"Level 40…?! I didn't expect to find such high-leveled players here…"
"Amazing…"
Keita, Sachi, and the rest of the Moonlit Black Cats guild members now looked at Yuuji and Asuna in a new light, filled with awe and respect.
At their current level, while they could travel to higher floors, going out of the main settlement and safe zone of those floors would've been suicidal. All they could do if they were to go there was waste time or sightsee main settlements of the higher floors.
Instead of doing that, they'd rather stay in the lower floors, level-up, and grind for resources to survive as best as they can.
Such high-leveled players were something they'd only heard of in rumors or news from the front lines. To meet one, much less two, was something they'd never expected. Especially an aloof top-tier beauty like Asuna.
On the other hand, Kirito looked at them in disbelief.
He, himself, was level 40… Although that was already a high level, compared to the current average level of 37 amongst the frontline players and especially for a solo player, Kirito refused to believe that Yuuji and Asuna were the same level as him.
After all, compared to how much Yuuji grinded, he was basically a NEET. And Asuna, being dragged all around the floors and labyrinths of Aincrad by him, must have also been similarly high-leveled.
They must be far higher-leveled than what Yuuji said.
"Wow, I didn't expect to find such high-leveled players here… It's truly an honor."
Keita spoke with genuine awe and respect, with Sachi, Tetsuo, and Ducker all nodding in agreement.
"But why are you on this floor when you're so high leveled? Don't high level players usually have bases on the higher floors?"
If the floor they were currently on, floor 11th, was a nice and relaxing place with beautiful sights, or perhaps a floor with unique monsters that dropped unique items, Sasamaru would've understood if they were here for them.
But floor 11th was an urban city with brick buildings that were lined up tightly along the main street with barely no space in-between. The only "unique" part of the city was the massive drain running down beneath the city and how it invoked "claustrophobia" through its architecture and urban layout alone.
"Ah, we were just walking around to search for some furniture for a home I just bought. Since it's an urban city with European architecture, I was hoping to find some modern-esque furniture."
Yuuji explained before shrugging his shoulders.
"Though unfortunately, we didn't find any. We were just about to head home before meeting you guys in the Teleporter Plaza."
Asuna glanced towards the man beside her upon hearing his words.
He was lying… No, he simply didn't say the entire truth.
The reason… was easy enough for her to guess. After all, Yuuji hesitated to even tell Asuna about this, and it took her a lot of pleading, a dramatic fight, and even some tears before he finally let her help him. It was understandable why he wouldn't tell strangers about them.
"Eh?! You bought a house?!"
While members of the Moonlit Black Cats were also in shock, the one who blurted out their exclamation was Kirito.
Since when did Yuuji buy a house? Wasn't he a grinding fiend? Why would he, who'd only use the inn for a place to sleep and eat, ever buy a house?!
Yuuji nodded.
"Yes. I just bought it last week. It's a nice log house on the 22nd floor. It's a very nice and relaxing place surrounded by nature with a massive lake in front of it."
Yuuji and Asuna had fallen in love with it the moment they saw it. And since they came across it on the 22nd floor, Yuuji had been saving up his Cols to buy it.
It was only last week did Yuuji finally have a chance to buy it.
The Cols were never actually the issue for him. In between completing quests, farming monsters, and selling tons of item drops, and without the obligations to hand out a percentage of his earnings to a guild or organizations, Yuuji was already one of, if not, the richest player in Aincrad.
The only reason why he only bought the house last week was because he simply didn't have the time.
In between grinding and leveling up when a new floor opened, defeating field bosses, farming up materials and unique item drops, completing quests, and participating in floor boss raids, Yuuji could barely scrape any time for relaxing.
And the sliver of time he had, he spent it with Asuna to go around town, taste some new food, hunt rare ingredients, and the like.
If it wasn't for Asuna finally putting down her foot and giving Yuuji the ultimatum to buy it himself or she would buy it instead, the house might've still been ownerless.
Thus, thanks to her "encouragement", Yuuji bought the house, completed the special quest required to buy the house alongside Asuna, and became the proud owner of the Forest House K4 on the 22nd floor of Aincrad.
Of course, although the beautiful home was under his name, Yuuji considered it to be his property as much as Asuna.
After all, they decided to buy it together, worked together towards it, completed the special quest together, and bought it together.
It was their home. A place they shared to wind down and relax together, away from the frontlines.
And of course, Yuuji knew what this entailed.
The sole notion Asuna decided to move in was a hint even he, dense as he was according to some of his girlfriends, could not ignore.
And Yuuji was also fully aware of his own feelings towards her.
Still, he did not push her.
They were comfortable now. And he wished for their relationships to strengthen naturally.
The fact shocked Kirito as well as the Moonlit Black Cats members.
"You bought a house yourself?!"
"Wow, that's amazing! Just how long did you have to save up for a house on such a high floor?"
"A house surrounded by nature with a nice big lake… How amazing…"
The guys looked at Yuuji with even greater enthusiasm and new-found respect. While Sachi held her hands to her chests with admiration and excitement, focusing on the part that Yuuji and Asuna bought a house together more than anything else.
Asuna smiled proudly as the Moonlit Black Cats members all crowd around them and began asking a bunch of questions about buying real-estates in the game. After all, they've been planning and saving up for buying a base for their guild for quite a while. And none of them were experienced in such matters, may it be in the game or in real life.
The guys all crowded around Yuuji, while Sachi approached Asuna with a shy and hesitant, yet undeniable, enthusiasm.
