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!

Why I Fell for Tiny You: Volume 1 Chapter 24

24 The Day I Fall for Tiny You

The two of us walked down the road to school.

Koto-chan walked a short distance ahead, and I followed a little way behind.

Our school prohibited commuting by motorcycle, so we'd left Koto-chan's moped at a nearby parking area.

"That reminds me of something."

"What is it, Toochika-kun?"

"When we first met, why were you on a train that packed during the morning rush? I was heading out early to line up for a new dessert I'd had my eye on."

"That was why? I was on my way to pick up Rou-kun."

"Oh, I see."

"His original owner had to go to the hospital that morning, so I was going to pick him up beforehand."

"That makes sense."

Right. Rou's owner had gotten too sick to keep him.

"It was my first time going to pick him up, so I wanted to psych myself up. I even stocked up on energy drinks beforehand."

"Just don't drink a whole bunch of them, okay?"

Those aren't meant to be chugged.

"I worked hard this morning too, so first things first—time to recharge with one can."

"Hey."

Koto-chan pulled an energy drink from her backpack and cracked it open with a sharp hiss.

She stuck a straw in and started sipping away.

"Hey, not that stuff first thing in the morning again. Nonoa-san already told you you're drinking too much, didn't she?"

"It's just one in the morning, one at lunch, and one at night?"

"That's what 'too much' means. Here, hand over the rest. I'll drink it."

"You eat too many sweets too, Toochika-kun! You need to cut back on energy drinks!"

Koto-chan and I started wrestling over the energy drink.

Koto-chan was surprisingly strong, and with how small she looked, I couldn't bring myself to wrench it away by force. Somehow, that left us evenly matched.

Our bodies bumped together, and I could feel her soft chest and the squishy feel of her body.

As I kept fighting for the can while trying not to let a girl's softness distract me──

"What are you two doing!?"

A car suddenly pulled up right beside us, and a beautiful older woman stepped out.

Or rather, it was a patrol car, and the woman who emerged was a uniformed police officer.

"D-Doumyouji Ichigo-san?"

"Oh, it's you... We only met once before. I'm impressed you remembered my full name."

"I never fail to show proper respect to those older than me."

"...You just remember the names of beautiful older women."

Koto-chan muttered under her breath.

That's exactly right. So what?

"More importantly, it's you two again... Wait—you there! What are you doing dressing an elementary schooler in a high school uniform!?"

"We're not doing some weird role-play!?"

Just like that, I'd been cast as the bad guy.

"Ma'am, I'm actually a high school student. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you last time."

Koto-chan held up her driver's license again.

"A-A high school student...? I-It's real... No, I'm the one who owes you an apology."

Doumyouji-san was shocked, but she seemed to accept it.

Getting that moped license really had been the right call.

"That aside, were you two fighting over something? Even if it wasn't groping, I can't just ignore violence."

"It's fine. Toochika-kun is basically like my boyfriend. We were just... flirting, I guess."

"Your boyfriend..."

Doumyouji-san looked me up and down with obvious suspicion.

I wanted to clear up the misunderstanding, but one wrong word felt like it might get me arrested for real this time.

"That's a good thing. Being honest about liking someone is wonderful. Do your best."

Doumyouji-san patted both Koto-chan and me on the shoulder, then got back in the patrol car and drove off.

Was she out patrolling this early in the morning?

"Doumyouji-san is a good person."

"...Yeah."

Her habit of jumping to conclusions still bothered me, but once she learned Koto-chan's real age, she stopped suspecting me despite how young Koto-chan looked.

Koto-chan said she was a good person, so Doumyouji-san probably was.

"Oh, I'll give you the energy drink, Toochika-kun."

"What, you're giving it to me after all?"

"This is kind of like when we first met. We ran into a police officer, and I gave you an energy drink."

"To tell the truth, I still have that energy drink at home. It was something a stranger gave me, after all."

"Yeah, of course. Sorry I just handed it to you out of nowhere. But I'm not 'some elementary schooler you don't know' anymore, right?"

"You're a tiny girl my age who's the exact opposite of my type."

"I'm not your age. Right now, I'm one year older than you. I may be tiny, but I'm an older girl.¹"

"A-An older girl!? I-I see... Somehow, that really doesn't sit right with me."

"You're still insensitive. But I guess I'm troublesome too."

Koto-chan touched her index finger to her smooth cheek and smiled.

"You're going to be dealing with a tiny, troublesome girl again today, so make sure you're charged up."

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

"Come on. Let's start the morning with some energy."

Her twin tails swayed as Koto-chan laughed and gave my chest a light bump with her head.

I'd thought it countless times by now, but Koto-chan was cute.

Then a thought occurred to me──

Maybe thinking someone was cute and liking them were closer than I'd realized.

I'd always thought the feeling of liking someone only existed for me when it came to tall, mature-looking older women.

But the feelings that had always pointed straight toward older women were starting to be pulled toward Koto-chan by her overwhelming cuteness.

I couldn't deny that anymore.

Maybe──

Could the day come when I, a guy who loves older women, end up falling for tiny you?

Translator's Notes

¹ Older girl (お姉さん): Koto calls herself an “older girl” here because her April birthday makes her temporarily one year older than Sora, whose birthday is in October, even though they are classmates.

Why I Fell for Tiny You: Volume 1 Chapter 23

23 Even Though I Haven't Come to Like You Yet

Seven a.m.──

When I opened the door, a tiny girl was smiling at me.

"Ohachito!"

"Oha-Runaaa!"

"Don't greet me with another girl's name!?"

"It just had a nice ring to it... Oha-Sky and Oha-Nonoa didn't quite click. Oh, what about Oha-Sawa?"

"Nee's name is off-limits too!"

Koto-chan crossed her hands in front of her face to make an X.

"Don't talk about other girls in front of me!"

"Wouldn't that make you overly attached rather than troublesome?"

The two were similar, yet somehow still felt worlds apart.

Women who got that attached were a little scary. It felt like one of them might kill me.

"Well, whatever. Good morning, then. It must've been hard getting here this early, Koto-chan."

"Not at all. I walk Rou-kun and Rin-chan, so I'm used to waking up early. Actually, I rode my moped here."

"What, a moped?"

"My birthday is April fourth."

"Oh, right. You're sixteen."

"I'm already old enough to get a moped license. I got one to use as ID. People doubt my age a lot, but a driver's license is proof enough, right?"

"W-Well..."

Her student ID could prove what grade she was in, but a driver's license was more definitive.

"Look, here."

Koto-chan held up her license.

Judging by the name and photograph, it really was hers.

Her license photo was cute too. She had a perfectly composed expression.

"I have Nee's old moped. She only drives a car now."

"Oh, I guess she needs a car for work too."

"I'm getting my car license the moment I turn eighteen. I want to take the doggies for drives."

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

"Ah! You were wondering if my feet could reach the accelerator, weren't you!? I'll make it work somehow!"

"Y-Yeah, of course."

Even if you were a little short, adjusting the seat and things like that would probably make driving manageable.

"A-Anyway, I'm jealous. My birthday isn't until October. That's still ages away."

"You changed the subject. But your birthday's in October, huh? Good info. Got it."

Koto-chan even got the exact date out of me and made a note on her phone.

"Whoops, there's no point standing around talking. My parents have already left for work, so come on in."

"Okay. Thanks for having me."

Koto-chan gave a small bow before stepping into our house.

This made her second visit to my house.

Runa hadn't been coming over much lately, so at this rate, Koto-chan might end up being the one who practically lived here.

"Wow, coming to a boy's house really does make me nervous."

"I don't really think of you as a girl, so there's nothing to worry about."

"That doesn't make it okay at all! You're insensitive again today!"

"Sorry, sorry."

I wasn't actually so insensitive that I didn't see Koto-chan as a girl.

"Honestly... And I came all this way to improve your diet, Toochika-kun."

"You don't have to go to all that trouble when we have school too."

Right. Koto-chan hadn't come to my house on a weekday morning just to hang out.

She'd come to straighten out my diet because I ate nothing but sweets.

"I brought ingredients today so you could eat everything piping hot and fresh!"

"What? You didn't make it at home?"

Koto-chan proudly held a reusable shopping bag high in the air.

There was certainly plenty of time to cook, but...

"Leave it to me. You have cooked rice, right?"

"Yeah. Dad was unusually motivated and cooked yesterday, so there's quite a lot left."

"What a good dad. I'll make a good girlfriend too."

"No, you're not my girlfriend."

"I'm borrowing the kitchen. Oh, where's your step stool?"

"We don't have one."

No kids lived in the Toochika household.

But at Koto-chan's height, working in the kitchen might be difficult.

"Wait, now that I think about it, we do have something."

I suddenly remembered and went into my parents' room without asking.

That thing should still have been gathering dust in there...

"Found it. It's the exercise step Mom bought when she was worried she wasn't getting enough exercise."

The platform was a gaudy orange and twenty centimeters tall.

That would bring her up to 160 centimeters, which should be plenty tall enough for kitchen work.

"This is perfect. It pays to ask. Thanks."

"You're welcome. Mom's never going to use it anyway, so you can use it however you like."

"Can I stay in this house forever?"

"No."

"Cheapskate."

Koto-chan stuck her tongue out at me, then──

She happily set the platform beside the sink, thoroughly washed her hands, and began preparing the ingredients.

"Oh, I need to put on my apron too. Don't look this way, okay?"

"Are you going to wear nothing but an apron?"

"You'd scold me if I did anything indecent, Toochika-kun. So not yet."

This wasn't a matter of timing, you know?

I kept my back to Koto-chan for one minute──

"You can look now."

"............?"

When I turned around, Koto-chan had turned into a doggy.

"What do you think, Toochika-kun? As a dog lover, I want to look cute while I cook!"

"Do doggies and cooking really need to be connected?"

Koto-chan wore a headband with round ears, a cute dog-print apron, and even a fluffy tail attached behind her.

"You kind of look like a dog-eared maid..."

"Chitto isn't a maid cafe. The doggies are the stars, so the staff shouldn't draw too much attention to themselves."

"You and Miss draw plenty of attention just by being yourselves."

"I can't beat the doggies in cuteness anyway, so I actually thought dog ears and a tail might work. But Nee absolutely refused to let me use this headband and tail. The other staff kept egging me on, though."

"In a way, that might actually hurt business."

Dogs were dogs, and Koto-chan was Koto-chan. Each was cute in a different way.

The cafe's customers probably wouldn't know what to do with that much cuteness at once.

"Your cold treatment hasn't changed, Toochika-kun, so from now on, I'll work on adding something extra to my natural cuteness. Oh, and if I dress sexy... only as far as it isn't indecent."

"So it's a matter of degree?"

I wasn't a lolicon, but if Koto-chan started dressing sexy, that'd be a different story, you know?

"We're running out of time, so I'll start cooking. Father, Mother, please allow me to use your kitchen."

