Chapter 25: Hotel Dungeon Haunted by a Banshee
In the end, Asagiri went with Asuna to the nearby supermarket to buy groceries, then returned to his apartment with her.
At checkout, Asagiri reached for his wallet, but just like when he bought bento at the school supermarket, Asuna stepped in and paid first.
"In the first dungeon, you basically saved my life," she said. "And now I'm staying at your place again. I already feel embarrassed enough, so let me handle this."
Back home, Asuna tied an apron around her waist. She pulled a hair tie from her pocket, held it gently between her lips, and used both hands to gather her flaxen hair into a high ponytail. Then she looped the tie twice to secure it.
The movement was so smooth and practiced that it was obvious this was not a random burst of motivation. She had cooked like this plenty of times.
"Let me help wash the vegetables," Asagiri offered.
"Forget it."
Asuna reached out and lightly pushed his shoulder, sounding annoyed.
"You order takeout and eat bento every day. Don't come in here and cause trouble. Just wait obediently. I'll stir fry something first to hold you over, then I'll make a stew. Any dietary restrictions?"
Asagiri didn't argue. He simply nodded.
"Alright then. I was just being polite anyway. I didn't really plan to help."
Asuna rolled her eyes, looking faintly speechless.
"I knew it. Fine. Go sit and wait."
With that, she carried the groceries into the kitchen.
..........
About an hour later.
"Hoo, hoo… so hot."
Wearing thick gloves, Asuna set an iron pot onto the table and lifted the lid. A rich, appetizing aroma immediately flooded the room.
She took off the gloves, went back into the kitchen to scoop two bowls of rice, grabbed two pairs of chopsticks, and when everything was ready, she looked over at Asagiri on the sofa. Her voice softened completely.
"Dinner's ready. Come eat while it's hot."
"Asuna Yuuki, you really are…"
At his praise, Asuna's face flushed slightly. To hide her embarrassment, she turned her head away and gave a quiet hum in a classic tsundere tone.
"As a teammate, I just thought that if you eat a good meal, you'll be in better condition and clear the dungeon faster. That benefits me too. It's that simple."
"Oh, I see."
Asagiri nodded. He picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of stewed meat, and tasted it. Then he spoke with a hint of regret.
"That's such a shame. This is delicious, and you made it specifically for me. If I were a normal first year high school boy, I'd probably have fallen for you by now."
Asuna untied her apron and set it aside. She picked up her chopsticks, took a piece of meat, and placed it in her bowl. Looking as if she had already seen through him, she sighed.
"You're not normal, so you won't fall for me at all, right? I figured…"
"No."
Asagiri shook his head, then looked at her and smiled softly.
"I already have."
"Huh? Ah…"
Asuna froze for a few seconds, her brain shutting down completely. When her thoughts finally restarted, her face turned bright red in an instant.
"Huh? Huh? You… don't say that kind of thing like it's nothing. I, I… that…"
"Alright," Asagiri said calmly. "Let's eat."
After that, Asuna kept stealing glances at him from across the table every few seconds. The moment he said those words, her heart rate had definitely shot past one hundred and eighty.
What did it mean, that he had already fallen for her?
Was it really what she thought it meant?
..........
After dinner, Asuna took the initiative to clear away the bowls and chopsticks. Then she returned to the sofa, watching Asagiri scroll on his phone. She pressed her lips together, nervous for no clear reason, as if the air in the room had grown tense.
Maybe the air wasn't tense at all.
Maybe it was just her.
In that silence, several hours passed.
"Ugh… I'm so sleepy…"
To make it easier to move once they entered the dungeon, Asuna had changed into newly bought sportswear that could double as pajamas. Now, as the time edged closer to eleven, her energy clearly drooped. She yawned again and again, eyes barely staying open.
"Sleepy?" Asagiri asked. "Then go sleep."
Asuna thought about the last time. Before the dungeon started, the app had somehow forced them awake in advance. If it worked the same way tonight, then sleeping now would be fine.
So she nodded, curled up on the sofa, and fell asleep like a child.
.......
She didn't know how long it was, but she felt that familiar sensation again. She snapped awake completely, like being yanked out of a dream with no transition at all.
Asuna sat up, grabbed her phone, and opened the app with the eye icon.
A countdown appeared on the screen.
Fifteen minutes.
Below it was the information for the next dungeon.
[Dungeon Location: Hotel]
[Time Limit: Twelve hours]
[Player Mission Objective: Survive until the time limit ends]
[Public Dungeon Hint: Extremely terrifying Banshees are lurking within the Hotel. Please avoid direct confrontation whenever possible]
[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]
When Asuna's eyes caught on the word "Banshee," a chill crawled up her spine. She looked up.
Asagiri was already awake. He was holding something that looked like a medical box, preparing supplies with calm efficiency.
"The dungeon hints are out," Asuna said quietly.
"Yes."
Asagiri nodded, held the medical box, and sat beside her. He compared what was on his phone with what was on hers.
"There are two differences."
Asuna leaned in and checked his screen. Sure enough, two lines didn't match.
The public hint she received said: "Extremely terrifying Banshees are lurking within the Hotel. Please avoid direct confrontation whenever possible."
The public hint on Asagiri's phone said: "Extremely terrifying, and more than one Banshee is lurking within the Hotel. Please finish fights quickly and avoid being at a numerical disadvantage."
Even the special hint was different.
Asagiri's special hint read:
[Special Hint: Valuable information can be obtained at the reception desk on the first floor of the Hotel.]
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