Chapter 11 - Chapter 9.5

This is the second half of chapter 9. Please enjoy

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It was a boxed container, similar to what a bento would be.

"Food?" Kirito questioned.

"H-How did you know?!" Asuna asked, shocked by his prediction.

"...I like food."

...

The two girls burst out laughing again. Once more, Kirito felt like dying.

Was it really that funny?

It was a fair assessment. She was the one who had brought the bento box looking thing. Add to the fact that Asuna knew he was a foodie and it just made since that it would be. He didn't get why they would laugh about it.

"Come on, open it!" Asuna snapped him out of his thoughts after her laughter faded. A little sour after getting laughed at twice in a row, Kirito opened up the small box. Sinon had scooted near him and leaned over the table, curious to see what was inside.

"Cookies?" He asked, staring at the small two-colored squares inside.

"Yep!" She smiled sweetly. "We don't have milk like last time, but I suppose eggnog is a good substitute."

"Last time?" Sinon asked, catching Asuna's wording.

"Uh-huh." Asuna turned towards her new friend. "Remember how I was telling you earlier about how Kirito and I met? We ended up sharing milk and cookies together."

"You did, huh?" Sinon raised an eyebrow, before a devilish smirk graced her face. She turned towards the boy in black, as he flinched under her gaze. "I see... so you were trying to pick up a chick by feeding her good food?" She accused.

"W-What? No I wasn't..." Kirito rejected, hesitating a moment. His intentions were pure that day, it just took him a moment to remember from how drowzy he was getting. "Why would I do that?"

"Why not?" Sinon proposed. That wasn't a good counter argument, but he didn't get the opportunity to call her out on it. "Swooping in and giving a pretty girl food, all the while knowing there wasn't anything good to eat on floor one." She shook her head in disappointment.

"Really?" Asuna cut in, shocked at what she was hearing. "That's why you came up to me that day?" Pain leaked out onto her face as she looked at the boy. The revelation hurting her deeply.

"N-No, of course not!" Kirito held his hands up in defense. "You know I wouldn't do something like that!"

"I don't know..." Sinon folded her arms. "Now that I think about it, you did the same thing to me too..."

'What?! No I didn't! She's lying! Why the hell is she lying!?' He scanned through his memories of the day they met and knew her words were deceitful. That blue haired witch was playing a prank on him and it was working!

Quick, he needed to intervene and call her out! But as his eyes landed on Asuna, his words got caught in his throat.

"Kirito... no..." Asuna's voice was low, barely above a whisper. Her saddened eyes struck every cord inside him as panic began to arise. At this rate, she would hate him.

He couldn't let this continue. "Come on, Sinon. Don't give her that idea. You know it's not true." He said, glaring at the girl.

Sinon slowly gave Asuna a look and the rapier user slowly returned her gaze. A few seconds passed and another volley of giggles proceeded to assault his eardrums.

'Huh?' Was all Kirito could think as he looked between the two of them laughing for what was now the third time. An unpleasant thought crossed his mind and he swallowed. 'Wait... don't tell me...'

"Did you see his face?!"

"I know! He was so serious!"

They got him again. Third time in a row.

And they were both in on it.

The first two times were his fault; once because of his own joke and the other because his normal every day personality was somehow hilarious to them. He didn't know what exactly had gotten into them. Maybe it was because they had twice the manpower at their disposal, or maybe because it was a holiday, but the two girls were much more eager to tease him today. If he were playing baseball, he would've just struck out.

Kirito slumped over in defeat.

Unfortunately, his fears had been realized and they were jumping him in a 2v1.

"You got me," Kirito sighed, letting them have their win. They continued giggling and a small smile of his own slipped out. Even if it was at his expense, it was a good prank. Though, he still kicked himself for not catching on sooner.

It was kind of impressive, in a way. They hadn't even planned out that little stunt. Sinon just started spouting some nonsense and Asuna had played along with her perfectly.

They were going to be great friends.

Kirito unconsciously reached for a cookie. The sugary sweets had cost him the rest of his pride, after all.

His eyes instantly lit up. "Woah, these are good. Really good." He swallowed the treat, the doughy goodness practically melting in his mouth. Asuna gleamed at his praise, doing a small jig of accomplishment.

"Really? Thanks!" Her voice was filled with mirth. "I originally only planned giving these to Kirito. But you can have some too, Sinon." She turned towards the tomboy and gestured for her to take some.

Sinon, whose focus had honed in on the confections, lit up at her words. She couldn't remember the last time she had eaten something sweet. Like a racoon looking for food, she swiftly snatched a cookie and nibbled on it.

Just like Kirito, her eyes instantly lit up. "Oh wow, these are amazing." She gushed, unable to help a smile that broke through her composure. A cozy feeling washed over, the sugary goodness making her feel relaxed.

Watching Sinon's reaction, Asuna did a second jig, her hard work paying off twofold. She lightly bounced up and down on her cushion and giggled to herself, looking between them feasting on her creations.

The cookie monsters, now starving for intel, wanted to know where she had gotten them. On closer inspection, the cookies were made of chocolate. The reason they were two different colors was because of the natural beige color of the base she used and the dark brown color was the chocolate.

Both Kirito and Sinon ate a few more. Of course, with the sole purpose to determine if the taste had been a mere fluke and not because their greedy bellies wanted more. It hadn't been and they began to question how Asuna even managed to get her hands on something so valuable. There was a larger variety of food now that five floors were unlocked. But nothing could hold a candle to the sweetness these had. These cookies were far beyond the one's Kirito received on floor one. They were a delicacy far beyond anything the two had here, including the beta.

They needed to know. They needed more!

"Where did you get these?" Kirito demanded, making the first move. "They're not in any shop in the game. I would know." He pretentiously added. "Which monster? Which quest? Where?" He pressed on.

Meanwhile, Sinon sneakily snatched another cookie while he was distracted. Now was her chance to swipe more!

"I made them." Asuna replied eagerly, straight to the point. That response made both betas do a double take.

"You-"

"-made them?" They both questioned, looking at her in surprise.

"Yep, yep, yep." She smirked. "It took me all of my ingredients, but I was able to make two different batches." A light red blush graced her face. "I couldn't help myself and ate the first one." She confessed, softly scratching one of her cheeks.

"But where did you get the cookware?" Sinon questioned her, casually taking another one, and hoping no one would notice. "Wouldn't you have to buy and keep them on you at all times? An inn wouldn't let you keep it there. They don't let you use the kitchen, either."

"That's true, buuuuuut~" Asuna sung, pride filling her chest. "After I finished a quest, an npc let me use theirs." She smiled smugly, nose tilting upward.

"An npc? From which quest?" Sinon asked.

"Hmm..." Asuna tapped the side of her chin in thought. "...I don't remember what it was called. To be honest, the quest was kind of boring." She shoulders shrugged from underneath her cloak. "All I had to do was take a mother into the market and help her shop. Then I took her back home." Asuna looked back at the blue eyed girl to find her staring at her blandly. Feeling another set of eyes on her, she turned and saw that Kirito was doing the same thing.

"..."

"..."

Their gazes unsettled her. She didn't think she said anything weird.

"Um... is something wrong?" Asuna asked, feeling a little concern. She felt even more when she didn't receive a response. "...Guys?"

Sinon folded her hands under her chin, leaning against the table. She looked at Asuna with something akin to suspicion in her eyes. "I thought you said you didn't know what an escort quest was?"

"Eh?" Asuna tilted her head. "I do...?" She hestitated, feeling a sudden pressure on her shoulders as the two stared her down. "The quest the three of us did together was one... right...?"

"Wrong."

"E-Eh?" Asuna's head panned towards Kirito after he shot her down. "B-But earlier... I thought you said we were all going to do an escort quest together?"

"I did."

"Then-"

"Do you know what escort means, Asuna?" Sinon asked the befuddled newbie.

"Of course I do." She replied, turning back towards her. "To escort is to guide, or accompany someone, or something." Neither of them responded to her as she continued looking back and forth between them.

Asuna suddenly got the urge to pull her hair out. The way they were being so cryptic and eerie made her confusion intensify every second. She felt like she could go crazy!

"You know..." Kirito said dryly, picking up a cookie to stare at it. "These cookies aren't the only thing that remind me of our first encounter..."

"Huh? Why are you suddenly bringing that up now?" Asuna asked. The braided haired girl just couldn't keep up. She hadn't even grasped what they were trying to say and now the boy wanted to change the subject.

Just what exactly was she missing?!

Kirito appeared to doze off into space, as if recollecting a fond memory of the past. "I didn't just give you milk and cookies that day..." He spoke with a small nostalgic smile spreading on his face. "I also said you should change your hair color to blonde for how stupid you sound."

The words took a moment to travel into the girl's ear canals and for her brain to process them. Once she had, her body looked as if it had turn to stone. She looked comparable to a statue, or maybe a cartoon with how far her jaw dropped. Asuna's pretty amber eyes went wide with her eyebrows shooting up. Her head had reeled back so far that it was like she had been physically punched with a «Martial Arts» skill.

"Hey!" Sinon retorted before Asuna could even manage to begin regaining her barings. "That was uncalled for! You didn't have to say that!" She defended the stunned girl, as the boy popped the cookie into his mouth.

"True..." Kirito agreed, munching on the yummy snack. "...but come on. Don't tell me you don't think so, either."

"Well..." Her tone started off strong, but slowly died down, causing Asuna to reel back again, as if hit by a second skill.

'Et tu, Sinon?' Was what crossed Asuna's mind, as all she could do was stare at the other woman. This gave Sinon another urge to say something in defense of the poor girl.

