Chapter 344: The Bonds Strategy Team
"Hmm?"
Yuuki Asuna noticed that Fujiwara Chika and Kaguya Shinomiya were still standing there, so she greeted them with a gentle smile.
"Chika, Shinomiya-san, why are you still standing there? Hurry over and sit down. Let's eat."
"Holy... Holy Light..."
Fujiwara Chika raised a hand to cover her face, completely afraid to look directly at Yuuki Asuna's expression, and spoke in a somewhat dramatic tone.
"So scorching, such dazzling Holy Light... I feel like I'm about to melt..."
Utsunomiya Asagiri, sitting at the dining table, accepted the ice cold Coca-Cola Kato Megumi handed him while tidying the seasoning dishes and tableware in front of Iwanaga Kotoko. Even then, he still had the leisure to retort.
"What melting? Are you a Curse attribute slime?"
"Slime... Yes, that's right!"
Iwanaga Kotoko suddenly looked as if she had realized the truth. She pointed her small, fair finger at Fujiwara Chika and said something shocking.
"So that's it. Your essence is an evil slime, which is why you possess that exaggerated accumulation of fat that exceeds normal human standards and tempts people into committing crimes!"
"Exaggerated accumulation of fat?"
Fujiwara Chika froze for a moment, then realized that Iwanaga Kotoko was referring to her chest. She smiled awkwardly.
"Actually, it's not that exaggerated. My size is really just a little on the larger side..."
"Indeed."
Utsunomiya Asagiri picked up a piece of piping hot shabu-shabu meat from the shogayaki nabe, placed it into his seasoning bowl, coated it thoroughly with sterilized raw egg, and then put it into his mouth. Only after that did he speak unhurriedly.
"Fujiwara-san's scale can only be called Big Breasts. Compared to the truly visually impactful Godly Breasts, it is still quite lacking."
Yuuki Asuna heard this and looked at him speechlessly.
"You're actually commenting on it? Isn't this verbal molestation of Fujiwara-san? That's sexual harassment, you know."
"I am merely correcting your definitions."
There was not the slightest hint of lust in Utsunomiya Asagiri's expression, only the unwavering resolve of an eroge creator who had transcended worldly affairs, remained unmoved by external objects or personal gain, and observed everything from a higher perspective.
"Some characters are suited for flat chests, some for medium, and others for large. Appearance is not just about being lewd. If it doesn't match the female character's personality and style, it only creates a strong sense of dissonance. There is a lot of depth to this field. You all still have much to learn."
"But..."
Kato Megumi picked up a piece of tofu from the steaming hot pot, dipped it into the sauce, and nibbled it in small bites before speaking in an exceptionally calm and gentle tone.
"We aren't eroge developers, you know. Oh, that's right. Since you're so knowledgeable about fashion, I'll leave it to you to help me, Yuuki Asuna, and Iwanaga Kotoko pick out clothes while we're shopping this afternoon."
"Huh?"
Utsunomiya Asagiri wore an expression of resistance, his reluctance to go shopping written clearly all over his face.
"Shopping again? You girls can just go by yourselves. I suddenly remembered I have something to do this afternoon. That's right, I need to go find Ashikaga..."
Before Utsunomiya Asagiri could finish speaking, Kato Megumi stuffed the half-eaten piece of tofu into his mouth. A faint smile appeared on her face.
"I already checked. Neither Ashikaga-sensei nor Mr. Kayaba has anything for you to do today. Your entire schedule is wide open."
"To think you calculated things to this extent just to make me accompany you shopping... How terrifying, Megumi."
Kato Megumi's expression remained calm.
"If we're really talking about whose fault it is, isn't it the fault of Utsunomiya Asagiri-kun, who always tries to make excuses to avoid shopping with us, leaving me no choice but to resort to such measures?"
Utsunomiya Asagiri drank some ice cold Coca-Cola and said with a smile,
"Since it has reached the serious level where you're calling me by my full name, I suppose I'd better tag along this afternoon to avoid incurring the wrath of Saint Megumi."
Watching Utsunomiya Asagiri, Yuuki Asuna, Iwanaga Kotoko, and Kato Megumi sit at the table, eating and chatting so naturally, a question couldn't help but arise in Fujiwara Chika's heart.
At this table... there should still be a seat for me, right?
...
After the meal, Yuuki Asuna put the dishes and chopsticks in the kitchen, planning to wash them after they returned from shopping.
Just then, Yamauchi Sakura noticed that Kaguya Shinomiya seemed a little nervous. Although this was the first time they had met, the kindhearted girl immediately asked with concern,
"Shinomiya-san, what's wrong? Are you not feeling well?"
"No... it's just..."
Kaguya Shinomiya pursed her lips, looking as if she wanted to say something but was holding back.
It was the first time Yuuki Asuna and Iwanaga Kotoko had seen her like this. Iwanaga Kotoko froze for a moment, then suddenly revealed a devilish smile. She leaned close to Kaguya Shinomiya and grinned.
"Oh my, Shinomiya-san, could it be that you're too embarrassed to go shopping for clothes with us because your figure is too flat? That must be so hard on you."
Kaguya Shinomiya frowned upon hearing this and retorted without showing weakness.
"I'm flat? Aren't you also..."
