"I'm heading out."
Izumi Sora said his goodbyes to Sagiri and pushed the door open to leave.
Stepping outside.
The door next door happened to open.
Angel-sama stepped out. She wore a set of white running gear, her beautiful hair tied into two slender braids, and a white visor on her head. Under the sunlight, Mahiru's skin was as white as snow, practically glowing.
She didn't need makeup; the youthful aura radiating from the girl was the best cosmetic.
Their eyes met.
Shiina Mahiru's lips curved up slightly, her smile clean and sweet:
"Sora-kun, good morning."
"Good morning."
Izumi Sora stepped to Mahiru's side:
"How did you rest last night?"
Angel-sama replied softly:
"Very well. I didn't even dream, and when I opened my eyes, it was already six o'clock."
"Next, let's set a small goal." Izumi Sora was completely serious. "For example, let's break the world record together."
Shiina Mahiru glared affectionately:
"That's definitely impossible. Just being able to finish the whole race will make me fully satisfied."
"As long as there's enough motivation, anyone can break through their limits." Izumi Sora chatted with Mahiru while walking to the train station. "In a mountain bike race overseas, a little-known competitor not only won the championship but even broke the world record in one fell swoop."
"The judges suspected he cheated, so they pulled the surveillance footage, only to find that while the cyclist was riding through the woods, a grizzly bear was chasing him."
Shiina Mahiru pursed her beautiful lips, softly complaining:
"The Tokyo Marathon is in the city, there won't be any grizzly bears. And that was clearly pressure, not motivation."
"There's no need to make such a clear distinction between pressure and motivation." Izumi Sora's gaze was burning. "As long as Mahiru gives me ten lap pillow vouchers, I can definitely finish the whole race."
Shiina Mahiru's pretty face flushed slightly, and she glared affectionately:
"Ten is too many."
"Then nine."
"Please go away, Sora-kun is too greedy."
"..."
Talking all the way, the two quickly arrived at the train station, and then took the train to the starting point of the race, the Tokyo International Exhibition Center.
Upon arrival, the venue was already packed with people, incredibly lively. There was even a symphony orchestra performing.
"There really are a lot of people."
Shiina Mahiru softly sighed.
"Participants from over fifty countries, a full forty thousand people. As expected, when the number of people exceeds ten thousand, it's a sea of humanity."
While marveling, Izumi Sora looked around.
Various participants caught his eye.
There were ordinary people in strange costumes, like an energetic guy cosplaying Minato Namikaze in a Fourth Hokage cloak, a bald Saitama in a cape from One Punch Man, and many foreigners who clearly looked like professional athletes.
Coupled with the on-site staff and volunteers, although it wasn't quite shoulder-to-shoulder, it was close.
"Heroes of the world are as numerous as carp crossing the river..."
Halfway through speaking, a different image suddenly appeared in Izumi Sora's mind:
"By the way, if a Resident Evil outbreak suddenly happened right now, absolutely no one here would be able to escape, right?"
Poke—
Shiina Mahiru extended a slender finger and gently poked Izumi Sora's waist:
"Sora-kun, don't jinx it."
"Yes, yes."
Shiina Mahiru took out her phone. Her pretty face flushed slightly as she looked up shyly:
"Participating in the Tokyo Marathon for the first time feels like a very memorable event... Shall we take a few photos?"
Izumi Sora nodded: "Let's take a group photo first, then a few solo shots."
"Okay." Shiina Mahiru raised her phone. "Sora-kun, look up."
Click.
The photo was captured.
Looking at the two standing shoulder-to-shoulder in the photo, Shiina Mahiru's pink lips curled up slightly. She decided to carefully save and back it up when she got back to ensure it would never be lost.
They took a few group photos, and then took solo photos of each other.
"Sora-kun is getting better and better at taking photos."
Looking at herself standing against the light in the photo, Shiina Mahiru's eyes sparkled.
"My photography skills haven't improved." Izumi Sora told the truth. "It's clearly because Mahiru is super cute today."
"C-Cute or whatever..."
Shiina Mahiru's pretty face flushed slightly. She quickly put away her phone and averted her face:
"Sora-kun, let's go store our things first."
"Let's go."
"..."
