Chapter 86: Iwanaga Kotoko's Green Premonition
"Power, huh…"
Chika tilted her head, wearing that sweet, innocent smile that always made people underestimate her, and giggled.
"I'm not really interested in stuff like that, hehe."
Then she looked at Kaguya with obvious amusement.
"I'm actively joining Dungeons partly because I want to protect you. To protect my important friend. And on the other hand…"
A strange, almost feverish excitement flickered in Chika's eyes.
"The game itself is really fun, you know."
Kaguya responded in her usual flat tone, eyes steady.
"It's exactly because of your personality that I think you're dangerous, whether you end up as an enemy or a teammate."
"Oh come on, what's wrong with enjoying the fun of the game?"
Chika's smile remained bright, sweet, and completely shameless.
Kaguya stared at her for a moment, and a strange thought rose in her mind.
For some reason, she kept feeling that her good friend, Fujiwara Chika, and that transfer student, Utsunomiya Asagiri… were similar in certain ways.
…
The next morning, Saturday.
"Alright, let's eat."
Asuna, wearing an apron, set two bowls of miso soup on the table. The warm dining spread was simple but carefully arranged, several small dishes laid out neatly beside bright, fragrant soup.
Looking at it, she couldn't help smiling.
"I do like seeing my girlfriend show off her wife skills, but…"
Asagiri sat across from her and spoke gently, eyes on her face.
"You were exhausted after training yesterday. You could've slept in. We could've just eaten out."
"It's fine."
Asuna untied her apron, draped it over the chair beside her, then sat down with her chopsticks. Her smile was gentle, almost virtuous.
"I slept nine hours, so I'm rested. Besides, when I'm home, I'll definitely cook for you." She hesitated, then asked casually, as if it didn't matter. "Oh, right. Those bruises… are they better?"
"They're already gone."
Asagiri rolled up his sleeve and showed her his arm. The bruises from the rubber bullets were completely gone, not even a faint shadow left behind.
"That fast?"
Asuna blinked, genuinely surprised.
"Improved physical ability naturally includes recovery," Asagiri replied. "And it was superficial to begin with."
"Then…"
Asuna's cheeks warmed. She lowered her gaze and asked as lightly as she could manage.
"Are we going to Ashikaga sensei for special training today?"
"We probably won't."
Asagiri saw right through her in a single glance and smiled.
"Ashikaga sensei needs rest too. And for a couple who just started dating, spending their first date with a strict, menopausal, middle aged female teacher would be a tragic memory."
Asuna burst out laughing, then immediately tried to patch it with an awkward complaint.
"Hey. No matter what, she helped us. Stop talking about her like that."
"Didn't I help her too?"
Asagiri's tone was matter of fact.
"Ashikaga Miwa and I don't have a teacher student relationship. If anything, it's equal. Or rather, she needs my cooperation more than I need hers. I'm the client."
"Mm… is that so…"
Asuna answered vaguely, then leaned forward with open expectation.
"Then what are we doing later? What do normal couples do at a time like this?"
Asagiri replied instantly, completely serious.
"At a time like this, to celebrate the first date, the girlfriend puts on a sexy bunny girl outfit and lets her boyfriend admire her to his heart's content."
"You… what nonsense are you saying!"
Asuna's face turned bright red. Even without dating experience, she could tell he was messing with her.
"Be serious!" She huffed, then paused. "Let me think… maybe I should ask Chika…"
Halfway through, she fell silent.
She remembered what Asagiri had said about Kaguya and Chika being Players. Her expression grew complicated. Then she lifted her head, forcing a smile.
"I forgot. Maybe it's not appropriate to ask Chika…"
"It's fine."
"Eh?"
Asuna looked up, startled.
Asagiri smiled, voice calm.
"Didn't I tell you? I don't plan to cooperate with Fujiwara Chika and Kaguya Shinomiya in the game. Kaguya's personality is too twisted and arrogant, so she's not my ideal teammate candidate."
