Crimson Rosario - An SAO Fanfic - Yuuki Konno X OC

°•¤●Tales Told●¤•°

[Chapter 57]

[-•¤Yuuki¤•-]

How unusual...

The fondness in her voice, the pleasant expression on her face, and the body language she conveyed painted a clear image for me to witness.

As she kept her kind smile, retelling the scene that changed her life, I could see how precious her time with him was for her. Although there were many moments when she seemed bitter about his actions, they always appeared to last only for a short second before continuing to shower him with praise.

This sensation in my chest grew ever more difficult to understand... as I became more confused about what to feel. In a way, I assumed I would be enlightened and overjoyed by the fact that Akashi was really that wonderful of a person... but part of me feels almost half-hearted.

He's every bit as sincere in the real world as he is in the virtual, which puts me at ease knowing the "Akashi" I know him as now isn't just a guise he portrays only to entertain me. That said, seeing her talk about him now... with how pleased she is after only knowing him for a few months, I couldn't help but notice the reality of who I am in his life.

What's my place in his heart? Do I really hold significance to him, even though our paths intertwined so recently? Have I become someone irreplaceable, or will I only be a passing memory?

My thoughts danced on these questions for a while as I listened to Sinon's stories, leaning slightly on the tree we sat down under to talk, shading us above.

Then, an important question surfaced amidst my idle-mindedness.

Would he still be the same person if we never met...?

...

Moments of us together flashed before my eyes, from when we talked on the train to when we shared meals earlier today. The ugly thoughts halted steadfastly, and a clear-cut answer presented itself.

Of course not. If not for me, Akashi would've kept holding onto his sins for god knows how long. I have done more than enough to be someone he will never forget.

Then again, do I really deserve to be remembered so dearly... when I hardly know him enough?

I keep forgetting how few puzzle pieces I have that fit in the grand scheme of his life, and the more of them I have as we spend time together, the bigger the frame becomes. One can only assume they must devote an entire lifetime to complete the image, needing each piece to fit in its place.

Which... leaves me at a disadvantage.

I don't have a whole lifetime to give to deserve to be remembered...

Which is why I-

... Oh...

That must be it... that's why I feel this way.

I realized that I'm not like Sinon and the others...

When it comes to me...

I'm working on borrowed time.

...

Haih...

I could only wish... that I had met him sooner.