The final result of their little excursion was Asagiri walking alongside Yuuki Asuna back to his apartment, their hands full of fresh groceries from the nearby supermarket.
When it came time to check out, Asagiri had fully intended to pay.
Yet, mirroring their earlier encounter at the school store, Asuna stepped in and swiftly covered the bill.
“In the first dungeon, you essentially saved my life,” she explained, her tone leaving no room for argument.
“Now I am staying at your place on top of that.
I already feel embarrassed enough as it is, so just let me handle the payment.”
Upon returning to the apartment, Asuna immediately took charge.
She slipped an apron over her clothes and pulled a hair tie from her pocket.
Holding the band gently between her lips, she gathered her beautiful flaxen hair with both hands, sweeping it up into a high, practical ponytail.
She looped the tie twice to secure it.
The sheer fluidity and proficiency of the motion made it obvious she was no stranger to the kitchen.
“Let me help you wash the vegetables,” Asagiri offered, stepping forward.
“Forget about it.” Asuna reached out, pressing a hand lightly against his shoulder to push him back.
She gave him a mild, exasperated glare.
“You order takeout and eat convenience store bento every single day.
Do not come in here and cause trouble for me.
Just wait obediently.
I will stir-fry a quick dish to tide you over, and then get a stew going.
Do you have any dietary restrictions?”
Asagiri did not argue.
He simply shook his head.
“Okay then.
Honestly, I was just being polite anyway.
I did not actually want your help.” She rolled her eyes, looking thoroughly unimpressed by his domestic capabilities.
“I knew you were just offering for the sake of it.
Alright, go sit down and wait.”
With that, Asuna gathered the bags of groceries and disappeared into the kitchen.
Roughly an hour passed, filled with the rhythmic sounds of chopping and the hiss of a hot pan.
“Hoo, so hot…”
Wearing thick oven mitts, Asuna emerged carrying a heavy iron pot.
She set it down on the dining table and lifted the lid, instantly releasing a rich, savory aroma that filled the entire apartment.
She pulled off the mitts, ducked back into the kitchen to scoop two bowls of rice, and grabbed two pairs of chopsticks.
Once the table was perfectly set, she looked over at Asagiri, who was lounging on the sofa.
Her voice softened considerably.
“Dinner is ready.
Come eat while it is hot.”
Asagiri walked over and took his seat.
“Yuuki-san, you really are something.”
Hearing his casual praise, Asuna’s pretty face flushed a light shade of pink.
To mask her sudden shyness, she deliberately turned her head away, breaking eye contact, and let out a soft, dismissive hum.
That means we finish faster, which benefits me.
It is that simple.”
“Oh, I see,” Asagiri replied.
He picked up his chopsticks, lifted a piece of the stewed meat, and placed it in his mouth.
He chewed slowly, his expression unreadable, before sighing with mock regret.
“That is really a shame.
The food you make is incredible, and you made it specifically for me.
If I were a normal first-year high school boy, I probably would have completely fallen for you by now.”
Asuna untied her apron, draping it over the back of a chair.
She picked up her own chopsticks and transferred a piece of meat to her bowl.
Shooting him a look that suggested she saw right through his games, she sighed helplessly.
“You are not normal, so you will not fall for me at all, right?
I already guessed that much…”
Asagiri shook his head slowly.
He looked directly into her eyes, his voice dropping into a soft, deadpan calm.
“I have already fallen for you.”
“Huh?
Ah…”
Asuna froze.
Her brain completely short-circuited, plunging into a total shutdown for several long seconds.
When her cognitive functions finally rebooted, her face erupted into a brilliant, burning red.
“Huh?
What?
You…
do not make that kind of joke…” she stammered, her composure shattering into pieces.
“I…
I…
that…”
“Alright, let’s eat,” Asagiri said smoothly, entirely unbothered by the chaos he had just caused.
For the rest of the meal, Asuna kept her head down, only daring to steal secret glances at the boy sitting across from her.
She was absolutely certain that the moment those words left his mouth, her heart rate had spiked well over one hundred and eighty beats per minute.
What did he mean by having already fallen for her?
Was it actually what she thought it meant, or was he just messing with her head again?
Once they finished eating, Asuna practically jumped at the chance to clear the table and wash the dishes.
Afterward, she sat stiffly on the sofa, watching Asagiri scroll mindlessly through his phone.
She pursed her lips, her chest tight with nerves.
The atmosphere in the small apartment felt suffocatingly heavy.
Or perhaps the room was fine, and she was the only one spiraling into anxiety.
Hours drifted by in absolute silence.
“Ugh…
so sleepy…” Find the original chapter at novelping.com.
Asuna had changed into the newly bought sportswear, which had been washed and dried to serve as makeshift pajamas, allowing her maximum mobility for the upcoming death game.
As the clock crept toward eleven, her energy finally crashed.
She looked listless, yawning repeatedly, her eyelids drooping heavily.
“Sleepy?
If you are tired, go to sleep,” Asagiri said without looking up from his screen.
Figuring the survival app would forcefully wake them up before the dungeon initiated, just like last time, Asuna nodded.
She curled up on the edge of the sofa and quickly fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
She had no idea how much time passed before the violent, jarring sensation hit her.
It was the distinct, sickening feeling of being ripped straight out of unconsciousness with zero buffer.
Asuna shot up from the sofa.
She scrambled for her phone and opened the app with the bleeding eye icon.
A blood-red countdown timer dominated the screen, ticking down from exactly fifteen minutes.
Below the timer sat the briefing for their next nightmare.
[Location of this dungeon: Hotel]
[Time limit for this dungeon: Twelve hours]
[Objective of this “Player” mission: Survive until the time limit ends]
[Public dungeon hint: Extremely terrifying Evil Spirits are lurking within the Hotel.
Please try to avoid direct confrontation with them.]
[Because you received a rating of A- or higher in the previous dungeon, a special hint is provided.]
[Special hint: Weapons made of ordinary materials cannot completely eliminate Evil Spirits.]
Reading the words ‘Evil Spirits’ sent a cold spike of dread through her chest.
Asuna looked up, seeking Asagiri.
He was sitting nearby, calmly inspecting what looked like a heavy medical box, methodically preparing his gear.
“The dungeon hints are out…” she muttered.
Asagiri nodded.
He picked up the medical box and moved to sit beside her on the sofa, holding out his phone to compare his system interface with hers.
“There are two differences,” he noted dryly.
Asuna leaned in, scanning the text on his screen.
He was right.
Her public hint warned of Evil Spirits and advised avoiding direct confrontation.
Asagiri’s public hint read: [Extremely terrifying, and more than one Evil Spirit is lurking within the Hotel.
Please try to finish the fight quickly and avoid being at a numerical disadvantage.]
The special hints diverged even further.
While hers warned about ordinary weapons being useless, Asagiri’s screen displayed something entirely different.
[Special hint: Valuable information can be obtained at the reception desk on the first floor of the Hotel.]
[Inorin’s Note:
Hey guys, hope you’re enjoying the novel!
Hate waiting for updates and cliffhangers?