"Asuna, wanna go for a walk today?" Hachiman asked.
"Sure! We've been lazing around too much lately. Let's head out!" Asuna replied.
After seeing off Argo and Silica, Hachiman suggested they explore Floor 22. Surrounded by forests and lakes, the floor's serene atmosphere remained a draw, even with the front lines at Floor 75 and countless towns unlocked. It was still bustling with players.
"Such a nice day," Asuna said.
"Yeah, living here, I got used to it, but walking like this really reminds me how great this floor is," Hachiman said.
"I'm a bit worried, though," Asuna said.
"About what?" Hachiman asked.
"This constant spring weather… will we adjust to Japan's seasons when we return to the real world?" Asuna said.
"Hmm… true. In SAO, climate only changes between floors," Hachiman said. "Even for us, who've experienced different floors, it's a concern. For folks stuck in the Town of Beginnings, rehab's gonna be rough."
They continued their leisurely stroll, chatting.
"Hey, Hachiman-kun, there's a pretty river over there! I see people, but it's hard to make out," Asuna said.
"Alright, Asuna, I'll give you a piggyback," Hachiman offered.
"I… might be heavy," Asuna said shyly.
"No way! You're light as a feather!" Hachiman said.
"Really?" Asuna asked.
"Lifting you one-handed might test my strength stat, but a piggyback? No problem. Don't worry," Hachiman said.
"Okay, I'll take you up on that," Asuna said.
Hachiman hoisted Asuna onto his shoulders, and she peered toward the river.
"Wow, so high!" Asuna giggled.
"See anything good?" Hachiman asked.
"Yeah! Looks like people fishing by the river," Asuna said.
"Fishing, huh? Wanna try it sometime?" Hachiman asked.
"Sure! Let's ask Liz to make us fishing rods," Asuna said.
"Can she even make those?" Hachiman asked.
"She made one for Kirito-kun recently," Asuna said.
"Kirito's been fishing? Guess we'll hit up Liz's place," Hachiman said.
They headed toward the river. A fisherman noticed them and waved. Asuna waved back eagerly, and Hachiman, a bit embarrassed, returned a wave. The fisherman was an older man, and Hachiman was surprised to see someone his age playing SAO.
"Hey there! Out for a stroll?" the man asked.
"Yes! We just got married recently, so we thought we'd take a walk," Asuna said.
"Congratulations!" the man said.
"Thank you!" Asuna replied.
Hachiman felt a flicker of recognition at the man's face and voice. Staring closely, a name clicked. "Uh… are you Nishida-san?"
"Hachiman-kun, you know him?" Asuna asked.
"Hachiman? Hachiman-kun? Is that you?" the man said.
"Yes! Long time no see, Nishida-san!" Hachiman said.
Hachiman and Nishida had met briefly before. During Hachiman's part-time job days, they'd shared a few meals at a diner. Hachiman recalled Nishida was on loan from another company, working in network maintenance.
"Nishida-san, why are you here? Your job was network maintenance, right?" Hachiman asked.
"Yeah. I logged in to see the results of my work… and got stuck," Nishida said.
"I see…" Hachiman said.
"I stayed in the Town of Beginnings, but I heard about this floor. No enemies, so I mustered the courage to visit. Then I saw this beautiful river—had to fish," Nishida said.
"You did love fishing," Hachiman said.
"I had no drive to fight, so I figured I'd wait in the Town of Beginnings for the game to clear," Nishida said.
"But your fishing obsession kicked in," Hachiman teased.
"Pretty much," Nishida said, laughing heartily.
Hachiman introduced Asuna. "Nishida-san, like I mentioned, this is my wife, Asuna."
"Nice to meet you, Nishida-san," Asuna said.
"You mentioned you're newlyweds. Are you happy?" Nishida asked.
"Yes!" Asuna said.
"Yup," Hachiman added.
"Good… I'm glad my work didn't just cause misery," Nishida said.
"Nishida-san…" Asuna said softly.
"Haha, today's a great day. Reuniting with Hachiman-kun and seeing you both so happy. Now, if the game could just be cleared…" Nishida said.
