Editing Sword Art Online:ME5

===Salvia===
'''''January 2025<ref>The event in this story took place before the start of story in volume 3 Fairy Dance.</ref>'''''

<!-- POV is Suguha -->

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"I'm at my limit already~"

Glancing at the side of Kazuto face who leaked the complaints in a miserable voice, Suguha tried not to laugh and raise her voice,

"Not yet! only 20 more!"

Two people continued swinging shinai<ref>A weapon used for practice and competition in kendo representing a Japanese sword.</ref> in a harsh cold weather of the morning. For Kazuto, swinging 300 times every morning is still very tough. Despite saying 'Can't~' or 'I'm dying~' every few minutes, but he still continued until the end. His willpower is what Suguha always looked up to.

"298, ......299, ......OK, finish~"

"My arms......I can't feel my arms......"

This morning Kazuto somehow could finish swinging too, after passing shinai to Suguha, he walked to a veranda and laid on top of the plank. Smiling at the scene, Suguha wiped both shinai with a cloth while leaning next to the black pine trunk. She pulled handkerchief out from her jersey pocket and wiped her sweat, relieved her breath.

Few days ago the yard was still covered in snow, but now it disappeared completely with continuous fine weather recently. Suguha noticed the earth in the planter, which arranged along side with the graveled path that turns from the yard to the door, was already dried. She then said without mercy to the dying body at the veranda,

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"Onii-chan, fill up that watering can and bring it here~"

Several seconds later, Kazuto lifelessly replied 'K~~' and got up, he pulled old watering can from under the veranda, quenched water from the hand washing place at the corner of the yard and handed it to Suguha. She received and tilted it at the planter, fine droplets of water came showering a curve line, accompanied with a light sound.

"......What is this flower?"

Kazuto asked, squatted and glanced at a small flower with a pale orange color in front of him.

"It's adonis, red chichibu type"

"Hmm...... so it blooms in this season"

On hearing Suguha's answer, Kazuto poked a petal of the adonis while deeply in thought.

"At our house, this flower blooms the earliest. ......But Onii-chan, why do you interested in the flower?"

"No... It's just 'that side' also has similar flower. ......How about this planter? It looks empty."

"Oh, that one I'll sow Salvia seeds when spring arrives, then they would bloom in the summer."

"Salvia...... what kind of flower is that?"

Finished watering, Suguha showered remaining water in the can at the base of black pine, then answer with a surprised voice,

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"It bloomed every years didn't it? It's red and when blooming, they look like many small goldfish. Onii-chan, when we were young, You always disconnected the flower to taste its nectar and cause mother to angry every time."

Upon hearing, Kazuto face started showing sign of amazement.

"N..Nectar!? Did I really do such a survivor-like thing......?"

"Ah―― you already forgot about it. I was sad my share was gone too."

"......My share?"

"Ah......"

Realized she inadvertently spoke unnecessary thing, Suguha shrugged and stuck out her tongue.

"Wait...... now I remembered......"

The grinning floated on Kazuto's face.

"The one mother angered at wasn't me but you, Sugu. I think she said 'weren't we agreed that no more than 3 per day?'"

"Haha, caught me, you remembered it so well. Even these days it was still a mystery to me how sweet the nectar from Salvia will be like."

"Hmm, I can't remember the taste......"

Kazuto aimlessly glanced to the space in front of him while he searched through the bottom of his memories――

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"Ah―......"

He stood still but his eyes suddenly went wide open.

"......? What is it, Onii-chan"

"No......that's right......come to think of it......"

Suguha looked up worriedly at the Kazuto's face, who muttered words she couldn't understand. Suddenly, he closed the distance between them while looked into her eyes. Suguha's heart throbbed, tried to hide her hot cheeks, she hastily jumped a step backward.

"W..What? Don't surprise me like that"

"......Sugu, do you have time now?"

"Eh? ......There's no class today, so it's alright, but why......?"

"Well then, let's go out with me for a bit"

Kazuto grabbed Suguha's arm, who was still unable to grasp the situation, and walked quickly toward under the eaves of the main building.

