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"Something stabbed the bottom of your foot?"
The moment he heard that, Blake's expression immediately turned serious.
"It was probably a broken shell or coral fragment buried in the sand... Take off your stockings and let me check your foot."
Mahiru shyly held down her skirt. "W-Why do I have to take off my stockings?"
"To see if your foot got cut by shell fragments." Blake's tone was firm and serious. "If you get stabbed or cut at the beach, there's a chance of getting infected by Vibrio vulnificus. The odds are tiny, but if you're unlucky enough to get infected, it can be extremely dangerous."
Mahiru bit her lip softly. "That bacteria... is dangerous?"
"Very dangerous." Blake nodded seriously. "It's basically an invisible killer. Fish, shrimp, oysters, shellfish... all kinds of seafood can carry it. Some people get infected from eating raw seafood, but more often it happens through cuts from fish bones or shells. If it gets serious, it can lead to organ failure or even septic shock."
"So hurry and take off the stockings so I can check your foot. If there's no wound, then great. But if you're injured, we need to go to the hospital."
Better safe than sorry.
You never know whether tomorrow or an accident will arrive first.
If she really got infected, it could become life-threatening, so he couldn't afford to take it lightly.
"I understand..."
Seeing how serious Blake looked, Mahiru couldn't help growing nervous too.
Splash.
Another wave rolled in, soaking both of their legs again.
"If your foot hurts, don't walk for now." Blake crouched down decisively. "I'll carry you over to those rocks and check your foot there."
Though embarrassed, Mahiru knew he was genuinely worried about her. Blushing brightly, she quietly spread her arms and leaned onto his back.
"Sorry for causing trouble, Mr. Blake..."
"I'm the one who brought you here. Of course I should take responsibility."
Blake reached back and lifted her legs.
What met his hands was an incredibly smooth and warm sensation. He couldn't even tell whether it was her skin or simply the feel of the stockings. Either way, it felt alarmingly good.
"Mmh..."
Mahiru's voice trembled slightly, her breathing growing uneven. Still, she said nothing and simply wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.
"Hold on tight."
Blake took a deep breath, stood up, and carried the angelic girl toward the shore.
"Your shoulders are so broad, Mr. Blake..."
Even though this was the first time she had ever been carried by a boy, Mahiru felt no disgust whatsoever. Aside from embarrassment and nervousness, all she felt was an indescribable sense of safety, as though nothing in the world could frighten her while she was on his back.
A short while later, Blake arrived at a flat rock and carefully set her down.
"Need help taking off your stockings?"
"No." Mahiru quickly covered her skirt and refused shyly. "I-I can do it myself... turn around first, Mr. Blake."
Blake silently turned his back to her.
"Call me when you're done."
"..."
Soft rustling sounds came from behind him.
Not long after, Mahiru's embarrassed voice quietly spoke up.
"I've taken them off..."
Blake turned back toward the angelic girl sitting on the rock, and his eyes immediately lit up.
The shell fragment had cut his right foot earlier, so Mahiru Shiina had only taken off the black stocking on that leg. The stocking on her left leg remained untouched. Now her legs were pressed tightly together, one wrapped in black fabric, the other smooth and bare, creating a striking contrast of black and white.
So pale.
The girl's right leg was flawless white, like polished ivory. Long, slender, and elegant enough that anyone seeing it would understand the phrase "legs worth admiring for a lifetime."
Noticing Blake's appreciative gaze, Mahiru's cheeks gradually warmed. She lowered the straw hat with her right hand and spoke softly.
"I checked just now... I don't think the sole of my foot is hurt."
"Let me see."
Blake naturally wasn't convinced. He crouched down, gently holding the girl's smooth ankle before lifting her foot slightly.
Miss Angel's foot was beautifully pale, faint blue veins visible beneath the skin on the top of her foot. Her toes were round and delicate like freshly peeled lotus seeds, the nails neatly trimmed with a healthy pink shine. The arch of her foot curved gracefully, as though it had been sculpted into a piece of art.
Out of embarrassment and nervousness, her toes curled inward, making the line from ankle to toe even more alluring.
If one of those hardcore foot fetishists saw this, they'd probably only have one thought in mind:
"Cute. Wanna lick..."
Fortunately, Blake wasn't a foot fetishist, nor did he have any weird impulses. After appreciating the sight for a brief moment, he quickly focused on the sole of her foot instead.
Since Mahiru had been collecting shells along the beach earlier, there was naturally some fine sand stuck to her foot, making it hard to see clearly. So Blake reached out to wipe the sand away.
"Mm... ah~!"
The instant his fingertip touched the sole of her foot, Miss Angel let out a trembling, sugary moan that instantly dyed the atmosphere pink.
"..."
Blake slowly looked up, speechless.
Mahiru was covering her lips with the back of her hand, her face bright red as she looked away. She was already too embarrassed to meet his eyes.
He'd only lightly touched the sole of her foot, yet her reaction was this intense. Just how sensitive were her feet?
Blake reached out again, using one finger to brush away the sand from her sole.
"Mmh..."
Another trembling sound escaped her lips. Mahiru shyly tried to pull her foot back, but luckily Blake's grip was firm enough.
"D-don't tickle my foot..."
Mahiru pleaded in humiliation, panic visible in her eyes.
"I'm not teasing you on purpose." Blake sounded completely justified. "There's sand on your foot. I need to clean it off first so I can see whether there's a wound or not... Should I keep going?"
Mahiru took a deep breath, stiffening her pretty face as she mentally prepared herself.
"Go ahead."
And then...
"Ahhn~!"
Miss Angel's sweet trembling voice rang out once more.
She couldn't hold it in.
There was no way to endure it.
Even after preparing herself mentally, the tingling sensation from the sole of her foot still felt like an electric current shooting straight through both body and soul.
When you tickle yourself, it doesn't feel ticklish. But when someone else does it, that's different. Before you touch yourself, the cerebellum predicts everything about the sensation 0.2 seconds in advance: where you'll touch, how hard, what the reaction will be. Unfortunately, the brain can only predict your own actions, not someone else's. That's why having someone tickle your feet feels unbearably ticklish.
Thankfully, there wasn't much sand on Mahiru's foot. Blake quickly cleaned it off, finally bringing Miss Angel's humiliating punishment to an end.
"Looks like you got lucky." After carefully checking the sole of her foot twice, Blake finally relaxed. "There's only a tiny scratch. The skin isn't broken, so there's no need to go to the hospital."
"Phew..."
Hearing that, Mahiru immediately sighed in relief. Her face was still burning red as she spoke shyly.
"If it's fine, then hurry up and let go of me, Mr. Blake..."
"....."