Under the guidance of the staff, the two quickly headed to the designated area.
Just as they started lining up, his phone happened to vibrate.
Izumi Sora took out his phone; it was a message from Yanami:
"Sora, are you awake yet?"
Izumi Sora: "Already at the exhibition center."
Yanami: "Actually that early? The race starts at 9:00 AM, right?"
Izumi Sora: "Still need to pick up gear, store things, go to the starting point. The place is already packed to the brim with people."
Yanami: "Sounds so exhausting. Good luck, Sora. I'll wait for you at the finish line."
"..."
Besides 'Inmate Eight', neither Kuroneko nor Elf had sent a message. Clearly, they hadn't woken up yet.
"Sora-kun."
Angel-sama's soft call suddenly came from in front of him.
"What's wrong?"
Izumi Sora looked up at Mahiru.
"I just saw a list of precautions posted by a runner on my phone..."
Shiina Mahiru looked up, her pretty face slightly red:
"Sora-kun, did you prepare any band-aids?"
"What do I need those for?" Izumi Sora was confused. "To put on my heels?"
"Not for your heels, it's for..."
Shiina Mahiru parted her pink lips, the blush on her pretty face deepening, clearly a bit embarrassed to say it out loud. She directly handed her phone over:
"Sora-kun, look for yourself."
Izumi Sora curiously looked at the phone. It was an experience post with pictures. The runner inside was wearing a white shirt, but the chest area was soaked with blood, staining the shirt red.
"Why is he bleeding?"
As his gaze fell on the text, the corner of Izumi Sora's eye twitched slightly.
It turned out that while running a marathon, the shirt and chest constantly rub against each other, potentially causing chafing and bleeding?
That amount of blood is a bit exaggerated, isn't it!
Izumi Sora curiously checked the comments below and found it wasn't an exaggeration; it was actually a real thing.
In every marathon event, there are runners who chafe their chests, resulting in blood-stained shirts...
Izumi Sora's gaze shifted to Angel-sama.
Mahiru was wearing a fitted sports shirt today to reduce air resistance; she might also be in danger.
"Sora-kun, you don't need to worry about me." Noticing Izumi Sora's gaze, Shiina Mahiru's pretty face flushed. She quickly raised her hand to cover her chest. "Girls all wear sports bras. Only... only boys bleed there..."
A sport where girls are perfectly fine and only boys suffer and bleed, that sounds way too terrible!
"Since we haven't stored our things yet, let's go buy band-aids, okay?"
Shiina Mahiru exhaled softly, shyly suggesting.
"It should be fine." Izumi Sora looked around. "It seems a lot of people didn't prepare band-aids."
"Better safe than sorry." Shiina Mahiru insisted. "Chafing will definitely be very painful, and there might even be a risk of infection... Anyway, we still have time, let's go quickly and come right back."
"Alright."
"..."
The two left the line and headed to a convenience store.
After explaining what they needed, the convenience store clerk smiled and brought out circular patches, thoughtfully explaining:
"Ordinary band-aids don't work well. You'll sweat a lot during the run, and they'll fall off quickly once you sweat. I recommend buying these sports nipple covers specifically for men. A lot of runners came to buy them just now."
Izumi Sora: "..."
There are actually sports nipple covers specifically for men?
This is a very niche market!
Hearing this, Shiina Mahiru looked up, signaling with her eyes:
See, I told you a lot of people would buy them.
"Thanks to Mahiru-sama, otherwise today would have been my bleeding day."
Izumi Sora muttered a complaint while paying.
The female clerk continued to smile and recommend:
"There's also this running Vaseline. Applying it to the inner thighs, chest, and armpits can effectively prevent friction between the skin and clothing, protecting the body. Would you two like to buy one?"
Izumi Sora and Mahiru exchanged a glance, then nodded silently.
Since they were already here.
Buying one wasn't expensive.
"Give us two bottles," Izumi Sora said.
"One bottle is enough." The female clerk smiled and explained. "You two must be a couple, sharing one bottle is enough."
"C-Couple or whatever..."
Angel-sama's pretty face instantly flushed crimson, her gaze wandering, not daring to look at anyone.
