"Yikes!"

The moment the whole body hit the ground, a faint pain spread throughout the body, and the lungs were compressed, making Shino cough.

"I should have gone to get the sword now, but I was saved." What happened? Just as he was thinking, an unpleasant crash sounded in his ears, and Shino opened his eyes suddenly, feeling something like warm water splash on his face. Immediately after, something collapsed in front of her, and Shino stared at it blankly, not really understanding what was happening.

Lying in front of him was Kirito, who had been cut in half from his left shoulder to the lower half of his body. In its body, there is enough blood flowing to form a large puddle, and it is spreading. Soon after, Shiina's leg was stuck with a large pool of blood.

“A”

Seeing the scene in front of her, Shino's consciousness was awakened at once, and at the same time realizing what was happening, she stared at the place that was originally Kirito. My back teeth made a gratifying sound in my mouth, and the blood clotted all over my body, and the illusion that the blood flow had stopped swept through my body. No matter how much I try to look away, my body will never listen to what I say.

"Ahhh

Irregular sounds leaked out from deep in my throat, and my whole body began to tremble spasmodically, my tongue stuck in my throat and I couldn't breathe, and I heard an unusually rapid heartbeat in my ears. However, Shino could not understand it. The voice was her own heart. However, all I can understand is the scenery beneath my feet.

"The blood on my feet is all Kirito." Then Kirito was cut in half and became the original Kirito. No matter how much I called him, he didn't respond, not even at all. Kirito is no longer Kirito. Gone, gone.

Then Shino unconsciously slowly turned her gaze to an existence other than Kirito. What you see is the figure of a blonde man in black armor and combat uniform.

When you make a faint sound from your throat, the color disappears from the space. The blue is gone, the red is gone, the purple is gone, it's all black, but the brightness has not changed, only the figure of the man and Kirito in front of him is clearly reflected. All the sounds that filled the space disappeared, but Shino didn't know what had disappeared.

And as Shino stared at the blonde man as if he had been sucked in, a sound came up from the bottom of his stomach like nausea, and carried to his stomach, down his esophagus, down his throat, and into his mouth. The voice seemed to cut her throat and mouth, and shouted.

"Woo woo woo !!"

Shino jumped, and the sound resounded throughout the room. The space that had been pitch black suddenly returned to color. If you look around without knowing what's going on, you'll see TVs, refrigerators, tables, shelves, water purifiers, and other household items, and you'll find your body right in bed.

When I turned my attention to my body, I realized that it was not Shino, but Shino, and I was already sweating profusely, and my white pajamas were stuck to my body. - Suddenly, he quits and returns to the real world.

"That"

Forgetting the disgust of her underwear and clothes completely sticking to her skin due to sweat, Shino just stared around, but soon after, a loud noise reached her ears, and the ice even entered her back. Shiina's body trembled and turned around. If. The smartphone placed next to the pillow at the head of the bed made a loud noise announcing the time to wake up, and the monitor showed 7:25.

Seeing the time and date displayed on the monitor, Shiina's consciousness is clearly fixed in the real world, and at the same time, she understands that the VR world and scene is a dream.

"Dreams"

Shino put her hands on her chest to adjust her breathing and organize her thoughts. That battle, the battle scene of Kirito and Satorezer, was nothing short of a dream. It's in a dream, not reality. In other words, Kirito's death at that time was also a dream event

“！”

"Is that really the case?" I feel like I read in a book that when a person dies, the people around them sometimes dream about the moment that person dies. I don't remember when, but I think I read something similar.

If this is true, then Kirito's death at that time may represent the scene of real life and human death. And people must have died when I wasn't looking, or while I was sleeping.

"Ahh

A mixture of uneasiness and fear poured out from the depths of my chest like black water, filling my heart in an instant, and my heart palpitations became intense, and my body began to tremble unconsciously. Cold sweat poured out like a dream, dripping down her cheeks and onto the bed.

\"If that dream is true, if Kazuto is really dead now\"

Driven by hopeless anxiety and fear, Shino's hand unconsciously moves quickly and grabs the smartphone that is emitting a loud alarm, but she slips and falls from sweat and trembling, dropping it on the floor.

Shino screamed and fell off the bed, he quickly picked up the smartphone that had fallen on the ground and pressed the call button.

"Get Out, Get Out"

Hearing the ringing of her smartphone, Shino muttered breathlessly many times. Usually, I would answer the phone when I rang about two rings with someone, but now I have not answered after ringing three or four times. Get out.

"I can't answer the phone right now. Please wait or try again later. ”

What I heard was not a human voice, but a machine voice message set by the mobile phone company. If this happens, it means that the person cannot answer the phone. He himself said that he woke up at 7:15, so he was not still sleeping, so he could answer the phone. The truth is that it's impossible –

"Never." Never.

"No, no, no, no, no!!"

Shino shook her head like a child, hung up the annoying messages she heard from her smartphone, then opened the phone book again, selected Kazuto's phone number again, and started ringing. The first, second, third, fourth, fifth, Shiina's eyes closed tightly and whispered.

"Get out, get out, get out."

"Get out, get out, and people, get out\"

I beg you, - I clutched my smartphone with trembling hands, sweating profusely, screaming involuntarily, the ringing stopped earlier than before. Shiina's ears were startled by the sound of stopping, and her voice came to her ears.

