Chika was humming a song on the left. Yusei was playing on his phone on the right... And Kaguya sitting between them felt somewhat uneasy.
Objectively speaking, the interior space of this black sedan was quite spacious, but for some reason, everyone was sitting so close together.
However, Yusei wasn't really thinking about that. He was looking at his phone in frustration. The serialized [Attack on Titan] manga he had submitted had gained some attention as soon as it was released.
But helplessly, this trend that should have gradually risen was cut short because he entered SAO.
This time, the government did not publicly disclose the real names of the players who entered SAO, and the publishing house Yusei signed with also didn't know he had entered SAO.
It was true that Yusei had drawn quite a few manuscript reserves, but how could those reserves last for half a year?
So, the account under Yusei's pen name now, well, the [Attack on Titan Author] account had already received many complaints.
Yusei sighed, inwardly shaking his head and lamenting, 'Is it really that bad? It's just a slight delay in updates, right? Sending complaints? Be careful or I'll stop updating completely.'
Kaguya next to him noticed Yusei's sigh and asked seemingly casually, "What's wrong?"
"It's my..." Yusei subconsciously started to answer, but then it occurred to him, 'Kaguya never reads things like manga, does she?'
'Right, for a young lady like her, what she was exposed to from childhood was probably only arts and books, where would she have the time to read manga?'
Thinking that it wouldn't matter much to say it, and besides, Kaguya wouldn't understand, he simply shook his head.
"It's nothing, just some personal matters."
Yusei's intention was to let Kaguya not worry about these trivial matters, but he didn't know that saying instead made Kaguya more concerned.
Under normal circumstances, it might have been fine, but today Kaguya felt an inexplicable sense of guilt. This guilt was directed towards Asuna.
In SAO, during her first meeting with Asuna, she was the one saved by Asuna. That was already a life-saving favor.
Although Kaguya was proud internally, she wasn't to the extent of being unable to get along with others, nor unable to acknowledge others' strengths.
Coupled with her subsequent interactions with Asuna, Asuna's intellect, strength, and gentleness had left a very good impression on Kaguya.
So, the two were actually very good friends. Otherwise, they wouldn't have consistently acted together and joined the Knights of the Blood Oath.
But what was she doing today? Kaguya had never been in love before, but she had reached the corresponding age.
She was strong and proud. She acknowledged her own heart and didn't deny her impulses, but she had actually been suppressing them all along.
But today, when Yusei draped the coat over her and told her not to catch cold, she couldn't suppress it anymore. She wanted more of his concern like that.
Now? She herself actually wanted to spend a little more time with Yusei, and thus temporarily asked the violin master to come hold a performance meeting.
What was she doing? For her, this wasn't troublesome or effortful. But the problem was, her heart was filled with guilt towards Asuna.
'Yusei and Asuna were boyfriend and girlfriend... no, even husband and wife. As their friend, I should be blessing them, not...'
Involuntarily, Kaguya suddenly remembered what her grandfather said to her that day after she escaped SAO, lying in the hospital bed.
"Kaguya, what do you think of Kazami Yusei? I mean in terms of a romantic partner?"
Her response at the time was silence, then followed with a flat, evasive "I don't feel anything particular."
In front of her grandfather, she had subconsciously chosen to escape.
Kaguya believed that if she said she liked Yusei, her grandfather would definitely help her.
The Shinoomiya Family had no need for arranged marriages. Her happiness had always been in her own hands.
But, just thinking about the scene of Yusei marrying Asuna in SAO, Kaguya couldn't say it.
Have Grandfather force him to be with her? Then what would she be? That would really be a despicable method, wouldn't it?
Would he like a girl like that? No, he definitely wouldn't like it.
Moreover, she also somewhat wanted to maintain her friendship with Asuna. She didn't want to feel this guilt.
How overbearing was her grandfather? Kaguya would believe it if someone said he would ruin Asuna's family to achieve his goal.
All these thoughts tangled together, making Kaguya sigh involuntarily. After thinking so much, in the end, it was because she cared about what Yusei was just doing, right?
'Was it Asuna? He said 'It's my...', so he probably meant to say 'It's my girlfriend, right?' No, it should be 'wife', right?'
'Was it precisely because of this that my heart felt fear and guilt?'
Kaguya tried hard to remain calm. She even used the Hiten Mitsurugi-ryu's breathing technique, just wanting to clear those distracting thoughts… to stop herself from overthinking.
She didn't want to be a despicable person, but she also didn't want to give up her true feelings.
So, for now, she could only let the nature take its course.
Yusei looked strangely at Kaguya, whose expression kept changing, seeing her look sad one moment and downcast the next, and was utterly baffled.
'Could it be that her curiosity is this strong? Well, Shiro's curiosity is quite heavy too.'
Yusei really didn't understand what was so worth mentioning about being urged by readers to update. Finally helpless, he could only hand his phone to Kaguya.
"My fans are urging me for updates. They think I draw the manga too slowly and started complaining, but I was in SAO back then. I couldn't draw for them even if I was in SAO."
Kaguya stared blankly at the comments in the section, somewhat failing to regain her composure.
"You mean you were sighing about this just now? Then what were you going to say 'my...' was?"
"My fans, ah. Did I say it wrong?" Yusei asked, puzzled.
Kaguya took a deep breath. She suddenly felt much more relaxed inside.
'It wasn't Asuna. Asuna hadn't contacted him.'
'I wasn't monopolizing him when Asuna needed him...'
Thinking like this, although there was still guilt, it wasn't as severe anymore.
In order not to attract Yusei's attention, she quickly changed the subject.
"So what are you going to do? Make up for the owed manga chapters?"
"You read manga?" Hearing Kaguya concern herself with this matter, Yusei couldn't help but ask curiously.
"I do." Kaguya said without hesitation.
Hearing this, Hayasaka, who was driving in the front, almost jerked the steering wheel.
She remembered the last time she found some entertainment methods for the young lady and brought a few manga volumes, only to have them thrown aside by her, saying how boring these things were... just a waste of time.
'How come it suddenly changed now?'