"Nishida-san, we're in the Knights of the Blood. We're on break now, but…" Hachiman said.
"Wait… Asuna-san, are you the Flash?" Nishida asked.
"Y-yes," Asuna said, fidgeting, still shy about her nickname.
"The front-line player with Asuna-san… Hachiman-kun, are you Silver Shadow?" Nishida asked.
"Ugh, you know that nickname too? I only learned it recently," Hachiman said.
"I just heard rumors," Nishida said.
"We'll clear this game, Nishida-san. So keep fishing and enjoy yourself," Hachiman said.
"But while you're fighting…" Nishida hesitated.
"Fighting for someone gives us more strength," Hachiman said. "And seeing them smile keeps us motivated."
"Exactly, Nishida-san! My husband's amazing, so leave it to us!" Asuna said.
"Alright… Hachiman-kun, Asuna-san, I'm counting on you," Nishida said.
"Yes!" they replied.
Nishida, teary-eyed, gripped their hands tightly. They smiled and nodded back.
"Hey, Nishida-san, can beginners fish here?" Hachiman asked.
"Yup, no problem. I started here," Nishida said.
"We were just talking about trying it," Hachiman said.
"Oh! I've got the rod I started with. Take it," Nishida said, offering it from his storage.
"Really? Thanks!" Hachiman said.
Nishida taught them the basics, and they enjoyed fishing together, catching a few. During a break, Nishida pulled something from his storage.
"Nishida-san, what's that?" Asuna asked.
"A campfire cooking tool," Nishida said. "At first, I could only sell fish, but with this—look!"
"Wow, it really looks like you're grilling over a fire," Asuna said.
"I saved up Col from selling fish and bought it recently. Pretty cool, right?" Nishida said.
"Asuna, time to use that," Hachiman said.
"Yup, it's that moment," Asuna agreed.
"That?" Nishida asked.
"Nishida-san, Asuna's maxed out her cooking skill. Let her take a shot," Hachiman said.
"Asuna-san's a chef? You got a great wife, Hachiman-kun," Nishida said.
"Yup, she's my pride and joy!" Hachiman said.
Blushing, Asuna started cooking, pulling spices from her storage. Soon, she offered Nishida a grilled fish.
"Here, Nishida-san," Asuna said.
"Thanks, let's try it… This…!" Nishida gasped.
"Soy sauce," Asuna said.
"Soy sauce… It's delicious. Really delicious," Nishida said, tears streaming as he ate. The soy sauce was a game-changer.
"Asuna, we've still got plenty of soy sauce and miso, right?" Hachiman asked.
"Yup," Asuna said.
"Nishida-san, take some soy sauce and miso. Use them," Hachiman said.
"Really? Thank you, thank you…" Nishida said.
"It's thanks for teaching us," Asuna said.
Nishida insisted fresh-caught fish were best, and they agreed, savoring their catch. They fished until dusk, losing track of time. As the day ended, Hachiman exchanged contacts with Nishida, promising to meet again.
"That was fun," Asuna said.
"Yeah, I forgot how fast time flies," Hachiman said.
"I wanna try fishing in the real world too," Asuna said.
"Can you handle worms?" Hachiman teased.
"Ugh… maybe not…" Asuna admitted.
"I can deal with that. Might be fun to try someday," Hachiman said.
"Back in the real world…" Asuna murmured, looking uneasy.
"Will you still be with me in the real world, Hachiman-kun?" she asked.
"Of course. It might be tough, but I promise I'll find you. I'll even study math—my worst subject—to be a man worthy of you," Hachiman said.
Asuna beamed, overjoyed.
"We need to exchange contact info," Asuna said.
"Ugh… I forgot my phone's email and number. Barely used it anyway," Hachiman said.
"I'm fuzzy on mine too… We need a plan," Asuna said.
"Yeah, we'll talk to the others," Hachiman said.
A message from Argo pinged Hachiman's interface. He read it and grinned at Asuna. "Alright, Asuna, tomorrow's a hot spring trip."
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