"Wait a minute, how did I lose?"
Yanami Anna's eyes widened roundly, clearly not having processed it yet.
Izumi Sora silently pressed his brow. Aside from her extraordinary talent for food, 'Inmate Eight' was clearly not very smart in other areas.
"Remember the rules of the game? You were supposed to repeat five sentences... My third sentence was 'How many legs does a cow have?', and what did you say?"
"Four. Cows naturally have four legs..."
Halfway through her sentence, Yanami Anna finally realized what happened.
The gluttonous sea otter widened her beautiful eyes, a shocked oVo expression appearing on her face. Immediately after, her pink cheeks quickly puffed up.
"So mean!"
"Sora is too sneaky!"
Izumi Sora retorted: "It's clearly because your reflex arc is too long, alright?"
"Nonsense, my reflex arc isn't long." Yanami subconsciously shot back. "Sora is bullying me."
Izumi Sora showed no remorse: "So... when is Yanami going to fulfill the bet?"
"U-Umm..."
Yanami Anna's pretty face flushed red, her gaze wandering as she looked around.
The number of people choosing to climb the mountain was slightly less than those taking the cable car, but the total number was still large. There were people all around them, so sneaking a kiss was impossible.
At the thought of kissing a boy in public, the girl's sense of shame overflowed, making Yanami Anna subconsciously want to back out.
(How about kissing him when we get back tonight... wait, I can't run away!)
(Courage!)
(To win against Mahiru, courage is the only way!)
(It's just a kiss, it's not like we haven't kissed before... and there wasn't a rule about where to kiss...)
"Phew..."
Yanami Anna took a deep breath, her gaze quickly firming up. Listening to her own rapid heartbeat, she shyly stepped in front of Izumi Sora.
Their eyes met.
Looking at the girl's completely flushed pretty face, Izumi Sora said softly:
"Let's just forget it, don't force yourself."
"No!" Yanami Anna clenched her pink fists and shook her head quickly. "I made a promise, of course I have to keep it! This is my ninja way!"
You're not even a ninja, where did this ninja way come from!
Of course, Yanami's 'ninja way' was actually very flexible. If the bet was with someone else, 'Inmate Eight' would have greased her soles and slipped away long ago.
"I-I'm starting..."
Yanami Anna's eyelashes fluttered shyly. She quickly stood on her tiptoes and gave Izumi Sora a quick peck on the cheek.
The warm, soft touch was fleeting, like a passing goose.
Izumi Sora raised his hand and touched his cheek:
"I didn't feel anything at all, it doesn't count..."
"Anyway, I kissed you." Yanami had already retreated to her original spot, crossing her arms over her chest. Turning her head away, her pretty face was crimson. "Not feeling anything is Sora's problem."
Izumi Sora smiled: "Do you want to keep playing?"
"Of course we'll keep playing." Yanami Anna crossed her arms over her chest, tilted her chin up, and urged shyly. "I have to win back what I lost."
Izumi Sora: "I'll start?"
Yanami: "I'll start."
Izumi Sora: "Cat."
Yanami: "Cat."
Izumi Sora: "Dog."
Yanami: "Dog."
Izumi Sora: "How many legs does a dog have?"
Yanami: "How many legs does a dog have?"
Izumi Sora: "You lose again."
Yanami blurted out:
"Impossible, which sentence did I get wrong..."
Halfway through, Yanami Anna swiftly raised her hand to cover her pink lips. Her eyes widened roundly, a comical expression mixed with shock and regret.
"Damn it!"
"Sora went too far!"
"No wonder you always like to play dirty when gaming!"
Izumi Sora kept his hands in his pockets, composed and unhurried:
"Anyway, I won. What about the bet?"
"..."
'Inmate Eight' was willing to accept her loss. With a blushing pretty face, she stood on her tiptoes again and shyly kissed him.
Mahiru had OCD. If she kissed the left cheek, the next time it had to be the right.
Yanami was different. She clearly didn't have 'symmetry OCD', kissing his left cheek both times.
Smack~
Yanami Anna raised a hand to wipe the corner of her mouth, her eyes full of defiance.
"Keep going, keep going, I don't believe I'll keep losing."
"..."
Ten minutes later.
Looking at 'Inmate Eight', who had lost so much she was starting to doubt her life, Izumi Sora spoke in a faint tone:
"Could it be that Yanami wants to kiss me, so you're intentionally losing?"
"Of course not!!!"
'Inmate Eight' clenched her fists, her pink cheeks puffed up high, looking like a round blowfish:
"It's clearly because Sora is too sneaky!"
"Keep going, keep going."
"I'll definitely win next time!"
Seeing Yanami biting her lower lip, bracing herself, determined to win once no matter what, Izumi Sora had no choice but to throw the game and lose.
"I-I finally won!"