\"Good morning, Shino. It's unusual that you've been here for so long. \"

What I heard from the back of my smartphone was not an unpleasant message sound, but the voice of a loved one I thought had passed away. Hearing this voice, Shino's body suddenly lost strength and was stunned.

"One, one, and"

"Yes? Shino, what's going on? \"

"And, and people, right? And people, right? \"

"Uh, yes. I'm me, but Shino, what's wrong with you, are you okay? \"

The voice of the person on the other end of the smartphone was a little serious, and at the same time became worried. But is it really the voice of the people? Shino couldn't help but wonder if Kazuto was really talking to her, and she started talking into her smartphone.

"And people, you're there, aren't you? You're still alive, aren't you? \"

"Yes, I'm alive. Could it be that Shino had a nightmare? \"

When she was still living in the SAo world instead of the real world with Kazuto/Kirito, she once had a dream in which Kiritto died and disappeared, and Shino cried to Kirito. It's like I've become like a child, and I'm a little embarrassed to think about it, but at that time, Kirito's chest was really warm and comfortable, and I was relieved.

He seems to understand this, and when his heart becomes vulnerable, he goes out of his way to embrace him. I don't remember the exact number of times, but Shino clearly felt what she wanted most, which was the broad and gentle warmth that only Kirito and Kazuto had.

\"I'm sorry, and people, can you come to my house today?" Morning or afternoon, I hope you can come. \"

"It's today. I don't mind. Today is a public holiday and all I have to do is log in to ALo. \"

"Sorry, I was going to log in and capture with you all today"

"Nobody cares. Since it's a public holiday, I think there will be some vacancies for their own reasons, and everyone aspires to be an animal trainer. That's why I don't need to log in at least one day. \"

"Sorry I disrupted your schedule"

In stark contrast to Shina's faint voice, Kazuto's slightly brighter voice reached Shiina's ears from behind the smartphone.

"Shino, you don't have to apologize. I'll go now

"Okay"

"Well, this is for you. So wait a minute. I might be a little late because of the bus. ”

"I'm waiting. I'll wait for you, you come. ”

"Okay, wait for me"

After Shiina's last hearing of this, she pressed the hang up button and let go of the smartphone that was silent on the bed. After that, I slowly got up from the bed, opened the shelf, took out my casual clothes, took off my pajamas on the spot, changed into clothes, quickly folded the pajamas, and tried to put them in the shelf, but I stopped there.

"I'm sweating, I need to wash it."

I was in a hurry and didn't pay much attention to it, but until recently, my whole body was soaked with sweat and almost all of it was absorbed by these pajamas. If left alone, it will smell of sweat and will be painful to wear.

Shiina, who took her pajamas from the shelves again, walked to the washing machine, and threw them into the laundry basket next to her. I don't really like to put too many clothes, so there's almost nothing in the laundry basket.

“”

Normally, she would prepare such a breakfast, but perhaps because of that dream, Shino didn't feel any appetite or hunger. My mom taught me to eat regularly even when I'm not hungry. ta。

"No"

Shiina, looking away from the kitchen, went back to bed and lay down. I felt heavy in my body, as if I had done a vigorous exercise, and a strange feeling of tiredness, but no matter how I closed my eyes, the all-important sleepiness did not come. I couldn't even fall asleep again because my consciousness had awakened.

"Hurry up with someone"

After muttering for a while, Shino closed her eyelids in a conscious state.

After about a few minutes, Shino suddenly opened her eyes and sat up. Not worrying about time and smartphones, I stood up and opened the door of the hallway leading to the entrance.

"Shino, you're here. It's me, and people. \"

The sound I heard from the other side of the entrance was the most comfortable sound I've ever heard. As soon as Shino heard this, she rushed to the front door and opened it with force. At the entrance where you can see the sky and the scenery, there is a boy with slightly long black hair, a thin face, wearing black trousers, and a long-sleeved dress dominated by black, which is a boy I have seen many times. When she saw the figure in her eyes, Shi Nai couldn't help but be stunned.

- And people are still alive. I thought I was dead, and the people are still alive.

"Shino, are you alright? Your face is a little pale. And you're not even wearing glasses."

Just when she was stunned, the voice of the man made Shino come back to her senses. Unconsciously, a worried expression appeared on the emaciated face of the person in front of him. Seeing that face, Shino lowered her head, and soon the corners of her mouth moved slightly.

"Get up, and people. \"

"I see. I understand. ”

After telling Kazuto the bare minimum, Shino invites Kazuto in and closes the front door. When she walked to the bed in the living room, Shino stopped with her back to Kazuto.

\"Shino? \"

“”

Shino turned around without saying a word and hugged Kazuto's chest. Shino suddenly bumped into herself, and for a moment she raised her voice in surprise.

\"Wow, Shino. \"

\"And people and people! \"

Hearing Shina's low voice, he hugged Shina's trembling body and sat down to gently stroke her head. At this time, Shina's tears had seeped into Kazuto's chest, and Kazuto, who felt the tears, whispered in Shina's ear.

"Sorry for being late"

"It's not too late. But you're alive and human, you're alive\"

"Did you dream that I was dead again?"

\"Yes, I dreamed that people were killed and people were cut, covered in blood\"

When he was still in SAo, when he went to the 100th floor of Sugo, he connected Shino's head to his own and saw all of Shino's memories, and he actually saw and felt Shiina's pain and sorrow when he dreamed that he was dead.

