Missing Beat

Chapter Three: Colors of the Heart Part II

Well, how's this for a Valentine's gift? Jokes aside, I'm really sorry for taking so long. I had decided to take a break from harem stories for a while, choosing to focus on FESR and other, newer projects, but now I'm BACK! Hopefully I didn't lose some of you with the long wait!

Anyway, the depressing chapter has arrived! Anyway, I thought it'd be best to include some drama, as it IS one of the genre settings of this story. Don't worry, though, it doesn't stay depressing for the whole chapter. 5,xxx words of sadness is impossible for me to write.

Also, sorry about the lack of my omake chapter, but I wasn't getting anywhere with it. It might come out eventually, but it might not. It all depends on inspiration, which is also why it took so long for this chapter to come out. Again, sorry about that!

By the way, I'm adding another character to Kirito's harem. It's probably pretty obvious who it is by now, but the way I add her might surprise (and tick off) a lot of you. Still, please bear with me, guys! This story will get back to its regular harem-ness soon enough!

So... yeah. That's all I can think of to say! So...

See ya at the bottom!

"Does this have to do with your lyrics?" Yulier asked, an all-knowing expression on her face.

I sighed. "I can't deny that that's a part of it. But at the same time, I really do want to see her."

This time, Yulier was the one to sigh. "Well, it might be for the best. She's been wanting to see you as well."

What?! But I thought...

Keeping my composure, I said, "Thanks. Let's go, Yuuki."

"Right..." Yuuki whispered dejectedly.

I looked down as we walked through the maze-like house, falling deep into thought.

That's right... Yuuki used to idolize her sister, didn't she? It must've been tough when that happened... Sorry, Yuuki...

When we reached Yuuki's sister's room, I steeled myself... to face the demons of my past.

I let myself in, knowing she would be asleep at this time. When I turned around to ask if Yuuki was going to come in, I found that she had vanished, most likely going up to her room to avoid the confrontation.

It really hit her hard, didn't it?

I turned back around, finding a bed, on top of which was a girl sleeping on her side. The girl had long sky-blue hair that hung off the bed, and an amazing figure. There was a hint of drool on her pillow, and also a little bit on her mouth, which suggested that she had recently shifted positions.

She still drools in her sleep, huh?

I walked over to the bed, careful not to disturb her in her slumber. When I got to her bed, I sat my backpack and guitar case gently beside it. I gently sat down on the bed, whispering, "You know, Aiko..."

Before I could continue, the girl woke up. "Wha...? Did you say my name?" Aiko queried, pointing a finger at me curiously.

Startled, I fell off the bed. When I regained my composure, I said, "Y-yeah..."

"Wait, are you... Kazuto? You're back...?"

"Yeah..."

I instantly found a pair of arms around me, hugging me tightly.

"What's wrong?" I asked gently.

"Please...! You have to help me remember! I want to remember everything!" she cried in desperation.

I remembered Yuuki's words earlier that day.

"I dunno, Kazuto," Yuuki told me uncertainly. "She's kinda unstable right now..."

"Yeah... I want you to remember everything, too... but there are some things that you're better off not remembering," I told her softly. "Sometimes I want to forget all about what happened, but I can't... my eyes are scarred with the all the blood shed that night. I guess you're a little lucky that you can't remember."

"But... I want to remember you!" she cried. "You're so nice every time you visit... and you said you knew me before... but you never visit anymore..."

She burst into tears, and I embraced her without thinking.

What does she mean by that? Wait, does she think...? That must be it.

Smiling softly, I said, "So you think that if you remember the me from back then, then I'll visit more often?

"I gotta say, you haven't changed, even if your memory was wiped after the incident. You're still as naïve as ever," I finished with a sad smile.

At this, she only cried harder. Though I knew the harsh implications of what I said, I couldn't stop myself.

"I wasn't done. I wouldn't stop visiting you for good just because you don't remember the old me. I've been really busy with my new band recently, that's all. And you know something else? I..." I started, finding myself unable to go any further.

"What?"

I took a deep breath. "I... I loved you once... and I don't think I've gotten over it yet. Even without your memories of me, you're still Aiko Konno, the best friend... and only crush... I've ever had," I finished.

She stiffened in my arms, and I could sense her shock.

I trembled, waiting for a reaction. Why did I say that? It's not like she could ever return my feelings... and that's exactly why I haven't visited for so long... now I feel terrible.

When I finally got one, it was one I would never have expected.

"I think I love... you too. But... you have to move on from me. We're so different, and I know you wouldn't be happy with me. After all, I can't even leave this room. You need to be with your new band, not cooped up in one room all day."

