02: After All, I Love Onee-sans

“High school really is on another level.”

I couldn't help but murmur the words with deep feeling.

I had just passed through the school gates and arrived in front of the main building. A few girls were loitering there. They all seemed to be third-years, currently engaged in a lively, cheerful chat.

The upperclasswomen appeared to be members of an athletic club; they were all well-toned and—most importantly—tall. Their makeup and hair were perfectly styled, making them look more "cool" than "cute." To someone like me who had only enrolled a few days ago, all the seniors looked impressive, but these statuesque women were especially dazzling.

While lost in thought, I accidentally stopped to admire them.

“Hm? What’s up? You need something from us?”

“Ah, are we in the way? Jeez, it’s 'cause you’re so big.”

“You’re big too! Honestly... hey, you’re a first-year, right?”

“Ah, yes.”

The third-year girls I’d been watching approached me.

“Heeh... so there are some cute first-years after all.”

One of the seniors leaned in close to my face, scrutinizing me. It’s not exactly a compliment for a guy to be called "cute," but it’s something I’ve grown used to hearing. Personally, I think I have a perfectly average face, but for some reason, older women seem to find it appealing.

“It’s nice to see a face like this. All the guys in the boys' volleyball club, even the new recruits, are so rugged.”

“They’re huge and have such scary faces, too.”

“It’s fine to have at least one cute boy around. Hey, why don't you join the volleyball club? Our club does quite a lot of mixed-gender practice, you know?”

“Ah, er...”

Crap. I gave a non-answer because I was too distracted. Seeing these Onee-sans up close, I could get a better sense of their height, and it was glorious. They were likely all over 170 centimeters.

I couldn't help but stare; they were magnificent examples of "Onee-san-hood."

“Oh, look, he’s frozen up.”

“This is our chance. Should we just start feeling him up? Petapeta.”

“I like it. He’s so slender. I’m already sick of looking at those athletic-club gorillas.”

Taking advantage of my silence, the third-year girls started patting my shoulders and stomach.

Whoa, hey, isn't your sense of personal space a bit broken? This was bad. I love Onee-sans, but the momentum of these seniors was overwhelming—

“Seniors, please stop teasing the first-year!”

Suddenly, a voice rang out from behind me.

I turned to see a girl with short black hair, wearing a track jacket over her uniform’s mini-skirt, with a large sports bag slung over her shoulder.

“Ah, it’s Harukawa.”

“The representative for ‘not-cute’ first-years.”

“Harukawa, you have such a cute face, so how do you manage to be so un-cute?”

“I just say what needs to be said, even to my seniors!”

The short-haired girl spoke up firmly, and the third-year girls just chuckled, muttered "fine, fine," and headed into the school building.

Then, the short-haired girl shot me a glare.

“Hey, Sora. What are you doing?”

“Just a bit of skinship with some Onee-sans. Mornin', Luna.”

“It’s not ‘mornin'.’ Honestly, stop ogling Onee-sans first thing in the morning.”

This girl with the black bob and boyish speech was Luna Harukawa. She was the childhood friend of me, Sora Tochika, and we’d been together since before we could even remember. As fate would have it, we’d both ended up enrolling in the same high school this spring.

“You’re still big today, Luna. Did you get even taller?”

“I’m not gonna grow overnight!”

Luna was also tall—taller than the three seniors from a moment ago. She had always been tall; I had never once managed to surpass her in height.

“Listen, Sora.”

“Yeah?”

The tall Luna stepped closer and leaned in to whisper in my ear.

“I’m already 175 centimeters. I can't say this out loud as a volleyball player, but I don't want to get any taller.”

“Why? You can never have too much height, right?”

“You can!”

Luna had been dedicated to volleyball since middle school—a sport where height is a massive advantage—and yet she hated growing. Apparently, she thought being too tall made her "not-cute."

“You’re a complicated one, Luna.”

“Girls are complicated. I’m not like you, Sora, where as long as a girl is tall, anything goes.”

“Even I’m not that simple. I don't mind if they're younger as long as they're tall, but they have to have a mature atmosphere.”

“I’ve heard that claim of yours a hundred million times.”

Luna glared at me. For some reason, my childhood friend was always dismissive of my preferences. Even though Luna herself fit my tastes perfectly... no matter how much she was my type, a romance with a childhood friend is complicated.

“Sora is a handful, but those ‘Onee-sans’ are something else, too. Calling Sora cute is a massive overestimation. As long as I’m the only one who’s known him since we were kids and understands that—”

“Luna, what are you mumbling about? You’re usually so loud.”

“Shut up, it doesn't matter. Sora, let’s get to class.”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m glad we ended up in the same class, at least.”

I fell into step beside Luna. Walking alongside a tall beauty... yeah, not bad.

“Mornin' Chito!”

Just as we started walking, I felt a sudden impact from behind. I stumbled forward and barely managed to keep my footing.

““W-What!?””

Luna and I spoke in unison as we spun around. A tiny girl was clinging to Luna’s back.

“N-Naruse-san?”

“Is that Naruse-chan?”

It seemed this tiny girl had executed a simultaneous tackle on both of us and was now hitched onto Luna’s back.

“Hiura High School, Class 1-1, Number 22, height 140 centimeters, weight very light, graduate of Minami Middle School—I’m Naruse Chito! Tochika-kun, Harukawa-san, Mornin’ Chito!”

“Mornin’ Chi—I mean, good morning, Naruse-san.”

I gave a wry smile to the girl still clinging to Luna.