Because of this, Kazuto can't understand that Shino's heart is flowing, and Shino is like his own heart, clutching his chest and crying, sobbing.

"I've had a hard time. But it doesn't matter. I will never die. I would never die without you. I've always said that. ”

\"yes, yes, but when I dream like that, I'm scared. I'm scared, I can't control it. I don't know if I die with someone and I'm scared and sad."

"It doesn't matter. I'll protect you. So I'll never die. So don't be afraid. \"

As he spoke, Kazuto continued to stroke Shino's accustomed head, and Shiina's body trembled gradually, but at the same time he felt uneasy.

Because of what happened at that time, Kazuto knows Shino's mood better than anyone else, and knows what kind of things Shino likes and what kind of memories she has. But at the same time, I also wonder if Shino will feel lonely and uncomfortable.

And Shino. I'm also worried. \"

“”

"Don't you feel sorry for me? I know all your memories, I know your feelings better than anyone, it feels like I've grabbed everything, aren't you afraid? ”

Shino didn't say anything about Kazuto's words and shook his head. When Kazuto was startled by the situation in front of him, Shino finally opened her mouth.

"I'm not disgusting, I'm not afraid, I'm more afraid that you're not there, so you don't have anything to be afraid of at all."

"Really?"

"Really. So don't say that. And with people, stay by my side. \"

"Yes. Again, I promise. ”

Kazuto showed a relieved expression and hugged Shino's body tighter. At this time, Shina's body no longer trembled, and the sobbing became weak. At this time, Kazuto wanted to talk to her again, but Shino opened her mouth first.

"Hey, and people. I don't want to log in today, I want to go out with people. \"

"Uh, are you going out?"

\"yes. No matter where you are, I want to go out with people. May I? \"

"Not bad, but are you okay?"

"As long as I'm with you, I'll be fine. So, is that okay? ”

When I was at SAo, I used to go to floors a lot when there was no capture day, but since I came back to the real world, I hardly went out with the two of us anymore. Shino and I went out in the city just now, but that was the first time, and we haven't gone out for the second time.

Also, I remember looking at the sky before I came, it was clear and there were almost no clouds. Today is the perfect day to go out with Shino for the second time.

\"I understand. But don't overdo it. \"

Give it to me. I don't care where you go. ”

"Thank you"

As he spoke, Shino once again entrusted his weight to Kazuto. A few minutes later, the two decided to go out a second time.

"Sometimes it's good to do something like that."

"Yes, it feels fresh."

Leaving the city's chain café that opened early in the morning, the two chatted as they walked to the bus stop.

Hearing Shino's voice, Kazuto had just left Shino's house and walked towards the city. We've been logging in to ALo, and we rarely go out in the real world, and we haven't gone out ourselves, so Shino's invitation to go out is perfect for Kazuto, and I can't help but be happy.

However, when he went out shopping with Shino, who proposed to him first, he found that he had come to Shino's house without breakfast, and Shino himself did not eat breakfast. I stopped at a café and decided to go there for breakfast.

While they usually eat out during the day and night, they never go out to eat in the morning, so Kazuhito Shino's morning café and the breakfast menu they offer seem fresh to them.

\"I did bad things to Naoba Rifa. You made me breakfast. \"

"Because when I called Shino, she looked really dangerous. I had a sense of mission that I had to go. ”

"That's what you think."

"I think.

\"Naoba, you like to cook, right?

"Ah, I'm sure he'll be happy if you do."

Then the person turned to the lover next to him. Come to think of it, I came out this way because someone told me I was going out, but I didn't ask where I wanted to go. If I get on like this, I don't know how far I'm going to go or where to get off.

\"Then again, Shino, where do you want to go? \"

"Huh?"

"I'm glad you came out like this, but I didn't ask where you want to go, where are you going?"

"Ahh

Shino's face suddenly changed to an expression of sudden realization, and then gradually changed to a troubled expression. The moment I saw this scene, a bad premonition rose in my heart. - Shiina, perhaps left home without thinking about where to go.

Hawkers,This kind of thing happened many times when I was SAo.,And people also know that Shino has such a time, because he's been peeking at Shina's memory.。

"Didn't you come out with a plan for where you were going?"

"Sorry. Anyway, I want to go out with you and people, where are you going? \"

When I was in Ayn Grant or Alfheim, I could go anywhere as long as I had teleportation crystals and portals, so even if that happened, there would be no problem. I can't even grow wings on my back and fly like me. I did it when I was in Japan. The places I could go were very limited, so as hard as I tried, I couldn't come up with answers.

Kazuto gently put his hand on his chin while accepting the apologetic gaze in Shino's lovely gaze, and when he thought about it again, he remembered Shino's room. Later I found out that Naoba and Shino were the same age, but the interior of that room was completely different.

Naoha's room is filled with stuffed animals and cushions, giving it the feeling of a lively girl's room.

It doesn't look like a girl's room, it's too shabby, and my friends Asuna and Rika seem to be aware of it, and when they called me before, they were worried that it didn't look like a girl's room. Shino doesn't seem to mind too much, but I still think it would be better if it was a little more lively.

Shiina's room needs stuffed animals, cushions, and other girly items - if Asuna and Naoba were here, they would have said so.

"Hey, Shino. Don't you want to do something to liven up the room? \"

"Eh, why is it so sudden?"