"We- Ah- Eh- D-Don't call her blonde!" Sinon stuttered out, trying to think of something to say. She coughed and folded her arms, doing her best to appear assertive. "Thinking blonde people are stupid just by their hair color IS stupid." She stated, calling out the sterotype, and completely missing the point.

"Yeah, I know." Kirito agreed with her once more. "That doesn't mean I can't tease her. Don't tell me it's okay for you two to do it and not me." He turned the tables, bringing up the fact that they had both mercilessly teased him just a few short moments ago.

"T-Tease?" Asuna questioned, finally regaining her voice. "B-But why?"

"Because you already did an escort quest." Sinon answered in Kirito's place. She scooted near the pouty girl and rubbed her shoulder. "Remember that quest you did to take that lady to town and back to her home? Yeah, that's an escort quest." Sinon consoled her.

From Kirito's viewpoint, it almost looked as if Sinon were patronizing her. He thought maybe his eyes were playing tricks on him until Asuna lowered her head and Sinon shot him a small smirk, winking at him.

Wait.

'She IS patronizing her!' Kirito thought, feeling a rush of wonder and excitement. Sinon was just being more clever about it than he was. Rather than tease her directly, she was doing so in a way that Asuna wouldn't understand. The blue haired vixen was way too sneaky. Still, now it was Asuna's turn to be on the receiving end of the 2v1. 'I stole your partner! How do you like getting jumped!?' Kirito smirked back at Sinon, who slyly stuck her tongue out at him behind Asuna's back, making his heart race.

For some reason, Sinon was looking even hotter than normal.

"Oh!" Asuna popped her head up, surprising them both. "Before we did that escort quest together, I already did one!" She clapped her hands together and giggled. "I had already completed one and I never knew!"

"That's right." Sinon smiled at the girl, taking her hand off her shoulder. "I've already done all the escort quests, so I know which one you are talking about. I don't recall the npc letting you use their kitchen..."

'Wait... the jumping is over?' Kirito questioned as he continued listening.

That's disappointing.

"You don't?" Asuna looked surprised to hear that from her. "After I finished the quest and talked to her a second time, she said I could use it."

"Really?" Sinon raised an eyebrow. "Why would you ever talk to an npc again after their quest is completed?"

"I always do. You can never be too sure." Her friend replied. "At least, that's what Kirito says."

'Yeah, jumping is over.' The boy confirmed as his shoulders slumped, fighting back a frown. Just when he had gotten his turn at it.

"Kirito, huh?" Sinon's gaze slowly turned towards the swordsman.

"Yeah... Kirito." Asuna repeated, her own gaze shifting to look him dead in his eyes. "Ki-ri-to." She emphasized each syllable of his name maliciously. The recognized her hostility and instantly became on guard, forcing a smile.

"What's up?" He questioned, doing his best to remain casual. His smile was contested with a glare, which made it waver. It was quite the challenge to keep up under her soul-piercing stare.

"Your punishment is..." Asuna began, making him feel cautious, a pit forming in his stomach. She slowly began reaching for the box on the table. "...no more cookies!"

"NoOoOoO!" Kirito's composure broke completely, as he blocked her hand with his own. "Y-You can't do that!"

"Oh, yeah?" Asuna stood on her knees, reaching over the table to take them. She slapped his hand away and used her other to snake by his. Her assault failed, as he was able to catch it with his alternate hand.

Their hands began battling each other. Asuna stretched further across the table until her entire torso was leaning over it. Her skirt had unknowingly ridden up and had it not been for her cloak, she would have given Sinon a view men would kill for.

Having been in a more disadvantageous position, Asuna's hands soon succumbed to Kirito's grasp.

His foe was quick, but he was quicker.

Their fingers interlocked and Asuna's face scrunched, grunting as she tried to break free from Kirito's grip. Despite all of her effort, she couldn't, and her arms were pinned to the table.

Not just quicker, but he was stronger, too.

A cocky smirk flashed across his face. "What's wrong, Asuna? I thought you were going to punish me?"

She became flustered and tried wiggling out of his hold. Even if she was weaker, she may be able to slip her smaller hands out of his grasp. Asuna tried to do so with all of her might to no avail. No matter how much she struggled, her lithe hands couldn't escape their prison.

Realizing she was stuck, Asuna's cheeks began to redden. She was too prideful to ask for Sinon's help and it would be embarrassing to ask for it now that she were trapped. She was the one who had declared the punishment to begin with and now she was in too deep to back out.

In one last effort to get free, she began to use her knees to pull back for extra strength. It was useless, as Kirito cancelled her efforts out by doing the same. She struggled in vain for some time before going limp, her body sprawled across the table.

"Come on, Asuna. You can break free, can't you?" Kirito continued to mock her. "Don't tell me you're trapped." His tauntings made her blush deepen further, as her lips began to quiver.

"Y-Yeah? Well, so are you!" Asuna retorted, trying to disguise her embarrassment by pointing out that Kirito also couldn't do anything in this situation. If he wanted to reach for the cookies, he'd have to let go of her first.

"I don't think so." He slowly moved both of their hands closer together, her eyes widening. She watched on helplessly as his much greater avatar strength forced both of her hands into his left one. She instinctively began pulling again and gasped when he still refused to budge. "I'm not as helpless as you are." He jived, his right hand now free.

Asuna yelped as her hands were slammed onto the table. The tremor shot up through her arms, down her body, and into her legs, turning them into jelly. She couldn't believe the difference in strength they had and how badly Kirito overpowered her. He had completely dominated her and as he said, she was helpless.

A humilated tremor sprung up inside her. She knew her strength stat was low because she put almost every point she had into speed. But this was ridiculous!

Just how strong was he?

Kirito yawned into his open hand. "Man, after all this work, I could really go for a cookie." He grinned, trying his absolute hardest to get on her every nerve. He used his free hand to reach for the opened box of cookies.

And proceeded to be cut off by another.

"Don't tell me you thought it'd be that easy." Sinon voiced out with a smirk, her open palm smacking his away.

"I thought it would turn out like this..." Kirito sighed as he flexed his right hand, opening and closing it a few times. Then, he held it out in front of him. "Your turn."

With his declaration, the second hand way proceeded to commence. The blue demon against the black tyrant.

However, it wasn't going the way Kirito had thought. Not only did he have to fend off Sinon's trickery with a single hand without affording her a chance to get to the prize. He also had to hold Asuna down, who continuously tugged and pulled against his grip.

"Grk-!" Kirito grunted, as he struggled to maintain his ground. Asuna had moved her body off and around the table to sit directly next to him, where she could now try to pull herself in the opposite direction of his and Sinon's battle. She still couldn't get loose, but she had made it incredibly difficult for him to fight Sinon off.

Said girl shot him a devious smirk, before reaching for the box with both hands at the same time.

'Now!' Kirito saw his chance and reached to grab both of her wrists at once. With her pinned, he could throw both the girls away from the table, grab the box, and run off with them. He reached out, only for his eyes to widen.

The blue demon's smirk grew, baring her fangs as she anticipated his move. Pulling one of her arms back at the last moment, she let Kirito grab one of her wrists, leaving the other one free.

Realizing his mistake, the tyrant let go of her arm and reached for the other in one last ditch effort to catch her.

It was all for naught. His hand was only met with air.

"Gotcha!" Sinon used both hand to hold the box up high. "They're all mine." She boasted.

"Damn..." Kirito muttered snapping his fingers and releasing his grip on Asuna.

Now free, Asuna began rubbing her aching wrists. Sao blocked her from feeling real pain, so they didn't realistically hurt. However, the Cardinal System implemented as many sensations as it could. Several of them had feelings akin to lingering pain, such as the short ache of being grabbed harshly, hunger pains, or jumping into a freezing cold pond in the dead ass of winter.

"All right! Good job, Sinonon!" Asuna praised her, shuffling her way back towards her cushion.

"Sinonon?" The other girl questioned.

Asuna smiled bashfully. "I thought it would be a cute nickname for you. Unless... you don't like it?"

"No, no, it's fine." Sinon rejected. "I... don't really mind..." She said quietly. Feeling a little embarrassed by such a thing, she shielded herself with her scarf.

Seeing another opportunity, Kirito tried sneaking up and snatching the cookies away from her. Sinon predicted his maneuver and jerked the box away from his prying hands.

"Oh no you don't. You lost this fight." She stuck her tongue back out at him. Only then did the boy finally understand her intentions.

'She planned for all this?!' He couldn't help noticing earlier that she had snuck more than a few of HIS cookies from HIS Christmas present for herself. Kirito didn't mind sharing with her, as that was what Asuna wanted.

That didn't apparently matter, as that wasn't what Sinon wanted. She wanted them all to herself and led him to believe she was on both his and Asuna's sides when really, she was on her own.

'That conniving little...' He knew those cookies were damn good, but to think she would find a way to sneak them all for herself. What made it even worse was that Asuna willingly took Sinon's side, unknowingly playing right into her hands.

With a bittersweet smile, Kirito conceded. He was sure if he made a big enough fuss about it that both of them would give the box back. He didn't really feel like degrading himself even further today. Plus, it wouldn't be very cool for a guy to whine over a box of cookies. Knowing Asuna, she may end up making more, anyway.

Kirito blinked. "Hey, wait a second. How did you even make those cookies, anyway?"

Asuna looked at him a bit rhetorically. "What do you mean? I said an npc let me use their kitchen." She glared at him, crossing her arms. "Have you even been listening to us?" She pouted. Sinon also looked confused why he would ask.

"No, I mean, you need the cooking skill to even make stuff like that, don't you?"

"Oh... that's what you meant." Asuna's glare shifted to become prideful once more. "Yeah, I used one of my skill slots to get the cooking skill. Neat, huh?" The girl praised herself proudly.

