Anyone who has run long distances knows that you shouldn't stop immediately after crossing the finish line, otherwise it can be harmful to the body.
Izumi Sora and Mahiru crossed the finish line and continued walking forward for a hundred meters before volunteers came up to offer them bath towels.
"Thank you."
Izumi Sora thanked them politely. He reached out to take the towels, draping one over Mahiru first before wrapping himself in one.
Following the line of finishers, they continued walking. Fifty meters later, more volunteers approached and placed finisher medals around their necks.
The material of the medals was ordinary, but their significance was extraordinary, worth treasuring for a lifetime.
Walking another one or two hundred meters, they entered the exhibition center. Right at the entrance was a soothing spray sponsor's booth, and next to it was a free massage and relaxation area.
"Hello there, handsome. Would you like a massage?"
As they passed by the massage area, a pretty girl in her twenties looked over with a smile.
"A massage?"
Izumi Sora was slightly tempted and turned to look at Mahiru beside him.
He saw a flawless, impeccable smile on Angel-sama's pretty face. Unfortunately, one look was enough to tell it was clearly a standard social smile. She gently pulled Izumi Sora's hem with her hand, her voice gentle:
"Thank you, I'll give him a massage when we get back."
Izumi Sora: "..."
Is she jealous?
Although the smile is very appropriate, she's clearly being territorial!
When facing Yanami and Elf, Mahiru was relatively restrained. But faced with the threat of a stranger, her little jealous nature could no longer be hidden.
"Sora-kun, let's hurry up and go."
Shiina Mahiru looked up, tugging lightly at Izumi Sora's hem.
"Okay."
Izumi Sora agreed straightforwardly.
As the two left the massage area, Izumi Sora lowered his voice:
"Mahiru just said you'd give me a massage when we got back?"
Shiina Mahiru averted her pretty face, the roots of her ears turning slightly red:
"I-I didn't say anything like that..."
"I ran such a long way today, my legs are definitely going to cramp tonight." Izumi Sora's tone was pitiful. "If Mahiru doesn't help me, it's definitely going to be super painful tonight, right?"
Shiina Mahiru's eyelashes trembled gently:
"Sora-kun can just ask Yanami for that kind of thing, right?"
"Yanami's hands are too strong."
"Then go ask Elf."
"Elf won't do, she doesn't have enough strength. She wouldn't even last a minute giving a massage."
"There's also Ruri-chan..."
Just as Shiina Mahiru was about to speak, her gaze swept across the rest area not far away, and her steps suddenly halted.
Izumi Sora followed her gaze and saw Shiina Sayo sitting on a rest bench, drinking something while taking a break.
Their eyes met.
Shiina Mahiru subconsciously turned her face away.
Taking this in, Izumi Sora simply strode over:
"Let's go, it's time to fulfill the bet."
"..."
Shiina Mahiru parted her pink lips, took a deep breath, and silently followed.
"Auntie, it's currently 11:50."
Izumi Sora stopped in front of Shiina Sayo, his expression neither humble nor arrogant:
"According to the agreement, we won. So please honor the bet, take back your previous words, and apologize to Mahiru."
Shiina Sayo put down her drink, crossed her arms over her chest. Her gaze lingered slightly on Mahiru's right foot, her voice cold:
"Your foot is injured, isn't it?"
Shiina Mahiru bit her lower lip with her pearly white teeth. She didn't deny it, telling the truth:
"...That's right."
Shiina Sayo's tone was cold, completely unlike a mother caring for her daughter, even worse than a passing stranger:
"The first time I participated in the Tokyo Marathon, my foot was injured due to the same situation. But we are different. At that time, another runner spilled water on my shoe, not because I was useless... So, even though you were injured, why were you able to reach the finish line within the specified time?"
She didn't use a single word to say Mahiru cheated, but reading between the lines, it was clearly full of suspicion and distrust.
Izumi Sora frowned. Just as he was about to speak, his right hand was suddenly gripped tightly by someone.
"Because Mom participated in the Tokyo Marathon alone back then."
Shiina Mahiru took a half-step forward, tightly grasping Izumi Sora's right hand. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Izumi Sora, she looked up, meeting her mother's eyes directly:
"I am different from Mom. Sora-kun has always stayed by my side, never leaving or abandoning me. I am no longer alone."
"..."
Shiina Sayo gently raised a delicate eyebrow, a hint of surprise appearing on her face.
"You reached the finish line within the specified time, so you won. I take back my previous words."
After a brief silence of two seconds, Shiina Sayo stood up. She didn't go back on her word; it seemed she was a rather proud person.
Turning and taking two steps, Shiina Sayo paused slightly, looking over sideways, her expression seeming somewhat hesitant:
"Mahiru..."
The woman slightly lowered her voice:
"I'm sorry."
"..."