"No, when Asuna and Rika came to us just now, they said that Shiina's room was too deserted. So, should we not go to the mall? I'd like to buy Naoba a stuffed animal as an apology for today. \"”。

"Then again, that's what Asuna and Rika told me, too.

\"I think it's okay, but Shino, I don't know. \"

Shino took her eyes off Kazuto and lowered her head. Shi Nai showed a thoughtful expression, and after more than ten seconds, Shi Nai raised her head and faced Kazuto.

"Actually, Airi-sensei also told me that your room is a little too lonely. \"

"And then?"

"Well, and people, let's go to the mall. Let's go shopping. \"

"Okay, then the destination is the mall."

When she finally decided on her destination, she heard a voice behind her, and she turned around. There are many cars coming and going, and buses in the distance are getting closer and closer. It didn't take long for me to guess that it was a bus that stopped at the bus stop in front of me. And the current location is a bit far from the bus station, if you walk, you will definitely miss the bus.

"And people, the bus is coming. \"

\"What? It's far from the bus stop Shino, hurry up. \"

Holding Shino's hand with someone, he ran towards the bus stop. They continued to run, praying that they would arrive in time, and arrived at the bus stop about the same time that the bus stopped and the doors opened.

When I learned that the destination displayed on the side of the car had the name of the shopping mall, I got on the bus and sat down on an empty seat. And just as the radio sounded softly, the bus carrying two people and a large group of people began to move and entered the traffic.

"I made it"

"Yes.

Maybe it was because it was a holiday morning, and I looked around and there were only a few people on the boat. On weekday mornings, buses are usually crowded with people going to work and students going to school. And Shino went to school because of this.

Shino looked around and shouted to Kazuto.

"There aren't many people."

"Despite the usual crowding. But it feels weird. ”

"yes, those people are terrible. I thought it would be like that today, but I'm glad it wasn't what I expected. ”

"Yes"

The inside of the car shook from time to time, probably because of cracks in the road surface. If you look around at the passengers, they're either staring at their smartphones or looking at the scenery and they're wearing headphones or headphones. You may not be able to hear other passengers, and you may not even be able to hear them.

Kazuto, who was in control of the situation, spoke quietly.

"Hey, Shino. \"

"Yes?"

"Mom and Sugu know about Shino. They know we're on a date and we're always in this together. But what about Shino? ”

Shino's words paused for a moment. When Kazuto was still undergoing rehabilitation treatment at the hospital, Kazuto's mother, Midori Kiritani, knew about Shino. Therefore, when talking to people and Midori, Midori sometimes brings up the topic of Shino, and Kazuto sometimes has difficulty answering.

However, I haven't heard from Shino's mother and grandparents, nor have I heard Shino talk to him. And people have been worried about this for a long time and can't extricate themselves.

\"Mom knows things with people. Grandpa and grandma. \"

"Is that so? I thought you didn't make it clear. ”

"I don't think so. But Mom, you seem to believe it. I have a lover. ”

Of course, Alice-sensei didn't seem to expect Shino to find an important person. I think the same is true of Shino's mother. \"

He looked happy, though. I'll ask him to introduce me next time. Even so, it's quite far from Tokyo, and it's hard to get to see him. Or rather, and people don't understand. \"

"What do I know"

Immediately after, Kazuto felt that he understood Shino's question. When he was in SAo, he came into contact with Shiina's memories, and at that time he also learned what kind of people Shiina's mother and grandparents were.

Now that you've come into contact with his memories, can't you even tell what kind of person he is when you meet? - Shino asked.

"Of course, Shinai's family, just understand it.

Shiina's mother is a kind and kind person. I think I can understand why Shino is protecting you. \"

"Yes. So I'm glad to be able to say that Kazuto is an important person. Mother was delighted. \"

"I think yes, I know what kind of person you are, but I really want to get to know you well."

"That might be good. But I don't believe and people know my memories. \"

It is basically impossible for a person to know the memories of others, and such stories always appear in anime, manga, and games. It's easy to imagine that Shino's mother would smile bitterly when she heard that she could understand Shino's memories and said that such a miraculous thing was impossible.

"Well, only a few people really know this, and it seems that everyone else is a little hard to believe."

Even so, Airi-sensei seems to really believe this. \"

"I was able to do this because Airi created the children.

As we spoke, the bus announced that we were approaching a shopping center. The scenery outside the window still reflects the hundreds of cars coming and going, but the rows of buildings have been turned into shopping malls, and the time is also the mall specialty stores. Store.

"Gee, if that's what you're talking about, that's where you're going."

"Well, it's fast, I don't know if the road is emptier than usual."

Mixed with a few passengers who got off the bus, the two also poured coins into the fare box and got off the bus. When I looked at it, there was an outdoor parking lot and a multi-storey parking lot, but I could see that there were so many cars parked that I wouldn't think it had just opened.

"It's no wonder." There are many specialty stores in this shopping mall, including a cinema.

Yes There is this reason why the parking lot before and after the store is open is crowded with people watching movies.

"Lots of parked cars"

"I guess everybody comes to see the movie."

"We're a little different, though.

"Is it a castle, or is it a mall? Okay, let's go. ”

After saying that, the two entered the mall. Perhaps because it's a public holiday, the mall is already packed, and shopkeepers and shoppers can be heard everywhere. This scene reminds me of the first floor of the "Town of Beginnings" when I was at SAo, and the Sky Capital Line of ALo.