"W..Wait, where are we going?"

"Don't ask yet, just sit on the back seat"

He pulled out his mountain bike and cancelled the number lock attached to it.

"Eh―, I'm still in this outfit,  it's a bit......"

Suguha complained while looked down at her green school jersey, but Kazuto just smiled and said,

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"That is appropriate for the roadwork anyway."

"They use more cool looking jersey for that! ......It really can't be helped then..."

After said her point, she sat down on the rear carrier of MTB with her arms wrapped around Kazuto's waist and clung tightly. She began to worry that he would hear the sound of her heart which was currently beating like an alarm bell.

"Hold on tight!"

When Kuzuto forcefully stepped on the pedals, sound of the wind put her thought to rest and the back wheel kicked a pebble caused a small sound. The MTB started gaining momentum and once it went past the front gate, began to run.

The time was already past eight, being weekday there were lines of people walking on the road outside of the station. But the bicycle that both were riding headed to the opposite direction from the flow. Suguha felt the people they passed were smiling at the siblings, she buried her face behind Kazuto's back and quietly said,

"T..This is embarrassing, Onii-chan! How far more we're going?"

"Won't be too far...... probably......"

"Probably―!?"

The bicycle went on steadily until outskirt of the residential area, even though the rear carrier was made from metal, sitting was comfortable because the MTB's tire was attached to a thick suspension.

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It was around ten minutes on the bicycle when they reached behind a small shrine, Kazuto put on a brake. They were at a corner of an old residential area, by then it was already quiet without pedestrian traffic.

"......here?"

"......"

There was no answer to her question, Kazuto got off the bike, Suguha also jumped off the rear carrier. She put her hands on her hip and said,

"......Now, explain it properly already, is there anything at this shrine?"

"......"

Surely this lonely shrine must be Kazuto's destination. Just when she thought that, Kazuto crossed the road to the opposite side of the shrine. There stood a gate to a solitary luxurious house.

"......? Is it a house of your acquaintance?"

Suguha stood next to him, the house exterior was built with tiles of red bricks, palisade painted in white enclosed a large garden which was covered in color of dried straw. There was a small child who was waiting its parents at a red tricycle.

Suguha looked up to Kazuto face, wanted to ask her question again, but eventually, he shook his head slowly.

"No...... I don't know this house. But here...... It was a wide vacant lot and there were full of grass.

Phew, he breathed loudly with a slight smile.

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"......Well......It was from seven, or eight years ago anyway......"

"Vacant lot......? Is there something at that place......?"

"Nope, nothing...... Well, let's go back."

"I don't understand, we had come all the way to this place just to look for a vacant lot―?"

After self-concluded, he turned back, Kazuto shrugged and started walking to the bicycle. Suguha watched his back and when she was about to follow him――

"Ah......"

A bright blue scene had filled her vision.

One corner of the lawn was enclosed with bricks, it was a small flower bed. In the middle was cold resistance plants spread with deep green leaves, and hidden within ―― there were a dense short grass with a large amount of blooming small blue flowers.

"......It's the Salvia."

"......Eh?"

Suguha's voice reached Kazuto, who was looking at the flower bed next to him.

"Salvia...... Where is it?"

"Here, the blue flowers."

"But...... Sugu said earlier it's red flower?"

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"There are hundreds of species within the Salvia genus, this one is a Blue Salvia species. But, it's strange......"

When Suguha tilted her head, back door of the big house was opened. A young lady wearing apron came out, her long hair was tied in pony tail, in her hands was a shiny tin watering can.

The lady expanded her eyes a little when she saw the siblings, she then immediately smiled while approaching them and said,

"Good morning"

"Ah.. G..Good morning"

The siblings hastily returned greetings.

"Are you two from the neighborhood?"

"Y..Yes"

"Is there anything I could help?"

"Er..Erm... well......."

Blocked in front of Kazuto who struggled with this words, Suguha quickly said,

"I think these Salvia are very beautiful!"

"Is that so? Well, thank you."

