Money Can Buy Everything

023: Login to the game

"If you are going to keep looking at me like that, I'm going to get angry!"

Momo remained silent as Asuna lowered her head, feeling somewhat awkward as the atmosphere grew tense. Eventually, Asuna couldn't bear the awkwardness any longer and was the first to break the silence.

"Alright, you're the host, I'll listen to whatever you say!"

Momo sat up and glanced around Asuna's room, expressing surprise, "I thought a girl's room would be more... elaborate, with lots of decorations and such."

"Hmph, I’m sorry if my room seems to be too plain for someone as grand as you!"

"No, not at all. With you here, Asuna, it's more than enough."

Asuna blushed a bit at Momo's words. Even though he said it casually, she felt his sincerity.

"Do you have anything on your mind that you want to share? I can transform into a doll right now and just sit here, listening to you."

Momo pulled the corners of his mouth into an exaggerated smile, trying to lighten the mood. Asuna couldn't help but laugh at his antics.

"You really are surprising. Don't you ever feel sad or upset about anything? Why do you always seem so happy, not just for yourself but also for others... even for me?"

"Happiness is not inherent; it's a skill. Once you get used to forgetting your unhappiness, what's left is happiness. So, why don't you give me half of your unhappiness, and I'll help you forget it? How does that sound?"

Momo's smile and his sincere black eyes seemed to bring endless comfort to Asuna. She felt a warm sensation in her heart, and the shyness she felt when looking at Momo lessened.

"Thank you."

Asuna hugged her legs and said, "It's actually not a big deal. I only started feeling this way after meeting you, Momo."

"Huh, is it my fault?"

"No, not at all!"

Seeing Momo's instant surprise, Asuna quickly sent a reassuring look his way.

"It's all about me. I've always been striving to catch up with my brother, my mother, and my father in terms of achievements. I've been doing that my whole life, and I didn't think there was anything wrong with it."

Asuna's expression turned a bit somber as she continued, "But after meeting you, I realized that even at our age, we can have completely different life paths."

"I've also come to realize that, despite my efforts, it's difficult for me to keep up with my brother. At this rate, I might not be able to reach the same heights as my mother."

Momo understood what Asuna wanted to say. This was one of the main differences between Asuna and her mother, Kyouko, as depicted in the original story.

Kyouko was a classic example of someone who succeeded through hard work. She came out of the mountains, worked diligently, and became a professor before marrying into the Yuuki family, achieving success in both her career and personal life.

"She naturally attributed her success to her efforts, completely unaware of the existence of talent. Perhaps talent isn't as miraculous as portrayed in some movies or shows, but when a person walks on a path guided by their talents, they always excel.

Kyouko might have been walking on the path guided by her talents. However, in Asuna's case, despite her excellent academic performance from a young age, she couldn't find any sense of accomplishment or direction.

This was also the reason why Asuna rebelled later on and decided to wear the NerveGear, which would change her life.

In simpler terms, she wanted to say no to the path her parents paved for her, but she didn't know where to begin, and she lacked the courage to say that single word.

Momo listened quietly, breathing, smiling, occasionally moving slightly, as though transforming into a benevolent elder, attentively listening to a girl pouring out her doubts about life.

Asuna became more and more relaxed, feeling like Momo had opened a valve in her heart, allowing her countless thoughts and emotions to flow out. She told him everything, from her childhood anecdotes to her confusions, holding nothing back.

Even Marisa Kirisame put aside her frustration and listened quietly to an ordinary girl's common existential dilemmas, perhaps recalling that she had experienced similar emotions in the past.

How long ago was that?

Time had long passed, even beyond the duration of the Sword Art Online public beta, but the three of them seemed unaware of it.

"I really don't know what to do."

Asuna almost curled up completely, her voice becoming hoarse. At this moment, a warm hand slipped into her hair, massaging her head gently.

Asuna trembled, knowing exactly who it was. At some point, she found herself sitting side by side with Momo, and now, he was the one gently caressing her hair.

Although she should have felt nervous, Asuna sensed a comforting feeling, her heart beating faster, but without any discomfort or aversion.

Despite it being the first time she had such intimate contact with another boy, Momo's current presence felt strange, as if he wasn't just a boy, but rather an old man about to comfort her.

