"Riding a bicycle back is indeed very fast, but the main street isn't the park. Carrying a passenger might get us stopped by patrol officers." Although Sora was tempted, he still shook his head and refused.
"It's better to walk the bike back."
Mahiru was a standard member of the 'Lawful Good' alignment. Making her do something 'illegal and undisciplined' would likely make her nervous and uneasy, so it was better not to.
"It's okay." Mahiru blinked her bright eyes, her fingers gently combing the stray hair by her ear, her voice becoming even more gentle.
"Today is a special circumstance, after all. If Sora-kun walks the bike back, it'll probably be late into the night by the time we arrive."
As smart as she was, she naturally understood why Sora refused.
Pursing her beautiful lips, Angel-sama continued:
"Even if we encounter a patrol officer, I can activate Time Stop to get away. Sora-kun doesn't need to worry."
Besides that, there was another reason Mahiru was too embarrassed to say out loud.
That was during dinner at dusk when they were watching TV. The drama playing happened to have a scene where the male and female leads were riding a bicycle, cruising through empty streets in the dead of night.
The sense of freedom and joy overflowing from the screen quietly moved Angel-sama's heart.
If I could experience that with Sora-kun... I would definitely be very happy, right?
Now that the opportunity presented itself, she naturally wanted to experience it.
"Then I'll leave it to Mahiru-sama." Seeing that Mahiru had made up her mind, Sora naturally agreed.
"We'll leave the bike here for now. I have repair tools at home, and I fixed my own bike in middle school. We'll come back tomorrow to fix it."
"Okay." Mahiru nodded gently.
"We'll come over a bit earlier tomorrow."
"Shall I ride?" Sora extended his right hand, suggesting.
"After running for so long today, Mahiru must be out of energy, right?"
"I rested for a bit just now, I feel my strength has recovered." Mahiru looked up, her eyes expectant.
"Sora-kun, sit on the backseat."
In the TV drama from earlier, it was the female lead who rode the bike with the male lead. If others could do it, Angel-sama believed she would definitely have no problem either.
"Let's try it then."
Sora didn't feel any embarrassment and readily agreed.
Sitting on Angel-sama's bicycle backseat wasn't shameful at all.
Mahiru's pretty face flushed slightly:
"Sora-kun, get on."
"Much obliged."
With an acknowledgment, Sora straddled the bicycle backseat.
Girls usually sit sidesaddle on bikes, while boys usually straddle them. Straddling feels more secure.
"...Let's go."
Mahiru took a deep breath and started pedaling.
Having a boy on the backseat indeed required a lot more effort to pedal. Fortunately, Mahiru had good stamina and was perfectly capable of riding.
It was just that when starting off, it was inevitably a bit wobbly.
"Careful."
To steady himself, Sora naturally reached out his arm. His right hand happened to land on Angel-sama's waist.
"Mmm..."
Mahiru quickly felt a scorching heat penetrate through her clothes, involuntarily letting out a soft hum.
"What's wrong?"
Sora asked curiously.
"N-Nothing..."
Mahiru shyly bit her lower lip.
(Sora-kun... your hand is so hot...)
Perhaps because he had just finished running, Sora's body was radiating heat. Even through the clothes, Mahiru could clearly feel the scorching heat transmitting from the boy's palm.
Angel-sama only felt a wave of heat surge into her lower abdomen, flowing from there throughout her entire body. Her whole lower abdomen felt tingly and numb, and this numbness was even spreading outwards.
(N-No... I can't hold on...)
As the tingly, numb sensation quietly spread, Angel-sama felt her strength rapidly fading. The bicycle, which had been fairly easy to ride, was quickly becoming heavy.
(TV dramas really are deceptive...)
After riding through an intersection, Angel-sama abruptly squeezed the brakes, her pretty face flushed crimson:
"Sora-kun, you ride."
Sora stood up and got off the bike. Looking at Angel-sama, whose pretty face was burning red like a pomegranate flower, he was somewhat curious:
"Why are you so tired your face is completely red?"
Mahiru shyly averted her gaze, stammering a guilty response:
"Umm... it's all because Sora-kun is too heavy."
Sora narrowed his eyes: "I feel like Mahiru is lying."
"I am not..." Angel-sama grew even guiltier.
"Sora-kun, stop asking so many questions, hurry up and ride the bike."
"Leave it to me."
Sora steadied the bicycle and patted the backseat: "Mahiru, hurry up and sit properly."
"I'm counting on you, Sora-kun..."
Mahiru's pretty face flushed red as she sat sidesaddle on the bicycle.
"Let's go."
Sora pushed down on the pedal, and the bicycle whizzed away.
The refreshing evening breeze blew against their faces, lifting the girl's hair and skirt, driving away the shame and heat simultaneously.
"Phew..."
Mahiru quietly breathed a sigh of relief, her eyes curving happily.
The night was deep.
The moon was high in the sky.
The originally bustling and noisy streets had now quietly fallen silent, as if the entire world consisted only of her and Sora.
Watching the various neon lights whiz by, Angel-sama's pink, moist lips curled upwards happily.
If it were an unfamiliar stranger, even if forced to sit on the back of their bicycle, Mahiru would definitely maintain her distance.
But now...
Angel-sama's pretty face flushed slightly. She reached out her arms and gently hugged Sora's waist from behind.
A strong sense of warmth and security enveloped her, quickly driving away the chill of the late-night streets. Angel-sama's arms involuntarily tightened their embrace, wanting to draw more warmth.
"Sora-kun~"
Angel-sama suddenly called out softly.
"Hmm?"
"Elf's math is so terrible, she must be having a hard time at school." Mahiru's voice was gentle.
"Let's help tutor Elf with her studies, okay?"
"Her math failed even elementary school exams. Suddenly jumping to high school, of course it's hard." Sora complained.
"But whether she gets tutored isn't up to us. Elf has to be willing to learn herself."
As the daughter of a capitalist, Elf actually didn't care about her grades. Her reason for enrolling was purely to experience school life.
Mahiru's tone was somewhat faint: "As long as Sora-kun speaks up, Elf will definitely listen, right?"
Sora chose to play dumb: "Why would Elf listen just because I say so?"
"Sora-kun knows perfectly well."
"I don't know."
"Hmph~"
"..."
While the two were chatting casually, Sora suddenly gripped the brakes tightly.
"Mmm..."
Caught off guard, Angel-sama's chest crashed directly against Sora's back. Her pretty face instantly flushed red at a speed visible to the naked eye. She hurriedly pulled back to create distance, covering her chest with her right hand:
"Sora-kun, don't brake so suddenly."
Sora lowered his voice: "We have trouble."
"Eh?"
Angel-sama tilted her head in confusion and looked ahead.
The next second.
Two patrol officers in police uniforms came into view.
"Ehhhhh?" Mahiru widened her eyes in a panic.
"We encountered the police?"
Japanese law explicitly prohibits carrying passengers on bicycles. It was Angel-sama's first time doing something "illegal and undisciplined," and she ended up running into the police. At this moment, she inevitably felt very guilty and panicked.
In her nervousness, Angel-sama subconsciously activated Time Stop.
Hum—
The pause button of the entire world was abruptly pressed.
The leaves drifting in the wind, the neon signs flickering, the cars speeding by in the distance—everything froze in time.
Angel-sama nervously jumped off the bicycle backseat. She quickly stood on her tiptoes and gave Sora a peck on the cheek.
Mana replenishment successful.
"Sora-kun, let's run..."