I walk home from school. Another boring day with nothing to show for it. Walking through the streets of downtown Tokyo, the smell of street food reaches my nose and I stop to buy a rice ball. It's warm and welcoming as I step through our apartment's elevator doors.
On coming inside, I find a note on the kitchen, written in my mother's messy characters.
Haruko,
I have to work until ten tonight. There's some leftover sashimi in the fridge for your dinner. Know that I'm thinking about you and love you. And good luck at that new game launch!
--Mama
I sigh heavily. Mother's job as a nurse just gets us by, and it also means she has to work long hours to get the money. Sooner or later, she's going to have to find a new one. But I can't think about that now. Sword Art Online launches in a few minutes. I quickly stuff my rice ball into my mouth and run to my room, where the NerveGear awaits me.
The disc case sits perfectly positioned on my nightstand. I open it and behold the coveted game. Kayaba Akihiko's masterpiece, in the palm of my hand. I can't wait any longer; I insert the disc and put on the helmet. The necessary calibration tests begin, and afterwards I'm greeted by a pleasant female voice.
"Welcome to Sword Art Online."
I smile through the NerveGear as I create my avatar. I have short blue hair, am tall and small-chested, and wear the generic outfit for beginning female players. My sword is a one-handed sword, meant to be used with a shield. But to be honest, a shield would just slow me down. This ought to be good.
I enter the game world. The pristine Town of Beginnings is already swarming with players. I smile and walk around, picking up some things about how the game works. Suddenly, though, I begin to glow blue. Is this a part of the game? I think.
Suddenly I'm crammed into the main square of the Town with all the other players. I end up by a girl with long caramel-colored hair in a pinkish hood. The sky lights up red, flashing the words "System Announcement." I look up and see a large figure in an ornate red robe. He starts talking, and I don't pay attention to a lot of what he says. But then he says something about our logout buttons. I open my login menu.
And I can't find the button.
YOU ARE READING
Reaching 100: A Sword Art Online Fanfiction
FanficHaruko Kurosawa is not exactly noticeable. Her father was a drug addict who left Tokyo to deal with his problems, then came back and divorced her mother when she was eight. Her friends at school seem preoccupied, and once people see the real her, it...
