Abyss of the Shrine Maiden

The End of Warrior and Assassin

Two days later

"That was reckless, sister."

It's one thing to scold yourself for being reckless, or to have someone you're close to scold you for the same thing. It's an entirely different matter when the scolding comes from a boy six years your junior, and he's one hundred percent correct that you were reckless. That's Koharu's predicament as she whines to herself.

The previous day, after some time with the gang and the newly acquired Tia in SA:O, she went out in the city for some errands with Asuna when it began to rain on their way home. It might've seemed like chance, but...in reality, Suko warned Koharu it would, and her response was the classic "Oh, I'll be back before it happens." Unlike Asuna, who lives much closer to the station, Koharu had to run for dear life, and to make things worse, she tripped and fell into a puddle. Add in the fact she was still exhausted from the very late night of chasing and fighting Tia. Her body totally collapsed.

Stuffed in her bed, clothed in pink pajamas, the red-faced girl looks to Suko as the boy stands up and looks back with a scowl. Somehow, she finds it funny, and it trickles out as laughter. That causes him to frown even more. "What's so funny?"

"You, taking care of me. I can't say I ever saw this happening after I used to take care of you when you were little."

"Hmph. Mom and Dad left me here with you, so I'd do just that, but come on, Koharu." The scowl falls as the boy pushes up his glasses and sits on the bed. "Big Bro is gonna be pissed…"

"Big Bro? Who...oh… Oh no!" Koharu sinks deeper into her bed, just now remembering Joshua is returning soon. His father woke up minutes after he logged off Sword Art: Origin, and he stayed an extra day. If Koharu reflects correctly, he should be back sometime in the afternoon. And after she planned to meet him at the station...and after he told her not to do something reckless that'll worry him. "He's gonna kill me."

"He is. You deserve it. Oh well, at least you already died once."

Koharu raises in shock and glares at her brother. "S-Suko!"

He doesn't look unfazed as he adjusts his glasses again. "Your clothes are falling apart, sister." Koharu looks down in alarm, seeing that her top is, in fact, not falling apart. Facing her brother again, she delivers a pouty face which doesn't bother him a bit. He shrugs and stands up, picking up the tray of food that was her breakfast of rice porridge. "Anyway, let me know if you need anything, at least until this afternoon."

"...Are you going out?"

"Yes."

"And leaving me here alone?"

"No. You'd be dead by then, remember?"

"...I wish you wouldn't joke about that."

"Then get better, Big Sister." Suko leaves and closes her bedroom door behind him. Koharu sighs, feeling exhaustion catch up to her. Seeing no further point in staying up, she closes her eyes and hopes her brother's 'wish' doesn't come true.

xxxxxxxx

Couple of hours later

Poke.

When Koharu stirs, that's the first sense she feels. Someone, or something, is poking her cheek. Not just the stabbing motion, but it comes with small, carefully crafted circles on her left cheek. At first, she thought her brother was messing with her again, but the motions jog a deep memory of carefree mornings spent at numerous inns. Her partner would always wake up first and let her sleep in, but when he got annoyed with her enjoyment of slumber, he would poke her face until she woke up. At first, it annoyed her, but as time passed and they got closer, she would 'stay asleep' and see how long he'd keep it up. In the few months between his confession and her death, she intentionally encouraged it.