I remembered something she said to me long ago, before she lost her memories.

"You know we can't be together," Aiko said, putting a hand on my shoulder.

We both love each other... so why did this have to happen...?

I could feel my heart breaking in two. Even so, I found myself saying, "Yeah... yeah, you're right. Even if we return each other's feelings, it's for the best that we stay friends..."

"So... even in your new life, this is how it is?" I said, smiling in spite of my despair. I could feel tears building up in my eyes, but I knew I had to stay strong. "Well... I'll try."

"Thank you... I know it must be tough, but I want you to find someone who can truly make you happy."

I was tempted to shout out that I didn't think anyone else could, that I had never felt anything for anyone else, but I held my tongue. If I lashed out, I might hurt her.

Still... I need... I need confirmation. Confirmation that she isn't just messing with me. And for that, I need...

"But... Aiko?"

"Yeah?"

"Could you do me one last favor before we go back to being friends?"

"What is it?"

"Kiss me. Just once. I need to know..."

"All right," she replied, reading my thoughts through my tone.

She pulled back from my arms. We both leaned in, and then...

Our lips met... in the first kiss I'd ever had.

It was electrifying. I had never thought that mere lip-to-lip contact would be so thrilling, and yet it was. I restrained my urge to deepen the kiss, knowing that that would be going too far. Then, just as fast as it began, it ended.

When we pulled apart, I got up, getting my bag from her bedside. "I forgot to tell you. I'm going to be staying here for a few days to get the lyrics finished up for a new single. That's all right with you, right?"

"Yeah, that's fine," Aiko said gently.

"Well, I'd better go find a place to sleep later tonight. After all, tomorrow's Friday, and after that's the weekend. The single is due on Monday, so..." I said, stopping when I realized I was rambling.

"Ah, I see," Aiko said, nodding. "You want to sleep in my room? I'm fairly sure I know what the song is about, so it might be good to stir up memories here. I'll go get a futon."

She walked off to the room next to us, not giving me room to answer. With that, I was left to my thoughts. It was only then that the gravity of what I had done hit me.

After what happened... is she really okay with me sleeping in her room? Sure, I'll be in a different bed, but after what happened...

"I know what you're thinking about," Aiko said softly, returning with a futon. "It doesn't have to be awkward if you don't want to make it. Don't worry, I won't try to distance us or anything. You're still the best friend I've had since I lost my memory, and I don't want that to change."

Unbeknownst to her, that was exactly what I feared.

I don't want to just be her best friend... but I can't break her trust in me.

"Yeah, all right. Thanks for still trusting me," I said softly, though the smile I wore was a bitter one.

In the next two days, I worked diligently on the lyrics, and I actually got most of them written down. Now, on Saturday, I knew I would make it.

As Yuuki, Yulier and I sat at the dinner table, I began to wonder how Aiko was doing, locked up in her room.

I hope she isn't lonely... wait, why do they keep her in there all day?

"Hey, Yuuki? Yulier? Why is it that you don't let Aiko out of her room?"

"Well..." Yuuki started, trailing off.

"She can't handle stimulus very well after what happened. It's hard to explain, but to put it simply...

"The sounds of the outside world overload her sense of hearing, causing her to go into a frenzy."

Wow... that's tough.

"She at least gets education, right?" I queried.

"Well, yeah," Yuuki answered. "She's homeschooled by mom."

"That's good."

Silence reigned the dinner table for the rest of the meal, and before I knew it, I was back to writing lyrics in Aiko's room.

"How's it coming along?" Aiko queried, walking up to the desk I was borrowing.

"I'm just about done," I said happily, careful not to be too loud. "You were right. Being in here did help me with getting the lyrics figured out."

"I'm glad," she replied, resting her chin on my shoulder. Being two years older than me, she was much taller, so she had to bend down on her knees to do so.

The simple contact shocked me for a second, but I quickly regained focus and continued working on my lyrics. She's been clingy all weekend... it's like she doesn't want me to ever leave. You know, that's probably it.

Deciding to end her fears, I began talking. "You know, Aiko... I'm not going to stop coming. I'm not going to stop visiting you like you were fearing."

"Thanks for that..." she replied. "You must have known exactly what I was thinking about all weekend."

"Sorry if I gave off the impression that I wasn't coming back," I said softly. "I promise. From now on, I'll come visit you and Yuuki every Saturday."

"Great!"

About an hour later, I finally set my pencil down, looking at my music sheet in disbelief.

"My... god..." I whispered in shock.

"What is it?" Aiko asked from her bed, a yawn escaping her lips as she got up and walking over to me.

"I'm... done..."

