"Sora-kun's muscles are so stiff, just like a rock..."
Shiina Mahiru complained softly while massaging Izumi Sora's calves.
"That's why I had to ask Mahiru-sama for a massage."
Izumi Sora narrowed his eyes, comfortably enjoying Angel-sama's massage.
"Participating in a marathon for the first time, it feels surprisingly good. Although it was super tiring during the run, and I reached my physical limit several times, crossing the finish line at the end made me feel like my whole being was sublimated."
Angel-sama looked up while massaging, her voice full of anticipation:
"Speaking of which, the Tokyo Marathon is just one of the six major marathons in the world. I want to experience what the other marathons feel like."
Having experienced the joy of a marathon once, Shiina Mahiru clearly couldn't stop.
Izumi Sora opened his eyes: "The other marathons are all overseas. If Mahiru wants to participate, we can go together."
Shiina Mahiru was both hesitant and expectant:
"Wouldn't it be too much trouble?"
"Life is only thirty thousand days, and accidents can happen at any time, making it much shorter than we imagine." Izumi Sora looked at Angel-sama, softly stating his view. "To encounter something you want to do, and happen to have the time and energy, is actually a very lucky thing. So if you want to participate, go participate."
"Sora-kun's words are very philosophical..."
Shiina Mahiru blinked her bright eyes and pursed her pink, moist lips:
"Then I'll pay attention to other marathon events. If I can win the lottery and it won't affect our studies, shall we participate together then?"
"No problem." Izumi Sora nodded in agreement. "When the time comes, I'll carry Mahiru on my back for the entire race."
"There's no need for that." Angel-sama glared affectionately. "Today was an accident. I definitely won't make the same mistake again in the future."
Buzz buzz.
While they were talking, the phone nearby suddenly vibrated.
Izumi Sora picked it up and saw it was actually a congratulatory message from Tia, who also expressed regret for not going to cheer them on in person.
After a brief reply, Izumi Sora put down his phone.
Stare—
Looking up, he saw Shiina Mahiru with her beautiful eyes wide open, staring unblinkingly at him.
"Sora-kun..." Shiina Mahiru puffed out her pink cheeks, looking like a squirrel with a chestnut stuffed in its mouth. "You can move now?"
"Hmm?"
A bewildered expression appeared on Izumi Sora's face:
"Mahiru is amazing, I didn't even notice I could move."
"You definitely noticed it a long time ago." Shiina Mahiru puffed her pink cheeks. Naturally not believing Izumi Sora's words, she covered her body with a towel. "Sora-kun, hurry up and send me back."
"We'll go back in a bit."
Since the secret was exposed, Izumi Sora naturally didn't continue the disguise. He reached out and gently caught Mahiru's jade-like foot in the bathtub.
"W-What are you doing?"
Shiina Mahiru's pretty face rapidly flushed red. Her small foot shrank back shyly, but unfortunately, she couldn't break free at all.
"Courtesy demands reciprocity, of course. I'm giving Mahiru a massage." Izumi Sora's face was full of righteousness, as if he had no selfish motives at all. "When we went fishing at the beach before, Mahiru should still remember clearly the scene of Elf getting a leg cramp, right?"
"You ran so far today. If you don't get a proper massage, your legs will definitely cramp tonight."
"Then you'll just have to cry into your pillow alone."
"..."
Shiina Mahiru's pretty face flushed crimson. She covered her chest with her right hand, her voice shy:
"Sora-kun, let me go. I-I'll massage myself when I get back."
"A massage isn't just randomly pressing; it requires certain techniques. You definitely can't do it yourself." Izumi Sora moved his right hand up, quickly grasping the girl's smooth, creamy calf, and gave it a gentle squeeze. "So it still has to be me."
"Mmm..."
Shiina Mahiru only felt an indescribable tingling sensation instantly sweep through her entire body. A muffled hum involuntarily escaped her lips, and she hurriedly raised her hand to cover her pink lips.
"Mahiru, keep it down." Izumi Sora's expression remained normal. While squeezing her calf, he reminded her softly, "You don't want everyone to hear, do you?"
Shiina Mahiru: "..."
For some reason, this sentence felt inexplicably terrible.
Her calf was already caught. Mahiru couldn't refuse even if she wanted to. She could only cover her pink lips with the back of her hand and let Izumi Sora massage her.
Fortunately, after the initial soreness passed, her calf quickly felt comfortable.