"I'm sure there are a lot of them."

"By the way, today is the holiday, by the way, where do you sell plush toys? Is it a jewelry store or a jewelry store? ”

"No, no, there is no spare parts store. I think they do sell accessories and furniture, but it might be a good idea to look at the hobby section as well. It seems that most of the items I buy are from hobbies" but that's okay, I don't know if there's anything there, so let's take a look around first." ”

After confirming Shino's nod, Kazuto walked with Shino in the crowd. Kazuto knew that the Destination Hobby Department was on the third floor of the mall, and that he had used it several times, so he took Shino up the escalator to the third floor.

I thought that there would be fewer people on the 3rd floor, but when it comes to holidays, the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd floors of the mall are almost overcrowded. Not only that, but perhaps because the movie theater is on the third floor, I can't help but feel more crowded than the first floor.

In the end, it was impossible to escape from the crowd, which was somewhat painful for Kazuto.

"Hey, you mean you can't avoid the crowds? I don't like that. ”

"I'm a little bothered. I'm not good with crowds. ”

"Well, Shino doesn't like this kind of person.

"yes, but that's it"

"Eh, what's going on?"

Kazuto turned around and saw Shino tilting her head slightly behind her. A look of surprise appeared on his face.

Out of curiosity, he approached Shino with people.

\"What's wrong, Shino? \"

"You used to go to Akihabara's Electric Town, right? Or rather, I've heard you like Electric Street."

"Huh? Oh, yes. yes, what's the problem? ”

"Akihabara is more crowded and crowded than here, isn't it? You say you don't like crowds, but do you like crowded places? ”

At this moment, he was stunned. Indeed, the area around Akihabara's main street and electric town is always more crowded than here, both on weekdays and weekends, so basically people who don't like crowds don't want to go there. However, Kazuto likes the atmosphere of Electric Street, and most importantly, he doesn't mind the crowds, so he can go shopping there without hesitation.

The shopping mall where I'm located now is sparsely crowded, and it's nothing compared to the Electric Town in Akihabara. In Kazuto's eyes, he wasn't calm at all, and he didn't even feel anything - although it should have been, but before he knew it, he began to feel that he wasn't good at it.

\"It's like Shino walking together. \"

"I'm good at getting along with crowds, but now that"

"I wonder when he started to dislike crowds." Until recently, no, before I went to SAo, I could accept the crowds in Akihabara, but now I hate crowds.

Kazuto covered his head with one hand and muttered when this would happen, but in the end he came back to his senses in Shino's voice. At this moment, Shino's face appeared in front of me.

\"It's okay, Gatu. \"

"Uh-ah, it's okay, sorry to stop you, let's go."

Hearing me say this, Shino nodded with a worried look on her face. Seeing this scene, Kazuto began to walk side by side with Shino, and continued to walk on the third floor of the crowded shopping mall, and came to the hobby department he wanted.

If you look around, you'll find countless shelves filled with plastic models, educational toys for the little ones to play with, and more recently, simple robot toys.

"This is probably the first time I've been to a place like this."

"Isn't that what happened when you came with Airi-sensei? \"

"Nope. Because I went to the electrical appliance store and the furniture store with Mr. Airi. After that, we went to a coffee shop and bookstore. \"

In that case, Shino-san will need guidance. \"

"I'm not that lost, so I'm fine."

While chatting and walking into the store, I saw miniaturized toys that appeared in the tokusatsu program that had been held since Sunday morning, building blocks that could be made into various shapes, and children and adults. A variety of boxed toys, such as my favorite plastic model, welcome me. As they continued walking, they reciprocated some small reactions, and eventually, they came to a place where countless stuffed animals were sold, and the two stopped.

"Oh, more than I thought."

\"If that's all there is, Shino should have a hard time choosing, right? \"

"No, it's too many, I'm worried, which one should I choose?"

"Well, you have to choose carefully, as if all the prices are the same."

"Then, you should also choose. It's hard for me to be alone. \"

\"I see, let's go find it together, shall we?" \"

The yellow shelves around are filled with plush toys of various shapes, including dogs, cats, rabbits, birds, bears, pigs, cows, and other animal shapes.

Even if I had to choose only one of them, I would be overwhelmed, and since the goal was to match Shino's taste, it would be even more difficult. Kazuto thought to himself that he seemed to be looking for a rare item buried in the field.

"So many, maybe it's not just here."

Maybe there's a place nearby that sells stuffed animals—think so, and turn around with someone. The key Shino was engrossed in holding the stuffed animals around her, checking their texture and texture, not noticing and people.

As long as Shino comes back soon, she won't be confused. And the man sneaked out of the crowd of stuffed toys and gently returned the way he came. I looked around again with anticipation, but all I saw was children's toys, building blocks for adults to play with, plastic models, etc., but no stuffed animals.

"Is this Yuichi's plush toy store?

"In that case, I'll have to hurry back to Shino. Thinking of this, he turned around and saw something like a black light coming from the shelf next to him, and shouted, "Hmm." ”

I wondered what it was, and turned around to find the shelf in front of me full of shiny black boxes. It emits a black light like black metal, so it has a strange presence among many toys.

"What kind of toy is this?" When I looked at it, I thought the same thing in my heart, and then I understood "what it really is".

