"Eh, isn't that girl on the field Anna?"
"It is Anna."
"Didn't she say her stomach hurt? She actually sneaked off to deliver drinks."
"She's definitely jealous, right?"
"Fight! Fight!"
"..."
In the stands, seeing Anna suddenly appear at the finish line, the cheerleading girls excitedly gossiped. Unfortunately, their phones weren't on them, otherwise, they would definitely be snapping photos non-stop.
"Good job on the race, Sora, want a drink?"
Anna smiled radiantly, extending her right hand straight out to offer the drink to Sora.
Her words sounded like a question, but her eyes clearly brooked no refusal.
Sora is so mean!
If you dare not take the drink, I'll get angry!
"I'm sorry, Anna. The student who was supposed to participate in the three-legged race ate something bad and went to the restroom, so he couldn't participate in the race..."
Angel-sama spoke apologetically, softly explaining the situation.
"Ahem, no wonder Mahiru-chan and Sora competed together."
Anna coughed lightly twice, her tone quietly softening.
'Inmate Eight' wasn't an unreasonable person; in fact, she was quite understanding. As long as there was a valid and proper reason, she naturally wouldn't dwell on it.
Of course, she would still be jealous.
If life could start over, Anna definitely would have taken Mahiru's place.
"Thank you, Anna, I am indeed a bit thirsty."
Sora's expression remained normal as he reached out to take Anna's drink.
Guilty conscience?
He contributed to the team's victory; there was absolutely no reason to feel guilty.
However, the next second.
A blonde loli suddenly burst in, her voice crisp, holding a drink in her hand as well. It was exactly Elf, who never minded a little extra excitement:
"Sora, Sora~ Here's a bottle of salty soda for you."
Two sports drinks, their surfaces beaded with cool condensation, were offered to Sora simultaneously.
One on the left, one on the right.
From two snow-white, slender, equally beautiful small hands.
Combined with Angel-sama standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Sora, who hadn't even untied the rope immediately after the race ended, Sora instantly became the focal point of the entire field's attention.
The second team, panting heavily as they crossed the finish line behind them, was completely forgotten in the corner.
"Whoa~~~~"
After a brief silence, a roar of jeering erupted, quickly sweeping across the entire sports field.
Regardless of gender, as long as they are human, everyone has a natural inclination for gossip.
And without a doubt, Sora, surrounded by three cute girls, was a perfectly ripe, juicy piece of gossip.
"Besides Anna, there's actually another girl delivering water?"
"It's the transfer student, Yamada-san!"
"I didn't expect Izumi-kun to be surprisingly popular."
"They say childhood friends always lose to a new girl falling from the sky. I feel like Anna is in danger."
"..."
The girls' gazes were mostly excited gossip, while the boys' gazes were full of resentment, brimming with envy, jealousy, and hatred.
"Not only did he team up with Angel-sama for the race, but he even has two cute, beautiful girls delivering water. Did Izumi-kun save the world in his past life?"
"Normies should just explode already!"
"Damn winner in life! I curse you to bite your tongue every time you eat, have it rain every time you go out, and have your phone battery always stuck at one percent!!!"
"..."
Feeling the gossiping gazes from all directions, Sora felt his scalp tingle slightly. Even with his thick skin, it was a bit hard to withstand.
Hearing the jeers, Mahiru and Anna's pretty faces flushed completely red.
Only Elf tilted her small head in confusion, her face full of curiosity:
"Why did everyone suddenly get so excited?"
Why?
Because the gossip is just too juicy, of course!
He originally thought Elf was being malicious, delivering the drink specifically to cause trouble. Now it was clear she simply couldn't read the room!
Sora had absolutely no desire to become the subject of gossip. He took a deep breath and decisively reached out with both hands, taking the drinks from Elf and Anna:
"Thank you for the drinks."
The key was to be impartial and treat everyone equally, otherwise the gossiping crowd would definitely get even more excited.
"Hmph~"
Yamada Elf crossed her arms over her chest, proudly lifting her chin:
"I'll reluctantly accept Idiot Sora's thanks... Hurry up and take a sip, that's my favorite lemon-flavored salty soda."
"I'll drink it later, I'm suddenly not thirsty anymore."
Sora remained expressionless.
You must be joking.
He could take the drinks together, but he definitely couldn't drink them together.
Who's drink to drink first, whose to drink second? A different order might equally spark a crisis.
Sora quickly turned his head and looked at Angel-sama, whose pretty face was flushed from the jeering:
"Mahiru, untie the rope, then let's go rest."
"Eh?"
Angel-sama looked down and only then realized the rope was still tied. She hurriedly crouched down halfway and quickly untied the rope connecting their legs.
While untying the rope, Mahiru happened to notice a bit of sand on Sora's shorts. As an Angel-sama who always valued cleanliness, she subconsciously reached out and brushed the sand off.
The deafening jeers erupted again, almost overturning the entire sports field.
"What did Angel-sama just do?"
"She actually helped brush the dust off that guy's shorts?"
"I thought they were just temporarily teamed up for the three-legged race?"
"Damn it! Mahiru-san's actions just now were way too natural!"
"..."
With Anna and Elf delivering water, everyone could still comfort themselves.
After all, Sora was 'Inmate Eight's' childhood friend, so delivering water wasn't unusual.
When Elf transferred, she immediately swapped seats with someone, making it clear she transferred for Sora.
But Mahiru was different.
The usually low-profile Angel-sama seemed gentle to everyone, but in reality, while she was fine with girls, she kept a distance from all boys. Now, she actually took the initiative to brush the dust off a boy's clothes...
You say they were a temporary team?
Temporary teammates wouldn't go this far!
So... does the flawless, pure Angel-sama also have an unclear relationship with Izumi Sora?
Many boys on the sports field had a mental breakdown, filled with resentment.
We agreed to be single dogs together, but you end up having a full Manchu-Han Imperial Feast. It's a crime deserving a thousand deaths!
"Sorry, Sora-kun, I saw sand on your shorts just now..."
Angel-sama's pretty face was flushed red, explaining in a low voice.
"I'm leaving first." Hearing the various jeers, Anna indicated she couldn't handle it anymore. "The cheerleading squad has another performance later. Excuse me."
Sora lowered his voice, also preparing to slip away:
"Mahiru, Elf, let's go."
"..."
Meanwhile.
In a corner.
Watching Anna and Elf proactively delivering drinks, Kuroneko, hiding in the corner, pursed her pink lips, a hint of envy flashing in her eyes.
If it were me...
Kuroneko quietly gripped the drink bottle in her hand tightly:
"I can't do it, I absolutely couldn't do it, could I?"
For someone who is shy around strangers, delivering a drink to a boy in front of a crowd was a super terrifying thought.
In front of acquaintances, Gokou Ruri was the great Fallen Angel Holy Black Cat, but in front of strangers, she was actually very shy.
"But if I don't do anything, it feels like I'm completely admitting defeat... No! I won't admit defeat!"