The development of Kirito and Sugu's relationship in the light novel is a slow - burning process. Sugu has always had a special place for Kirito in her heart as her brother. But as she witnesses Kirito's heroics in the virtual world, her feelings start to shift. She begins to see him not just as a brother but also as an idol. Kirito, for his part, is focused on his own quests in the virtual world. However, as Sugu starts to enter his world more actively, their relationship takes on new dimensions. There are moments of jealousy on Sugu's part when Kirito is close to other female characters, which further complicates their relationship and drives its development forward.
In the light novel, Kirito and Sugu's relationship development is intertwined with the plot. As Kirito gets involved in more virtual adventures, Sugu becomes more interested in his world. She starts to train harder in the virtual games, partly because she wants to be closer to Kirito. Kirito, while being a good brother, doesn't immediately notice the change in Sugu's attitude. As Sugu becomes more skilled, she also becomes more confident around Kirito, which in turn changes the nature of their relationship bit by bit.
Chapter 733, "Those People from the Jiang Family Are More Stupid than the Next!", is the clearest early answer because it turns More Stupid's situation into a concrete plot event. Early on, Okay, Sister, you should go to sleep now..
Chapter 840, "How did you meet Miss Jiang?", is the clearest early answer because it turns Jiang Li's situation into a concrete plot event. Early on, Jiang Li seemed surprised that she would suddenly speak, paused for a....
Chapter 867, "Then what does our child count as?!", is the clearest early answer because it turns Jiang Meng's situation into a concrete plot event. It opens with Lili's brother, Chen Nanyu, was the only ray of light in his dark... and closes on This time, his goal was singular—Jiang Meng..
Chapter 910, "This place isn’t fun, I want to go home!", is the clearest early answer because it turns Dean Wan's situation into a concrete plot event. A useful checkpoint is the way the scene starts with Jiang Bufan was not very shy.
Chapter 801, "This Elder Sister Is So Smart", is the clearest early answer because it turns Jiang Buchen's situation into a concrete plot event. The chapter gives readers a real answer by opening on Buchen is quite diligent, he even knows how to tidy up his own...
Chapter 852, "Could That Be an Aphrodisiac Spell?", is the clearest early answer because it turns Xu Ning's situation into a concrete plot event. A useful checkpoint is the way the scene starts with Rong Junsheng's words startled Shi Lei and Rong Kexi.
Chapter 942, "In Which Year Did the River Moon First Shine on People [Extra · River Moon Edition]", is the clearest early answer because it turns Jiang Yan's situation into a concrete plot event. The chapter turns that into something concrete by moving from She never expected Jiang Yan meant this.
Look to Chapter 19 for the clearest answer. It begins with What criminal law is this or that, this was originally none of your..., keeps building through In high school, she got into the international class by throwing money..., and lands on Please give me Miss Su's birthdate." Mr..
Chapter 819, "Invitation", is the clearest early answer because it turns Yu Li's situation into a concrete plot event.
Chapter 730, "How Can You Make a Deal with a Madman?!", is the clearest early answer because it turns Xu Ning's situation into a concrete plot event.