The lady smiled cheerfully, Suguha continued saying with relieved,

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"But......normally Salvia won't be blooming past December right? Are these special kind?"

"Ah...... I also think it's strange. Even though they're perennial plant, in November every year the flowers would already started to fall off, but this year even past new year, the flowers are still there...... Unfortunately, I don't know if these are normal Blue Salvia or not......"

"Don't know......?"

"These Salvia were already here even before my house was built, during the constructions we had to move them slightly. But every year after that they are still blooming healthily here."

"I..Is that so?"

Suddenly Kazuto shouted, caused Suguha and the lady to surprise.

"W..What is it, Onii-chan."

"Ah, well...."

Kazuto hesitated for a bit, then timidly said,

"......The one who sowed these Salvia was me, ......seven years ago......"

"E..Eh!?"

"Oh, really!"

Suguha astonished by hearing an unexpected answer while the lady who embraced the watering can at her chest wore a big smile on her face.

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"Is that so, then these flowers must have been waiting for you. Ah......wait a moment."

The lady hunched to put the watering can down, then walked quickly into the house. In a short while the figure reappeared with a small shovel in her right hand, she lowered the white plastic pot in her left hand on the ground.

While Suguha and Kazuto were watching, the lady dug the shovel into one corner of the Blue Salvia bunch and carefully pull three stumps out then put them into the flowerpot. She brought a vinyl bag from her apron pocket and put the flowerpot into it. With smiling face and both hands holding the bag, she offered it to Kazuto.

"Let's split it, please take this."

"Ah......No, it's too much......"

"It's alright, the flowers surely would be delightful too."

"......Thank you very much. Then I'll accept your kind offer......"

Kuzuto lowered his head while accepted the bag. The content shook slightly and Suguha's nose was tickled by a faint aroma.

"Well then, feel free to come visit anytime. In spring there will be a lot more blooming."

"OK, now we must be going"

Kuzuto bowed his head again to the lady who began to scatter water with the watering can, then began to walk.

"Well, Sugu, let's go back."

"O..Ok. ......Good bye"

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Still couldn't understand the situation, Suguha bowed and followed Kazuto.

Kazuto didn't ride the bicycle, instead he pulled it with one hand and started walking. Next to him, filled with curiosity, Suguha quickly asked him,

"Wait, Onii-chan, what's going on? You really planted those!?"

"Ah―, how to say it....."

Kazuto stopped the bicycle in front of the stone steps after walked half circle around the shrine perimeter. His face went slightly red, 'Ah~', 'Uu~', cleared his throat with 'Ahem ahem', then he suddenly offered the bag in his right hand to Suguha.

"Sugu, your birthday present."

"Hah!? ......It's not my birthday yet though?"

"It's from seven years ago."

Still don't understand. Suguha tilted her head while her glance was filled with questions.

"......Seven years ago...... On Sugu's birthday. You wished to gather a lot of Salvia to get its nectar, so I bought some seeds with my allowance and planted them at that vacant lot. But later I couldn't find the road to the shrine, I spent a while searching and eventually gave up. At that time I was very sad..... Then, this time I find it in one go. Child's memory is really unreliable."

"Onii-chan......"

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Suguha's eyes opened wide, she shyly averted her gaze from Kuzuto's face. Her chest felt tight with various emotions had overflown within her heart.

Stretched out her right hand, She gently pulled a Salvia flower which peeped out from the bag's opening. She received the droplet that came off from its base with the tip of her tongue. It was faint, but vivid sweetness quickly spread inside her mouth ―― At that moment, Suguha felt the flow of many years time she spent with Kazuto breezed through her. Before she realized, two streaks of tear already flew passed her cheeks and dropped on her feet.

"O..Oi, don't suddenly cry......"

Suguha jumped to Kazuto's chest who had faltered because of sudden panic. Both hands wrapped his back, she embraced him with all her strength. Before long, she felt Kazuto caressed her head gently. Cheek still pressed on Kazuto's chest, she whispered quietly while the sweetness was still lingering in her mouth,

"I love you.....Onii-chan"


(END)


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