I'm in a real religion, why are all the people who confess to me girls?

Fortunately, I had fever reducers in my first-aid kit. After taking some, I felt a little better.

Seeing Sakayanagi's condition, Kiryuin, who had originally intended to find Amane to set up a stall together, could only stay and take care of Sakayanagi. Even when Amane called her to come and help, Sakayanagi's face was still a little pale.

"It's alright, my body can handle it. Besides, with my physical condition, I'd basically need Tianyin's help to climb the mountain. I don't need to exert myself much."

Sakayanagi looked gently toward the bathroom.

"That's true, but you're still here..."

Kiryuin knew that Amane had been carrying Sakaryu up the mountain, which would minimize Sakaryu's burden. However, Kiryuin was worried that Sakaryu's fever might worsen if she stayed overnight at the summit, which would be troublesome.

"I feel much better after taking the fever reducer, and my temperature has gone down. I'm fine. Besides, it's only one night up here, and Tianyin has prepared a thick blanket for me, so it should be okay. If you're worried, Fenghua, I'll take another fever reducer before we climb the mountain tomorrow. That's three doses in total, so I shouldn't have a fever again. Besides, we always carry a first-aid kit when we climb mountains, right? If I feel unwell, I'll let you know."

Sakayanagi knew her body much better than Kiryuin did. Seeing how determined she was, and since it seemed quite reasonable, Kiryuin didn't delve any further into the matter.

Just as Sakayanagi said, before setting off, Amane prepared a lot of medicine because Sakayanagi's body was relatively weak. They would also carry a first-aid kit with them when climbing the mountain, so that if Sakayanagi felt unwell halfway, they could stop and take medicine.

Kiryuin Misaka Ryu's physical condition has been resolved, and she has many more smiles on her face. Although they sometimes have tense arguments due to their competition, they have developed a deep friendship with Amane after spending a lot of time together, even if they are just pretending to be friends.

Seeing Kiryuin excitedly sharing how to sell snacks with her, Sakayanagi breathed a slight sigh of relief.

In fact, she still has a fever, but she chose to lie because she didn't want to spoil the mood for everyone because of her health.

Amane's physical training and academic studies are nearing completion, which is why she has this rare vacation. However, Amane will return to the Miyako family to learn etiquette and other family knowledge.

Because it is a closed learning environment, it also means that during the learning period, Sakayanagi can only contact Amane by phone, and he will not be able to see Amane for quite some time.

Due to her physical condition, Sakayanagi had few friends growing up. Even children her own age didn't want to play with her. When asked what she could do, Sakayanagi would answer that she could read, play chess, and play the piano.

This answer effectively excluded her from her circle of peers.

The young ladies from prominent families who have a good relationship with the Sakayanagi family wouldn't have the time to sit down and play Go with the Sakayanagi family at this age.

Therefore, Sakayanagi's only playmates right now are Amane and Kiryuin. Kiryuin is going to study in Kyoto, and Amane is going home to receive closed-door education.

This would mean she would be all alone again.

A feeling of utter loneliness, as if she were in an abyss, surged into Sakayanagi's heart in an instant, making it hard for her to breathe.

Anyone who has ever enjoyed the fun of playing with friends will find it impossible to endure the loneliness of being alone again.

This hike, ostensibly a way to relax, was actually something only Sakayanagi knew was likely the last time the three of them would gather here for the next few years.

In any case, we must ensure that this hiking trip leaves no accidents or regrets!

Sakayanagi's delicate body curled up slightly to make herself more comfortable, like a kitten. Even though she was tormented by illness, Sakayanagi's gaze was as firm as a rock and unshakable.

……

The next morning, when Tone opened her eyes, Sakayanagi was sitting at the table fixing her makeup in front of her phone.

Tianyin glanced at the time.

It's only six in the morning, and even Kiryuin hasn't gotten up yet. Sakayanagi is getting up way too early.

Good morning, Tianyin.

"Good morning, Arisu..."

When Tenon saw Saka Ryuu, whose face was flushed, greeting her, she instinctively sensed that something was wrong.

Amane knew that Sakayanagi was physically weak, and because Sakayanagi's skin was delicate and fair, it was very obvious when she blushed.

But something like this, which symbolizes vitality and rosy cheeks, just looks problematic.

"Arisu, why are you up so early?"

“If I don’t get up this early, who will prepare breakfast for you? If the three of us could sleep as much as Maple Flower, our hike today would be ruined.”

Sakayanagi got up with a grin to get the bread and the milk that she had asked Kaede to buy for her the night before.

