.

"Un!, because if we talking about his personality, he is quite cold and has a sharp tongue sometimes. So aside from his face which is like a love potion for any girl in the world, he hasn't any other things which could makes him popular among girls. Though he's very nice and caring to his close ones, he is too indifferent to the other." Sugu said while smiling.

"That's why there will always be some girl who love him because of his face. I didn't mind it before because he always ignore the other girls that like him all the time. I know he like me too when I realize that he give only his care and kindness for me, while ignoring the others, even kissed me on that day and give this necklace too." She smiled happily when she remember the day when he kissed her forehead.

"But I realized too, that one day, even though he always ignore any girl that liked him until now, like how he love me in the end, there will be someone that, as a man he couldn't ignore anymore. Even though there isn't any from one hundred girls that liked him, could move his unmoved heart, there'll be one in the end from one thousand. And if there isn't any from one thousand, there'll be one in the end, from one hundred thousand. And so on." Sugu said again.

"With that kind of face, he will be always swarmed by girls. Seriously, just how could he has this kind of face, which is could make any girl blush with only a glance like that. Sigh~~~" Sugu sigh helplessly, make Sebas and Nao smiled wryly.

'I am sorry. Really I am.' Nao thought apologetically. This is out of his control after all.

"That's why, though I will be a bit disappointed and sad, I don't mind it. His face just too irresistible for any normal girl. I wonder if he aware of it because he always look didn't care at all. But once he show them his care, any girl would fall for him definitely. So, I don't want to become a cruel girl who keep him for myself and hurt the other girl. I don't want to become the cruel one, I will make him the cruel one who cheating from me. ehehehe~" She chuckle cheerfully in the end make Sebas and Nao sweatdropped.

"Honestly, I don't like him at first but didn't hate him either. With how girls talk about him, how cold he is, and how sharp his tongue sometimes, aside from his face, he hasn't any good point." Sugu said slowly while caressed his face inside his nervegear.

"But as time passed, his existence become more and more irreplaceable in my heart." She said softly like a whisper.

"That's why, Nao-kun. I don't care if you love another girl or something. I don't care anything. Just came back to me, please. Come back to me." She put his hand on her face again and tears trickling down on her cheeks.

Sebas didn't say anything again after that and let her be. He let her vented her longing as much as she wanted. Nao could hear all of that too. He missed her too. So he decide to tell her that he's alright. He moved his finger slightly to caressed her face make Sugu surprised. His finger was moved? he caressed her face?

"Huh?" Sugu was confused.

"What's wrong, Suguha-sama?" Sebas asked.

"I think he caressed my face just now." She said blankly.

"Mmm~ I think it's possible. From what I know, nervegear redirected someone's nerve system, make one couldn't move and sense his body. But in the body of a human, there's something that could also sense too. It's heart to sense love. Naoharu-sama could clearly sense your love for him, Suguha-sama." Sebas said slowly.

He can sense her love? her feeling? her worry? he can sense it all? Sugu didn't know but she want to believe it. Even if it's a lie, she want to believe it.

"Nao-kun." Sugu said softly while crying quietly.

She was crying for a long time, venting all her longing for him. That's just how much she missed him. His existence was really irreplaceable for her. He is the only one for her, she want him to come back, only want to come back to her and never leave her ever again.

She was tired mentally after that and fall asleep beside him while still holding Nao's hand. Sebas laying her on the Nao's bed while still holding his hand. Then blanketed her and let her sleeping beside Nao.

Then Nao and Sebas communicating through telepathy.

Nao: She's asleep?

Sebas: A~h, she must be really tired. Should I wake her up? She said about kendo club just now.

Nao: Don't! Just let her be.

Sebas: Alright. Then, can I ask you why you want me to ask that thing to her? What happen inside?

Nao: Well, you see... It's a few days ago. I.....

Nao then tell him about his meeting with Yuna and everything. And tell him too about what happen after that and the things about a few days ago when he make Yuna promise him about his enchanter skill.

Nao: I don't know what her feeling to me and what am I to her, but maybe she like me. I'm not sure though.

Sebas: Mmmm I see. So, is it a first step toward harem route? I wonder.

Nao: I'm not sure either. I am a man too, of course I am interested about something like that. But interested in it and actually done it was different thing. Like Sugu said just now, even though she didn't mind it, it's not like she didn't disappointed at all. I don't want to hurt her, really I am. It's not that simple to have harem actually if we considering the girls feeling. Wrong step and I will hurt the one I love because of that.

Sebas: But just like Sugu said about your face. With that, you are destined to hurt many girls already you know.

Nao: Hurt my girl if I accept the other girls feeling but hurt the other girls instead if I refuse them, huh.

Sebas: That's right. What a sinful man ee~hh!!

Nao: Shut it! But I am not sure though if Yuna really like me.

Sebas: Well, I wonder too. Is what you said is all. I mean from what I can grasp from your words, You aren't really do something overly. Well, the "kidnap" thing was of course "out". But after that you just come to her singing place and speak with her every given time. Aside of that you go hunt together and help her raise her level. Well with only one month, it's hard logically speaking for one to like someone in this short time without something happen. So is something happen?

Nao: No from what I can remember. I just try to as cordial and as friendly as I can to close with her so that I can have a chance to save her from his death later.

