Asuna was initially shocked to see her mother appear so suddenly, especially during a date with her husband and daughter.
But upon second thought, perhaps this was the perfect opportunity to explain things. So, Asuna immediately said, "Mom, this is... my boyfriend."
As soon as the word 'boyfriend' left Asuna's lips, she felt her mother's sharp gaze and quickly added, "He's a student at the same university as me, and we're in the same faculty."
"A Tokyo University's student? Business Administration is indeed a good field. There's always a demand for professionals in that area." Upon hearing this, Kyoko's stance towards Yusei seemed to soften.
Yusei noted this change internally but didn't comment outwardly.
"Hello, Auntie. My name is Kazami Yusei. I'm Asuna's boyfriend." Yusei was very polite.
Kyoko nodded, "I don't object to you dating Asuna. However, you should both focus on your studies for now. By the way, have you considered studying abroad?"
Yusei was about to say 'no' when Asuna pinched him and quickly interjected, "We've discussed it before. We plan to study abroad together."
"Is that so? That's not bad. Your father and I were worried about your safety overseas. If Yusei-kun is with you, we'd be much more at ease. But before that, your father and I would need to observe Yusei-kun's character a bit." The straightforward words came directly from Kyoko. Normally, such things are said more tactfully.
For example, 'You haven't been dating long, maybe spend more time together first'. The underlying meaning is essentially the same, 'You haven't dated long enough to judge his character'. The difference lies in how direct one is.
Clearly, this university professor mother was not a tactful person. She spoke very directly, something Yusei actually appreciated.
He disliked beating around the bush when discussing matters. Directness made him feel the other person was decisive and earned his respect.
However, Asuna felt somewhat embarrassed, thinking her mother was being too blunt, not considering Yusei's feelings.
The three of them stood there, staring at each other. After the initial exchange, silence fell.
Until a clear, cute voice broke the quiet.
"Papa! Mama! The food is here, come eat!" A pretty, adorable little girl ran up to Yusei and Asuna, taking their hands.
Asuna, who had been thinking of a way to excuse herself from her mother, felt her mind go blank.
'Yui came over now? And she called us Mama and Papa? Then that means her grandmother is...'
Sure enough, the next moment, Kyoko stood up with a look of shock.
"Asuna, you two...?"
Looking at her stunned mother, Asuna smiled wryly, at a loss for words to explain.
She had just been discussing with Yusei about not letting her parents know about Yui yet, wanting to take things slow.
Who would have thought this chance encounter would lead her mother to discover Yui's existence?
Faced with her mother's scrutinizing gaze, Asuna was speechless. But then, Yusei spoke up, explaining on her behalf.
"This is mine and Asuna's daughter. Her name is Yui." Yusei stated it directly. He didn't mention Yui being an AI or a ghost, but he was essentially telling the truth.
Getting straight to the point, Kyoko spoke directly, and coincidentally, so did Yusei.
This saved time, but the information was rather explosive.
Kyoko looked at Yusei in astonishment, pointing at the somewhat timid Yui, "This is your and Asuna's daughter? When did this happen?"
Kyoko felt like she was going crazy, 'My daughter's daughter? I'm a grandmother? No, that wasn't the main point. The main point was, when did Asuna get pregnant? Wait, that didn't seem right either. The key was, my daughter had never been out of her sight for long. How could she possibly have a daughter?'
Asuna finally managed to collect herself. Seeing her nearly broken mother, she explained with a wry smile, "Yui is the daughter Yusei-kun and I adopted in SAO. She's not our biological child, but we've always treated her as our real daughter."
After saying this, Asuna gently patted Yui's head and said softly, "Yui, this is your grandmother. Be polite and greet her. Be a good, well-mannered child."
Yui was very obedient. Encouraged by her mother, she sweetly called out to Kyoko, "Hello, Grandma!"
"H-hello..." Kyoko was still somewhat dazed. From start to finish, she had no idea she had already become a grandmother. This was truly sudden news.
But as a mature adult, Kyoko quickly regained her composure and asked her daughter, "You said this girl..."
"Yui," Asuna reminded her.
"You said Yui was adopted by you in SAO. What about her original family? To have that kind of helmet, there must have been family income, right? A child this young must have had an adult buy it for her." Kyoko shrewdly asked the key question.
Yusei stepped forward to explain, "Yui's parents now are me and Asuna. Before, she was alone and lived in an orphanage. As for the game helmet, she was just lucky to be selected."
Before the game's launch, there was a nationwide random lottery for game helmets, but only 200 were given out. In the whole of Japan, it was like finding a needle in a haystack, with very low odds of winning.
"Have you completed the legal procedures? That kind of process is very troublesome. Given your age and financial income..." Kyoko had calmed down somewhat.
On this point, Kyoko wasn't wrong. In any country, you can't just adopt an orphan simply by saying you want to.
First, you must be able to support yourself. Then, factors like your assets or work income are considered.
Logically speaking, it was almost impossible for university students like Yusei and Asuna to legally adopt an orphan. They were essentially lacking in the typical requirements: stable job, significant assets, and sufficient age.