[Illustration: p276.jpg]

After asking permission from my parents, whom she'd never even met, Koto-chan swiftly readied the knife she'd brought herself.

Humming to herself, she efficiently chopped the vegetables.

She'd fed me sandwiches before, but she truly could cook.

And her knife skills were remarkably good.

There wasn't a hint of danger.

She looked like some child cooking prodigy, but the sight of her at work was almost dazzling.

"Koto-chan, can I take a picture?"

"Nooo, that's embarrassing... Sure."

Koto-chan turned around, blushing, but nodded anyway.

I took several photos in a row with my phone, then──

"Sorry, could you keep cooking normally without looking this way?"

"Jeez, you're so demanding. Fine."

"Can I post the pictures in my friends' LINE group?"

"I said it's embarrassing. Fine."

With her permission secured, I tapped at my phone some more.

"Wait, no!"

"Oh, I already sent them."

"What are you doing, Toochika-kun!?"

Everyone seemed to be awake already, because several read receipts appeared immediately.

It was too late now.

"Oh, Runa's in this group too. She looks mad."

"Jeeez! The misunderstanding is going to stop being a misunderstanding! We'll cause another firestorm!"

"If we keep causing firestorms, won't people eventually get used to it?"

"That's naive... You're much too naive, Toochika-kun... Just sit down and wait!"

After being scolded, I decided to sit on the living-room sofa and wait.

Several messages arrived from Runa over LINE, but I deliberately ignored them.

I'd already decided I was going to stay close to Koto-chan.

So instead of sneaking around, I was going to let everyone around us see our everyday life together.

If people got the wrong idea, I didn't care anymore.

I knew better than anyone that I wasn't a lolicon.

"All done! Come on, let's eat."

"Oh, thanks, Koto-chan."

Koto-chan carried over two plates and set them on the table.

"Huh, omurice?"

"You said you'd be fine eating omurice for every meal, Toochika-kun."

"Oh, right. I did say that."

I hadn't expected to be served omurice first thing in the morning.

Mine was smaller because I had a small appetite, while Koto-chan's was the larger portion.

"Actually... Nee loves omurice too..."

"Why are you making that face?"

"I don't know. Between liking sweets and liking omurice, it annoys me that you have so much in common with Nee."

"Having the same tastes is a good thing. Miss and I both dote on you, don't we, Koto-chan?"

"...Hearing that after everything else doesn't make me very happy."

Koto-chan sat down on the living-room floor and fixed me with a flat, sulky stare from low altitude.

She was obviously sulking.

"Come on, let's eat. It'd be a waste to let it get cold."

"Okaaay. Dig in."

"Thanks for the food. Delicious!"

"That was way too fast! But thanks!"

No, seriously, this omurice was delicious.

The egg was soft and runny, the grains of chicken rice inside were nicely separated, and the slightly sweet seasoning was exactly to my taste.

"Delicious, delicious. If breakfast is like this, even I might manage to eat a proper one."

"Please eat properly even when I'm not the one cooking, okay?"

Wow, Koto-chan was completely taking care of me already.

Was she going to win me over just by feeding me?

"Oh, Toochika-kun."

"Hm?"

"There's some rice stuck to you."

"What? Where?"

"Here, right here."

Sitting beside me, Koto-chan leaned forward and reached toward my mouth──

Then she pulled her hand back and brought her tiny face close to mine instead.

With a soft mwah, I felt something faintly soft against my cheek──

No—actually, it felt like something had barely grazed my lips.

"K-Koto-chan!?"

"I just got the grain of rice off. You like older girls, Toochika-kun, so a tiny little peck from me doesn't bother you, right?"

"...Of course not."

I told a massive lie.

Liking older girls had nothing to do with how I'd react when a female classmate kissed me and grazed my lips.

And even though I liked older girls, for some reason, Koto-chan──

Better not think about that any further.

That hadn't been a kiss.

Maybe it had been ten percent of one, but even then, it was only a measly ten-percent kiss.

If a mere ten percent was enough to rattle me, what would happen when it eventually reached one hundred percent?

Naturally, I wasn't going to think about that either.

Why I Fell for Tiny You: Volume 1 Chapter 22

22 I Might Have Come to Like You

After school let out, I left by myself.

For some reason, Koto-chan had vanished like the wind, so I hadn't even gotten a chance to talk to her.

I wanted to talk to her sooner rather than later, partly to check in on her after everything.

"Huh?"

Just after I left school, a message arrived on my phone.

"Miss! It's from Miss!"

My excitement shot through the roof.

Even if people suspected me of being genuinely in love with a tiny girl, my love of older girls hadn't changed.

Miss's message told me to come to Cafe Chitto.

Of course, I'd head over right away.

"Come to think of it, I've never been to Chitto as a customer."

I'd been inside Chitto before, but it had been early in the morning, outside business hours.

I'd only looked in from outside and had never played with the dogs either.

The bus carried me along the seaside road until I arrived at Cafe Chitto.

After checking that it was open, I slowly opened the shop door.

"Welcome. You made it, boy."

Miss stood right beside the door, looking cool in a shirt and jeans.

Today, she was wearing the shop's apron too.

A cool older girl in a cute apron was the best of both worlds.

"Thank you for inviting me, Miss."

"Y-Your eyes are sparkling, boy?"

When my ideal older girl stood before me, no one could beat the sparkle in my eyes.

"W-Well, whatever. There still aren't many customers, so make yourself at home."

"Thank you. Um, how much does it cost to request you, Miss?"

"We don't have a system like that."

A curt Miss was, of course, wonderful too.

I properly disinfected my hands, removed my shoes, and stepped into the shop.

That was one way this place differed from an ordinary cafe.

The floor was covered in a plush carpet, with sofas and tables arranged around the room.

Maybe the home-like interior was part of the concept.

"You can't request a staff member, but that girl will be taking care of you today. She's still in training, but I've decided to let her move on to the next stage. Look, here she comes."

"Ohachi──I mean, welcome!"

Those overalls she wore the other day... Or were they called a salopette?

Koto-chan appeared wearing the shop's apron over an outfit that looked like overalls with a skirt instead of pants.

Apparently, she'd vanished like the wind so she could be here waiting for me.

Had Miss heard from Nonoa-san or someone about how hard Koto-chan had worked today?

Or had Miss simply acknowledged her little sister's growth?

Koto-chan had always cared for Rou and the others outside, but now she was serving customers too──

Rou stood at the feet of Koto-chan, who looked like a ranch hand.

"Is this your first visit, sir?"

"Yeah, as a customer."

"We have a great selection of drinks and sweets. First, please order one drink, and then you can play with the doggies."

"Hmm..."

For now, I ordered and received a drink, then looked over the rules posted on the wall.

They carefully explained how to handle the dogs, complete with illustrations.

They were living creatures, so visitors had to treat them carefully and gently.

That was obvious, but the rules also covered things someone unfamiliar with dogs wouldn't know, so I needed to read them closely.

I was sitting on a bench along the wall, studying the rules as I drank, when──

"Oh."

Rou jumped onto the bench.

Then he sniffed and sniffed at me.

The situation was different now, but did he recognize me as the big brother who'd gone on a few walks with him?

"Rou-kun really does seem to like you, Toochika-kun. He's perfect for a first-time customer, and it helps us out too."

"I see. So Rou made his shop debut too."

When I slowly held my hand near Rou's nose, he sniffed it, then rubbed his nose against my hand.

"Rou-kun changed owners, so he was a little distrustful of people. Now he seems to have warmed up not only to the staff, but to you too, Toochika-kun."

"Is he? I still feel a little distance between us."

I took a sip of my drink and watched Rou.

Only pick up a dog once it's comfortable with you. Don't shout or suddenly pat it on the head──

"Wait, haven't I patted his head quite a lot?"

"Rou-kun doesn't seem to mind having his head patted. It goes without saying, but what bothers them differs from dog to dog."

"Hmmm..."

As a test, I slowly stroked Rou's head. He looked pleased and nestled against me.

Then, just as suddenly, he hopped off the bench and went over to the other dogs.

"Does he hate me? Come on, seriously?"

"Whatever a dog does, try not to act surprised or raise your voice. The most important thing is not to stress them out."

"This is pretty hard. Maybe I should've studied more before coming."

"It's okay. The staff are here to make sure even first-time customers have fun. And I know you won't do anything reckless, Toochika-kun. And as for things I don't like──being put on your lap in the classroom today was embarrassing, you know?"

"R-Right?"

Koto-chan stared at me with a fixed smile.

As expected of a staff member, she never showed any negative feelings inside the shop.

She was always cheerful and smiling in front of the dogs.

Miss Manager, I see you've trained your staff well.

"I'll start like a proper beginner and just enjoy watching the dogs."

"A lot of customers enjoy the cafe that way. It's fun just watching all the cute doggies, after all. Those customers can enjoy our delicious drinks and light meals too."

"I see. If I'm sticking to watching, I guess I'll have some sweets... Let's see."

As you'd expect from a manager who loves sweets, the menu was full of tempting desserts.

After I placed my order, Koto-chan went into the back of the shop.

I remained on the bench and looked around the room.

Rou was the smallest, but there were other little dogs too, along with large ones that seemed almost as big as Koto-chan.

Now that I looked at them properly, dogs really were pretty cute too.

I'd lived my life interested in nothing but tall beauties and sweets, yet a slight change in perspective revealed how many fascinating things the world held.

The dogs were cute──and tiny girls were cute too.

I was starting to understand that their cuteness was completely different from that of beautifully decorated sweets.

I'd probably keep learning more and more from here on.

"...Hm?"

The walls held not only the rules, but also photographs of staff members posing with dogs.

Apparently, the cafe offered an instant-photo service with the dogs, and these were displayed as samples.

Since I was here, maybe I should get one with Rou too.

"Wait..."

One particular picture on the wall suddenly caught my eye.

A large, chubby Shiba Inu sat beside a tiny, tiny girl who was nestled against him with an innocent smile.

"Could that be...?"

"That's Koto."

Miss overheard my murmur and came over.

"This picture must be pretty old. Was she five or six?"

"About that age. Koto was a little small even then, but compared with the other children, she wasn't unusually tiny."

"You can really see the resemblance. I knew it was Koto-chan at a glance. And──"

"The dog beside her wasn't one from our shop. It was our family's dog back then."

"You had a dog of your own too?"

Now that I thought about it, Koto-chan might have mentioned that before.

"They look really attached. Or rather, Koto-chan looks more attached to the dog than the other way around."

"Yes. Our parents were busy, and I didn't spend much time with my little sister either, so it was almost as if that dog raised Koto."

"That's going a little far..."

Apparently, there were many stories around the world about children raised by wolves.

Though a lot of them seemed to be of questionable credibility.

"The dog's name was Sora.¹"

"Sora?"

I was Sky.

