"Everyone, take one piece of bread each!"
"Hey, it'll spill if you don't pay attention!"
"Aah, sensei! Gin stole my sunny-side-up fried egg!"
"I gave you my carrots in return, didn't I!"
"This is... pretty amazing..."
"Yea, it is..."
Both Asuna and Kirito gazed upon the scene of a breakfast,
resembling a battlefield unfolding right before their eyes, and
muttered to each other in a daze.
The Starting City, the guest room within the church of the seventh
eastern district. Large plates of eggs, sausages, vegetable salads and
such were lined up on a pair of huge, long tables, nearly overflowing
them, and were ravaged by twenty or so children in a grand riot.
"But still, it looks like they're really having fun."
At the circular table slightly away, Asuna sat with Kirito, Yui, and
Sasha, smiling as she bought a cup of tea to her lips.
"It's like this every day. It doesn't sink in no matter how many times
they're told to be quiet."
Having said that, Sasha narrowed her eyes filled with love from the
bottom of her heart, as she looked at the children.
"You really do like children, don't you?"
Asuna spoke, and Sasha smiled with embarrassment.
"On the other side, I was training to become a teacher in university.
You see, classroom chaos had always been a problem, hasn't it. The
chance to be able to guide children; I've always gotten fired up by it.
But when I came here, when I started living with those children, just
about everything was different from what I believed in... It felt like I
was the one relying on them instead; that they were supporting me
more than the other way round. But, well, that might be fine too... I
started believing that it was merely a natural result."
"Well, I guess I do understand somehow."
Asuna nodded, softly brushing Yui's head, who was earnestly putting
a spoon to her mouth beside her. The warmth brought about by Yui's
existence surprised her. It was different from the heartrending love
she felt in her chest that tightened when touched by Kirito; it was like
being tucked into unseen feathers, before being covered once again; a
quiet serenity.
Yesterday, passing out after going into a mysterious fit, Yui
fortunately came to after several minutes. However, as Asuna did not
want to immediately make any long trips or use the teleport gate, and
also partly due to Sasha's keen invitation, they ended up borrowing
