Roy adjusted the coat he had just equipped, feeling its attributes settle into place. While its boosts were decent, they weren't as significant as he'd hoped. Still, the Dragon's Guard trait made it noteworthy.
The black trench coat swayed gently in the breeze, its quality undeniable. Yet something about its design didn't sit right with him—it clashed with his personal style.
To be honest, Roy wasn't a fan of black trench coats. His preference leaned toward elegant formalwear, the kind that exuded refinement and grace. Those gentlemanly outfits? Now that was his aesthetic.
As he considered the coat, he caught his younger brother, Kirito, sneaking glances at it with barely concealed longing.
Every time Roy turned to look at him, Kirito would hurriedly avert his gaze, pretending he hadn't been staring.
Roy let out a soft sigh, a faint twitch pulling at the corner of his mouth. After years of living together, how could he not recognize his brother's telltale behavior?
At his age, Kirito was firmly in his chuunibyou phase. It wasn't surprising that he'd be drawn to something as dramatic as this coat.
After a moment of thought, Roy unequipped the coat and pulled up his inventory. Without a word, he opened Kirito's chat panel and sent him the item.
Kirito's eyes lit up, but hesitation crept across his face. He sidled up to Roy and tugged him aside, lowering his voice. "Nii-san… are you really giving this to me?"
Roy scoffed, his tone laced with mock annoyance. "Do I even need to say it? You've been eyeing it this whole time."
A flicker of embarrassment passed over Kirito's face, but years of shamelessly asking his older brother for things had dulled his sense of guilt. He quickly nodded.
"Alright, then! Thanks! If you ever need rare materials or help with anything, just let me know!"
Roy chuckled and waved him off. "We're family. No need to make it transactional. Speaking of which..." He nodded toward Misumi, who was deep in conversation with Asuna nearby. "How's that going?"
Kirito's face turned an awkward shade of red. "It's… fine, I guess."
Roy smirked knowingly. "Fine? Have you kissed her yet?"
The question was casual, tossed out without much thought—until he saw Kirito's cheeks flush even deeper.
"Wait… seriously?" Roy blinked, his expression incredulous. He stared at his brother as if seeing him in a completely new light.
Kirito was undeniably good-looking—there was no doubt about that. While his face still carried a boyish charm with hints of youthful roundness, it was easy to see why many girls found him appealing.
Add in Kirito's natural thoughtfulness, and it made sense that things might progress quickly.
But this quickly?
Roy's mind reeled. How long had Kirito known Misumi? Four months? No, closer to three. And they were already at that stage?
Meanwhile, here he was—stuck in limbo with Asuna.
After all this time, his relationship with her remained somewhere between friendship and romance. Sure, he loved teasing her, but she'd built up an immunity to his antics, sometimes even flipping the script and teasing him right back.
The most intimate they'd ever gotten was holding hands during a few outings. Kissing? Not even once.
Granted, when they'd first met, they were younger, and Roy wasn't about to risk coming across as a creep.
But now? Now he was older, and while his playful attitude hadn't changed, he realized he'd been so focused on banter that he'd never pushed things forward.
And now his little brother had overtaken him?
Roy let out a sigh, folding his arms as he analyzed the situation.
Kirito, noticing Roy's far-off expression, waved a hand in front of his face. "Hello? Earth to Roy?"
Roy swatted his hand away, his face carefully neutral. "Let's go."
As they walked, a single thought burned in Roy's mind.
How did this happen?
Asuna glanced at the two brothers, her gaze sharp with suspicion. Watching them huddle together and whisper in hushed tones, she instinctively frowned, convinced they were up to something dubious.
It wasn't that she had any prejudice against Kirito specifically, but whenever Roy was involved, Asuna couldn't help but wonder if mischief was afoot.
Leaning closer to Misumi, she tugged at her friend's sleeve and whispered, "What do you think of Roy?"
Misumi chuckled softly. "He's a good person. Sure, he's a little unserious most of the time, but when it really matters, he always steps up. Honestly, if it weren't for him during that last fight, things could've gone way worse for us."
Asuna nodded thoughtfully before asking another question. "And what about Kirito?"
Misumi froze for a moment, her cheeks suddenly tinged with a deep blush. She glared at Asuna, her voice filled with embarrassment. "What do you mean by that? You already know what kind of relationship Kirito and I have!"
Asuna fell silent, her expression unreadable, before abruptly breaking the quiet with a single question: "Have you two… done it?"
Misumi's entire face turned crimson. She grabbed Asuna's arm, dragging her a few steps away, and hissed through gritted teeth, "Do you even hear yourself right now? What kind of question is that?"
Really, Asuna? How could you be this shameless?
Asuna, entirely unfazed, gazed at her friend with mock innocence. "I remember seeing something you posted on LINE recently—about your thoughts on love."
Misumi froze, her expression turning stiff.
"And..." Asuna continued mercilessly, "You even wrote about what your first kiss felt like."
Misumi's hands shot up, clamping firmly over Asuna's mouth. Her amethyst eyes narrowed as she hissed, "That's enough. Don't you dare say another word!"
Gods, if you keep this up, I'll never live it down!
In truth, Misumi didn't have many close friends in real life. Her interests were almost entirely rooted in gaming, and she lacked any real enthusiasm for activities like shopping or karaoke.
Naturally, this left her with a small circle of genuine friends, both in person and online. On social media, she was freer to express herself, assuming no one she knew in real life would ever see it.
But now, with her secrets threatening to spill into the open, she could already feel her social life crumbling to dust.
Taking a deep breath, Misumi fixed Asuna with a sharp look. "Alright, enough games. What do you really want to ask me?"
Asuna hesitated, her frustration finally surfacing as she gestured toward Roy. "I'm sure you already know about my… situation with him, right?"
Misumi tilted her head slightly, thinking for a moment before nodding. "You like him?"
Asuna exhaled sharply, crossing her arms. "It's not about me liking him. He likes me. Do you get it now?"
Misumi bit her lip, fighting back laughter. She nodded, her expression overly serious.
Asuna rolled her eyes. "You know what he's like. He's all talk, no action. Completely unassertive."
Misumi tapped her chin thoughtfully before nodding again.
Asuna threw her hands up in exasperation. "So you understand why I'm frustrated, right?"
***
Bonus Chapter:
100 Power Stones = 1 BC
300 Power Stones = 2 BC
500 Power Stones = 3 BC
700 Power Stones = 4 BC
1000 Power Stones = 5 BC
***
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