manga artist Kirito

Although neither Kirito nor Shiina Mashiro would care about this, their indifference doesn't mean Asuna doesn't care. Besides, Asuna clearly expressed her anger before going home.

If something else goes wrong... the consequences will be severe.

"...Never mind," Kirito shook his head indifferently, then stood up from the water, grabbed a towel and wrapped it around himself, too lazy to even dry himself, and walked straight out of the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Shiina Mashiro found Kirito's actions strange and couldn't quite understand why he suddenly left, but she didn't think too much about it and calmly sat down on the toilet...

Outside the door, Kirito leaned against the wall, looking unusually melancholy, as if he were pondering some philosophy of life.

As she walked out of the kitchen, Asuna looked at Kirito, who was standing in front of the bathroom with water still dripping from his hair, with a slightly strange expression. "What are you doing here wrapped in a towel? Hurry up and dry your hair and get dressed."

"I'm thinking," Kirito said with a blank expression. "How can I prevent my paper-white daughter from calmly walking into the bathroom while her father is taking a shower?"

"...Uh, I don't really understand." Asuna twitched the corner of her mouth, but she understood what the situation was.

"She's the one who's acting strangely, but she's the one who's been bitten back. Her skill in doing it is outrageous. I'm really conflicted. Should I spend more time teaching her what shame is?"

If Kato Megumi had difficulty finding topics to talk about, then Shiina Mashiro found herself struggling to find a topic even when she did—which was quite frustrating.

"Well, after all, it's Mashiro..." Asuna naturally knew Shiina Mashiro's personality. It was not surprising that she would enter the bathroom when there were other people around. As for turning around and biting someone... well, let's just say it's not a big deal.

"Here, let me dry your hair first."

"It's too long, I find it cumbersome."

"Until I say you can't cut it, this is all you can do."

"I know."

As she walked up to Kirito, Asuna reached out and loosened her hair, which had been draped over his head, even covering his face... making her look a bit like a female ghost who had crawled out of a well.

As if she wanted to laugh, Asuna gathered her wet hair into bunches and then ran her hand down, causing a large amount of water to slide off—proving that it's not just women who are made of water, but men are also quite wet.

"Huh! Is this... a fight?"

"To teach those brats in the dojo a lesson, and maybe get a feel for it, it won't hurt."

"It looks so painful..."

"She's not wearing any clothes, so if you can't see the bruises on her arms, it just means Hina is blind." A slightly distressed look crossed her eyes. Asuna pursed her lips, "It's best to hold the sword less often. I feel like I can find it slowly..."

"I just felt it was necessary; I don't think it will happen again in the future."

"I'll go get the first-aid kit and hair dryer."

Then, Shiina Mashiro walked out of the bathroom, her gaze towards Kirito still strange.

“…You’re right, we do need to dedicate more time to educating our daughter,” Asuna said, sounding somewhat uneasy.

P.S.: Writing block... it's because I think too much and don't know where to start, so I waste a lot of time.

I should be able to finish the extra chapter around 10 PM...

146

[NO.144 Presence (Bonus Chapter)]

Kirito wasn't in a good mood.

Well, imagine you get up early to go to school, only to be surrounded by a bunch of apes who seem to have never seen a crossdresser before. Your mood would definitely be ruined, especially if your classmates all look like they've seen a ghost. It makes you want to grab a chair and slap them.

If that were all, it wouldn't be so bad, but Kirito soon saw his photo on Twitter. He didn't know which idiot took it—it wasn't that the photo was bad, but it only showed his profile. Although it looked pretty good, it didn't show Kirito's handsomeness at all... Yes, it was cute.

And that smiling face enjoying breakfast is so cute and adorable!

Kirito was furious.

Because it's pointless for a man to be cute, and besides, Asuna is already a rich and beautiful woman, so all she needs to show is her handsomeness—Kirito wants to find the guy who took the picture and beat him up if possible.

