17 Chapter 17

Almost all-night Kirito and Nao Hunt the monster to raise their level and only stopped when the dazzling circle in the eastern horizon awakened.

Kirito go back to his inn to sleep and Nao still wandering around the hunting ground for a while. He already cast the Refreshing Magic before so he didn't feel drowsiness at all, so he just wander around and continue to level up. He can use his [Divine Sleeping Magic] to make him sleep but didn't feel like to do it right now.

The [Sleeping Cheat Magic] upgraded several time after often used by the clones and Nao himself this six years, from the [Sleeping Cheat Magic] become the [Divine Sleeping Magic]. It resulted in more great effect than the previous one and become the main reason of how his face looks this right now.

Before it upgraded, its effect to his body constitution wasn't too noticeable. However, because he from time to time create hundreds or even thousands clone just to sleep and cast the magic, at his last year of elementary school it finally upgraded and its effect increased several times. make not only his face, but his muscle, bone, and every organ inside his body more and more refined and strengthened.

'I hit my clone with nukes before but nothing happen.' Nao thought remember the Nuke Hijack Incident.

After about a year his sleeping magic upgraded to the [Divine Sleeping Magic], he "borrow" three nukes from three different country at the same time. Right, not one but three at the same time and launched the three of them at a clone he created before and placed the clone at the targeted area.

The result was the three nuke explode successfully at the target but unexpectedly, aside from vanished clothes, the clone was fine without any scratch on its skin. He make the clone disappear so he could experience the clone gone through and make him laugh hollowly. There's no pain at all when he got the experience.

'I wonder if I am still a human with this kind of body constitution.' Nao thought while smiled wryly.

'I'm glad though that I created the [Transformation Magic] and still able to control my body and cast magic to my own body even in this state. I wonder what will happen if people know that a guy who didn't eat at all for years still has eight packs abs and crazily well defined muscle. hehehehe~' Nao chuckled thinking about that.

No one know about his muscle which is always hidden under his shirt. He look has normal body from the outside after all. Except Sugu maybe who see it at her swimming lesson.

Nao thought about many things along the way until he received a message ringtone. Nao open the message and read it. It's from Yuna.

Yuna: You free today, Nao-kun? Want to go somewhere? (^_^)

Nao: Only morning though. I need to go to the labyrinth again after that.

Kirito and him had already make a plan a moment before Kirito go to his inn to sleep and rest a bit.

Yuna: Yaay!! It's alright! Meet me at 22nd floor teleport gate.

Nao: Why 22nd?

Yuna: It's very relaxing floor and not many monster there. It's a nice place.

Nao: Alright, I'll be there.

Yuna: Okay. Don't be late.

They ended the the message after that.

"Well, let's go Haku." Nao then run toward the town direction and reach the teleport gate soon after that. He jumped at the gate and teleport to 22nd floor right away.

----

At the 22nd floor, a beautiful girl with blue dress, and a white hat sat on a bench waiting while humming. Her name was Yuna, the famous "uta-chan".

After some time waiting, from the teleport gate, light could be seen and a figure jumped out of it and landed on the ground with a with fox on his head. He is the one Yuna waiting for. The guy who make her days in this death game filled with laughter and happiness. The one who make her worry and anxiety about the future inside the death game, replaced with warm, joy, and anticipation instead.

Thinking about him make her smiled cheerfully with her heart filled with happiness. She ran, and jumped at him.

He catch her right away and hug her waist.

"That's dangerous." He said while poke her forehead.

"Fufufu, Ohayou~ Nao-kun~" She greeted him while smiling cheerfully.

Her heart filled with happiness right now. In his arms was the most secure and safe place for her. The only one she finally found inside this death game.

"Mmmh~ Ohayou~ Uta-chan~" Nao greeted her back.

"Mou~ Don't call me that~" She said while pinch his waist.

"Ahaha~ It's hurt, I'm sorry." Nao apologize to her.

"Humu Apology accepted." Yuna nodded at him.

"Then, where we go?" Nao asked her.

"Anywhere." Yuna said while bury her head on his chest.

