"What should I do... take it off or not?"
Angel-sama's pretty face flushed thoroughly red. Her pearly white teeth tightly bit her lower lip. After struggling internally for a good while, she ultimately made a choice filled with shame.
"T-Take it off..."
As a girl with severe mysophobia, there were some things she truly couldn't accept. She could only choose the lesser of two evils.
"I remember there's a convenience store inside the amusement park, I saw it from afar earlier... The convenience store will definitely have disposable underwear, right?"
"Should I ask Anna for help?"
Mahiru, with a blushing face, looked at her phone. Ultimately, she still didn't send the message.
"I can't."
"Such a shameful secret, I absolutely can't let everyone know..."
"As expected, it's better to go to the convenience store and buy it myself."
"Even if it's dangerous... I can activate Time Stop, right?"
"..."
Meanwhile.
Sora had already finished his bathroom business, come out of the restroom, and started waiting for the girls to emerge.
Just as he was about to play on his phone for a bit, two girls dressed as gyarus suddenly approached:
"Hello, could you help us take a picture?"
"No problem."
Since it was just a casual favor, Sora naturally didn't refuse.
However, after helping to take the picture, one of the blonde gyarus thanked him with a grin, then proceeded to ask if Sora was alone and if he wanted to go hang out together.
"Am I being hit on?"
Sora raised an eyebrow slightly.
It seemed asking to take a picture was just an excuse; hitting on him was the real goal.
Just as he was about to decline, a soft voice suddenly called out from nearby:
"Sora-kun."
Mahiru happened to walk out of the women's restroom. She was holding her skirt down with both hands, her pretty face flushed. She quickly stepped forward, shielding Sora behind her. Her caramel-colored bright eyes looked at the two gyaru girls, clearly displaying a protective attitude:
"May I ask what business you have with Sora-kun?"
"Ah, sorry..."
The two blonde gyarus gave an awkward smile and slipped away dejectedly.
Faced with an Angel-sama of the super-cute caliber, the two mortal girls knew their place and completely lacked the courage to challenge her.
"Thank goodness I came out in time."
Mahiru tilted up her pretty face. Her bright eyes gazed at Sora as she said softly:
"When you're out and about, Sora-kun, you need to protect yourself well. Don't let someone trick you and lead you away."
I'm not a three-year-old child, how could I be tricked and led away so easily!
"That's my line. Mahiru should protect herself better and not be deceived by others." Sora put his phone away and complained.
"I'm just an unpopular member of the Go-Home Club with no friends at school. I'm far inferior to Mahiru."
"That's because they don't understand Sora-kun." Mahiru pursed her pink lips, her voice earnest.
"Sora-kun is calm and composed, someone who can make people feel exceptionally reassured. So please don't underestimate yourself and think you're inferior to others... In my heart, Sora-kun is the most handsome and cute, number one."
Sora: "..."
Oh no.
My heartbeat sped up again.
Suddenly saying something like that, you're playing foul, alright!
A cool breeze quietly blew past.
"Mmm..."
Mahiru's beautiful eyes suddenly widened. She frantically covered the hem of her skirt, shyly lowered her head to look at her toes, her voice bashful:
"Um... does Sora-kun have free time right now?"
"What's wrong?"
Sora asked curiously.
"I saw a convenience store from afar earlier." Mahiru spoke shamefully, her voice weak.
"I want to go to the convenience store for a bit."
Sora quickly understood Angel-sama's underlying meaning:
"Then I'll go with you?"
"Thank you, Sora-kun."
Mahiru quietly breathed a sigh of relief and quickly agreed.
Being in a 'commando' state right now, going to the convenience store alone was super nerve-wracking. But with Sora by her side, she could feel at ease.
Her praise earlier wasn't empty words.
In Mahiru's heart, as long as Sora was by her side, her sense of security was instantly maxed out.
So even though it was super shameful, she still wanted Sora to accompany her to the convenience store.
"I... seem to be getting more and more inseparable from Sora-kun..."
Mahiru looked down at her toes, understanding her feelings even more clearly.
"What is Mahiru going to the convenience store for?"
On the way to the convenience store, Sora asked curiously.
"Um..."
Mahiru looked down at the ground, holding her skirt with both hands. The tips of her ears and her neck were already flushed red. She stammered a quiet answer:
"I'm a bit thirsty... I want to go buy a drink."
