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-perht 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 uh, his daet even more wet
Stopping at a stoplight along his route hoe of his uh 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 e of his vision, the rain-probability prediction that was displayed alongside the headline news showed the nu It seemed that the seasonal rain front didn’t intend to leave Kanto for the ti
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 ultra sun It was a scene he had seen several tie», but of course he had never experienced it in the real world
At the very least, he could iine it, and so he stood on his tip-toes as he flapped his is, 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 embarrassment, and turned to speak to the person now beside him
“…Ossu[2]”
“Ossu”
The one that answered hireen umbrella round and round was his classloom of the rainy weather, but actually enjoyed it, shesounds with her water-repellant sneakers
“Did you buy a new umbrella?”
When he inquired about her unfa, his childhood friend blinked her cat-like pupil bashfully, and nodded her head
“Yeah…Don’t say anything more, I already knohat you want to say! I know that I letlike 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 arained two ested She herself hadn’t seemed really accusto it, she had changed soe hairpin, to a bright green color
“But, you should stop it when it co that far may cause your real identity 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 tiet 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 ue
“But it’s really co down, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, really…By the hat about your club activities?”
Haruyuki belatedly realized that Chiyuri normally, as part of the track-and-field club, and he, part of the go-hoether on the way home from school, and so he tilted his head in puzzleed her shoulder and answered idly
“Whenever it rains, ays doin 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 le day”
“Heeh, so that happens…”
As so 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 so, and then she suddenly took a step closer and put her hand on Haruyuki’s arm—and as Haruyuki became flustered 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 ain
“E-Exercise, you say…where…what kind of…”
“…What’s with that reaction? Ah, ah, you just thought of so weird, didn’t you!”
After staring at hi smile
“I was just thinking of going into a «duel» as a tag tea 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 o to’ and ‘what kind of rules e 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 shi+njuku Weplatforovernment 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 Kurashi+h-rise aparto in 2033 Since their horown up als since they were infants
Since their aparte, there had of course been e as them However, the only one of them that had remained steadfast close friends with him until today besides Chiyuri was Mayuzuone to a different elementary school than Haruyuki and Chiyuri, Takumu had been able to associate with hih Haruyuki had frequently gone to the same school as Chiyuri, his relationshi+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 upperclassmen in elementary school, Haruyuki had tried to keep his distance fro his wretched state But Chiyuri had stubbornly tried to keep close to hie the pressure was to «remain friends with a bullied kid» for elee And yet, she had continued to return hoether with hi onwith Takurade The ether 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 elbohile saying that, Haruyuki raised his head and saw that they had reached the Chuo Line platfore train cars approaching fro with a “Sure”, Haruyuki added so else in a low voice
“…ank you, Chiyu”
“Eh, did you say so?”
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