Sakayanagi made a few simple sandwiches with canned food and bread. Amane didn't care much about food and just ate a little before going to the window to look at the weather outside.

The gray sky gave people a sense of oppression.

However, this might be a good thing for them, because it means they don't have to climb mountains in the sweltering heat. This cool and breezy weather is quite suitable for mountain climbers.

Of course, this is on the premise that it won't rain.

Tianyin picked up her phone and checked the weather forecast. The forecast only said that it would be cloudy today, without mentioning anything about rain.

Tianyin was slightly relieved when she saw the notification that it wasn't raining.

Are you worried about the rain?

After nearly three years of companionship, Sakayanagi has basically mastered Amane's living habits.

Therefore, just by seeing Tianyin glance at the sky outside and immediately take out her phone, it was clear that Tianyin was worried about rain.

"Yes, we brought raincoats, but it can be quite dangerous on the mountain if the rain is too heavy, so it's better to be extra careful."

Amane wasn't surprised that Sakayanagi could guess her thoughts, just as she could guess that Sakayanagi's body was probably having problems.

Many things were simply unspoken understandings between the two of them.

Should we wake Maple to get up and wash up?

Sakayanagi sat on the edge of the bed and reached out to poke Kiryuin, who was fast asleep.

"It's rare to see her sleeping so soundly, and I feel a little guilty about waking her up. But if we don't get up now to prepare, we'll be in a rush when we leave."

After Tianyin finished speaking, she reached out and pinched Guilongyuan's nose.

"..."

This way of waking her up left Sakayanagi completely stunned. No wonder she felt guilty; it turned out that Amane was going to bully Kiryuin while she was still asleep!

The happy smile on Kiryuin's face gradually disappeared in his sleep, then turned into a frown and a few soft humming sounds through his nose, before he suddenly opened his eyes.

With lightning speed, Tenon removed her hand before Kiryuin could open his eyes.

"Whoa!!! Whoa... I was so scared! I think I dreamt I fell into the sea and slowly suffocated... It was so terrifying... Hey? Arisu and Amane, why are you up so early? Ha~"

Kiryuin rubbed his sleepy eyes and yawned widely.

"Strange, I feel a bit of pain in my nose."

"It's probably because you sleep face down on the bed at night."

Tianyin spoke with malicious intent.

"What? I actually sleep on my stomach? No wonder... Oh no!"

Kiryuin suddenly screamed, startling Sakayanagi so much that he covered his ears.

"You'll get complaints if you startle people so early in the morning. What happened?"

"Oh no! My mom said that girls who sleep on their stomachs will have smaller breasts, waaaaaah!"

Chapter 125: The Storm Is Brewing

After clearing away all obstacles to their ascent, including Kiryuin, the three finally embarked on their first and possibly last outing.

Little Fuji was less than two kilometers from the town, not a long distance. Instead of rushing to their destination, the three of them chatted and laughed as they slowly made their way towards the snow mountain with Sakayanagi.

Since they hadn't reached their destination yet, Tenon helped Kiryuin carry some of the mountaineering equipment and food. These seemingly heavy things were carried by Tenon with great ease, not only because years of weight training had given her a stronger physique.

Furthermore, Tianyin's analgesia means she can't even feel muscle pain, making her the perfect tool for long-distance travel.

Kiryuin and Amane followed on either side of Sakayanagi. Amane was carrying the luggage and supporting Sakayanagi. Throughout the journey, neither Kiryuin nor Amane took their eyes off Sakayanagi's face.

Although Sakayanagi wanted to tell the two women several times that being stared at while walking made her feel embarrassed, she could only remain silent when she thought about her poor health.

The three of them set off at seven in the morning and walked two kilometers, which took them more than two hours. Due to Sakayanagi's physical condition, no matter how hard she tried, she could not walk like a normal person.

This speed was largely thanks to Amane supporting Sakayanagi the whole way; if Amane had walked those two kilometers on her own, it would have taken her at least three hours.

The reason it took so long on the journey wasn't because of Sakayanagi's speed, but because her frail body required her to stop and rest every few hundred meters.

If it weren't for her desire to create some beautiful memories for the two of them before their brief separation, she would never have chosen to suffer like this, and would only make herself a burden to others.

"Is this the 'small' snow mountain you mentioned, Maple Flower?"

Tianyin looked at the towering mountain peak in front of her with a grim expression, then glanced back at Guilong Academy.

Because Tianyin and her companions entered the town from the west, facing the snow-capped mountains situated to the east, they could only vaguely see the outline of the peaks from within the town. Even at a distance of only two kilometers, they couldn't clearly discern the details. Due to the consistently low temperatures and high humidity in the town, it was always shrouded in mist, as if enveloped in clouds. To see the snow-capped mountains clearly, one had to reach their base.

