Shido and Lisbeth arrived at her school, and there was still some time before class started, which relieved Lisbeth. Shido had still chosen to ride his motorcycle, as using a car to take her to school would have been too extravagant. It might have been fine with a normal car, but most of the cars at the hotel were luxury models, Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Bentley Flying Spur, Ferrari Roma, Lamborghini Aventador, and several others.
In the end, Shido rode his Yamaha MT-03 to drive Lisbeth. Lisbeth felt the same way, she didn't want to arrive at school in a luxury car, as she would have been embarrassed if her classmates and friends saw her stepping out of one.
Students could be seen walking toward their school, either alone or with their friends. Some of those who had stayed behind yesterday because of the commotion noticed the familiar motorcycle, and just as they had guessed, Lisbeth who getting off the bike and removed her helmet, confirmed it.
Even so, no one made a big deal out of it like yesterday, they just glanced in their direction with various expressions on their faces before continuing toward the school building.
Of course, Lisbeth noticed this and felt a little embarrassed, but she didn't shy away from their curious stares. Instead, she felt proud, knowing she could quietly announce that she had a great boyfriend.
"I'll go first, Shido. I'll visit you when I'm not busy."
"Okay, I'll be waiting for you."
Shido had told her his address so the girl wanted to visit him when she was free and do things couples usually did, like going on dates and other stuff, like... like the one they had done last night.
Just thinking about it made Lisbeth blush as she looked at the man who had turned her into a woman. Unlike yesterday, she now carried the allure of a mature woman, which made her even more charming, that's why the boys and girls were staring at her with various expressions.
While Shido was lost in thought, Lisbeth suddenly leaned in and gave him a quick, sneaky kiss, leaving him momentarily stunned. Before he could say anything, she had already dashed away, flustered by her own boldness.
As expected, many students gasped at how daring Lisbeth had been to kiss Shido in public. But it wasn't just the other students who saw this as an orange-haired girl a little ahead of Lisbeth had seen it too.
Her mouth hung open, as if she couldn't believe what she had just seen, just like the other students. Asuna then shifted her gaze to Lisbeth, whose cheeks were reddened yet looked happy, though it seemed the girl hadn't noticed her yet.
Asuna looked back at Shido, who had also noticed her. She didn't know what to do at that moment, but looking into Shido's eyes, she felt he knew her identity, especially when she saw him nod with a wry smile.
Unconsciously, Asuna also nodded back and saw that Shido put his helmet back before riding off on his motorcycle. Before speeding off, Shido wave his hand not to Asuna but to Lisbeth, who turned back and shyly waved at him in return.
Seeing all of this unfold before her, Asuna now felt she understood how Lisbeth, Silica, and Leafa must have felt when she and Kirito were flirting.
Lisbeth felt a twinge of reluctance as Shido rode away, but she reminded herself that they would meet again soon, and her sadness was replaced by anticipation. She began walking back toward the school building, but suddenly stopped, her expression turning as if she had been caught doing something naughty.
Looking ahead, Lisbeth saw Asuna smiling at her, both wryly and teasingly. Before Lisbeth could speak, Asuna spoke first "Congratulations, Lisbeth."
Lisbeth's lips twitched as she struggled to find words. With her cheeks flushed, she greeted Asuna, "…Asuna."
Asuna could tell that Lisbeth was embarrassed, but she didn't let her off the hook. She decided to hear everything from Lisbeth's own mouth, which left the girl momentarily stunned. Of course, that conversation wouldn't happen immediately, as their class was about to begin, so they agreed to talk during lunch break.
Silica was with them, and Asuna grabbed her along, which made Lisbeth even more embarrassed. Still, she honestly told her two friends what had happened last night, leaving both girls stunned, embarrassed, and a little jealous, especially Silica.
On the other hand, Shido was unaware of what was happening on Lisbeth's side, as he was on his way to the company at Rinko's request.
Once he arrive at the company, Shido parked his motorcycle in a space on the ground floor before entering the building. All the staff and employees knew their boss's face, so when Shido appeared at the entrance, the security guard immediately greeted him politely.
"Good morning, boss."
Shido smiled and nodded at the diligent security guard before walking into the lobby. He approached the receptionist and asked where Rinko was. The receptionist replied immediately and even offered, "Do you want me to take you to Koujiro-san, Itsuka-sama?"
Shido simply shook his head. "No need, I can go there by myself."
The female receptionist looked a little disappointed, as she hadn't gotten the chance to be alone with her boss.
Along the way, Shido passed many of his staff, who greeted him warmly, and he returned their greetings with a polite smile.
"I'm glad everything seems to be going well." Watching his employees working diligently, Shido felt satisfied.
When he reached a corner leading to another corridor where the elevator was located, he noticed a girl standing in front of it. She was a little short, with long black hair, wearing a pale blue dress, and her expression looked troubled.
Seeing her, Shido immediately recognized her. He often watched her concerts, and she was also affiliated with his company.
"Hello, miss. Do you need some help?"
Shido asked the girl, as she looked lost, her eyes darting around the corridor.
The girl turned and saw the young man, her expression cautious at first. After a moment of scrutiny and taking a better look at him, her eyes lit up, and she immediately felt a good impression of him, especially when Shido didn't mistook her for a little girl but an adult.
Despite her youthful appearance, she was actually on her twenties.
Hearing his question, she thought that although the young man was dressed casually, he seemed reliable.
After a brief pause, she replied, "Un… I'm actually lost."
The girl was Kanzaki Elsa.