Before Kaguya Shinomiya could finish, Utsunomiya Asagiri interrupted with a smile.
"That's different. Kotoko has a petite figure, so being flat is normal. But you belong to the taller category, yet... you're flat-chested."
Hayasaka Ai frowned. As Kaguya Shinomiya's close friend and personal maid, how could she stand by and watch at a time like this?
"Kaguya-sama isn't flat. She simply hasn't developed yet. For a first-year high school girl, this size is quite normal..."
"Normal?"
Utsunomiya Asagiri glanced at Hayasaka Ai's chest and said calmly,
"If you really thought that, you wouldn't be using scientific ninja tools, you evil padding user, Hayasaka Ai."
"Pad... pad..."
Hayasaka Ai stammered. The girl's blush spoke louder than any words.
Seeing the topic drifting further and further off course, especially since it involved her own measurements, Kaguya Shinomiya had no choice but to sigh and stop the evil Iwanaga Kotoko from launching more personal attacks against her.
"Actually... I've never been shopping before."
"Huh?"
Upon hearing this, everyone except Utsunomiya Asagiri, Fujiwara Chika, and Hayasaka Ai fell into bewilderment.
"Um..."
Yuuki Asuna hesitated.
"When you say you've never been shopping, do you mean you've never gone out to buy clothes by yourself?"
"It's not just buying clothes..."
Kaguya Shinomiya carefully recalled, then spoke softly.
"I have never experienced what you call shopping. Now that I think about it, the time we dealt with the Dead Realm descent two days ago was my first time acting freely."
The room fell silent for a moment.
Even the optimistic Yamauchi Sakura did not know what words to use to comfort Kaguya Shinomiya after hearing that she had lived such a miserable life, like a bird trapped in a cage.
Just then, Utsunomiya Asagiri suddenly spoke.
"But now it's over, that life inside the cage."
Hearing Utsunomiya Asagiri's words, Yuuki Asuna immediately reacted. She nodded and said in a gentle tone,
"That's right. The life where you were trapped by the Shinomiya Family is over. From now on, we'll take you with us to enjoy the time that belongs to a normal high school student."
...
Before leaving, Fujiwara Chika reached out and tugged at Yuuki Asuna's sleeve, lowering her voice hesitantly.
"Asuna... you do know how Kaguya feels about Utsunomiya-san, right?"
Yuuki Asuna replied with a calm expression.
"That she likes Utsunomiya Asagiri? Although she thinks she's been hiding it all along, any normal person can tell."
Fujiwara Chika was stunned.
"Then why are you..."
"Because I can't ignore her."
Yuuki Asuna said softly.
"No matter what feelings Kaguya Shinomiya has for Utsunomiya Asagiri, the fact that she needs someone to help her won't change. And regardless of her feelings for him, setting aside my relationship with Utsunomiya Asagiri as his lover, I consider Kaguya Shinomiya my friend. No, not just a friend, but someone I'm willing to trust with my back when danger approaches. That's why I will reach out to her."
Having said this, Yuuki Asuna paused for a moment, then looked straight into Fujiwara Chika's eyes and spoke slowly.
"Chika, the same goes for you."
"Eh? I... the same..."
Fujiwara Chika smiled sheepishly, scratching her head and pretending to be confused.
"Ehehe, Asuna, why are you suddenly saying such strange things..."
"Playing dumb won't work, you know."
Yuuki Asuna reached out, patted Fujiwara Chika's head, and smiled.
"Alright, let's go shopping."
...
After the group went out, they immediately attracted the attention of pedestrians on the street.
There was the gentle Yuuki Asuna; Iwanaga Kotoko, whose fair skin and refined appearance made her look like a young lady from a wealthy family as long as she did not open her mouth; the innocent and cute Fujiwara Chika; Hayasaka Ai in her gyaru style outfit; Sakurakawa Rikka, with her slender figure and unique, mysterious, faintly dangerous aura, as if she might shatter at any moment; Kaguya Shinomiya, who could only wear her Shuchiin Private Academy uniform because this was her first time going out; and the invisible Kato Megumi.
They were truly like a gathering of immortals.
However, regardless of gender, most pedestrians had their gazes fixed on Utsunomiya Asagiri.
"Why do I feel..."
Yuuki Asuna, walking beside Utsunomiya Asagiri, noticed the gazes people kept throwing at him. She reached out, tugged at his sleeve, and said,
"Has your presence been getting higher and higher lately? This already exceeds what can be achieved just by having good looks, right?"
"Because my power is too strong."
Facing Yuuki Asuna's curious question, Utsunomiya Asagiri explained patiently.
"Because of the passive effect of Unruly Tyrant, and after obtaining the Persona Walrider, my power has far exceeded that of ordinary humans, so my presence has become stronger than before. Simply put, once ordinary people get too close to me, they instinctively become nervous. Their act of looking at me is actually the instinct of living beings subconsciously guarding against danger. They just aren't aware of it themselves."
"Then... is there a way to control it?"
"Yes. It only needs a little practice."
"Then please control it."
Yuuki Asuna said this, then linked her arm with Utsunomiya Asagiri's. A cute expression of jealousy appeared on her beautiful face as she muttered softly,
"I don't want my boyfriend to be stared at by so many people."
.....
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