Chapter 42: Stalked

223 7 1
                                    

After Yuuna's death, I've forgotten a lot of past events, especially the remaining year we spent in Sword Art Online after the girl had died. One thing Kirito just helped me to remember, was my title: Faithful Fighter. Knowing that, surely puts a smile on my face.

The elevator door opens in front of us, where we both can see a figure sitting at the end of the long hallway. We approach the figure, who does not make any noise while we walk closer towards it. I can hear our footsteps, they are as loud to me as the silent ambient of the room.

I'm nervous. Despite being confident, I'm very, very nervous. I'm sure that Kirito is as well, although it won't surprise me if he's not as nervous as I am. He does not know what to expect from this man, after all.

"You've got explaining to do." says Tetsuhiro with a cruel voice. I am pretty sure that he is talking about me, infiltrating the room together with Sinon. Kirito should know the full story as well now.

"I've got nothing to explain. I think it's quite the opposite." I tell the man with confidence. I am not the one who did the wrong thing here. I've kept my promises to Tetsuhiro, while he is the one who broke them.

"Oh, is that so? Then would you mind explaining what this?" He then reveals a tablet, with footage on it that I greatly recall. He reveals a video, showing Shino and me on it. And just like what happened, we were in Tetsuhiro's office without permission.

"So what do you have to say for yourself? Give me one good reason not to call the police this instant!" the man shouts at both Kazuto and me. Indeed, I was not allowed to be in such place without an appointment first.

I could feel my confidence slowly sinking, not truly knowing what to say in response. If Tetsuhiro will call the police, I don't really know what to do about it...

"You two had an agreement!" shouted Kazuto, who noticed that I had no idea what to say. Truly, I'm glad he tagged along. If he hadn't, I might have been in handcuffs already. Tetsuhiro looks at the black-haired boy, smirking at him.

What in the world is he smirking for...?

"Oh, and what would you know about all this, Kirito?" Tetsuhiro says. Despite his identity being unfold, he remains calm. If there is one thing that I have learned from Kirito, it is to always stand tall. That's exactly what he did.

"I know that the two of you had an agreement. Shoji would be together forever with Yuna, in exchange for his help with developing her to a top-notch teenager." Kirito takes a breather, preparing to give him a mouthful. Since I have recovered from my nearing downfall, I cut Kirito off, allowing myself to have the honor.

"Yet you've treated me like dirt, giving me a payment to gain my trust. You hoped for me to give Yuna at least one Memory Candy, so that she would leave me to practice signing in front of groups." I shout at the man. He seems speechless by what I know. Since I have released my rage upon the man, I continue to yell at him, but this time around with less suspense.

"Let alone threatening Asuna, Kazuto and I to send a possible murderer after us. How do you have the guts to do such a thing.." I tell the man, disappointed, whilst tightening my fist.

"Eiji? I've only heard that he was killing innocent people in VRMMO. I actually wouldn't have expected you to know him?" Tetsuhiro asks with a surprised voice. Phew, I expected him to know Eiji, knowing that he and I were once friends. Kirito covers for me, asking a totally different question.

"During the phone call, how did you know that Asuna was with us? You might have recognized me, faking Shoji's voice. But there is no way you could've known Asuna was with us. Speaking of... how did you know we were at the SAO Survivor School at that moment?!" Kazuto shouts, slamming his fist on Tetsuhiro's desk. Tetsuhiro's smirk appears once again, this time around looking me straight in the eyes.

"Asuna's presence was a wild guess, since I indeed recognized your fake voice of Shoji. But the school... Shoji, come a little closer..." Tetsuhiro talks to me in a soft, sinister voice. I obey his command, knowing that there is a lot at stake right now. I move my ear closer to Tetsuhiro's mouth, whispering something in my ear.

And what I just heard, could leak my entire privacy to the world...

"Yuna... has a camera installed in her eye, including a microphone.." whispers Tetsuhiro loudly, allowing Kirito to hear what he just said.

There is no way. Everything that Yuna and I have experienced... he is aware of all of it? I can't take this sudden information, resulting on me falling through my knees, developing sweat on my forehead as my eyes grow bigger. Kirito, who seems to know what this could mean, also starts to shake out of fear for me.

Privacy, the one thing that people value the most... was being watched all along?

As I can hear Tetsuhiro laughing, I gather my bit of strength to call out the one thing, no, the one name, that I could possibly recall.

"Y...Yuuna.."

I stutter. If my personal life really got watched all along, then it might be just the end for my personal status, as well as how people would look at me. Even my closest friends...

"So... this is how you honor her..."

I gather my last bit of strength to attempt to break through to Tetsuhiro. If this would fail... I'd be totally done with myself, as well as my life. Tetsuhiro raises an eyebrow, wondering what I'm trying to tell him.

I then raise my head, looking Tetsuhiro in the eyes with my determined gaze, as I tell the harsh but truthful words to the man.

"If Yuuna were alive, she would have been ashamed of you. If this is how you honor your daughter, you do not deserve to be the father of such a beautiful child!"

Tetsuhiro seems surprised by my sudden burst of courage. He did not expect me to call out her daughter's name like this, let alone letting him know that he does not deserve to be her father.

I can tell from his expression that he is filling himself with rage. Raising his fists while looking at me with anger. He prepares to hit me with one of his fists, while I got nowhere to go to avoid his incoming blow. Since I am standing in a narrow stop, between Yuna's capsule and Tetsuhiro, I got nowhere to go. And as soon as I prepared for his fist to hit me, he hit me, resulting in me bumping my head against the machine behind me. The impact from the blow made my head turn towards the machine, bumping my forehead against the hard piece of steel.

My vision slowly goes black, not being able to see clearly anymore. I lay on the ground, with one of my arms being unable to move. With my other hand, I move for my head, checking if I've gotten a wound from the two hits.

And like I thought. My hand is red. Soaked in my blood.

"Shoji!" I could hear Kazuto shout. From the sound of it, he attempts to approach me, but he gets pushed against the wall by Tetsuhiro. He holds Kirito in one place, now allowing him to possibly help me.

"This piece of shit deserves to suffer for what he just said to me." I could hear him say. Instead of looking tow the machine, I look at the direction of the elevator.

Out of amazement, I could lift my head up a little. I saw the elevator doors moving away from each other, seeing a familiar figure in the distance.

"That's enough!"

Sword Art Online: Faithful HymnWhere stories live. Discover now