"Perfect timing, Yui-san," Hachiman said. "Can I ask you something?"
"Sure, what's up?" Yui replied.
"Could you call me Hachiman instead of Hikitani from now on? I'm planning to ask the others, too. After two years of being called Hachiman, my last name feels… off."
"Is that a proposal?" Yui teased. "Does that mean we're getting marr—"
"Nope, never mind," Hachiman interrupted. "Bad idea."
"Kidding, kidding, Hachiman-kun," Yui said with a laugh.
"By the way, what's next for you after graduating university?" Hachiman asked.
"Didn't I mention?" Yui said. "To protect you, I got a job at RECT! Though, you kinda stole my thunder by escaping SAO on your own."
"Seriously?" Hachiman said, stunned.
"Yup, totally serious," Yui said cheerfully.
"Your mom was okay with that?" Hachiman asked. "Didn't you say she was scarier than you?"
Yui giggled. "Wanna know how I pulled it off?"
"Yeah, I'm curious," Hachiman admitted.
"I told them I needed corporate experience, whether for politics or taking over the company," Yui explained. "Dad said do whatever, but Mom wasn't convinced. So, I said if she didn't agree, Yukino and I would leave home together. Teehee!"
"Whoa, that worked?" Hachiman said.
"Dad laughed and told Mom she'd lost," Yui said. "She grudgingly agreed."
"Sorry for causing all this trouble," Hachiman said. "Even your career path…"
Yui hugged him from behind, catching him off guard. "You know, I actually thought about trying SAO," she said softly. "When I heard you were trapped, my first thought was, Why didn't I play? If I had, we could've adventured together in a world without constraints, helped each other clear the game, and come back to reality…"
"Yui-san," Hachiman said gently.
"…" Yui stayed silent.
"That's a beautiful thought," Hachiman said. "If you'd been there, things would've been easier."
"Hachiman-kun…" Yui murmured.
"But that's not what happened," he continued. "I met Asuna. To me, you're like a big sister—someone I respect and cherish deeply, but nothing more."
Yui was quiet for a moment, then sighed and tightened her hug. "Fine, I'll let you off the hook."
"Thanks," Hachiman said.
"So, Asuna-san's my little sister now, right?" Yui said.
"Yeah," Hachiman agreed.
"We'll save her, Hachiman-kun," Yui said firmly. "No matter what."
"Absolutely," Hachiman said.
"First, we need information," Yui said. "I'm at RECT's headquarters, so I'll dig for anything useful. You focus on rehab. I know where Asuna's being kept, so once you can walk, we'll visit her hospital together."
Hachiman whipped around, startling Yui into letting go. Their faces were inches apart, and though Yui flushed, Hachiman didn't back away. "You know where Asuna is?" he asked. "Are the Yuuki and Yukino families connected?"
"Connected in a business sense," Yui said. "I've met Asuna's dad, Shozo-san, several times. Used those connections to land the job at RECT, so visiting her won't be an issue."
"I bet you could've gotten that job without connections," Hachiman said.
"I had confidence, but building those ties was the goal," Yui said. "It's let me call in a few favors."
"Impressive," Hachiman said.
Yui grinned. "We're like accomplices, aren't we? Sealed with a pact!"
Before Hachiman could react, she kissed his cheek. He froze, then muttered, "Damn, I totally let my guard down."
"Still two years too early to outsmart me," Yui teased.
"That's a weirdly specific number," Hachiman said.
"You'll have to go back to school, right?" Yui said. "Graduation's probably two years off. After that, whether you go to college or get a job, I'll consider you my equal."
"I can go back to school?" Hachiman said, surprised. "That's… actually great. I'll work hard to earn your respect sooner."
"Good," Yui said approvingly.
"Uh, can I come in now?" Kikuoka's voice called from the door.
Yui jumped back, flustered. "Sorry, Kikuoka-san!"
"No worries, didn't mean to ruin the moment," Kikuoka said, stepping in. "That 'accomplices' thing—mind if I join?"
