Optimasolaris (Kirito x Eugeo AU)

Summer Zephyr

[Kirito POV]

The route to and from work was stunning. You can see every marvel of human technology. At one point you feel you're in GGO itself, the next it's a synthwave enthusiasts' dream. There was always a road next to us, and sometimes me and Eugeo would go car spotting, trying our luck and hoping we'd come across a Ferrari or a Lambo. They would come occasionally, attracting all the pedestrians it was driving next to and prompting some to take out their phones and post their finds on social media. When we were walking home after I had embarrassed Eugeo, he still looked a bit flustered and his face was still a bit pink. He looked like he had a fever.

"Hey, you OK?" I asked him, giving him the casual smile I always did. He smiled back at me and answered, "Yeah. Just a little bit hot, is all," with a loud breath soon after. He seemed sick to me anyway, so now I wanted to take him to eat out somewhere. As if it would actually work, but I did it anyway.
"You want to go to the sushi place across the road? We can rest there for a bit."
"But we're just 2 minutes from home," Eugeo answered. He was looking around at the buildings and architecture that surrounded them.
"We gotta take a break from me cooking for one day. This time, I'll pay instead. It's not that expensive, I don't think..."
"Well, if you say so..." Eugeo would never really turn down an invitation if I ask it; it's something I've realised in him for the past few months now. I took advantage of it and we both crossed the street together, and entered the restaurant.

It appeared from the outside to be a tiny restaurant that could only fit in a few people. The shop was built into a massive building and it was made with colours that didn't contrast with the rest of the building and it looked as if someone had made it within a few days. There were no windows either; from afar it was just one big panel of bamboo with a sign saying "Shikihara's Cuisine." We opened the door which made a creak, and stepped inside.

From the first few seconds we were inside, it looked like the entrance to an escape room. It was one medium length hallway which had bamboo sticks to act as walls, only being just wide enough for me and Eugeo to stand side by side. The only source of light apart were dimly lit red lights scattered on the ceiling which gave it an eerie feel. At the end of the hallway was a door also made of bamboo which had some letters on it which neither of us could see until we got closer. We realised it was just an entrance sign but Eugeo was a bit hesitant.
"Um, Kirito... you sure this is an actual restaurant?"
"To be honest, I didn't know. This only opened up a few days ago. We'll just have to see for ourselves." I reached my hand out to push it open.

We were then greeted by what seemed to be a lavish, palace like buffet. We entered at the top of the restaurant on a sort of balcony overlooking the entire restaurant. On the left side, pretty much everything apart from the pots and basins the food were placed in were made out of white marble, in the middle was a colossal chandelier which was made of multiple crystals which looked like they hadn't been cut, with different sizes and colours. As a result of this, the entire room was lit up with different colours and varying levels of brightness. Under each table was a circular light which could change colours, and there were pillars of marble holding the place up, giving it an underground feel. On the right side of the restaurant, it looked more comfortable than royal. All the chairs were coated in velvet, and the floor was made of carpet that looked so soft that I felt like you shouldn't be allowed to wear your shoes on it. Parts of that area were lit crimson, matching the theme. Eugeo and I just stared at the beauty of the whole thing, in awe and shock. The left side of the balcony was a staircase, and each step alternated from marble to velvet. They weren't steep at all despite the whole room's immense size, and at the bottom a waitress patiently stood, waiting for the next customers. She had uniform so smart she looked like a flight attendant. I looked at Eugeo and he looked at me back with a small grin, signalling us to go down.