Ultimately, Asagiri went with Yuuki Asuna to the nearby supermarket to buy groceries, and then they returned to his apartment.
When paying, Asagiri tried to cover the cost, but just like that time buying bento boxes at the campus convenience store, Yuuki Asuna insisted on paying.
"I owe you my life from the first Instance, and now I'm crashing at your place today, so I already feel quite bad. Please let me handle the payment."
After returning home, Yuuki Asuna tied an apron around herself, then pulled a hair tie out of her pocket, gently held it in her teeth, and used both hands to gather her beautiful flaxen hair into a high ponytail—a hairstyle suitable for cooking. She then looped the hair tie twice to secure it. Judging by the practiced flow of her movements, it was clear she wasn't doing this on a whim but was an experienced cook who often prepared meals.
"Let me help you wash the vegetables."
"Just forget it."
Yuuki Asuna gently pushed Asagiri's shoulder away, saying with mock annoyance.
"You, who live off delivery and bentos every day, please don't come and cause trouble. Just wait patiently. I'll quickly stir-fry a dish for you to snack on first, and then make a stew. Are there any foods you avoid?"
Asagiri just nodded without saying much.
"That's fine. Anyway, I was just being polite; I wasn't really planning on helping."
Yuuki Asuna rolled her eyes, feeling slightly exasperated, and said grumpily.
"I knew you were only pretending to be polite. Fine, go sit down and wait."
Following that, Yuuki Asuna carried the newly bought groceries into the kitchen.
About an hour later.
"Hoo-hoo, it's hot~"
Yuuki Asuna, wearing thick oven mitts, placed the iron pot she was carrying onto the table, then lifted the lid. A wonderfully appetizing aroma instantly wafted out.
Next, she took off the mitts and went into the kitchen to scoop two bowls of rice and fetch two sets of chopsticks. After tidying everything up, she finally looked at Asagiri, who was sitting on the sofa, and spoke in a very gentle tone.
"Dinner is ready. Come and eat it while it's hot."
"Yuuki-san, you really are something."
Hearing Asagiri's compliment, Yuuki Asuna's cheeks flushed slightly. To hide her shyness, she intentionally turned her head away and avoided eye contact with Asagiri, letting out a soft "Hmph" in a textbook Tsundere tone.
"I'm merely acting as a teammate, considering that if you eat a proper meal, you might be in a better condition to clear the Instance more quickly, which benefits me as well. That's all there is to it."
"Oh, is that right?"
Asagiri nodded, picked up his chopsticks, and put a piece of the stewed meat into his mouth. After tasting it, he sounded slightly regretful.
"That's a real shame, considering the food is so delicious, and it was made specifically for me. If a normal high school boy were here, he'd probably be completely smitten by now."
Yuuki Asuna untied her apron and set it aside. She also picked up her chopsticks, put a piece of the stewed meat into her own bowl, and spoke with a slightly helpless tone, as if she had seen right through Asagiri's thoughts.
"You're not normal, so you won't be smitten at all, right? I already figured—"
"No."
Asagiri first shook his head, then looked at Yuuki Asuna's face, and said softly with a smile.
"I've already been smitten for a while."
"Eh? Ah..."
Yuuki Asuna froze for a few seconds, her brain completely crashing. The moment her brain rebooted, her face instantly turned bright red, and she stammered.
"Eh? Eh? You... you shouldn't joke like that... I, I... um..."
"Alright, let's eat."
During the rest of the meal, Yuuki Asuna kept sneaking glances at Asagiri across the table every few seconds. She felt that the speed of her heart must have exceeded 180 beats per minute the instant he said that.
What did he mean, "I've already been smitten for a while"?
Was he... was he referring to what she thought he was referring to?
After dinner, Yuuki Asuna willingly cleaned up the dishes and cutlery. She then sat on the sofa, watching Asagiri play on his phone, her lips pursed. She felt very nervous, and the atmosphere in the room felt strangely agitated.
Perhaps the atmosphere wasn't agitated; perhaps it was just her.
In this silence, several hours passed.
"Ugh... so sleepy..."
Yuuki Asuna, who had changed into the newly bought, washed sportswear—both to facilitate movement during the Instance and to use as pajamas—was starting to feel lethargic as the time approached eleven o'clock. She kept yawning and could barely keep her eyes open.
"Sleepy? Go to sleep then."
Hearing Asagiri's words, Yuuki Asuna figured the APP would probably initiate a pre-Instance wake-up feature, like last time. So, she nodded, lay down on the sofa, and fell into a deep, baby-like sleep.
She didn't know how much time had passed, but Yuuki Asuna once again felt that familiar sensation of being abruptly yanked from sleep with no warning buffer.
She sat up from the sofa, pulled out her phone, and opened the eye-icon APP. A countdown timer was displayed, showing fifteen minutes. Below the countdown was a brief introduction to the current Instance.
[Current Instance Location: Hotel][Current Instance Time Limit: Twelve Hours][Current "Player" Objective: Survive until the Time Limit ends][Public Instance Warning: Extremely terrifying malevolent spirits (Eerily Evil Spirits) are roaming inside the hotel. Please try to avoid engaging them in direct combat.][Special Hint provided due to your last Instance rating of A- or higher][Special Hint: Weapons made of ordinary materials cannot completely destroy the Evil Spirits.]
Reading the text in the APP and noting the word "Evil Spirits," Yuuki Asuna felt a surge of tension. She looked up at Asagiri, who was holding something that looked like a medical kit and seemed to be preparing something.
"The Instance hint is out..."
"Mhm."
Asagiri nodded, carrying the medical kit, and sat next to Yuuki Asuna, comparing the content displayed on his APP with hers.
"There are two differences."
Hearing this, Yuuki Asuna turned her gaze toward the text on Asagiri's phone and indeed found two discrepancies.
Her Public Instance Warning was: "Extremely terrifying malevolent spirits (Eerily Evil Spirits) are roaming inside the hotel. Please try to avoid engaging them in direct combat."
While Asagiri's Public Instance Warning was: "Extremely terrifying, and not just one, Evil Spirits are roaming inside the hotel. Please try to fight quickly and avoid being overwhelmed by superior numbers."
Their Special Hints were also different.
Asagiri's Special Hint was...
"Highly valuable information can be obtained at the reception desk in the hotel's first-floor lobby."