Chapter 85: The Lead Singer is Too Dedicated
A little later, in Shibuya, Tokyo, at Asagiri's home.
"Does it hurt?"
"No. Just do whatever you want."
"Are you sure… it won't hurt?"
The exchange sounded suspicious enough to get someone arrested on misunderstanding alone, but the truth was far less dramatic. Asuna was simply applying medicine.
When she saw the dozens of bruises scattered across Asagiri's upper body, her chest tightened. Her hands moved carefully, almost timid, as if she were afraid even a breath might cause him pain.
"Use a bit more strength, Asuna Yuuki… wait, Asuna."
Feeling her feather light touch, more like polishing an exhibit than treating an injury, Asagiri chuckled and tried to ease her nerves.
"I'm not a porcelain doll. You don't have to be that gentle."
"But…"
Asuna pressed her lips together, then sighed in surrender. She increased the pressure slightly as she spread the medicine, her voice soft.
"Why? Why do you push yourself so hard?"
"Because I'm the lead singer," Asagiri said with complete sincerity. "A lead singer has to go all out, you know."
Asuna stared at him, then shot back without mercy.
"We're a team clearing Dungeons, not a band. Where did this lead singer thing even come from?"
"The principle is the same."
Asagiri's smile faded. His tone turned calm, almost steady in a way that made the room feel quieter.
"I'm the captain. If I'm standing in the most important position, then it's only natural that I should be able to carry everything, including the lives of the three of you. That's part of it."
He paused, and something sharp flickered beneath his composure.
"But more importantly…"
His eyes lit up with unmistakable anticipation.
"Just imagining myself tanking a storm of bullets and crushing those Black Watch elites is… insanely exciting."
Asuna's expression turned complicated.
"I want to call it chuunibyou, but at this point…" She murmured, half resigned. "You've gone so far it feels like you've broken out of the genre."
"This isn't chuuni. This is…"
"I know." Asuna smiled gently, as if she had already guessed the punchline. "Cowardice, right?"
She put away the medicine and the cotton, then returned everything neatly. When she looked out through the floor to ceiling window, the sky had already turned completely dark. She lifted a hand to tuck her hair behind her ear, her voice suddenly shy.
"Um… it's already past eleven. The trains stopped running, right…?"
"Yeah."
Asagiri was not the kind of dense protagonist who missed obvious hints until episode twelve. He understood immediately, and his smile softened as he offered without hesitation.
"Then sleep over tonight."
"Mhm." Asuna's answer came a little too fast, betraying her excitement. "It's far from here to my place anyway. No need to waste money on a taxi, but… I didn't bring pajamas…"
"Wear mine."
"Okay…"
Asuna replied softly. After Asagiri prepared clean clothes for her, she went into the bathroom.
After hours of special training, she had definitely sweated, and for someone with her mild cleanliness obsession, sleeping without a shower was simply unacceptable.
And besides…
Asuna turned on the faucet and watched hot water fill the bathtub. Steam rose, hazy and warm, blurring the mirror. With her face faintly red, she whispered to herself.
"Tonight… are we going to sleep together…"
…
The outcome did not disappoint her.
At Asagiri's initiative, they ended up in the same bed. Once the lights went out and the room settled into silence, Asuna could hear her own heartbeat, faster than usual from nerves and embarrassment.
"Um…"
She gathered her courage, reached out, and gently held Asagiri's hand. The warmth of his palm steadied her breathing a little.
"Can Ashikaga sensei… really be trusted?" Asuna asked quietly. "Not just you. I showed physical abilities no normal person should have in front of her too. If the Player thing gets exposed later, will she…"
"She won't."
Asagiri tightened his fingers around hers, his voice relaxed, almost amused.
"How do I put Ashikaga Miwa… She's a direct descendant of the Ashikaga shogunate. You could call her a true noble. Not like Shuchiin's newly rich chairman, Oko Shinomiya."
Asuna listened, eyes wide in the dark.
"Ashikaga sensei is an idealist, the pure kind," Asagiri continued. "That's why she openly criticizes Shuchiin's current atmosphere on the board. She wouldn't care."
He corrected himself smoothly.
"No. If she found out we're Players, she'd probably think it's perfect, considering we both enrolled as transfer students."
Asuna's grip tightened slightly.
"Ashikaga sensei's idea is simple. Since her proposals get vetoed by Oko Shinomiya, she'll change the school another way. She wants students to see reality with their own eyes."
"Shuchiin isn't like normal schools. Most students have heavy backgrounds. If she can't change things from the top, she'll push from the bottom. She wants enough students to desire change, and once that happens, the whole atmosphere will shift."
He paused.
"That's basically it."
Asuna blinked in disbelief.
"Th… that sounds so complicated…"
"It's not."
Asagiri lifted his free hand and gently stroked her hair as she lay on her side, smiling into the darkness.