The identity of a toy with a strange presence that emits a black glow. One that glows in a dark black and naturally appears in games, anime, dramas, and even news shows.

"It was a boxed model gun."

"Ahh

Shiina, among the countless stuffed animals on the shelf, finds one and picks it up. Among the various stuffed animals such as rabbits and bears, those that do not claim their existence very strongly. It is in the shape of a deformed wolf. Its posture howls as if it were giving orders to its companions, and its fur is white.

It's as if Kirito's partner in the VR world is also his own friend, the wolf dragon Lilan - perhaps because of this, this white wolf plush toy has a strange sense of familiarity. If you listen closely, you can almost hear the familiar voice of the old woman: \"What's the matter, Shino. \"

\"Hey, and people, if only it were like Lilan\"

I'm sure people will say it's okay - Thinking of this, Shino was taken aback. Kazuto, who was supposed to be with her just now, has disappeared. Even if you look around, you can't see anyone, only stuffed animals sitting there. Even if you stretch your waist and look at it from a distance, you can't see the figure of the person outside the shelf or even farther away.

"And people? \"

"Goo-goo-goo"

He shook his body and threw up violently into the toilet in front of him. And the person suddenly felt stomach contractions and nausea, which he had never felt before.

So I couldn't control my nausea, so I just clung to the toilet bowl and spit out the gastric juice and its contents.

"Oops, oops, uh"

After vomiting a lot, he moved his tired arms, grabbed the lever, and flushed the toilet. When the strong sound of running water stopped, Kazuren stood up with a tired face and sat down on the toilet seat. Maybe it's because I exhale too hard, and as soon as I inhale, I feel my throat sore and I want to cough, and a foul smell flows into my nose.

"Haha abominable"

Listen to the sound of his dying breathing, and the man turned his head to look for the cause of the vomiting.

"I came here today after eating outside a café instead of having breakfast as usual." This is a time when food hygiene issues are often in the news. If so, I shouldn't have had breakfast at that café.

"Different"

And people already know that the reason is not this. Just before running to the bathroom, I was in the toy department, and this happened when I saw a certain toy there. The toy I saw at the time, if I went to the toy section, was the kind sold in the elementary and junior high school districts - a plastic model gun painted black.

“”

He sat on the floor, a large pool of blood had formed in front of him, and a man was lying inside, and his bloody hand was clutching a pistol, a sight that should not have been experienced. When I saw the model gun, my mind was filled with memories of the past.

Immediately afterward, the blood in my body clotted and drained, and I felt a chill instead, as if poison had been injected into my body. And people couldn't suppress their emotions and rushed into the bathroom.

“！”

"No, I've seen that scene before." When he was still in Ayn Grant, he teleported his consciousness to Shiina's head in order to help Shino, who was forced to do experiments by Sugo and was about to be erased from his memory. Kazuto remembers that Shino saw and felt exactly the same scene at that time.

A scene where a robber with a pistol suddenly breaks into a bank, picks up a pistol and shoots the robber to death – Shino suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (ptSd) as she witnesses this scene.

"However"

The hand I saw at the time was that of Uta when she was 11 years old. That's why I realized that this was Shino's memory, but when I saw the model gun, the hand that flashed in my mind was my own hand. With blood on his hands, he held a pistol and shot the robber.

The person who did this was Shiina, who had this experience, not me.

"What's wrong?"

As he muttered and took another deep breath, there was a loud bang out of nowhere, and the man straightened his back. He looked at his body suspiciously, and noticed that something was shaking in his front pocket, making a loud noise.

"It's the smartphone I use every day." Incoming calls vibrate, and names appear on the display. - When Shino Asada's name was confirmed, Kazuto's consciousness was fixed here, and he remembered his current situation.

Yes, I rushed into the bathroom without saying anything to Shiina, who was picking out a stuffed animal. Shino doesn't know where she went, she almost got lost. Besides, it's a place that only men can enter, and they can't find it at all.

“”

He didn't say anything, operated the display, pressed the call button, started the button, and put the smartphone to his ear. The voice of a thin girl came to my ears.

\"And people and people are here, right? \"

"Shino"

"Kato, where are you now? I was looking for it but I couldn't find it

"Looks like I'm getting a little lost. Where is the poetry? If you tell me, I'll go there. \"

\"Inside the plush toys department. I can't see you even from here, but you didn't say anything, where did you go? \"

"A little, but I understand. I'll be back soon. Sorry to leave you alone. ”

While talking to Shino in a weak voice, Kazuto recalls the way he has traveled so far.

It's a long way from the restroom to the stuffed toy store, but there's a model gun shop along the way. I don't know what will happen if I see them again. Looks like we're going to have to take a detour to get to Shino.

"Anyway, I'll go back now, just stay where you are and wait."

"I got it. I'll just wait for a moment\"

When the smartphone call ended, he pushed the smartphone back into its original position and stood up. Unsure, he opened the door to the private room and walked towards the exit with slightly unsteady steps.

Kazuto was momentarily surprised to find that his face in the mirror was completely dry and pale, and immediately covered his face with his hand.

"I'm sorry..."

If my face was still the same as when I first arrived at the mall, I would probably still walk in the direction of Shino. However, if I go out with this face now, Shino will doubt me no matter how much I think about it. Sometimes Shino is smarter than she thinks, and when she sees her pale face returning, she immediately notices that something is wrong. However, it was impossible for her to talk to Shino about her problems right now - Shino couldn't be unconcerned about that, so she would listen as much as she could.