Now that Tianyin has arrived at the foot of the mountain, she finds that this distant mountain is far beyond Tianyin's understanding of Xiaoxue Mountain. Judging from its height alone, it is at least a medium-sized mountain peak.

Seeing this, Sakayanagi turned around and looked at Kiryuin with a helpless expression.

If it were just the two of them out having fun, they would never have made such a basic mistake. But this time, they trusted Kiryuin Kaede's nonsense about being a self-proclaimed encyclopedia of mountaineering too much, which led to such a serious error in the final step of the plan.

"Well... maybe it's grown taller? After all, the photos I found are from last year, and it looked quite cute in those photos, didn't it?"

Kiryuin Fuka took out a picture of a snow-capped mountain scene that was clearly heavily filtered and explained it to Amane and Sakayanagi.

But she soon discovered that Sakayanagi and Amane didn't believe her nonsense at all.

"I'll go warm up and stretch first."

Tenon whispered to Sakayanagi beside her.

Sakayanagi glanced at Kiryuin and sighed.

"Remember to leave yourself some breath."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Amane slowly released her hand from Sakaryu's support, and after confirming that Sakaryu was standing steadily, she walked towards Kiryuin, whose face was filled with 'weakness,' 'helplessness,' and 'plea for mercy.'

"Tianyin, listen to my excuses... no! Listen to my explanation! Ouch! Ouch, it hurts! Da, da! I'm going to die, waaaaah..."

After a brief and friendly exchange, Tianyin finally learned from Guilongyuan that the snow mountain was actually called Little Snow Mountain by the group of mountaineering enthusiasts, and was actually a semi-open wild mountain. This result made Tianyin's face darken considerably.

"Should we continue climbing? This mountain is so high, Tianyin, do you have the stamina...?"

If it were just Tianyin climbing the mountain alone, this kind of mountain would not be difficult for her at all, but the problem right now is that Tianyin needs to carry someone up the mountain.

This level of difficulty is far beyond what one person could achieve by climbing a mountain alone.

"It would be a shame not to go up and take a look since we've come this far. Arisu, you don't need to worry too much about me. As long as that guy Kaede doesn't give up halfway, reaching the top of the mountain is just a matter of time for me."

Having undergone weighted rock climbing and mountaineering training, Tianyin possesses absolute self-confidence and utters such words.

Sakayanagi then turned his gaze to Kiryuin, who appeared quite listless.

"I will not give up halfway!"

As if to prove that he would stand with Tenon through thick and thin, Kiryuin even extended his hand.

Sakayanagi shook his head, sighed softly, and placed his hand on top. Amane rolled her eyes at Kiryuin before placing her hand on top. The three of them placed their hands on top of each other, and their expressions became increasingly determined.

"come on!!!"

……

"Tianyin~ I can't go on anymore, let's rest before we go."

"Oh dear, I feel like there's a pebble in my shoe. Shall we rest for a bit so I can check it out before we go?"

"Tianyin~ The wind is so strong, let's take a break."

"Tian, ​​Tianyin... I'm exhausted, I really can't go on..."

Amane, who was carrying Sakayanagi on her back and walking quickly along the path ahead, finally stopped after hearing Kiryuin's pleading cries for the umpteenth time.

"There's less than a third of the way left. Maple, can you hold on a little longer?"

Hearing Tianyin's cold and heartless words, Guilongyuan's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally died.

"What? There's still a third left? Something feels off. Could it be... Tianyin, do you really want to climb this mountain that's hundreds of meters high in one go?"

Kiryuin stared in shock, his eyes wide as if he were looking at a madman.

"Is that not allowed?"

Tenon's question completely broke down Kiryuin's defenses, who was carrying large bags and small packages.

"Hey! This isn't a question of whether it's possible or not, is it? Even a professional athlete couldn't climb that high in one go, right? Besides, aren't we here to enjoy the view? As long as we get up before dark, we can walk slowly, it shouldn't be a problem, right?"

The reason she wanted to stay overnight was because Kiryuin saw photos of the sunrise taken on this mountain, and the beautiful scenery made her yearn to stay there.

Since the goal is not to complete the climb and descent in one day but to stay overnight on the mountain, then according to Guilongyuan's idea, everyone can just climb the mountain slowly. People like Tianyin, who rush through the mountain, don't have any time to appreciate the beautiful scenery on both sides of the mountain road.

"I also want to climb the mountain slowly, but it doesn't allow us to leisurely reach the summit."

Tianyin pointed to the distant horizon.