Time quietly slipped away minute by minute. Angel-sama quietly narrowed her eyes, feeling as if Izumi Sora's hands possessed a magical power. The soreness in her calves vanished without a trace.
"Switch legs."
Izumi Sora said softly.
"Okay..."
Shiina Mahiru's eyes were misty. She had forgotten about being shy or running away, and subconsciously extended her right leg over.
Izumi Sora gently grasped it and lifted it slightly.
Pop pop pop~
The bubbles on the surface of the water quietly burst, and the girl's jade-like foot and calf were quickly lifted above the water.
"S-Sora-kun?"
Shiina Mahiru looked up shyly.
"Your right foot is injured, it can't soak in the water the whole time." Izumi Sora was full of righteousness. "So I have to take it out for some fresh air."
"..."
Shiina Mahiru bit her lower lip with her pearly white teeth. She couldn't help but feel that Izumi Sora had ulterior motives.
(D-Don't overthink it...)
(Sora-kun's words do make sense. Even though there's a band-aid on it, it still can't stay soaked in water...)
"Thanks for the meal."
"Eh?"
"Said it wrong, I mean, I'm digging in."
"..."
Seeing Mahiru blushing and not speaking, Izumi Sora naturally sprang into action. While massaging her leg muscles, he openly played with and admired it.
So white.
Angel-sama, who was naturally born with cool, fair skin, had skin on her feet that was still exceptionally snow-white, feeling even a notch above the bubbles in the bathtub.
The faint blue veins on the back of the girl's foot were clearly visible. Her toes, like freshly peeled lotus seeds, were curled up shyly at this moment, exceptionally cute.
No matter how you looked at it, it was standard food-grade.
"S-Sora-kun, don't look..."
Shiina Mahiru's voice was full of shame, wanting to pull her foot back.
"I'm researching a question." Izumi Sora's expression was composed. "What is the whitest part of a black person's body?"
"Eh?" Shiina Mahiru's attention was successfully diverted. "It should be their teeth, right?"
"Correct."
Izumi Sora asked again:
"What is the second whitest part?"
"Mmm..." Shiina Mahiru pursed her pink, moist lips, thinking seriously. "Is Sora-kun asking a brain teaser?"
Izumi Sora shook his head: "No, just a regular question."
"Let me think..." Shiina Mahiru thought for a few seconds. "Is it the whites of their eyes?"
Izumi Sora didn't skimp on his praise:
"Mahiru-sama is indeed smart as ice and snow."
The corners of Shiina Mahiru's lips curled up slightly. Unfortunately, she quickly realized that Izumi Sora was changing the subject:
"These questions have nothing to do with research, do they?"
"Don't rush, there's one last question." Izumi Sora lowered his voice. "What is the third whitest part?"
Shiina Mahiru thought for a while, gently shaking her head:
"...I don't know."
"The answer is very simple." Izumi Sora grasped Mahiru's jade foot. "It's the sole of the foot. Human palms and soles have a stratum lucidum (clear layer), which contains no melanin. I was just observing the sole of Mahiru's foot. As expected, the sole is slightly whiter than other places."
Shiina Mahiru: "..."
Time slipped away silently.
After massaging Mahiru's right leg, Izumi Sora lifted the girl's left leg with a backhand motion and continued to massage it.
Angel-sama's pretty face flushed red, and she didn't refuse.
There was no difference between one massage and two, and it was indeed very comfortable...
Happy times are always short.
A knock on the door suddenly sounded.
Knock knock knock.
Shiina Mahiru jumped in fright and hurriedly pulled her leg back.
Then Yanami's voice rang out from outside the door:
"Sora, soaking in the bath for too long is bad for your health... Do you want me to come in and help?"
Izumi Sora responded: "The side effect is already over, I'm coming out right now."
"Alright then..." Yanami's tone was clearly somewhat disappointed. "Then hurry up and come out, Sora."
"..."
The footsteps outside quietly faded away. Shiina Mahiru quietly breathed a sigh of relief, looking at Izumi Sora with a flushed face:
"Sora-kun, hurry up and send me back."
Izumi Sora nodded, understanding that today's bath could only stop here:
"Should we go straight back?"
"Bathrobes!"
Shiina Mahiru's pretty face flushed crimson, her bright eyes glaring affectionately:
"Sora-kun, hurry up and go get the bathrobes!"
Going back completely naked was too shameful no matter how you thought about it. Bathrobes were absolutely necessary.
"Then I'll go get them." Izumi Sora reminded her. "Mahiru, don't peek."