Taking photos is normal; it's normal to get photographed on the street. After all, she revealed her true self at the autograph session, and also exposed her relationship with the creator, Hibiki Kamishirasawa. There might not be any reporters from Hong Kong here, but there might be some with the surname Karasu Tengu...

Okay, what's annoying is that the background of the photo is the apartment entrance, which clearly means someone is staking out the place!

...The person who posted the message was still using an account with the prefix "Bamboo Forest Group".

Seriously! Kirito is starting to suspect that this disguise might have been created by Yukinoshita Haruno or Kousaka Akane.

Kirito, who was currently slumped over his desk under the astonished, curious, and strange gazes of most of his classmates, asked Yui and Maid-chan, who were very free, to help him look for something. He was in a particularly uncomfortable situation.

Although there was already Ryunosuke as an example, so it didn't cause any big news, but in just two days his hair went from shoulder-length to waist-length... Is this the legendary hair growth technique?

—I hope to learn from Saitama-sensei.

No matter what, Kirito and Ryunosuke, these two long-haired boys, have become two oddities in Class 1-C. However, since Kirito was sleeping in the previous class and now it was Hiratsuka Shizuka's class, which was extremely quiet, Kirito didn't hear many things that made him want to hit someone.

Of course, there are also situations where they really deserve a beating.

Especially when Ms. Shizuka was standing on the podium, she would occasionally glance at Kirito while lecturing the students, clearly gloating. Then she would even show a critical expression. When Kirito saw Ms. Shizuka nod in satisfaction, he wanted to smash the milk from his desk onto her.

Speaking of which, what kind of head is being "pintou" in "pintoulunzu"? And "lunzu"... it turns out the person who coined this term was a leg fetishist.

This is incredible! Regardless of which head is being discussed or what foot is being analyzed, the meaning of this phrase is truly extraordinary!

But then again, what would Teacher Xiaojing look like in white stockings...?

Looking at Hiratsuka Shizuka's usual white lab coat and conservative attire, Kirito found it hard to imagine her wearing white stockings. Perhaps... he would only see her at her wedding.

Wait a minute, does that mean I'll never see it in my lifetime?

Kirito's momentary shock seemed to be noticed by Ms. Shizuka on the podium, who inexplicably became annoyed. Then, seeing the regret on Kirito's face, her eyes twitched violently, and the chalk in her hand flew out.

Kirito calmly propped up the textbook on the table and shoved his head inside, while the chalk slammed onto the textbook, making Shizuka furious. This guy was just too infuriating.

"Well, the exams start on Wednesday. I wonder how everyone's preparations are going. But if you don't understand the material well or need tutoring..." Suppressing her slight embarrassment, Jing Ke'ai began to shift the students' attention, "Besides finding a teacher for tutoring, you can also invite classmates to have study sessions together."

The quiet classroom was suddenly filled with noisy discussions. Some were starting to plan which girl to invite to a study session, while others were thinking... who would go to Teacher Xiaojing's place and die.

"Of course, I don't know if everyone was busy playing or studying over the weekend, but for this exam... I'll have a good talk with the three students who ranked at the bottom."

The classroom, which had been noisy just moments before, fell silent instantly.

Shizuka isn't exactly a tigress, because she's a killing machine. Not everyone can handle a heart-to-heart talk like that. Even though Shizuka has never hit any student other than Kirito and Hachiman, her reputation precedes her...

A naked threat!

Regardless of how others feel right now, Kirito isn't worried at all. After all, it's just a simple exam. Instead of thinking about studying, he'd rather think about summer vacation in two weeks, or even more so about how to hang out with the genius erotic loli Eriri at the CM convention in August...

Oh right, if Eriri fails the exam, will Shizuka-sensei catch her for having to get extra tutoring?

Perhaps sensing Kirito's malice, Eriri, sitting in the front row on the right, turned around and looked at Kirito with an unusually strange expression, a mixture of wanting to laugh, dissatisfaction, contempt, and so on! In addition, probably because she had been holding back her laughter for too long, her delicate little face looked a little distorted.

