(Shino's POV)

My eyes fluttered. I felt cold but I felt a warm presence close to me.

I was in a hospital room and I saw Kazuto at my bed side, holding my hand.

"Kazuto?" I mumbled, my voice sounded a bit rough. He looked up with hopeful eyes.

"Shino," he grinned, kissing my hand. His lips were warm, as if he was thawing my out from the coldness of my body.

"How long have I been out?" I mumbled, rubbing my head with my free hand.

"About a day," he murmured. I noticed the bags under his eyes and frowned.

I reach my fingers over and glide them under his eyes, where the dark bags were.

"You should've gotten rest," I mumbled. He chuckled.

"Its kind of hard when your girlfriend is knocked out in the hospital," he smiled. Although I knew he was tired.

"Right here," I patted at the side of my bed. He blushed.

"What?" He questioned, tilting his head. I smiled amusingly.

"If you're not going to leave my side, then rest by my side," I cupped his cheek and rubbed my thumb against it, and he gladly leaned into my palm more.

"Okay," he replied sheepishly as he awkwardly lay his head on my lap. His eyes fluttered shut, and I gently caressed his black locks.

"Shhhhh," I whispered, he seemed jittery. And he soon relaxed. I would sing for him but my voice was strained.

I watched him as he slept. And I'll never take that for granted. Not after everything that occurred to both of us.

My lips curled even further up when he twitched his nose in his sleep.

My eyes were still strained, but I wanted to watch him. So this is why he didn't sleep. He wanted watch me. Just like I can't take my eyes off of him either.

•••

(Kazuto's POV)

I look at her peaceful face as she slept. I couldn't get a wink of sleep.

I had to look at the monitor, relieved at every confirmed heartbeat, is every moment she's alive. I did this since she got here.

My hand reached out to hold hers and she was terribly cold. I frowned. I looked down at her pale cold hand.

"Kazuto?" I heard her voice. My eyes instantly shot up, and a grin formed on my lips.

"Shino," I kissed her cold hand with my warm trembling lips.

"How long have I been out?" She mumbled, rubbing her head with her free hand. Did her head hurt?

"About a day," I murmured. She kept staring at my eyes and frowned.

Her slender cold fingers reached over and ran under his eyes, where the dark bags were. She must've noticed them...

"You should've gotten rest," she mumbled. I chuckled. She was worried about me?

"Its kind of hard when your girlfriend is knocked out in the hospital," I smiled.

"Right here," she patted at the side of her hospital bed. My face began to heat up and I felt a blush threaten to form on my cheeks.

"What?" I questioned, tilting my head in confusion, although I had a idea. She smiled amusingly at me.

"If you're not going to leave my side, then rest by my side," she cupped my cheek and rubbed her thumb against it. Her cold hand felt so good on my hot face, so I leaned closer to her icy touch.

"Okay," I replied nervously as I lay my head on her soft lap. As I closed my eyes, I felt her gently caressed my hair.

What if I closed my eyes for even a half hour, would that monitor still beep? Would she still have a heart beat? I felt so terrified, I wanted to watch her. To keep her safe.

"Shhhhh," she whispered. She must be sensed I was tense and I soon relaxed.

I felt her eyes on me until I slipped off into slumber.

•••

(3rd Person POV)

Shino checked out of the hospital that week, feeling fully rested, with Kazuto by her side.

"So where we going again?" She hopped on his motorcycle and wrapped her arms around his torso.

"Its a surprise," Kazuto murmured.

But as he kept going, she realized the route he was taking. She has taken this route before.

"Why are we going to visit Kyoji?" Shino mumbled.

"Don't you always visit him?"

"I don't feel like it right now, not after everything that's happened," Shino rested her head on his back and tightened her hold on him.

"Trust me,"

"Okay," Shino sighed as she closed her eyes.

When they got to the prison, they requested to see Kyoji. Kyoji's eyes widened when he heard who his visitors were.

He wasn't so much as shocked that Shino came by, but that Kazuto came along with her.

Kyoji sat on the other side if the window facing Shino and Kazuto, on the other, in their seats.

"Um, hi," he gently smiled as he took a seat across from the pair. Shino avoided Kyoji's gaze.

"Well, this is a surprise, I didn't expect company," he chuckled, although the atmosphere seemed tense.

"If I did, I would've tried to look a bit more presentable," Kyoji smiled sheepishly, catching Shino's attention.

"How could you possibly look presentable in prison wear," Shino replied coldly. She looks at Kyoji's face and Ken's face flashed before her eyes. Her glare hardened.

"My hair could be better," Kyoji mumbled, rubbing the top of his head embarrassedly. Kazuto chuckled.

"I'm surprised you came along," Kyoji mumbled towards Kazuto. Kazuto merely shrugged.

"He's the reason why I'm here," Shino murmured.

"Oh," Kyoji frowned disappointedly.

"I came to ask you something. And I wanted Shino to hear your reply," Kazuto leaned forward a bit.

"O-okay," Kyoji mumbled.

"Why the hell did you send Ken to do that to us?" Shino's eyes glared at him, pleading for a answer.

"Ken? You mean my cousin? How do you know him?" Kyoji leaned closer to the window with surprised eyes.

"Don't play dumb," Shino crossed her arms.

"Did you send Ken out to get us? That was going to be my question," Kazuti asked calmly. Kyoji shook his head.

"I never told him to do that. Why? What did he do?" Kyoji questioned with a grim face.

"Y-you really don't know?" Shino asked.

