The noise not far away faded quietly, leaving only the warmth on his lips exceptionally distinct.
"...Didn't you say you were catching a bug?"
Feeling the wonderful touch on his lips, Izumi Sora's mood was subtle.
No wonder she suddenly reached out to cover my eyes, it was because she was too embarrassed to be seen.
The problem is, nothing happened, why would she suddenly lean in for a kiss?
Amidst his wandering thoughts, Izumi Sora suddenly felt a certain bashful entity shyly probing. The blood instantly rushed to his head. He decisively reached out, wrapped an arm around Angel-sama's soft, slender waist, and took the initiative.
"Mmm..."
Shiina Mahiru let out a soft, trembling hum and hurriedly closed her eyes in a panic, her neck quickly flushing pink.
This is a park after all, with people coming and going, my sense of shame is directly exploding.
Angel-sama forcibly suppressed her sense of shame and decisively activated her ability...
"Rewind!"
The entire world's pause button was abruptly pressed, and then countless streaks of light began flying backward.
The next second.
Izumi Sora felt the emptiness in his embrace, the soft Mahiru who was shyly shrinking back had also disappeared.
Regretfully opening his eyes, he saw that he had returned to his front door, and not far in front of him was Angel-sama, pushing her bicycle.
But unlike before, Mahiru's pink lips were currently slightly parted, panting slightly, her pretty face covered in a bright, pomegranate-like flush.
Their eyes met.
Shiina Mahiru instantly averted her gaze in shyness.
"You actually rewound time..." Izumi Sora subconsciously wiped the corner of his mouth, looking at the burning-faced Mahiru. "Did the moon just fall out of the sky?"
Shiina Mahiru shyly denied:
"The moon didn't fall."
Izumi Sora: "Then was it a man in black injecting a mysterious drug into a high school student in a corner, shrinking the high schooler into an elementary schooler?"
Shiina Mahiru: "...Conan was injected with the mysterious drug at an amusement park, not a park."
Izumi Sora was shocked: "Mahiru has actually watched 'Detective Conan'?"
"Of course I've watched it." Shiina Mahiru couldn't help but glare affectionately at him. "I'm not a primitive person isolated from the world."
"..."
After a bit of banter, the girl's sense of shame quietly cooled down. Angel-sama covered her chest with her right hand, exhaled softly, and blushing, told the truth:
"The reason for rewinding... is actually because I want to participate in the Tokyo Marathon together with Sora-kun."
Hearing the answer from Mahiru's lips, Izumi Sora raised an eyebrow slightly, somewhat puzzled:
"The registration period for the Tokyo Marathon is a month long, and today is the last day. If Mahiru super wanted to participate, you should have prepared for it long ago, right?"
Without a doubt.
Mahiru wanting to sign up for the Tokyo Marathon was actually a spur-of-the-moment decision.
Since it was a whim, failing the lottery would only bring regret; it wouldn't warrant rewinding time, right?
"Phew..."
Shiina Mahiru took a deep breath and looked up:
"Because there is someone who might participate in the Tokyo Marathon... If I accidentally run into her, I want Sora-kun to be standing by my side no matter what."
The Tokyo Marathon is becoming increasingly popular, and the number of participants has repeatedly hit new highs in recent years, even reaching forty thousand last year.
Running into someone in such a massive crowd is basically like winning the lottery.
But better safe than sorry.
What if I really do run into her?
Even if I don't run into her, being able to participate in a city marathon that only happens once a year with the boy I like is also a beautiful memory worth treasuring for a lifetime.
Izumi Sora didn't ask who 'that woman' was, but directly took out his phone:
"I've felt Mahiru's determination... So, shall we continue to draw lots?"
"It might be a bother to others on the side of the road." Shiina Mahiru pursed her beautiful lips. "Let's go to the small park at the end of the street?"
"Okay."
Izumi Sora nodded, and together with Mahiru, they pushed their bicycles to the small park at the street corner.
The moonlight was serene.
It was only seven or eight o'clock in the evening, but the park was already deserted, leaving only the various chirping sounds of insects echoing one after another.
Izumi Sora parked the bicycle, sat on the swing with Mahiru, and they both took out their phones to start filling in their information.
A moment later.
"Mahiru, I'm done filling it out."
"Sora-kun wait for me, almost done... Okay."
"Ready to draw."
"Three."
"Two..."
"One..."
The two pressed the draw button at the same time, then held their breath and waited.
A few seconds later, notifications popped up on their phones simultaneously.
This time the messages were exactly the same, unfortunately, both were unsuccessful.
"Ugh—"
Shiina Mahiru slightly puffed out her pink cheeks, rarely showing an unhappy expression.
