Accel World Vol 1 Chapter 5 (1/2)
Chapter 5
‘—Why? Why?’
While hunching his shoulders dejectedly and trudgingly walking ho those tords in his mind
‘Why did things turn out this way?’
‘Even though I only desired to be Kuroyukihime-senpai’s faithful pahy did I reply in such a quarrelsome manner in the end and rush out of the store to return home?’
‘Please, let o back just 30 minutes in time!!’ Haruyuki keenly prayed for that, but it was impossible, even with Brain Burst that could nearly stop actual time
But then, even if he could reload that scene like an adventure garee to the theory that Chiyuri = <cyan pile=””>> Haruyuki just couldn’t believe that Chiyuri was a Burst Linker andtime was possible
No—It wasn't that he didn't believe it, but that he didn't want to believe it
Honestly speaking, there was no objective proof that substantiated this Though it had been different when they were young, he hadn't had a long talk with Chiyuri for the past one or two years here Even though not as irl, was also a plenty mysterious existence to Haruyuki
Also, it could be said that there was proof that disproved that she was unable to keep soed her sobullied with Takumu and hid that from him
Coerous request like Direct Connecting with her, he had to at least apologize for the ize, he would first have to accept and s the fact that Chiyuri and Takumi had discussed this and that about him
That could easily take one week Rather, he didn’t want to think about it He would rather not confirm it and leave the matter alone But then, he would have no choice but to accept the Chiyuri = <cyan pile=””>> theory
‘What in the world do I want to do? What do I want to do with Taku, Chiyuri, and Kuroyukihime?’
While overloaded with thoughts that practically eh the entrance of his apart with heavy steps
He briefly glanced at the time display in the corner of his vision It was 5:30 PM
Chiyuri would already be ho in his Kendo Club So, the two of theether at one of their homes
Inside the elevator lift, Haruyuki agonized within hi
Then, he pressed the button for the 23rd floor where he lived
After the lift had risen halfway, he pressed the button two floors below that
”Ohsince I last saw you!!”
As Chiyuri’sface as soon as the door opened, but Haruyukitime no see' in response
”Ah, you’ve grown taller, how old are you noait, that’s right, you're the sae as Chiyu who is 13 years old, after all Since you haven’t co middle school, oba-san was so lonely, you can take it easy and stay here as long as you like today, okay? Please have supper here, sinceso little lately, all the food I’veHaru-chan’s favorite dish of curry today, I will be cooking a lot of helpings tonight so just help yourself, Chiyuri will also be happy, since she’s been displeased about not playing with Haru-chan recently”
The see of Chiyuri’s mother was cut off by a sharp voice that sounded from inside the hallway
”Mama!!”
Looking past Chiyuri’sat the fire as she stuck her head out fro room
”Please don’t talk about unnecessary stuff!!”
”Yes, yes, she’s at that rebellious age Haru-chan, please relax and stay as long as you like”
Seeing off Chiyuri’s mama as she retired to the kitchen fro her hand with a pleasant sain put a stiff smile on his face
”H-Hey”
””
Giving a long stare, Chiyuriin?”, and then disappeared back into the living roo off his shoes, Haruyuki mumbled quietly
”Sorry to intrude”
In the past—until the time of his third or fourth year of elementary school, he would had said “I’m back” instead Back then he would play outside with Chiyuri and Takumu until it was dark, and he would always return to the Kurashi+ sweaty He would take a bath, be treated to dinner and even watch the television before wearily returning to his empty home two floors above To Haruyuki, who had been bullied at school even in those days, those evenings were the only times that seemed fun
But that also ended two years ago
That time, when Takumu confessed to Chiyuri, and she then consulted with Haruyuki about it
A the slippers on the rack next to the door frame, the ones with blue bear faces that Haruyuki had always used were still there He put his feet into the faded slippers and ti room, but Chiyuri was nowhere to be seen within
After running his sweaty palh the house that he knew like the back of his hand and softly knocked on the door to Chiyuri’s room, which had been inside the most
”Come in”
After a briefa big gulp, Haruyuki turned the doorknob
Since he had last visited it two years ago, Chiyuri’s roo the same simple interior decoration as back then Her desk and bed had a colour tone of black and white and her curtains were also a monochrome, very similar to Haruyuki's room
But, there were also several changes First, it had a soood smell Second, there was also the clothes of Chiyuri, as sitting on her bed with a sullen face
Of course she wasn’t still in her uniform However, Chiyuri, who had had only a to ele skirt with some kind of white fluffy sweater
Well, after allshe did go on dates with Takuht that while stunned, he was hit by an unexpected first strike
”I called you so many times yesterday”
”Heh?”
Staring at her from below, Haruyuki let out a stupid response
‘Yesterday—oh, right, that day had ended withaway in front of Chiyuri and Takuize for the earlier sandwich incident first’
”Y-Yeah, that…it’s because I disconnectedall of yesterday…”
”Letting e should be fine Because of that, I didn’t go to sleep until really late last night!”