Kirito and Sinon each shared a glance between each other. The ladder had opened her mouth to say something, but slowly closed it.

Smart move. Whatever she was going to say likely would have started the third hand war.

Kirito, with no longer anything left to lose, decided to sum up both of their thoughts with a single word, "Noob."

"E-Eh?" Asuna tilted her head in confusion.

Deja vu.

"Whatever..." Kirito sighed. He would let it go for now. Todays antics had been enough for one night. Now was time for him to begin heading towards the special event. The boy stood up and waved his hand. "Its been fun guys, but I think it's time for me to turn in for the day."

"Wait a second!" Asuna stopped him.

Damn, damn, damn.

Not this again.

"Hm?" He turned back around, silently pleading she wouldn't take too long. Whatever it was, he begged for it not to be important.

"I-Its just..." Asuna paused shyly. "...I gave you a present... are you going to give me one?" She looked at him expectantly.

Oh...

...sssssSSSSSHIT!

Just like Asuna had before, Kirito had turned into a statue. "U-U-Uh... I u-uh..." He stammered like crazy, having zero idea how to get out of this catastrophic situation. If there was anything he could have done worse today other than looking like a fool, it would be forgetting the MOST basic Christmas tradition.

On this one specific day out of every one of them in the year, all you had to do was buy a gift. It could have been something cheap, expensive, dumb, whatever. It didn't matter what it was. It was the thought that counted.

Even if he had done the bare minimum, he would still be safe. Even in a game of death, it was still Christmas. Getting them a present was just common sense.

He had one job.

And he blew it sky high.

In all fairness, he couldn't be blamed too much. He was a self-centered kid who never had to think of his friends because he didn't have any. He also wasn't at the age where it was expected of him to buy other people gifts.

There had been that one time a couple years back where he'd saved some of his birthday money to buy Sugu a cute hairclip, but that was an exception. He didn't even wrap it. Instead, he just awkwardly handed it to her while wishing her a 'Merry Christmas.'

It should've been fine if he came out and said he'd forgotten to do such a thing. If he explained why, surely they would understand.

The way Asuna's beautiful face twisted downwards shut that option down.

"You... didn't?" Asuna voice fluctuated. This time, it didn't seem like she was faking it.

Kirito couldn't even bring himself to look in the downtrodden girl's direction and he found himself looking at Sinon instead. The blue haired cookie thief, while not appearing to be as offended or disappointed as Asuna, did seem interested in his response and watched him curiously.

Looking back at her, he remembered that she hadn't actually given him a present yet, either. The whole cookie debacle had been from Asuna's gift. He then got a wicked idea.

"Yeah, that's right..." Kirito scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "I nearly forgot with all the excitement earlier..."

Anyone with eyes and ears could tell he was fibbing and Sinon certainly had, but it would work on the unfocused Asuna. Said girl proceeded to perk back up, happy that he hadn't forgotten.

Hopefully, this stunt would buy him some time to figure something out.

"I was going to, but I wanted to wait until after Sinon went," Kirito said, almost accusingly. The cookie goblin's eyes went wide upon hearing his words and the boy felt some relief wash over him.

Looks like she also forgot.

"That's cool. Right, Sinon?" He asked hurriedly. It wouldn't look bad on her for not getting Asuna a gift because they just met, but it would if she didn't get him one. If she could admit she also forgot, he wouldn't look as bad for not getting Asuna a present. Afterwards, they could both make it up to her some other time.

"Y-Yeah, sure..." Sinon said awkwardly, opening her menu. She took her sweet time going through it, greedily placing the remaining few cookies inside.

To Kirito, it looked like she were just prolonging the inevitable. While others would have loved to be getting a present from such a feisty ice queen, this outcome was for the best. This way, they could both take the heat and get chewed out together.

"Here." Sinon tossed something at Kirito and he instinctively reacted to catch it.

'Wait... she had something?!' He didn't understand. Her demeanor was bashful and she looked apologetic. Why would she look like that if she actually had something?!

Kirito barely kept himself from freaking out. He swallowed dryly, stalling out what would now be his solo demise by inspecting Sinon's gift.

"You've gotta be kidding me..." What he was holding in his hands was none other than that «White Santa Hat» from before. The dumb ass item he had clowned Sinon for obtaining was now his.

The blue demon had struck again.

A sound of muffled laughter drew his eyes back up from the cosmetic to find Asuna clamping her hands over her mouth, barely restraining herself. "You're so mean, Sinonon!"

"How do you mean?" Sinon pretended to be clueless, the slight upward turn of her lips giving her away. "Since he liked it so much from before, I figured I'd let him have it." Her response broke what little remained of Asuna's composure and she laughed freely. Sinon turned over and winked at him again.

"Y-You can't just come up with a gift on the spot!" Kirito tried denying her present, looking over to Asuna to back him up.

Coming up with a random present right on the spot like that goes entirely against Christmas spirit, didn't it? Kirito waited for her to stop laughing and tell Sinon to be serious, but she never did. In fact, she didn't really seem to care.

'Really? Just because it's funny?' He grimaced, looking over at Sinon who had become smug upon seeing the way Asuna reacted.

How cruel.

This chick had to of crawled out of one of the nine circles of hell. He hated to admit it, but she was very cute when she wore a look like that.

Actually, both Sinon and Asuna could make smugness look pretty good, though Asuna was usually way less demonic. Her amber eyes lit up as she stared at his gift. She looked like she really wanted to say something. He bet she wanted to ask him to- "Wear it, Kirito!"

Rolling his eyes, the swordsman lamely placed the hat on his head. Hoping that was enough, he shrugged his arms, letting them witness how stupid he looked.

Ironically, this was the first helmet he had ever equipped since the beta and it technically wasn't even a helmet. Players could equip things just by picking them up and wearing them. That is, if they didn't already have something equipped in that slot.

"Aww!" Asuna gushed over him, clasping her hands together. Sinon lightly snickered at him. At this point, he was over getting worked up about it. Since he couldn't avoid it, he resigned himself to it. If there was a way for him to act a fool, he'd find it.

Kirito would find a way...

The boy unequipped the cosmetic and tossed it inside his inventory, much to Asuna's disappointment. Thankfully, it didn't weigh much, so he wouldn't have to worry about it taking his precious weight limit space. He couldn't afford getting the «Extended Weight Limit» skill yet. Though, it would take up an inventory slot. Maybe he could sell it at a-

Wait.

Cosmetic...sell...hadn't he thought something like that recently? As early as yesterday, as a matter of fact.

Scrolling further down into the depths of his item box, Kirito began to look for two separate items. His heart thumped in his chest, praying he hadn't already thrown them out or sold them. The gamer scrolled further down, growing more anxious.

Right at the very bottom of his item list, he found them. Two specific cosmetics he had gotten from reindeer that he had banished to the back of his inventory. All of his worries vanished in an instant.

Two different presents in the form of two cosmetic items. They were the choker and that other one he couldn't seem to recall. Regardless of how it happened, he managed to find a present to give each of them. If Sinon could just hand over a random item and say it was a present, then so could he. It was perfect.

He was safe.

"Guess it's my turn." An alleviating smile showed on his face, as he pressed the trade icon next to one of the items. He wanted to avoid giving it to them directly and instead trade it over. That way, he could avoid the possibility of them complaining about also getting a cosmetic item. Asuna likely wouldn't mind, but Sinon would almost definitely have mocking words, despite the fact she had also given him one. "I want it to be a surprise, so don't look at it until later."

Kirito sent a trade request to Sinon first and pressed on the «White Christmas» item. He was sure that one was the choker and thought it was perfect for her. He definitely didn't think so because he wanted to choke her sometimes. She accepted it with a subtle smirk that he could barely see over her scarf.

It appears she'd figured him out, seemingly letting him get away with dodging a bullet by copying her.

Funny. A demon attempting to act like an angel.

Ignoring her, Kirito pulled up another trade menu for Asuna and pressed on the «Naughty or Nice» item. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't remember what it was. Then he remembered that he never actually pulled the item out to look at it. He had no clue what piece of equipment it was supposed to be, but it didn't matter.

A present was a present. Nothing he could do about it now. It was just a cosmetic. No big deal.

Asuna accepted her gift, furrowing her eyebrows and clicking her tongue. She really wanted to open it now. But he said not to, so she'd have to wait. Kirito didn't understand this and looked at her in confusion.

"Uh... alright then. Since we all celebrated and traded gifts, I guess that's a wrap." Kirito announced, standing up and heading for the door with a wave. "Merry Christmas."

"I'll go with you." Sinon followed, stretching her arms over her head as she also stood. "It's about time for me to head out as well."

"Wait just a moment!" Asuna halted them.

Are you serious?

"This again, Asuna?" Kirito asked exasperatedly. At this rate, she'd never let him leave.

"Hmph!" Like a mother scolding children, she frowned and pointed at the messy table. "Since we celebrated in my room, it's only fair if you help me clean up." She commanded them.

Kirito and Sinon looked at each other in astoundment. Once again, Asuna had proven to them that she has no idea how to play this game.

With great stride, the pro marched up to the small table and kicked it over. Asuna gasped in horror, holding her head in shock as all the cups and containers they had used spilled onto the wooden floor. Before she could even comment, they each shattered into thousands of light particles, liquids and all.

Asuna stared at the now trashless table as Kirito used his foot to tilt it back upright. "Oh..."

"Noob..." Kirito muttered under his breath, turning to leave.

"Hey, hold on!" Asuna crossed her arms. "That was still a waste! We could have saved some of it for later!"

"Nope." The boy waved her off lackadasically. "Food expires and vanishes after a certain time limit, even if its in your inventory. You need a preservative if you want to save and keep food for long periods of time."

