"So, do you want to explain who this girl is?" Sai asked, staring at Aria's chest.
"Ahh, my name is Aria Nightingale and I have been-- Mmmm!?" Naoya immediately covers her mouth.
"This is an online friend of mine who is also a pay-to-win player in Fantasia Chronicle RPG. I didn't know that my online friend was her and that she loves cosplaying," Naoya says with a straight poker face.
"Then why are you covering her mouth?" Sai asked as he kept staring at Aria's chest.
"She's suffering from chuunibyou (8th-grade syndrome)," Naoya explained.
"Kinda like you," Kris interjected with a disgusted expression before turning to Aria. "Is that Aria?! Oh my gosh! I didn't get to see her since I'm still saving up for more but I will try to catch up with her later!"
"Mmmm?" Aria tilted her head in confusion. "Naoya, remove your filthy hands off her mouth already." Kris says with a cold piercing gaze.
"...Right," Naoya said sheepishly as he removed his hand from Aria's mouth.
"Summoner Naoya, that's way too rude!" Kris scolded with a disapproving frown.
"Don't call me Summoner," Naoya replied, slightly annoyed.
"...Yes, Naoya," Kris conceded with a sigh.
Sai and Kris exchanged a meaningful look and nodded at each other. "Are you two perhaps dating?" Kris asked, a hint of curiosity in her voice.
"Huh? Me dating?" Naoya looked surprised and confused.
"What's a date?" Aria asked, tilting her head in confusion.
"...I suddenly feel sick and like having a day off of school." Naoya stands up from his chair and starts to walk towards the door, feeling a bit anxious about being caught.
But just as he reaches the door, his heart sinks as he is blocked by their teacher, Mr. Matt.
"Cutting classes, aren't we?" Mr. Matt says with a stern expression, raising an eyebrow in suspicion. Naoya's face pales and he starts to feel a little panicked.
"Meet me at the guidance room later... now get back to class!"
"Yes, Sir.." Naoya grudgingly replied.
He gave up and slumped back into his seat.
"Fufufu~ That was interesting Naoya~" Charlotte giggled mischievously.
Charlotte, a transfer student, seemed to enjoy seeing Naoya get into trouble, and it was the first time Naoya had seen her mischievous side. "So, Naoya, is this girl your online friend? I find it hard to believe," she asked with a sly smile.
"Why do you care?" Naoya asked with a hint of annoyance.
"Well, this class is fun after all." Charlotte smiled.
"Haha... Funny." Naoya replied with a sarcastic tone.
"Killjoy much." Charlotte teased.
"Naoya, Naoya... is school fun?" Aria asked innocently.
"No, and Yes." Naoya sighed.
"Which is the real answer?" Aria tilted her head in confusion.
The class continues, and after what seems like an eternity, the lunch break finally arrives.
"Well, don't worry," Naoya reassures her with a grin. "Later on, it's Physical Education! And PE means free to play!"
Aria's face lights up with excitement. "Ohh, Summoner Na- I mean... Naoya looks so cheerful!"
"That's right!" Naoya nods, feeling pleased to have lifted Aria's spirits. "Now then, what do you want to order?"
"Hmmm, pork cutlet!" Aria says, her mouth watering at the thought.
"Alright, I'd like to order two," Naoya says, a smile on his face as he approaches the food counter.
As they received their order, the delicious aroma of pork cutlet wafted through the air, making Naoya's stomach grumble with hunger. He quickly takes a bite of the tender meat and savors its juicy taste.
"Naoya~ It's melting in my mouth~ Hehehe," Aria giggles as she takes a bite of her pork cutlet.
"G-Get a hold of yourself, Aria!" Naoya chuckles.
After they finish eating, they head back to the classroom. Naoya opens up a conversation, "Aria, you have a sister, right?"
"Oh, my sister? I have a sister... Why?" Aria asks, looking up from her desk.
"Nothing..." Naoya replies, looking a bit sheepish.
"Is there something bothering you, Naoya?" Aria asks with concern.
"N-nothing." Naoya looks away for a bit before continuing, a mischievous grin creeping across his face. "It's just that... once her banner is out, I'm gonna pull the heck out of her." He thinks to himself, imagining the thrill of finally getting his hands on the two lunar princesses
Naoya couldn't help but feel excited as he thought about his upcoming summoning session. He was determined to get the two lunar princesses, no matter the cost.
Suddenly, Sato jogged past them, trying to avoid breaking the school rule against running in the hallway. "Hey, you two! It's PE now. Let's go outside and play!"