”So…Sorry…”
As Haruyuki apologized to Chiyuri as puffing out her cheeks, he ht, she couldn’t be’
No ht about it, she just couldn’t be that To think she could be the Burst Linker «Cyan Pile», andwarrior of Level 4 And on top of that, a super-hacker that successfully could change the Brain Burst program that no one else could as well!
But, even if he said that, getting proof of that wasn’t easy Like he declared to Kuroyukihie-search while Direct Connected together, but how could he ask such a thing in this situation?
‘No—Wait, wait’
Haruyuki quickly juh his mind
Because it’s such a situation, couldn’t he ask it? It was inexcusable to Chiyuri, but—No, he wasn’t particularly tricking her He would apologize sincerely, and at the same time check her memory a little while synced…
”Ah, ah, uuum, Ch-Ch-Chiyuri!”
Haruyuki cried that out as he intensely stumbled over his words, which was acted on his part
”WhWhat is it?”
”That isI-I’ve coslike the sandwich incident, and the incident in front of the school gates B-B-But, I’ with my mouth like this, so, ummplease D-D-D-Di-Direct Connect with me”
Chiyuri stared opened-mouth at Haruyuki’s face, which had sweat that certainly wasn’t part of an act sliding down it
The angle of her plump eyebrows rose even more as she went from surprised to suspicious
No good, this was just too abrupt, after all As Haruyuki resolved hiely defiant look appeared on the face of his childhood friend That—was the face that Chiyuri had always shown in the past when quarrelling with boys, which basically said “Just try it if you dare”
”…Did you bring a cable?”
As shed suddenly asked that with a stiff voice, Haruyuki shook his head while thinking “Oh no”
”Err…I-I didn't bring it”
”Fu~n Just so you know, I don't have anything except this”
Bending her body forward and opening a case underneath her bed, what Chiyuri took out was a mere thirty centimeter off-white XSB cable
”S-Short Do you…always use that with Taku…?”
When he unconsciously asked that, she i at him
”A-Are you an idiot!! Takkun carries a one- to a PC that was attached when I bought my Neuro Linker!!”
”Ahaah”
Because the super-fast corade cable that was securely shi+elded, the ones that attached as bonus equipment were always short But even so, wasn’t thirty centiy manufacturer
Effortlessly tossing the cat tail-like cable over to Haruyuki as thinking about escaping, Chiyuri snorted lightly and rolled her small bad onto the bed
”Do what you want”
Not knohat to do with the cable in his hand that was like a burning wire, Haruyuki spoke nervously
”U-Umm…if possible, err, could you please sit on a chair with your back facing me…?”
No response Chiyuri didn’t seem to intend to move even an inch as she laid sprawled on the sheets
Haruyuki quite seriously thought ‘Hmm, should I run and escape?’, but he had already done that in front of Kuroyukihiain here, the situation would reach the point of being impossible to fix
”T-Then”
Having made up hison, and took off his slippers
Slo~wly, he put one knee on the white-and-gray striped sheets
The sturdy-see sound at the weight that was several times heavier than it was used to
Once he had crawled forward on all fours until he ithin seventy centimeters away fro at one end of the cable into the outer connection port that was on the right side of his Neuro Linker in the back
Then, he tilted his head at an unnatural angle and held out the plug at the other end while stretching it to its li Chiyuri was still practically a light-year away from him
‘Ugeeeh, oh no, I should have approached froain, no there isn’t that kind of psychological room left anyo to the other side by crossing over Chiyuri’
Having fallen 90 into a panicked state, Haruyuki tilted just his upper body in a very precariously balanced posture and forcibly brought their necks closer to each other A sweet smell like that of milk drifted from Chiyuri’s body, and his sense of balance became unsteady—
Immediately afterwards, his left knee slipped Just before he pressed against Chiyuri’s slender body with his large build, his outstretched hand was just barely enough to stop his fall
Nonetheless, the situation was on the brink of a crisis With his left knee in the space between Chiyuri’s spread out legs and his left hand having landed right next to Chiyuri’s right cheek, his body was being supported in a dangerous position Uoooaaaah, what’s with this situatioooooooon, as the needle of his panicinto the red zone, Chiyuri’s eyes, which were only ten centimeters away from him, blinked open
Haruyuki couldn't read the expression that was in her big light brown pupils Of course, there was anger and irritation in them But, that seemed to have less to do with Haruyuki’s current insolent conduct—sos for quite a long time—
Unable to endure gazing at each other’s eyes any longer, Haruyukiinto Chiyuri’s neck The Wired Connection warning that appeared hid Chiyuri’s face from view for a moment
—The delay wasn’t ed to reorganize his thoughts in that time
Blinking several tiaze away from Chiyuri’s eyes and fixed his focus around the slender collarbone that peeked out from the collar of her white sweater
”Uize about the matter the other day”
The words, coh both their sense of hearing without stu, despite their aardness
”U that boxed lunch you went to such trouble to make…I'm, really sorry”
Though he was apologizing for that seriously—