Come to think of it, Koto-chan had once been curious about the kanji in my name for some reason.

"Sora was like a foster parent to Koto. Just as you said, rather than doting on Sora, she was the one being doted on. Sora is gone now... but Koto seems to want to care for and raise something herself the way Sora cared for her."

"...Miss, is that why you opened this dog cafe?"

"Of course not. It's just a business. I once tried to become a veterinarian, but it didn't work out. Still, one connection led to another, and before I knew it, I'd opened this place."

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

Could it be that Miss wasn't being honest with herself?

I'd caught a glimpse of what seemed like a complicated past, and I felt like I might come to like Miss even more.

"Something happened with Koto at school, didn't it? She's tiny, as you can see, and I think getting involved with her will bring you all sorts of trouble."

"Oh, that's no problem."

I answered without hesitation.

"I seem to like troublesome people. The more difficult someone is and the harder it is for us to understand each other, the better. To a kid like me, a mature-looking beauty is the very definition of an incomprehensible being. I guess I'd been unconsciously thinking that was exactly what made them appealing."

"Aren't you overanalyzing yourself? Koto isn't mature-looking, is she?"

"But she's not exactly an ordinary girl, in more ways than one. Koto-chan is pretty troublesome too."

"Should I take that as an insult toward my sister?"

"Thanks to Koto-chan, I feel like a new door inside me might open. It's still mostly shut, though."

"As her sister, I have mixed feelings about whether that door should be opened... You're quite a troublesome child yourself."

"Am I? Miss, can I try calling Rou over?"

A short distance away, Rou was looking up at me with interest.

"Go ahead. Just don't keep calling him over and over."

"Okay. Rou, come here."

Rou answered with a bark, trotted over to my feet, and sprang onto my lap.

"You're good at winning over both tiny girls and puppies, aren't you, boy? Want to work part-time at our shop?"

"For now, coming here as a customer sounds more fun."

Just as I answered, Koto-chan emerged from the back carrying a tray.

It looked like she'd brought the sweets I'd ordered.

"Thanks for waiting, Toochika-kun. Oh, Rou-kun's taken a liking to you."

"Petting is free, right? Are there any special options?"

"Please refrain from jokes that are a bad influence on our high school part-timer."

Miss poked me lightly on the head, then walked over to another customer.

Being treated like a child by a beautiful older girl was absolutely wonderful...!

"Um, Toochika-kuuun?"

"Oh, could you take a picture of me with Rou?"

Koto-chan looked like she wanted to say something, but I asked her to handle my request as a staff member.

She could be surprisingly sharp.

She might have figured out that I was secretly getting a thrill from her older sister.

When she took an instant photo of Rou and me, Rou proved surprisingly good at customer service: he sat quietly on my lap and looked straight at the camera.

"I've never taken a picture with a dog before. I'll treasure it."

"I've taken lots of them. I'll send you a few good pictures sometime."

"I'm scared you'll send me a mountain of them. Sora looks like a gentle dog."

"That's why I grew up to be such a good girl."

Koto-chan wasn't surprised by the topic I'd suddenly brought up. She simply smiled.

Her memories of Sora were probably all happy ones.

A lot had happened since that morning, but I'd learned a new side of Koto-chan and had been there for Rou's debut.

A day like this would never have come if all I did was chase after the kind of older girls I liked.

I could only have enjoyed such a wonderful day because I'd met Koto-chan.

I should be grateful to this tiny, cute girl.

Translator's Notes

¹ Sora (ソラ): The dog's name matches Toochika Sora's given-name reading.

Why I Fell for Tiny You: Volume 1 Chapter 21

21 I Like You!

The moment I entered the classroom, all eyes turned to me.

Most of the students had already arrived and appeared to have seen that photo of Koto-chan and me.

Social media had seriously poisoned everyone.

Though if I'd been an unrelated bystander, I might have joined the fuss like anyone else.

But right now, I was directly involved, so I would do what needed to be done.

"What's wrong with liking tiny, cute girls?"

As I walked, I spoke to a group of boys nearby.

They stared at me in stunned confusion and went, "Huh?"

"Koto-chan really is a girl our age. She isn't some elementary school prodigy who skipped grades."

Then I turned to a group of girls nearby.

They were just as stunned and stared blankly back at me.

I was repeating what I'd just told Runa, but it worked as an analogy, so I reused it.

"T-Toochika-kun, what are you saying?"

"You get it, Koto-chan. I'm explaining that photo of the two of us. I figured everyone wanted to hear about it."

"B-But even so!"

Koto-chan stood from her seat and came over to me.

"L-Let's just stop, Toochika-kun. Anything you say right now will only fuel the firestorm!"

"You're surprisingly passive. I'd rather put the fire out, even if it means causing a flood, than wait for it to die down."

"No, don't do this..."

Koto-chan suddenly looked ready to burst into tears and tugged on my sleeve.

Then, in a truly tiny voice, she whispered, "Remember the article Amamori-san showed us the other day about that high school boy? I heard he quit school and disappeared somewhere with his entire family. I don't want that. I don't want you to disappear, Toochika-kun."

"You knew about that too, Koto-chan?"

The rumors were circulating online, so it wasn't strange that she knew.

She had probably only found out by searching just now.

The circumstances were different for him and me, but I couldn't say there was no chance we'd share the same future.

I understood why kindhearted Koto-chan had become so passive.

I understood, but──our circumstances were different, so all I had to do was change the ending.

"It's okay, Koto-chan. I won't disappear."

I stood at the very front of the classroom, in front of Koto-chan's desk.

"As everyone knows, Koto-chan and I get along well. The other day, the two of us went out on Sunday, climbed up to an observation deck, got carried away, and someone took our picture. That's all there is to it. Oh, was picking her up going too far? But doesn't anyone here have a little brother, little sister, or young relative? When a tiny, cute kid is right in front of you, don't you want to pick them up? That's just human nature, isn't it?"

"Toochika──Toochika-kun!¹ What's with all this 'tiny' and 'cute' stuff!?"

Ah, she had gone back to calling me the usual Toochika-kun.

Good. Maybe her tears had subsided before they could fall.

"I don't like you just because you're tiny and cute, Koto-chan. If that were all, I might not be interested in you at all. I'm seriously into mature, tall girls. In our class, my favorites are Nonoa-san and Runa──Harukawa Runa."

"Heeey, Sky!"

Apparently, Runa had finished both practice and changing and had arrived in the classroom.

"That is why I'm not a lolicon."

"Wait, didn't you say you'd never use that word again!?"

"I only said I wouldn't use it with you, Koto-chan. It isn't a forbidden word or anything."

This wasn't a television station, so I was free to say whatever I wanted.

"None of you know this, but──Koto-chan works hard."

I looked around at everyone in the classroom──

"Every day, she gets up early to work part-time at a dog cafe and take care of puppies with way too much energy. It's hard on her tiny body, but she charges up with energy drinks. She's full of energy at school too, where she comes wagging her tail like a puppy, begging me to pay attention to her."

"Aren't you insulting me!?"

Koto-chan looked bewildered, but I was going to keep talking.

"She's this cute and works this hard, so of course you'd want to dote on her. But I am absolutely not a lolicon."

"You're really emphasizing that part, Toochika-kun."

"Because it's important. If I'm not a lolicon, that photo means something entirely different. To strangers, it only looks like a heartwarming picture of a brother and sister. And to everyone in this classroom who knows us, we're just two classmates who get along well, right?"

I looked around at everyone in the class.

Runa was exasperated, and Nonoa-san, who had entered the classroom at some point, was glaring at me.

"Everyone, think carefully. You're the ones who've seen Koto-chan and me together the most, right? Did I look like a lolicon to you? You know Koto-chan is just small and a high schooler like the rest of us, don't you? Anyone might twist something obvious and laugh about it. But don't take it too far. I'm not saying that just because I'm involved. Think harder."

Somehow, this had turned into a full-fledged speech, but I couldn't stop.

And by then, everyone seemed to be listening intently.

"Our high school lives have only just begun. This class will be together for almost a year. Are you going to spend that year making Koto-chan and me into laughingstocks and enjoying that kind of cruel laughter? I wouldn't want to. A firestorm might be entertaining when it has nothing to do with you, but you're all too close to the source. Can you really keep sharing a classroom with a lolicon and the loli girl² he's supposedly targeting? Right now, this can still end as a joke."

"T-Toochika is twisting the logic around like crazy... What's with him? He's like a different person."

"Sky is good with words... and he says everything in the most brutally direct way possible."

Nonoa-san sounded dumbfounded, while Runa sounded as though she'd given up on everything.

"Sky isn't popular with older-woman types just because he looks cute."

"What do you mean?"

"He's mischievous. Impudent. Just when you think he's quiet, he suddenly bares his fangs. Well, that's another thing I like about──No. He's talked circles around me plenty of times."

"Did Chii get attached to a seriously dangerous guy...?"

My gyaru friend and childhood friend were saying some rude things.

Saying I suddenly bared my fangs... They made me sound like a dog.

Apparently, everyone in class was focused on me and couldn't hear the conversation between the gyaru and my childhood friend.

Good. If they heard that, they'd think I was dangerous.

Though I got the feeling some of them already did.

But I couldn't stay on the offensive. Hitting them with nothing but hard, direct words wouldn't work.

I needed something gentler too──a slow, straight approach.

"I want everyone to know the truth. I really do like Koto-chan."

"Huh!?"

Most of the class wasn't particularly surprised. Only the smallest girl was.

"If we set mature, tall girls aside, Koto-chan is the one I like best."

"That condition takes all the joy out of it..."

Koto-chan glared at me, but I didn't care.

It was fine if she glared at me──

"Huh? W-Wah!"

When I grabbed both of Koto-chan's shoulders and pulled her close, she cried out in surprise.

Koto-chan's back pressed snugly against my body──

"You're more than just a small girl, Koto-chan," I whispered to her from behind.

"W-Wait! People will misunderstand us again!"

"I hadn't realized it myself, but I probably like mature, tall women because──they seem like such a handful."

"A-A handful?" Koto-chan replied in confusion as I whispered into her ear.

"Runa looks straightforward, but parts of her are twisted. And Nonoa-san couldn't have developed that low-energy, mature air overnight either. She probably has quite a past."

"I-I can't tell you about that."

So Nonoa-san really did have one.

"And Miss──Sawa-san, for example. You kept hinting at it, Koto-chan. She seems to have a past that a high schooler like me couldn't imagine."

"...Yeah."

Koto-chan gave a small nod.

I wanted to hear about it from Miss herself, but digging into someone's past would be tactless, and part of me wanted to leave it a mystery.

A mysterious side would make a tall beauty even better.

"You're a handful too, Koto-chan."

"Huh!? I'm simple, aren't I?"

"After coming at me so aggressively, you're trying to back down the moment I have a little trouble. That's practically asking me to chase after you."