Shiina Mahiru: "...I definitely won't peek!"
Splash.
The sound of splashing water quickly rang in her ears. Shiina Mahiru hurriedly closed her eyes in a panic, turning her head away.
Izumi Sora stepped out of the bathtub, went under the showerhead first, rinsed off the bubbles on his body, then put on his bathrobe and brought another bathrobe to Mahiru's side.
"Here's the bathrobe."
Shiina Mahiru hurriedly reached out to take it, quietly breathing a sigh of relief:
"Sora-kun, turn around."
"Yes."
Hearing this, Izumi Sora turned around. His gaze happened to fall on the mirror on the wall.
He saw Mahiru covering her chest and quietly standing up. The girl's skin was snow-white, dazzlingly white under the light...
Stare—
Their gazes quickly met in the mirror.
Shiina Mahiru's pretty face burned hot, and she swiftly ducked back into the bathtub:
"Sora-kun, no peeking!"
Izumi Sora was very innocent: "You only told me to turn around just now, you didn't tell me to close my eyes."
Shiina Mahiru's voice was full of shame: "I'm saying it now, hurry up and close your eyes!"
"..."
A moment later.
"Phew..."
Shiina Mahiru quickly got fully dressed. She quietly breathed a sigh of relief, looking up shyly:
"I'm dressed... Sora-kun, hurry up and send me back."
"Give me your hand."
Izumi Sora extended his right hand to Mahiru.
Shiina Mahiru gently pursed her pink lips and lightly grasped Izumi Sora's right hand.
The next second.
The figures of the two vanished into thin air.
"Phew..."
Finding herself back in her own living room, Shiina Mahiru finally felt at ease.
Although she took a bath with Sora-kun, and was teased and played with... at least they weren't discovered. That was worth celebrating.
"Sora-kun, hurry up and go back." Shiina Mahiru looked up, issuing an order to leave. "I have to do laundry."
Izumi Sora nodded gently: "Today's massage time was a bit short. After everyone leaves, I'll come over to continue the massage?"
"No need." Shiina Mahiru's voice was shy. "It's clearly been a long time."
"Alright. If you feel unwell anywhere, tell me immediately."
"Got it~"
"..."
After a couple of reminders, Izumi Sora took a step forward and teleported back to his own bathroom.
He did a quick check in the mirror to make sure there were no problems, and then pushed the door open.
"Sora, you're out?"
Hearing the noise, Yanami turned her head and waved happily:
"Everyone is playing games."
Izumi Sora strode over and looked at the computer. Elf was sitting perfectly straight, engrossed in playing Plants vs. Zombies.
"Sora, drink some tea."
Yanami picked up the barley tea from the table and handed it over.
"Thank you, Yanami."
Izumi Sora reached out to take the teacup and drank slowly.
"I just saw the news, a team in Canada invented a coffee bracelet." Yanami chattered away, happily sharing gossip. "Sora, guess what the bracelet's function is?"
Izumi Sora replied while drinking his tea:
"First of all, it's definitely not a proper bracelet."
"Eh?"
Yanami Anna was startled. She widened her eyes and looked over, the ahoge on her head swaying suspiciously:
"Did Sora see this news too?"
"I didn't see the news." Izumi Sora shook his head. "I just know Yanami. If it were a normal bracelet, you wouldn't be so eager to share the gossip."
Yanami: "..."
Even so, Sora really knows me too well.
"Ahem~"
Yanami Anna gave a light snort, crossed her arms over her chest, and looked over expectantly:
"Sora, continue."
"I can't continue, I can't just make wild guesses." Izumi Sora looked at 'Inmate Eight'. "Please enlighten me, Lord Yanami."
"Coffee can keep you awake, right? The coffee bracelet's effect is similar to coffee." Yanami Anna crossed her arms over her chest. She didn't keep him in suspense, eager to share the gossip. "That bracelet can release a weak electric current that won't harm the human body. When you're feeling sleepy, you can turn on the electric shock function to wake yourself up. It has a similar effect to coffee, so it's called a coffee bracelet."
Izumi Sora: "..."
If such a useful invention had existed a few hundred years ago, there wouldn't be stories of tying one's hair to the ceiling beam or stabbing one's thigh with an awl to stay awake studying!
There's no need to elaborate on what happened next.
Urged by the girls, Izumi Sora went upstairs to his room to rest. When he woke up, it was already evening.
After getting up, Izumi Sora sent a message to Mahiru asking about her condition. Upon learning that Mahiru was awake and didn't have leg cramps, he finally felt relieved.