"To put it simply, Ashikaga sensei needs me. A student like me, who ignores Shuchiin completely while still outperforming everyone there, is once in a lifetime."
"Pfft."
Asuna laughed softly.
"That might be true, but who says it like that? Calling yourself once in a lifetime with your own mouth is so shameless."
Asagiri answered bluntly.
"I feel like it's not as shameless as sleeping in the same bed on the first day of dating."
Asuna's face instantly heated up. She lifted herself as if to leave, flustered and indignant.
"Then I'm leaving."
"Oh? Threatening me?"
Asagiri's tone turned solemn, like he was declaring law in court.
"As the Leader of Justice, I absolutely do not accept threats."
"Tch… you're really confident."
Even as she complained, Asuna obediently lay back down.
After the long day, she was exhausted. Sleep tugged at her eyes so hard she could barely keep them open.
But before she drifted off…
"I…"
Asuna tugged his hand lightly, voice so soft it almost vanished.
"As a couple, before sleeping… we should kiss, right?"
Asagiri's reply came instantly.
"I've been waiting for that."
Their lips met again.
Then, when she felt his hand slip under her clothes, a haze rose in Asuna's eyes. She instinctively caught his wrist, her voice trembling.
"Don't… don't touch me randomly…"
"I… I'm not ready yet," she whispered, flustered. "And I'm really tired today. I'm not in good condition…"
Before he could respond, she panicked at her own words and hurried to explain, cheeks burning even in the dark.
"It's not that I don't want to. I do. I really want to do that with you, but… I'm a first timer. I need some time to prepare myself. It won't take long, I promise. Let's rest today, and when I'm ready, I'll come to you myself, and then we can…"
Her voice trailed off, too shy to finish.
Seeing her adorable, stammering desperation, Asagiri's smile softened. He stroked her hair gently.
"You don't have to panic. We'll take it step by step."
Asuna finally breathed out, relief loosening her shoulders. She moved closer, pressed her cheek to his chest, and curled into his embrace.
"I'm glad you understand…"
Then, cheeks still pink, she mustered one more ounce of courage. She held his wrist again, forcing her voice steady through embarrassment.
"If you promise you won't be impulsive…"
She hesitated, then whispered the last part.
"…you can touch me a little longer."
…
Meanwhile, in an unfinished building outside Tokyo.
"Netherworld Grip."
Iwanaga leaned on her cane with her left hand and slowly raised her right, aiming at the spirit creature in front of her. It wore something like a sumo outfit, its presence heavy and oppressive. Her slender fingers closed into a fist, almost leisurely.
The next second, a pale ghost hand with sharp black nails tore out of the void and seized the sumo spirit. Following Iwanaga's motion, the fingers tightened.
Crack.
The spirit was crushed into fragments.
"Solved."
A male wraith nearby stared in disbelief. A kitchen knife was still lodged in his head, blood running down his face, yet tears streamed as if he had been saved all over again.
"Thank you, Princess! Thank you, Princess!" he cried hoarsely. "Now we can move back in. Thank you so much!"
Iwanaga turned, adjusted her white beret with a delicate touch, and smiled.
"You're welcome. It's also my duty as the God of Wisdom."
Then she looked out through the broken concrete frame. The moon hung bright in the night sky. With the request completed, her mood was unusually good. She even hummed lightly, speaking to herself as if the night were listening.
"Ah, seriously. It's finally the weekend, and I still have to handle yokai requests. I'm so busy I don't even have time to ask Asagiri out. I wonder what he's doing right now…"
…
Meanwhile, in Chika's bedroom.
Kaguya watched Chika, who was happily eating snacks, with furrowed brows and a worried look.
"Chika… I have a feeling." Kaguya's voice was low and controlled. "Something is off about Asagiri and Iwanaga from my class, and Asuna from your class too. Those three… aren't normal."
Chika turned, blinking in simple confusion. She tilted her head.
"Off? Really? Are you saying they're Players like us? What makes you think that?"
"A reason… not yet."
Kaguya's gaze lowered slightly, deep in thought.
"It's a feeling. If this game has selection criteria, that eye icon app would definitely choose Asagiri."
She paused, choosing her words carefully.
"I don't know why, but he feels… suited to it. No. Not just suited." Her red eyes sharpened. "I think he'll become a perfect Player."
"Huh?" Chika looked genuinely surprised. "You rate him that highly? I don't think I've ever heard you praise someone like that, and…"
A small, knowing smile appeared on Chika's lips.
"He's handsome too, you know."
"Don't joke."
Kaguya lifted a hand and tucked her long black hair behind her ear. Her beautiful red eyes were calm, empty of warmth.
"Until I obtain the power I want…" Her voice was steady, absolute. "I won't waste my mind on things like that."
.....
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