Walking through the crowd, Shido naturally drew a great deal of attention thanks to his tall, handsome appearance and the refined aura that made it impossible for people to ignore him.
It might also have been the influence of [Authority of Vainglory], which caused even more people to notice him. Of course, if Shido had used [Transparency Manipulation], no one would have been able to detect his presence, but he chose not to.
Shido entered a bookstore and immediately spotted the acquaintance he had noticed earlier, flipping through the pages of a magazine. Seeing her, Shido's eyes lit up and walked straight toward her.
Around the same time, she finally noticed Shido and was momentarily dazed, his appearance was simply mesmerizing. But then she realized that he wasn't just in the same area, he was walking directly toward her.
And before she could even finish her thoughts, Shido had already arrived in front of her and greeted her.
"I didn't expect to see you here. Are you from around here, Leafa?"
"N-No, I'm not from this city…" Leafa stammered, still stunned. After a few seconds, realization hit her. "Wait! How do you know me? Who… who are you?"
Leafa stared at Shido with a dumbfounded expression. He couldn't help but chuckle at how she looked silly, yet undeniably cute.
Shido raised an eyebrow and said, "Did you already forget? I'm…"
...
"I'm sorry, Setsuna-san. I didn't realize it was you."
Sitting inside a café, Leafa, also known as Suguha, apologized to Shido awkwardly, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. After Shido said his name, Suguha understood how he recognized her, but she couldn't help feeling curious: how had he known it was her so quickly, given that her appearance in ALO was quite different from real life?
"No, no, it's not your fault. I'm also at fault for suddenly approaching you."
Shido rubbed the back of his head, feeling that he had gotten a little carried away by directly approaching Suguha.
"But… how did you know it was me, Setsuna-san? After all, my appearance in the game is quite different."
Still, she couldn't help but glance at Shido more than once. Just like his appearance in ALO, he was incredibly handsome in real life, yet there was something oddly familiar about his face as if she saw him somewhere. She wanted to ask him about it, but before she could, Shido spoke first.
Shido thought for a moment before saying, "From your posture, I guess."
"Posture?" Suguha asked, perplexed. How could someone identify her just from the way she stood? Shido, however, seemed to anticipate her doubt and continued.
"Well, your posture in the game… it's similar to a kendo practitioner's. Your back is straight, shoulders relaxed, and your stance well-balanced, ready to move at any moment. It's the kind of posture that comes from years of training with a shinai."
"Oh, amazing." While Suguha wasn't entirely convinced, she didn't press further, feeling surprised that Shido would notice such small details.
Shido knew she still had some doubts and decided to continue, his gaze briefly lingering on her ample figure. "And also…"
"Is there more, Setsuna-san?" Suguha asked, curiosity returning as she leaned in slightly forward, eager to hear what he would say.
She didn't realize that her movement had revealed a deep valley between her mountainous white peaks. However, Shido only coughed awkwardly, trying to hide his reaction, and quickly changed the subject.
"No, that's all. Anyway, you should call me by my real name, not my IGN, Suguha."
"Ah! I'm sorry, Setsu—Ah!"
Suguha's face turned crimson as she realized she had accidentally called him by his IGN again. Shido couldn't help but find her a little silly and endearingly clumsy, yet also a little sexy.
...
After finally calming down and successfully calling each other by their real names, the two began to talk more naturally. Using first names made Suguha shy at first, but she quickly became accustomed to it.
"By the way, you said you're from Kawagoe, right? What are you doing in Shibuya?"
Since Shido and Suguha had reintroduced themselves in their real-life identities, Shido took a sip of the coffee he had ordered before asking her.
Suguha nodded and told Shido that her parents were visiting their relatives. Meanwhile, she wanted to wander around the town and explore the city. She spoke happily, not realizing how their closeness was growing with each word. Perhaps it was Shido's warm aura, but being around him made Suguha feel cheerful and lively.
As she talked about herself, Shido quietly observed her. He had to admit that, while her beauty didn't quite reach Asuna's level, Suguha was still charming in her own way.
She had short black hair and dark grey eyes. However, Shido couldn't help but notice her surprisingly large chest, especially compared to the other heroines, which made him momentarily question if she was really only sixteen.
While Shido was observing her, Suguha noticed his distant expression and asked, "Shido-san, are you okay?"
Reacting quickly, Shido diverted his gaze to her eyes and smiled. "Yes, I'm fine. What about your brother? Did he come with you as well?"
"Onii-chan?" Recalling her brother, Suguha smiled wryly. "No, Onii-chan had a date with Asuna-san, so he didn't come with us."
Shido nodded and fell silent for a moment. Misinterpreting his silence, Suguha pouted and smiled teasingly at him. "Are you disappointed that Asuna-san already has a boyfriend?"
Seeing her teasing expression, Shido raised an eyebrow and couldn't help but laugh, which made Suguha puff her cheeks even more. "Moo! What are you laughing at, Shido-san?"
Seeing Suguha pout even more, Shido finally stopped laughing and gave her a gentle smile. "No, it's just that… I didn't expect you to think like that."
"Why? Asuna-san is beautiful, isn't she? Wouldn't guys normally feel disappointed when a girl like her is already taken?"
Hearing her words, Shido simply shook his head and looked at her directly, causing Suguha to feel a flush of embarrassment. Yet he didn't break eye contact and said, "I admit that Asuna is beautiful, but…"
"But…?" Even though Suguha felt shy under Shido's intense gaze, she still asked, curious about what he would say next.
"But I think the girl in front of me is the most beautiful right now," Shido said plainly, smiling straight-faced without a hint of blush. For Suguha, however, her face had already turned a deep crimson.
"E-Eh…?"
She was too speechless to respond, her heart racing from Shido's words. Looking into his eyes, so honest and free of any deceit, and seeing his smile that could charm anyone, Suguha didn't know what to say.
"Pfft! Ahahaha, I'm only kidding, Suguha. You don't need to take it seriously."
Breaking the tense silence, Shido suddenly laughed and said he was joking, leaving Suguha completely dumbfounded.
She realized that Shido was only teasing her, which made her lips twicth uncontrollably as she hadn't expected him to act like this.
Puffing her cheeks, Suguha looked away from him. "Hmmp! I'm not talking to you anymore!"
Still, even as she pouted, a small pang of disappointment lingered in her heart. For a fleeting moment, she had half-expected Shido to confess to her.
Of course, she knew something like that couldn't happen so quickly. Yet she couldn't help feeling a little resentment toward him for teasing her maiden heart.
For a moment, Suguha felt very tense and her heart was pounding hard.
Seeing Suguha pouting with her cheeks puffed out, Shido stopped laughing and smiled. "Sorry, Suguha. I couldn't help teasing you… you're just too cute."
"Moo! You're doing it again!"
Even though Suguha decided to pout and not respond, Shido's words still got under her skin, adding an extra flush to her already crimson face.
In the end, she could only focus on the large parfait she had ordered earlier, using it to hide her embarrassment.
Still, she found herself glancing at Shido from time to time, only to see him smiling at her gently. Each smile made her now-calm heart flutter all over again.
Deep inside, Suguha couldn't help but think, 'D-Damn… this guy's charm is too much for me. If I let my guard down… I'm afraid I might…'
Yet, Suguha now understood how Lisbeth could fall for a guy like Shido. After all, even though he could be quite the tease, it never felt annoying, and being around him was genuinely fun.