A prime example of someone who deserves a beating.

If Eriri really fails her exams, Kirito will be laughing all the way to graduation. Apparently, this Englishman isn't very good at English (laughs).

Looking out the window, I could see energetic boys and girls running under the bright sun, and the tennis club training as usual—by the way, the tennis club president seems quite cute.

"Kiritani, come to my office later."

"...Huh?" With a puzzled expression, Kirito turned to look at Hiratsuka Shizuka, who had an unfriendly look on her face. Today has only just begun, and I haven't done anything yet, so why are you upset again?

"Did you do the essay assignment for Friday?"

"An essay...?" Kirito raised an eyebrow. "If I said I forgot it at my hometown, would you believe me, Shizuka-sensei?"

"So, come to my office!" Hiratsuka Shizuka calmly clenched her fist, her knuckles cracking loudly.

"Yes, teacher!" Kirito nodded blankly. Come to think of it, he really didn't know there was an essay to write. What was the topic?

Anyway, going to the office is definitely not a good thing, especially since lunch break is coming up soon. Going to the office would waste so much time. I might as well write this essay now...

The topic... The topic...

"The essay topic is your reflections on high school life..." A calm voice rang out as Kato Megumi spoke without looking to the side.

Hey! Wait a minute, so Kato Megumi was sitting right next to me?

Slightly surprised, Kirito looked at Kato Megumi, who was sitting next to him and whose presence seemed to have greatly increased.

P.S.: I'm experiencing writer's block, it's really giving me a headache...

147

[NO.145 Burning (Bonus Chapter)]

"Isn't it pretty?"

As Kirito walked toward the manga club room, he looked at Megumi Kato beside him and said...

"Is that so~!" With her usual calm tone, Kato Megumi walked slowly with her lunchbox in hand. Although she didn't have any extra expression, the slightly upturned corners of her mouth betrayed her—yes, she was in a good mood.

Following Kirito's advice, she tied her hair into a short ponytail. Although there wasn't much of a change overall, her presence was actually greatly enhanced. Before, it was difficult for Kirito to see Kato Megumi, but now he could see her with just a few more glances.

Incidentally, Kirito isn't very interested in long, straight hair. She prefers a ponytail because it looks much cleaner and neater—you thought I was going to say long, straight black hair? Only you guys like that.

"By now, quite a few of your classmates must have noticed you, Kato."

"I guess... Kato Megumi tilted her head. "I don't feel much of a difference, but it's strange that you want me to be so eye-catching, and that's strange of you, Hito-kun."

"I'm not surprised at all," Kirito said, holding the back of his head. "The beauty of knowledge lies in its ability to leave people completely bewildered, the beauty of poetry lies in its ability to incite lust between men and women, the beauty of women lies in their unrepentant foolishness, and the beauty of men lies in their ability to lie as easily as eating and drinking! As for what you truly desire, you have to change it yourself. There are two choices in life: to be busy living or to be busy dying! But if it were you from before, you would have been busy waiting to die!"

"Ugh, that's so mean..."

"I'm just stating the facts." Looking at the girl who was pouting, Kirito yawned. "The fact that you tied your hair up in a ponytail means that you're tired of living like a plant, and that you're trying to make yourself more noticeable... I can't do that, it's up to you to decide."

"But, is it really okay not to go to Hiratsuka-sensei's office?" Kato Megumi calmly changed the subject. Although it was a little difficult to say, she wanted me to understand how to become attractive... how to become the heroine. It's really strange of you guys.

But I don't dislike it at all; in fact, I'm so happy I'm almost embarrassed!

Whether it's gaining a sense of presence, becoming more noticeable, or making friends who care about me... it feels really good.

This is fine now...

"Where are you going? I've already handed in my essay, and I'm in a hurry to eat lunch."

Oh right, Kirito originally received an invitation from Kato Megumi to have lunch together, but the lunch was with Asuna, so in the end Kato Megumi went to the manga club room instead... That's a little strange.

