４　The Tiny Girl Loves to Eat

“My goal for high school is to slaughter every girl taller than me.”

“So... total extinction for high school girls then.”

That was Naruse Chito-san—no, Chito-chan. She was the shortest girl in our class.

It was lunch break, and I was sitting across from Chito-chan at a table in the school cafeteria. For some reason, we were eating together. To make things weirder, the topic of conversation was the stiff-sounding “high school goals.”

Since we’d only just met, I suppose it was only natural that we were struggling to find the right cards for our conversation deck.

“Hey, don’t you think this school has a lot of tall girls?” she asked.

“Well, apparently they’re big on sports here.”

It wasn’t a universal rule, but there were plenty of sports where being tall was a massive advantage. Luna was a powerhouse at volleyball specifically because of her height. In my case, hearing that there were a lot of tall girls here was actually one of the reasons I chose this school. It was a justification I could state with my head held high.

“Kids these days are growing up way too fast! Curse this era of overabundance!”

“Is it the food supply? I’m sure that’s a big factor.”

Even if the economy was in a slump, the food in this country was still plenty rich. Besides, out of everyone in this cafeteria, Chito-chan looked the most like a “kid these days.”

“But Chito-chan, you’re only a freshman. There’s still plenty of hope for a growth spurt.”

“I don’t aim for the stars. Oh, and I wasn't trying to make a pun there, okay?”

Chito-chan looked embarrassed. It was true that she still had time to grow; it wouldn't be weird if she shot up another ten centimeters.

Wait, even then, she’d only be 150 centimeters...

“Even if I hit 150, the world is still gonna see me as some tiny, petite, creep-bait loli!”

“I... I don’t think people go that far.”

“How far did you go, then?”

“Uh, well, with as much as you’re eating, I’d say the odds of a growth spurt are pretty high.”

“Way to change the subject... Besides, I’m not a big eater.”

“............”

The Hiura High cafeteria had a pretty extensive menu. Sitting in front of Chito-chan was a “Katsu-don Set.” The pork cutlet was thick, the rice was piled high, and the side of soba allowed for extra toppings—she’d added a raw egg to turn it into Tsukimi Soba.

“Since my body is small and my power storage capacity is low, I have to fill the tank to the brim more often.”

“Yeah, I don’t really get it, but okay.”

Basically, despite appearances, Chito-chan was a glutton. Her chopsticks hadn’t stopped moving for a second. The oversized pork cutlet looked even bigger every time she opened her tiny mouth to take a bite.

“Geez, you’re really packing it away again today. Here, have some of my beef.”

Satsuki Nonoa-san happened to pass by with her tray. She casually plucked three slices of meat from her beef bowl and plopped them onto Chito-chan’s katsu-don.

“Yay! Thanks! You’re my favorite, Nono!”

“Yeah, yeah, love you too. Tochika, keep an eye on her for me, okay?”

With that, Satsuki-san gave a light wave and headed toward a group of gyarus who looked like her friends. Satsuki-san really spoiled her, didn’t she?

“Mmm, I haven’t tried the beef bowl here yet, but the meat is so thick and tasty. The sauce has just the right amount of kick, too.”

“You really do look like you’re enjoying that.”

“I am! It’s delicious. By the way, Tochika-kun, something’s been bugging me—”

“Hm?”

“What’s up, Sora? I was wondering where you’d disappeared to, and here you are in the cafeteria.”

“Oh, hey, Luna.”

This time, it was Luna passing by. Being the athletic type, she was carrying a ginger pork set with an extra-large serving of rice and extra meat, plus a side order of six gyoza.

“You came at the perfect time, Harukawa-san!” Chito-chan chirped.

“Perfect time? Oh, you can just call me Luna.”

“Then... can I call you Lu-san? Or maybe Lu-kun?”

“I don’t mind the ‘-kun,’ but ‘Ru’ is... well, do whatever you want.”

Even as her childhood friend, I’d never heard that nickname before. It wasn’t unusual for people to use “-kun” for the boyish Luna, though.

“Look, look, Lu-kun! Look at what Tochika-kun is eating for lunch!”

“Hm? Oh, a fruit sandwich again today?”

“The Hiura commissary has a great sandwich selection,” I explained. “And the cafeteria lets you bring them in.”

I was eating a fruit sandwich stuffed with strawberries, kiwi, and mandarin oranges. The whipped cream had a nice, subtle sweetness that paired perfectly with my bottled black tea.

“I’d prefer actual cake, but they don't sell that here. It’s a shame the only dessert option is pudding.”

“That is not a meal, Tochika-kun!”

Chito-chan slammed her hand onto the table. Thump.

“Oh, so Naruse-chan is worried about Sora’s diet? It’s a waste of time to lecture him. Sweets are his primary food group.”

“Y-you’re gonna get diabetes!”

“Usually people say cavities. Though both are scary. But don't worry, I eat normal food too.”

It was precisely because I ate salty and spicy things that the sweetness really stood out.

“You should be worried about Chito-chan too, though, Luna. She said her goal is to exterminate every high school girl taller than her. So... goodbye, Luna.”

“Naruse-chan, how could you?! And Sora, don’t you dare write me off so easily!”

“Waaaah! Tochika-kun, why would you blab! That was supposed to be a secret until I achieved my goal!”

Chito-chan and Luna started squawking at each other. Man, these two had really hit it off in just one week. Luna could actually be surprisingly shy around new people, but she seemed totally at ease here.

“Oh, but Lu-kun, you eat a lot too. That’s a good thing!”

“I’m in the sports club,” Luna replied. “I do some light training during lunch, so I have to fuel up. You seem to pack it away pretty well yourself, Naruse-chan.”

“I’m not a big eater... am I?”

“Why is that a question? Since you’re looking after Sora, I’ll share some of the wealth. I always get plenty of extras from my friends anyway.”

“Yes! We just met, but Lu-kun, you’re my absolute favorite!”

“Haha, you’re exaggerating.”

Wait, what?

Luna didn’t seem to notice my tilted head. She placed a slice of ginger pork and a gyoza into Chito-chan’s bowl and headed off. It looked like her teammates were waiting at a nearby table.

Chito-chan and I continued our meal, chatting about high school classes and teachers.

“Phew, thanks for the food. Was that enough for you, Tochika-kun?”

“Plenty. The commissary fruit sandwiches are almost too thick. But I’m glad I ate with you, Chito-chan.”

“Wait, really? I’m glad to hear that. I kind of forced the invitation on you, so I thought you might be embarrassed to be seen alone with a girl.”

“I don't mind at all.”

I didn't have many close friends yet, and I wasn't in any rush to force connections. However...

“Chito-chan, I was wondering what you meant when you said you liked me. I guess there wasn't any deep meaning behind it.”

“Eh?”

“Well, you just told Satsuki-san and Luna that they were your ‘favorites’ and that you ‘loved’ them too, right?”

“Whaaa—?!”

Chito-chan practically bolted upright, slamming the table again. She even put her knee on the chair to lean over toward me.

“Wait just a minute, Tochika-kun! W-what is that supposed to mean?!”

“This morning, you said you ‘liked’ me, right? But you say stuff like that to everyone. Man, you really had me going for a second. I actually thought it was a legit confession.”

“Y-you... Non-deli!”

“Huh?”

“Nono, sorry, but can you clear my tray for me?! I’ve got a job to do right now and it’s called making Tochika-kun understand!”

Satsuki-san, still sitting at her table, gave an okay sign. Chito-chan scrambled under the table, popped up on my side, grabbed my wrist in a vice grip, and started marching away.

Did I say something wrong?