December 26, 2023. 9:41 p.m. — Tympoil, Floor 7

  After dinner, Akari and Silver slowly climbed the inn’s stairs toward the second-floor room she had reserved.

  Akari opened the door carefully and gestured for Silver to enter. He stepped inside without a word. She followed and shut the door softly behind them.

  The room was simple; nothing like the luxury of Floor 29, where the rooms felt like small apartments. Here, like most inns in the tower, it was practical: one or two beds, a table with a couple of chairs, a few pieces of furniture. A place to sleep and leave the next day.

  Akari had decorated it with small flowers she picked every few days and placed in vases, giving the air a faint, pleasant fragrance.

  —Well… —she began in a playful tone—thanks for agreeing to stay the night. You can take the bed on the right.

  She turned to study his reaction. She expected surprise. Disappointment. Annoyance. Something. Anything. Like most guys would show.

  She found nothing.

  Silver looked at her with his usual calm expression. No smile. No frown. No visible reaction at all. The silence caught her completely off guard.

  —I haven’t slept in a bed in a while —he replied naturally. —I’ll stay here.

  Without waiting for a response, he began unequipping his gear until only his basic clothing remained. Then he sat down on the floor, back against the wall beneath the window.

  And didn’t move again.

  Akari stood still for a second before regaining her composure. She walked to her side of the room and opened her menu. Before activating it, she looked at him with an innocent smile.

  —I’m going to change. Don’t peek, okay?

  Silver didn’t respond.

  Akari removed her equipment slowly, deliberately letting the soft sound of each piece vanishing linger in the air. First her weapon. Then her cloak. Then her light chest armor and boots.

  When only her dress remained, she insisted:

  —Don’t turn around.

  The sound of the dress disappearing seemed to hang in the room. Akari stood there for a few seconds in her undergarments, glancing at Silver from the corner of her eye.

  He never tried to look at her.

  His gaze remained fixed on the window, lost in Aincrad’s night sky, as if he expected to find something there.

  For a brief moment, a flicker of dissatisfaction crossed Akari’s lips.

  She pressed another button, and delicate pajamas materialized over her slender figure. She slipped into bed and turned off the bedside lamp.

  —Good night —she said in the sweetest voice she could manage.

  —Rest. I’m here —Silver replied, trying to sound reassuring.

  Akari lay on her side, facing him, eyes closed but alert to any movement that might signal he was getting up.

  She heard nothing.

  From time to time, she cracked her eyes open to check.

  Silver hadn’t moved.

  Still staring out the window.

  She realized then that Silver was different from every other player she had known.

  The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

  That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

  But it did mean she might need… a different approach.

  * * * * *

  December 27, 2023. 8:29 a.m. — Tympoil, Floor 7

  —Good morning.

  Akari’s voice pulled Silver from a shallow sleep. There was no confusion when he woke. He knew exactly where he was, and why a female voice was calling him.

  He opened his eyes to find her crouched beside him, her face so close he would’ve felt her breath if SAO had simulated that detail.

  She wore that pristine smile again, the kind that could melt the eternal ice in Aincrad’s mountains.

  —Did you sleep well? —he asked, sitting up slowly.

  —Wonderfully —Akari replied. —I’d almost forgotten what it felt like to truly rest. Thank you.

  —I’m glad —Silver gave her a small, polite smile. It was the first one she’d seen from him.

  —You’re very handsome when you smile.

  The comment caught him completely off guard. He looked at her and, despite himself, an awkward smile slipped out.

  —Much better —she said with a soft, melodic laugh. —Let’s go get breakfast.

  * * * * *

  The NPC server brought their order with practiced kindness. Silver had ordered strong coffee, as always. Akari chose something with a strange name, but the aroma alone made Silver’s eyes widen before the plate even touched the table.

  —No way… —he murmured, staring at her dish.

  —What is it? —Akari asked, tilting her head slightly.

  —Is that… scrambled eggs with bacon?

  —A what? —she repeated, surprised.

  Silver didn’t answer. He kept staring at the plate like it was a miracle.

  Akari smiled.

  —Want to try it?

  —Can I?

  She didn’t answer. Instead, she speared a bite with her fork, blew on it instinctively, even though it wasn’t hot, and held it up to his mouth.

  Silver leaned forward and took it without thinking.

  His eyes lit up immediately.

  —I didn’t think I could eat this in here.

  —What did you call it again?

  —Scrambled eggs with bacon.

  Akari studied him thoughtfully.

  —You’re not Japanese, are you? —she asked.

  Silver stared at her in silence.

  —I’m sorry —she added quickly. —I forgot we’re not supposed to ask about the real world.

  Then she smiled again.

  —I’ve had this before. I like it. To me, it’s like a deconstructed tamagoyaki… just saltier.

  —It’s scrambled eggs with bacon. I’d bet my entire armor set on it.

  Akari covered her mouth as she laughed, eyes closing briefly.

  —All right, I believe you. Besides, I don’t have anything valuable enough to wager against your gear.

  —I had no idea this existed on the lower floors —he said.

  —The tower’s floors borrow flavors from all over. It’s not that strange.

  Silver watched her for a long moment.

  Akari shifted slightly in her seat, adjusting her hair, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.

  —What is it? —she asked.

  —Are you a beta tester? —Silver asked.

  Surprise flickered across her face; but she recovered quickly.

  —I don’t think that’s an appropriate question for a lady —she teased.

  —I’m sorry. I didn’t think before asking.

  Akari studied him carefully before countering:

  —Was Yuiha a beta?

  Silver’s heart lurched, and his expression answered for him.

  —I figured as much from what you told me about her —Akari continued. —And from how specific your question was just now.

  She smiled, as if she had read the question he hadn’t dared to voice aloud.

  Akari ate a few more bites, letting the silence settle between them.

  —I wasn’t part of the beta —she said at last. —But I believe information is vital, no matter where you are. I’ve bought data from all kinds of informants; even trivial things. You never know when knowing just a little more might save your life.

  Silver nodded. The logic made perfect sense.

  When they finished, Akari watched him wipe his mouth with a napkin.

  —All right. Time for your daily date with the tundra hobgoblins.

  —They’re the most annoying monsters in the entire tower —he muttered, and his good mood faded at the thought.

  Akari reached across the table and took his hand.

  —I know fighting them is exhausting. But you understand why, right?

  —Yes —he nodded. —I need to learn how to handle unpredictable situations.

  She blinked, satisfied.

  —For Yuiha. And for all the victims of murderers.

  A dangerous gleam appeared in Silver’s eyes.

  It wasn’t determination.

  It was something darker.

  —For Yuiha —he repeated, his voice heavy with that new feeling beginning to take root inside him.