"You finished the lyrics?" Aiko queried, an enthusiastic expression on her once-tired face.

"Yeah!"

"You'd better call your bandmates and tell them so you can practice! You only have a day left!" Aiko said enthusiastically, though I sensed a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Yeah. Thanks for everything, Aiko," I said softly, hugging her tightly. She stiffened in my arms for a moment, then relaxed.

"No problem!" she replied once I let her go. "There is one thing you can do for me, though."

"Anything," I said, a sincere expression on my face.

"Give me your cellphone number," she requested. "That way I can call you if something's up. Besides, you already know my number, right? It's only fair."

"Okay, sure," I replied, getting a spare piece of paper to write on. I wrote my cellphone number on it, giving it to her before grabbing my stuff in a hurry.

"All right, I'll see you next Saturday!" I shouted, leaving the room.

I went to Yuuki's room, knocking on her door.

"What is it?" I heard her ask irately from the other side of the door.

"What're you so mad about?" I asked her, my voice tinged with worry.

"It's nothing," she said curtly. "You can come in if you want."

"Okay, I'm coming in," I said, opening the door to reveal a room full of violet.

A purple canopy bed with lavender veils, lavender curtains, purple carpet... everything was colored some form of purple.

That's right... Yuuki is crazy about the color purple.

"So, what's up?" Yuuki asked me, all traces of irritation having left her voice.

"I finished the lyrics!" I shouted jubilantly, showing her the papers in my hands.

She looked at them for a moment, before saying, "Whoa, those are pretty depressing!"

"Well, they're sort of based on how I felt after the incident that broke up my first band, so..."

"Ah."

I looked at her intensely for a moment, and when our eyes met, she started to blush.

"What are you blushing for?" I asked her, an amused smile tugging at my lips.

She looked away, still blushing. "You're an idiot."

"Some people call me that," I retorted. "But I prefer the term, 'misunderstood'."

"Whatever," she sighed, turning back to meet my eyes. "We should probably let the rest of our bandmates know, then we can all go to Argo's place and practice our butts off in her band room."

That's right! Argo has a soundproof room in her dad's mansion!

"Let's go!"

After calling everyone and telling them to meet up at Argo's mansion, we started heading over there ourselves, our guitars sharing a space with our backpacks on our backs.

"So, how do you think everyone will react to the lyrics?" I asked Yuuki, a tinge of nervousness in my voice.

"Don't worry, they'll love them!"

She's probably just trying to make me feel better...

"Thanks," I told her softly.

"What for?"

"For being you," I said, watching with an amused smile as she began blushing.

"Anyway, it looks like we're here," I said, looking at the monumentally large mansion in front of us.

No matter how many times I come here, it always amazes me how huge Argo's house is. Well, her father is the CEO of a famous tech company, so it makes sense.

I pushed the call button, and then a voice went through the speaker next to it, saying, "This is the Akihiko residence. We don't take solicitors, so please lea—"

"I'm Kazuto Kirigaya, stage name Kirito of Infinity Moment, and this is another member named Yuuki Konno. I assume you know us, since Argo is in our band as backup and money manager."

"Oh, I'm sorry for not recognizing you, Master Kazuto and Master Yuuki. I'll open the gates right away," the man behind said through the speakers said nervously.

"Don't worry about it," I replied while I saw the gates open. "It's not like you were expecting us to come on such short notice, so it's natural that you wouldn't know at first. Just to let you know, though, Asuna, Shino and Lisbeth are going to be coming as well."

"Thank you for informing me. I'll see to it that they get in."

"Right. Well, I'll be seeing you!" I said, pushing the call button once more to end the call.

We walked through the now-open gates, walking along the path that led to the main house. Once we got there, we were greeted with Argo and her father, both of which looked happy to see us...

Though with them, you can only tell by their eyes.

Yuuki immediately said, "I'll put my stuff in the practice room, okay?" before running off.

I wonder what's up with her.

"Hey, Argo, Akihiko. How are you guys doing?" I asked them, not even bothering to use formal language. After all, Akihiko Kayaba himself had told me that he didn't want me to 'be so polite'.

After all, he does want me to marry his daughter.

"We're doing great," Kayaba said, looking at us with his regular impassive expression. Still, if you looked at his eyes, it was easy to tell that he had something in mind... something I would love. "By the way, Kazuto, I have a new amp for you to test out while you practice. I think you'll find that it provides much better sound quality than the last amp I gave you, which I can see by the shape of your full backpack that you're still using."

He always was amazing at judging things like that.

If there was one thing we had in common, it was our love for machinery. We both loved to tinker with different machines of all kinds, improving them as needed. It seemed that every time I came over to his house, he had a new music-related product for me to test out and use.