"No," Kyoji responded.

"He," Kazuto paused and sighed.

"He raped me. Ken raped me," Shino finished her sentence. Kyoji's eyes widened.

"And he tried to kill me, trapping us online, in a death game. How did he know about us?" Kazuto asked.

"He used to visit me. Of course he wanted to know why I was here. I told him everything. About you, and about him," Kyoji sighed, running his fingers through his hair in desperation.

"Do you know why he would have done this?"

"We were really close. He was like a second brother to me," Kyoji mumbled.

"He must've wanted revenge, to avenge you," Kazuto leaned back in his chair.

"How did you know about all this Kazuto?" Shino stared.

"I had a hunch. Kyoji is a jealous type and very overprotective of you, no offense,"

"None taken," Kyoji frowned.

"I don't think Kyoji would've sent someone to do what Ken... what he did to you," Kazuto finished.

"I'm sorry Shino," Kyoji bowed his head, and his eyes weren't visible since his hair blocked his eyes.

"Kyoji," Shino whispered. Tear visibly dropped from his cheek to the table he sat in front of.

"Its not your fault," Shino reassures with a sad smile.

Kyoji's instantly looked up and revealed his tearful eyes that glistened under the artificial light of the room. He shook his head.

"My existence, its only made your life more worse than it already was," he didn't wipe a tear away and let them flow down his rosy cheeks.

"Kyoji, please calm down," Shino pleaded, her eyes getting tearful.

"My existence is a nuisance to you. During GGO and even now," he began to choke on his hot tears.

"I was glad I was put in here. This way, I thought I could never hurt you again. But because of me, Ken just made your life even worse. You must hate me," Kyoji looked down.

"I've already forgiven you, for everything," Shino sadly smiled, causing Kyoji to look up at her again.

"Since when?"

"Since it was all over, I've forgiven you. And what Ken did, it wasn't your fault," Shino wiped her tears from her cheeks.

"Really?" His eyes widened. They were filled with hope.

"I'm sure we all know, I can be pretty forgiving,"

"I have a question though," Kazuto leaned forward.

"Yeah, what is it?" Kyoji responded.

"Do you have any idea why Ken was obsessed with sapphires?"

"Oh," Kyoji blushed a bit.

"I told him about the necklace I was going to give Shino, before I went uh 'crazy'. I got her a sapphire necklace. Because her favorite color is blue," Kyoji mumbled. Shino's eyes widened and looked at him with awe.

"Kyoji," she murmured under her breath.

"But now, all I want you to be is happy. With me or not," Kyoji flashed a sad smile.

After saying goodbye to Kyoji, Shino walked out it o the parking lot quietly, her back towards Kazuto.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I just thought you should've listened to what he had to say," Kazuto mumbled, taking a step forward towards her turned back.

Suddenly she turned around and wrapped her arms around him, and he caught a glimpse of her bright smile.

"Thank you," she murmured. Kazuto smiled and hugged her back.

"I really needed to hear all that," she whispered before pulling away a bit from the hug, placing her soft lips against his.

When she pulled away, Kazuto was pleasantly surprised.

"I'm glad" he chuckled. They got on the motorcycle and headed home.

•••

(The day after)

Shino walked out of her second period and walked towards her next class until she felt a pair of arms wrap around from behind her, causing a deep blush to form on her cheeks.

"Kazuto," she hissed and he chuckled playfully, nuzzling his head into the crook of her neck.

"We'll be late to class," she mumbled. They seemed to be in the middle of hallway traffic, but instead of being knocked around, people went around them, giving them occasional stares at their public affections.

"Just for a minute," he mumbled. They stayed like that for a minute until he felt someone roughly grab his ear.

"You're going to make us all late," Suguha dragged him by the ear. Shino giggled and felt a arm wrap around hers and then another arm wrap around the other.

"We don't want to be late," Asuna winked at Shino.

"Seriously, Kazuto," Rika scoffed. Keiko shyly joined the three.

"We'll be late," she murmured, causing the group to speed up their pace.

•••

(Shino's POV)

As we scurry off to class, a smile never ceased to escape my lips at that moment.

I'm glad I decided to transfer. Because this is where my friends are. And Kazuto.

As class went by, lunch was next. And we all met up at what they call, "their spot".

Kazuto made sure to lead the way so I wouldn't get lost in the lunch crowd, making sure he had a nice hold of my hand.

"This is our spot," he smiled, with our friends already seated. It was a nice table under a nice blossom tree. It looked spotless, I could hardly believe it. Not one petal was scattered on the table.

Asuna patted on the seat next to hers.

"But I wanted Shino to sit next to me," Kazuto pouted, wrapping his arms around me once again. My face was beginning to turn the shade of the blossom tree.

"You get her all to yourself all day, its my turn," Asuna took my hand and pulled me closer, clumsily landing on the seat next to her.

"Fine," he huffed as he sat at the seat closest to me.

They all talked about what we planned to do today. I didn't hear much of the details because I was too distracted by my ringing phone.

"Excuse me please," I said politely as I stepped away from the table and onto the grass, out of hearing range.

"Hello?" I answered the call.

What I heard on the phone... Well my smile I had before, it was no longer there.

•••

I wonder what that could be...?

Hmm anyone got a clue?

Well the book is really reaching it's end. Just not quite yet!

So what did you all think about the Kyoji scene. Now we know what Ken's motives really were. Vengeance/revenge.

Until Next Time!

-InGameProdigy