Asami: “Harumi?”

Yuji: “My… ex…” I whispered to her.

Asami: “Need me… to do anything?”

Yuji: “It’s fine… Just act natural.”

Harumi then approached me.

Harumi: “It’s been… so long…”

Yuji: “I’m surprised you recognised me…”

Harumi: “I would never forget you…”

Yuji: “That’s good to hear…”

Harumi: “How have you been?”

Yuji: “Normal I guess…”

Harumi: “What are you doing here? Did you move to Japan?”

Yuji: “Erm… no, just here to visit someone…”

Harumi: “All the way here?’

Yuji: “Yeah…”

Harumi: “Were you stuck in SAO when it happened? I was worried about you when I heard that the game was… Since you liked playing VR games, so I thought about it…”

Yuji: “I was… stuck in that game…”

Harumi: “Eh?”

Yuji: “It was hell…”

Harumi: “I’m sorry… Oh, yeah I’m sorry, but maybe you should introduce your…”

Yuji: “Oh, she’s Asami, she’s also a SAO survivor like me…”

Then Asami shaked her hand.

Asami: “Hi… I’m… Yuji’s girlfriend.” and she hooked her arms onto mine. I was shocked.

Harumi: “Ah… Looks like you found the one for you…”

Yuji: “Erm… yeah… What about you?”

Harumi: “Me? Nah… I don’t have the time… and besides, I still feel guilty about that day… even after so long…”

Yuji: “The time you broke up with me?”

Harumi: “Yeah… I think I’m not suitable to date anyone…”

Yuji: “Don’t say that… Everyone will get a chance. Maybe we are just not meant to be…”

Harumi: “I will stop interrupting your date…”

Yuji: “It’s fine…”

Harumi: “Do you want to exchange numbers?”

Yuji: “Erm… okay…”

Harumi: “How long are you staying here?”

Yuji: “Till after New Year’s Day…”

Harumi: “I see…”

And we exchanged contact details.

Harumi: “See you soon…” She turned around and left, while Asami and I walked away to meet the couple.

Yuji: “Why did you say you are my girlfriend?”

Asami: “I sounded kind of… sad when you are talking to her… You sounded like you don’t want to talk to her… So I decided to act as a girlfriend to help end the conversation quick… And I guess it worked…”

Yuji: “But still….”

Asami: “It’s all an act…”

Yuji: “Okay… I admit that I really don’t want to talk to her… And I thank you… for helping me out…”

Asami: “You are welcome.”

We both then meet up with the couple at the restaurant.

Usagi: “What took you two so long?”

Asami: “Yuji met someone along the way… so we talked for a bit…”

Takeya: “Who did you met?”

Yuji: “My… first ex…”

Takeya: “The one… that…”

Yuji: “Yeah.”

Takeya: “Okay…”

Usagi: “What’s going on? Who is she?”

Takeya: “You don’t want to know…”

Usagi then stopped questioning…

Takeya: “So… what do you two want to eat? Me and Usagi ordered because we couldn’t wait any longer…”

Asami and I then ordered our food. We had a great time together.

Yuji: “So is it safe to say that you two are officially dating?”

Takeya: “I… don’t know…”

Yuji: “I guess it’s a yes.”

Takeya: “Huh? I didn’t say yes!”

Yuji: “You are just too shy to say yes.”

After dinner, we split ways. Me and Takeya walked towards his house under the snow… I made fun of him, being shy about his relationship.

Yuji: “So… erm… what’s next? When are we hearing wedding bells…”

Takeya: “Not so fast…”

Yuji: “Hehe… Me and Asami had been observing you the whole day…”

Takeya: “Really?”

Yuji: “Yeah! You two looked… nice… I think I’m jealous…”

Takeya: “You do have someone… who likes you…”

Yuji: “Huh? Who? My ex?”

Takeya: “No… Oh yeah, talking about your ex… She’s here?”

Yuji: “Apparently yes… I didn’t know.”

Takeya: “Did you ask why is she is here?”

Yuji: “Didn’t had the chance… In fact, I didn’t want to talk to her…”

Takeya: “How did you get out of that?”

Yuji: “Asami helped out… a bit…”

Takeya: “I guess she acted as your girlfriend.”

Yuji: “How did you know?”

Takeya: “It’s kind of obvious… and besides, she likes you.”

Yuji: “Yeah she told me… Since SAO…”

Takeya: “Oh she did?”

Yuji: “But I… kind of pushed her away…”

Takeya: “I can understand…”

Yuji: “Yeah…”

Then a figure appeared in the snow…

“Hi… Yuji…”

Yuji: “Harumi… What are you doing here, under the snow?”

Harumi: “I… would say I’m lucky… to manage to bump into you again… May… I have a word with you, in private?”

Yuji: “Takeya… You go ahead first… I will join you in a bit.”

Takeya: “You sure…?”

Yuji: “Yeah, I’m fine.”

Takeya: “Okay then… Have… a good talk.” and he walked away.

 

Harumi and I then walked to a nearby park and sat down on a bench, we sat at the sides of the benches.

Harumi: “When… I saw you back there, I was actually happy…”

Yuji: “Oh… I see…”

Harumi: “I bet you felt… disgusted to see me.”

Yuji: “I admit… I did felt a little…”

Harumi: “I’m sorry for… leaving you… like that…”

Yuji: “It’s okay, I’m over it.”

Harumi: “How have you been while I was gone?”

Yuji: “Fine, I guess. The first few months were hell to go through. But eventually, someone helped me walk out of the darkness.”

Harumi: “I guess that’s your current girlfriend…”

Yuji: “No… I used to have a girlfriend, she died in SAO. I came to Japan to seek closure… The girl you saw just now isn’t my girlfriend. She’s just trying to help me to get you to leave.”

Harumi: “I see… Looks like my senses was right… You really do feel disgusted to see me…”

Yuji: “You did leave me with an impact after all… You can’t blame me for feeling that way on you.”

Harumi: “You are right. I don’t blame you.”

Yuji: “Anything else you want to talk about? If not, I’m leaving, it’s getting cold and I don’t want to get sick. I’m technically here on a vacation…”

Harumi: “I do want to ask you something…”

Yuji: “Okay, go ahead.”

Harumi: “After meeting you in the streets just now, I think something or someone is telling me that this is my chance to make it up to you for what I did… So…

 

 

Are you willing to date me once again?”