Agil confirmed it. "Yuna told me he was the one who invited her."
"Ah... inviting a girl to play a fantasy game together..." Miyu and Karen exchanged a knowing look. "We know exactly what that means."
"Even I can read that play," Klein said confidently. "The childhood friend was definitely head-over-heels for her."
"But Yuna didn't feel the same. She went along with it for some reason, but it wasn't romantic. And then... she met Hachiman."
"How did it happen?"
"I heard this part directly from Yuna. It turns out the first place she ever worked up the courage to sing in public happened to be right next to Hachiman's favorite napping spot. She was singing a song called 'Smile for You,' and Hachiman was the first person to ever speak to her afterward."
"Hey... is that a cover of something?"
"Oh! Um... no. It's an original... I wrote it myself."
"I see. You've got talent. It's a beautiful song."
"Ah... thank you."
"If you don't mind... would you sing it again?"
"U-um, okay!"
"This went on for a while," Agil continued. "But eventually, Yuna noticed something strange. Usually, whenever she finished a song, she'd be swarmed by guys trying to talk to her. But whenever Hachiman was napping nearby, nobody approached her at all."
"Is this a horror story?"
"Not quite. Hachiman's name was starting to carry weight back then. He had started a very specific rumor."
Hachiman's method had been characteristically blunt: he told the Clearers that if anyone bothered the girl, they'd have to answer to him. He had noticed that Yuna always looked uncomfortable when strangers approached her. Since Hachiman napped near the front lines, most of the people nearby were Clearers. They listened, and the general players followed their lead. Eventually, people stopped pestering her—though they still stayed to clap and cheer.
Before long, Yuna began her days by checking Hachiman's usual napping spots first, choosing her stage based on where he was sleeping.
"That's... actually really sweet," Karen said, a hint of envy in her voice.
"It's like a movie," Miyu added.
"Hachiman being Hachiman, he never once tried to make a move on her," Agil said. "We all know why, but to Yuna, that lack of ulterior motives was incredibly refreshing."
"I bet she really was popular with the guys," Karen mused.
"Hey, I even tried to talk to her once!" Klein boasted.
Whack!
Shizuka's fist connected squarely with Klein's stomach.
"Guh...! Shizuka-san, it's a misunderstanding! I was just complimenting her singing!"
"Hmph!" Shizuka turned away with a pout, and Klein scrambled to appease her.
Ignoring the domestic dispute, Agil went on. "Yuna's first turning point came when her childhood friend told her about the rumors Hachiman was spreading."
"Way to ruin the mood," Miyu muttered.
"So... your name is Hachiman? I heard you're quite famous."
"That's my name, but I'm not anyone special."
"You spread those rumors for me, didn't you?"
"You're mistaken. I just hate the sound of annoying chatter when I'm trying to sleep. I didn't do it for you; I did it for my own peace and quiet."
"Hmm... is that so?"
"What's with that look?"
"Oh, nothing~"
"From that day on, Yuna started singing for Hachiman. Her voice began to carry a depth of emotion it never had before. Looking back, that was likely the catalyst for her skill awakening. Then came the second turning point: the actual manifestation of the Singing Skill. One day, right after she finished a song, Hachiman did something rare. He looked panicked. He grabbed her hand and started dragging her away."
"What's wrong? You're acting weird... I've never seen you like this."
"Explanations later. Just get in here."
"An inn? But Hachiman, don't you have a girlfriend? Is this okay? I mean... if it's you, I don't really mind, but..."
"What are you babbling about? Just get inside before someone sees us!"
"O-okay..."
Yuna had been nervous, but she was prepared to accept whatever was about to happen. However, Hachiman's next words were not at all what she expected.
"Open your menu and check your skill slots. Now."
"Huh?"
Baffled, Yuna did as she was told. Her eyes went wide as she stared at her status window.
"W-what is this...? The Singing Skill?"
And so, on that day, the true Diva of SAO was born.
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