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MT - 55 Worries
🕑 Added 2024-12-18 06:22:31 +0000 UTCRoy finally mustered the courage to stand outside Asuna's room, his cheeks slightly flushed with embarrassment.
The room number, of course, was provided by none other than a certain anonymous classmate, Misumi, who had expended considerable effort to glean this information. After sharing the details with Roy, she couldn't resist throwing in a few teasing remarks via chat.
In response, Roy sent a bowing emoticon with a smiley face, mimicking a traditional dogeza.
Misumi was momentarily stunned.
Seriously? How does he even have emoji packs?
Standing in front of the door in his slightly loose yukata, Roy scratched his cheek, pondering what to say next. The robe framed his athletic build, his radiant golden hair and amber eyes accentuating his sharp features. He had the kind of sunny grin and striking presence that screamed main character yet paradoxically also the air of a classic blond bad boy who casually steals girlfriends.
Thankfully, this was the second floor, and only four players had made it this far. Otherwise, he might have died of embarrassment.
He knocked lightly on the door, signaling his presence. Inside, Asuna would have received a system notification requesting entry, but there was no response—no rejection, no opening sound.
Roy fidgeted, trying to think of a way to break the silence.
Just as he sighed and turned to leave, the door creaked open.
Asuna stood there, her face calm and composed.
Roy instinctively flashed her a cheerful smile, only to have it met with her frosty gaze.
"Come in."
Awkwardly scratching the back of his head, Roy stepped into the room, closing the door behind him with a soft click.
Unseen by him, Asuna's composed expression faltered. Her cheeks turned a soft crimson, betraying her inner turmoil.
Truthfully, she regretted letting him in. It felt like inviting a wolf into her den. Although she'd half-expected this outcome, facing it in reality made her feel hesitant.
Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she forced calm into her expression, motioning toward a chair beside her bed. "Take a seat."
Roy, slightly puzzled, followed her instructions and sat down.
The moonlight streaming through the window cast a gentle glow across his youthful features. Though the room was unlit, the pale light was enough to illuminate their surroundings, creating an atmosphere of quiet intimacy. The soft moonbeams blurred the edges, lending an ethereal quality to the scene.
Roy glanced at Asuna, his thoughts drifting.
How old was she now? The little girl who had once followed him around had grown into a young woman. The realization filled him with both pride and satisfaction—a testament to how far they'd come.
At least, as someone who wasn't her overprotective father, he didn't have to deal with the agony of 'losing his treasure to a unemployed.'
For a while, neither of them spoke. Roy watched Asuna's serene expression, trying and failing to guess what was on her mind.
Directness was more his style. "Asuna." He began, shifting his tone slightly. "You wanted to see me?"
He deliberately used her real name to signal a change in dynamic. But Asuna ignored the cue, pretending not to notice the subtle weight behind his words. Instead, she turned her gaze out the window.
The view was breathtaking.
The night sky sparkled with countless stars, forming a luminous river across the heavens. Below, the streets of Urbas stretched wide and empty, dotted with NPCs—a few elderly figures, some children, and rugged, burly men.
A gentle breeze drifted through the open window, stirring Asuna's hair and brushing against Roy's face. The white curtains swayed softly, carried by the wind.
It was a night steeped in quiet beauty.
Breaking the silence, Asuna finally spoke, her voice carrying a trace of vulnerability.
"Do you think… we'll make it out of here alive?"
For some reason, the emotions stirring in her earlier—the tension, the guardedness—faded away, replaced by a deep, gnawing worry.
Worries about the present and worries about the future.
A hundred floors.
The difficulty of the game was beyond question.
The higher they climbed, the more insurmountable the challenges became—especially now, when each of them had only one life to live.
Roy's usual playful demeanor faded, replaced by a rare seriousness. Noticing the hint of unease in Asuna's expression, he sighed softly.
"Of course we'll clear it." He said, his tone steady and resolute. "As long as I'm here, I won't let anything happen to you. Even if it costs me my life, I'll make sure you survive. Clearing the game is only a matter of time."
Asuna shot him a sharp look, clearly unimpressed. "Don't say such ominous things. I was just being reflective."
Roy muttered silently to himself, Weren't you the one who started this topic?
Asuna's gaze shifted back to the window. Her voice softened as she continued, "I was just thinking… even if we manage to leave this game, it might take two or three years. Maybe even five. Five whole years… doing nothing. The me in the real world must be lying quietly in a hospital bed. I can't imagine how stressed my mother must be. She's probably ready to scold me to tears if she could. But… five years, completely disconnected from reality…"
Her voice trailed off, and she let out a faint sigh.
Asuna was not the type to dwell in despair. On the contrary, she was stronger than most men. Her sigh wasn't one of bitterness or blame, but a quiet acknowledgment of her worries.
Roy studied her, the girl he'd come to know as Yuuki Asuna. Without a word, he stood up and gently pulled her into an embrace.
In moments like this, emotions often spoke louder than words, and comfort was the best remedy.
And indeed, Asuna softened in his arms. The warmth of her presence, her unique scent—subtle and sweet, like the lingering fragrance after a bath—filled the space between them. Her chestnut hair fell loosely to her waist, and as Roy's hands rested lightly on her slender frame, the composed Asuna began to crumble. Her cheeks turned a deep shade of red, her earlier calm replaced with flustered vulnerability.
Roy leaned closer, his voice low and soothing as he whispered near her ear, "It's okay. When we get out, if no one else wants you… I'll take you."
Asuna's eyes widened in shock. His words were so straightforward, so unfiltered, that they left her completely at a loss for words.
After all these years, Roy had finally said what had lingered unsaid between them, and at such a moment.