"Mhm." Sinon nodded in agreement.

She looked at the two and faltered. Her shoulders slumped as she failed to come up with anything else to mention. "Okay, I guess you can leave..." Asuna sulked.

Christmas only comes around once a year. Even if they were living in a game, she wanted to celebrate it as best she could. Not everyday would be like this. She just wished it could have lasted a little longer.

"Don't worry. We'll have more fun together, soon," Sinon consoled the girl, as if she could read her mind. She walked up to Asuna and placed a hand on her shoulder. "It was nice meeting you, Asuna," She said with a friendly smile. Asuna stared back at her in awe, before jumping into her with a hug, causing Sinon to grunt in surprise.

"It was nice to meet you too, Sinonon." Asuna returned, wrapping her arms around Sinon's neck, and pulling her close. Sinon stood startled for a moment, eventually embracing the other girl by also wrapping her arms around her back, albeit a bit awkwardly.

Kirito watched them hug, almost feeling like a third wheel. He couldn't help but notice how girly Asuna hugged compared to Sinon.

Actually, that wasn't entirely true. Sinon had been incredibly girly when she had hugged him that one night...

The two let go of each other and Sinon walked back next to him. "Merry Christmas, Asuna." She waved.

"Merry Christmas." Asuna waved back. "And Merry Christmas to you too, Kirito." He returned her goodbye and what felt like forever, finally left the room alongside Sinon.

A surge of energy reentered the boy, as he was relieved of his obligations and finally set free back out into the world.

"She's nice..." Sinon quietly voiced her opinions, as they began walking down the stairs into the lobby.

"Really now?" He asked, disbelievingly. Now that he wasn't outnumbered, he felt he could be a bit more assertive. "That's not the impression I got when you first met her."

"Shut up." She shoved his arm. "You know what I mean."

"I'm serious. She was like that with me when I first met her, too."

"...Deserved likely."

"Not really..."

Sinon grinned at him as they made their way outside. "I didn't know you were quite the pick up artist. Milk and cookies, huh?" Sinon mocked him, recalling when Asuna brought up how the two had met each other.

"I wasn't trying to pick her up. I was just being nice."

"Sure, bud," Sinon said, unconvinced. "I just wanna know why you didn't try that when you first met me."

"I'm pretty sure I tried avoiding you when we first met." He glanced her way as they began walking down the street. "I recall how you forced me into a party with you quite clearly."

She twirled her hair nonchalantly. "Oh, yeah. I guess I did..."

Kirito rolled his eyes. He knew she didn't forget. "Right, well in that scenario, you should have been the one to bring me cookies. Not the other way around."

"Yeah, I'll get right on that." She snarked.

"Sure, open up your menu and pass them over."

"That's not happening." She rejected instantly. "I'm just saying. Maybe I wouldn't have been so harsh if you had."

"Hmm... harsh on the first meeting... who does that remind me of?"

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Sinon's eyes narrowed, understanding the implication.

"Nothing. Strange coincidence, though." He shrugged, receiving a light punch that made him chuckle. "You keep bringing that milk and cookie thing up." He raised an eyebrow. "If I had done so, you're saying it would have worked on you?"

"N-Not even!" She swiftly denied, getting flustered. "I-I just thought the cookies Asuna made were so good that I wanted to mention it. That's all."

"Well, you certainly robbed me of them pretty good back there."

"I did. Sucks to suck." She giggled, openly admitting to it now. At least that was some form of vindication. Though, he couldn't help feeling a little bitter.

"...I hope they perish in your inventory before you get the chance to eat them."

"Nope!" She eagerly shot down. "I checked its life before I put them in my inventory and they got a couple more hours before they expire."

Her words made him feel even more sour. "And here I was walking you home..."

"How do you know I'm not rooming back there?"

"You followed me outside... I just assumed you were staying at the other inn in town."

"Hmm... Maybe I'm the one who decided to walk you home, instead."

"Yeah, right." Kirito sighed, pocketing his hands. "Come on, let's go." He said, walking a bit faster. Sinon was going to catch up, stopping after she noticed his back.

His weaponless back.

"Hey, wait a sec." She called out, making him stop and glance backwards. "Where's your sword?" The swordsman immediately reached for the handle on his back, feeling nothing but air. Now that he's focused on it, his back felt a lot lighter than usual.

"I left it." Kirito remembered.

"You left it?" A look of confusion appeared on her before she also remembered. "That's right. You left it by the door didn't you?"

"Yeah..." He facepalmed. Asuna was the traditional type so when they walked into her room, she asked them to take off their gloves and weapons. It was improper to eat with gloves on, apparently. The two of them were still walking without them on, actually. That rule obviously included having a weapon on your person, as well.

"Why didn't you just place it in your inventory like I did?"

Kirito groaned. "I thought it would be easier to just take it off and put it back on when I left..." Hearing Sinon's bell-like giggle only made him groan more. He'd been so dead set on leaving that place after being trapped for so long that he gained tunnel vision, completely missing the weapon on his way out.

What she said next made it infinitely worse. She looked up at him wiith the sweetest, most sickening smile of the night.

"Noob." It felt life a knife plunging into his chest. He couldn't even say anything witty back to her because she was right. He stood there like an idiot, before turning around back towards the inn they left. "Aren't you supposed to be escorting me home?" She added, much to his chagrin.

"I'll be right back! Just hold on!" He snapped, practically running back to get his sword.

Sinon then pretended to be affected by his actions, exaggerating about how he was abandoning her and leaving her for the wolves out on the cold street. It only added more salt to his already open wound. He bet that she was also swooning around and holding herself as if she'd faint without a man to escort her. Really doing her best to play it up.

He couldn't bare looking back and witnessing such humiliation.

Damn, damn, damn, damn!

Making the walk of shame back inside the inn, Kirito tried to think up more ways to pay her back. The gossip, the tag teaming, the cookies, the bullying, it was all injustice!

If he were a judge, he'd convict her ass for life for all the transgressions she made against him today. Asuna wasn't off the hook, either. Her sentence may not be as bad because of her cookie box, but she'd practically allowed Sinon to steal them away. Maybe he'd pardon her if she made him more.

Then he thought about Sinon jacking them again, which further irritated him.

Ignoring the few amount of players in the lobby, he marched up the stairs without a care if he was being a disturbance. It was the only way he could vent. If he acted pissy in front of Sinon, she would just laugh at him again. He didn't wanna ruin Asuna's night either. He'd be quick. Quickly get in, say hi, grab his sword, say bye.

Kirito casually opened the door to her room. "Hey, Asuna. I forgot my swo-" His eyes proceeded to bulge out of his head.

Holy shi-

"-hit..." The word slipped out as he stared at what was in front of him. The image would be forever ingrained inside of his brain.

It was Asuna, of course. Except she wasn't wearing her normal gear and instead standing in her underwear next to her bed. It was no normal underwear, either. She was wearing something he could never imagine her wearing in a million years, yet here she was.

Lacy white stockings connected to equally lacy garterbelts strapped over her legs and over her hips. A tight white corset that exposed her belly button with a diamond outline, covering her torso up to her breasts, leaving little to the imagination. Her cleavage and above were exposed, her shoulders completely bare. The dirtiest part of the outfit, though, were the panties. They were white, lacy and sexy like the other parts. However, a small mistletoe rimmed the top of them.

One could imagine what such a thing was implying.

Kirito just stared.

Stared, stared, and stared some more.

His eyes roamed over Asuna's body many times, somehow finding their way to her face. The girl was performing her turn-to-stone act, her body unmoving and her expression frozen in one of pure shock. He stared at her and she stared back blankly.

Robotically, Asuna's lips began twitching. Her slow intake of breath was his cue to begin moving. He swiftly grabbed his sword, still leaning on the wall next to the door and retreated just as Asuna's lungs reached their full capacity.

"A-" The start to a scream so loud, it could ring across all of Aincrad.

Fortunately, no one heard it, as Kirito had shut the door. Without a high level «Listening» skill, a player couldn't hear inside inn rooms. It would take a solid twenty to thirty floors before anyone could start pulling shenanigans like that.

'She should probably lock her door.' Kirito thought, now walking down the stairs instead of stomping up them. That experience had done a complete one-eighty to his mood. He really needed a pick me up and who better than Asuna to give it to him.

Of course he felt bad. He wouldn't even dream of walking in on her changing like that intentionally. It really had been an accident. Still, he couldn't deny what he saw and to be honest, he didn't want to. She was absolutely breathtaking and he loved every moment of that.

He couldn't lie. If someone asked him if he would take it back if he could. Deep down, he knew he wouldn't.

There was still the mystery why she was even dressed like that in the first place. For a split second, he considered the possibility that she always dressed like that under her usual garb and she was secretly a slut. However, the stockings she currently wore were black and they definitely didn't have any garter belts attached to them. They would have been visible if she had been wearing them before.

He felt something move inside his pants. For some reason, SAO had those type of functions. Even with the ethics code turned on, he could still feel the sensation. It was embarrassing to admit, but seeing Asuna like that had given him a physical reaction.

"Kirito?"

"Gwahhh!" The boy yelled in surprise.

"Gyah!" Sinon yelled back, not expecting his reaction. "W-What the hell was that about?"

The two looked at each other incredulously for a second, Kirito eventually speaking, "N-Nothing. You just surprised me is all."

"Surprised you? You surprised me!" She glared at the boy. "How could I even surprise you? I was standing in the middle of the street."

"I was just lost in thought. That's all."

"Lost in thought? What exactly could make you of all people zone out like that?"

"Oh, uh..." Kirito gave a half-hearted laugh. That's not good. Definitely couldn't tell her why. If she looked down though, she might be able to figure it out. "I'm just thinking about how stupid it really would have been if I actually lost my sword." He nervously scratched his cheek. "I didn't get much sleep before, so I guess I'm just really tired."

