The final result was that Asagiri went with Asuna to the nearby supermarket to buy groceries, and then returned to his apartment.
When checking out, Asagiri wanted to pay, but just like that time buying bento at the school supermarket, Asuna took the initiative to pay.
"In the first dungeon, you could say I received your life-saving grace. Today, I'm staying at your place again, and I already feel very embarrassed, so let me handle the payment."
After returning home, Asuna tied the apron around herself, then took out a hair tie from her pocket, gently held it between her lips, and with both hands, tied her beautiful flaxen long hair into a high ponytail, a hairstyle suitable for cooking. Then she wrapped the hair tie around twice to secure it. Just by looking at the proficiency of this series of movements, you could tell she wasn't doing it on a whim but was an experienced cook who often cooked.
"Let me help you wash the vegetables."
"Forget about it."
Asuna reached out, gently pushed Asagiri's shoulder, and said angrily.
"You, who order takeout and eat bento every day, don't come here to cause trouble for me. Just wait obediently. I'll stir-fry a dish for you first to tide you over, and then make a stew. Do you have any dietary restrictions?"
Asagiri didn't say another word, just nodded.
"Okay then, anyway, I was just being polite, I didn't really intend to help."
Hearing this, Asuna rolled her eyes, looking slightly speechless, and said angrily.
"I knew you were just being polite. Alright, go sit and wait."
Afterward, Asuna carried the freshly bought groceries and entered the kitchen.
...
About an hour later.
"Hoo hoo, so hot~"
Wearing thick oven gloves, Asuna carefully set the steaming iron pot onto the table. As she lifted the lid, a rich, savory aroma immediately filled the room, wrapping the space in warmth and comfort.
She slipped off her gloves and then headed into the kitchen. Moments later, she returned with two bowls of rice and a pair of chopsticks for each of them. After arranging everything neatly, she looked toward Asagiri, who was lounging on the sofa and spoke in a gentle, almost uncharacteristic tone.
"Dinner's ready. Come eat while it's hot."
Asagiri looked up and smiled. "Asuna, you really are…"
He didn't finish the sentence, but his appreciative tone said enough.
A faint blush spread across Asuna's face. Flustered, she quickly turned her head away, avoiding his eyes. Trying to mask her embarrassment, she let out a soft, tsundere-style hum.
"As your teammate, I just figured you'd perform better in the dungeon after a decent meal. If that helps us clear it faster, I benefit too. That's all there is to it."
"Oh, I see."
Asagiri nodded, picked up his chopsticks, picked up a piece of stewed meat and put it in his mouth. After tasting it, he seemed to say with some regret.
"That's really a shame. The food you made is so delicious, and you made it specifically for me. If it were a normal first-year high school boy, he would probably have completely fallen for you by now."
Asuna untied her apron and put it aside. She also picked up her chopsticks, picked up a piece of stewed meat, and put it in her bowl. With a look that seemed to have seen through Asagiri's thoughts, she said in a slightly helpless tone.
"You're not normal, so you won't fall for me at all, right? I already guessed..."
"No."
Asagiri first shook his head, then looked at Asuna's face and said softly with a smile.
"I've already fallen for you."
"Huh? Ah...."
Asuna was stunned for a few seconds after hearing this, her brain entering a shutdown state. The moment her brain started working again, her pretty face instantly turned bright red, and she stammered.
"Huh? Huh? You...don't make that kind of joke... I, I... that..."
"Alright, let's eat."
During the rest of the meal, Asuna would secretly glance at Asagiri sitting across from her every few seconds. She felt that the moment the other person said that sentence just now, her heart rate had definitely exceeded one hundred and eighty.
What does it mean to have already fallen for someone?
Was it, after all, what she thought it meant?
......
After eating, Asuna took the initiative to clear the dishes and chopsticks, then sat on the sofa, watching Asagiri playing on his phone. She pursed her lips, feeling very nervous in her heart, and felt that the atmosphere in the room had become inexplicably anxious.
Perhaps the atmosphere wasn't anxious; it was her who was truly anxious.
In such silence, several hours passed.
"Ugh... so sleepy..."
To make it easier to move when entering the dungeon, Asuna, who had changed into the newly bought, washed sportswear that could also be worn as pajamas, saw that the time was approaching eleven o'clock. Her whole spirit seemed a bit listless, she kept yawning non-stop, and her eyes were almost unable to open.
"Sleepy? If you're sleepy, go to sleep."
Hearing Asagiri's words, Asuna thought that before officially entering the dungeon, the APP should be able to initiate a feature to wake them up in advance, just like last time. So, she nodded and fell into a baby-like sleep on the sofa.
....
She didn't know how much time had passed, but Asuna once again felt that familiar sensation of suddenly and completely waking up from a dream without any buffer.
She sat up on the sofa, took out her phone, and opened the app with the eye icon. A countdown appeared on the screen, showing fifteen minutes. Below the countdown was a description of the current dungeon.
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[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 Banshees 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 Banshees]
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After reading the text in the app and noticing the word "Banshee," Asuna couldn't help but feel a little nervous. She looked up at Asagiri, who was holding something that looked like a medical box, seemingly preparing something.
"The dungeon hints are out..."
"Yes."
Asagiri nodded, held the medical box, and sat beside Asuna, comparing the content provided by the app on his phone with Asuna's.
"There are two differences."
Upon hearing this, Asuna looked at the text on Asagiri's phone and indeed found two differences.
The public dungeon hint she received was: 'Extremely terrifying Banshees are lurking within the Hotel. Please try to avoid direct confrontation with them.'
The public dungeon hint Asagiri received was: 'Extremely terrifying, and more than one Banshee is lurking within the Hotel. Please try to finish the fight quickly and avoid being at a numerical disadvantage.'
The special hints they received were also different.
Asagiri's special hint was...
'Valuable information can be obtained at the reception desk on the first floor of the Hotel.'
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