Shiina Mahiru originally thought she had mentally prepared herself, that no matter what her mother said, she would be able to steady her mind. But after her mother said "I'm sorry," surging emotions still swept over her like a tidal wave, quickly swallowing and drowning her.
Her nose tingled.
Mist welled up in her eyes.
Her vision rapidly became blurry.
Just as Mahiru was about to break down, Izumi Sora's voice sounded softly:
"Do you want me to go catch Auntie and bring her back so she can say sorry a few more times?"
"..."
The sour emotions in the girl's heart were instantly diluted. Shiina Mahiru looked up, teary-eyed:
"I don't want that... That kind of thing definitely wouldn't work, right?"
Izumi Sora lowered his voice:
"As long as we aren't discovered, it doesn't count as illegal imprisonment."
"That's even more excessive!"
Izumi Sora reached out his right hand and rubbed Mahiru's small head:
"Since you're fine, let's go back."
"W-Wait a minute..."
Mahiru clenched her right hand into a fist, quietly covering her chest.
"What's wrong?"
Izumi Sora looked over curiously.
The next second.
Angel-sama suddenly stood on her tiptoes and kissed him.
A soft, moist sensation came from his cheek, touching briefly before parting.
This time she didn't cover his eyes, nor did she need to find an excuse to deceive herself. Shiina Mahiru no longer had any confusion in her heart.
Like.
I like Sora-kun.
Anyway, I super wanted to kiss him.
Shiina Mahiru quickly took a half-step back. Her pretty face flushed crimson. She raised her hand to gently tuck a lock of hair behind her ear, her eyes bright and tender:
"Thank you, Sora-kun."
"..."
Not far away in the runners' passage.
Shiina Sayo stopped in her tracks, looking back at Mahiru's little action. A complex expression appeared on her face, and then she quietly turned and left.
"Let's go find the medical staff first to treat your right foot, and then go pick up our backpacks and personal items." Izumi Sora reached out his right hand, taking Mahiru's soft hand, planning their next actions. "After we're done, we'll go out and meet up with Yanami and the others."
The exhibition center was currently under restricted access; non-participants were not allowed inside. So Yanami, Elf, and Kuroneko were all waiting outside.
"Okay."
Shiina Mahiru's lips curled up slightly, gently agreeing.
Although her right foot was still stinging, her mood remained incredibly joyful.
There's no need to elaborate on what happened next.
Izumi Sora led Mahiru to the medical staff service desk. A female nurse came over to help treat the wound on Mahiru's right foot.
When Shiina Mahiru took off her shoe and sock, the soles and toes of her foot were scraped raw, making people frown. Fortunately, the problem wasn't serious. It just meant she needed to rest properly for the next period of time and couldn't run.
After treating the injury on her foot, under the guidance of a volunteer, Izumi Sora and Mahiru quickly retrieved their respective backpacks and left the International Exhibition Center.
"Sora~"
"Mahiru-chan~"
"We're over here!"
The girls' crisp, bright shouts reached their ears.
Seeing the two come out, the three girls standing not far away quickly ran over.
Reuniting successfully, everyone was very happy.
At Yanami's suggestion, everyone took many photos together to keep as souvenirs.
"Sora, move away." Yanami's gaze shifted as she squeezed in, using her elbow to push Izumi Sora away, supporting Shiina Mahiru's arm, and said seriously, "You're so strong, you might pinch Mahiru and hurt her. I'll support Mahiru."
Izumi Sora silently stepped aside: "Then I'll leave it to Lord Yanami."
"Mhm~"
Izumi Sora took out his phone, checked the time, sent a message to Sagiri to let her know he was safe, and then suggested:
"There's a BBQ restaurant not far from here. I reserved a table yesterday. How about we go eat BBQ together?"
Although there were plenty of supplies during the final stretch of the race, they were mostly fruits, yogurt, and similar things. Right now, only BBQ could satisfy their cravings.
"Okay!"
Yanami's eyes lit up, hurriedly agreeing.
"I'm so thirsty, let's get something to drink first?"
Yamada Elf put her hands on her hips, her forehead sweating slightly, panting a little:
"Running all the way here was exhausting."
Hearing this, Izumi Sora looked over: "Elf really ran all the way here?"
"O-Of course!"
Yamada Elf guiltily averted her small face:
"I was running alongside you guys the whole way."
Izumi Sora lowered his voice:
"People who lie won't grow tall..."
Thump!
Elf huffed angrily, clenching her pink fists, and pounded her small fists on Izumi Sora's knee:
"Idiot Sora, I'll definitely be as tall as my mom in the future!"
"..."
Bantering and joking, the group walked into a coffee shop not far away.
"Eh, that coffee looks so pretty. I want to buy the same one and take a picture for social media."
Yanami Anna's eyes lit up, looking towards a table not far away. On the table was a cup of latte art coffee. The shop's staff were very skilled; the surface of the coffee impressively featured Van Gogh's famous painting "The Starry Night".