He paused, then added lightly.
"But that's only about the game. You and Chika are already friends. If you want to ask her, ask her."
Then he set his chopsticks down and looked straight into her eyes, speaking softly.
"And I believe you won't let your feelings for your friends interfere with your judgment, or accidentally let something slip in front of her. Whether you're Violet, my teammate, or Asuna, my lover, I trust you completely."
A shy blush spread across Asuna's face. Her voice softened into something almost tender.
"Y you… you always say blunt, embarrassing things at the weirdest times. That's so unfair."
Asagiri didn't blush at all. He just smiled.
"Besides, Fujiwara is actually a good person. She's cute, and her personality's great. She's from a prestigious school but she's not arrogant like most of them. She's a solid friend."
Asuna puffed out her cheeks, jealousy plain in her voice.
"What, you think Chika is cute?"
"What else?" Asagiri answered without hesitation. "I'm not blind."
Asuna froze, wanting to argue, but finding no angle to attack from. She could only glare.
"Anyway, you're not allowed to praise her!"
"Oh." Asagiri nodded immediately, utterly cooperative. "If you'd said that earlier, it would've been simple."
Then he pivoted with a smooth smile.
"Fujiwara Chika actually has a lot of flaws, like…"
"Hey, hey, hey!" Asuna cut him off, flustered. "You can't slander her either, okay? She's my friend!"
Asagiri stared at her, utterly speechless.
"Are you having a rabies episode?"
"You're the one having a rabies episode!"
…
A little later, inside a mall in the Ginza shopping district.
"Do you usually… buy clothes in places like this?"
Asuna looked around at the rows of boutiques. The sales assistants wore professional suits, black stockings, and high heels. Whether they were pretty or not, they all looked sharp and expensive.
Asuna felt a little lost.
"You've never been to a mall like this?" Asagiri asked, curious.
"No."
Asuna shook her head, voice quiet.
"My mom usually buys my clothes. If I were shopping alone, I probably wouldn't come here. The clothes look… really expensive."
"Mm. Thrifty. Domestic management."
Asagiri reached out and gently pinched her soft cheek, smiling like he was awarding a medal.
"My heart is greatly satisfied."
Asuna slapped his hand away, cheeks pink.
"Stop it. There are people everywhere."
And then, immediately after scolding him, she reached out again and quietly laced her fingers with his, as if nothing had happened.
"So… have you decided which store? Or are we just browsing?"
"I decided already." Asagiri nodded toward a shop ahead. "That one. Let's go."
"Okay."
When they entered, a female sales assistant in her thirties walked over, smiling politely.
"Sir, are you here to buy clothes?"
Asagiri nodded, equally polite.
"Yes."
Her gaze shifted to Asuna beside him.
"And this is…?"
"My girlfriend."
"Oh, I see. Please have a seat."
She asked only out of courtesy, then smoothly returned to professional mode.
"What style are you looking for today?"
"Comfortable for exercise. Jacket. Long sleeves. Long pants. Black."
"Understood. I'll bring them right over."
After sitting down, Asuna looked around at the interior design and the single sofa, murmuring to herself.
"This lounge area is totally different from normal clothing stores. It's like an airport VIP lounge…"
She was about to ask Asagiri something when her phone suddenly rang.
She glanced at the screen, froze for a second, and hesitated. Then she answered anyway.
"Hello…"
Iwanaga's familiar voice came through the speaker, laughing, provocative, and mischievous as always.
"Hello, hello? I didn't call for anything special. I just wanted to ask what you're doing. You're not secretly doing something bad with Asagiri while I'm not in Tokyo, are you?"
Asuna didn't know how to respond. She went silent.
"Eh? Eh!?"
On the other end, Iwanaga immediately panicked when she didn't get her usual reaction.
"Wait, you didn't really… you… you…"
Then she exploded, voice sharp and accusing.
"You little home wrecker!"
.....
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