"Th-That wasn't what I meant──though maybe it was."

"You're honest about that, at least."

There was no way I could abandon the adorable Koto-chan and distance myself from her.

If I were that heartless, I wouldn't have spent this much time with her.

"Maybe I like people who are a handful. You're a handful and need a lot of looking after, Koto-chan. Learning that you had that side to you made this whole commotion at least somewhat worthwhile."

"I feel the same... Dogs don't listen and can be a lot of trouble, and I have to look after them, but I don't hate it. That's what makes them cute and precious to me."

"Precious, huh? I can't go that far──well, maybe I'm just too embarrassed to say it."

I gave a wry smile and released Koto-chan's shoulders.

Then I sat on top of my desk.

"Koto-chan, I'm sorry."

"Wah?"

I lifted Koto-chan's light body and sat her on my lap.

"To me, you're a cute girl who's fond of me. That's all it is right now. You're cute, but I don't like you as a girl yet. Besides, I wouldn't have the courage to do something like this to a girl I truly liked. I may not look it, but I'm innocent."

When I gave a wry smile, I heard several girls in the class giggle.

Yes, I knew I looked like an innocent boy.

The mature-looking girls who seemed friendly with Nonoa-san were laughing in particular.

I would take advantage of how well I appealed to older-woman types in this situation.

"Th-This is completely ridiculous... But you said 'yet.'" The last part was barely a mutter, so quiet that I was probably the only one who heard it.

Now that she mentioned it, I had said "yet."

It had slipped out unconsciously, but it sounded as if I'd admitted I might come to like her as a girl in the future.

"Koto-chan."

"Th-There's still more?"

In a voice only Koto-chan could hear, I said, "You're interested in sexual things too, right? After what you told me, there's no way I can think of you as a child."

"F-Forget that──Jeez, Toochika-kun, just keep it to yourself, okay?"

She didn't need to tell me. That was already my intention.

Even though I'd delivered a speech in front of the whole class, I could still tell the difference between what I should and shouldn't say.

"I can't tell them about that, but..."

"Koto-chan?"

"Then instead of only relying on you, Toochika-kun, I'll──"

Koto-chan climbed off my lap and stood proudly before everyone.

She took a deep breath.

"I'm Naruse Koto of Hiura High School, Class 1-1, Number 22! Height: 140 centimeters! Weight: super light! I'm from Minami Middle School! I'm already sixteen! I'm older than almost everyone here!"

"...Come to think of it, I remember you saying you were sixteen. So your birthday's already passed?"

Her usual self-introduction had gained one new detail.

It was still April, so most of the students were probably fifteen and hadn't had their birthdays yet.

Whether someone's birthday came early or late didn't matter──but Koto-chan was sixteen.

Anyone trying to get a laugh out of treating Koto-chan like a child needed to know that fact.

"Everyone, you heard her. Koto-chan is already sixteen. She's older than most of the people here, and──"

I glanced at Koto-chan's face.

"In Japan today, the age of consent is sixteen. In other words, she's already old enough to do sexual things."

"Waaaaah! Toochika-kun, what are you talking about!?"

"There are detailed conditions, so look them up yourselves. Didn't we learn about this in school too? Anyway, for example, if two sixteen-year-olds mutually consent to sexual activity, they aren't breaking the law. That's the kind of age sixteen is. So I won't allow anyone to treat Koto-chan like a child."

"I don't want that to be your reason!"

Koto-chan wailed and tried to cover my mouth with her hand.

Some of our classmates gave strained smiles, while others turned bright red.

"Ah, yeah. Even I'm starting to lose track of what I'm talking about."

"Then can you end your speech already, Toochika-kun!"

If Koto-chan herself told me that, I had no choice.

Besides, I was only repeating what my mother had said about the age of consent and didn't know the details.

It was a bluff meant to silence everyone in class──we would have to wait and see whether it worked.

All right, time to wrap this up.

"Everyone, that's how it is, so please keep being good to Koto-chan and me."

"Ah, that wonderful smile again..."

I hadn't done it consciously, but apparently I'd made the kind of smile Koto-chan liked.

The classmates who'd been making a fuss seemed to calm down once I ended things with a smile──

"Toochika-kun and Naruse-san really didn't do anything wrong."

"We're in the same class. Why are we fueling the firestorm? We should be the ones supporting them."

"I hate firestorms. It's like once people find someone they think it's okay to attack, they latch on and keep attacking them forever."

"Anyone who enjoys that has a seriously awful personality."

"Naruse-san and Toochika-kun are both cute. It was a nice photo."

So, in the end, our classmates weren't bad people either.

Someone close to them had gone viral, and they'd simply gotten carried away by the excitement.

Apparently, they understood this wasn't something worth fueling a firestorm over.

"Oh, right. I almost forgot. Happy birthday, Koto-chan."

"...Thanks. Haaah, I used up all my strength again."

"Whoa!"

Koto-chan staggered, and just as I hurried to catch her──

"Okay, that's enough. No more clinging to each other."

"Exactly, Sky, Naruse-chan. Do you want someone taking another photo?"

Just like before, Runa and Nonoa-san suddenly appeared beside us. Nonoa-san caught Koto-chan, while Runa firmly grabbed my shoulder and pulled me away.

"Anyway! Chii and Toochika are just two people with a slightly weird sense of personal space! Don't spread strange rumors—just keep quiet and watch over them!"

"Exactly! If anyone has a problem with these two, you'll have to deal with Nonoa and me!"

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

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

Neither Koto-chan nor I said a word.

The entire classroom fell silent all at once.

So in the end, threats from a gyaru and an athlete were effective...

Did that mean I hadn't needed to do anything extra?

"Thank you, Toochika-kun. I'm all right now," Koto-chan said with a bright smile, as if she'd read my mind.

Yeah, I definitely preferred seeing Koto-chan smile instead of looking gloomy.

"Yeah... 'A wonderful smile'? That's you."

"Huh? Toochika-kun, what did you just──"

"Good morning."

The classroom door suddenly slid open with a clatter.

The person who entered was our homeroom teacher, Shinju-sensei.

The teacher gave Koto-chan and me a meaningful look──

"There are no little children in this class, and if a boy likes a girl, that's perfectly ordinary romantic attraction. Whether the other person is big or small is between the people involved. Everyone, let's support other people's romances."

Shinju-sensei brought everything to a close with those much-appreciated words.

This time, it seemed the matter was finally settled──

Translator's Notes

¹ “Toochika” (遠近) / “Toochika-kun” (トーチカくん): Koto starts with Sora’s surname before switching back to her usual nickname; both use the locked Toochika spelling in English.

² “Lolicon” (ロリコン) and “loli girl” (ロリっ子): Stigmatizing labels for attraction to underage or childlike girls and for the girls subjected to that framing.

Why I Fell for Tiny You: Volume 1 Chapter 19

19 Even Though I'm Just Honest About My Feelings of Love

Before Cafe Chitto opened, they let me change out of my tracksuit and into my uniform, and I left the shop a little ahead of Koto-chan.

Apparently, Koto-chan still had to take care of Rou and Rin.

I offered to help, but Koto-chan turned me down, and Miss, who was awake by then, stopped me too, saying, "If you work in the shop, we'll have to pay you."

Both of those sisters could be pretty strict about some things.

I took the bus to a stop near school, then walked leisurely through the front gate.

There were only a few people on campus since classes wouldn't start for another thirty minutes or so.

"Maybe I'll go watch Runa's morning practice..."

There was no reason to feel intimidated about watching the girls' volleyball team, either.

The practice was open to spectators for free, and I went to the same school. There was no reason to hold back.

When I reached the gym, the girls' volleyball players were gathered in one corner, apparently taking a break.

At first I thought they were slacking off, but they were all drenched in sweat, so they'd probably just finished giving it everything they had.

"Ah, Sky!"

Runa quickly spotted me and stood up.

Then she trotted over, grabbed my arm, and pulled me behind the gym.

"Wh-What's going on? Runa, are you allowed to leave practice?"

"Morning practice is already over. More importantly, Sky, have you seen this?"

"I didn't get to see the volleyball club practice, but is there something else I need to see?"

I looked at the screen of the phone Runa held out to me.

A single photo was displayed on a social media app.

"What's this?"

A boy about high-school age was holding a tiny girl in his arms, and they were both smiling.

It looked like a heartwarming photo of a brother and sister.

In fact, someone had commented on the photo, 【Oniichan, you're so mean!】

"Huh, that's a lot of ♡s. Is it going viral?"

There were tens of thousands of ♡s, and the count kept climbing rapidly even as I watched.

"Sky, you still haven't noticed? Look closely."

"Come to think of it, I've seen that scenery somewhere... Wait, is that me?"

It was the observation deck of the high-rise building Koto-chan and I had visited yesterday, Sunday, on our date──no, our walk.

The boy in the pink shirt and the girl in the ultra-miniskirt were Koto-chan and me.

"Huh. I really didn't recognize myself at first glance. If it were a photo of you or Nonoa-san, I'd have known right away."

"D-Don't be an idiot. This photo──people are reposting it everywhere!"

"Huh? Reposting it? Why...?"

Sure, Koto-chan was cute, but it was only a photo of two high school students.

Besides, it had been taken from the side, and since both of us were in profile, our faces weren't clear.

"It's going viral because people think it's heartwarming and gives them all the feels. One of our club members found it and told me. The basketball club knows about it too."

"Everyone's addicted to social media. This is a school known for its athletics, so they should focus more on their clubs."

"I agree. You and I see eye to eye, Sky. But people just can't stop checking social media. Plenty of them grab their phones first thing when they wake up. This is going to spread even further."

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

I thought about it for a moment.

"To anyone who doesn't know us, it's just a wholesome, heartwarming photo of a brother and sister, right?"

"You and Naruse-chan have kind of the same vibe."

There was me, doted on by older women, and the tiny, adorable Koto-chan.

I could see how we were vaguely the same type.

"So you're talking about what happens if people at our school who know Koto-chan and me see this photo...?"

"Exactly. You could call it a 'firestorm close to home.' The whole school is already buzzing──asking if you and Koto-chan are dating, saying they always thought something was going on, and──"

"Whether I'm a lolicon, for example?"

Runa said nothing and lowered her head.

I took out my phone and checked our class LINE group.

"What are Toochika and Naruse doing?"

"Koto-chan's skirt is so short!"

"I knew there was something messed up about these two."

"Toochika, are you a lolicon?"

"Naruse, Toochika's gonna kidnap you."

"I've got a little sister, but I can't let her meet Toochika."

"Toochika Sora-kun, you're under ARREST."

They were talking as if it were all a joke, but a few of them sounded serious.

"They all know Koto-chan and I are the same age. Koto-chan isn't some child prodigy who skipped grades to get into high school."

"You know how this works, Sky. Facts don't matter with something like this. As long as it's entertaining, any lie will do."

