Curious as she was, Asuna Yuuki didn't ask too many questions. Although she had cleared a dungeon with Asagiri Utsunomiya, they had only just met today. After all, in Japan, asking about personal matters after just getting acquaintanced is considered inappropriate—a taboo in socializing.
"Then... shall we go in together?"
"Okay, let's go in together."
Asagiri Utsunomiya didn't hesitate at all and walked into Shuchi'in Academy school building with Asuna Yuuki walking beside him. At the same time, he took a deep breath and spoke with great emotion.
"This refreshing and intoxicating scent, as expected, is the scent of youth that permeates the air when high school starts in early spring... Oh wait, it seems to be from you."
Asuna Yuuki, who was hesitating how to bring up the serious matter of the dungeon with Asagiri Utsunomiya, was caught off guard and subconsciously let out a confused sound: "Ha?"
Then she finally understood the meaning of his words and her fair cheeks instantly flushed red. However, she had to pretend to be calm and said, "I... I took a bath after that. Didn't you?"
"Yuuki-san." Asagiri Utsunomiya first said and glanced around, then said flatly, "Your voice is too loud, and what you said is too easily misunderstood."
Hearing his words, Asuna Yuuki realized that the students around them had all looked extremely shocked after she said that. She immediately understood that what she had just said sounded a bit inappropriate.
Taking a bath after that, and the key point was, in order to hide her embarrassment, she subconsciously asked Asagiri Utsunomiya if he had taken a bath either?
This made it sound like the two of them had done something... that required a bath together...
"Um... let's walk a little faster." Asuna Yuuki said softly with her head lowered, her face bright red. Then she quickened her pace, walking towards the Shuchi'in Academy school building with Asagiri Utsunomiya following closely.
Along the way, the two of them didn't have a chance to talk about the dungeon, as there were simply too many students around.
Asuna Yuuki and Asagiri Utsunomiya both knew very well that their identity as 'Players' must never be exposed.
"Let's talk during lunch break."
Hearing Asagiri Utsunomiya's words, Asuna Yuuki nodded, then walked into the classroom of Year 1 Class B.
Asagiri Utsunomiya's Year 1 Class A classroom was next door. He walked in confidently, ignoring the curious gazes of the students who were already in the classroom. He went directly to the window seat in the innermost corner of the classroom, commonly known as the 'Throne of Protagonists', pulled out the chair, and sat down.
The attention on him didn't last long. A few minutes later, a slightly noisy commotion suddenly came from the corridor outside the classroom, followed by complete silence.
In the midst of the silence, a beautiful girl wearing the Shuchi'in Academy female uniform, black knee-high socks, exquisite leather shoes, and with long black straight hair and a beautiful face and slender figure, slowly walked into Class 1-A.
All the students in the classroom subconsciously turned their gaze towards the girl, but after seeing her face clearly, they immediately looked away, feeling both curious and wanting to avoid her.
Noticing the reactions of her classmates, her expression and eyes remained unchanged, as if she had long expected this situation.
It had been like this since she was a child.
As the daughter of the Shinomiya Family, Kaguya Shinomiya was like an exquisite yet chilling Japanese doll that made people around her unconsciously keep their distance.
Shuchi'in Academy had a middle high division, and Kaguya Shinomiya had moved up from there. She only needed a brief glance to see that this classroom was filled with familiar faces. There were even a few people who were in the same class as her in the middle school.
But... no one came up to greet her.
Everyone's eyes avoided her.
Just like in middle school...
"Hmm?"
Just as Kaguya Shinomiya was thinking this, she noticed a boy sitting in the corner of the classroom looking at her. Unlike the other students in the class, his gaze was completely undisguised. Even when she looked over and met his eyes, he didn't avoid her gaze like other students would.
She had no impression of this handsome boy, which meant he hadn't come up from Shuchi'in Academy middle school.
Could it be...
He didn't recognize her?
Kaguya Shinomiya thought this to herself, while on the surface, she maintained the etiquette of the daughter of the Shinomiya Family, giving a slight nod to Asagiri Utsunomiya who was sitting there. There was not a hint of the shyness or awkwardness of an ordinary girl, only the graceful demeanor that the noble young lady of the Shinomiya family should display.
However, that was all.
As the daughter of the Shinomiya Family, Kaguya Shinomiya could not possibly take the initiative to greet a boy on the first day of school.
Seeing Kaguya Shinomiya sitting down in the middle of the classroom, Asagiri Utsunomiya turned to look out the window, thinking only one thing.
(Is Kaguya Shinomiya a Player?)
Asagiri Utsunomiya had to consider this problem. On the one hand, it was because Kaguya Shinomiya's various ability settings were really too outrageous, such as her genius mind, the psychological suggestion of forced calm thinking, and the national championship-level archery and kendo skills. Compared with most characters in slice-of-life series, she was simply a superhuman.
And the more important reason—
Kaguya Shinomiya was in the same class as him!
If the other party was also a Player, then Asagiri Utsunomiya had to be cautious and vigilant.
After getting Noguchi kazukawa's phone in the dungeon and knowing that ordinary people could register as new Players by clicking on the app icon of the deceased player's phone, Asagiri Utsunomiya actually considered whether to persuade Kaguya Shinomiya to become a Player. After all, with her abilities, Kaguya Shinomiya would definitely be an excellent assistant.
But as soon as this idea came to mind, Asagiri Utsunomiya rejected it.
Let Kaguya Shinomiya become his assistant?
This idea was totally unrealistic!
The current Kaguya Shinomiya was in the so-called 'Ice Princess Kaguya' period. Her head was full of cold thoughts of elite educations—she was so good at taking advantage of others.
Moreover, as the daughter of the Shinomiya family, Kaguya Shinomiya had a self-esteem that was so proud that it could be called obsession.
Asagiri Utsunomiya simply couldn't believe that the other party would obediently serve as his assistant after becoming a Player.
Besides, he couldn't so easily reveal his Player identity to someone he had no trust with and didn't even know.
So, would Kaguya Shinomiya become a chosen Player like him and Asuna Yuuki?
Asagiri Utsunomiya wasn't quite sure, but after all, he remembered that Shinomiya Kaguya—
—didn't seem to have a smartphone.