She smile peacefully in his arms and enjoy the happiness feeling inside her heart to the fullest. Nao let her do whatever she want to do. He understand that what she mean was she wanted to be with him anywhere the place.

The both of them keep hugging each other for a long time. Peacefully close their eyes enjoying each other, accompanied by the chirping birds along with calm breeze brushed them from time to time. Time flowed slowly around them make the world filled with serenity.

Time passed and slowly Nao opened his eyes. He look like thinking something and finally make a decision. He will tell her right now! He thought.

He take a deep breath to calm himself down make Yuna waked up from her state as well.

"Yuna!" Nao said slowly while still hugging her.

"Hm?" Yuna respond simply at him.

".......Do you like me?" Nao said after a long silence.

Yuna was a bit surprised about his question. She suddenly remember that the both of them never tell the other anything about their feeling. She never tell him that she like him and he never tell her either. However they hugging each other like a lover right now without any of that. Her face become red all of a sudden caused by embarrassment.

She take a deep breath and hug him more tightly while thinking what answer should she give him. In the end she decide to give him the most honest one, the one from the deepest of her heart.

"I Love You."

She said surely and honestly while bury her head more deeply on his chest and smiling peacefully. That was what her feeling was. That one was what she want to say the most.

"I Love You too." Nao said honestly.

"But,....." He said again and pause for a moment make Yuna opened her eyes slightly.

"I Love another girl too..." Nao finally said it to her.

Nao didn't said anything again and Yuna didn't said anything or respond to his statement either. Silence regain the place now and Nao smiled slightly. He didn't know why but he feel better after finally said the truth at her.

The both of them still hugging each other and the wind brush at them slightly. Yuna close her eyes after the long silence and tears trickling down, fall to the ground.

Nao's smile disappear right away and guilty could be seen all over his face.

"I see." Yuna said softly.

However, she didn't let him go and instead, she hug him more tightly and bury her face on his chest again.

Nao didn't say anything and let her sort out her mind and calm herself down. He hugged her softly to calm herself.

After another silence, Yuna finally calm herself down and asked him.

"Is it possible to give up on her and only be mine." She asked him.

"No." Nao said simply right away.

Nao didn't even need to think about that answer. He will never give up on Sugu. Never!!!

Yuna paused for a moment and asked again.

"If she want you only for herself, will you give up on me?" Yuna try her best to asked the question with tighten heart afraid about the answer.

"I will." Nao said simply again make Yuna trembling and tears run down her cheeks.

Yuna hug him tightly, She didn't want him to go! Yuna thought inside while crying.

She was crying for a long time until she finally calm down and opened her eyes again.

"Will she asked you to give up on me?" Yuna asked again.

"I think no." Nao said.

Yuna was a bit surprised at his answer and look at him. Nao could see her surprised look on her face and smiled at her.

"Why?" Yuna really didn't understand.

"Because she will say something like, didn't want to be the cruel one who keep me for herself and rather make me the cruel one who cheating from her, something like that." Nao said while smiled wryly.

Yuna blinking several time didn't know what to do. She keep looking at him but he didn't seem to be lying to her. She think again what he told her and asked him again.

"Are you sure she will say something like that?" Yuna ask him for confirmation.

"Yeah, I know her. If it her we are talking about, then she would say something like that."

Yuna look into his eyes and he seem confident about what he said to her. She then hug him again lovingly and bury her face on his chest again while saying,

"I will believe it even if it's a lie. And if it's indeed a lie, I will make it the truth. I will tell her that I love you and ask her to share you with me. Even if it's impossible, I'll never give up on you. Never!!!" Yuna said to him confidently.

"I see." Nao said at her while hug her tightly.

The both of them hugging each other again for a long time and finally, Yuna remember something.

"Is she in the game too?" Yuna asked him.

"No, she is outside."

"I see." Yuna said simply and lift her head. She look at him, in the eyes, took a deep breath and close her eyes while neared her face to his slowly.

Nao was a bit surprised by what she trying to do. Of course he understand what she mean by doing this. He is an idiot if didn't. He hugged her waist gently and touch her cheek with the other hand. He neared his face at her and kissed her gently.

It last for a while until they separated from each other and Yuna bury her face with reddened face caused by embarrassment.