"Spoken like someone with experience."

"This advice comes from experience. What happened to me wasn't a big deal. I can laugh about it now."

"I'm glad you got past it."

The nice thing about being childhood friends was that we immediately understood what the other was talking about, saving us the trouble of explaining.

During a middle-school volleyball practice match, someone had secretly filmed Runa playing as her breasts bounced, and the video was shared among some of the boys.

Those boys had joked around about Runa being a G cup, stealing her bra, and secretly filming her at the pool.

I noticed, went to the intimidating volleyball-club upperclasswomen for help, and had them teach those boys a lesson, which settled the matter.

Who the hell did those guys think they were, treating my childhood friend like that?

"But not this again..."

"H-Hey, Sky?"

This time, my classmates were getting worked up at Koto-chan's expense──

It was true that Koto-chan was small and looked nothing like a high school student.

But all she was doing was hanging out with a boy from her class, and everyone was getting carried away with easy jokes like "lolicon" and "arrest."

The way they carried on showed no awareness whatsoever that the words they'd casually posted might hurt the person they were talking about.

Every comment was a knife cutting into Koto-chan, deep enough to draw blood──

"Damn it! This isn't funny!"

"Wait! Don't lose it all of a sudden!"

Runa quickly grabbed my raised hand, phone and all.

As expected of my childhood friend, she'd read my sudden move perfectly.

"They're treating Koto-chan like a child and saying whatever they please!"

"...You're not angry about being called a lolicon. You're angry on Naruse-chan's behalf."

"Of course I am. Koto-chan is a high school student. The people posting this stuff for laughs know that too. It pisses me off that they know the truth and still twist it into lies just so they can make fun of her."

They knew Koto-chan was only petite, yet they treated her like an elementary schooler and mocked her.

And this was our class LINE group. Koto-chan was obviously going to see it.

"But Naruse-chan doesn't get mad when someone calls her small, does she?"

"They aren't just calling Koto-chan small. They're acting like she's some victim preyed on by a lolicon. That's completely different."

"...You're right."

Casting me as the offender wasn't good, but I could let that go.

What mattered more was how they'd decided on their own that something awful was happening to Koto-chan.

They'd made Naruse Koto into a victim without her say-so and were turning her small size into entertainment.

The whole class was piling on, using Koto-chan for laughs...

"I screenshotted the comments. Some of them might try to run once they realize this is a firestorm, but I'm not letting them get away."

"Wait, Sky! You're way too angry. Calm down, calm down."

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

Without warning, Runa grabbed my head, pulled me close, and pressed me against her chest.

It was soft and felt good──and it really did calm me down.

"I probably smell like sweat, but bear with it. I don't have time for a shower right now."

"If I said my childhood friend's kindness smelled sweaty, Koto-chan would scold me for being insensitive again."

"It's true, you are insensitive. I'm giving you this much of a special treat, and you're still talking about Naruse-chan?"

"You sound like you're accusing me of cheating."

This childhood friend of mine occasionally showed a possessive streak toward me.

At the very least, Runa recognized Koto-chan as a girl our age.

"Feels like it's been a while since your hapless streak showed itself, Sky."

"A lot's happened, but yeah, it's been a while since anything was bad enough to call truly hapless."

Being mistaken for a groper, or being pursued by a girl who was the exact opposite of my type.

That kind of thing hardly counted as hapless. And this time, I had a tall, beautiful childhood friend comforting me, so I couldn't exactly sit around feeling sorry for myself.

"All right, that's enough. Thanks, Runa."

"...You've had enough already? You're not thinking of asking Nonoa or someone to do the same thing, are you?"

"Apparently, my childhood friend suspects me."

I couldn't ask Nonoa-san, whom I'd only known for a short time, to hug me.

It would probably be difficult until we'd known each other for another month or so.

Anyway, Runa had helped me cool off──but nothing was over yet.

"For now, let's break Koto-chan's phone."

"Hey, Sky!"

"I'm kidding."

Even if her phone stopped working, word of the uproar on social media would inevitably reach Koto-chan.

Our classmates—the people closest to us—were making a fuss about it on LINE too.

Sooner or later, Koto-chan would learn about the commotion.

Someone was bound to go out of their way to tell Koto-chan that our photo was circulating on social media──

I pulled away from Runa and started walking.

"Oh, thanks for telling me. You're always there when I need help, Runa."

"Getting a sincere thank-you from my childhood friend is gross."

"You're not honest with yourself, Runa."

"If I were honest, I would've already──Never mind. I haven't done my cool-down yet, so I'm heading back to the gym. See you in class."

After saying that, Runa ran back into the gym.

Once I'd watched my childhood friend go, I looked at my phone screen again.

It showed a photo of me holding Koto-chan beside a window on the observation deck.

There had been so many people up there that I had no idea who'd taken it.

Some women who looked like college students had been taking pictures, but if they were the ones who posted it on social media, I might not be able to forgive them even though they were older women.

"It's actually a pretty good photo, though."

Wouldn't it win a prize if someone entered it in a contest?

Whoever posted it on social media probably hadn't meant any harm at all, but...

"Toochika-kun."

"Huh? Oh, good morning, Amamori-san."

A beautiful, intellectual-looking woman with glasses, braided pigtails, and a white coat stood there.

"I'm sorry. I heard the volleyball club has been training really hard lately, so I came to check whether it was taking a mental toll on any of the girls... and then I saw you taking another girl away, Toochika-kun."

"I was the one who got taken away. More importantly, were you listening to us?"

"I'm sorry. And I'm supposed to be a counselor."

"You listened because you're a counselor, right? It wasn't exactly illegal, and neither Runa nor I mind. But──"

Seeing Amamori-san's face suddenly reminded me of something.

"Can I ask you one thing?"

"What is it?"

"You told me about that high school boy who was caught secretly photographing a little girl the other day, right? Do you know what happened to him?"

"...I can't discuss information I learned through my work. But according to rumors online, he transferred schools, and no one knows where he went afterward. They say the house is completely empty now, and that one of his parents was a schoolteacher──but those are all just stories circulating online."

"The internet is full of lies, after all."

In other words, there probably wasn't much difference between what Amamori-san had learned through her work and the stories circulating online.

It seemed he'd paid a steep price for the stupid thing he'd done.

I hadn't done anything particularly stupid myself, but there was still a chance I'd end up the same way.

I'd rather not have my life end at such a young age.

But what troubled me even more was──

"Hm?"

Just then, a message arrived on my phone.

When I checked it──

【Ohachito! Naruse Koto, deploying!】

She'd also sent a selfie of herself in front of the school gate.

She flashed a peace sign and, for some reason, wore a smug little grin, full of energy.

Crap, I'd forgotten Koto-chan was coming to school.

At this rate, she'd find out about the firestorm right away.

Or maybe she already had──

Then that smug little grin would disappear.

Nothing would bother me more than seeing Koto-chan's cute face fall.

I wished she'd just stayed at Cafe Chitto and played peacefully with Rou and the others today.

Translator's Notes

Translator's Notes: None

Why I Fell for Tiny You: Volume 1 Chapter 18

18 A Morning with You Is a Morning I Like More Than Yesterday

"Yaaawn... Morning, Koto-chan."

"Ohachito! You look sleepy again, Toochika-kun."

"Pretty much. Morning to you too, Rou and Rin."

When I went down to the beach, I found Koto-chan and the two energetic puppies there.

Maybe because it was so early, no one else was around, and we had the beach all to ourselves.

"You really came, Toochika-kun."

"Talking for an entire day and night all at once would kill me. I'd die young. Meeting up with you a little at a time is better than that."

"You make it sound like you're only spending time with me because you have no choice."

"I'd like to understand the person who sits in front of me."

"I'm still just 'the person who sits in front of you'!?"

Koto-chan was devastated.

Of course I was kidding, but I genuinely couldn't handle talking for over ten hours at a stretch.

"You're as cold as ever... Oh, right. Toochika-kun, did you stop by the shop first?"

"Yeah, they held on to my uniform and bag for me."

Right now, I was wearing my old middle-school tracksuit.

Coming to this beach meant there was a good chance I'd get my clothes dirty.

I wanted to avoid anything that would dirty my uniform before school.

Koto-chan had apparently thought the same thing. She wore a pale-pink zip-up hoodie over a white tank top and a pair of shorts that left her thighs completely bare.

The mornings were still chilly, so I worried she might catch a cold.

"Oh, it wasn't Miss at the shop. It was someone called Saigo-san."

"Yeah, sounds like a dog lover's name, doesn't it?"

"That's not the issue."

Saigo Takamori was famously fond of dogs.

The statue of him in Ueno even has a dog at his side.

"Nee is probably sound asleep by now. It looked like she was doing paperwork until late last night. Nee handles all the administration, accounting, personnel management, and looking after her little sister by herself."

"Couldn't you lighten Miss's workload a little yourself?"

"Nee is smart. She gets more done in one night than I could in three straight days and nights."

"I wasn't talking about office work... But Miss is really that capable, huh? Beautiful, cool, and brilliant—now I admire her even more."

"I admired her first, okay?"

"Oh, getting competitive, are we? I'd be fine marrying Miss and making you my sister-in-law, Koto-chan."

"...When you take it that far, it might be kind of gross."

"Yeah, I'm starting to gross myself out too... Though I really do admire Miss."

"Nee usually comes on walks with me, but I told her I'd be fine by myself today because you'd be here, Toochika-kun."

"Well done, Koto-chan! Miss should get plenty of sleep so she can always stay beautiful."

"Ghh, you praised me, but somehow I'm not happy about it. You just ended up praising Nee again. Fine, I'll get bright-eyed too."

Koto-chan started gulping down an energy drink she'd pulled from who-knows-where.

"Ah, that again! Energy drinks first thing in the morning aren't good for you."

"I'm always sleep-deprived. No matter how much I sleep, I feel like I could keep sleeping forever."

"Ahh."

Little kids do sleep a lot...

"I know what you're thinking, but that's just how my body works, okay?"

"Ah, um, where are the other dogs? Chitto has lots of other dogs, right?"

"The others will go for walks later. Rou-kun and Rin-chan are already as many as I can handle."

"Well, two dogs would normally be anyone's limit. Though every now and then, I see people walking three or four."

"Apparently you can once you get used to it. Some people put dogs in a cart, hold the leashes, and walk several big dogs at the same time."

"It's practically an acrobatic act... I guess handling dogs takes training too."

"Nee handles them well. She sleeps in the same bed as the dogs from the shop too. Are you jealous, Toochika-kun?"

"There's no way I could sleep in the same bed as Miss. With you, Koto-chan, I could pat you gently and soothe you to sleep."

"Huh? You would!?"

"Not getting mad when someone treats you like a kid makes you invincible!"

Come to think of it, short girls usually got mad when someone treated them like kids.