"Hmm..." The girl hummed in her signature pose, hands on her hips. "Even so, how could you forget? It's so big."

'It's so big.' Kirito swallowed deeply, feeling another twitch down there. Now was not the time for unintended innuendos like that. If she wasn't directly looking at his face, he would have thought she knew about his second sword and was teasing him flirtatiously. He couldn't even look her in the eyes right now.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Sinon asked, taking a step closer to him. A small look of concern appeared on her.

Too close for comfort.

Something was indeed wrong and he didn't want to imagine her reaction if she found out. Not wanting to risk it, Kirito grabbed her hand and dragged her alongside him in the direction of the other inn.

"W-What are you doing?!" She shouted in surprise, her feet stumbling to match his pace.

"Escorting you home, of course."

"Y-Yeah, but you don't gotta hold my hand!" She angrily glared. "I'm not a little kid!" She tried pulling free from his grip, but just like Asuna, she couldn't.

"I don't know..." Kirito's voice trailed off. "Weren't you the one going on about how helpless and lost you were? You need a man to get you home, don't you?" He questioned, turning her own practical joke against her. Sinon blushed and stuttered in denial. He simply squeezed her hand tighter and pulled her to walk alongside him. He puffed his chest out, miming some tough guy. "Don't worry little girl. I got you."

Sinon's cheeks reddened even more, a harsh contrast to her pretty blue hair and the light snowfall around them. She stuttered a bunch more before dipping her rosy nose into her scarf. "Y-You didn't have to say it like that..." She quietly muttered.

"Hm?"

"Nothing..." Sinon said a bit louder for him to hear. She hid her face deeper into the cloth and bit down on it, fighting her growing blush.

This boy was such an idiot. She couldn't believe he actually decided to double down on her joke. They were really holding hands for the stupidest reason possible. Still, she couldn't find it within herself to be upset. She had started this day wanting to get closer to the boy and now they were locking hands.

It may not have been for the right reason, but it was something. She felt the boy adjust their hold for a better grip and their fingers interlace. She stepped a little closer to him, her hand squeezing back.

They were a good distance down the road, so no one was around. If anyone had been, they certainly would believe them to be a couple.

Kirito nearly jumped when he felt her squeeze back and he almost let go. He thought she would fight him over it the entire way, but it appeared she was fine with this.

It felt a bit awkward. He only wanted to distract her from possibly finding out his issue and it was a great opportunity for some payback. Now, he was stuck holding her hand and feeling more weird with each and every step.

'Happy thoughts. Happy thoughts.' Kirito told himself, trying to keep his dual blade from perpetually raging. His mind drifted back towards to the almost nude girl he walked in on. How tight her clothes were, pure white skin barely being kept from spilling out. The mistleto- 'Woah! Okay, bad thoughts! Bad thoughts!'

He tried every method in the book, thinking of weird, gross things, and counting backwards from one hundred. It started to work and he began to calm down...

...Until Sinon completely leaned into him, shoulder to shoulder. Her other arm had even snaked its way up to clutch onto his. He thought he could feel what felt like her head resting on his shoulder, but he didn't dare look. It did feel nice, but it also felt so wrong in his current predicament.

The walk was slow and painful for him. Despite the cold, he was feeling extremely hot. He continuously tried and failed to get his mind away from dirty thoughts. The image of Asuna about to bust out of her top, along with Sinon rubbing up against him made it impossible.

Sinon, however, was having a great time. She too couldn't feel the cold weather because she too was feeling hot. Rather than from lust, it was from the warmth she could feel from Kirito, as well as her embarrassment from being so close. It may be just a game, but it felt so real to her. Maybe she was just out of touch with reality, but being so close to him like this filled her with a sense of warmth she hadn't felt before.

After what felt like forever to them both for separate reasons, the two finally arrived at the other inn. Sinon reluctantly let him go and stepped back, feeling a sudden chill run through her now that she wasn't holding onto him. She wrapped her own arms around herself, a weak attempt to retain his warmth.

Kirito coughed, relieved it was over. "We're here."

"You're not coming in?" Sinon questioned. "Aren't you staying here as well?"

He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Nah, I rented an npc home."

On every floor, there were certain areas where a player could rent out a place from an npc rather than at an inn. Some had requirements like completing a quest before the npc would let you rent it, or it could be as simple as going out of your way and finding them. They were often bigger and had more commodities than an inn and were usually cheaper as well. The downside was that there were very few of them on each floor, making them harder to rent out. The players who got to them first usually kept them until the next floor was available. The only exception was if they were headed to a different town and it was too far away to make the trip back.

However, Kirito was lying. He was actually staying at the same inn Sinon was. He didn't confess because he still had business to do.

Admitting he was staying here would be incredibly awkward. To show up here and immediately leave would arouse her suspicion. He could always tell her the truth about the even more special reindeer he'd found. But if he got something really good from it, something that she could have potentially gotten, she would hate herself even more for taking on those escort quests. Especially after wasting even more time on them today.

He wouldn't tell her and couldn't turn in until he had completed it.

"I see..." The girl replied softly, rubbing her shoulders. She looked like she wanted to say something else, but held herself back from doing so.

"Well, I don't wanna keep you." Kirito held a hand up in goodbye, turning around to leave. Even though Sinon's scarf had been draped over half her face and over her nose, he could still tell that it was extremely red. The weather had gotten even colder at this time of night and though she dressed warm, it may not have been warm enough. She must be really cold. "Good night... and Merry Christmas."

She gave a low nod in return. "Good night..."

Walking away, Kirito felt his face break into a smile. Today had been a lot. A nerdy shut-in like him wasn't used to these kind of get togethers. Spending all day with his friends who had bullied him mercilessly may have done a number on his pride, ego, self-esteem, patience, and even his manhood. Yet after everything was said and done, he couldn't help acknowledging that he had fun.

Exhausting as it may have been, Kirito was happy things had played out the way they had. Things had started out rough and ended positively. He was thankful that he wouldn't have to juggle his time between them anymore. Things had also ended on a high note, albeit for more personal reasons. The boy would never forget the image he saw of Asuna, or the feeling of Sinon wrapped around him.

...

It was still there. A part of him somewhere deep inside that continuously gnawed at the decisions he had made. A feeling that told him he shouldn't be their friend. Kick them to the curb and never turn back.

No, it was more than that. It wanted him to completely silence them, removing any chance that they had at exposing his privacy to others.

Every second he spend away from them, he would feel it commanding him to take action. Distrust, ire, and spite would bubble up inside, followed by a fleeting urge to hurt them.

Once he met up with one of them, he felt the urge to ask what they had been up to, and where they had been. If he could trust them, if he should be worried.

If he should kill them.

'...No, that won't happen.' Kirito shook the feeling down. It may never fully go away, but he was used to ignoring it. He turned around to look at Sinon one last time as she was heading inside the inn.

He smirked, getting a wicked idea. He knelt down and began packing snow into a ball.

Not capitalizing on such an opportunity would be criminal.

"Hey, Sinon!" Kirito shouted.

She turned around.

SPLAT

With the force of a freight train, the snowball spun rapidly through the air, cutting the wind, and slamming right into the girl's face.

Unlike last time where Sinon managed to catch herself, the ball had thrown her back, and completely throwing her off her feet. The snow crashed into her face, snapping her head back, and sending her entire body reeling from the power. She landed hard on her back, stars dancing in her vision as she wondered what exactly just happened.

Kirito couldn't help but burst out laughing as he watched her fall. This was comeuppance for those cookies she robbed. She had better watch her back for the remainder of winter because this was just the start. This wasn't just a snowball fight. It was a snowball war.

"Thanks for today! We should do this again!" Kirito yelled, turning around to book it. Sinon heard his call, but her ringing ears couldn't make anything out.

With her arms feeling like spagetti, she managed to push herself upright in a sitting position. As her vision cleared, she could piece out what looked to be a tiny black blur growing smaller. She looked down at herself, seeing nothing but snow covering her. Her chest, her back, her legs, and even face as the white powder fell onto her stomach.

Suddenly, a fierce chill spread throughout Sinon's body and she shrieked. She tried standing up, slipping after trying too fast. Finally getting her jelly legs standing, she held her trembling body tight as she realized what happened. Rage surged throughout her entirely and she screamed at the boy with all her might.

"BASTARD!"

---

A spiraling snow storm, one that towered up high over the forest. Snowflakes shimmered around in a torrent of never-ending frost. The hazy mist created from the sheer cold made it so that a person wouldn't be able to see their own hand stretched out in front of them. Wind howled cries of rage, whipping around to create a vicious vacuum. A vast pile up of snow gathered up, creating masses large enough to reach a person's waist.

It was the only storm of its kind. No other place on the five unlocked floors of Aincrad did such a thing unfold. It could be found in the «Bear Forest» on floor four. Before the mighty snowstorm appeared, it had originally been unassuming. Even when the floor was new, it had been a relatively average forest, housing a mediocre amount of quests, and moderate rewards.

Essentially, there was never a reason for any frontliners to come back here. Not even the few lower level players that would choose the forest for training would travel here at the dead end of night. That was all before counting the freezing death it currently contained.

Walking through such an unforgiving blizzard was suicide. One could wonder why a person would ever dare try such a thing. Any onlookers from outside the storm would immediately turn tail as soon as their eyes feasted upon it.

Had anyone tried, they would find themselves buried in a snowy grave. It hard to see, breathe, move, and was well beyond freezing.

Yet despite how foolish it would be, and the insurmountable odds one would need to overcome, there was still a player who dared to do so.

A player dressed in black.

