Chapter 48: The Two Bathing
"So this is what a high level Player privilege looks like. It really is useful."
After reading the app's explanation, Asuna immediately understood how much these two privileges, unlocked by Asagiri after becoming a high level Player, would boost the team.
The first privilege meant keywords would appear when signing up for a Dungeon, and the Player could choose the most suitable one from several themed options.
Given their current lineup, even though Asuna had gained the skill Stinger and carried the Exorcist's Longsword, which could eliminate spirits, she was still primarily a melee physical damage type.
As for Kotoko, her exact rewards from this Dungeon were still unknown, but based on her unique talent and the restriction that she could only master "Anomaly" type skills, the kind of Dungeon she excelled in was obvious.
Then there was Asagiri, the team leader.
To be honest, Asuna had trouble putting him in a neat category.
Human Asura gave him frightening close combat power. The new Persona Alice was essentially a large scale AOE curse attack. His profession, Diplomat, couldn't directly add combat strength and leaned toward support, but paired with his way of doing things, it always produced effects you could never quite predict until the last second.
Then there was King's Gambit, a skill that demanded coordination with other Players. If the user's judgment was sharp enough, it could flip a losing fight in an instant.
All rounder was the closest fit.
In short, with the first privilege, Asagiri could pick the Dungeon with the highest chance of success, based on the team's composition, from the system's keyword options.
But the second privilege was the real problem. It was too good.
Choosing the quantity and type of rewards meant he could adjust what he received after clearing a Dungeon based on his own needs, or even the needs of the entire team. For example, right now none of them had armor type equipment. Next time, he could limit the system to roll armor.
"Utsunomiya, you…"
Asuna turned her head, about to say more, when she noticed his complexion.
He looked exhausted.
"What's wrong?" she asked immediately. "Are you feeling unwell? Were you hurt in the last fight?"
Asagiri waved it off with a smile.
"It's nothing. Just overconsumption, mental and physical. With my current condition, I can summon twice in a row while still being able to move even if the Persona gets destroyed. If I go all out, the limit is three consecutive summons."
"You really were forcing yourself…"
Asuna quickly poured a glass of water and lifted it toward his lips. Her brows knitted, her tone lightly annoyed, but the worry beneath it was obvious.
"Why do you always act tough? If you're not feeling well, couldn't you just tell me?"
"I don't drink water." Asagiri gently pushed the cup away, perfectly righteous.
"There's frozen Coca Cola in the fridge. Get me a can."
"…Sigh. Fine."
When she handed it over, Asagiri took a long drink, and some color returned to his face.
"It has to be frozen Coca Cola."
Then, suddenly, he leaned closer, staring straight into her eyes.
Asuna jolted and instinctively leaned back, her cheeks warming.
"You… what are you doing? Did you go feral?"
"Did you know, Asuna," Asagiri said, slow and serious, "according to scientific research, after surviving extreme danger, humans develop a strong desire to reproduce. It's an instinct carved into our DNA to ensure the continuation of our species."
Asuna's face heated instantly. Her words came out stuttering.
"Y you… you're not trying to… to…"
She couldn't even say the word. Her ears were already burning.
"I did before. Not now."
"Before…?"
The moment he said that, a strange bitterness tightened in her chest.
Asuna stood up abruptly, forcing the emotion down. She took a slow breath, smoothed her hair with practiced composure, and spoke in a calm tone that sounded a little too polished.
"Oh. I understand what you mean. Yes, Kotoko is very cute. Don't worry. I'll keep an appropriate distance as a teammate from now on and I won't let Kotoko misunderstand…"
"What nonsense are you spouting?"
"Huh? Then what are you even saying?"
Asagiri lifted a hand and pointed at her pant leg.
"Didn't you jump into that water tank? That water had a corpse soaking in it. Aren't you planning to take a bath immediately?"
Asuna froze for half a second.
Then it hit her.
"Oh. Right… I need a bath, but…"
She glanced at Asagiri on the sofa and asked cautiously, almost like she was afraid of the answer.
"You don't mind if I take a bath at your place?"
"Not at all." Asagiri smiled. "If we washed together, that'd be even better."
"Who… who wants to wash with you!"
Her face bright red, Asuna grabbed the clothes she'd worn before entering the Dungeon, snatched them off the sofa, and bolted into the bathroom attached to the guest room.
Asagiri took a bath as well, but of course, not together.
His master bedroom had its own bathroom. In a large luxury apartment in Shibuya, having only one would've been the real tragedy.
...
After her bath, Asuna changed into clean clothes and stepped out.
The clothes were fresh, but for someone with a mild obsession with cleanliness, the black tights she'd worn all day at school were absolutely not going back on. So she went bare legged, her pale feet stepping directly onto the cold living room floor.
"Finished?" Asagiri asked.
He was already out too, sitting on the sofa in clean clothes, towel drying his hair. A faint line of morning light slipped through the window and fell across the side of his face.
Asuna's heart gave an involuntary skip.
Utsunomiya…
He really is good looking…
<><><><><>
[Check Out My Patreon For +50 Advance Chapters On All My Fanfics!]
[[email protected]/FanficLord03]
[Every 100 Power Stones = +1 Bonus Chapter]
[Join Our Discord Community For Updates & Events]
[https://discord.gg/MntqcdpRZ9]