"You know it," I said, giving him a thumbs up. "You make the best of the best in amps, so there's no way I'd switch out. And yeah, I'll be glad to test your new one out!"

"Great." he said. "It's already in the soundproof room, so be sure to tell me how it works after practice."

"You got it," I replied.

He left the room, leaving me and Argo alone.

I looked at her, finding that her casual wear looked much better on her than her school uniform.

Her outfit consisted of a teal shirt that hugged her curves quite nicely, partially covered by a light gray bolero jacket, and a gray miniskirt to match.

Wow...

Argo must have caught me ogling at her, because after a few seconds, she said, "Is this really that much better than my school uniform?"

"Y-yeah, definitely," I stuttered, quickly looking away to hide the tinge of pink on my cheeks.

"Thanks. You averting your eyes really convinces me."

"I'm serious!" I said, my eyes snapping back to her. "You look beautiful, Argo."

"In that case... maybe..." Argo trailed off. For the first time since I met her, I saw a light pink color make its way onto her cheeks.

"Maybe...?" I said, urging her to continue.

She's never been this shy before! Wait... please don't tell me that she wants—

"Maybe we could—"

"Hey, guys!" someone shouted from the doorway.

I turned around, finding Lisbeth, Asuna, and Shino all coming in at once. "Hey, guys!" I said, walking over to them.

"So, you guys ready to practice?"

"Yeah!" was the collective response I got.

"All right, let's go meet up with Yuuki in the practice room. Everyone's got their equipment, right?"

I received nods from everyone, and we set off.

The walk to our practice room was a long one. The practice room was located in one of the five side houses on Argo's dad's estate, and that house in particular was filled with music equipment, as well as several soundproof rooms.

After all, every side house has a theme to it.

Once we entered the side house, we immediately made a beeline for the soundproof room we used to practice. When we arrived, we found Yuuki in the corner, sleeping while sitting in a comfortable chair.

"That girl never ceases to amaze me with how quickly and easily she can fall asleep," Shino said flatly, looking at Yuuki with amused eyes.

As usual, her voice and eyes contradict each other.

I walked over to Yuuki, gently shaking her shoulder. "Yuuki, everyone is here. It's time to practice."

She awoke slowly, wiping the drool from her face with her right hand before looking up into my eyes.

"UWAH!" she shouted, jumping up with and bumping heads with me.

We both fell to the ground, me clutching my head in pain, and Yuuki... on top of me.

"I'm gonna get a lot of mileage off out of this one," Argo said mischievously, snapping a picture with her phone, which she seemingly pulled out of nowhere.

Yuuki quickly jumped off of me, nearly crushing my stomach in the process.

Ow...

"Delete that photo right now!" Yuuki shouted, running at Argo with raging fire in her violet eyes.

"Don't worry about it, Yuuki," I said, getting up slowly to avoid hurting my stomach even more. "It's not like she's going to show the whole world. Right, Argo?"

"Yeah, you got me."

Whew... I was just bluffing, but it looks like it paid off.

"Just Japan."

I thought too soon...

"In that case, how about you delete that picture?" I said, a creepy glint in my eye.

One look at my eyes, and she hurriedly got on her phone, presumably deleting the picture of Yuuki and I.

Works every time! I wonder why everyone always does what I say when I make that face...

I snapped out of my reverie at the sound of Yuuki saying, "We're all set up, Kazuto!"

"Okay, is everybody ready?" I asked them, looking at each of them with a smile.

"YEAH!"

The day had finally come.

It was time to record.

As Egil drove us to the recording studio for Nightfall Records, I could feel the confidence of my bandmates, a stark contrast to the last time we came. Even Sachi, who I had decided to bring along again, was devoid of her usual nervousness in front of my band.

This is good! We're gonna do great, I just know it!

I looked over at Argo, giving her a nervous look. "So... do you think this one will sell enough? I forgot to ask you that at practice last night."

"Can I see the lyrics one more time?" she asked me.

I looked over to Asuna, who was looking out the window of Egil's newest ride: a giant, white armored van.

Just what kind of connections does Egil have? I briefly wondered before Asuna turned and met my eyes.

"What is it?"

"Argo wants to see the lyrics one more time."

Asuna sighed, fishing a couple of pieces of paper out of her backpack beside her. "Here," she said, handing them over to Argo.

Argo looked over them silently, her expression unreadable.

What if it isn't good enough?

"It's good enough on its own to go gold within three weeks, but the fact that both you and Asuna will have singing parts will make it a lot faster," she said, giving me one of her rare smiles.

I smiled back, saying, "Great!"