"Really? Finally, some action!" Naoya exclaimed, his excitement bubbling over. Aria looked at him with a quizzical expression but followed him anyway.
As they step out into the courtyard, Naoya and Aria are greeted by the warm sun and the sound of activity all around them. They see a group of students playing basketball, while others are running around or just lounging on the grass.
"Wow, it's life out here," Aria remarks, taking in the scene with a smile.
Suddenly, a ball rolls toward them, and one of the basketball players runs over to retrieve it.
"Sorry about that! Oh hey, Naoya, do you want to join us? We need a substitute since one of our guys had to leave early," he said with a friendly grin. As he looked over to the girl standing next to Naoya, his eyes widened in surprise. "Whoa, is this your girlfriend?" he exclaimed with a playful smirk.
"Girlfriend? No," Naoya replied, a hint of surprise in his voice.
"Yeah, as if you'll get one," the basketball player teased, a smirk forming on his face.
Naoya scowled at the comment. "Hey, that's rude!" he retorted, feeling a mix of annoyance and indignation.
The basketball player chuckled. "Ahahaha! Anyway, are you in?" he asked, his expression turning serious.
"Of course! I wanted to ask if I could join anyway!" Naoya replied eagerly, a hint of excitement in his voice.
"So you can impress your girl?" the basketball player teased again, a playful glint in his eye.
"S-shut it!" Naoya stammered, his cheeks flushing a deep shade of red.
After that, the two of them headed to the basketball court, with Aria following closely behind. The game began, with Naoya and his teammates wearing red, and the opposing team dressed in blue. Some students on the sidelines started cheering.
"Go, Red Team!" one student shouted.
"Go, Blue Team!!" another student yelled
The sound of their shoes squeaking against the polished surface echoed throughout the area. The players moved with ease and precision, dribbling and passing the ball back and forth as they worked to score points. Each time they made a shot, the crowd erupted into cheers, their voices echoing off the surrounding buildings.
Aria watched from the sidelines, mesmerized by the energy and excitement of the game. She could feel her heart racing as she watched Naoya move with fluid grace movements. As the game wore on, she found herself cheering alongside the other students, her voice hoarse from all the shouting.
As Naoya played on the court, he noticed Aria cheering for him. "Naoya! You can do it!!" she shouted, her voice filled with excitement.
As he watched Aria cheering for him, Naoya felt his heart racing and his cheeks growing warm. He could feel the breeze on his face, adding to the exhilaration of the game. Suddenly, a notification panel popped up in front of his face: "You have been buffed, +Agility!" Naoya couldn't believe it – Aria must have used her healing and buffing powers without even realizing it.
With newfound determination, Naoya focused on the ball, dribbling it past his opponents with lightning speed. The opposing team was caught off guard, and they struggled to keep up with him.
"Eh?! Since when did he get so fast?!" one of the opposing players exclaimed.
"I thought the enemy team was sweating like zombies! I didn't know they had an ace!" said another.
Naoya made a swift pass to his teammate, who then scored a basket, much to the delight of the cheering crowd.
As the game wore on, Naoya found himself thinking more and more about Aria's profile description. "Lunar Princess, a healer, and buffer," he remembered.
As the game neared its end, the tension was palpable. With only five seconds left on the clock and the score tied, Naoya's teammate passed the ball to him, desperation clear in his voice. "Naoya, pass!" he yelled.
Naoya was standing at half-court, his heart pounding in his chest. He could feel the sweat dripping down his face, his muscles burning from the intense effort of the game. He looked up at the basket, his eyes locked on the rim, and took a deep breath.
Then, with a sudden burst of energy, Naoya launched himself into the air, his powerful legs propelling him upward. He felt weightless, suspended in mid-air, as he focused on the basket, his mind completely blank except for the sound of his breathing.
As he reached the peak of his jump, Naoya released the ball, sending it soaring through the air with all the force he could muster. The ball arced over the court, spinning rapidly, as the crowd held its breath, waiting to see what would happen.
And then, with a satisfying swish, the ball landed in the basket, the net flapping in the breeze.
"Ohhhh! Did you see that?!" The students
say "What the hell!?" The student says
The crowd was unbelievably shocked at Naoya's half-court shot, and they all started shouting and cheering wildly, their faces lit up with joy and amazement. Naoya's teammates rushed over to him, their faces beaming with pride, patting him on the back and giving him high-fives in congratulations.
Feeling grateful, Naoya made his way over to Aria. He leaned in close to her ear, his face slowly getting closer. "Thank you," he whispered with a smile. Aria's cheeks turned pink as she blushed in response.