"It's not as complicated as you think, nor is it as difficult. Asuna, everything is actually quite simple."

"Life is limited, and personal growth is irreversible. Every age is unique. Therefore, people are essentially walking on a one-way street, with only the right to choose a direction but no possibility of going back."

"You see me now, but do you know how much I went through to become this way?"

Asuna naturally couldn't know, but she could feel the weight in Momo's tone, as if it had been accumulated over a hundred years.

"You didn't think about all this before not because you didn't notice, but because you had no regrets. In order to receive praise from your uncle and aunt, you were willing to dedicate your time and childhood. But now, you are starting to think about it all, which means you are preparing to choose a different path."

"The choice of each path is in your hands."

Asuna's eyes brightened slightly as she said, "But I don't know how to choose, and my parents..."

"Your uncle and aunt, they are your parents, and as long as you make a firm decision, they will support you. And don't forget, you have me too! With me around, I will protect you, and anyone who tries to hinder you, I will defeat them!"

Saying that, Momo knocked his chest forcefully, making a thumping sound but ended up coughing.

"Pfft, hahaha, why did you do that so forcefully? I already believe you, you know."

Asuna chuckled, wanting to help Momo rub his chest, but he pulled her into his embrace instead.

Asuna let out a gasp of surprise and tried to resist, but she found that Momo's strength was unexpectedly strong.

"Believe me, Asuna, be brave in making your choice, and I will be your strong support."

His voice was calm yet unquestionably resolute. Asuna lay on Momo's chest, her eyes somewhat infatuated as she nodded gently and said, "I believe you."

On top of Momo's head, Marisa Kirisame, who had been in a daze, suddenly turned extremely strange, as if she had tasted a bad candy.

"You shameless guy! Humph, deal accepted!"

"Did you do all this just to deceive the little girl and make her believe in you? I really misjudged you. I thought you had some sincerity, but now I see how naive I was!"

As Momo sat back in the car on his way to the Soryuha House, he said, "Nonsense, Reimu. Originally, I planned to dissuade Asuna from entering Sword Art Online."

Marisa Kirisame was stunned, her eyes widened as she asked, "Have you gone crazy? If Asuna doesn't enter Sword Art Online, then..."

What would happen to Keiko Ayano if she didn't enter Sword Art Online?

Nothing would happen.

"At least this way, Asuna won't have to endure two years of being trapped in the game. That's the turning point for Asuna, but it's also a nightmare for her, just like for every Sword Art Online player."

"But isn't the Asuna you like the radiant Asuna? Even if you manage to pursue this easily deceived little girl in reality, she won't be the Asuna in your heart, right?"

Momo smiled bitterly and said, "Yes, that's exactly the dilemma I'm facing. What should I do? Should I keep the truth from Asuna and let her enter the game, becoming a radiant Asuna, or should I tell her the truth and make the radiant Asuna disappear, replaced by an ordinary Asuna with no nightmarish life?"

Marisa Kirisame was speechless for a while before saying, "So, in the end, you didn't do anything, did you? You didn't tell her the truth, nor did you dissuade her from entering the game. You left everything to her to decide."

Momo chuckled and said, "Yes, it's best not to spoil the plot. What I can do is be with her. If she enters the game, I will enter the game too. If she decides not to enter, I'll just play Sword Art Online casually."

"Well, since it's your own choice, I won't comment on it this time. You better hurry up, considering the time, Shouichi Shinkawa is about to start his death game."

"Yes, Shouichi Shinkawa, let's meet again in the game."

At the same time, in Asuna's room, her face flushed, lying on the bed, she couldn't forget the scene of her intimate embrace with Momo.

Despite feeling nervous and surprised, the predominant feeling was a passionate and intoxicated excitement.

"Ah, this is so embarrassing!"

After rolling around on the bed for a few rounds, Asuna finally calmed down and looked at the ceiling, murmuring to herself, "Change, huh..."

She reached out and took out a game helmet named NerveGear from a box on the other side of the bed. It was a game boasting to be a great crossover for the new century, Sword Art Online, which was set to start its public beta today.

This would be her first time playing a large-scale MMORPG game.

This could be considered as a small change, right?