He had begun regretting it.

Trekking through the snow was tough. In terms of endurance, it was easily the hardest thing the player had done inside the game. Perhaps, it was the hardest thing he had ever done period. It was so cold he believed he could drop dead at any moment. It wasn't just his thoughts, as a sound effect alerted him of his decreasing life.

Glancing up at his yellow healthbar, the player looked at the status effect under it. He had never seen this one before today. It was called «Deep Freezing» and was a greater debuff version of the «Freezing» status.

Clearly. He didn't need a status telling him he was cold when he felt it for himself. The pain was incredible. He wanted to give up and just teleport out.

But he couldn't. Not if he wanted the reward.

The boy's teeth chattered faster than he could consciously move them. Trying his best to ignore it, he made his way deeper through the forest from memory alone. He had the map to the location inside of his inventory, but he couldn't look at it anymore. The snow blowing every which way had made it impossible to read. He could barely see his hand after he'd placed in on his face, much less try reading a map. If he did try, it would likely just get blown away, or destroyed from the damage it would take.

Considering this possibility before he entered the blizzard, he did his best to commit everything on the map to memory. He also tried as hard as he could to recall the path he had used to travel through the forest the day before.

Easier said than done. Not only was it difficult to scale the drawn route in person, the pile up had covered the pathway he had taken completely. The only way he could use the map now was to try judging the distance himself. He did his best to measure his steps, as well as the distance he walked, giving his best estimates before making a turn.

Things appeared to be going fine, until all of a sudden they weren't. The freezing pain was starting to get to him and mess up his calculations. It was clear he was making mistakes when he began walking into multiple trees. Then he slipped and fell because of some weaker powder snow, disorienting him further.

There wasn't anything else he could do at this point. Kirito would either make it, or he wouldn't. He just prayed the mistakes he made were minor and he could course correct them after adjusting a bit.

The swordsman sneezed harshly, pulling his knee out of a cluster of snow, and nearly losing his boot in the process. He was alerted of his health dropping again, this time to red. The potions on his belt were all used up, Now, he needed to resort to the ones inside his menu.

Flicking it open, he was impressed he could still see it through the massive brume. The unnatural lighting it radiated was visible. Not even a disastrous blizzard could get around this game mechanic. The only exception to this rule was the «Blinded» status.

A potion later and his health was back to green. Honestly, he didn't even need to see the menu. The boy had explored the interfaces so many times that it was all muscle memory by this point. Then he returned a few more potions to his belt to avoid the hassle.

He couldn't imagine a world where he would be attacked by a monster spawning through this type of weather. Just like him, they would be affected by the hazardous area as well.

Noticing the absent light of the dismissed window, the boy pulled the menu back up. As subtle as it was, he realized the light it gave off made it slightly easier to see through the haze. The menu was tethered to follow his head movements at a certain distance. If he moved his head, the menu would move as well. It was still difficult to see with the menu directly in his face, but if he tilted his head to the side a bit, and turned his eyes to look from the side, he could effectively use the light to navigate better.

Ironically, the snow burned like fire. The sensation would only permeate further the longer he continued. At least he was making better progress now. The menu lighting was helping more than he thought it would. Untraditional as the idea may be, it worked.

Modern problems require modern solutions.

His feet began picking up their pace. With better visability, and a newfound energy, he was motivated to move faster. The agonizingly slow crunch of the snow had changed into light taps. The speed he was moving at was too quick for the snow to break from under him. His mind was focused and he felt like he could measure his distance better between turns. Another turn, another potion, another sprint forward.

Faster.

Faster.

Faster.

Silence...

Suddenly, his vision was clear. The boom of the storm was gone, a tranquil calm in its stead. Snow no longer fell from above, the pile up under him now flat and smooth. The scalding winds now whistled quietly, as if they were putting a baby to sleep. The weather felt warmer and he was no longer afflicted with the «Deep Freeze» debuff. The boy looked around, recognizing exactly where he was.

It was over.

Kirito had made it.

A wave of exhaustion swept him off his feet and he fell back onto the ground. After everything he went through today, this was certainly crowned his most exhausting. Kirito had never been so tired in his life and he had done plenty of weekend gaming sessions without rest.

"It better be worth it," Kirito said as he drunk another health potion. He wanted to safe up to full hp in the chance that he had to fight a monster or a boss. The trip had used up most of them and he was running low.

Restocking his belt, he then proceeded to pull out the map. There wasn't really a point now that he was here, but maybe it would trigger something.

Looking it over a few times and failing to activate anything, he rolled it up, stashing it inside his coat pocket. The map read 0:00 which would mean midnight. His in-game clock read 23:55. Only five minutes left until it happened. He had really cut it close there.

Still, the circumstances around the event were strange. Kirito knew timed quests were a thing, having already done the one that involved catching the «Midnight Butterfly». However, catching a little bug was completely different to an event that was all the way out in the middle of nowhere at midnight, on christmas, with a winter storm guarding whatever it is that's here.

Having completed all the trials up to this point, Kirito could feel himself swell with excitement. To even get to this point, he had to catch the «Crystal Reindeer» which had been even more special and harder to catch than the others, decode and find the location on the map, trek through an incredibly deadly blizzard, suffer through immense pain, and then finally arrive on time.

If the reward for all of that was something stupid or average, he might feel obligated to blow his brains out.

No chance in hell it was a cosmetic.

Behind a layer of snowy trees, Kirito could make out the thick layer of mist spinning around the clearing. Like how a hurricane would be, this area was the center of the storm where it was most calm. It wasn't that far from him, yet he couldn't hear a single peep from it.

Moments like these was what made him think video games were amazing.

He rested his arms on his knees, sitting patiently while watching the peaceful ambiance. He could almost fall asleep like this. In another scenario, he certainly would have. But whatever was going to happen would happen.

He needed to be ready.

Kirito stood up, taking a breath as he watched the clock tick over.

December 26, 2022

...

...

...

Ching.

A light ringing, barely audible to the lone listener.

Ching Ching.

There it was again. The sound was akin to bells jingling. He still couldn't make out where they were.

Ching Ching Ching.

Louder, loud enough to pinpoint exactly where it was coming from.

Kirito's eyes shot upward towards the jingling. High above the sky flew a shadowy figure obscured by the moonlight. There appeared to be something large being dragged by several animals out in front. Though the figure couldn't be discerned in its entirety, even a little child would recognize them.

Santa Clause.

Finally reaching the eye of the storm, it happened.

A pink star seemingly falling off the sleigh. It sung a song equally as beautiful as the chiming bells, lighting up the night sky as glittering sparkles followed it downwards to the ground below. Kirito watched the captivating light in fascination as it fell with a giant splash into the pond that he'd foolishly jumped into previously.

Steam began pumping up from the water, followed by loud searing sounds as the pond began to evaporate. Heat permeated the air, melting the light dusting of snow out from under Kirito's boots, freeing the green grass trapped from underneath.

Shielding his eyes, Kirito inched his way closer to the now vacant pond, a massive empty hole in its place. Feeling cathartic after witnessing the evil pond's demise, the boy leaned over to look down inside it.

After the steam faded away, a shining, pink rectangular object could be seen laying at the center. A low hum rang off from it, glowing just as bright as it had when it was falling. Not seeing why he shouldn't, Kirito hopped down the hole and picked up the item.

Reward

Starlight Ingot

A small shattering sound came out from his coat and Kirito looked down to see the telltale signs of an item breaking. He reached inside his pocket where he had put the map, finding that it was no longer there.

Claiming the item had destroyed it, or at least that's what he assumed. There wasn't even a quest complete screen, possibly due to the fact that the event wasn't a quest. He considered it may have been a secret one, but if he didn't get a quest screen, it couldn't be. All he did was kill a monster that dropped the item which led him here, nothing more.

Kirito looked back up to the sky, watching the shadowy figure of Santa Clause drift away, the sounds of the bells growing quieter.

He understood now.

Once the clock had ticked over, Christmas had officially ended. It was time for Santa to go home.

Of course, not without handing out one last present.

The last gift of Christmas.

A fitting event for the game world. Sure, it killed the lore, but he was over it by now. He quickly pulled out the ingot that had automatically placed itself inside his inventory for examination.

It was smooth and heavy. The bar weighed so much that he needed to use both hands to keep it steady. It was incredibly hot to the touch, right on the cusp of feeling unpleasant. Instead, it gave him a soothing warmth that spread throughout him, similar to the feeling he would get after drinking a glass of hot chocolate. It was also the hottest color of pink he had seen. He didn't even know the game could render such a deep, eye-catching color.

The bar thrummed in his hands to the point where he could physically feel the energy inside it. He could even see a powerful glow underneath the bar's surface. It was dense enough to feel like metal, yet completely different to metals he recognized. It felt more like a crystal, translucent and ephemeral. Like it would break if he squeezed it. He read over the name again.

"Perhaps this is what it would feel like to hold a star," Kirito said as he held it closer to his chest, feeling the heat rush through him again. Stars weren't a tangible object someone could hold, but if they were, he imagined it would be something like this.

He tried looking at its stats, but ores and ingots didn't have any. The way to judge their strength was by looking at the rarity and how high a blacksmith's skill level needed to be able to smith it. He read the description and his jaw dropped.

"S-Rank?!" Kirito sputtered. He couldn't believe it.

S-Rank items were only thought to be a rumor. Even his Defiance equipment set he obtained in the secret dungeon was only A-Rank. To have such a rare item like this so early in the game was unfounded. He almost jumped for joy until he realized the conundrum he was now in.

There was no way he could use it. To craft it into a weapon, he would need a player blacksmith. An npc couldn't take custom orders like smithing a weapon from scratch. They could only enhance one.