Yanami Anna cheered happily, almost crying tears of joy.
"I lose." Izumi Sora looked at Yanami and said softly, "What does Yanami want me to do?"
"Mmm..."
Hearing this, Yanami Anna pursed her pink lips, deep in thought.
I want a kiss.
I want a hug.
I want a date.
I want to confess.
There were so many things she wanted to do together, it actually triggered her choice paralysis for a moment.
After hesitating for a while, Yanami Anna finally chose the thing she wanted to do the most right now:
"I want Sora to carry me up the mountain..."
Izumi Sora raised an eyebrow gently upon hearing this: "Just this?"
Yanami Anna crossed her arms over her chest, her tone resentful: "Before, during the Tokyo Marathon, Sora carried Mahiru so far, so I want to be carried too."
As for the small incident of Sora carrying Elf to the cable car earlier, Yanami didn't mind it at all.
A tiny Elf, laughable, truly laughable.
The only true rival is Mahiru alone.
"Carrying someone up a mountain is no easy task..." Izumi Sora looked down at the resentful 'Inmate Eight', softly teasing her. "If I refuse, will I get beaten up?"
"Of course I wouldn't hit Sora." Yanami Anna raised her right hand, slowly clenching her five fingers into a fist, a dangerous smile on her pretty face. "But I don't know if my fist would agree."
"Fists the size of sandbags, right?"
While complaining, Izumi Sora bent down:
"Hurry up and get on."
With his current physical fitness, carrying Yanami up the mountain was still a breeze, like walking on flat ground.
"Mhm~"
Yanami Anna happily opened her arms and hopped directly onto Izumi Sora's back.
Very bouncy, yet incredibly soft parts pressed against his back. A sentence subconsciously popped into Izumi Sora's mind:
Coach, someone is committing a charging foul.
"She's clearly just a high school student, her development is completely a foul..."
While complaining inwardly, Izumi Sora steadily carried 'Inmate Eight' and began climbing the mountain.
Couples climbing mountains together are very common, but carrying someone else up a mountain is very rare. In an instant, all the tourists on the mountain path cast their gazes their way.
Sensing the gazes of the surrounding passersby, Yanami Anna's pretty face grew hot, the girl's sense of shame overflowing. However, her arms only tightly hugged Izumi Sora's neck, completely showing no intention of getting down.
Smelling Izumi Sora's scent, Yanami's heartbeat slowly calmed down, feeling exceptionally peaceful inside:
"If only we never stopped..."
The two walked in fits and starts along the way. They would even stop to take photos at places with good scenery. It took almost an hour to finally reach the viewing platform at the summit. Looking around, the platform was full of tourists.
"So many people..." Yanami Anna raised a hand to shade her forehead, standing on tiptoes and looking around. "Strange, why don't I see Mahiru and the others?"
Izumi Sora swept his gaze across and indeed didn't see the familiar figures. He quickly thought of a possibility:
"Is there a possibility that Mahiru and the others haven't even gotten on the cable car yet?"
The summit platform was only so big. If Mahiru and Elf had come up, they would definitely be able to spot them at a glance.
"No way?" Yanami Anna was shocked. "It's been so long and they still haven't gotten on?"
Izumi Sora said softly: "Think about how long the line was."
"Well, there really are an explosive number of tourists..." Yanami turned to look at the platform where the cable car docked, reaching out to grasp Izumi Sora's right hand. "Let's go, let's enjoy the view first."
The two squeezed through the crowd and walked to the edge of the platform.
Holding the railing and looking down, the entire lake came into view, like a clear, azure gemstone mirror. Right in front of them was Mount Fuji, shrouded in clouds and mist. The vast scenery made one feel relaxed and happy.
"The scenery at the summit is super beautiful, it really didn't disappoint."
Yanami Anna happily held up her phone, turning her head to look:
"Sora, Sora~ Come over here and take a photo together."
Izumi Sora nodded and strode to 'Inmate Eight's' side to take photos together.
Click, click.
After taking several photos in a row, Yanami Anna's gaze wandered, her pretty face slightly flushed, looking over expectantly:
"Sora, let's change positions?"
"That sounded so terrible..."
"I mean a photo pose!"
Yanami Anna clenched her small fists and gently tapped Izumi Sora, her pretty face slightly red:
"When Sora carried me up earlier, I forgot to take pictures... Sora, hurry up and carry me, let me take a picture."
"No, the bet has already been fulfilled."
"Ehhh..."
Yanami clasped her hands to her chest, using her coquettish tactics again:
"Please, please, I'm begging you~"
"..."
Although the tactic was old-fashioned, it was undeniably effective.
Izumi Sora couldn't withstand 'Inmate Eight's' coquettishness and bent down to carry Yanami.
"Ehehe~"
Yanami Anna happily hopped on. With one arm hugging Izumi Sora's neck, the other hand raised the selfie stick and started taking photos.