It was amazing how Koto-chan not only didn't care in the slightest but actively tried to turn it to her advantage.

"But you know, Toochika-kun..."

"What?"

"You're really a good sport, Toochika-kun. You take me for walks, and now you've joined me for an early-morning walk too."

"I guess I have Amamori-san's advice to thank for that. Maybe it wasn't exactly advice, but getting to know each other is important, right?"

"But do you really need to learn that much about me? Could it be that you like me?"

"I have nothing else to do."

"Th-That's brutally honest..."

Koto-chan gave me an exasperated look as she stroked the fur around Rou's neck.

"Until about two months ago, I was constantly studying for entrance exams. After I got accepted, I spent all my time going out with my middle-school friends and getting ready to start high school, and once school began, I had my hands full just adjusting to it. Now that I can finally catch my breath, I don't really have anything to do."

"Y-Yeah, I'm in a similar situation."

"You're different, Koto-chan."

I patted Koto-chan's head while she petted Rou.

"You started a part-time job, you take care of Rou and Rin, and you put up with a cold guy like me. You're busy, if anything."

"I'm only an apprentice. All I'm doing so far is having fun playing with the dogs."

"I've seen you with them too, Koto-chan. I can tell you're serious about Rou and Rin. You're trying to take responsibility for them. You fell into the ocean because you refused to let go of Rou's leash, right?"

The sight of Koto-chan when she fell into the ocean was still burned into my mind.

"B-Because it looked like Rou-kun was going to jump into the ocean if I didn't stop him, so I was desperate. No, I probably wasn't even thinking about that. I just thought I couldn't let go."

"I figured. But I'm not a complete soft touch either. If you'd fallen into the ocean just because you were clumsy, I would've at least scolded you."

I hadn't minded getting soaked along with her only because I knew Koto-chan was giving it her all for the puppies.

"What's gotten into you, Toochika-kun? Have you really started to like me?"

"No. I was wondering the same thing myself, so I just tried putting it into words."

Come to think of it, Koto-chan was right. Joining her for walks and helping care for the dogs wasn't like me.

Toochika Sora was supposed to be the kind of guy who made the rounds of sweet shops and wandered around town looking for beautiful older women.

Amamori-san's counseling had definitely been what started it, and talking with Koto-chan at length had brought us closer—but...

I spent time with her because she worked diligently, and I liked seeing her that way.

To a stranger, it would only look like a little kid playing with puppies, but I could clearly see Koto-chan's seriousness and sense of responsibility.

"Actually, I've started to like dogs lately too. Can I take Rou's leash?"

"W-Wow, I'm glad you've taken a liking to our pups. Go ahead, but don't let him get away."

"Yeah, yeah."

I took Rou's leash from Koto-chan, crouched down, and stroked his head.

"...Doesn't Rou's face look a little different now? It hasn't even been a month since I first met him."

"Dogs grow fast. Give him half a year and he'll be a completely different person."

"A different person..."

Technically, wouldn't that make him a different dog?

"He really does look different. Rou isn't just cute anymore. He's starting to look pretty dashing."

"He'll keep changing. Rin-chan is getting bigger too, and her coat will get all soft and fluffy."

"Huh. I feel like I only ever see dogs when they're tiny or huge. Maybe I miss the in-between stage because they grow so fast—Whoa, Rou!"

Rou tugged on the leash and tried to take off running again.

I was crouched down, so he nearly made me fall flat on the beach.

Tracksuit or not, I had no desire to fall flat on the sand.

"Hey, Rou-kun! Settle down!"

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

When Koto-chan sharply scolded him, Rou stopped dead.

Then he whimpered and nestled against Koto-chan's feet as if asking for affection.

"No way... H-He listened to you, Koto-chan?"

"I told you, training them is my job. They still don't take me seriously on walks, but they're starting to listen to me."

"Whoa, that's amazing."

Rou in particular used to run around without listening to a single word she said.

He had obviously reacted to Koto-chan's command just now.

"...Well, Rin-chan still doesn't listen at all. Rin-chan, let's go."

Koto-chan stood and tugged on the leash, but Rin didn't move a muscle.

She stayed seated on the beach, staring blankly out at the ocean.

"And there you have it. Nee said these two would be difficult too, but I want our customers to see how cute they are as puppies!"

"Of course."

Rou and Rin were both still clearly puppies, but at this rate, it seemed like they'd become adult dogs in the blink of an eye.

There really was a kind of cuteness unique to puppies.

"Once I grow some more, become better friends with these two, and get you to fall for me, Toochika-kun, everything will be perfect."

"Growing, huh... Koto-chan, if you ever get bigger, won't you just be an ordinary cute girl?"

"Huh? Just cute... The way you said that bothers me, but you think I'm cute, Toochika-kun?"

"Huh?"

Koto-chan blushed and stared at me blankly.

"Haven't I called you cute several times, Koto-chan? Ah, well, it might've sounded like I was kidding, but there's no question that I think you're cute."

"S-Saying it that directly... isn't insensitive. If anything, it's kind and wonderful. I like it..."

"Wonderful... Am I?"

It was one of those words you might expect to hear more often but rarely did, though Koto-chan used it now and then.

Somehow, I was starting to feel embarrassed too.

"You are. Yeah, now I'm motivated. All right, time for another energy drink to perk me up even more!"

"Stop trying to recharge right away!"

Koto-chan cracked open a second can of energy drink and started gulping it down.

She'd just gotten motivated from the compliment. There was no need to pile extra energy on top of that.

Maybe I should stop her before she drank too much.

"I'm a little sleepy. Can I have some?"

"Sure, drink as much as you like."

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

Koto-chan held out the energy drink with the straw still stuck in it.

That would absolutely be an indirect kiss... but somehow, something like that didn't bother me anymore.

"Yeah, I think that woke me up a little."

I gulped some down through the straw and suddenly felt as though my head had cleared.

It had to be my imagination, but it didn't taste bad.

"You're starting to understand how great energy drinks are too, Toochika-kun. Drink this, charge up, and fight the big guys!"

"I'm not exactly small."

And I had no need to fight anyone.

Koto-chan was tiny and cute, yet she had an aggressive streak.

Maybe she was like Rou in that way.

Well, it was still early, and we had a long day ahead of us.

I would charge up with an energy drink and make it through the day.

Why I Fell for Tiny You: Volume 1 Chapter 17

17 Tiny You Likes the Ground

"Ah, the ground really is so relaxing..."

Koto-chan seemed deeply relieved after coming down from the high-rise building.

Since it was lunchtime, we'd stopped at a nearby family restaurant called Galaxylian.

It was crowded because it was Sunday, but we got lucky when a table opened at just the right moment.

"Koto-chan, are you sure a family restaurant is okay when we're out together like this? That observation deck had some places that looked good."

"No way! I can't eat somewhere that high!"

So she said.

There had been plenty of benches, and the whole point of the observation deck was to enjoy photogenic snacks and drinks in that park in the sky.

We could have eaten before escaping back to the ground, but eating up there was exactly what Koto-chan couldn't handle.

"Besides, this family restaurant has a famous dish. I've wanted to try it at least once."

"Really? I don't come to family restaurants very often."

"You know, your diet kind of worries me, Toochika-kun."

Across the table, Koto-chan gave an adorable little tilt of her head.

"For breakfast, food from the convenience store. For lunch, something from the school store. For dinner... Fruit or sweets or something."

"Living means eating! Eat proper food!"

Koto-chan slammed her hand down on the table with a bang.

This girl was serious when it came to food.

"It's important to make sure Rou-kun and the others eat proper meals too. When it comes to food, I won't back down even one step!"

"I can't picture you backing down about anything else either, Koto-chan."

I kept telling her I liked older women, yet she knew she was my exact opposite and still came at me full force.

"Well, take your time eating and let yourself calm down."

"I'm going to stay away from high places for a while."

"That sounds like the best thing for your mental health."

"Humanity should live crawling around on the ground."

"That's a disturbing way to put it."

Not that I particularly liked high places myself.

"Humanity has always aimed for greater heights. We've flown through the sky and even traveled to the moon and space."

"Your name uses the kanji for sky, right, Toochika-kun? Sora. Sky."

"You don't have to repeat it. Well, I always want to become a man as vast as the sky."

"Then couldn't a great man return the feelings of a girl who's the opposite of his type?"

"I still need more training. When I was carrying you earlier, Koto-chan, those older women took pictures. I'm worried sick they'll end up all over social media."

"Ugh... I-I'm sorry. It's because I asked for a back hug."

"I-I'm kidding. If you apologize like that, it makes me the bad guy."

Knowing how shrewd Koto-chan was, I'd expected her to say something like, "If they get around, it'll make us a done deal."

"Just kidding. If they get around on social media, maybe it'll make us a done deal. Take responsibility, Toochika-kun."

"Hey."

She really was shrewd.

Koto-chan laughed.

Even so, I should have been the more considerate one as the guy, and I needed to be more conscious that Koto-chan wasn't a child.

"Anyway, that's not even what I'm worried about right now. Haaah, I'm so grateful for the ground."

"You're really one with the earth. Just please don't sit down on the floor in here."

"I have common sense too. But I seriously thought I was going to die."

"If I let you die, my marriage to Miss would be called off."

"When did anyone bring you a marriage proposal?"

Koto-chan shot me a glare despite supposedly still being mentally drained.

There was still life in this girl's eyes.

"Ah!"

Koto-chan bounced in her seat.

"Thank you for waiting. Your Galaxylia Hamburg Steak Set."

"It's here, it's here!"

Koto-chan clapped her hands.

The waitress watched her with a fond smile too.

It made me want to tell the waitress that this girl was a high school student, not an elementary schooler.

The waitress set down my meal next and walked away.

"Wow, it looks delicious. Two hamburger steaks, two fried eggs, and fried shrimp too!"

"Is this an eating-challenge meal? Do you get it free if you finish everything?"

"Your standard for an eating challenge is way too low, Toochika-kun. Anyone can eat this much."

"That looks like about three days' worth of calories for me."

"It's strange that you're thirty centimeters taller than me when you eat so little."

Koto-chan stared at me as if I were a mystery.

She apparently found it strange but wasn't jealous.

As expected of a girl who used her small size as a weapon.

"Oh, come to think of it..."

"You weren't just thinking, 'Why isn't she having a children's meal?' were you?"

"O-Of course not?"

She saw through me instantly. Scary.

"A children's meal isn't nearly enough. Even two wouldn't fill me up."

"Is that really the issue?"

I'd never once thought about the portion size of a children's meal.

"You're a light eater after all, Toochika-kun."

"This is plenty for me."

The dish in front of me was omurice¹.

It was a smaller serving covered in demi-glace sauce, with no real side dishes.

"I like omurice. Honestly, I'd be perfectly fine eating it for every meal."

"That's too extreme! It's better than eating nothing but fruit or dessert, but still. Eat some meat. Meat!"

