Sword Art Online Gameverse x Reader

Chapter 88: Crashing

August, The following morning after the raid on the Laughing Coffin's headquarters.

I opened my eyes to a rather bright bedroom, the curtains were pulled open and the world's artificial sunlight was beaming in through the window. Did I leave the curtains open last night?

I start getting up from my bed and that's when I notice the smell coming from outside my room, it smelled like... breakfast?

Asuna: "Oh good, you're awake. You really must have been exhausted! I was letting you rest until I was done cooking because I'm sure you wouldn't want to eat this cold!"

I then wipe my face with my hands, attempting to wipe away the grogginess.

Y/N: "Asuna? Why are you- oh right, yeah... Good Morning Asuna, sleep well?"

Asuna: "Not a morning person? Funny, Liz never mentioned that!"

Y/N: "Well, I doubt Lisbeth would have known, she's even less a morning person than I am! I used to have to wake her up every morning or she'd sleep until noon!"

Asuna: "Oh really?! I guess that's why whenever we agree to meet I never see her before lunch! Hehe!"

Y/N: "I guess nowadays it doesn't matter so much, what with her owning an actual storefront now. And with her NPC Hanna she doesn't have to spend all her time by the till anymore... I'm really proud of her!"

Asuna: "As you should be, you brought the fighter out in that girl! ... Although, I've been curious for a while now. But why didn't you take up Liz's offer, you know- to move in with her to her permanent home?"

Y/N: "... I guess it just wasn't efficient to not live on the newest Floor-"

Asuna: "-Nonsense! At this point in the world, Teleport Crystals are a dime a dozen! It would be faster to teleport from Liz's place to the new Floor than it would be to live up there and walk out the inn! So what's the real reason you said no?"

Y/N: "..."

Asuna: "You know, Liz was really upset when you refused, she tried to hide it. But I could tell she was feeling down about it."

Y/N: "r- really? . . . sigh i- I guess it's because i- I'm just not good with having to... commit to things like that?"

Asuna: "But the two of you shared a roof for over a year together! What changed?"

Y/N: "Me... It's because of me."

Asuna: "What do you mean?"

Y/N: "...c- commitment. I struggle with commitments..."

Asuna: "Really, you? U/N, the giver of so many gifts and who's spent so much time with their friends, you struggle with committing?!"

Y/N: "In all those instances, I was the host... it was me offering my time for other people. If they didn't want to be there they could just leave, they weren't trapped at all."

Asuna: "But now?"

Y/N: "But now, with Lisbeth as the host, I'll only feel like I'll impede her. And I'll constantly worry that I'm intruding... I'd end up hating myself."

~ And I don't need to hate myself and the monster I've become more than I already do ~

Asuna: "..."