Earlier, as Shido was on his way back to his apartment, he happened to notice the group of girls heading into the alley. Right away, he sensed that something was off about them, and he was right. He immediately understood that the girl with glasses was being bullied.
Although Shido wouldn't exactly call himself a good person, he wasn't heartless either. He couldn't just stand by and watch something like that happen, not when it was right in front of him.
But what truly made him step in was the moment he recognized the girl with glasses as she was one of the heroines from SAO.
"Are you alright?" Shido turned toward Asada, who was leaning weakly against the wall. He quickly stepped forward, supporting her and helping her stand properly while gently rubbing her back to calm her trembling.
"...I'm alright… Thank you." Asada nodded, feeling her body gradually relax under his reassuring touch.
Even though his gesture was unexpectedly close, she didn't mind. His touch felt warm and comforting, easing the fear and panic that had been gripping her just moments ago.
Earlier, Asada hadn't been able to clearly see Shido's face when he arrive as her emotion was swirling too much. But now that they were so close and she had calmed down, she finally got a proper look at him.
Just like Endou and her group before, Asada found herself momentarily dazed as she looked at Shido. Even with his cap on, it was clear that he was remarkably handsome. Combined with his lean, well-toned build that was so close to her, this made her unconsciously swallow hard.
Her face turned slightly pink, but she quickly managed to compose herself, keeping her expression neutral so Shido wouldn't notice. But then, Asada remembered Endou and her group, Asada hesitated for a moment before asking, "Um… about Endou…"
Shido noticed the brief change in her expression but chose not to comment on it. Instead, he spoke in a reassuring tone, knowing she might still be shaken by what had happened. "Don't worry. They won't bother you again."
"...I see." Asada nodded absentmindedly, and thought how easy her problem was solve by him.
"Well, if they ever bother you again, just call me." Shido said as he handed her a business card.
Asada was surprised when Shido gave her his business card, but she subconsciously took it, however, she was still a little stunned when Shido said something again which made her surprised and shy.
"Are you sure you're okay now? Do you want me to walk you home?" Shido asked. Even though he had used a bit of his ability to ease her tension and calm her mind, he still couldn't help but worry about her.
"Ah, no, it's okay. I can manage myself." Asada lowered her face to avoid Shido's gaze and replied shyly.
She tried to keep a normal expression, but it was difficult in front of Shido. It was the first time someone had cared for her this much, someone who would go so far just to help her with her bullying problem.
Asada's impression of Shido was great, but she felt it would be asking too much to let him walk her to her apartment. Even though part of her wanted to accept, she could only refuse his offer as she didn't want Shido to think she was an easy girl who would let just anyone follow her home.
Shido nodded, realizing he might have been stepping past a normal boundary. Since her condition seemed much better, he decided not to insist. "I see."
After stepping out of the alley, Shido turned to Asada and said, "Then, be careful on your way back. I'll go first, take care."
Just as he finished speaking and was about to leave, he suddenly heard Asada's voice call out to him from behind.
"Wait!"
"Yes...?" Shido tilted his head and wondered what she wanted to say.
Asada's face was quite flustered with a hint of pinkness coloring her cheeks. She grab the hem of her skirt tightly as if it was quite hard for her to speak. When she looked straight at Shido, he gave her a gentle, casual smile, and somehow, that smile tugged at her heart, making her quickly lower her head.
But in the end, she gathered her courage and said, "Um… may I know your name?"
"My name?"
"Yes!"
"My name is Itsuka Shido. Erm..."
Asada immediately noticed Shido's expression and realized her mistake, she had asked for his name without giving hers. Her face turned even redder as she stammered, flustered.
"Ah! M-My name is Asada Shino. Please… call me Shino."
Shido raised an eyebrow hearing her words since he didn't expect her to want him to call her with her first name. But he didn't mind; in fact, he found it rather nice. He smiled and nodded.
"Nice to meet you, Shino, you can also call me Shido."
"U-Un, nice to meet you, Shido-san." Shino's eyes lit up when she heard his words making her heart all fluttery.
"Then, I'll be going now. See you later, Shino."
With a small wave of his hand, Shido turned and finally walked away.
"…Un, see you later." Shino also waved her hand, watching as Shido's figure slowly disappeared in the street.
"...Itsuka Shido, huh?" Shino repeated his name again as if she was engraving it into her memory. However, for some reason, she felt she heard his name somewhere before, But she didn't dwell on the thought for long and instead looked down at the business card Shido had given her.
It was actually surprising for her to know that Shido have a business card since that meant he have a company of his own which was surprising and shocking since he have establish a company at his age. Even though Shino didn't know his exact age, she could tell he was probably around her age.
Still, she reminded herself that some people made business cards even as students, simply because they thought it looked cool.
However, Shino could tell that Shido was the former, just from the way he carried himself and the calm, confident aura surrounding him, even though he was dressed in simple casual clothes.
The business card had a sleek, black metallic sheen with golden letters elegantly printed across it. There, Shino could see Shido's name and his contact information there. However, she became stunned when she read the following words.
"…Flügel Conglomerate."