"Both of us failing is actually good news."
Izumi Sora's voice sounded, comforting Mahiru:
"Before, Mahiru passed and I failed. Now it's changed to both of us failing, proving that the lottery results do indeed change randomly."
"In other words, as long as we rewind enough times, we will definitely be able to pass the lottery together."
Shiina Mahiru blinked her bright eyes, nodding gently:
"Sora-kun makes a valid point..."
"There's twenty minutes until the time rewind." Izumi Sora checked his phone. "Are we still going to the lakeside park?"
"Not for now." Shiina Mahiru raised her right hand, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "We'd have to rewind again just as we got to the park. Let's just sit here for a while, and continue drawing after the time rewinds."
"Understood."
Izumi Sora spoke while getting up and walking behind Mahiru.
"Sora-kun, what are you doing?"
Shiina Mahiru curiously turned her head to look.
"A swing has to swing, you don't just sit on it all alone..."
Izumi Sora reached out and gave a gentle push, and the swing immediately began to sway.
"Amazing."
Shiina Mahiru's eyes sparkled brightly, the girl's hair and skirt fluttering together in the wind:
"A swing can actually fly this high?"
Izumi Sora inquired:
"Has no one ever pushed Mahiru on a swing before?"
Shiina Mahiru told the truth: "...No."
"Well, now someone has." Izumi Sora gave another push, sending Angel-sama soaring. "And someone will in the future, too."
"..."
Hearing Izumi Sora's words, the corners of Shiina Mahiru's pink lips curled up gently.
"Thank you, Sora-kun..."
Time flew by in their casual conversation.
Unknowingly, it was time for the rewind node again.
This time, there was no need to do anything, time would rewind naturally.
Izumi Sora only felt countless streaks of light flying past his eyes, and when he snapped back to reality, he was back at his front door.
"Sora-kun..." Shiina Mahiru looked up, her voice expectant. "Let's continue to draw lots."
The result of the third draw was still not ideal.
This time Izumi Sora passed, but Mahiru did not.
"After all, it's a one-in-ten chance, it's very normal not to pass..." Shiina Mahiru exhaled softly, having already calmed her mindset. "Sora-kun, let's take a walk in the park?"
Having swung on the swing just now, Angel-sama now wanted to take a walk in the moonlight.
The walk ended.
Time rewound again.
On the fourth draw, the two still failed to pass together.
Shiina Mahiru was not discouraged. This time, they didn't go to the park, but instead explored a secluded alley they had never been down before together with Izumi Sora.
The fifth draw...
The sixth draw...
It wasn't until the eighth time rewind that the two finally received the winning notification together.
"We finally passed!"
Looking at the two phones placed side by side, Shiina Mahiru's eyes sparkled brightly, and a bright, sweet, happy smile blossomed on her pretty face.
Hard work pays off.
Finally reaching a future where I can participate in the Tokyo Marathon with Sora-kun, I am super happy.
"Finally over." Izumi Sora breathed a sigh of relief, complaining, "If we didn't win this time, we would have explored every rat hole around here."
Shiina Mahiru raised her hand to tuck a stray hair behind her ear, her voice bright and gentle:
"Let's go, let's ride our bikes to the lakeside park. Sora-kun, ride slowly, we absolutely cannot have any accidents on the way, otherwise we'll have to start all over again."
"Yes, yes."
"..."
The journey was silent.
Izumi Sora and Angel-sama rode their bicycles, one behind the other, to the lakeside park.
Parking their bicycles in their usual spot, the two walked to the bench by the lake, sat down, and silently waited for the arrival of the rewind node.
As time slipped away minute by minute, thinking about the kiss later, Shiina Mahiru's heartbeat involuntarily and quietly accelerated.
Even though we've kissed many times, it's still embarrassing, let alone in a park with people coming and going...
Seeing the time reach the final minute, Shiina Mahiru suppressed her shyness, looked up at the boy beside her:
"Sora-kun..."
But just as she spoke, a hand suddenly reached over, covering Shiina Mahiru's eyes.
The next second.
A familiar voice rang in her ears:
"Mahiru, don't move. A bug landed on you, I'll catch it for you."
Shiina Mahiru: "..."
This is clearly what I said!
Thump-thump, thump-thump.
Angel-sama could clearly hear the sound of her accelerating heartbeat.
Before, I could still deceive myself, but now with Sora-kun initiating the kiss, I have no way of deceiving anyone anymore, do I?
Their lips touched.
The familiar, burning hot sensation quietly swept over her. Angel-sama's head felt dizzy, and soon she had no strength left to think. She subconsciously raised her arms, cooperating by embracing Izumi Sora's neck.
After an unknown amount of time, the girl's rapid breathing finally echoed.