Izumi Sora turned his head, looking at Mahiru's crimson earlobes, and lowered his voice:
"What do you say, Mahiru?"
"Umm..." Angel-sama stammered. "Let's just buy one bottle... If we buy too much, we won't use it all."
"Understood."
Izumi Sora naturally agreed. He paid for a bottle of Vaseline, and then went to the restroom with Mahiru.
"Do you need my help?"
Izumi Sora raised his hand and asked.
"I don't need it." Shiina Mahiru flatly refused. With a blushing face, she glared affectionately. "Sora-kun, wait for me at the door, don't wander off."
"..."
A moment later.
The restroom door quietly opened, and Mahiru stepped out.
"Here..."
Handing over the Vaseline, Shiina Mahiru's face was slightly red:
"Sora-kun, go inside and apply it. And... don't forget to use the nipple covers."
Izumi Sora sniffed the air, subconsciously saying:
"Smells so nice."
"It's the smell of the Vaseline..."
Angel-sama's face flushed red, and she quickly took a half-step back:
"Sora-kun, hurry up and go inside, time is tight."
"Yes, yes."
After applying the sports patches and the Vaseline, Izumi Sora and Mahiru reunited, then went to store their personal belongings.
After storing their jackets and bags and writing down their personal information, the two spent a few more minutes picking up their race bibs and timing chips. Then, guided by the staff, they headed to the starting area.
This year's Tokyo Marathon had forty thousand participants, so of course, they couldn't all be crowded into one starting area. In fact, there were four starting areas. Professional athletes and those with marathon experience were in the front starting areas, while ordinary people were in the starting areas that set off later.
Both Izumi Sora and Mahiru were 'amateurs' who had never participated in a marathon before, so they were assigned to the same starting area in the back.
Of course, starting later didn't matter; the race was based on the final chip time.
"Sora-kun, let's go warm up first?"
Shiina Mahiru looked up.
Izumi Sora nodded: "Let's go take a look at the plaza."
The two left the exhibition center and went to the outdoor plaza. Participants were warming up everywhere. They finally found a relatively quiet corner and began their warm-up exercises.
A moment later.
"It's about time." Izumi Sora exhaled softly. "One last trip to the restroom, and then we can head to the starting area."
"Okay."
The two went to the restrooms separately. After coming out, they reunited and headed to the starting area.
Because it was the starting area that set off later, the main focus for the participants was participation and enjoying the carnival atmosphere. The final result was the least important thing. At first glance, it looked like they had entered an anime convention. Various cosplayers came into view, and some people were even holding selfie sticks to live stream.
Izumi Sora swept his gaze across and saw several burly men wearing bunny girl and maid outfits. The sight was too painful to look at.
Not far away, a squad of Uma Musume cosplayers made up of several girls was quite pleasing to the eye. Their long, white legs were exceptionally dazzling...
"Sora-kun, aren't those girls very cute?"
A faint voice suddenly entered his ear.
Izumi Sora turned his head and saw Mahiru's pink cheeks slightly puffed out. She was clearly jealous.
"Actually, I have a secret that I've never told anyone." Izumi Sora's expression remained unchanged. "Now I can only tell Mahiru."
"Eh?"
Mahiru blinked, her voice curious:
"What secret?"
Izumi Sora lowered his voice: "Actually, I suffer from prosopagnosia (face blindness). I can't tell if those girls are cute or not."
Shiina Mahiru: "..."
Liar! I've never heard of you having prosopagnosia!
Izumi Sora said seriously:
"Actually, I was just thinking about something."
"...What is it?"
Shiina Mahiru's ears twitched slightly, unable to resist looking over curiously.
Izumi Sora said softly:
"Those Uma Musume uniforms look very exquisite. If Mahiru wore one, it would definitely be very cute."
Shiina Mahiru's pretty face flushed slightly: "I-I don't want to wear that kind of uniform..."
"But you've even worn a nurse uniform."
"T-That was an accident! Sora-kun, hurry up and forget it!"
"I can't forget it, I won't forget it for the rest of my life."
"..."
Amidst their banter, the broadcast suddenly sounded over the loudspeakers:
"Participants in Block D, please get ready. The Tokyo Marathon will officially begin in ten minutes."
