Now that they knew Seiya and Asuna were 'The Saint' and 'The Flash,' two of the most famous players in the Assault Team, Sasumaru and his friends were thrilled. These were big-name players they never thought they'd get to meet, and it was all thanks to Kirito.
"Kirito-kun, is Asuna-san interested in Seiya-kun...?" Just like Asuna had sensed the romantic tension between Kirito and Sachi, Sachi could feel a similar attraction between Asuna and Seiya.
Kirito whispered back to her, "You noticed it too, right? I don't know why, but Seiya is usually a thoughtful person, yet he becomes a complete log when it comes to Asuna. No, wait, 'log' isn't the right word. It's more like he seems to think Asuna is in love with me, so he just keeps her at a distance as a friend and never crosses that line."
After hearing Kirito's words and looking at the flawless Asuna, Sachi felt sorry for her. Asuna was such a radiant person; why did she have to fall for such a dense log?
Kirito, as a friend to both, felt he shouldn't interfere, but Sachi had no such qualms. She knew what it felt like to be in love and decided to help Asuna.
"Asuna-san, does Seiya-kun often ask you to find things for him?"
Asuna was surprised by the question but politely answered, "Not often, but he's a bit of a slacker. I'm always on the front lines of the Assault Team, so I often find some rare materials. The reason I came to find him today is that I found the right material for a sword he wanted forged, and the jerk just left me waiting for half a day!"
Sachi's sympathy for Asuna grew, and she looked at Seiya as if he were scum. But then, an idea came to her. "Since you and Seiya-kun often trade items, why don't you set up a shared inventory page? That's what Kirito-kun and I do. That way, Asuna-san, you won't have to take time off from your work to come looking for him."
Both Seiya and Kirito were stunned by Sachi's suggestion. Seiya was about to protest, saying, "No, setting up a shared inventory is for couples..."
Asuna's face lit up. "Oh, there's a feature like that in this game? Thank you so much, Sachi! Please tell me how to do it."
Asuna's enthusiastic voice drowned out Seiya's half-finished sentence. Under Sachi's guidance, a confirmation request for a shared inventory page appeared on Seiya's screen.
Honestly, in the past, Seiya would have rejected it without a second thought, as it was a clear sign of a relationship. But now, seeing Asuna's expectant face and Sachi's threatening look, Seiya sighed and clicked "Accept."
"That's great, Asuna-san! Go ahead and put the materials you got for Seiya-kun in the shared inventory. Seiya-kun, you should put something in too. You have something for Asuna-san, right?"
Seiya was surprised that the usually shy Sachi was so pushy. At her urging, Seiya put a high-quality rapier called Meteor into the shared inventory.
At first, Asuna tried to tell Sachi not to pressure Seiya, but when she took out the Meteor rapier from the shared inventory, the starlight it emitted brought tears to her eyes. She could tell right away that it was a top-tier item, not just something Seiya had thrown in. The rapier was obviously meant for her, as both Seiya and Kirito used one-handed swords.
"This Meteor was forged by a friend, using the rare metal Star Steel you gave me last time. It was meant to be your Christmas gift, but I guess I'm giving it to you early. So don't say I didn't give you a surprise," Seiya said.
Even Sachi looked at the Meteor with envy. She could tell Seiya had put a lot of thought into the gift. Just as Sachi was about to think her matchmaking had worked and that Seiya and Asuna were officially a couple, Seiya said something that left her speechless.
He turned to Kirito and held out a blue and white single-handed sword. "Asuna got her Christmas gift early. Do you want to get yours early too, Kirito?"
Kirito's face was a mix of shock and exasperation. He looked at the sword in Seiya's hand, unsure whether to take it or not. He wanted to say no, but he knew that as a wealthy player, Seiya wouldn't give him a low-quality weapon. But why would he give him a Christmas gift at this time?
Seeing Seiya's outrageous move, Sachi asked, "So you also prepared a gift for Kirito-kun?"
Seiya looked at Sachi with a puzzled expression. "Asuna and Kirito are my friends. Of course I wouldn't show favoritism when it comes to Christmas gifts."
Seiya's answer left everyone, especially Sachi, speechless. She had tried so hard to help, but Seiya was just too oblivious!