Her Mission To Save Them All || Sword Art Online Fanfic

Chapter 2

POV: Kayoko

Snatching a glance upwards, I observe the class, who have fallen into a lull of chatter. Whatever I say will be heard. Her glance remains as blank, waiting for my answer.

"Saki, don't be rude." When Kyozo says her name, I glance back towards her, brushing my hair back behind my ear. It's hard not to think of the third copy of SAO I have under my bento box when our gazes meet. So this is the girl who has been messaging me for these past weeks. Despite having envisioned meeting her, this wouldn't have been a scenario I came up with.

I shake my head, "It's fine." I lean my elbow against my chair to get a better look at her. She's small, maybe a few inches shorter than me if we stood side by side and I'm not particularly gifted in the height department either. But she's not small just in the height department, all of her is just what I can only describe as delicate.

Her hands are small, fingernails pretty little ovals as she laces them together. She looks down further, her dark bob curving into her button-like features. Saki's a doll in every sense of the word; pretty but rather functionless. What she might want a copy of SAO for, I don't really understand.

Maybe her life is much less like her appearance.

"Kayaba Akihiko is my uncle, yes," I tell her, reaching for my phone on the desk and pocketing it back inside my blazer. "How is that any of your business?"

"Kayoko..." Kyozo trails, gaze fluttering between the two of us. Saki stiffens but a smile quickly spreads over the sharp edges of her lips.

"It's fine. It was rude of me." She bows, perhaps too deeply for the type of apology she offers. I try to copy her smile, but it comes off as a shallow imitation. "I was only meaning to congratulate your Uncle on the game release. It is being released today, isn't it?" She asks as she straightens.

"Yes, it is. I'll make sure to pass it on to him when I see him next."

"Thank you." She says. I watch her fiddle with the ends of her jumper again, struggling for something to say. Both Kyozo and I look at each other for support and I can see from the shining of his eyes that he's holding back something. Smiling, I offer the chance up to him, knowing that I have nothing better to say to her.

"Saki, you had better hurry along," Kyozo stand up to move his chair back the desk it belongs to. I watch as he walks past his desk on my right and up to the back door of the classroom. "You'll be late for the start of classes." He offers a slight upturn of his lips, a smirk in Kyozo's book.

Startled, she moves to rush between the desks, but her foot gets caught on the edge of mine. The whole surface moves, knocking my pencil case off the side and the metal frame hitting my thigh. I gasp at the impact. My hand reaches to move the pressure off my skin, shifting the frame away and cupping where a bruise throbs under my skin.

As I drag the desk away from me, I pull along Saki's foot. So although at first, she managed to catch herself on the desk next to her, she topples over again. The thump of her hitting the floor echoes.

"Oh my god, are you two okay?" Kyozo calls out, heading towards the disaster site, along with several other students. I blink, realising my own actions. Quickly, I look to clean up my own mess, reaching down to help up Saki. Her face winces, her button features becoming even smaller when the stitching scrunches.

Saki hides her pain well as she stands, half on her own, half with the hands who reach out to help her. She quickly withdraws from the touch and in my hand, leaves a white folded square. She meets my gaze, eyes cold. I close my hand around the paper, pocketing it before I ask, "Are you al-"