"Once in position, please be sure to check your bib and timing chip. If discarded, you will not receive a race result..."
As the broadcast echoed, Shiina Mahiru became slightly nervous:
"Sora-kun, let's check each other."
"Okay."
Izumi Sora and Mahiru stood together, helping to check each other's bibs and timing chips. After confirming there were no problems, they quietly waited for the official start of the race.
Time ticked away, minute by minute, second by second.
The broadcast soon sounded again:
"Please get ready. The race is about to start. The countdown begins now..."
"Ten..."
"Nine..."
"Eight..."
The noisy participants had quieted down. Now, they were counting down together. Being in the midst of it, one could clearly feel the magical sensation of ten thousand voices speaking as one.
The countdown ended.
The entire plaza suddenly fell completely silent.
"Phew..."
Shiina Mahiru took a deep breath and turned to look at Izumi Sora.
Izumi Sora looked over simultaneously.
Their eyes met.
Everything was understood without words.
Bang—
The starting pistol suddenly fired, and everyone started running.
Izumi Sora and Mahiru stood together, maintaining the same breathing and stride frequency, and set off.
Following the crowd, the two turned right, left the exhibition center, and entered the streets.
The entire street had been cleared, but it wasn't deserted because the route was lined with spectators cheering non-stop. It could be described as incredibly lively.
In the beginning, everyone could still run together. Unfortunately, before even reaching a kilometer, the formation began to lose its shape. Many people who were just there to participate and rarely exercised were already panting heavily.
Izumi Sora and Mahiru were in the middle of the pack. Maintaining a synchronized speed and frequency, they began overtaking those around them.
Yellow Flash?
Sorry, you're too slow.
Caped Baldy?
Not worth mentioning, completely incapable of providing a satisfying run.
Uma Musume?
An Uma Musume who can't enter the Zone isn't even qualified to attend the banquet.
One cosplaying participant after another was overtaken by the two. When they reached around the five-kilometer mark, Izumi Sora suddenly felt the field of vision ahead clear up.
As far as the eye could see, there were no more participants in front of them. There were only empty streets and cheering pedestrians on both sides.
"Eh?"
Shiina Mahiru blinked and quickly realized what had happened.
Unknowingly, they had overtaken everyone around them and reached the very front.
"Do your best!"
The cheers from the roadside were exceptionally enthusiastic, and various gossiping voices reached their ears.
"That girl is super cute."
"The boy is also very handsome."
"Their running strides are exactly the same. They seem so in sync, they must be a couple, right?"
"Definitely. Look at their sneakers, they're clearly the same style."
"..."
Hearing the discussions around her, Shiina Mahiru's pretty face flushed slightly. She tried hard to dispel distracting thoughts and maintain her breathing rhythm.
Meanwhile.
As the two stood out from the crowd, the Tokyo Marathon cameraman quickly pointed the live stream lens at them.
As a cameraman, he knew very well what people wanted to see. He simply rode a hoverboard and started tracking them.
Today was the weekend, and many people were resting at home. The Tokyo Marathon is also a relatively popular event. Soon, gossiping classmates discovered the two in the live stream.
"Is that Izumi-kun and Angel-sama?"
"They're actually participating in the Tokyo Marathon together?"
"Angel-sama is super cute today."
"Damn Izumi, get out of the way, let me do it."
"..."
The first gossiping classmate to discover the live stream quickly shared the gossip with their friends. And so, one passed it to two, two passed it to four, and the heat of the gossip rapidly skyrocketed.
Meanwhile.
Yanami Anna had finished washing up and was eating bread in the living room.
"After eating, I'll do my makeup first, and then go to the finish line to wait for Sora..."
Forty-two kilometers, it would take at least over two hours to finish even at the fastest pace. So Yanami wasn't in a hurry at all.
Buzz buzz buzz.
Her phone suddenly vibrated.
"Eh, Rinko-chan?"
Yanami picked up her phone and saw it was a call from her friend.
"Is she asking me to go shopping?"
"No."
"Calling so suddenly, it must be something more urgent..."
Yanami curiously answered the call:
"Moshi moshi (Hello)?"
A crisp girl's voice quickly came from the phone, full of excited gossip:
"Anna, your base got stolen again, again, again!"