"What are you talking about..."
Upon hearing Eiriri’s inquiry, Asuna felt her whole body stiffen, but Eiriri just stared into her eyes.
"Don’t think I can’t tell, I am a doujinshi artist, I’m very aware of what the ones I create are like. In fact, I once sold over a thousand copies at Comiket as a super popular writer, and I’ve seen all sorts of die-hard otakus and shut-ins, but none like you. Even the most disgusting NEET shut-ins wouldn’t fall this far just over so doujinshi. But I know why you’re doing this, doujinshi is made for people to fantasize because things that can’t be accomplished in reality, not even in dreams, can be depicted and temporarily satisfy one’s needs, I can understand that, but...what are you really afraid of?"
"............"
Facing Eiriri’s inquiry, Asuna lowered her head and remained silent for a long ti. Then, she clenched her fists and softly spoke.
"My family... the Yuki Family is a prestigious and noble family from Kansai... Since I was little, I have been striving as a mber of the Yuki Family. My mother is a very strict and serious person. She has always overseen my life and set my life goals. What I need to do is strive to get into a good university, find a good job, et and marry an outstanding person, and make a mark to live up to my mother’s expectations and the surna ’Yuki.’
As she spoke, Asuna’s shoulders gradually drooped.
"Honestly, I never thought about playing any gas. This full dive device wasn’t even bought by . It was bought by my brother because he had to go on a business trip, and I happened to develop so interest in this strange ga, so I asked him to let play for a day... I was just thinking of experiencing it for a mont... that’s all..."
"So you’ve been desperately trying to beat it."
Upon hearing this, Eiriri finally understood why Asuna had been desperately trying to conquer and end the ga. Unlike herself, Black Cat, and Gabriel, who were drawn here out of deep interest in the ga.
Being trapped in a death ga is frustrating and terrifying, but conversely, at least it allows them to play gas openly and rightfully—such thoughts exist to so extent. For instance, Gabriel stated outright that she wants to stay in this world forever and never go back.
However, Asuna is different. She is the treasure of her family, bearing the heavy expectations of her family. For her, this ga was just a relaxing diversion she chose out of montary curiosity, akin to soone wanting to peek into a haunted house but never actually wanting to enter a world filled with ghosts.
"...When I entered the ga, I was in my third year of junior high school. That year was crucial for both and my mother. What I should have been doing was diligently reviewing, learning knowledge, and then, like my other siblings, getting into a prestigious school to comply with my mother’s will. In a perfect world, I should now have already stepped into a high school campus, starting a new life..."
At this point, Asuna’s body began to tremble slightly.
"But as it stands? I’m trapped in this death ga, my body may be lying in a hospital bed, how will everyone see ? How will they see my mother? Will they think I deserved it for being obsessed with gas? But in fact, I almost never played video gas! In the ga, over half a year has passed, yet we still have no idea how long it will take to clear Aincrad... Two years? Three years? Four years? No one can be sure, but if I can’t leave this world, if I can’t go back, my life would beco a ss..."
"........."
Looking at Asuna, who was trembling constantly, Eiriri sighed silently and reached out to hold her.
Eiriri could sowhat understand Asuna’s thoughts too. Being the daughter of a diplomat herself, she understood how imnse the pressure could be for soone like Asuna.
However, unlike Asuna, Eiriri was lucky to have parents who supported her interests. They didn’t mind her creating doujinshi, and they even helped buy gas and doujinshi that she was too young to purchase herself.
So at school, Eiriri had to pretend to be a well-behaved girl with good manners. But at ho, she could wear her green sportswear and lazily lie at the table drawing doujinshi.
Asuna didn’t have such luck.
That’s also why Asuna’s anxiety is completely different from that of Eiriri and her friends. Eiriri has a pair of parents who love her, and for her, the task is to live well until she can leave the ga and return to their embrace.
As long as she can return to the real world safely, that would be the best reward for her parents. Eiriri also believes that no matter if it’s five years, ten years, or fifteen years, her parents will always love her.
Moreover, for Eiriri, the future has many paths. Maybe the na Eri Kiwagi will fade from readers’ mories over ti, but once she returns to the real world, she can start anew with a new pen na and create new manga.
Even if Eiriri wakes up at twenty, she is confident in finding her future goals and path.
But Asuna is different. For her, every day spent in the ga is another day "wasted" in her life, drawing her further away from the path and life goals she was ant to pursue.
If Asuna doesn’t escape from this ga world until she’s twenty, she might have no idea what to do—by that ti, dying in this ga world could seem like a better choice of escape for her.
It’s really troubling.
Gently patting Asuna’s back to comfort her, Eiriri frowned, lost in thought. Now she understood why Asuna was so deeply ensnared, unable to extricate herself. Her anxiety grows with each day. You could say with each passing day, her anxiety heightens. No normal person could live under such pressure indefinitely. No wonder Asuna is so absorbed in doujinshi... She is trying to escape reality through it.
Although Eiriri wanted to comfort Asuna, when the words reached her lips, she didn’t know what to say.
At such tis, if Mr. Fang Zheng... Ah!
Eiriri’s eyes lit up as she thought of this.
"Asuna, let’s go on a date tomorrow!"
"Huh? A date?"
Hearing Eiriri’s suggestion, Asuna was taken aback, while Eiriri nodded with a cheerful smile.
"Yes, you, Mr. Fang Zheng, and I will go on a date. Honestly, I don’t know how to comfort you, but I believe Mr. Fang Zheng will have a way, I can assure you of that."
This was based on Eiriri’s own experience since she entered the ga partially to escape the intimate interactions between her childhood friend and his girlfriend in reality. But now, Eiriri was sure that if she left this world and saw her childhood friend’s intimate interactions with his girlfriend again, she wouldn’t react anymore.
That was all thanks to Fang Zheng.
Now, Eiriri believed Asuna’s problem could also only be solved by Fang Zheng.
".........."
Hearing this, Asuna was silent for a mont, then she nodded.
"Alright..."
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