Asuna wore a complicated expression, unsure how to respond. She paid for the two bentos, handed one to Asagiri, and only after stepping away from the counter did she speak.
"I felt something was off when we were in the dungeon, but it's even clearer now at school. Your personality….It's really strange. To say such narcissistic things so matter-of-factly…"
"Because it's the truth."
They found a quiet corner inside Shuchiin Academy and sat down on a bench. Asagiri smiled and said,
"It's already a fact—why hide it?"
Asuna rolled her eyes, grumbling,
"Alright, alright, thank you for letting me treat you to a bento. Is that enough?"
"As long as you know to be grateful, that's enough. I was worried you might not."
Asagiri opened the bento box, took out the chopsticks inside, and continued speaking while eating his bento.
"Oh, right, there's also something extremely important and imminent that requires us to make a decision immediately."
"What is it?"
"Codename."
Asuna was a little confused upon hearing this. "Codename?"
"Yes, a codename—that's what we need to use to address each other during dungeon runs," Asagiri explained. "Think about it: if we call each other by our real names when other Players are around, wouldn't that give us away? Like, 'Asagiri, come save me quickly,' or 'Asagiri, I'm scared, stay close,' or even, 'Asagiri, I don't dare sleep alone, can I sleep with you?' Or worse, 'Asagiri, from now on you should be called Asuna Utsunomiya,' and so on."
Asuna sighed, half amused, half exasperated. "The first one's fine, but those last few… are you just sneaking in your own stuff?"
"Aside from that, you get the idea."
"Codename, huh….we do need one."
She nodded, calm on the surface, but inside she felt something else—an unexpected flutter of excitement. Codename... it just felt….really cool.
Of course, with Asuna's personality, she definitely wouldn't want Asagiri to know she was secretly harboring those childish, slightly chuunibyou thoughts.
Since you brought it up, have you thought about what codename you want for yourself?" she asked.
"Of course," Asagiri said with a slow, dramatic smile, brimming with confidence.
"Butter Shooter!"
Asuna blinked. "...Are you serious? Based on what you just described, if I needed your help in battle, I'd have to shout, 'Butter Shooter, come help me quickly!' or 'Butter Shooter, I'll distract the enemy, you attack from the side!' Even if you saved me, I'd be too embarrassed to say that."
Asagiri shook his head, feigning deep regret.
"Ah, what a shame. Such a perfect codename, but because of my teammate's embarrassment, it can't be official. Well then, I shall make this sacrifice for the team."
Asuna sighed, clearly not wanting to get into another argument.
"Yes, sorry. I guess I dragged you down because of my own embarrassment. So, can we start taking this seriously now?"
"As you wish. So, what do you think my codename should be?"
Asuna paused, thinking carefully for a moment.
"Hmm… based on your skills and personality… how about 'Monarch'? It means 'sovereign' in English, which fits your arrogant, condescending vibe."
Asagiri's face twisted in obvious disgust.
"Ugh, that sounds like a chuunibyou trying too hard not to be chuunibyou—like it's pretending to be mature, but just ends up being more chuunibyou. Forget it."
Asuna's cheeks flushed a little, clearly feeling her suggestion had missed the mark. Trying hard to hide her embarrassment, she shot back,
"Well, if you don't like the codename I came up with, then come up with one yourself."
Asagiri smiled confidently.
"As for me, let's just go with 'Leader.' It means exactly what it says—I'm the captain of the team. Simple, clear, no fuss."
"Hmm, that codename is indeed good. As for me..."
Asuna thought seriously for a while, needing a name that sounded cool, wouldn't be mocked by Asagiri, wasn't too direct, and would sound cool when called out...
Before she could come up with an answer, Asagiri asked.
"How about Violet?"
Asuna nodded slightly, seemingly very satisfied with the codename Asagiri had given her, but she couldn't help but ask curiously.
"Violet....That's a pretty good codename, but why did you think of giving me such a codename?"
"Do you want to hear the truth or a lie?"
"There's a truth and a lie? What's the lie?"
Facing Asuna's question, Asagiri's smile instantly disappeared, and he said with a serious expression, staring at Asuna's face.
"Because your figure when wielding the rapier is as beautiful and elegant as a violet flower, so in my impression, your codename should be Violet."
Even though Asuna was mentally prepared and knew this wasn't Asagiri's true feelings, seeing him staring at her so seriously for once, and with them sitting close together on the same bench, her heart rate still suddenly accelerated. A blush even appeared on her face, and she timidly shifted her gaze away, not daring to look directly into Asagiri's eyes.
"Then... what about the truth?"
"The truth is, I just suddenly thought of it, there's no special reason."
"Oh... I see..."
For some reason, Asuna felt a little disappointed. Although she knew it was a lie, the first explanation made her happier.
.......
After eating lunch together, Asuna and Asagiri came to the Shuchiin Academy gym.
It's naturally impossible for ordinary schools to have facilities like a professional gym, but Shuchiin Academy isn't just about students' average grades. Even sports clubs like tennis, volleyball, and basketball frequently achieve results in national competitions, making it the strongest high school with no weaknesses in any area.
Coupled with abundant funding, the completeness and professionalism of the campus facilities are naturally incomparable to ordinary high schools.
As for why they came to the gym, Asagiri's explanation was also simple.
"Although we call it a game, a dungeon isn't a real game after all. We can't judge our strength intuitively through stats, and under the condition of having equal physical fitness, people who exercise regularly will definitely be more adapted to the rhythm of combat."
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