Sebas: Is what Sugu said really right, I wonder.

Nao: Which one?

Sebas: The one that 'every normal girl will fall for you if you show your kindness and caring side'. That's right, I am not really know clearly how your face in the game. How similar is it with the original one.

Nao: Let's see. Well, most of it I guess similar.

Sebas: In percentage?

Nao: Hmmmm~~ Well, at least... maybe 98%. Yeah about 98 or maybe 99%. Around that.

Sebas: I see. If what Sugu said was right then that was the main reason.

Nao: Hmmmm~~ My face combined with friendly and cordial attitude, huh.

Sebas: Well, that was, how should I say it, maybe just the trigger. Something that work as an opening, and with a little bit push, she will fall for you. And I think I know the "push" here, if we thinking about it carefully.

Nao: What?

Sebas: Suspension Bridge Effect. Maybe something around that, I guess.

Nao: Huh?

Sebas: This is what I was thinking about, in my perspective of course, even though I am you and you are me, I can thinking something outside of your point of view. Someone couldn't ever see his own face with his own eyes after all. So this is it. You know right, that all of you, players was trapped inside a death game? You are fine because you won't die even your HP hit zero, but the other players wasn't. They would really die when their HP hit zero. So how do you think their state of mind?

Nao: Fear!! A~~h I see.

Sebas: Right? They are in a state of fear, all of them. We are talking about death after all. So Yuna was not exception either. Deep inside her heart she mus be feel the fear of death too. And here you come. like I said, that your face was just a trigger that make her interested in you. Your attitude was cordial too, make you become close enough to her. All of that was just an opening to make her look at you with favorable impression.

Nao: And the push was...

Sebas: As you could already expected, the push was You are there when she need someone to relied on. And because you won't die, she can't sense any fear from your gesture make her feel more secure, safe, and comfortable around you. You are an oasis for someone in that state of mind. And after that, you talk about what she liked too, and help her much on top of that. Well, your face that already like love potion, with cordial and amiable attitude, and become the one that could be relied on. I think she already really love in you at this point.

Nao: Well, psychologically speaking, that was.... sigh, you are right. I think it's make sense now she can fall for me in just a month.

Sebas: The trigger was your handsome face and attitude, then the push was you becoming a light in the dark, warm in the cold, and courage in the fear. Well, something like that. You won't die after all, so I can imagine how you behave inside the death game subconsciously without fear and keep going forward confidently. Then finally make people around you affected by that said courage.

Nao: Subconsciously affected people around me, huh. I see, It's psychologically reasonable. And That said "around me" now was Yuna.

Sebas: That's right, at least for now, you interacted with a girl this kindly inside the game was only with Yuna. Hmmmm~ Wait, I think Yuna wasn't the only girl you interacted with in the death game right?

Nao: Hm? What are you talking about?

Sebas: I mean there's another girl you interacted kindly and warmly before Yuna in there. I mean HER. How you interacted with her??

Nao: I always solo though, so people that I has interaction with from the start wasn't that much, they are only Kirito and..... huh? you mean...

Sebas: That's right, her! Asuna! How your attitude and how you interacted with her?

Nao: Mmmm~~ Normally...

Sebas: You are quite cold to another girls in the real world, so this "normally" mean was that you cold toward her?

Nao: No, I didn't cold toward her. Well, I....

Sebas: Same attitude you use at Yuna??

Nao: Well, yeah, I even tease her sometimes... well, rather than tease her, I think I tease "them" with Kirito together....

Sebas: If I remember correctly, until she suddenly join the KoB, you are always together with her if not solo right?

Nao: Well, with Kirito too actually.

Sebas: And she is alright? I mean not fall for you?

Nao: Why you say it that way? I feel like "fall for you" words that come from you have the same meaning and vibe of some sickness or something like "disease". What am I, a Virus?

Sebas: Well, ummm my bad. So, she isn't fall for you?

Nao: Ummmmm~ Maybe not. I think, yeah.... Maybe....mmmm Yeah, I guess....

Sebas: What kind of answer was that?

Nao: Sigh~ I don't know. But I think Kirito's plot armor was strong. So, maybe Asuna would be still fall for him. Maybe.

Sebas: Well, Let's say so then.

Nao: Well, I don;t care. I will just do what I want to do. As always.

Sebas: Alright. Ah, I remember, next month ALO will be launched. can I play it?

Nao: Sure. Oh right, create about fifty shadow clone and make them play ALO.

Sebas: Eh? What for??

Nao: Just for precaution. Make sure they become the highest level players and create a group, let's see, name the group "Yorozuya". And for the races, just make sure there's each races in it.

Sebas: Ahahaha Yorozuya, eh? Then I will name myself Gin-san...pfthahaha

Nao: Hahaha That's up to you.. Anything else aside ALO?

Sebas: No! I will make clone later for the details as always.

Nao: Alright, Then.

And with that, the telepathy was ended. Sugu didn't know anything and sleep soundly beside Nao's body.

And inside the game, after ended the telepathy Nao keep laying on the grass field while gazing at the sky. He didn't move at all until he received a message.

Ting~

"Who's send me a message? Mmm Kirito?" Nao thought while opened the message.

After that, he get up while Haku jumped to the top of his head and go to where Kirito are.