Faced with Sachi's expectant eyes, Asuna felt the urge to tell someone, anyone, about her beautiful home with Yuuji surfaced, and the aloofness she displayed shed away like a morning mist.
After all, she was only acting cold because she was irritated that Kirito appeared suddenly and interrupted her time with Yuuji.
But his transgressions were soon forgotten in place of her reminiscing the moment Yuuji and Asuna found their house, their struggle to gain enough money to buy it, and finally buying it together.
Listening to Asuna's stories, Sachi's eyes glimmered with newfound awe and a glittering shine of a young girl's unblemished fantasy of an ideal romance.
"Wow… How wonderful…"
Asuna and Yuuji's story was something straight out of a romance novel.
To have found each other in dire times.
Fought alongside one another against unimaginable odds.
And finally buying a house together for a fleeting moment of respite away from the frontlines.
Sachi couldn't help but admire and envy Asuna.
Meanwhile, having been sidelined during a celebratory party meant for him saving the members of the Moonlit Black Cats, Kirito also listened to Asuna's stories.
Though in his mind, Asuna's stories were converted into tragedy.
He could imagine Yuuji going all around the numerous floors to grind from sunrise until late at night. Grinding quests. Defeating field bosses. Before participating in raids that pushed the frontlines blazing past floor after floor.
Then, when Yuuji finally bought the place with his hard-earned Cols, Asuna crashed into his home and claimed it as their shared property.
He couldn't help but feel a chill down his spine, and pitied Yuuji as much as he respected him as a man for being able to handle such a girl.
Fortunately for Kirito, Asuna was so preoccupied with Sachi and her story that she didn't notice his rude thoughts that were obviously reflected in his stare.
"Hm?"
Having been listening to the final parts of Asuna's stories, a thought flashed through Sasamaru's mind and a question he failed to filter through his reason and social etiquette escaped his lips.
"Asuna-san, Yuuji-san… Are you two dating?"
The table fell silent in an instant.
Like a snuffed candle, all warmth suddenly vanished into coldness.
Kirito's hand stopped in the middle of lifting up his cup to his lips.
Keita, Tetsuo, and Ducker looked at their friend in pure shock and disbelief, before he also realized what he had just said.
Asuna froze. Her lips opened in mid-speech, before his question blew every thoughts out of her mind.
"I-I'm sorry!"
Sasamaru quickly apologized, and his voice seemed to snap everyone out of their frozen state.
But the awkward air lingered, clinging on like frost.
Yuuji was unperturbed by the question. After all, it was only natural considering how close he and Asuna seemed from an outsider's perspective.
And perhaps, they were right. But, until he and Asuna themselves declared it so, it remained untrue.
"We are very close, yes. But we are not a couple. Asuna and I met each other on the first floor, a few days after the game started. And we've been partying with each other since."
Yuuji smiled politely, raising his hand as a gesture for Sasamaru to rise from his bow of apology.
And Keita, taking this chance, knocked Sasamaru's head and bowed towards Yuuji and Asuna as well.
"I apologize for this idiot's insensitive words, Yuuji-san, Asuna-san! He's clearly not thinking before he blabbered!"
Asuna simply nodded and averted her gaze, while Yuuji simply waved his hand.
"It's fine. It's something easy to misunderstand after all."
"Hahaha… But still, it doesn't excuse his callousness."
"Then, how about this? He should treat us to another round of drinks and snacks."
""Agreed!""
"U-ugh… Alright…"
The group broke out into giggles as Sasamaru rubbed the back of his neck, his face twisting in pain that his wallet was experiencing. Though inwardly, he felt glad that Yuuji was willing to let his mistake off so easily.
Another round of drinks and a few more plates of french fries and karaage courtesy of Sasamaru soon arrived on their table for them to enjoy.
Though for Asuna, she couldn't help herself to enjoy it as a twinge of pain twisted in her heart.
Yuuji's words were true.
They were not dating. They were not lovers. No matter how close they were, they were still simply friends, comrades in arms, and party members.
But the fact still sat uncomfortably within her heart.
She felt dissatisfied with his answer, even if they were true…! Why didn't he just tell them that they're dating?! Isn't it the perfect time to establish it?!
Impatience began brewing in her heart.
The meal now tasted even worse. Especially when compared to the food she and Yuuji normally ate.
After months of grinding, their cooking skill levels had now surpassed most, if not, all restaurants in all the floors they've travelled through.
And to her annoyance, Yuuji's cooking skill proficiency level was already extremely high!
He had equipped his cooking skill only upon reaching level 40. He had chosen to equip this "Meditation" skill —a skill he recommended her to choose as well due to its hidden potential—at level 30, while she did the opposite.
But somehow, their cooking skill levels were almost the same. She was only a few points higher than him.
How was that even possible?! They're together most of the time. When did he even grind his cooking skill?! How could she not notice it?!
This perceived unfairness, coupled with her earlier irritation towards the words he had spoken about their relationship, made her mood even fouler than before.
And Yuuji could feel it without even needing to look for himself.
He could feel the burning glare coming from his side, and he couldn't help but sigh helplessly in his mind.
'It seems like things "naturally" got sped up more than expected…'
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AN: I hope you guys enjoy this chapter~! Please comment your thoughts~! I would love to hear what you think about it~!!!!
Also, if you'd like to read additional chapters ahead and get a pdf version (Light & Dark), please feel free to check out my at patr_eon.com/verglasx ~!
Thank you~!