Sword Art Online 16.8.5

“Eh, Kirito-kun, you don’t brush your teeth before sleeping?”

Upon being asked by a surprised Asuna who was in her pajamas, I nodded while feeling as though I had turned into some terrible barbarian.

“I-I mean, there’s no need, right? It’s not like we could get any plaque on our teeth here, anyway.”

“Don’t think about it logically, what matters is how it feels!”

“Or rather… in the first place, is it even possible to get a toothbrush in Aincrad?”

“Eh, if you don’t know that, that means you had never brushed your teeth? Not even once in these two years?”

I nodded once more, feeling like I had my class change from a barbarian to a caveman.

With that, Asuna nimbly manipulated her window with a face that suited the sub-leader of the Knights of the Blood. What appeared then, was a wooden handle with short hair set in it—a single toothbrush.

She spoke while quickly thrusting it forward.

“This is a masterpiece made by a master craftsman! Brush your teeth with this every night, starting from today! And in the morning too if possible!”

“Eeh~~”

Slanting my face forty-five degrees away, I groaned.

It wasn’t like I wanted to shout out that it would totally be a huge bother. I was simply wondering if the toothbrush had any reason to exist now that it lost its original purpose of protecting against tooth decay and gum diseases, so…

“I won’t kiss anyone who won’t brush his teeth.”

“I’ll brush them three times a day!”

Giving an immediate reply, I instantly jammed the toothbrush I received into my mouth and moved it vigorously.

—Well, honestly, I might not have that much of a prejudice against it. The short and stiff hair stimulated my mouth, evoking both refreshing and nostalgic feelings.

The moment the brush touched the top inner teeth on the right, I felt a sudden, strange sense of unease. Just as I began to wondering what it was, I noticed.

“Ah… I’m missing a tooth.”

“Eh, what do you mean?”

I opened my mouth wide as I explained to Asuna who was brushing her own teeth at my side.

“Actually, I had a wisdom tooth on top on the right. But it felt strange since that wasn’t reproduced on this avatar.”

“Hmm, so that’s it. I didn’t have even a single one, so that means I evolved further than you did, Kirito-kun.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m just a primitive barbarian!”

Shouting that out, I sealed Asuna’s mouth that she proudly left opened with my own.