Asuna turned her attention away from the scenery outside. She looked at Wu Yan who is already in casual clothes. He looked like a rather trendy guy. Pursing her lips, she sat directly across him and she stared at Wu Yan with her brown eyes.
Asuna continued using her sharp gaze on him, Wu Yan can only sip a cup of his own home-made red tea while feeling a bit awkward. He turned his eyes away from her and Asuna laughed out loud.
Asuna loosened up and she laid her back against the sofa.
“Hmm, you’re not as reclusive as I thought…”
“Reclusive?…”
Asuna rolled her eyes at him.
“You remember how you only said a few words and then you ditched me after handing me a menu? You also dedicated yourself to doing everything by yourself this past one year. Isn’t that what a recluse would do?”
Wu Yan protested.
“That isn’t a hermit-like behavior, right? It’s pretty common for people who just met each other to not have a lot of things to talk about right off the bat. I am already pretty generous, giving a recipe book to a girl I just met. Also, I am not the only solo player in this game…”
“That’s why I called them lone wolves!”
Asuna pointed at Wu Yan.
“Including you!”
“Hey, now you’re just dehumanizing me.”
Wu Yan retorted.
“I also have a few friends, you know?”
“Alright, answer met his…”
Asuna puffed out her chest and she struck took a verbal jab at him.
“Do you have more than 10 friends in this place?”
Wu Yan raised an eyebrow. He took her more seriously.
“How did you know? Did you come up with that number randomly?”
“Looks like I struck the bull’s eye…”
Asuna winked at him.
“And, yes, I guessed. Was I wrong?”
“Ahaha…”
Wu Yan awkwardly laughed before he sighed.
“Having just a few friends is good in its own way…”
Asuna beamed when Wu Yan backed off. She looked at the scenery outside the window.
“But, it’s true that I hold you in a different light now…”
“Geez, thanks.”
Wu Yan rolled his eye at Asuna. He poured her a cup of red tea. Asuna drank the tea without hesitation. She let the bitter and sweet taste spread in her oral orifice.
“The smell is quite nice…”
Asuna tried to get a whiff of Wu Yan’s pot of tea, drawing herself closer to him.
“What materials did you use to brew this one?”
“Crown mangrove leaves and add a bit of three-colour crushed flower juice.”
He poured her another cup.
“If you like it so much, I can provide you with more of it, and, of course, I can give you the recipe as well…”
Asuna nodded frantically like she’s afraid Wu Yan might take his words back. She exclaimed out loud.
“I thought you’re a loner, who knew you are this good at enjoying life too…”
“Of course!”
Wu Yan looked at the magnificent view outside his window and he continued.
“I am always like this when I am at home, it’s the only time when I feel alive…”
Asuna flinched and she dimmed down.
“Living life, huh…”
Asuna glanced at Wu Yan with complex emotions fluctuating in her eyes.
Clearing a floor is her priority, she got so engrossed with it that she forgot to live.
This person before her is someone who figured out that balance. He’s currently living a more blissful life than her.
Wu Yan scratched his cheeks when he detected Asuna’s mood change. He changed the subject.
“We should start soon…”
Wu Yan looked at Asuna. The dim look on her face disappeared and she stood up with a swish SFX.
“Come! Bring it on!”
“Quite confident, aren’t you?”
Wu Yan chuckled.
“Let’s hope you can keep that fighting spirit up.”
“I am always on fire!”
Entering the kitchen, he spotted Asuna who is already in casual clothes and an apron. He drew his fingers along the air and he tapped around before meat, vegetables, condiments, flavoring, and other foodstuff appeared in heaps and piles on the kitchen table. The assortment would put small restaurants to shame.
Asuna was stunned. She saw the shiny materials on the table and she yelled out loud, Wu Yan jumped in shock.
“What are you doing?!”
“Th-these…”
Asuna grabbed one of the plates here.
“These materials, aren’t all of these rare materials?…”
“Oh, you’re surprised by something minor like this?”
Wu Yan leered at her for freaking out at nothing.
“It’s not OP equipment, it’s just food materials, sheesh.”
“Yo-yo-yo-you…”
Asuna stuttered.
“Do you realize that these materials are worth the same as high-grade equipment?”
“Yeah, I know.”
Wu Yan is still not pleased with her reaction.
“I didn’t buy them, I got these from grinding and farming mob monsters, I don’t see why you’re making a big deal out of this.”
“Y-you farmed up all of these…?”
Asuna pouted.
“Jeez, I should be so lucky. You’re definitely using some kind of cheat to get so many materials!”
“Well, if I can cheat, I would definitely use the cheat to farm me some consumable materials from bosses.”
Wu Yan laughed out loud.
“But, I never saw consumable materials dropped from a boss…”
Asuna rolled her eyes at him and she snorted.
“I am pretty sure no one found boss-grade food material, I am the first one who will report you if you somehow got your hands on boss-grade food materials.”
“Come now…”
Wu Yan huffed.
“I am sure it’s only a matter of time before I get it!”
“Remember to give me a call when that happens…”
Asuna said, she obviously didn’t take him seriously.
He took out his kitchen knife and he pointed it at Asuna with a grin.
“Okay, you can take whatever you want, the bill is on me, you just take what you think you will need for the upcoming fight…”
“Really?”
Asuna took out her knife and she examined the materials on the kitchen table.
“I never had the chance to work with premium-grade food materials before. I am sure I can increase my chef skills greatly.”
“Where’re my thanks?”
“Yeah yeah…”
They smiled at each other and they immediately went into battle mode.
SAO’s cooking process is relatively simplified in-game. You don’t have to spend a ton of time cooking. Slit the vegetable a bit and it will in slices in seconds. The player also doesn’t have to pay attention to the flames. They can set a timer for the flames to turn off on their own.
The player can save time on material processing, flame control, and other time-wasting activities, the quality of the food will go down though but it won’t decrease much. For instance, Wu Yan’s current mastery allows him to exhibit about 50% of his skills in the real world.
Asuna is also very gifted in the art of cooking. He couldn’t judge her skills with the knife and flame. But, from the materials, flavorings, and combinations she chose, it is clear to Wu Yan that she’s a diamond in the rough, polished, she can become a very great chef one day.
The two of them went about the kitchen doing their own things. They looked like a married couple who’s enjoying their time alone doing a wholesome activity together.
Needless to say, the two didn’t notice this connection yet…