Naruse Chito. She was a girl in the same class as Luna and me. Just as she’d said in her stats, she was remarkably short for a high school freshman. Her long twin-tails were held by large bear-shaped hair ornaments. She wore an oversized cardigan that hid her hands and a rather short skirt. She wasn't wearing her blazer, but she was definitely in the Hiura High uniform.

Even so, she didn't look like a high schooler. At worst—no, based on looks alone, she was a primary schooler through and through.

“Naruse-san, you’ve got a real flair for self-assertion, don't you?”

“Well, it’s only been a week since enrollment! I have to make sure everyone remembers this tiny existence of mine!”

“‘Tiny existence,’ huh?”

She was certainly tiny, but hearing her say it herself was something else.

“Anyway, isn't it exhausting to chant that whole self-intro every time?”

“I’m not very noticeable, you see! I have to appeal more aggressively than everyone else!”

She raised one hand and started hopping up and down. Apparently, she was tireless when it came to self-promotion.

“Aggressively, huh...? Including that mysterious greeting?”

“I know it’s cringey.”

Chito-chan made a poignantly sad face. It was an expression with a depth that a mere child couldn't manage.

“A normal ‘good morning’ wouldn't stand out. I can't do anything about being small, so even if it’s for the wrong reasons, I’m gonna make myself heard!”

“I see...”

Actually, I didn't see at all. Being small was a fact, but saying she wasn't "noticeable" was a total lie.

“Ah, sorry for staying on so long, Harukawa-san. Up we go!”

Naruse-san slid off Luna’s back and landed on the ground. When she stood next to the tall Luna...

Chinmari.

The onomatopoeia for "tiny and neat" practically hovered around her.

“Tochika-kun, is something wrong?”

Naruse-san tilted her head curiously. Just as I shook my head with a dry laugh—

“Ah, look! That’s the first-year girl I was telling you about. Look, look!”

“Heeh... so that’s her. She’s so cute! She’s tiny!”

“I kind of want to take her home and display her in the classroom. Seriously, she’s so cute~”

A group of upperclasswomen walked past, squealing as they looked at Chito-chan. Even the guys were glancing over, muttering, “Whoa.”

Naruse Chito was…

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO CUTE.

If you looked at her as a primary schooler, she was just a cute primary schooler. But when you added the essence of "High School Girl" into the mix, her existence felt like a miracle.

Being short or looking young isn't that rare. However, Naruse Chito had a staggeringly short height of 140 centimeters coupled with a face that was exceptionally beautiful. Once you saw her, you wouldn't forget her, and if you heard the rumors, you’d want to see her for yourself.

“I think you stand out plenty, Naruse-san. I never get tired of watching you.”

She was tiny, constantly in motion, and had a very cute face. Just having her in the classroom made things interesting.

“Yep! I’m working hard so you don't get bored!”

“So that was the intention?”

Moving around like a busy little squirrel was impossible without a plan, I suppose.

“In any case, your appearance is something no one could forget once they've seen it.”

“Once they've seen it...”

“............”

“Tochika-kun, you remembered me, didn't you?”

Naruse-san turned a meaningful gaze toward me. No, I knew exactly what she was implying with that look.

“What are you two talking about?”

“It’s nothing, Harukawa-san! Sorry for interrupting you guys. I’ll head on ahead. Oh, but before that, Tochika-kun, can I borrow you for just a second?”

“You can borrow him for as many seconds as you like.”

“Alright! Then I’m gonna help myself!”

Without any input from me, I was being lent and borrowed. Naruse-san came scurrying over. Then, she grabbed my arm and gave it a firm tug.

For the record, my height is exactly 170 centimeters. Naruse-san, with a 30-centimeter height difference, pulled my arm and brought her face close to mine.

“Thank you for helping me on the train.”

“............”

“I think I like you, Tochika-kun.”

Muni.

A soft sensation transmitted through my arm. Through her oversized cardigan, I felt two distinct mounds. Naruse Chito was a genuine high school student, so it wasn't strange for her to have a developed chest.

“Um, Naruse-san? Your chest is—”

“Eh? Kyaa! Sorr—Wait, you aren't reacting at all, are you?”

“R-Reacting?”

“Tochika-kun, it seems you really aren't a lolicon. It’s a given that lolicons would fall for me, after all.”

“W-What are you talking about?”

To say that any lolicon would fall for her... that was some serious confidence. Though she might have been right.

“I want someone who isn't a lolicon to fall for me. I’m so glad the person I like isn't one.”

“Could you maybe stop saying that word so much?”

Look, Luna was making a suspicious face even if she couldn't quite hear. If she caught even a bit of that, my social standing would be ruined.

“Just you wait. I’m going to make you realize that I’m not a child.”

As she said that, Naruse-san’s tiny face turned red all the way to her ears. She pulled away from me and hurried past the suspicious-looking Luna into the school building.

“Hey, Naruse-chan was making a sound like she was about to die, mumbling ‘I said it... I actually said it...’ Sora, what did she say to you?”

“Yeah... Naruse Chito-san is pretty cute, isn't she?”

“Did you hear my question?”

Of course I heard it. Luna looked suspicious, but even if she was my trusted childhood friend, I couldn't tell her about Naruse-san’s "confession."

She likes me? For real?

Naruse Chito was the girl I had saved from being crushed on a packed train during spring break. Back then, I was certain she was a primary schooler. But since her appearance was impossible to forget, there was no mistaking it. She said I "remembered her," but it would have been harder to forget.

And then, by pure chance, I had reunited with her in a high school classroom. It felt like fate, but I thought we were just supposed to be classmates.

That unexpectedly soft sensation on my arm... it felt like proof that Naruse-san wasn't just a kid. And, at the very least, it proved she didn't hate me.

Whether I was a lolicon or not wasn't the issue, but still...