"Hah... haah..."
Shiina Mahiru's pretty face was burning hot, her gaze misty, leaning weakly against Izumi Sora's chest.
"I haven't caught the bug yet." Izumi Sora's gaze was burning. "Mahiru, rest for a while, and then let's do it again."
"N-No..."
Shiina Mahiru's pretty face was almost dripping blood, refusing shyly:
"It's already over... we still have to run later."
After resting.
The two quickly began their night run.
Running until 9:00 PM, the two left the park, got on their bicycles, and headed back together.
"Mahiru, see you tomorrow."
"...Goodnight, Sora-kun."
After exchanging goodnights, the two each went home.
"I'm back."
Pushing open the door and entering the house, Izumi Sora's gaze shifted downwards, only to see a silver-haired loli wearing pajamas lying on the floor, resting on a body pillow, motionless.
"Tch~"
Izumi Sora gave a light click of his tongue, unhurriedly changing into his slippers.
The first time he saw Sagiri lying on the floor, his heart almost stopped. Unfortunately, having experienced it so many times, he now felt absolutely nothing.
Izumi Sora stepped forward and half-crouched down:
"Sagiri, don't be afraid. Although I ran five kilometers today and my clothes are soaked with sweat, there's definitely no problem carrying Sagiri back to your room."
"...Idiot Onii-chan!"
Sagiri couldn't help but open her eyes, puffing out her pink cheeks:
"Covered in so much sweat, don't carry me."
Izumi Sora remained expressionless: "You are currently in a coma, you shouldn't be speaking."
"I-I woke up!"
"Whether you've woken up or not should be decided by a doctor."
"Onii-chan isn't a doctor."
"..."
Seeing Izumi Sora open his arms, ready to embrace her, Sagiri hurriedly sat up:
"Onii-chan, hurry up and go take a shower. I'll let you carry me after you've washed."
Izumi Sora remained completely composed, easily dealing with Sagiri, and turned towards the bathroom:
"Then I'll go take a shower."
"..."
After washing up.
Izumi Sora returned to his room and got busy. During this time, Sagiri even knocked thump thump thump on the door, wanting to come in, but unfortunately, she didn't succeed.
Busy until eleven o'clock, Izumi Sora shut down his computer and went to sleep right on time.
The night passed without words.
The next day.
Izumi Sora opened his eyes, awakened by his biological clock, and quickly felt something was wrong.
"My arm is sore... pressure on my thigh... and the smooth feeling from my hand... When did Sagiri sneak in?"
Izumi Sora couldn't resist lifting the covers to look inside:
"I clearly locked the door before going to sleep. How was Sagiri able to open the door and come in?"
As the covers were lifted bit by bit, a flash of radiant blonde hair quickly came into view.
"Not Sagiri?"
Izumi Sora raised an eyebrow in surprise.
He saw a blonde loli lying on her side next to him, her eyes tightly closed, her small face rosy, with a bit of drool glistening at the corner of her lips. She clearly hadn't woken up yet.
Most importantly, the blonde loli clearly didn't have a single piece of fabric on her; there was only dazzling, snow-white skin.
"Elf?"
Izumi Sora recognized the girl in his arms at a glance, and then was completely baffled.
What's going on?
Why did Elf suddenly appear under my covers?
Did she climb through the window last night?
Izumi Sora quickly thought of a possibility: "Wait... could she be experiencing the teleportation side effect like Ruri?"
"That's highly likely."
"But this has happened twice now. Is it a coincidence, or is there some special connection... for example, after experiencing the side effect, they always come to me?"
While he was pondering, Yamada Elf quickly furrowed her small brow and burrowed further into Izumi Sora's embrace like a caterpillar:
"Cold..."
Of course it's cold with the covers lifted!
"Elf, hurry up and get up."
Izumi Sora decided to figure out what was going on. He couldn't just keep sleeping without knowing what was happening.
"Mmm..."
Yamada Elf's eyelashes trembled gently. She groggily opened her eyes, stared blankly at Izumi Sora, and then closed her eyes again.
"Dreaming of Servant again..."
Hey, hey, what do you mean 'dreaming of again'?
Are you saying you dream of me often?
Elf's small hand fumbled, reaching inside Izumi Sora's pajamas:
"Idiot Servant... hurry up and serve me..."
What do you mean serve?
What kind of weird dream are you having!
Just as Izumi Sora was about to pull Elf's small hand out, a notification line suddenly popped up before his eyes:
[Congratulations, you have copied the ability 'Invisibility'.]
[Your current daily invisibility duration is ten minutes.]
[Please continue to increase intimacy, or improve physical constitution, and the invisibility duration will be additionally extended.]