Koto-chan cut off a piece of her hamburger steak and placed it on my omurice.

It looked like it would go well with the demi-glace sauce.

"I'll eat it if you're giving it to me. Oh, that's good. I can eat a little meat."

"Maybe you have a small stomach, Toochika-kun. Hey, you know how in manga..."

"Yeah?"

"Small girls like me often date really big boys, right?"

"You see it all the time."

It was probably an easy way to give the characters contrasting traits.

Koto-chan and I had a considerable thirty-centimeter height difference too, but my height was perfectly average.

"You're fine the way you are now, Toochika-kun. If you grow any taller, it'll be hard to make eye contact."

"You'd climb right up me if that's what it took to look me in the eye, Koto-chan."

"I would."

"You're not supposed to say you would."

That answer had me slipping into fake Kansai dialect without even thinking.

I really was letting my guard down.

I seriously needed to be careful about physical contact with Koto-chan.

"If anything, I'd like to climb you──Ah!"

Koto-chan dropped her knife while cutting her hamburger steak and smiling over at me.

"Don't worry, I'll pick it up."

We could have asked an employee to do it, but we could at least handle that much ourselves.

"Sorry, Toochika-kun."

"Don't worry abou──Ah."

When I bent down and ducked beneath the table──

Directly in front of me were Koto-chan's slender thighs──and beyond them, her pink panties in plain view.

That was why I'd told her such a short skirt was dangerous!

Even if she was the size of an elementary schooler, Koto-chan was a genuine high school girl and the same age as me.

Was it really okay for her to show me her panties this easily, practically every time we met?

As if she'd dressed with being seen in mind, she'd even worn cute pink panties today.

Even someone who wasn't a lolicon, faced with a sight this defenseless──

"Did it fall somewhere strange? Are you okay, Toochika-kun?"

"...Okay, I got it."

I picked up the knife, called over a server, and had it replaced with a clean one.

"Thanks. But I don't need to give you anything in return, right?"

"I don't need anything in return, but why?"

"You saw my panties, didn't you?"

"Urk."

As expected of a high school girl, even one who looked like a child, she was sensitive to where a boy was looking.

"It's embarrassing, but... It's kind of exciting when the person I like sees them."

"Koto-chan?"

"Ah, yeah. That was a new feeling for me."

"You aren't even going to try to play that off..."

Had I opened the door to a new fetish for Koto-chan?

"More importantly, Koto-chan, if you're going to wear a miniskirt that short, you should at least wear shorts underneath. You're a girl too, so you need to have some modesty."

"Wait, my panties were the ones seen, and I'm the one getting scolded?"

Koto-chan's face reddened as she gave me a sullen stare.

"Listen, I'm not actually shameless."

"After you enjoyed showing off your panties?"

"I-I didn't enjoy it... Toochika-kun, I don't have enough appeal as a girl. I can't afford to hold back over something like panties!"

"You're too loud!"

The passing waitress was giving us a suspicious look.

"We're on a walk... No, a date, after all."

"So the walk excuse is already gone?"

"I make the most of my chances. So maybe I'll try a little harder."

"Hm?"

Koto-chan stood up and moved into the seat beside me.

She pulled the so-called Galaxylia Hamburg Steak Set over as well.

"Here, Toochika-kun."

"What, you want me to eat this?"

Koto-chan cut off a piece of Hamburg steak and held it to my lips.

"Eat lots and build up more virility."

"Virility?"

"If I weren't small, showing you my panties would have made you get horny and pounce on me."

"Could you stop talking about me like I'm an animal?"

Did she think I would pounce on the nearest girl the instant I got aroused?

"If this doesn't make you even a little excited by me, Toochika-kun, then I showed you my panties for nothing. After going through something that embarrassing, I can't let this date end without anything happening!"

"O-Okay, I'll eat it, so please calm down a litt──Huh?"

"What?"

I'd been so distracted by her far-too-short skirt that I hadn't noticed.

Koto-chan was wearing a frilly blouse.

The neckline of that blouse was fairly open too, and with her sitting beside me, I could see her chest through the gap.

Her pink bra and the fairly large breasts inside it...

"N-Now you're looking at my chest! I wasn't planning to show you this!"

"So you were planning to show me your panties!?"

"...Well, depending on how things went. Jeez, you shouldn't do that. You're a boy too, Toochika-kun."

"And you need to act more like a girl, Koto-chan."

Could I count this slyness as feminine in its own way?

"You're going a little too far, Koto-chan. Taking it this far really is shameless."

"...You only think that because I'm small. If Nono did this much, for example, it wouldn't seem unnatural."

"Hmm. So when you do the same thing, it seems shameless, Koto-chan, but if Nonoa-san did it, it would feel sexy. Is that what you mean?"

Nonoa-san was surprisingly serious, and there was something quietly intelligent about her.

But she looked like a flashy gyaru, and there was no denying she radiated mature sex appeal.

"Listen, Toochika-kun."

"Yes?"

"Even though I'm small, I'm still a first-year high school girl. I'm interested in boys... and s-sexual things too."

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

Koto-chan blushed, lowered her head, and fidgeted.

For her, it had probably taken a great deal of courage to say that.

I already understood perfectly well that Koto-chan was the same age as me.

But it was also true that hearing her talk about sex felt incredibly strange.

"I know what boys and girls do together. Once you fall for someone, there are nights when you want them to... do those things to you, you know?"

"You shouldn't say things that explicit──No, you're right. In your case, Koto-chan, you have to say it plainly or people won't get it."

When I said that, Koto-chan gave a small nod.

No matter what she did, she looked like an elementary schooler──and she wanted me to understand that she wasn't one.

That even though she was small, she still had age-appropriate "sexual desire."

"I understand that you aren't shameless, Koto-chan."

"Then will you do s-sexual things to me?"

"N-No."

Even if Koto-chan showed me her panties or her cleavage, I didn't get aroused.

Part of me did feel a little shaken──though I couldn't tell whether that was because I was picking up on her sexual advances.

"Amamori-san was right. We have to keep learning about each other. Maybe I was rushing things a little."

"That straightforward personality of yours is one of your strengths, Koto-chan. Though I'd prefer you to keep the sexual stuff under control."

"You still won't show me your side as a boy, Toochika-kun."

You look dissatisfied, Koto-chan.

Part of me didn't want to show that side of myself as a boy to someone as tiny as Koto-chan either.

I hadn't known Koto-chan's desires.

And I'm sure you still don't know mine.

Translator's Notes

¹ Omurice (オムライス): A Japanese dish consisting of an omelet wrapped around seasoned rice.

Why I Fell for Tiny You: Volume 1 Chapter 16

16 My Tiny Girlfriend Likes Dates

　A cap, a long-sleeved shirt, slim pants, and sneakers.

　My phone, wallet, and house key stuffed into my pockets, leaving my hands free.

　That was my usual outfit for going out.

　Whenever I went out, it was usually to make the rounds of sweet shops. I liked enjoying the atmosphere of each place too, so I rarely bought anything to take home.

　My parents were the type who preferred alcohol and snacks to sweets.

"Let's see, she's not here yet."

　It was eleven in the morning at the station ticket gates.

　The station was packed with people on a Sunday.

"This is going to be hard..."

　The crowd was so thick that I doubted I could spot a 140-centimeter-tall kid hidden among them.

"Wait, I can just call her."

　For today's outing, Koto-chan and I had finally exchanged contact information.

　I took out my phone and was just about to tap the call button when—

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Oniichan!"

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

　Someone behind me gave me a light tap on the back.

　When I turned around, I found a little sister I'd never met before.

"Sorry, Oniichan. I ended up running late."

　The suspicious individual smiling brightly and claiming to be my little sister was, of course, Koto-chan.

　She wore a long-sleeved blouse with frills, a denim miniskirt, and carried a small bag.

"...Koto-chan, do you like denim?"

"Dogs can't tear it when they bite it."

"That's how you choose your clothes?"

　Her blouse looked like a dog could tear it apart with one bite, though. Did that not bother her?

"No, wait..."

"What's wrong, Oniichan?"

"If this is the kind of role-play you want, I suppose I could go along with it."

"The fact that you could is kind of awful... Imagine finding out the guy I like is into little-sister stuff."

"Little-sister stuff? I'm not into that."

　I'd say it as many times as necessary: I liked older women. I loved them. I adored them.

"That's not the point. Seriously, why are you suddenly my little sister?"

"I was trying to be considerate in my own way. If we pretend we're siblings, it'll be easier for you to take me for a walk, right?"

"Could you stop giving me several things to call you out on in a single sentence?"

　Her consideration was completely misplaced, pretending to be siblings felt far too natural despite us being classmates, and then there was the whole "taking me for a walk" thing.

"Let's solve these one at a time. No more sibling role-play. If we run into someone we know, they'll think I'm making you call me Oniichan."

"I can't...? Oniichan...?"

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

　Koto-chan clasped her hands in front of her chest and deliberately made her eyes well up.

　Koto-chan was a surprisingly good actress.

"Fine, I understand. Sorry. Then, Toochikaaa."

"Don't get sloppy about it either. Just act like you normally do."

"Okaaay, Toochika-kun. Sorry, I'm just a little excited today."

"...So it seems."

　It was obvious just how much Koto-chan had been looking forward to today's outing.

　I didn't want to dampen her mood too much, but I still had to train her properly.

"For now, let's get going. It's crowded here."

"Okay. Let's go."

　Koto-chan walked ahead of me with an excited spring in her step.

"Oh, wait a second."

"What is it, Koto-chan?"

"You're taking me for a walk today, Toochika-kun, so... I brought this too."

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

　The idea of taking a girl from my class for a walk was already weird enough.

　What Koto-chan pulled from her bag was a leather choker... No, a collar.

　Before I could stop her, Koto-chan fastened the collar around her slender neck.

"I brought a leash too. Do you want to use it to walk me?"

"Want me to strangle you?"

"Say no to violence!"

　Koto-chan said it, then laughed.

　She really was unusually excited today.

　She'd actually brought a collar all this way just to tease me. What a bad girl.

　We left the station and walked down the main street lined with countless shops.

　The road was overflowing with people too, making even walking difficult.

"The weather's nice today, and all the older women are wearing light clothes. Wonderful."

"I'll kill you."

"Was that your voice, Koto-chan?"

"No, that was not Koto-chan's voice."

　Koto-chan's smile was wonderfully cute too.

　She'd stopped holding back around me quite a bit, and it seemed her true nature was coming out.

"More importantly, your outfit looks good too, Toochika-kun. The pink shirt is a little unexpected."

"Runa made me buy this when we went shopping together before."

"Y-You've already gone on a date with Ruu-kun!?"

"Going out with a childhood friend doesn't count. It's not like we're dating."

　Runa was busy with her club, so we didn't get many chances to go out together.