"I hope it's not Indian Yellow..."
Looking at the latte art coffee, Izumi Sora couldn't resist muttering a complaint.
"Eh?" Yanami had very sensitive ears. She heard Izumi Sora's muttered complaint and turned her head to look curiously. "What's Indian Yellow?"
Izumi Sora averted his gaze: "Yanami misheard."
"I definitely didn't mishear." Yanami Anna put her hands on her hips, widened her eyes, and leaned forward, possessed by a master detective. "Sora doesn't dare to look me in the eye, there's definitely something wrong. Hurry up and tell me what it is."
Izumi Sora looked at 'Inmate Eight': "Are you sure you want to hear it?"
"Hurry up, hurry up."
"Alright." Izumi Sora began to explain. "Stable yellow pigments in nature are very rare. In the 15th century, India invented a stable, bright yellow pigment called 'Indian Yellow', which was once popular all over Europe. Many works used it, such as Van Gogh's 'The Starry Night' and 'Girl with a Pearl Earring', both used Indian Yellow."
"But the so-called Indian Yellow is not a mineral or plant powder found in nature. The raw material is actually cow urine, the powder left after boiling cow urine over a low fire..."
"Sora, stop talking." The smile on Yanami Anna's face had frozen. She crossed her arms over her chest and stepped back. "It sounds so disgusting."
"Of course, it definitely won't be cow urine now." Izumi Sora looked innocent. "Drinking a cup of Van Gogh's coffee is definitely fine."
Yanami's gaze was resentful, unable to resist complaining:
"How am I supposed to drink it now!"
While they were talking, Elf's shocked voice rang out:
"Ehhhhh, what is that?!"
Izumi Sora, Yanami, and Mahiru looked over curiously, only to see Elf and Kuroneko standing in front of a bulletin board, their expressions exceptionally horrified.
Their gazes shifted to the bulletin board, which displayed the new recommendation for today:
[Cockroach Coffee Officially Launched, Braves Welcome to Challenge]
[This coffee uses natural cockroach powder, purchased from a specialized company, natural and pollution-free, please enjoy with peace of mind]
After reading the content clearly, Izumi Sora was instantly silenced. Mahiru also showed a complicated, shocked expression.
Using cockroach powder to brew coffee?
This is too underworld (creepy/disgusting)!
What kind of fearless brave would challenge this kind of dark cuisine!
"I read 'Cooking Master Boy' before and thought the dumpling macaroni gratin was already disturbing enough, but I didn't expect there was always a higher mountain." Izumi Sora couldn't help but complain. "Will anyone actually drink this stuff?"
"Actually, it's not that bad..." Yanami's weak voice sounded nearby. "Since it's a new product launched by the shop, it definitely won't have any health issues. And I heard cockroaches can also be used in medicine."
Izumi Sora: "..."
Shiina Mahiru: "..."
As expected of the gluttonous 'Inmate Eight', her diet is terrifyingly broad.
"I-I'm just saying." Yanami coughed lightly twice. "I didn't say I wanted to drink it!"
You say you didn't, but you're clearly tempted!
While they were talking, Elf and Kuroneko fled over, covering their mouths:
"Not drinking it, not drinking it, let's hurry up and leave, find another shop."
"..."
The group left the coffee shop, found a milk tea shop, bought a few normal fruit milk teas, and after finishing them, headed to the BBQ restaurant.
After happily finishing the BBQ, Elf's gaze shifted, looking towards Izumi Sora:
"It's so far to go back, how about we teleport back?"
Izumi Sora glanced at Elf, immediately seeing through her little scheme; she clearly wanted to play a prank.
However, taking the train back would indeed take over an hour. They were full and didn't want to move, just wanting to get back early to soak in a bath and rest, so Izumi Sora nodded and agreed:
"Let's find a secluded alley with no one around."
"Yay!"
Elf instantly became happy.
"Sora-kun, we could take the train back too." Angel-sama looked up, somewhat worried.
"Since we have the teleportation ability, there's no time like the present." Izumi Sora didn't really mind. "Besides, everyone is here. Even if a side effect appears, it doesn't matter."
"Alright then..."
The group left the BBQ restaurant and found a secluded, deserted alleyway.
"Hold my hand."
Izumi Sora extended both hands.
Once the girls grabbed his fingers, Izumi Sora took a step. The space beneath his feet rippled like water, and the group vanished instantly.
The next second.
The group appeared out of thin air in the Izumi family's living room.
"Good, no deviation this time."
Izumi Sora breathed a sigh of relief, but immediately realized his body couldn't move. He had clearly encountered a side effect.
At the same time.
The bathroom door was pushed open, and a silver-haired loli walked out:
"Eh, you guys came back so quickly?"
"The bathwater was just drawn. Onii-chan, hurry up, take off your clothes, and go take a shower."