After briefly understanding the changes brought by the marriage status and discussing the next steps and preparations for heading to the Land of Love, the ti showed 8:30 PM. Asuna prepared to log out and rest.
"Next ti we log in..." Her finger tapped the corner of her soft lips as Asuna thought for a mont. "If nothing cos up, maybe the sa ti?"
"Then tomorrow, et at this inn?"
"Mm, until tomorrow." Seeing the matching rings on their left ring fingers, Asuna flushed slightly and cleared her throat. She nodded at him, pretending to be calm, then opened the system nu.
Yuu looked down, preparing to ask the strange system about the one-ti-use status with the annoyingly long na. But suddenly, he heard Asuna exclaim in surprise:
"Eh? Why can’t I press the logout button?"
"What?" Turning to her, Yuu saw her tapping the system nu several tis, but her virtual avatar didn’t disappear.
Yuu frowned, a bad feeling rising in his chest.
"Is the ga bugged? Why can’t I log out?"
No matter how she tried, the logout button remained grayed out. Asuna looked up, gazing at him with slight unease.
"Let try." Yuu opened his nu and clicked the logout option. Like Asuna, the button was gray, unselectable, and he couldn’t log out either.
"What’s going on... Is there a way to contact custor service in-ga?" Suppressing irrational panic and searching for a solution, Asuna didn’t sit idle, clicking through every button in the system nu.
Yuu didn’t answer her question, instead asking the system in his mind:
(System, is this your doing?)
The system, with Hatsune Miku’s electronic voice, replied coldly: [This has nothing to do with this system. It is recomnded that the host investigate the reason within the ga.]
"Within the ga... Damn, don’t tell ?!"
A flash of realization hit him. Yuu’s eyes widened as he quickly pulled up the Beloved Rings’ description, finally spotting a line at the bottom:
[If on the sa floor, players with married status can only log out in the sa room.]
"..."
(I’m the one who brought you all into this ga, so which damned designer ca up with this stupid restriction?)
Suppressing the urge to curse, he shared his discovery with Asuna, his expression contorted. Asuna sighed in relief, but her face twisted too.
"Later, when I log out, I’ll ask my brother what’s going on!"
"If possible, help beat him up," Yuu suggested emotionlessly.
Though the ga might not have been designed by Kouichirou, as the one who dragged them both into it, he’d bear the consequences.
Asuna didn’t respond, only taking a few deep breaths. Then, with a flushed face, she suddenly marched toward the inn’s counter.
Confused, Yuu asked, "You’re renting a room?"
"Don’t talk so crudely!"
Embarrassed and annoyed, Asuna turned, biting her lip as she glared at him, then shouted resignedly, "We’re already married, so we have to follow the ga’s rules. Or do you have a better idea?!"
"No, it’s good you’re thinking clearly." Yuu shrugged, standing from his chair and walking with her to the counter.
Fortunately, the NPC followed protocol, not giving them mocking or strange looks. After paying, they were directed upstairs. Room 201, the first one by the stairs.
Asuna entered, then eagerly pulled up her nu.
"Phew..."
Seeing the logout button finally lit up, she sat on the bed in relief. When her eyes t Yuu’s, she jumped as if shocked by electricity. Pretending to brush her skirt, her thighs pressed tightly together, Asuna casually inspected the room.
"J-Just a plain wooden shack, so simple..."
Her attempt to ease the awkwardness only made the quiet room’s temperature rise, a faint heat burning within her, making her ears uncontrollably warm.
Through the silver moonlight streaming from the window, Yuu could see her smooth, egg-white face fully flushed, brimming with clear embarrassnt and nervousness. Her slender fingers fidgeted with her skirt’s hem, her entire body like a trapped bunny, panicking and searching restlessly.
Though Asuna had acted decisively earlier, this was her first ti staying with the opposite sex, alone in the sa room.
In contrast, Yuu, like a scoundrel used to bringing girls to rooms, casually enjoyed her embarrassnt.
"It’s the cheapest room, after all. Good enough for logging out."
After saying that, Yuu closed the door.
Asuna flinched as if startled.
Yuu smiled and said, "Alright, let’s get to serious business."
"S-Serious business!?"
Her voice cracked into a high-pitched squeak. She hugged her arms, quickly retreating to the corner of the wall, her slender body trembling, staring at him in disbelief.
"You clearly said you wouldn’t do anything to just because of this ring!"
