The next day, by five in the afternoon, students were already spilling out of their schools, chatting with their friends as they headed off to have fun or went straight home.
However, as they approached the school gate, many students, especially the girls, couldn't help but glance at the young man leaning against a motorcycle parked right in front of their school gate.
That young man was Shido. He stood casually beside his bike, a black coat draped over his shoulders, giving him a sharp and stylish look. He had changed his hairstyle a little so people wouldn't immediately recognize him. It wasn't like he was trying to hide, but it would be troublesome if people started swarming around him because of his identity.
Well, actually, even without revealing his identity, some girls were already flocking around him, leaving Shido a little at a loss.
"Hey, handsome, are you waiting for someone?"
"Onii-san, do you have a girlfriend? If not, would you consider me?"
"Wow~ you're tall!"
The female students bombarded him with all sorts of questions, most of them related to his relationship status. Fortunately, Shido wasn't someone who could be easily swayed, and since he was waiting for Lisbeth, he simply answered their questions politely.
Shido revealed an elegant smile and said, "Yes, I'm waiting for my girlfriend."
Hearing his response, the female students looked slightly disappointed, but they didn't really mind whether Shido had a girlfriend or not, they continued crowding around him anyway.
Seeing the fascinated expressions on their faces as they surrounded him, Shido couldn't help but shake his head, thinking to himself that being handsome could be troublesome too.
While Shido found the situation bothersome, the male students nearby were speechless as they watched the scene unfold. The girls were flocking to a handsome guy right in front of them, and envy filled their faces. Some were even biting their handkerchiefs in jealousy, wishing they could be the one in Shido's place.
However, Shido couldn't care less about what those male students were thinking and simply wondered when Lisbeth would show up.
At the moment, he was waiting in front of the school Lisbeth had told him about the night before they parted. It was a special school for SAO survivors who were still minors. The school was located in Nishitokyo, Tokyo, which was quite a distance from Shibuya, especially when traveling by motorcycle.
While Shido could've used a car to pick her up, he felt it would be nicer to go by motorcycle so they could enjoy a more casual and relaxed ride together. As for his license, with his connections and various businesses, Shido had no trouble obtaining it.
...
In one of the classrooms of the school, students were packing up and leaving, heading home to their respective houses.
"Kirito, we're heading out first."
"Yeah, be careful on your way back."
After his male classmates said that and walked out of the room, the classroom quickly emptied, leaving only two students behind. They remained seated, silently watching the view outside the window.
"Kirito, Yui was pouting at me, saying you haven't logged in for a while. What are you even busy with?"
Asuna, who was sitting across from Kirito, complained lightly, telling him their daughter was missing him. Kirito felt apologetic and clasped his hands together.
"Sorry, Asuna. I've just been busy building something for Yui."
Intrigued, Asuna raised an eyebrow. "Hmm? And what might that be?"
Kirito smiled wryly at Asuna's pushy tone. He had originally planned to finish his project first and surprise both Asuna and Yui, but with Asuna's stubborn personality, keeping it a secret seemed impossible. With little room left to argue, Kirito let out a small sigh and began explaining the project he had been working on with his friends.
Hearing her boyfriend's words, Asuna's eyes lit up. "That's great! With that, Yui will be able to see our world!"
Asuna became genuinely overjoyed by the news, especially since it concerned Yui's happiness. If what Kirito said was true, then Yui would finally be able to explore the real world with them. They could go on picnics together, visit places as a family, and create memories. Just imagining it made Asuna's heart bloom with excitement and warmth.
Seeing Asuna's smile, so radiant and beautiful, Kirito was momentarily dazed. No matter how many times he had seen her smile, he still couldn't help but be stunned by her beauty. After a brief moment, he snapped out of his reverie and returned her smile, holding her hands tightly as he dreamed of a future with the three of them together, him, Asuna, and Yui.
Just thinking about it filled Kirito with happiness, and he gently squeezed Asuna's hand. She responded with a soft, playful squeeze in return.
However, just as the atmosphere between them became intimate, they suddenly noticed a small commotion unfolding at the school gate.
Asuna looked down to see what was happening, but all she could make out was a group of people surrounding someone. It doesn't look like a fight but more like a swarm of moths drawn to the warm glow of a flame. She quickly noticed that most of the students gathered at the school gate were girls, which piqued her curiosity.
"Looks like something's attracting all the students over there," Kirito said after glancing down himself. Like Asuna, he didn't think it was a fight, just an unusual sight.
"Yeah, seems like it." Asuna agreed, nodding.
The two of them enjoyed the breeze from the classroom window while watching the commotion below. After a moment, Kirito turned to Asuna and asked, "By the way, did Lisbeth and Silica already go home?"
Hearing Kirito mention Lisbeth, Asuna recalled what had happened earlier in the day, which made her a little suspicious, but she didn't tell it to Kirito and simply said, "It seems she had some kind of plan today. She even put on light makeup, which is quite rare for her."
"…Eh? Really?" Kirito couldn't believe it. That tomboyish girl had actually put on makeup? The thought intrigued him, but he didn't read too much into it, he never even considered the possibility that she might be going out with a guy.
Girls like Asuna, however, were more sensitive to unusual behavior in other girls. Unlike Kirito, she immediately suspected it had something to do with a boy.
'But then… who was it? Who could Lisbeth be going out with? Even Silica didn't seem to know, since she looked just as surprised as I did earlier.'