"Ladies and gentlemen, dinner is ready in the main hall," the NPC innkeeper announced.
As the seven emerged from the baths, Hachiman raised an eyebrow. "Someone order this?"
"Me, me!" Klein said, raising his hand.
"Hot springs mean group dinners in a big room, right?" Klein said.
"Uh, sure…" Hachiman replied.
Klein's enthusiasm for hot spring traditions was a bit much, but it wasn't a bad idea, so they followed him to the hall. Yukata were provided as amenities, which thrilled Asuna—she loved the idea of wearing them at home. Hachiman was secretly excited to see Asuna in a yukata more often but kept it to himself.
"Wow, this room's got great vibes," Kirito said.
"Total hot spring aesthetic," Asuna added.
"I've never been to one, so this is so cool!" Silica said.
"When we get back to the real world, I'll take you to a real hot spring, Silica," Hachiman said.
"Thank you, Hachiman-san!" Silica beamed.
"Hey, it's not like you've been to tons of hot springs, Hachiman," Kirito pointed out.
"There's a wall between those who've been and those who haven't. I'm good," Hachiman said.
"That's true, but…" Kirito muttered.
Hachiman scanned the group. "Who here's been to a hot spring? Raise your hand."
Only Agil raised his hand. Hachiman rushed over, grabbing his hand in admiration. "As expected of Agil! You get the Japanese spirit!"
"Hachiman's acting like he's the ambassador of Japan…" Kirito said.
Agil tilted his head at Hachiman's enthusiasm, then grinned. "Did I never mention? I'm a born-and-raised Tokyoite, a real Edo kid."
"No way!" Hachiman exclaimed.
"Really?" Asuna said.
"Yup," Agil confirmed.
The group warmed to Agil, their reactions quintessentially Japanese. People often hesitated around someone who looked foreign, but hearing Agil was Japan-born made them relax. Meanwhile, Klein, watching Agil become the hero, felt a spark of rivalry and stepped forward.
"Alright, I'm performing a traditional Japanese naked dance!" Klein declared.
"Whoa, Klein, maybe not," Kirito said, trying to stop him.
Hachiman held Kirito back. "Let him, Kirito. Klein's just showing his Japanese spirit. No reason to stop him."
Hachiman shot Asuna a glance, and she whispered something to Lizbeth and Silica. The guys didn't notice.
"Go for it, Klein! Show us your soulful naked dance!" Hachiman cheered.
"Leave it to me! You'll see my way of life!" Klein said, hyped.
As Klein prepared to strip, Hachiman shouted, "Now, Asuna, Liz, Silica! Activate the harassment code! Send this idiot to jail!"
"Nooooo!" Klein yelled, barely stopping himself.
"Tch, should've yelled a bit later," Hachiman said.
"Hachiman! What the hell was that?!" Klein shouted.
"Honestly, Klein, that was on you," Kirito said.
"Yeah, your fault," Agil added.
Kirito and Agil smoothly sided with Hachiman. Klein groaned but gave up on the dance, slumping dramatically. Then, he launched into a monologue.
"Damn it, how do I become a hero? I try to look cool, it flops. I go for laughs, I bomb. When will my spring come…?" Klein said.
It was a heartfelt outpouring. Even Hachiman felt a pang of sympathy and softened.
"Sorry, Klein, I got carried away," Hachiman said.
"Nah, it's fine, Hachiman. Guess I was born under a unlucky star," Klein said.
Hachiman scratched his head and turned to the girls. "No flattery—what do you think of Klein?"
"He's cheerful and positive," Asuna said.
"A bit too much of a goof sometimes," Lizbeth said.
"He's secretly super serious and honest, right?" Silica said.
"Not bad reviews. What about you guys?" Hachiman asked Kirito and Agil.
"Cares about his friends, looks out for them," Kirito said.
"Total mood-maker," Agil said.
"Pretty high praise. So why's Klein still single?" Hachiman asked.