If he searched out a player blacksmith, not only would they learn he had an S-Rank material, but that he was the infamous Kirito!

There was no way he could give a third person his identity. He was lucky enough to have two people he could trust already. Any more was pushing it.

Kirito looked down at the skill level required and sighed deeply. Even if he found a blacksmith he could trust, they needed at least a five hundred skill level. That was just the bare minimum required to attempt it.

Trying to make an S-Rank item with the lowest required stat was just asking for it to break. That didn't even include the equipment the blacksmith used. If they didn't have good tools to craft with, it would only hinder the process. No chance he could risk something so precious on some bum smith.

Now he didn't know what to do with it. He couldn't have it crafted and he wasn't gonna sell something so rare for cheap at an npc shop. He couldn't sell it to a person either, nor did he really want to.

Unfortunately, it would just have to take up inventory space. The boy begrudingly placed the ingot back in his inventory. It was heavier than most materials, so it took up more room than he wished.

It couldn't be helped.

He wanted to complain, but he really couldn't. The item was worth getting, he just wished he could actually do something with it. Maybe he could get Sinon to take it and have it smithed one day...

Nah, she would probably get jealous and ask too many questions. Maybe Asuna could do it, but no, definitely no. She would probably mess the ordeal up somehow.

Beginning his trip back home, he nearly stepped out of the clearing before coming to a quick stop. He nearly forgot about the storm that was outside the area. If he stepped out, he would get blasted by the cold once again. This time, he would likely die...

...But after Kirito had claimed his item, the event was over and the storm completely disappeared. He was easily able to make his way back to the inn on «Karluin» without any trouble at all.

---

"I can't believe him!" Sinon huffed as she collapsed onto her bed. "Who exactly does he thinks he is, pelting me with snow not once, but twice?!" She clutched her head in frustration.

Sinon climbed further up her bed and planted her face into her pillow. She hated knowing that black haired punk had gotten her twice with that. How annoying! Next time they meet, he'd be laughing it up at her expense!

To top it all off, he was probably going to do it again and again until he couldn't anymore!

This couldn't be allowed to stand. She had to fight back, but the amount of power in her arm didn't come close to rivaling his cannon. What exactly was she supposed to do, run away? Avoid him for the rest of winter?

Beg?

No, anything but that last one. She may have been weaker than him, but she wasn't that weak.

"Whatever, I'll play your game..." She breathed into her pillow. If he wanted to pelt her again, he would have to continuously seek her out before all the snow disappeared. At least then they would be spending more time together.

She didn't need anyone to tell her how red her face was.

Sinon groaned, biting down into the pillow. She just had to go and cling to him like some damsel. And he just had to take her joke and run with it.

Why didn't she just back out of it? Wouldn't it have been less embarrassing?

But then she wouldn't have been able to hold onto him...

Those kinds of thoughts weren't helping her at all, only making her feel more fuzzy. Sinon shook her head, feeling her heart thump as she thought about how intimate they had gotten.

It couldn't have been love. At least, it wasn't so yet. She looked around her room, making sure the coast was clear. No one else was inside, so she could find some safety and comfort knowing that she could be honest to herself. It may not be love, but it was definitely a like.

A big, big like. She was crushing hard.

"Damn him!" Sinon yelled into her pillow as she picked it up, rolling around, and kicking her legs on the bed. She'd never had a crush on a boy before. Out of everyone it could have been, it just had to be him, didn't it?!

She sat up and threw her pillow at the wall. It bounced off and slid to the floor lamely, a purple text denoting Immortal Object floating above. She felt breathless, despite hardly exerting herself. The girl's hair was tangled and messy. She glared at the pillow as if it were the perp himself. Sadly, her death glare couldn't kill what was unkillable and she released another sigh.

"It just had to be him, huh..." Sinon stated, slowly coming to an acceptance. She didn't know what would come of it, or how things would turn out between them, but she could at least admit it to herself.

She liked him... and since she wasn't gonna lie to herself, she could admit that she wanted to be with him.

Kirito was an arrogant, idiotic asshole. Those were the first words that came to her mind when thinking of his name. Yet somehow, her heart would also beat faster. There was just something about him that made her interested.

He was a looker, though in a girly way, funny enough. Being handsome wasn't what made him attractive, however.

The two of them got along... somewhat.

Even if they butted heads a bunch, it was all in good fun. It was a nice change of pace. She felt less guarded and could act more genuine with him. It was a nice change compared to other players, whom she didn't believe she could trust because of ulterior motives they may have. Kirito didn't have any at all. In a death game where she always had her guard up, it felt nice letting it down for a moment.

Still, that wasn't quite it, either. He was the legendary Kirito; the professional gamer. She considered how that affected her opinion of him, before throwing it out the window. Truthfully, his identity had only gotten in the way of their relationship, not help it. She had been a fan of his before, but knowing such a geeky guy was behind the legendary name had disillusioned her greatly. Really, she could only look back at it and laugh.

Was it... his strength?

No, while he was unquestionably strong, his stats were just a bunch of numbers.

Then maybe... his true strength? His mentality?

He was beyond brave and courageous. The boy didn't seem to be afraid of anything in this world. Like he couldn't even imagine himself dying. Normally, she would chalk it up as some fool thinking he was hot shit. While Kirito did fit that description to some degree, it wasn't anywhere near the same. In the face of danger, he never faltered.

Yes... that must be it. His real, true strength was unrivaled by anyone. The mindset he had that backed up his actions. Whatever he was up against, no matter the situation, he could stand up against it. That was his power...

...power she wished she possessed.

But then why? Why did that also not feel right? There was something else that made her like him, something else that should be obvious. Yet for some reason, she couldn't think of it. She felt stupid not being able to. Whatever it was, it drew her to him.

That, and the other things, of course.

As she stood up to pick her pillow back up, she noticed herself walking past her reflection in the small mirror on the bedside dresser. She tossed her pillow on the bed and picked up the small mirror to look at herself.

"Already? That's all it took to mess it up?" Sinon grumbled as she combed a hand through her hair. Her bangs were both tied down so they were fine, but the rest of her hair was all jumbled up. She'd only rolled around for a few minutes and here she was with a full night's worth of bed head. "I wish it was more like Asuna's."

Her hair was so beautiful, it made her wonder how she even got it like that. There were shampoo's and soaps in the game, but they only made you smell better for a short period of time. You never truly needed to bathe in the game because the system couldn't replicate grime or body odor. As a girl, she still felt the desire to bath anyway and did when she could. Most male players probably don't bother. Equipment would deteriorate and get damaged, but that was it.

Asuna's auburn hair appeared so silky smooth that she had to be using a product to keep it that way, yet that should be impossible. There wasn't any item like that, or at least not one she knew of. Her hair never truly got dirty, so it wasn't difficult to fix. But if it wasn't perfect, it was annoying. Asuna's hair was just unnaturally straight, even if it couldn't get dirty.

Thinking of the girl who possessed such beautiful hair, Sinon couldn't help but frown. She was a good girl and a sweetheart after she had gotten to know her. She'd even created a nickname for her.

It was great getting to know another girl in a world full of men... which was why it sucked knowing that she also liked Kirito.

Sinon couldn't be one hundred percent positive, but she was still confident. What gave it away was how her new friend acted. Sure, it was Christmas and Asuna had a right to feel jovial around him. That was innocent enough. The problem was that Sinon herself had acted similarly.

And of course, Sinon had a crush on him.

If Asuna didn't like him like she did, would she really act the same way around him?

That fact alone had been telling. If both of them acted similarly, and Sinon had feelings for him, then it was safe to conclude that Asuna probably had them as well.

It sucked... it really sucked... She didn't want to compete with her new friend, especially over something as trivial as a boy. Still, her heart pulsed with hurt at the thought of simply giving up.

If she had the opportunity, with enough bravery, at the right moment, she would like to go out with him. Give dating a shot and see if her feelings were real. Be Kirito's girlfriend and he be her boyfriend. She imagined the two of them standing next to each other and holding hands.

Waves of jealously struck her once she thought of Asuna in her place.

...This sucks.

"...Now that I think about it, he gave both of us a present, didn't he?" She set the mirror down and pulled her menu open. It took her a moment to find it, not quite remembering the name. He said he wanted it to be a surprise and traded it through the menu, rather than handing it over directly.

Sneaky, but Sinon thought he was just trying to squeak out of getting them an actual gift and handing whatever junk he had over to them. She couldn't blame him. She did the exact same thing to him.

Finding what looked to be it, she pressed on the icon to pull it out.

White Christmas

What appeared in her hands was a pretty white belt, or at least something akin to one. The material felt close to leather, although she wasn't sure. It had red squared gems embedded on its sides and a red square buckle that would snap the front together. It looked and felt high quality, the gems almost breathtaking to look at.

"It looks a bit small to be a belt." Sinon held it up to her eye level. Her waist was thin, but even she wouldn't be able to squeeze herself into this. On closer inspection, namely checking what type of item it was, she learned that it was a choker. "Annnd it's a cosmetic." The girl slumped.

Of course it was. Something this pretty on floor five? What else could it be but a cosmetic?

That and the name should have been a dead giveaway. She'd given him a santa hat and he'd given her a christmas-themed choker.

"I guess I can at least try it on." Foregoing the menu, Sinon instead snapped the choker closed around her neck to equip it. Her scarf was an item that actually fit in the helmet slot. Taking it off to wear the choker in the necklace slot wasn't necessary.

It was tight, noticeably so. It felt like with every movement of her head, she could feel the item squeeze on her throat tighter. Though there was a constant sensation of strangulation, it wasn't exactly uncomfortable. It wasn't like being choked, as much as it was being conscious of it. There was also a strange warmness that resonated from the item.

