"Sora-kun... how long until the next rewind?"
The pre-rewind Mahiru bit her lower lip with her pearly white teeth, asking softly.
Sora told the truth: "There are five minutes left."
"Five minutes..."
The pre-rewind Mahiru's eyelashes trembled gently as she lowered her gaze.
(In five minutes, I will disappear, and everything will return to nothingness.)
(The other Mahiru will stay by Sora-kun's side...)
(What am I, then?)
(The real Mahiru, or... a false existence within the time rewind?)
Even though she knew perfectly well that the other Mahiru was also herself, an unspeakable sourness and nervousness still quietly surged in her heart.
"We just finished our night run, and while resting, we saw a little kitten stuck in a tree..."
Seeing that the pre-rewind Mahiru's state was off, Sora spoke up to break the silence, softly explaining the causes and consequences.
While explaining, Sora also looked around, searching for the post-rewind Mahiru, but unfortunately, he couldn't spot her.
"Two minutes left..."
The pre-rewind Mahiru suddenly said softly.
Sora looked over in confusion:
"What?"
"In two minutes, I'm going to disappear..."
"..."
The pre-rewind Mahiru took a deep breath, her gaze quietly turning resolute. Her pretty face flushed red as she raised her arms and directly hugged Sora's neck.
Sora quickly understood what Angel-sama was planning to do:
"Mahiru, you..."
But just as he spoke, Angel-sama's pink, moist, and slightly cool lips kissed him.
People were coming and going outside the restroom, but the pre-rewind Mahiru no longer cared.
If people care too much about the gazes of others, they will live an exhausting life, let alone when she was about to disappear.
The pre-rewind Mahiru had only one thought in her mind at this moment:
"I want to kiss Sora-kun..."
"As for whether the other Mahiru will be jealous... I'm about to disappear anyway, I don't care about that anymore..."
Sora hesitated for two seconds, then quickly took the initiative.
After all, the pre-rewind Angel-sama is also a living, breathing Angel-sama. Who could possibly reject an Angel-sama actively offering a kiss?
(S-So skilled...)
The pre-rewind Mahiru quickly puffed out her pink cheeks in jealousy.
(Sora-kun is actually so skilled... just how many times has he kissed the other me!)
Meanwhile.
On the other side.
The post-rewind Mahiru, holding the hand of a lost little kid, walked out from under a tree, intending to explain the situation to Sora.
Earlier, while drinking her beverage, she suddenly heard faint crying. Looking closely, she discovered a little loli squatting under a tree not far away, wiping her tears, seemingly having lost her family.
The post-rewind Mahiru was very worried. Without time to tell Sora, she quickly walked over.
Now, leading the little loli back, she originally intended to search for the little kid's family together with Sora. However, the scene that greeted her eyes was the two of them kissing.
"W-What is this feeling?"
"It seems like a kiss... what's going on?"
The post-rewind Mahiru suddenly widened her eyes:
"That girl... is me?"
Angel-sama quickly realized what was happening.
"Oh no, I didn't have time to ask Sora-kun to come with me earlier, and the pre-rewind me appeared again."
Looking at the other proactive version of herself, the post-rewind Mahiru subconsciously puffed out her pink cheeks.
Although they were essentially the same person, during the time rewind state, they were indeed two independent individuals. The post-rewind Mahiru naturally felt jealous.
However, that small twinge of jealousy was quickly overwhelmed by intense shame.
The two Mahirus in the time rewind shared a telepathy-like connection.
At this very moment, although the post-rewind Mahiru was a third party, she could feel everything as if she were experiencing it herself. Coupled with the subtle gazes of the surrounding people, her sense of shame became overwhelmingly intense.
"G-Go over and separate them..."
The post-rewind Mahiru couldn't help but step forward.
Even if it's myself, I won't allow anyone to steal Sora-kun! Let alone doing it right in front of me!
However, after taking just a few steps, the little kid nervously hugged her, forcing her to endure it silently, her pretty face flushed crimson, gritting her teeth.
Fortunately, it wasn't long before they reached the rewind node.
Mahiru only felt a brief moment of dazed consciousness, and then the familiar melody drifted into her ears once more.
"It's over..."
Angel-sama immediately breathed a sigh of relief. Biting her lower lip, she cast a resentful look at Sora.
"Mahiru, listen to my explanation."
Sora's expression was innocent: "You suddenly disappeared earlier, and then the other you walked out of the restroom..."
"I already saw what happened next."
Angel-sama puffed out her pink cheeks slightly, her gaze resentful.
As for why the other version of herself suddenly kissed Sora, Mahiru actually understood perfectly clear. After all, they were the same person with the exact same thought processes.
(Because she knew she was about to disappear, she wanted to make Sora-kun firmly remember her?)
(If it were me... I would probably do the same thing, right?)
"Why did Mahiru suddenly disappear earlier?"
Sora changed the subject.
"I saw a lost child earlier..."
Mahiru snapped back to reality and hurriedly got to the point.
"During this time rewind, we have two things to do." Mahiru bit her lower lip.
"The first is the little orange cat, and the second is the lost elementary school student."
Sora couldn't help but complain:
"And one actual serious business."
"Eh?"
"We came here to night run and improve our physical fitness, not to just help people."
Mahiru: "..."
After a brief discussion, the two quickly made a decision. Neither night running nor helping others could be left out.
First was the night run.
The two went to the track around the lake and began their physical training once again.
After finishing two laps, they arrived at the vending machine. Led by Mahiru, Sora quickly spotted an elementary schooler squatting under a tree crying.
Mahiru crouched down to softly comfort the child. After gaining the elementary schooler's trust, the two didn't search for the parents themselves; instead, they handed the elementary schooler over to the security guards patrolling the park.
"Five minutes left." Sora took out his phone, checked the time. "Let's head to the small grove."
Mahiru clenched her pink fists: "The timing is just right, we'll definitely make it."
The two jogged all the way and arrived in the grove.
"Meow meow meow~"
Without the interference of the two, the little kitten once again climbed up the tree, hugging a branch and meowing for help.
"Sora-kun, I'm counting on you."
Mahiru looked up. As she spoke, she untied her hair tie and quickly bunched her ponytail into a bun to prevent her hair from startling the little kitten again.
"Get on."
Sora quickly crouched down halfway, once again allowing Angel-sama to sit on his shoulders.
Mahiru's pretty face flushed red as she straddled Sora's shoulders:
"Sora-kun, I'm sitting securely."
"..."
With their mutual cooperation, the two quickly rescued the little kitten.
Learning from the lesson before the rewind, this rescue operation was completed smoothly and safely, without any accidents.
"Phew..."
Watching the little kitten quickly disappear into the night, Mahiru let out a soft sigh of relief, the corners of her pink, moist lips curling upwards:
"All missions accomplished."
"One minute left until the loop begins." Sora checked the time and reminded her, "Let's hurry up and break the rewind."
"Okay..."
Mahiru's pretty face flushed slightly as she quickly returned to the bench with Sora and sat down.
"Sora-kun..."
Angel-sama's eyelashes trembled slightly, her pretty face flushed crimson, her voice shy:
"You... you close your eyes."
Angel-sama was exceptionally familiar with this act of self-deception.
"There's no time."
Sora decisively reached out his right hand, wrapped his arm around Angel-sama's soft, slender waist, and then directly leaned in for a kiss.
"Mmm..."
Self-deception failed. Angel-sama's long eyelashes fluttered shyly, and she flusteredly closed her eyes.