"I will let her have your first kiss in the real world because you meet her first there. But you meet me in this world, so I will take your first kiss in this world." Yuna said embarrassingly.

Nao chuckled a bit and nodded.

After that, they decide to walking around hand in hand. They talking about many things along the way, even about the real world and Yuna asked him about Sugu. He told her everything about her from how they meet for the first time, how his feeling, how her feeling and many other things.

"So you can cook?" Yuna asked while holding his hand beside him.

"Un! I am confident about my cooking skill." Nao said.

"What kind of food?" Yuna asked again.

"Many of them I guess. I can make a cake too if you want." Nao said.

"Really??"

"Yeah, Ah right. Handa Naoharu." Nao said suddenly.

"Huh?" Yuna a bit surprised.

"It's my real name, Handa Naoharu."

"I see." Yuna said and mumbled his name several times to remember it.

"So that's why "Nao"?"

"Un!" Nao nodded confirmed her statement.

"My name is Shigemura Yuuna, 17 years old. Nice to meet you, Naoharu-kun." Yuna said while smiling cheerfully.

"I'm Handa Naoharu, 14 years old. Nice to meet you too, Yuuna." Nao said to her while smiling too.

"Un! Huh??!?" Yuna nodded while still smiling at first but suddenly stopped.

"What's wrong?" Nao asked.

"Just now, you said 14???" Yuna said again.

"Un! I'm 14 this year." Nao confirmed her.

"B-but your height, then your face!?! So you are younger than me, three years on top of that? And you are still in the junior high school then?" Yuna ask him many things at the same time.

"Ahahaha~ Yeah. What's it?" It'll be 39 though if two life combined. Nao thought.

"Sigh~ Nothing, I just thinking that maybe we are at the same age or you are older than me, so we can go to the same University together." Yuna said a bit disappointedly.

"Ahahahaha~~" Well, I can take the Postgraduate study or even Doctorate already too if you wanted. Nao thought again.

"So, You don't love me if I'm younger?" Nao said while close his left eye.

Yuna didn't say anything and just come at him and kissed him again. Sticking out her tongue after that and drag him to continue their stroll. Nao chuckled and follow her and stroll around the lake with her again.

They found a bench and decide to sit down to rest a bit.

"Nao-kun." She said after remembering something.

"Hm~?"

"You are one of the clearers right?" Yuna asked again.

"Yeah, You can say that. What's wrong?" Nao asked her.

"What kind of pressure is there, I wonder. At the foremost lines?" Yuna said hesitatingly.

"Pressure, huh. Because I am a solo, so when explore the labyrinth maybe the most of it was, of course, the pressure of death. But if we talk about fighting a boss, then there's a pressure to move according to the plan and didn't make a mess to the other, also to always watch the other's back. We fight the boss together after all." Nao explain to her.

"I see." Yuna nodded.

"Really, what's wrong?" Nao asked again a bit worried.

"You see, yesterday......."

Then Yuna told him about her childhood friend, Nautilus. She said that he was very dejected yesterday and said something about the pressure of the foremost line. She meet him in the Jaileum yesterday night so she think that maybe something happen in the labyrinth.

"Hmmmmmm~~~ Childhood friend, eeh~~. Hmmmmm~~~" Nao said halfheartedly.

"Hm? What?" Yuna asked him suspiciously.

"Nothing." Nao said while pouted.

"Mou~~~ Nani yo~!! (What~)" Yuna asked again while pinch his waist.

"Ouch!! It's hurt, I'm sorry , I'm sorry..."

"Don't lie, there's nothing like hurt in SAO." Yuna said.

"Ugh.... I'm sorry." Nao apologize to her.

"Un!" She nodded satisfied.

"Well, Who's your childhood friend again?" Nao asked her.

"His name was Nautilus." Yuna told him her childhood friend's name.

"Nautilus?? Is he one of the new members of the KoB?"

"You know him?" Yuna was a bit surprised that Nao know him.

He then tell her about what happen in the labyrinth when Asuna's party fighting with the midd-boss yesterday. He tell her about how a disorder happen and almost kill one of them as the result. He then continue about how Asuna tell him about the disorder that caused by Nautilus who disobey her order at the fight.