"Kikuoka-san?" Hachiman said.
"My bosses just ordered me to work with you to solve this," Kikuoka said. "We're comrades now. Just… keep it legal, okay?"
Hachiman grinned. "Couldn't ask for more. Let's do this."
Kikuoka extended his hand, and Hachiman shook it firmly. "Can we continue?" Kikuoka asked. "Though there might not be much left to cover."
"Yeah," Hachiman said. "One question first—what's the status of my phone?"
Kikuoka answered smoothly. "Your contracts were paused, but they've been reactivated. Your phone should work now, same number and email."
"Yui-san, can you ask Komachi to bring my phone next time?" Hachiman asked.
"Got it," Yui said, pulling out her phone. "I'll call her now."
Yui relayed the request to Komachi, who agreed to bring it.
"Thanks, Yui-san," Hachiman said. "And Kikuoka-san, about the people I killed in SAO… will I face charges?"
"No, you're clear," Kikuoka said.
"I see…" Hachiman said quietly.
"You didn't do it for fun, right?" Kikuoka said. "It was self-defense."
"There were some thrill-killers in there," Hachiman said.
"Those types will likely be monitored by the police, based on testimonies," Kikuoka said. "No charges, though, unfortunately."
"Testimonies, huh?" Hachiman said. "Should I share what I know?"
"It's tough to relive, but any info would help," Kikuoka said.
"Alright," Hachiman said. He listed names: PoH, Johnny Black, XaXa, Kuradeel, Rosalia. "That's all I remember."
Kikuoka noted them and cross-checked his list. "PoH's the only one not on here," he said.
"Damn, of course it's him," Hachiman muttered.
"Dangerous guy?" Kikuoka asked.
"Leader of Laughing Coffin, a PK guild," Hachiman said. "Probably ex-military or active-duty."
"Military ties would explain the missing data," Kikuoka said. "If they were killing in-game, even without legal consequences, it'd be a scandal. They'd likely hide it from the start."
"If he's overseas, it might not matter," Yui added.
"Yeah," Hachiman said. "That's all the info I've got for now."
"We've got most of what we needed," Kikuoka said.
Hachiman racked his brain for anything else but came up empty. Then a thought struck him. "Kikuoka-san, any chance I could get my friends' contact info?"
"Sorry, that's restricted," Kikuoka said. "I trust you, but some might seek revenge."
"Personal info laws, huh?" Hachiman said. "Fair. We've got our own way to contact each other anyway. Can I at least know if my friends are among the unawakened?"
"That's fine, since it's for the case," Kikuoka said.
"Please check on Kirito, Lizbeth, Silica, Egil, Klein, and Argo," Hachiman said. "Nezha… I didn't give him our contact method, but I'll see him at school. Just his status, please."
Kikuoka tapped his device, then his face fell. "One hasn't woken up."
"Who?" Hachiman asked, dreading the answer.
"Lizbeth-san," Kikuoka said.
"Liz… damn it," Hachiman said. "Kirito's gonna take it hard."
"His girlfriend?" Kikuoka asked.
"Not quite, but close," Hachiman said.
"I can't share contacts, but I'm visiting Kirito next," Kikuoka said. "I can pass a message."
"Really?" Hachiman said. "Tell him about Asuna and Liz. And to rehab like his life depends on it for two months."
"Yui-san, I don't remember my email address," Hachiman said. "Do you know it?"
"Yup," Yui said.
"Can you write it down and give it to Kikuoka-san?" Hachiman asked.
"Sure thing," Yui said, scribbling it.
"Pass that to Kirito, please," Hachiman told Kikuoka.
"Easy enough," Kikuoka said. "Anything else?"
"That's it for now," Hachiman said.
"Then Yui-san and I will focus on gathering intel," Kikuoka said.
"I'll do my best with rehab," Hachiman said.
With that, the meeting ended, and Hachiman's rehabilitation began.
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