"Idiot, don’t overthink." His smile dropped instantly, and Yuu looked at her irritably, pulling up his nu and clicking logout. "We’re here to log out. Don’t get so nervous you forget the main goal, okay?"
"I-I didn’t forget!" Asuna hurriedly lowered her arms, one hand on her hip, puffing out her chest as if acting tough. "It’s just that your expression was a bit scary, and your eyes were like a wolf eyeing ..."
"I’m out. See you."
Too lazy to listen to her nonsense, Yuu pressed logout, and his virtual avatar swiftly vanished.
"Ah..."
Left alone in the empty room without a hint of regret, Asuna gaped at where he’d been, her voice trailing off as if choked.
Soon after, she stomped the floor, wrinkling her nose and huffing in frustration.
"Jerk! Next ti, I’ll challenge him to a duel and stab him full of holes!"
Calming the anger in her chest, Asuna sat on the bed, opened her equipnt doll, and noticed that while her undergarnts could be removed, the Beloved Ring couldn’t.
Right, if it could be removed, they could’ve taken it off and logged out without all this hassle. With so ti left and no one else around, Asuna didn’t rush to log out.
She leaned against the headboard, gazing far out at the silent, starless night sky beyond the window.
"The virtual sky feels more beautiful than the real world’s..."
Her long hair draped over her shoulders, gently brushing her face with the soft breeze.
Lost in thought, Asuna couldn’t help but smile, unconsciously swinging her smooth, fair legs. Co to think of it, today was her first real day playing the ga, right? She hunted Orcs alone, strolled leisurely through the city, t a nun so much like her grandmother, accepted a strange mission, and even wore a ring on her ring finger early...
These were all things unrelated to Yuuki Asuna, yet the in-ga Asuna could do whatever she wanted—no need to care about others’ opinions or follow a pre-chosen path. At most, she’d only bear the consequences herself, like marrying soone not even a friend.
In just two short hours, she’d created such beautiful, rich, unforgettable mories...
Was this the charm of gaming?
"Even so, I can’t escape reality."
Thinking this, her satisfied smile turned bitter, ending in a sigh.
Asuna lay back on the bed, pulling the blanket over her body. As usual, she stripped to her undergarnts before pressing the logout button.
In her final mont leaving this world, she whispered to herself:
"Tomorrow, I hope it’s as happy as today..."
◆━⊰✧⊱━◆
Back in the Real World.
The first thing Yuu did upon returning was ssage Kouichirou. As a healthy college student, he was likely still online—and sure enough, the ssage was read instantly.
Yuu: {Kou-nii, wanna fight IRL?}
Kouichirou: {Huh? Who?}
Yuu: {You and .}
Kouichirou: {...What did I do? Tell so I can die in peace.}
Yuu: {I ran into so ridiculous stuff in the ga. Since I can’t find the ga designer, I’ll take it out on you.}
Kouichirou: {Oh, what ridiculous stuff? I’ll pass it to the ga departnt, help find the bug.}
Yuu: {Forget it, ask your sister. Also, give her LINE.}
Kouichirou: {!!!}
Kouichirou: {You’re finally making a move? Call brother-in-law, and I’ll make sure your dates stay secret from Mom!}
Yuu: {Crazy. I need to do a group mission with her. If sothing cos up and she can’t log in, it’s easier to contact her. Your family isn’t as free as mine.}
Kouichirou: {Fine. If you make significant progress, let know.}
"I’m already married to your sister, and you’re talking about significant progress." Smirking wryly, Yuu added Asuna as a friend after getting her contact from Kouichirou, then sent a ssage.
Yuu: {Your brother sold your contact.}
Asuna: {...Too bad, I can’t buy a rapier IRL.}
Yuu: {Log in tomorrow at 8 PM sharp. If sothing cos up, let know early, okay?}
Asuna: {Got it.}
Yuu: {Then, good night. Sweet dreams.}
Over ten seconds later, he received her reply.
Asuna: {Mm, good night.}
[Ding!]
[Congratulations, host, you received a reward: 500 Yen.]
[Congratulations, host, you received a reward: Deep Sleep (Expert Level) Once.]
"Haaah..."
Yuu set his phone aside and flopped onto his bed. Hands behind his head, he sighed at the ceiling with a complicated expression.
"System... Just saying good night gets rewards. It makes feel like won are too easy to approach, huh..."
"..."
The strange talkative system remained silent, ignoring his complaint.
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