But that doesn't mean he can't go back to Shino. Although I said I would come back, if I never came back, I would either call you again or come to you. In any case, he must return to Shino.

"I can't help but go, huh?"

Wiping his face with his hands, he continued to walk with the person and left the bathroom. Then, remembering the path of the remaining fragments in my mind, I headed to the plush toy department where Shino was waiting. I kept an eye on my surroundings so as not to stop in the model gun sales area, and without looking at the model guns, I stumbled back to the toy sales area.

After walking a little further, I arrived at the plush toy sales area where I had been before. Walking into the plush toy group, the people looked around and tilted their heads slightly. - I can't find Shino.

"That"

"When I called him, he said he was still in the stuffed goods department." If this sentence is true, Shino should still be here. However, no matter where I looked, I couldn't find a girl who looked like Shino. Kazuto's heart was filled with worry and uneasiness, because the person he was supposed to be there suddenly disappeared, and he seemed to understand how she felt before Shino called.

"Poetry is where you're going"

\"Kato! \"

He was startled by the familiar voice and straightened up. Not so long ago, it was the funniest sound we had together, but now I have to find it, and I don't want to find it. Completely accustomed to the look.

He glanced back, as if in reply. In the middle of the passage between the shelves full of stuffed animals, there is Shino, the lover she left behind. There was an anxious and worried look on his face.

"Shino"

\"Kato! \"

He looked away, lowered his head, and watched his lover rush over, his expression a little panicked. Before I could ask where he was, Shino blurted out the words.

"Where have you been?

"Sorry, I just went to the bathroom."

"In that case, you can call me first. But you're suddenly gone, and I'm really worried. ”

"yes, I'm sorry"

"No way, but can I find you-"

Kazuto was a little surprised by Shino's sudden interruption, and he turned back to face Shino. The expression floating there has become an expression of great surprise at something, just like myself. Could it be that she noticed - Shina's mouth moved before she thought so.

\"What happened to the person? \"

"What happened?"

"That face, so pale, something has happened. Something went wrong. ”

Kazuto took his eyes off Shino and put his hand on Shino's forehead. - Sure enough, I noticed.

It seems that only a hundred steps were taken, and his blood did not come back. No, maybe we don't have enough time. If I had met Shino later, I don't know if she would have noticed.

Just as I was trying to reverse these thoughts in my mind, Shino's voice came to my ears inexorably.

\"And people, what's wrong? Did you throw up in the toilet? \"

"Why do you think so?"

"The face of the person is very similar to my face after a seizure and vomiting. Did you eat something bad? What did you have for breakfast? \"

Perhaps because he has had more experiences than anyone else, he is sensitive to changes in people. I'm sure poetry will detect even the slightest change before anyone else. Although this is a happy thing, I can't say such things to Shino. It's not hard to imagine what Shino would be like if she said this. With such thoughts, he and people pin their faces to Shino.

"I didn't throw up.

"Diarrhea? No way. Diarrhea alone won't make your face pale. ”

"Yes. If you have too much diarrhea, your face will turn white. Or rather, it's much better now, it's nothing. ”

"No, that's not true. Now the state of the person is very unstable. \"

"It's true that I'm a little shocked to get to this point, but there shouldn't be anything to worry about." Even so, Shino was aware of such a change. Even Kazuto didn't expect that he would notice such a change. But after all, I can't say anything about what happened to me.

"Why do you think so? Did you watch him walk? ”

\"I'm watching. Although it is only a little bit and people must feel uncomfortable. \"

"Not bad. Or rather, it's already healed, so it doesn't matter. ”

"It's nothing at all. If there's anything going on, let's take a break. ”

Shiina, trying to figure out what was wrong with her, asked her mercilessly. When I was at SAo, I was most comfortable with someone worrying about me, but now I don't feel that way anymore. And people gnash their teeth.

"Nothing is bad. Nothing, so it doesn't matter. ”

"I don't say that, because it doesn't look like that at all. Hey, and people—\"

"You say it's nothing !!"

The sudden shouting in his ears took Kazuto by surprise. My head tingled, and I didn't know what was happening, but when I turned my gaze to myself and fixed myself, I saw a girl in my dark eyes.

“A”

When he saw the stunned expression of the girl in front of him, the numbness in his head disappeared, and he understood what was happening. The owner of the shouting I heard just now was me, not anyone else. He shouted at Shino in front of him.

I yelled at Shino, who was worried about me. After realizing the truth, Shiina's throat screamed softly, and her mouth moved quietly, making a faint sound.

“”

"Ahhh

"She must not have expected her to yell at me." Was he too surprised, or too shocked to be worth shouting about? In any case, Shina's mouth couldn't say a word, and not only that, but her face gradually sank. Feeling guilty that he was the cause of all this, Kazuto called out to Shino again.

"I—I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you. \"

“”

Shino raised her head slightly, and met Kazuto's gaze. And the person's face was filled with sadness and fear, and there was a tingling sensation in the chest.

Shiina's expression of horror has been shown many times when she was in SAo. But it's mostly aimed at people other than others, never at myself or my friends.

However, what Shino is afraid of now is the self in front of her.

Seeing that Shino was afraid of herself, she could barely speak, but she still barely moved her numb mouth and confided her words.

