Accel World Vol 5 Chapter 1 (1/2)
Chapter 1
Preferably, it would be better if all of Tokyo’s skies were covered in arcades[1].
Avoiding the puddles that hadn’t been absorbed into the water-permeable pavement tiles as he walked, Haruyuki thought that with a sense of desperation.
He had hated rain since long ago. The signal connection level of his Neuro Linker would go down even if it was only drizzling, one of the two hands he used operating his virtual desktop would be occupied by an umbrella, and as if that wasn’t enough, his dampness-p.r.o.ne body would get even more wet..
Stopping at a stoplight along his route home from school, he looked up past the edge of his umbrella and saw that, even though they said that there wouldn’t be any rain today on the first day of the month, the sky was still filled with plenty of moisture as it remained a sunken lead color. At the edge of his vision, the rain-probability prediction that was displayed alongside the headline news showed the numbers at 80 to 90 until tomorrow morning. It seemed that the seasonal rain front didn’t intend to leave Kanto for the time being.
It would feel good if he could take a short flight and pierce through those clouds until he flew above them. The pure-white sea of clouds that spread out forever, the ultramarine sky, and the intensely s.h.i.+ning sun. It was a scene he had seen several times in the «Storm Stage», but of course he had never experienced it in the real world.
At the very least, he could imagine it, and so he stood on his tip-toes as he flapped his imaginary wings, and—.
“The light’s turned green!”
*BACHIKON* Haruyuki’s back was suddenly struck, and he stepped toward the pedestrian crossing as if falling forward. After he narrowly avoided falling, he started walking quickly to hide his embarra.s.sment, and turned to speak to the person now beside him.
“…Ossu[2].”
“Ossu.”
The one that answered him back while turning her vivid yellow-green umbrella round and round was his cla.s.smate, Kuras.h.i.+ma Chiyuri. As if she didn’t feel the gloom of the rainy weather, but actually enjoyed it, she made splas.h.i.+ng sounds with her water-repellant sneakers.
“Did you buy a new umbrella?”
When he inquired about her unfamiliar belonging, his childhood friend blinked her cat-like pupil bashfully, and nodded her head.
“Yeah…Don’t say anything more, I already know what you want to say! I know that I let myself be influenced about something like the color of an accessory. By my avatar.”
“That’s just how it is…I’ve also noticed that I’ve gotten things like memory card containers and Direct Connect cables in silver, after all.”
The armor of Chiyuri’s duel avatar «Lime Bell», which she had gained two months ago in April, was a lime color just as its name suggested. She herself hadn’t seemed really accustomed to that color at first, but without noticing it, she had changed some of her personal effects, including her trademark large hairpin, to a bright green color.
“But, you should stop it when it comes to your Neuro Linker. Going that far may cause your real ident.i.ty to be identified.”
After he said that while looking at the pale purple exterior of the VR device attached to her thin neck, Chiyuri puffed her cheeks.
“What, but Haru, Takkun and Kuroyuki-senpai[3] all have Neuro Linkers with the color of your avatars, don’t you?”
“I…I’ve just always used this one since long ago. The next time I change to a different model, I’ll get it in a different color.”
“It’s going be piano black[4] anywa——y.”
He glared at her with a side glance, and unconsciously his eyes swam.
His childhood friend laughed with an expression that said ‘Yare-yare[5]’, and then she leaned her brand-new umbrella back and looked up towards the sky past its edge.
“But it’s really coming down, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, really…By the way, what about your club activities?”
Haruyuki belatedly realized that Chiyuri normally, as part of the track-and-field club, and he, part of the go-home club, never found themselves together on the way home from school, and so he tilted his head in puzzlement. Then, Chiyuri shrugged her shoulder and answered idly.
“Whenever it rains, we always do muscle training in the gymnasium or long-distance swimming in the indoor pool. Since both places were full today with the other athletic clubs, I took the day off. It’s unfair that Takkun and the kendo club have a dojo for their exclusive use…Aah, it’s unpleasant how my muscles feel dull if I don’t move my body for even a single day.”
“Heeh, so that happens…”
As someone who took pride in being the exact opposite of an athlete, Haruyuki murmured with just a little bit of admiration.
Hearing that, Chiyuri blinked as if she had thought of something, and then she suddenly took a step closer and put her hand on Haruyuki’s arm—and as Haruyuki became fl.u.s.tered at the sudden physical contact, she looked into his face and spoke.
“I know, Haru. Exercise with me.”
“Ha…Haa!?”
Widening his eyes with a jerk, he flapped his mouth open and closed, before somehow asking again.
“E-Exercise, you say…where…what kind of…”
“…What’s with that reaction? Ah, ah, you just thought of something weird, didn’t you!”
After staring at him intently once again, Chiyuri gave a teasing smile.
“I was just thinking of going into a «duel» as a tag team. What other possible meaning could I have, Arita-sensei~.”
“I-I also naturally meant that too.”
After giving an unnatural cough, Haruyuki feigned calmness and continued.
“In other words, I meant ‘where is the battle area we’ll go to’ and ‘what kind of rules will we fight with’.”
“Heh, hoh, hmm.”
Fortunately, as if she were feeling inclined to post bail for a suspect, Chiyuri changed her expression in a wide smile, and pointed with her umbrella at the overhead structure of the Chuo Line railway that was visible ahead of them.
“Since it’s still early, let’s go to s.h.i.+njuku. We may get above the clouds if we’re at the viewing platform of the government office.”
“I don’t think that would happen, but…Well, it’s fine.”
While answering with a shrug of his shoulder, Haruyuki was once again conscious of the weight of Chiyuri’s hand, still placed on his right arm.
Arita Haruyuki and Kuras.h.i.+ma Chiyuri had been born into the same combined multistory high-rise apartment building in north Kouenji fourteen years ago in 2033. Since their homes were separated by only two floors, they had grown up almost as twin siblings since they were infants.
Since their apartment building was huge, there had of course been many other children the same age as them. However, the only one of them that had remained steadfast close friends with him until today besides Chiyuri was Mayuzumi Tak.u.mu, who lived in a separate apartment. Since he had gone to a different elementary school than Haruyuki and Chiyuri, Tak.u.mu had been able to a.s.sociate with him without any worry. And, even though Haruyuki had frequently gone to the same school as Chiyuri, his relations.h.i.+p with her had not changed—probably because of her earnest strength and kindness.
When he had begun to be the target of bullying from uppercla.s.smen in elementary school, Haruyuki had tried to keep his distance from Chiyuri, because he hated her seeing his wretched state. But Chiyuri had stubbornly tried to keep close to him. Haruyuki also understood now just how huge the pressure was to «remain friends with a bullied kid» for elementary school students at that age. And yet, she had continued to return home to their apartment building together with him every day, and playing games and going on make-believe expeditions with him along with Tak.u.mu until fifth grade. The memories of the three's time spent together after school were now stored deep within Haruyuki with a golden color.
—No, those memories may be even more important to Chiyuri.
Because, the source of the pseudo-healing ability that Chiyuri’s duel avatar «Lime Bell» possessed was most likely…
“Let’s take the train.”
When she poked his elbow while saying that, Haruyuki raised his head and saw that they had reached the Chuo Line platform without him being aware of it. After looking at the orange train cars approaching from the west and then nodding with a “Sure”, Haruyuki added something else in a low voice.
“…ank you, Chiyu.”
“Eh, did you say something?”
When his childhood friend turned around towards him with a sway of her short hair, Haruyuki felt a moist and choked sensation in the middle of his chest, and then frantically shook his head.
“I-It’s nothing. L-Let’s get on!”