After going downstairs, Kuroneko and Yanami had already said their goodbyes and left. Only Elf and Sagiri were still playing games together.
Not long after, Angel-sama came over from next door and asked what everyone wanted to eat for dinner. She planned to go to the supermarket to buy ingredients and prepare the meal.
"I'll do it today."
Izumi Sora took on the role of head chef, responsible for tonight's cooking.
After dinner, they watched TV together for a while, and then Elf and Mahiru each went home.
The long day passed quietly just like that.
The next day was Sunday. Izumi Sora woke up on time as usual. Just after eating breakfast, his phone rang.
"Hmm?"
Izumi Sora picked up the phone by his pillow and saw it was a call from Kuroneko.
"Sora, Sora!"
The call connected quickly, and Gokou Ruri's excited and expectant voice came from the phone:
"I heard the call of the far winter!"
Izumi Sora: "...Lord Witch of the Night, please explain your divine oracle."
Kuroneko's voice was excited:
"It's a bounty commission!"
"I just saw a bounty commission online looking for a lost dog. The reward is a full one million yen!"
"How much?"
Izumi Sora doubted his ears.
Kuroneko: "Sora, you didn't hear wrong, it really is one million yen!"
Izumi Sora was a bit suspicious: "It's not a scammer, is it?"
Kuroneko: "It's not a scammer. The client is a famous politician's family in Hokkaido, and it was announced through the media. They definitely won't go back on their word."
"The lost dog is a show dog. It's said to have been with the owner for many years, and they have a deep bond, which is why they offered an astronomical bounty."
"...I see."
Izumi Sora understood clearly.
Although ordinary pet dogs and show dogs are both dogs, their value gap can be dozens of times different. A show dog can easily be worth as much as a car, so a high bounty isn't surprising.
Izumi Sora naturally understood Kuroneko's intentions:
"Ruri wants to go and accept the bounty?"
"I want to go!" Gokou Ruri's voice was super expectant. "That's a whole one million yen. Even if we split it equally, that's fifty thousand yen each. Missing it would definitely make my heart ache super bad... Sora, do you want to go?"
Izumi Sora asked while changing his shoes:
"Is anyone at Ruri's house?"
"Eh?"
Gokou Ruri was taken aback. Although she didn't understand the meaning behind it, she still answered honestly:
"I'm in my room, just me alone."
Izumi Sora snapped his fingers: "Then I'll teleport over."
One million yen was a truly super bounty, of course he didn't want to miss it.
"W-Wait a minute..."
Hearing Izumi Sora's words, Gokou Ruri, who was standing in front of the floor-length mirror, widened her eyes in a panic and hurriedly tried to stop him.
Unfortunately, it was too late.
The next second.
Gokou Ruri saw the space in the mirror twist slightly, and then a figure appeared out of thin air. It was Izumi Sora.
Their eyes met.
Gokou Ruri's small face instantly flushed red at a rapid speed, and she frantically raised her hands to cover her body.
"Why isn't Ruri wearing clothes?"
Izumi Sora swiftly averted his gaze from the girl's snow-white, smooth back, inexplicably feeling a bit of regret in his heart.
Such a beautiful back, it really is a pity not to use cupping therapy on it.
And her waist is way too thin, isn't it?
A little bit of force and it would snap with a 'crack', wouldn't it!
"Pervert Sora! I told you to wait a minute!"
Gokou Ruri covered her chest with both hands, shouting in embarrassment and anger:
"I just woke up, I haven't had time to put clothes on yet!"
Izumi Sora silently turned his back:
"...Then I'll leave?"
"Turn around!" Gokou Ruri's small face was burning hot, her voice full of shame. "And close your eyes, no peeking!"
Since I'm already here, discussing the bounty is naturally more important.
Observing through the mirror that Izumi Sora obediently turned his back, Gokou Ruri quietly breathed a sigh of relief. She hurriedly opened the closet and rustled as she put on her clothes.
A moment later.
"Phew..."
Gokou Ruri put on a long black gothic dress, quietly breathed a sigh of relief. With a blushing small face, she lightly gritted her silver teeth:
"Pervert Sora, next time before you teleport over, you must get my permission."
"I'm sorry, Lord Ruri's command is absolute."
Izumi Sora obediently admitted his mistake.
"Hmph~" Gokou Ruri gave a light snort, then looked up. "Hokkaido is really too far away... Shall we take a plane over there?"