As the door to the manga club room opened, Asuna, Shiina Mashiro, and Kasumigaoka Utaha, who was holding a piece of fried bread, were all inside. When she saw Kirito walk in, Kasumigaoka Utaha seemed to be greatly shocked, and the bread she had just bitten almost fell out of her open mouth.

"Hahahahahaha...!"

Then, accompanied by a slightly arrogant laugh, Kasumigaoka Utaha spat out the fried bread she was eating. Fortunately, there was a trash can right next to her, otherwise she would have definitely sprayed Kirito's face with it.

"Hey! Want to try dying once?" With an indifferent expression, Kirito, who was just joking with Kato Megumi, began to feel intensely annoyed, and even wanted to push Kasumigaoka Utaha into the trash can.

Laughing so loudly in front of people is really going too far!

"Is that a wig?" Kasumigaoka Utaha suppressed a laugh, pointing at Kirito's flowing long hair. "Did you forget to take it off when you were playing special play with Kamitsuki yesterday?"

Asuna rolled her eyes, picked up the sketchbook on the table, and smacked Kasumigaoka Utaha on the head. She didn't really like these kinds of jokes.

"It's not a wig, it's Kirito!" Kirito's forehead creased with annoyance as he entered the clubroom, followed closely by Ms. Kato.

With a slightly subtle expression, Asuna looked at Kirito, her eyes conveying a meaning that couldn't be simpler—who is this?

"Kato Megumi, let's just say she's a classmate and neighbor..." Kirito casually sat down next to Asuna. "She'll be my assistant for the next couple of days. Besides, I have some things to teach her."

As he spoke, Kirito whispered something in Asuna's ear, but because his voice was so soft, no one heard him.

During this time, Megumi Kato and Utaha Kasumigaoka got to know each other, and then Eriri arrived.

"Kato? What are you doing here?" Eriri looked surprised, she really didn't expect that Kato Megumi, who had only come into contact with the otaku world because of her, would appear in the manga club room.

"...Come and have some bento, and I'll need to trouble you with the tutoring, Kiritani-kun." I'm a little curious. How come there are so many girls with considerable fame in school in such a small manga club? What brings them all together here?

"Cough, just thinking about this guy makes me laugh..." Eriri grinned, revealing her cute little fangs. "He actually got his embarrassing past forced on him because he couldn't hold his liquor, it's hilarious... hahaha!"

"Hey! You know how this happened?" Kasumigaoka Utaha suddenly became interested, forgetting all about eating her fried bread, and asked Eriri curiously, "Tell me quickly, let me be happy too!"

The same applies to Megumi Kato.

Well, things have changed so much in just one night. If it weren't for Kato Megumi's calm personality, she probably would have asked her by now, and we wouldn't be in this situation now.

"Has anyone ever told you that your smiles are so annoying?" Kirito rolled up his sleeves, seemingly preparing for a full-blown fight, but at that moment Asuna smiled and reached out to pat Kirito's head, leaving him completely bewildered. Then Shiina Mashiro also reached out her hand—what the hell!

However, Kirito could tell that Asuna was acting a bit mischievously—like a husband who goes through a lazy phase after three years of marriage, or a wife who goes through a prank phase after three months of marriage… Asuna was probably in that state right now.

If Shiina Mashiro hadn't joined in, Kirito probably would have enjoyed a few more gentle caresses.

As for Eriri, she calmly recounted the information she learned from Kiritani Kazuko last night—in fact, what she said were all the backup plans left by Kiritani Kazuto.

But none of that matters. What matters is that both the narrator and the listener now believe this so-called backup plan.

Sometimes, explanations are unnecessary, because the script can evolve on its own, especially with extras who are unaware of the truth.

"Never mind them, let's eat." Kirito tugged at his tangled hair and opened his mouth towards Asuna. "Feed me!"

"Are you a child?" Asuna looked at the ingratiating Kazuto with a mixture of amusement and exasperation.