Meanwhile.
Stare—
Izumi Sora suddenly felt a few almost tangible gazes land on his back.
Turning around to look, he saw a cable car slowly coming up. Through the glass, several familiar faces were clearly visible.
The cable car quickly came to a smooth stop at the platform.
The doors opened.
Mahiru, Elf, and Kuroneko stepped out of the car one by one.
"Idiot Sora, what are you and Yanami doing?"
Yamada Elf put her hands on her hips, asking point-blank.
Behind Elf, Angel-sama's gaze was calm.
Kuroneko, on the other hand, had her arms crossed over her chest, her eyes full of disdain.
"Ahem..." Yanami Anna's pretty face flushed crimson. She coughed lightly twice and hurriedly started explaining. "We're taking pictures. Just now, someone nearby was taking pictures in this pose, so we wanted to try it out."
In contrast, Izumi Sora's expression remained normal. Neither Mahiru's resentful gaze nor Kuroneko's disgusted stare could make him show a guilty expression.
Some things must be faced.
The current scene is just an appetizer.
Elf's gaze shifted, looking at Izumi Sora, her cheeks puffed out:
"Idiot Sora, hurry up and carry me, I want to take pictures too."
"Don't rush." Izumi Sora's expression was unchanged. "One by one, take your time."
Unfortunately, aside from Elf, Mahiru and Kuroneko both said it wasn't necessary.
After some commotion, the girls went to the restroom together.
After Izumi Sora finished with his hygiene needs, he went to the small supermarket and bought a few bottles of drinks. Upon coming out, he happened to see Kuroneko standing at the edge of the railing, enjoying the view.
A cool breeze blew.
Kuroneko's beautiful hair fluttered in the wind. Paired with her white dress today, her White Cat form was exceptionally beautiful.
Izumi Sora strode over, just in time to hear Kuroneko murmuring softly:
"When you ascend to the very top of the mountain..."
Izumi Sora opened his mouth to finish the line: "You will see all other mountains as small."
"Eh?"
Gokou Ruri looked up in surprise:
"Pervert Sora actually knows that?"
Izumi Sora kept his hands in his pockets: "I am Lord Ruri's number one summoned creature, isn't it normal that I know what you're thinking?"
"Hmph." Gokou Ruri's small face flushed slightly, giving a light hum. "Then guess what I want to do now?"
Izumi Sora pondered: "Want to take a group photo?"
"Foolish mortal, that's Yanami's thought." Gokou Ruri crossed her arms over her chest, tensing her small face. "I just want to kick you down."
Izumi Sora warily took a half-step back: "My crime doesn't warrant death, does it?"
Gokou Ruri gritted her silver teeth lightly, her eyes holding murderous intent: "...You know what you did!"
Actually taking advantage of someone's precarious position that night, I definitely won't easily forget this grudge!
After chatting for a moment, Mahiru and the others came out one after another.
Next was lunchtime.
There were no proper restaurants on the platform, but fortunately, everyone had brought snacks, so filling their stomachs was not a problem.
While eating, Sagiri even sent a message specifically:
"Nii-san, hurry up and start a video call, I want to see Mount Fuji too."
Although she didn't want to go out, it didn't hinder Sagiri from having a desire to see the world.
Izumi Sora started the video call.
A silver-haired loli wearing a button-down shirt quickly appeared on the phone.
Izumi Sora: "Has Sagiri eaten lunch yet?"
Sagiri's voice was soft and glutinous: "Not yet."
Izumi Sora: "There's a sturgeon bento I bought yesterday in the fridge, go eat it now."
"Got it~"
"Heat it up in the microwave before you eat."
"Onii-chan is so nagging."
"..."
"Ah, it's Sagiri-chan's voice." Yanami Anna curiously leaned in. "Sagiri, good afternoon."
The smile on Sagiri's face quietly faded a bit.
(...It's the gluttonous sea otter. She's right next to Onii-chan, as expected.)
Elf was eating bread, with crumbs still stuck to the corner of her mouth. She leaned sideways, resting directly on Izumi Sora's thigh, her small face curiously moving close to the camera lens:
"The scenery outside is super nice, it's really a pity Sagiri didn't come to play."
Sagiri: "...No thanks, even if it's the end of the world, I definitely won't go out."
(Elf, get away! Don't rest on Onii-chan's thigh!)
(Onii-chan is my property!)
Mahiru's voice was gentle: "Sagiri, you're home alone, pay attention to the doors and windows. If you encounter any unexpected situations, remember to notify Sora-kun and me anytime."
"..."
The smile on Sagiri's face disappeared completely.
(The bad woman who stole Onii-chan in the last playthrough!)
(If I really encounter danger, telling Onii-chan is enough, I definitely wouldn't ask you for help!)