"I see, so that was what happen? And why Eh-kun looks very dejected?" Yuna said again.

"Eh-kun?" Nao asked her.

"Hm? Ah, it's how I address him in real world." Yuna said again.

"Hmmmmm~~" Nao respond plainly.

"Moouuu~~~~`~" Yuna give up at his antics now and just hug him make him chuckled.

'Well, I think Asuna told him already about his FNC right now, let's just tell her too.' Nao thought.

"Yuna, the reason why Nautilus make a disorder was because he has a problem with his nervegear. Do you know about FNC?" Nao said while still hugging her?

"FNC? hm~h" Yuna shook his head.

'Well, of course she didn't know.' Nao thought and start to explain what FNC was, how could it happen, and so on so forth until he explain to her about FNC case which is happen to Nautilus, about his nervegear inability to read his complex brain command at the same time. He tell her all of them and make her worried.

"Doesn't that mean he won't be able to move at all if he's really scared?" Yuna said worriedly.

"Yeah, that's why it's very dangerous for him actually to go to the battle. Not only for himself, but also for his party member." Nao added again.

" I see, he must be very disappointed. He always want to be part of the clearers, even always train his sword skill for almost six month in the town of the beginning before finally go out of the town and rise his level." Yuna said.

"Well, it can't be helped. Even if you didn't go to the foremost line, you can still be help for clearing the game. There's many skill in SAO after all, like forging for example. He can create weapon for the other payer. Well, he need to raise the skill from the beginners level of course, but given enough time, he will be able to create high level weapon soon. So, mmm well, It'll be hard for strangers to tell him this, then maybe you can tell this to him. You are his childhood friend after all." Nao said to her.

"Un! I will tell him about his problem and how dangerous it was for him. Then about another skill too. Thanks, Nao-kun." Yuna hug him again.

"Well, It's nothing." Nao said.

'Though I wonder if he can still in the KoB if he really take the support skill. He will need to train and raised the level of the skill from zero after all, and considering how high the elite guild like them about item, keep a beginner would be..... mmmm There's another problem about his pride too.' Nao thinking about many things right now.

'Well, it's up to him. What choice he may take I don't care, but if he drag Yuna into trouble.....'

"What's wrong Nao-kun?"

"Huh? Ah, nothing. I just thinking that if FNC case was different for many people, there's the possibility that someone maybe suddenly logged out from the game because the same reason."

"Is it possible?" Yuna asked surprised.

"Like I said, it's a mass products after all, so we will not know what the problem will be. The nervegear also had already work non-stop for almost a year now." Nao said.

"I see." Yuna nodded.

'Sorry I'm lying. But I really need reconsider to eject Yuna from the game. Though my clone always monitored her now and make sure she won't die, there's another problem called trauma in here. I didn't want her to encounter some crazy b*st*rd from Laughing Coffin.' Nao thought inside his mind and received a message right after that.

Ting~

"Message?" He checked it out and it was from Kirito.

"Who's it?" Yuna asked.

"Kirito, we had a plan to explore the labyrinth this noon. Well, it's already noon though." Nao said while smiling wryly.

"Fufufu You late Nao-kun." Yuna said poking his cheek.

"Well, time to go. Let's go."

"Kyaaaaaa~~ Nao-kun put me dow~ kyaaaaa~~~~~~~~~"

Nao carried her on his shoulder like when he "kidnap" her again and ran to the teleport gate as fast as he could.

----

At Jaileum, the town of 40th floor, Kirito could be seen annoyingly waiting beside the teleport gate.

'Again?' He thought.

After a long time waiting, the one who he's waiting finally jumped out of the gate with his fox on his head. He come closer to him after looking around a bit.

"Ahahhaaha~ My bad. I got lost on the path of life."

"Then die." Kirito said annoyingly and turn around to leave.

"Uwaaah~ That was heartless of you to ask me to die, right Haku." Nao said to Haku while followed him leave the town.

"Kyu~" Haku responded simply.

The two of them and a fox on the head then leave the town together towards the labyrinth.