"What the-" Sinon looked over the choker's description again. Wasn't it just labled a cosmetic? Why had that now changed to an accessory that had a heating effect?

Looking up to where her username was at the top left of her vision, she saw a small orange icon under her healthbar.

There it was. The «Heating» effect.

"What in the world..." Had she just been hallucinating? Today had been more taxing than she would have thought and it was around midnight now. Perhaps she had simply misread it.

Oh well, its effect was basically useless anyway. It would only be useful around winter time and cold areas. Now that she was adjusting to the sensation, it was starting to feel cozy. A little awkward to breathe, but cozy.

Picking up the mirror, Sinon looked over herself once more. The choker stood out in contrast to the darker colors of the rest of her outfit. It was pretty, nonetheless. If it was a bit much, her scarf could be used as concealment.

She liked it. Even if her neck felt like it was in a perpetual bear hug, it was nice. It was perfect for the season, might as well wear it while she could.

A small cute smile appeared on Sinon's face, along with a red tinge. "Thank you, Kirito."

---

"I can't believe him!" Asuna huffed as she collapsed into her bed. "Who exactly does he think he is, walking in on me like that?!" The braided haired girl had never felt so embarrassed in her life. She held up a fist, clutching it tightly. "I won't let him get away with this!" Asuna grit her teeth as her cheeks flared.

Before the boy had walked in on her, she had been trying to look at the present he'd given her. She waited for him to leave, just as he said. And as soon as he did, her menu flew open in her eagerness to see it. She quickly found the item that had a strange name.

Naughty or Nice

Asuna easily remembered its peculiar name from the trade. She could tell from the icon that it was a clothing item and simply decided to wear it through the menu. Once she had it on, she mentally kicked herself. She couldn't see what it looked like because she still had all of her other equipment on.

What a rookie mistake!

A vestige of the cocky boy appeared in her mind and began laughing at her. She mentally kicked herself again. The boy wasn't even here and she imagined him making fun of her.

Didn't that mean she was making fun of herself?!

Oh no, he had her doing it now!

Pushing those thoughts aside, the girl moved to her equipment tab, and took off what she needed to. Now that she were more focused on what she was wearing, Asuna could feel how tight the clothing Kirito gave her was.

At first, she thought it was because of all the stuff she had worn at once made it feel like that. Actually, the girl could recall in one of Kirito's explanations how if you equipped an item in a slot that was already in use, it would instantly replace the item you were wearing.

None of her equipment had disappeared when she put on the gift. She could feel it not only covering her legs, but also her torso. Items were only supposed to cover one part of the body because they were categorized into different slots. However, the item she just wore covered more than one area.

What exactly had she just put on?

One by one, her armor had come off until she was down to her underwear.

Her brand new underwear.

Asuna looked down towards her body in shock. "T-This... this is-"

And that's when it happened.

Kirito walked in on her, said something stupid, and left.

She proceeded to scream so loud and for so long that it became muted, the cardinal system unable to register her vocal cords strain. Once it finally died out, her lightheadedness caused her to fall back onto her bed. She'd nearly passed out from the exertion, panting heavily.

It took her a moment to catch her breath. When she did, she ran to the door and locked it. The next thing she did was take off the stupid gift and put her other underwear back on, as well as her armor.

Asuna kicked her feet on the bed as she recalled those untimely events. They replayed over and over in her mind, making her feel worse and worse.

She felt so humilitated. Not just at the fact that Kirito had walked in on her in such a disgustingly perverted outfit, but that she had even worn something like that in the first place.

It made her feel like a slut.

"Wait..." She paused, thinking it over. Kirito had been the one to give her that depraved outfit. Didn't that mean... "...He thinks I'm a slut?!" Asuna yelled out, shooting up from her bed.

She could remember a few occasions where Kirito had called her a "popular" girl. While she didn't want to brag, it was true. However, she didn't think he meant it like that!

He didn't believe she went around doing adult stuff, did he?! What kind of degenerate even thinks like that?!

It was so... it's so...

"Humiliating..." Asuna mumbled as she fell back down on her bed, tears welling up in her eyes. She thought of him as a friend and he thought of her like this? Like some kind of object? It wounded her deeply just thinking about it. "Maybe... we're not friends..." The moment the words left her mouth, she regretted them.

That couldn't be true. Not just today, where they along with Sinon spent the whole day together. But every other day they were with each other, too. How Kirito playfully teased her while giving her advice that helped her immensely. Fighting the boss together on floor four, where he helped her give out commands. The day they first met, where he led her away from danger and gave her treats. The same day he entrusted her with his name, something he didn't want others to know.

Yes, that's right. Kirito trusted her. If he hadn't, he wouldn't have told her that, or helped her out as he had. If he had faith in her, she could have faith in him. Her body relaxed into her bed.

Maybe it was a mistake, or a misunderstanding of some sort. The item clearly listed that it was for female players and she didn't think he was the type of guy who would put something like that on.

Picturing such an image, she vehemently shook her head to rid those thoughts.

Bad, bad, bad!

If she knew him well enough, and she believed she did, then she knew he likely hadn't even looked at it. If he had gotten it as a monster drop, then he wouldn't have known what it was until he took it out. The clothing item was listed specifically for women. He wouldn't have bothered.

As a matter of fact, Asuna speculated it was very likely the boy had decided to gift her the item because of that very reason. Asuna wanted to feel offended that he hadn't put much effort into his gift, but she couldn't help giggling to herself. A soft smile rested on her face. "That's so like him..."

Everything could be explained in some way. When Kirito had given it to her, he looked clueless, not perverted. He was more relieved than anything else. Like he had forgotten to get a present and then remembered he had something to give away.

"You're such a dork." She giggled into her blanket, pulling it up to her face. He probably did the same thing with Sinon-

Her eyes shot open.

"Did he give her sexy underwear, too!?" Asuna panicked. If he had, then he was in for it. Even if Sinon came to the same conclusion as she did, Asuna didn't believe the blue haired girl would be as merciful. She briefly considered messaging the two of them, before deciding against it. "This is what you get for being so inconsiderate." Asuna huffed.

Maybe she wasn't as merciful as she believed.

Regardless, the rapier user would be having her own personal conversation with Kirito. She needed to hear him clarify it from his own mouth first. After that, he was in for the most thorough chastising of his life. Not just for brainlessly handing her something so atrocious, but walking into her room without knocking.

By the end of it, he would be a new man. Even her extremely strict mother would think she went too far.

Feeling better about the situation and how she would respond to it, she opened her menu to once again take her equipment off. She no longer had that sickly pit in her stomach that instinctively told her to cover up. Back in her underwear, her index finger hovered over the perverted item.

Naughty or Nice

Asuna felt her finger slowly inch toward the icon.

Closer... closer...

Right before she pressed it, her hand swiftly retracted itself. "No, no, no! Bad idea!" She scolded herself. Asuna didn't know why she even considered it after wearing it had made her feel so awful. She closed her menu with a huff.

Wearing such abominable underwear was beneath her...

...

...

...

Five minutes later, her finger was once again hovering over the item. Just a few inches away from the equip icon was the trash icon.

That's all she had to do. Trash it and get it out of her thoughts completely. At least then she would have some peace of mind.

She wanted to... but she couldn't. As ridiculous as it was, it was a present Kirito had given her. She would feel even more awful for throwing it away.

That, and she needed evidence for when she confronted him.

Her finger twitched above the equip option. This was so dumb, so stupid! This shouldn't be such a difficult decision!

The girl full-heartedly believed the item was disgusting and whoever put it in the game was equally so. She truly did think that. However, something in the back of her mind kept gnawing at her to look at it again.

She hadn't gotten a good look at it the first time. It had been so quick that she couldn't even recall its features. Her curiousity was getting the better of her.

Asuna's eyes glanced towards to door. It was locked. She already knew that, but now she felt the need to double check.

She rolled her eyes. Why did it even matter? She wasn't going to put it on.

...

...

...

Ping

Asuna's eyes slammed closed after she pressed it.

Just this once.

This was the only time she would wear it. She just had to know what it looked like on her. What it felt like... to wear an adult's underwear.

The girl slowly stood up, looking down at her body. She didn't have a mirror in her room, so she had to move around a bunch to get a decent view. The longer she checked herself out, the more flustered she became. She hated how the underwear looked and how perverted it was, but even she could admit.

She looked good.

Her legs, her belly, her breasts, and her bottom. The outfit accentuated them all. Asuna's hand fell towards her exposed belly button, then slowly down to her pelvis. Her fingers poked at the mistletoe that was attached to the top of the panties. She didn't understand what that was for. She understood the underwear was Christmas themed. Even so, that wasn't a good reason to put a mistletoe on it. Mistletoes were supposed to be a signal for couples to kiss.

What good would that do on a pair of panties?

"Okay, that's enough." Asuna told herself, putting her other underwear back on. As she did, an invisible weight she didn't know was there evaporated. She breathed a sigh of relief. She definitely wasn't ready to wear stuff like that yet, nor did she want to.

Laying back down, Asuna used her menu to turn the lamp to her room off. Her mind was at ease now, a heavy sleepiness overtaking her. As she was falling asleep, Asuna couldn't help but mutter, "Pervert Kirito."

What she dreamed of that day would remain unspoken to the outside world for all of eternity.

---

Thank you for reading. Chapters likely won't reach 30k like this, but they still usually reach over 10k+ words. I like writing quality over quantity, so I usually post larger chapters less frequently, rather than short chapters rapidly. It doesn't suit Webnovel's format well, but it's how I write. I hope this isn't a big issue for many of you.

Please feel free to engage with the story. I don't get many comments, so don't feel shy to tell me what you think. Good or bad, I welcome it all.