Argo gave the lyrics back to Asuna, who happily took them and put them back into her backpack. As soon as she finished, the van slowed to a halt.

"We're here, guys!" Egil said from the driver's seat. "And since I don't have anything better to do, do you mind if I come watch?"

"No prob, Egil!" I confirmed, giving him a grin.

We all got out of the armored van, and Egil locked it before we walked up to the recording studio, which resided in a separate building from Klein's office.

When we got to the door, Egil opened it for us, and we walked in.

We found ourselves standing in a giant lobby, with a gold-plated fountain in the center that spewed water high into the air before it came back down into the fountain pool, only to be sucked up into the fountain once again.

While everyone else looked around in awe, Argo and I walked up to the front desk.

"You're all Infinity Moment, I presume?" the desk lady asked us politely.

"Yeah, that's us," Argo said before I got the chance.

"I hope it's all right that we brought some friends with us," I said, giving the desk lady a hopeful stare.

"Sure, that's fine," she replied. "Just as long as they don't break anything or interfere with your recording, they are welcome here."

"Great," I replied.

The lady reached under her desk, pulling out several silver pendants, all of which had our logo on them save for two, which both said, "visitor".

Man, they really pull out all the stops, don't they?

"Take these and put them around your necks. That will help employees recognize you if you need to go somewhere in the building besides the recording room."

"Got it."

After everyone put on their pendants, a giant man with dark red hair arrived to take us to the recording room.

"Hey, my name's Eugene," the man said, offering me a hand. "I'm Klein's brother."

"The name's Kazuto," I told him, taking his hand and shaking it. "So, where are we recording?"

"Down the hall a bit," he replied. "By the way, are the rumors of Asuna being your girlfriend true?"

The hell?! Is he a gossip?

"No, why?" I said.

"Don't worry, I'm not the gossiping type. You see, it would probably benefit sales if you were a couple, seeing as ninety percent of the fans either think you are, or think you should be."

"I see..." I said, looking at him with a frown.

Catching my displeased look, he said, "Of course, that doesn't mean I want you to be. Hell, it doesn't concern me, but if your manager weren't Klein, they'd probably want you to pretend to be a couple, just for sales."

"Wow..." I whispered. "That wouldn't be fun."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Asuna said, an angry scowl on her face.

Crap! She's pissed!

Scared of being subjugated to her wrath, I quickly tried to diffuse the situation. "N-no, I meant the having to pretend part. If I ever get into a relationship with someone, then I don't want it to be fake."

Asuna seemed satisfied by my answer, so we all continued walking in silence.

When we arrived at the recording room, I took a deep breath.

The time has come. It's time to record our first single!

"All right, you guys ready?" Eugene asked us, looking specifically at me.

He must think that I call all the shots.

"Hey, are we all ready?" I asked my bandmates, turning around to meet each of their eyes.

Everyone confirmed with me, and then an auburn-haired woman walked up to us, saying, "Hello, my name is Sasha, and I'll be your recording assistant."

I extended my hand, and she shook it. "We're Infinity Moment. I'm Kazuto."

I continued to introduce her to each of my bandmates, as well as Sachi and Egil, until it was time to record. We walked into the recording room, setting up our equipment.

After everyone finished setting up their equipment, I shouted, "Okay, we're ready to record!"

"All right!" Sasha replied into the headphones she had given each of us. "Recording in three... two..."

I looked at each of my bandmates, receiving nods of affirmation from each of them.

"One..."

I looked up at the window, finding Sachi looking at me with a smile on her face. I smiled back, then looked down at my Gibson Les Paul.

Get ready, old friend.

"NOW!"
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Actual chapter length: 4256 words

Beginning A/N length: 216 words

Last chapter flashback length: 128 words

Ending A/N length: 185 words including these pointless word count stats that I still plan on doing each chapter from now on

Original A/N:

So, sorry this took so long. Still, at least I got it out in time for V-day, right...?

I honestly don't have much to say, and I can't even give you a mood prediction for the next chapter right now. I'm just not sure yet.

Oh well, it's all good! I'll try to make the next chapter come out sooner! Still, no promises on a set time. Sorry, but everyone has their own lives, even high school students like me! :P

Also, sorry to those of you who noticed grammar mistakes in this chapter. I didn't have the time to properly look it over, but I did give it a quick onceover, just for the grammar Nazis out there!

Okay, one last thing before I end this! The disclaimer!

I don't own the Sword Art Online light novel series or any of its adaptations!

See ya!
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My A/N: And there is part four. I will update the Kinon: Undeniable Love every Friday and this one every Wednesday.
I will write for you beautiful sons-a-bitches soon and bye