Sword Art Online: Faithful Hymn

Chapter 3: Common Pain

Once Shoji and Tetsuhiro enter Tetsuhiro's office, Tetsuhiro locks the door, ensuring that nobody can enter during their private conversation regarding Yuuna. Since he locks his door that might also mean Yuuna's father has not been talkative regarding his daughter's death.

And who would blame him? Shoji also has not spoken about her death all this time as well, since they may not understand the special bond the two of them had. Her father is the only one who might just understand. When Tetsuhiro takes a seat for himself, Shoji takes another one. The two of them sit down, and they both have difficulties with starting a chat. Out of a sudden, Shoji speaks up.

"Your daughter was a really special person to me, sir. Always smiling, never giving up, always gets along with anyone."

"Yeah, that is my Yuuna. I'm so glad to know she hasn't changed during those two years of hell..."

Shoji notices that Yuuna's father gets emotional, only by saying her name already. It's truly noticeable that he never opened himself up to anyone else, probably for the same reason Shoji has. Even though Tetsuhiro is emotional regarding her daughter's loss, he is still eager to know a few things about her. He has no information regarding her behavior and hobbies, other than what Shoji just told him.

"...How was her life in Aincrad, Shoji..?"

'At first, Yuuna wasn't too attached to people at all. That all changed until a boy around two years older introduced me to her, and it felt like both of our lives began to spark again! Despite the fact she didn't get attached to the majority around her, she kept continuing on doing what her biggest hobby was: Singing.

Even though Shoji started off his story in a depressing way, it makes her father feel good that she continued to follow her dreams. Even if that death game trapped her and even though it'd probably mean that she would stay there forever, he's happy to know that there was a shiver of fun to begin with. Shoji continues saying:

"It was six months after the death game began when this boy named Nautilus introduced me to Yuuna. We could feel that we were very similar: disclosing ourselves from the ones we could cling to to avoid a terrible loss in the end. We kept talking until we added one another into our friend lists. Our friendship was the best thing that could ever happen to me in the entire time I was in that floating castle. Besides clearing all the floors so we could eventually escape SAO, I began to feel something else. It was love, mister Tetsuhiro. Our friendship lasted for all eternity, until, you know..."

Yuuna's father started to develop tears, that are flowing down his cheeks. Even though he knows it hurts like hell to hear about his daughter again in such a long time, he knows he has to absorb his pain into strength. The strength to continue on listening to the boy's story. Although, if there is one thing that mister Tetsuhiro wants to know, it is the following:

"Please, Shoji, would you tell me how my daughter, your beloved friend, came to leave the world..?"

The truth may be hard to accept for Yuuna's father, but it will show how strong-hearted his daughter really was. If Shoji tells the truth, Tetsuhiro could either become very mad, or grateful that he survived, even if his daughter didn't.

"..."

"Please Shoji, I beg of you! I have to know!"

"She... she..."

With tears of pure sadness flowing down Shoji's head, he knows he has to tell Yuuna's father the truth. The harsh truth that will finally cure Tetsuhiro of his curiosity, as well as to be able to release all of his anger to the child.

"SHE SACRIFICED HERSELF FOR ME!"

After Shoji shouted Yuuna's name in the same sentence where 'sacrifice' comes to play, it broke the suspense Shoji was feeling at that moment regarding the truth. A moment of silence has been created. The only thing that could be heard was Shoji, who was gasping out of fear and suspense for Tetsuhiro's reaction. The man indeed was speechless, although Shoji can't tell by his expression if he's ready to murder the child or that he's glad Yuuna was able to find such a good friend that she would indeed sacrifice herself for him.

"If... if Yuuna really sacrificed herself to save you.."

Yuuna's father has difficulty to talk properly. He needs a moment to take a deep breath after hearing such shocking news, although he can't help it but to respond to the boy as soon as he can.

"Then that means... she really loved you a lot."

"I'm so sorry for your loss, mister Shigemura.."

"No, don't apologize. It's alright. I am glad to know that my daughter was able to find such a good friend like you."

Once the two of them are finally able to talk properly again, Shoji can't help but to notice a strange looking poster on the wall. It has the words: AR Idol on it. Other than that, Shoji doesn't see an actual Idol on the poster itself. It may be a bold suggestion, but Shoji wants to suggest it to Yuuna's father anyway.

"Mister Shigemura, what's up with the AR Idol poster on your wall?"

"Oh that, you actually are not supposed to see that yet, but I guess it can't really be helped. Promise you will keep the following a secret, alright?"

"Okay, I promise"

"Alright. Together with the launch of the Augma, we will release a mascot along with it. This mascot I am talking about is a highly-developed AI, that is able to learn of its surroundings. In the end, we want to let the mascot be able to talk and listen to other people without any malfunction in its system."

That indeed sounds highly advanced, thinks Shoji. It is exactly what he thought earlier, before Tetsuhiro's explanation about the AI. Now that he exactly knows what the AI is all about, he is ready to ask his rather bold suggestion.

'Sir, would it be an idea to... make the AI look and behave like your daughter did..?'

Tetsuhiro looks at Shoji with big eyes. Shortly after fully realizing what Shoji meant with his suggestion, he puts on a fierce face, ready to make a hateful comment to him.

'I hope you are realizing what you are asking here. Are you saying that we should recreate Yuuna, my daughter, because she can so easily be replaced?!'

'No sir, I am not talking about recreating your daughter here! Your daughter is a special person, that no one could ever replace! I am talking about an AR Idol that looks and behaves like her, so that she's always with us, like a living memory!'

It took a brief moment for Yuuna's father to calm down. He did not fully understand what Shoji meant by his comment, but now he does.

'I admit that I have thought about it as well, but I assumed it would be rude to let her return to life like that as an AI. You showed me that we can consider the AR Idol as a living memory.'

'Please, I beg of you sir! I have nothing as memory of her, except for my traumatizing past!'

Tetsuhiro took a moment to think once again. In a short bit, he responds calmly:

'I accept your suggestion. Please return to me in exactly one month. Our team will try its best to make her an absolute perfection, just like my daughter was...'