Money Can Buy Everything

041: Like a Dream

"Argo!"

Asuna shouted anxiously, but by the time she got to her feet, Argo had already run off.

A sense of injustice surged in Asuna's heart. She truly didn't know what she had done wrong to upset Argo. If it was indeed her fault, she was willing to make amends no matter what. However, it seemed that Argo wasn't giving her that chance.

"Argo..."

Just then, Argo, who had run about ten meters away, suddenly turned back, laughing loudly.

"Hey, Asuna, you're not really scared, are you?"

Asuna stood with her mouth wide open, dumbfounded. What kind of situation was this turning into!

"Idiot, while there are some reasons for this, how could I blame my friend like that? Everything is Momo's fault, all his fault!"

Argo yelled and laughed, shouting at the moon, then pointing at Asuna. "So, Asuna, do me a favor and give that guy behind you a good scolding! Give your boyfriend a good lesson, or he'll definitely turn into a playboy!"

Asuna's heart stopped for a moment. The two words "behind you" that Argo had just uttered reverberated in her ears.

"...Seriously, your expression actually makes me not hate you anymore. The guy likes the girl, silently protects her, and the girl goes out of the city foolishly just to find the guy, even willing to die for him... Did you two come straight out of a soap opera or something..."

Argo smiled as she watched Asuna turn away, mumbling to herself, a glimmer in her eyes.

"Hey, don't forget, make sure to scold him properly for me. Give your boyfriend a good scolding. Otherwise, he'll definitely turn into a playboy!"

Argo waved and shouted, then turned around.

"Well, forget it. I'll let you off the hook this time. I won't tell Asuna that you're probably a playboy now... But well, hehe, you both owe me favors, and Momo seems to be quite wealthy... Oh dear, how should I blackmail him..."

Argo left because she knew that, no matter what, these two people wouldn't be paying attention to her anymore. As the great Argo, how could she be a third wheel in this awkward situation?

Asuna turned around.

Standing not far away was a person with a familiar smile on his face.

The moonlight shone behind him, making it hard to see his features clearly. But even without seeing his face, this figure was already imprinted in Asuna's heart.

"Looking for me?"

"Momo..."

Asuna smiled, her heart filled with countless words. Guilt made her want to apologize, concern made her want to ask, and fear made her want to get angry. Various emotions intertwined, but all she could do was say Momo's name.

"I'm here, I've always been here."

Countless emotions in her heart condensed into tears that slid down her cheeks. Asuna didn't know what to say now.

So she chose to take action.

Asuna threw herself into Momo's arms, causing him to fall to the ground. She tightly wrapped her arms around his neck and her tears fell onto Momo's face.

However, Momo didn't try to console Asuna because he could sense that, compared to sadness, she was feeling more joy right now.

If she's happy, that's good. Since she's happy, Momo didn't need to do anything else.

"I always feel..."

Reimu Hakurei floated in the air, her eyes narrowed into thin lines, a mocking smile on her lips. "This scene seems familiar!"

"Your misconception, for sure."

"Tch, shameless. Are you planning to do something familiar later?"

"Huh, Reimu, are you interested? I can be your guinea pig!"

"Pah!"

Reimu couldn't stand Momo's shamelessness, so she flew up high into the sky and gazed at the moonlit sky. Though it was a virtual moon, Reimu had to admit that the moonlight was beautiful, even more so than the moonlight in Gensokyo.

"But upon closer inspection, the moon in Gensokyo doesn't seem real either? The Moon Capital... no matter how you look at it, it's not beautiful at all!"

Despite flying high into the sky, Reimu could still hear Asuna's sobbing, which oddly calmed her slightly irritable mood.

"Real or fake, which is which..."

Reimu muttered, something Momo couldn't hear unless he wanted to. However, he didn't know that as he lay on the ground, looking at her, his gaze was gentle. Momo believed that he understood Reimu Hakurei.

Yet, what did it mean to hold one girl in his arms and look at another girl with affectionate eyes?

Momo's answer was simple.

That's love!

"Stop crying?"

Asuna's crying didn't last very long, much shorter than Argo's. After all, Argo should be genuinely sad, and before encountering Momo, Asuna had already been adjusted by... ahem, Argo for a while.

Before meeting Argo, Asuna was just a naive girl who didn't know anything, and this game was nothing more than a death trap to her. However, now Asuna could unleash sword skills. After all, she had taken down a rare boss, which was enough to transform her.