Sora casually remarked:
"There are vending machines right next to the restroom, why go to the..."
Halfway through his sentence, Sora quickly realized what was going on.
Going to buy a drink was clearly an excuse.
The reason Angel-sama wanted to go to the convenience store was clearly for another purpose, and an unspeakable one at that.
So... what was the truth?
Sora's gaze turned inquisitive, his eyes lingering slightly on the profile of Angel-sama's face.
Her face is super red... is it because she's shy or ashamed?
Shifting his gaze downwards, Sora quickly discovered another blind spot.
It seems that ever since coming out of the restroom, Mahiru has been constantly holding down her school uniform skirt?
And her walking posture is also a bit strange...
"Could it be...?"
A bold guess quietly surfaced in Sora's mind.
"S-Sora-kun, don't let your imagination run wild!"
Angel-sama seemed to possess telepathy, lowering her head and urging in shame:
"Hurry up, let's go to the convenience store!"
As long as I don't admit it, I can pretend nothing happened!
Mahiru exercised 120% caution, keeping her eyes and ears open to everything around her. As a result, no accidents occurred on the way, and the two arrived safely at the convenience store entrance.
"Phew..."
Looking at the convenience store in front of her, Mahiru quietly breathed a sigh of relief. She involuntarily quickened her pace and walked in front of Sora.
(Just hold on a little longer, we're almost there.)
(The convenience store will definitely have that kind of thing, right?)
(Please...)
Stepping into the convenience store, right at the moment Mahiru's vigilance relaxed, two elementary schoolers happened to be chasing each other and playing as they ran out. Suddenly seeing Mahiru walking in the door, the little girl in front hurriedly braked. As a result, she was bumped into by the elementary schooler behind her, lost her balance, and pitched forward.
"Careful..."
The inherently kind Mahiru naturally couldn't stand by and watch. She instinctively opened her arms and bent down, preparing to catch the falling elementary schooler.
At the same time.
A refreshing, cool breeze happened to blow by, lifting the hem of Angel-sama's skirt and her hair.
Because she had to catch the elementary schooler, Mahiru's reaction was inevitably half a beat too slow.
Sora was standing right behind Mahiru. He happened to see a flash of holy light appear before his eyes. Although it was just a startled glimpse, the impression was exceptionally clear.
"Juju-sama... Strange, why did an unfamiliar name suddenly pop into my head?"
The next second.
The world's pause button was abruptly pressed.
The elementary schooler, about to fall, froze mid-air.
Angel-sama frantically pressed down her skirt with her hands. At the same time, she nervously turned her head, looking at Sora in shame.
"It shouldn't be that coincidental... Y-Your pupils have dilated!"
Looking at Sora's dilated pupils, Mahiru's pretty face instantly flushed red, almost to the point of dripping blood. White steam whistled out from the top of her head.
"I-I was completely seen..."
Faced with such a shameful shock, Angel-sama almost fainted. Her pearly white teeth tightly bit her lower lip. She barely managed to steady her mind, helped the elementary schooler stand upright, and then, with a burning hot face, deactivated Time Stop.
"I'm sorry!"
The two elementary schoolers who almost bumped into her hurriedly bowed and apologized.
"..."
Angel-sama looked down at her toes, already too ashamed to speak.
Sora snapped back to reality, stepped forward, and let the elementary schoolers leave.
The air quickly fell silent.
Sora said in a low voice:
"I didn't see anything just now..."
Liar!
Mahiru bit her lower lip with her pearly white teeth, lifting her eyes resentfully. Her entire pretty face looked like a fully cooked crab. Even with the air separating them, one could intuitively feel the scorching temperature.
Your pupils clearly dilated just now! Explaining now is clearly a case of 'a guilty person gives themselves away by consciously protesting their innocence'!
"I-I'm going to go buy some things. Sora-kun doesn't need to follow me..."
Mahiru quickly looked down at her toes. Her whole body had turned a shameful shade of crimson.
Although I know perfectly well that Sora-kun saw it clearly, at a time like this, I can only barely survive by pretending not to know, right?
Sora subconsciously followed for two steps, feeling a bit worried:
"If you run into elementary schoolers running around again, you might expose yourself again. How about..."
"So Sora-kun really did see everything after all!"