Why I Fell for Tiny You: Volume 1 Bonus Story

Bonus E-Book Short Story: Tiny Me Is Cooking!

Note: This story contains spoilers for the main story. If you'd rather avoid spoilers, please read it after finishing the main story.

"Now it's time for Chito-Chito Cooking!"

"Koto, wouldn't it be better if you just cooked without talking?"

"Jeez, Nee, you don't have to watch."

Our kitchen.

I stood there early in the morning, all fired up.

Nee was watching from behind me, still convinced I'd hurt myself with a knife or the gas stove.

I'd been past that stage for ages.

I still got hurt sometimes, but I just had to make sure Nee didn't find out. She always did, though.

"Let's do this!"

I rolled up the sleeves of my uniform blouse and put on my dog-patterned apron.

I set my trusty step stool in front of the sink and hopped lightly onto it.

At 140 centimeters, kitchen work was awkward without a step stool.

"Yesterday, I, Koto-chan, fell into the sea and Toochika-kun rescued me. I got him soaking wet too, so today I'm making breakfast to thank him and apologize."

"You don't have to explain all that."

"It's fine. Chito-Chito Cooking is offline, but I'm going to act like I'm streaming it."

Just cooking normally wouldn't be any fun.

"Today, I'm making sandwiches. Since they're for a high school boy, I'm going to make them extra filling."

"The boy has a small appetite. Isn't he the type who only eats sweets too?"

"Part of the goal is to make sure he eats a proper breakfast."

I carefully washed my hands, all the way up to my elbows.

Toochika-kun doesn't seem fussy enough to be a germaphobe, but when you're handling food, cleanliness comes first.

"Egg sandwiches are a must, and tuna and teriyaki chicken are classics too. And then..."

"If you make that many, you'll be late for school."

"Nee, is there anything else I should make?"

"You aren't listening at all. If you're cooking for a boy with a sweet tooth, fruit sandwiches are a must."

"O-Oh! You're right! That never even occurred to me..."

Fruit sandwiches weren't something I normally ate, so the idea had never occurred to me.

Come to think of it, Toochika-kun had eaten a fruit sandwich before.

"We have strawberries and whipped cream, so I should be able to make them. I was ready to make Toochika-kun eat breakfast even if I had to force him, but I want to make something he likes too."

"Well, the boy is far too skinny. You should feed him plenty."

"You're one to talk, Nee."

My own sister or not, she was shockingly thin.

She didn't look unhealthy, but I still thought she could stand to put on a little more weight.

"All right, let's begin!"

"You're really fired up, Koto. Just don't hurt yourself, don't be late, and don't force the boy to eat more than he wants, okay?"

"I knowww. I'm not a child."

I didn't care if people teased me for being small, but treating me like a child was a different matter.

I could laugh off most things, but being treated like a child by Nee was a different story.

"I can cook perfectly well, so don't worry."

I'd been helping in the kitchen in place of my parents and sister since I was little, so cooking was one of my strong suits.

Ever since middle school, when I begged my parents for something, it wasn't clothes or accessories—it was knives and pots.

"Let's see... Cook the chicken for three minutes on each side... then add the sauce and cook until it thickens..."

"You're looking at a recipe? Koto, you've made teriyaki chicken plenty of times before. Oh, what's this?"

"Wah! Nee, that's a trade secret!"

Nee picked up the little notebook I'd left beside the sink and started looking through it.

"What... You actually wrote out a recipe? It's packed with tiny writing, there are sticky notes everywhere, and you've scribbled additions all over it. Koto, you can make most dishes without looking anything up, can't you?"

"S-So what! This is my first time cooking for a boy, so I have to go all out!"

"Look at you, being all maidenly."

"Leave me alone!"

J-Jeez... This is so embarrassing.

Not thinking of fruit sandwiches was a miss, but I'd put a lot of thought into the menu and thoroughly researched the recipes.

"Because... Toochika-kun seems like the kind of person who'd just tell me straight out if it didn't taste good."

"Surely the boy's emotional intelligence isn't that hopeless. Even if it wasn't quite to his taste, he'd at least say something nice, wouldn't he?"

"That would be humiliating in its own way... No, I'm going to make something so delicious it punches right through Toochika-kun's insensitivity and makes him say it's delicious!"

Thanking him and apologizing were my main goals, but I planned to make the most of this chance.

Toochika-kun was still an impregnable fortress, so I wanted to try anything I could.

Winning him over through his stomach was one of the golden rules, right?

That was why I'd stayed up late last night researching recipes online and in books, and I'd even done whatever prep work I could ahead of time.

I was sleep-deprived because of it, but I had energy drinks to carry me through the day.

"I'll sandwich a little heart in there with the egg too. Toochika-kun eats eggs, right?"

"Sweets and eggs go hand in hand. There's no doubt he likes eggs."

"Right."

Getting the stamp of approval from Nee, a fellow sweets lover, put me at ease.

"...But will this really be okay? I'm kind of nervous. It's my first time cooking for a boy, and of all people, it's Toochika-kun."

I thought that would reassure me──but I was still nervous.

I was going to make the sandwiches and take them to Toochika-kun's house, but what if he turned me away?

There was no way Toochika-kun would do that, but still, this was my first time.

If he didn't eat my sandwiches, even I would...

"Koto."

"Wah!"

I'd finished one egg sandwich when, before I knew it, my hands stopped moving.

Nee gave my shoulder a gentle pat from behind.

"I'm sure you'll get through to the boy. That insensitive side of his is only on the surface."

"Huh?"

"You've grown, Koto. And you have a good eye for boys. As your sister, that puts me at ease."

"............"

Have I really grown?

Maybe the old me couldn't have cooked for a boy like this.

Had falling for someone for the first time changed me?

The boy I liked was a tough nut to crack, but maybe that was exactly why I could grow too.

My body probably wasn't going to get any bigger, but maybe I could still grow on the inside?

"I'll do my best, Nee. I want Toochika-kun to be happy. He doesn't seem like the type to say something is delicious very easily, so that makes it more rewarding too."

"Yes, but you need to hurry. The boy might eat breakfast before you get there, right?"

"O-Oh, right! Nee, um..."

"I'll make sure to drive you to the boy's house."

"Thanks, Nee! I love you the most!"

"You tell everyone they're your favorite, Koto."

Nee left the kitchen with a wry smile.

It seemed she'd decided I no longer needed her watching over me.

All right. Nee was even giving me a ride, so I had to do my best and make some delicious sandwiches.

Time to start the morning full of energy!