\"I'm sorry Shino. As Shino said. Let's find a place to rest, so that our minds will cool down a little. \"

Kazuto was ready to see what he would say next, but Shino never spoke, just nodded to Kazuto. Seeing such a reaction, and the person calmed down for the time being.

"Thank you, Shino. Let's go. \"

After a few words with someone, the two came to a café on the first floor of the mall. Maybe it's because there are so many people on the street, it feels a lot more noisy than the rest of the city, but it's also just the right time to rest.

The two went to the counter and ordered a simple drink, then sat facing each other in the farthest back seat of the café. Immediately afterwards, Kazuto turned his face to Shino, but Shino kept his head down as always, showing no signs of speaking.

“”

Kazuto wanted to talk to Shino, but his mouth was like it was sewn and he couldn't speak. No, I don't know what to say.

Originally, the reason why I came here with Shino today was because Shino had a nightmare and woke up to ask for help. When he hears Shino's faint voice on the phone, he realizes that Shino needs him now, so he rushes to her.

"Today's poetry needs itself. \"I had to stay with me - I should have known that, but at the time I yelled at Shino and pushed her away. Although I should have known that I shouldn't have pushed her away. - After understanding this, a word suddenly appeared in Kazuto's mind, and Kazuto felt his mouth loosen.

Now, I have to say this to Shino. When Kazuto was driven by a sense of mission, Shino's mouth, which had been closed, was opened.

"Japanese"

"Uh, ahhh

"I'm sorry"

"Ugh"

The words that came out of Shino's mouth are exactly what people think and want to say. I don't know why, it was Shino who was scolded, and Kazuto's eyes widened in surprise, wanting to reverse his words, but Shino's mouth moved before that.

\"And people must be angry because I've been asking. \"

"Uh, no, that's it\"

"So, I'm sorry to ask you so persistently."

I'm the one who should apologize, what did you do

The two then parted. No sooner had the sounds of conversation and whispers than the ice cubes on the table melted and floated to the surface of the water, making a tinkling sound. After that, when Kazuto didn't open his mouth at all, Shino opened his mouth again.

"Hey, and people. \"

"Ahh

"I'm trying to tell you now, but it's my time I'm really worried about you."

Hearing this, and the person's lips became unusually heavy and closed his mouth. Contrary to Kazu, Shino spits out one word after another from his mouth, transforming the thoughts of his heart into sounds.

"It's been like this since SAo, but I don't say anything important, I carry it all by myself. Carry it, get it until you can't extricate yourself, but don't force yourself. \"So I'm always worried that if you just leave it like that, you're going to break down sooner or later"

“”

"That's what scares me the most. I am indeed afraid of dying with people, but I am also afraid of breaking down with people. Because that would \"

Kazuto stared at Shino's face. Although I didn't make a sound, from the worried and uneasy expression on Shino's face, I understood Shino's thoughts at this time. The poem is genuinely worried about himself from the bottom of his heart, and he is also genuinely afraid that he will collapse. They think more seriously and seriously than they do on their own.

So, as soon as I think of me yelling at Shina, who cares so much about me, my heart aches uncontrollably. There were drinks for two people in front of me, but I didn't want to put my hand out at all.

"It's going to help me, and people. Please let me know. What happened to you? If you're not feeling well, go home early and get some rest. \"

Shino's question surprised Kazuto. It's true that I basically talk to Shino and don't hide what I can talk about. So I wanted to talk about it first, but if I did, it would definitely confuse Shino and hurt her.

\"I don't want to hide anything from Shiina, but I don't want to hurt Shino either. So I can't talk about that time - and people make sounds in their throats, move their weightless mouths, and talk about it.

"I feel dizzy."

"Dizzy?"

"Yes, it was just a sudden dizziness, and then I suddenly felt sick and ran to the bathroom. No, it was a miracle that I was able to run to the bathroom at the time, so I went to the bathroom and did as you did. Say. I threw up. That's why I'm dizzy. ”

"Why is the dizziness sudden?"

"Maybe it's because I'm tired, I've been logging in to ALo a lot lately, and I think that's probably the reason."

"Of course, it's all a lie." Although I told him that there was one person who was exhausted from logging in too many times, the rules dictated the appropriate time to log in and out, so I logged in late at night. This is no longer the case. So it's safe to say that logging in too many times won't make you dizzy.

"That is, today and people need to rest? \"

"It's going to happen, but that's okay. I'm healed. ”

"Really? I was so dizzy that I wanted to throw up, but I was fine. ”

"Oh.

Shiina's face showed a slight expression of surprise, but in the end, she still showed the expression that was originally worried. Even if he said all kinds of things with a smile in his mouth, it seemed that there was still a long way to go to reassure Shino.

"That's okay, but it's really okay, aren't you going too far?"

"I didn't overdo it. So, let's take a break and go shopping again. You haven't bought a stuffed animal yet, have you? ”

"I didn't buy it"

"So, let's go back and buy it. We've come all the way. Thank you Shino for worrying about us. I can't thank you more. \"

Shino closed her mouth and stared at Kazuto. Do you realize you're lying? - Kazuto thought so, mentally prepared, but it didn't take long for Shino to open her mouth again.

\"I understand. But with people, promise me. Please let me know if you can't. I wanted to be your strength, so I got stronger. \"

\"yes. I promise. I'll rely on you a little more. \"

"Don't wait any longer, trust me."

"yes, I see."