Chapter 222: Chapter 221: I Went to the Convention... and Got Recognized Before I Even Got Through the DoorSupport me at /CulturedOne and read 50 Advanced Chapters
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Ever since the conclusion of the Kuradeel arc in Sword Art Online, where Asuna and Kirito finally solidified their romance, the popularity of the novel has surged at an exponential rate.
The latest two Chapters have been nothing but pure romantic bliss.
After temporarily leaving the front lines, Asuna and Kirito spend their honeymoon in the world of Aincrad.
They travel to scenic spots, rest, admire the flowers and the moon, talk about their feelings, and when they get tired, they simply relax in their room.
Haruto had initially worried that readers might find these Chapters to be filler since the previous arcs were so focused on driving the main plot forward. He had decided to adapt these slice-of-life moments from the original source material to give the characters some breathing room.
As it turned out, Haruto had worried for nothing.
Under his account, thousands of fans showered the Chapters with unanimous praise. There was the gentle and upright Asuna, the tsundere and adorable Asuna, the Asuna who daydreamed about meeting Kirito in the real world, and the Asuna who imagined exactly how their first date would go. Over these two weeks, she completely conquered the hearts of every fan.
Even those who had previously threatened to drop the series if characters like Argo, Liz, or Silica were relegated to the losers’ club were now caught by the law of attraction.
Many of them abandoned their original stances on the spot and defected to the Asuna camp.
The massive success of this novel influenced the ACG industry in myriad ways. First and foremost, there was a sudden explosion of death game submissions in the light novel industry. Everyone wanted to write about virtual worlds where dying in the game meant dying in reality.
However, while the first person to try something new is a genius, those who follow are usually just imitators.
The response to similar novels serialized by various publishing houses was mediocre at best.
This was to be expected. Even in the parallel world where Sword Art Online was a massive hit, very few copycats managed to capture the same magic. After all, creating a heroine as universally beloved as Asuna is an incredibly difficult task.
At every major anime convention and game exhibition across Japan, the venues were now overrun by cosplayers portraying Asuna, Kirito, and Madoka. No matter which Comiket or event you attended, you were guaranteed to see a sea of Kiritos in black leather, Asunas in white and red knight uniforms, pink-clad Madokas, and long-haired Homuras. Furthermore, merchandise for these series topped the sales charts at every event.
Poll data and statistics are just numbers on a screen; they are abstract concepts. If you want to see the true popularity of a work, you only need to look at an offline gathering of fans.
By the middle of January, the semester had ended. After finishing his university final exams, Haruto finally began his winter break of his sophomore year.
His classmates were gradually heading back to their hometowns or looking for internships and part-time jobs to earn pocket money and credits. Haruto, on the other hand, enjoyed a rare moment of peace now that his winter break had started.
The production of the various works at his company had stabilized. The anime for 7 Years From Now was scheduled to premiere in two months, and its production was already in the final stages, meaning Haruto didn’t need to intervene much anymore.
As for writing Sword Art Online and drafting the storyboards for Initial D, these tasks didn’t take up much of his time now that he was so experienced.
"So, Haruto... are you not going back to Minamijo for the holidays?" Reina asked him today. She looked quite surprised when he told her he wasn’t returning.
"Yeah. I don’t really have any family left in Minamijo. My parents are gone, and my relationship with my other relatives is strained." Haruto replied.
"I see..." A flicker of disappointment crossed Reina’s face. She had originally planned to help Haruto book a flight so they could travel back together.
"What about you, Shizuru?" Haruto turned to look at Shizuru.
"I have to go back for a few days, maybe four or five. I can’t stay too long, though, otherwise it’ll affect the serialization of Initial D," Shizuru answered. This past year has been like a dream for her. Within less than a year of collaborating with Haruto, she had risen to the ranks of top-tier mangaka.
"And you, Yukino? What are you going to do during the company break?"
"Me?" Yukino, who was currently tinkering with an Asuna cosplay outfit nearby, replied casually. "Yeah, I’ll just stay here."
"Eh?" Haruto had asked purely out of politeness and didn’t expect that answer. "Doesn’t your family live right here in Tokyo?"
"That’s exactly why I don’t want to go home. Everytime I go there, the first thing they do is ask me when I’m getting married." A self-deprecating smile flashed across Yukino’s fair face. "I’m not crazy. I don’t want to spend my rare free time being lectured by my parents about how a girl my age should be married off. It’s annoying."
Reina Fujimoto and Shizuru looked at Yukino with sympathetic expressions.
"Well, that works out then," Haruto said with a smile. "It looks like I’ll have someone for company."
"Eh?..." Reina let out a soft sound.
Yukino and Shizuru glanced at her, but her expression remained neutral, so they didn’t think much of it.
On Saturday, January 17th, Reina and Shizuru both boarded planes and left Tokyo. After seeing them off at the airport, Haruto and Yukino felt a bit sentimental. As they sat in Haruto’s car, Yukino was looking around restlessly.
"What’s up with you today? Why so energetic?" Haruto asked.
"Normally when I’m in your car, Reina is always there, so I have to behave. Now that she’s gone, I can relax a bit," Yukino said softly, watching the snowflakes drift past the window. "By the way, Haruto, there are two big anime conventions happening over the next two days. Do you want to go?"
"A convention..." Haruto paused. The last time he had gone to a convention with Yukino was back in high school. Since then, they had both been so busy with work that they hadn’t had a chance to go.
"I just bought an Asuna cosplay outfit, and I bought a black swordsman outfit for you too. The two of us can go as Asuna and Kirito and show everyone how it’s done." Yukino looked excited. "If the original author of the novel shows up at a convention cosplaying as Kirito, it’ll be a total sensation."
"I know that," Haruto said, rolling his eyes. "That’s why I’m afraid to go anywhere crowded. If I get recognized, I’ll be swarmed by fans."
"So you’re not going?" Yukino glanced at his profile.
"I’ll go," Haruto laughed. "Why worry so much? It’s finally break time for both school and the company, and I’ve already finished my novel drafts and manga storyboards in advance. I’m looking forward to having some fun."
A slight smile played on Yukino’s lips. "Then remember to wake up early tomorrow."
With Shizuru and Reina gone, Haruto’s villa felt empty with just him and Yukino. To be honest, the atmosphere was a bit awkward. When they all ate together, there was always plenty of laughter and conversation, but now, sitting directly across from each other at the table, they didn’t quite know what to say. The next morning, however, Haruto was awakened by Yukino knocking on his door. It was only five in the morning.
What on earth?
Haruto got up bleary-eyed and opened the door. Standing there was Yukino, dressed in a white knight outfit. Her hair was dyed chestnut, and she wore the white and red knight’s uniform. Beneath the short red skirt were long, straight legs in white stockings. She even held a white and red rapier. Of course, the sword was the real deal, just unsharpened.
"Well? Do I look like Asuna?" Yukino laughed softly, her eyes searching Haruto’s.
Haruto looked at her face, her torso, and then down at her white stockings. He hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Overall, it’s very good."
"Overall? What’s with that phrasing?" Yukino narrowed her eyes. "So there are some details that need work?"
’Well, Asuna isn’t quite as well-endowed as you are.’