　If anything, it was usually me dragging Runa away from her club activities.

"Hmm... If you don't think of it as a date, Toochika-kun, then I guess it's okay."

"Is that important? Even if I've already had my first date, what's the problem?"

"It's a huge problem! I want all of your firsts, Toochika-kun!"

"...Well, good luck."

　She sounded like one of those stupid guys who obsessed over whether a girl had sexual experience.

　Still, girls got possessive too, and in the end, it was just a matter of personal preference.

"More importantly, let's talk about the pink shirt. Even if Ruu-kun picked it, I thought you'd prefer more conservative colors like white or black, Toochika-kun."

"Runa chose it for me, so it would be rude not to wear it even if it wasn't to my taste."

"I wonder if some of that kindness could be directed at me."

"You're the exact opposite of my type, Koto-chan."

"You'll wear a pink shirt even though it isn't your style, but... Something is wrong here!"

"Humans are contradictory creatures. And speaking of clothes, there's something bothering me too."

"What?"

"Don't give me 'what.'"

　Koto-chan deliberately tilted her head.

　She must have known I was itching to point it out.

"What bothers you? I have no idea. Where could it be? Why don't you touch it?"

"Right here."

"Yip!?"

　When I gave her tiny bottom a light smack, Koto-chan literally leaped into the air.

　As expected of someone so athletic, she had quite an impressive jump.

"Y-You really touched it!"

"Oh no, this time I'm seriously going to get arrested for molestation. If I'm going to get caught, I want Doumyouji-san, the officer from before, to arrest me."

"The police don't have a request system like that!"

"I'm kidding. Sorry."

　I'd only made a little joke, but that was a much bigger reaction than I expected from Koto-chan.

　Maybe touching her bottom had been going too far.

"...I-It's okay. I told you to touch it. Besides, I know touching my tiny bottom wouldn't make you happy, Toochika-kun."

"You've learned something pretty incredible about me."

　But honestly, the only reason I could touch her there was because I had no ulterior motives.

　I couldn't touch Doumyouji-san's bottom, of course, or even Runa's. I wouldn't dare.

"Anyway, we're getting sidetracked. That's not the point, Koto-chan. I'm being serious now."

"Y-Yes?"

"Your skirt is way too short!"

　It sure had taken me a long time to get that one sentence out.

　Koto-chan's skirt was so short I had to wonder if it was even store-bought.

　Her slender thighs were visible almost all the way up to her hips.

"I think it looks good on me. It's a tight skirt, so it won't flip up even though it's short."

"People can see up it if you bend over... Actually, it looks like they could see even when you're just walking."

　It was only a little longer than hot pants. If someone looked up at her from below on a staircase, they would definitely see her underwear.

"My legs may be thin, but I'm proud of their shape. I wanted you to see my beautiful legs, Toochika-kun."

"You have big breasts too, Koto-chan. You've got a lot to be proud of."

　She was small overall, but her face was cute, and she actually had a good figure too.

　Could Koto-chan actually be some kind of impossibly beautiful girl?

"You see, because I'm smaller than other people, I have to do things differently from them."

"I don't think you need to try that hard."

"But I will! Even if I'm small, you'll look at my legs when my skirt is this short, right?"

"Other guys will see them too."

"Looking is all they can do. With you here, Toochika-kun, nobody can kidnap me."

"It's scary that kidnapping is even a possibility."

　Koto-chan was so small and light that she looked easy to carry off.

"Speaking of small, are Rou and Rin okay today?"

"I gave them a nice long walk this morning."

"Oh, you did?"

　Even though she had plans to go out, she'd taken those incredibly energetic puppies for a walk first thing in the morning.

"I only drank a little seawater."

"You fell in the ocean again!?"

"I'm joking. All that happened was they dragged me around the beach a little."

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

　It sounded like a punishment game on a comedy show.

"I've done my duty, so now I can enjoy myself today without any worries. Since this is my walk, I get to walk ahead and──choose our route, right?"

"If I choose, it'll automatically turn into a tour of sweet shops."

"I knew it! It would be exactly like going out with Nee!"

"Miss tours sweet shops on her days off too? Even on her days off? We have the same interests. It sounds like we'd get along well after marriage."

"Don't make future plans with someone else's sister! Nee is a lot older than you. She'll grow old first!"

"I don't mind. I'll grow old chasing after her as she ages."

"This guy is an older-woman lover to his very core...!"

　Koto-chan looked genuinely impressed.

"We're going somewhere else today! No complaints, right, Toochika-kun?"

"Yeah, yeah."

"Then let's go."

　Koto-chan took my hand and quickly set off.

　Right. Even if she was small, Koto-chan was still a girl my age.

　That meant she was perfectly capable of taking the lead.

　Maybe that was why her little hand felt just a bit reassuring.

"Oh, you can see pretty far from here."

　After making our way along the crowded sidewalk while I walked Koto-chan so she wouldn't be swept away by the tide of people, we arrived at a high-rise building towering just beside the station.

　The top floor was an observation deck designed as an indoor park covered in artificial grass.

　Chairs and tables were scattered everywhere, and it looked like there were a few cafes and snack shops too.

　Best of all was the view, with the city stretching far into the distance.

　I could easily enjoy myself here for an hour or two.

"It was worth paying the nine-hundred-yen admission fee. If we'd come when we were in middle school, it would've only cost six hundred──What's wrong, Koto-chan?"

　I stood near the building's window admiring the view, but Koto-chan was about three meters away from me.

　Our joined hands had already come apart.

"Come to think of it, didn't you say low places calm you down, Koto-chan? Are you okay somewhere this high?"

"H-High places are scary..."

"So you are scared! Why would someone afraid of heights come all the way up a skyscraper like this!?"

　Looking closely, the legs extending from her ultrashort skirt were trembling like those of a newborn fawn.

"You're the one who brought me here, Koto-chan! What are you, a masochist!?"

"You said you liked tall girls, Toochika-kun, so I thought maybe you liked high places too..."

"Not particularly."

　What kind of logic was that?

　Miss, Runa, and Nonoa-san weren't as tall as skyscrapers.

"Still, being somewhere high does feel nice."

"S-So you really do like it. Then I have to get used to high places too... They say the high ground gives you an advantage in everything."

"This isn't a battle."

　Taking the high ground gave you an advantage on a battlefield, not here.

"I always think that even if I won't grow on the outside, I still have to grow on the inside."

"So that's something you think about all the time, huh."

"If I stay a child, I won't be able to raise Rou-kun and Rin-chan or take responsibility for them. Little by little, I have to learn to do the things I can't do."

"Setting the logic aside, you really are serious about this..."

　I'd come today expecting a carefree day out, but apparently Koto-chan had a purpose in mind.

"And I thought I'd show you how hard I'm trying and score some points with you, Toochika-kun."

"You didn't need to be honest about that part."

　Not that I disliked girls who tried hard.

"All right, let's give it a try, Koto-chan."

"Huh?"

"Don't worry. Even if you slam into it with all your strength, you won't put so much as a crack in this window."

"W-Wah!"

　I took Koto-chan by the shoulders, and we moved toward the window side by side.

"Maybe you should look into the distance. People always say not to look down."

"L-Looking far away makes it even clearer how high we are... Aaaaaah."

　Don't make weird noises.

　By the time we reached the window, Koto-chan looked ready to collapse.

"Sorry, did I push you too far?"

"...Maybe I can try a little harder if you support me, Toochika-kun."

"Like this?"

　I stepped behind Koto-chan and placed my hands lightly on both her shoulders to support her.

　There was absolutely no chance of her falling, but perhaps this would make her feel safer.

"B..."

"B?"

"A back hug! I'd feel safe if you did that!"

"That's pretty difficult..."

　I knew hugging someone from behind was called a back hug, but didn't that kind of thing only look good when a handsome guy did it?

　Still, Koto-chan was trying hard, so even if it was embarrassing, I would give it a shot too.

"Wah!"

　I hugged Koto-chan from behind and hoisted her up.

"Th-This isn't a back hug! Aren't you just carrying me!?"

"I thought I'd lift you a little higher."

"My feet can't touch the ground, so it's scary! But I'm a little happy too!"

　What was I supposed to do with that?

　I tightened my grip around Koto-chan's stomach and hoisted her up again.

　Her stomach was soft and squishy, and her chest pressed lightly against my arm.

　It reminded me again that Koto-chan wasn't a child but a girl my own age.

"Even like this, does it just look like you're lifting up your little sister, Oniichan?"

"Stop calling me Oniichan. I suppose it can't be helped if that's how it looks. You don't mind being small, do you, Koto-chan?"

"I think you carrying me is part of the problem, Toochika-kun."

"I agree. Maybe I'm not taking you seriously enough, Koto-chan."

"You still don't see me as a girl, do you? The way you look at Ruu-kun and Nono is different from the way you look at me. You wouldn't carry them, or even give them a back hug, would you?"

"I'd like to, but I can't."

"Hey."

　Koto-chan headbutted me in the chin with a thud. It hurt a little.

"Wow, look at that. So cute."

"The boy and his little sister are both way too cute."

"Seeing that makes you want to tease her too."

"The little sister doesn't hate it, and she loves her Oniichan so much. It's so precious."

　A group of older women who looked like college students were watching us and squealing as they enjoyed the view nearby.

　They were even taking pictures of us with their phones.

　I was glad the older women were enjoying themselves, but was it really okay for Koto-chan to end up in their pictures too?

"Sorry, Toochika-kun."

"Huh?"

"I got carried away. This kind of thing isn't good, is it?"

"This kind of thing?"

　For some reason, Koto-chan's tone had turned solemn—serious, even.

　We had looked like a ridiculously lovey-dovey couple, but was that really enough to make her this upset?

"If you don't mind it, Koto-chan, I don't think there's a problem..."

"I do."

"...I see."

　It seemed I was the one who'd gotten carried away.

　It was understandable if she hated being lifted like a little child.

"Sorry. I was at fault too. I'll put you down."

"Thanks, Oniichan."

"Could you stop calling me Oniichan?"

　Koto-chan had already returned to her usual tone.

　When I carefully lowered her small body, Koto-chan spun around to face me, and—

"You know, it wasn't your fault, Toochika-kun. I need to look around from somewhere high once in a while too."

"Oh, okay. But you don't have to force yourself if you're scared."

　This time, I made a conscious effort to smile.

　I couldn't tell whether it was the wonderful smile she'd described.

"Okay, let's go back down right now! This is so scary I'm about to wet myself!"

"I like girls to have some class. Even Runa, as rough as she looks, is actually pretty refined. I like that about her."

"Oh no, I messed up... You're going to deduct points."

"I don't grade girls."

　At any rate, she seemed to have returned completely to her usual self.

　She seemed to have something on her mind about that back hug──or being carried──but first, we should escape back down to ground level.

Translator's Notes

Translator's Notes: None