Chapter 50
Hearing Mineo's question, Erina and Alice exchanged a slightly helpless look.
In truth, both girls had prepared towels. However, because Alice had overslept that morning, Erina had spent so much time dragging her out of bed that they had rushed out of the house in a hurry, leaving the towels behind.
As young ladies, they were very meticulous about their hygiene. With their hair damp from sweat, both Erina and Alice felt quite uncomfortable. However, they felt too embarrassed to ask Mineo if they could borrow one.
Reading the expressions on their faces, Mineo realized they had simply forgotten. He unzipped his backpack, pulled out his own towel, and offered it to them.
"If you don't mind, you can use mine. It's brand new and hasn't been used yet."
"But... if we use yours, what about you?" Erina looked at Mineo, then shook her head gently. "We can actually endure it a bit longer. Thank you for the offer, Mineo-kun."
Mineo looked at Erina and chuckled. "I'm not sweating, so I don't really need it. My physical stamina is quite good; a mountain path like this is a breeze for me. Don't be shy, just take it."
Alice looked at Mineo and noticed that his expression was indeed calm. His face wasn't flushed, he wasn't gasping for air, and there wasn't a single drop of sweat on him.
Seeing this, the second young lady reached out and took the towel without further hesitation.
"Thank you, Mineo-kun! I won't stand on ceremony then! This sweat is seriously annoying! I'm going to wipe it off right now!"
"Alice, you..." Seeing Alice immediately start using Mineo's towel, Erina instinctively tried to stop her.
But it was too late. Alice had already thoroughly wiped her face from top to bottom.
Then, with a mischievous grin, Alice reached over and started wiping Erina's face with the same towel. "Erina, Mineo-kun isn't a stranger, there's no need to be so formal! Or are you just feeling shy?"
"Alice, you—!" Caught off guard by Alice's sudden "attack," Erina was powerless to stop her.
Biting her lip softly while her sweat was being wiped away, Erina glared at Alice. After all, Mineo-kun was a man; using his things without a proper thank you felt incredibly rude to her.
At that moment, Erina's heart was a whirlpool of embarrassment and nervousness. This was Mineo's towel, after all. Even if it was clean, it was still a personal item belonging to a man.
Once they were finished, Erina draped the towel over her delicate shoulder. Mineo looked toward the trail ahead and addressed them.
"Is that enough rest? If you're ready, let's keep moving."
"Right, let's go."
As Erina and Mineo prepared to continue, Alice's face suddenly slumped. "Can we rest just a tiny bit longer? Just a second... my legs have no strength left."
"We can't stop again, otherwise we'll miss the sunrise." Mineo checked the time and then extended his hand toward her. "Alice, I'll pull you along. It'll save you a lot of energy."
"Whoa, does Mineo-kun want to hold hands with me?" Alice's eyes sparkled with a hint of delight.
Before Mineo could even get a word in, the second young lady had already placed her small, jade-like hand into Mineo's warm palm.
Just as he was about to lead Alice forward, Mineo noticed Erina's footsteps falter. The young lady was staring intently at their joined hands without saying a word. Alice turned back and beamed at her.
"Erina, are your legs giving out too? How about Mineo-kun gives you his other hand?"
"N-no need! I'm not as weak as you, Alice... I can make it on my own!" Erina bit her lip again and fell silent.
She began taking small, determined steps, pushing herself toward the summit. However, her gaze "accidentally" flickered toward Mineo's hand—the one currently pulling Alice along—every few moments.
At around 4:30 AM, Mineo finally led Erina and Alice to the peak of Mount Akatsuki. As they stepped onto the final stone ledge, a sense of conquest and joy they had never experienced before flooded their hearts.
Alice seemed to recover her energy instantly. Like a beautiful white butterfly, she began running excitedly across the flat observation platform at the summit.
"So this is the top of Mount Akatsuki? It's absolutely beautiful! Erina, look at me! I actually made it all the way up here!"
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