-1607- [ Yuuki ]

////The original author only uploaded one chapters a day for this part, I hated it. So take these, no cliffhangers today.////

The result was that, early in the morning, the three siblings of the Kirigaya family engaged in morning training together in the courtyard.

This was truly a long-lost scene.

Since Rozen and Kirito gave up Kendo, it had always been only Suguha practicing in the mornings. The sight of all three siblings training together hadn't been seen for at least seven or eight years.

Kirigaya Midori, who had just finished preparing breakfast, saw this scene and smiled warmly to herself.

"It seems like getting caught up in the SAO incident wasn't entirely a bad thing after all."

This was all she thought.

As a mother of three children, Midori had experienced countless moments of frustration over the siblings' relationships in the past.

Who wouldn't want to see their children living in harmony, treating each other with love and affection?

The strained relationship between Rozen, Kirito, and Suguha had worried her deeply, leaving her helpless. But now, seeing the three of them rekindle the closeness they once shared as kids was a blessing she had long hoped for.

Not wanting to interrupt their precious moment, Midori quietly turned and left, letting the siblings enjoy their time together.

However, morning time was still limited.

Before long, the three siblings stopped, with their hunger getting the better of them.

"Let's head back for breakfast."

"I feel like having some toast," Kirito said casually, engaging in normal sibling banter with Suguha.

Meanwhile, Rozen, wiping sweat from his brow with a towel, seemed to remember something. He turned to the other two and spoke.

"I'll be going out later, so don't wait for me for lunch. I'm not sure if I'll be back in time to eat."

His words caused both Kirito and Suguha to pause, briefly disrupting the warm atmosphere between them.

Kirito turned to Rozen, his tone becoming a little more serious.

"Are you going to see Asuna?"

"Yeah," Rozen nodded without hesitation. "Today, I'm going to meet Asuna's father. If everything goes well, I might get access to the SAO server. If we can find some clues from it, all 300 players, including Asuna, might wake up."

Hearing this, Kirito fell silent.

As for Suguha, ever since the mention of SAO, she had remained wordless, as if unable to join the conversation or offer any input on the matter.

Rozen chuckled at the two's reactions.

"Don't worry about me," he said with a smile. "I know what I'm doing. I won't do anything reckless."

Rozen understood that for families like theirs—anyone involved with the SAO incident—topics related to SAO were essentially taboo.

The former SAO players dreaded anything associated with that world. After finally returning to reality, they naturally wanted nothing to do with it again.

Their families hated it even more, despising the incident that stole two years of their loved ones' lives and could have easily taken them forever. None of them wanted to risk reopening those wounds.

Kirito and Suguha probably felt the same way.

But no matter what, Rozen couldn't stop.

"There's no way I can sit back and watch Asuna stay asleep."

Rozen's calm voice broke the silence, and Kirito looked at him with a complicated expression before finally speaking up.

"Do you need my help?"

Kirito offered his assistance with a straightforward determination.

Even though the matter of SAO still weighed heavily on him, Kirito was ready to help if Rozen refused to give up.

Besides...

"Asuna is also my friend. She fought alongside us on the frontlines. I want her to wake up too."

Kirito's resolve was clear.

However...

"No need. Just focus on your rehabilitation." Rozen gave Kirito's shoulder a reassuring pat. "I've only just started investigating this, so there's nothing you can help with right now."

Despite Kirito's technical skills—being capable of building computers and writing programs from a young age—this was a challenge even experts hadn't solved. There wasn't much Kirito could do for now.

"So just wait at home for some good news," Rozen concluded with a grin.

Kirito nodded, albeit reluctantly.

Meanwhile, Suguha silently watched her two brothers—particularly Rozen—with a complex look in her eyes.

"Asuna..."

Suguha didn't know who this Asuna really was.

All she knew was that for the sake of this person, Rozen was willing to delve into the dreaded SAO incident and take risks.

If she could, Suguha would have asked him to stop. She didn't want Rozen getting involved in anything dangerous again.

With the mystery of the missing players still unsolved, Suguha just wanted Rozen to stay home—or at least within her sight—safe and sound.

If anything were to happen to him again, Suguha knew she would regret it for the rest of her life.

But looking at Rozen, she knew that even if she voiced her concerns, he wouldn't listen.

After all, her worries were just a product of her own selfishness.

And so, Suguha buried her anxiety deep within her heart.

After finishing breakfast with his family, Rozen left the Kirigaya household, with Kirito and Suguha seeing him off.

His destination: Tokorozawa Hospital.

...

Arriving once more at the Tokorozawa Hospital, nothing seemed to have changed since Rozen's previous visit.

The only difference was that this time, Kikuoka Seijirou was not accompanying him.

After obtaining the necessary information, Kikuoka had many things to handle and couldn't join Rozen in meeting the person he referred to as his "future father-in-law."

Today, Rozen would meet Yuuki Shouzou alone and present his request.

Perhaps due to prior notice, the hospital staff immediately approved Rozen's entry when he presented himself at the reception desk.

With a visitor's pass in hand, Rozen made his way to Asuna's room. Just like the day before, he used the pass to activate the security device, unlocking the electronic door and gaining entry.

Inside, the curtains that had previously concealed the room were now pulled back, revealing Asuna lying on the hospital bed.

But she wasn't alone.

"You must be Kirigaya Aoka?"

The voice belonged to a tall, imposing man, appearing to be around fifty years old.

He wore a perfectly tailored three-piece suit, and his sharp, disciplined expression exuded professionalism. The sleek, white hair swept back from his forehead hinted at the struggles he had endured recently, leaving him looking haggard and worn.

This man was seated at Asuna's bedside.

Having done some research the previous day, Rozen already knew who he was.

He was none other than Yuuki Shouzou, the CEO of RECT, a major electronics manufacturer—and Asuna's father.

However, to Rozen's surprise, someone else was also present in the room besides Yuuki Shouzou.