Asuna had realized that in this death game, she wasn't just a helpless lamb waiting to be slaughtered; she could become a warrior, wielding a Western-style sword to fight alongside Momo, confronting the challenges of this deadly game.

It was a shift in awareness, but it was enough to make Asuna stand up again, to become the reason she gathered her courage.

"Um..."

Asuna lay on Momo's chest, pressing her face against him, emitting a soft hum in response, as if the sound of a mosquito.

Asuna didn't have much to say now, as she was no longer afraid or sad. So, shyness took over, flushing her cheeks and leaving her unsure of what to do next.

After all, Momo wasn't just an ordinary person!

Though Momo hadn't explicitly said it, Asuna had already realized the nature of her relationship with him. Pushed by her parents from behind, it was difficult for Asuna to see Momo as just a regular friend. What was more, Asuna didn't dislike Momo.

Especially after understanding the potential future between the two of them, she still didn't feel any aversion.

Even though Asuna didn't know how she truly felt about Momo before, being emotionally intelligent, she had realized what her attitude meant.

Not to mention the interactions they've had afterwards.

In her room, being held by Momo, she didn't resist...

In the game, she hugged Momo for comfort...

In the inn, she unconsciously held onto Momo through the night, fully trusting him...

Most importantly, just recently, for the sake of Momo, she had nearly lost her sanity, ignored life and death, and had been willing to sacrifice everything to be by his side. Seeing Momo in person, her emotions had erupted, overwhelming her reason.

If Asuna didn't understand by now, she would truly be emotionally clueless.

Also, a crucial point was that Momo had never hidden his fondness for her, making it impossible for Asuna to pretend she didn't notice.

Now, with cheeks reddened, Asuna held onto the collar of Momo's shirt, burying her face in his chest, too scared to look up.

How could she possibly let Momo see? If he saw, her feelings would surely be revealed in an instant!

Doing her utmost, she preserved the last shred of her dignity, yet she was well aware that this was just self-deception, an ostrich burying its head in the sand.

Her actions were already quite evident; there was no need for further proof.

"You really can't get up?"

Asuna vigorously shook her head, saying, "No, I absolutely can't!"

"It's getting light out. Players might start leveling up soon!"

"Don't lie to me. I've learned the system operations. It's definitely not that late yet!"

"So, are we just going to lie here like this?"

"Lie here the whole time!"

"Don't be silly!"

"I'm not!"

"Well then..."

Momo gave up resisting as well and sprawled out on the grass, allowing the wind to ruffle their hair. He reached around Asuna's waist, causing her to tense up, but she remained still.

"Stay here and rest with me for a while."

Finishing his sentence, Momo unexpectedly closed his eyes. However, this wasn't a safe zone, and it wasn't possible to sleep here. Rather than sleep, he was more like resting with his eyes closed.

The blush on Asuna's face had faded quite a bit, revealing a smile as she shifted into a sideways position.

Her gaze drifted to the swaying grass in the distance. The rhythm of the grass, swaying back and forth, resembled a heartbeat, gradually syncing with Asuna's racing heart.

Then, she saw a pair of eyes.

Blood-red eyes.

Level 1, Wild Boar, normal monster.

The wild boar's crimson eyes burned with a fierce anger. Lowering its head and raising its snout, it kicked up a swath of grass with its front hooves, the blades of grass dancing in the wind, inscribing the boar's determination.

In this moment, it wasn't just a pig in battle. At this moment, it was possessed by numerous powerful forces from another dimension.

"Hehe—"

The wild boar charged towards the lovey-dovey couple.

"Whoosh—"

"Buzz—"

Two figures flashed past the wild boar. The boar, possessed by a spiritual presence, exploded instantly, dual-killed by Momo and Asuna, gifting them with experience points.

The two of them stood with swords in hand. At this point, even if Asuna wanted to hide her face, she couldn't.

Momo smiled warmly at Asuna. Asuna, instinctively trying to avoid Momo's gaze, somehow found herself unwilling to evade his affectionate eyes. She could only mutter, "What are you looking at...? I'm not different from how I am in the real world now..."

"Of course I'm looking at you, Asuna."

Momo's straightforward words shattered the last defenses in Asuna's heart. She felt a bit helpless, but she had no choice but to face Momo head-on, preparing herself to receive his direct affection.

"Am I really worth your gaze? Am I really that captivating for you, to make you do so much... It's hard for me to believe, it's incredible... feels like a dream."