"From a girl's perspective, he gives off 'I want a girlfriend' vibes too strongly," Silica said.
"Got it. But overall, he's a good guy?" Hachiman asked.
"Good guy… doesn't always feel like a compliment," Lizbeth said.
Asuna added, "He's not quite on Hachiman-kun's level."
"Alright, Asuna, I know you love me, but let's chill," Hachiman said.
"Okay," Asuna giggled.
Hachiman pondered deeply, wrestling with something. Finally, he turned to Klein. "Klein, how old are you now?"
"Probably 26," Klein said.
"Into older women?" Hachiman asked.
"Hell yeah, prefer them," Klein said.
"What about a smoker who's a bit messy in her personal life?" Hachiman asked.
"Don't care," Klein said.
"A woman with some old-man quirks?" Hachiman asked.
"That's part of her charm," Klein said.
"Hmm… What if she's not exactly a beauty?" Hachiman asked.
"If she sees the real me and loves me, looks don't matter!" Klein said.
"Got it…" Hachiman said.
Hachiman was thinking of Shizuka Hiratsuka. The last question was a test, and Klein passed with flying colors.
"Alright, if we make it back to the real world, I'll introduce you to a woman who fits that description," Hachiman said.
"For real, Hachiman?!" Klein exclaimed.
"Dead serious. But it's from two years ago—she might have someone now. If so, let it go," Hachiman said.
"Got it," Klein said.
"She's someone very important to me. If you make her cry, I'll ruin you socially, every way I know how," Hachiman said.
"That's terrifying coming from you! But I'd never do that!" Klein said.
"Then, Klein, let that be your hope. Fight harder to clear this game, and we'll all return to reality together," Hachiman said.
"Hell yeah!" Klein roared.
The others echoed his enthusiasm, renewing their vow to return to the real world.
"Let's eat! Time to go all out," Hachiman said.
"I'm treating!" Klein said.
"Obviously," Hachiman said.
"Uh, right…" Klein muttered.
The night turned into a lively banquet, filled with laughter and joy. They decided Agil's shop, Dicey Cafe in Okachimachi, would be their real-world meetup spot. It might've closed, but they trusted the government to handle it. After the banquet, Hachiman and Asuna slipped into the private family bath.
"Today was fun," Asuna said.
"Yeah. Let's make hot springs a to-do for the real world," Hachiman said.
"Definitely," Asuna agreed.
"By the way, my family's just regular salaryman types. What do your parents do?" Hachiman asked.
"My dad's the CEO of RECT, an electronics company," Asuna said.
"Ugh, a huge firm? CEO? I'll need to study hard to impress your parents," Hachiman said.
"Good luck, my darling husband," Asuna teased.
"You bet!" Hachiman said.
Asuna gazed at him warmly, then asked casually, "You're from Chiba, right, Hachiman-kun?"
"Yup," Hachiman said.
"Know anyone from there? I only kinda know Yukino-san…" Asuna said.
"Yukino? Full name?" Hachiman asked.
"Not know-know, but I've met Yukino Haruno-san," Asuna said.
"No way…" Hachiman said.
Hachiman briefly explained his connection to Haruno to Asuna.
"The world's smaller than I thought," Asuna said.
"But that's good news. If needed, I can reach you through Haruno-san," Hachiman said.
"Oh, right!" Asuna said.
"First, we gotta get back to reality together," Hachiman said.
"And introduce Klein-san to that woman. That's the teacher you mentioned, right?" Asuna asked.
"Yeah, I told you about her? She's the person I respect most," Hachiman said.
"But wasn't she a beauty?" Asuna asked.
"That was a test. If Klein had said he only wanted a beauty, I'd have scrapped the idea," Hachiman said.
"Got it," Asuna said.
"Anyway…" Hachiman said, pulling Asuna close.
Both naked, Asuna felt shy but mostly delighted.
"Here's to us, Asuna," Hachiman said.
"To us, Hachiman-kun," Asuna replied.
They kissed, the programmed night sky their only witness.
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