“Sensei, we’re coming in.”

“Ah, thank you for bringing him, Takahashi.”

“No, I brought her, Sensei. Takahashi was stumbling around too much after waking up.”

Though I had given Takahashi my job as the health committee representative for the week, meeting with Sasakura-Sensei was something only I could do because of how closely I worked with her. Sensei advised I bring Takahashi along, however, so she could listen in.

We did so after Sensei measured my height and weight.

“Yup. Everything seems to be as expected. Still, 108 cm, huh? That’s some number. If my math is right, that means everyone must like around 3 m tall to you boys,” Sasakura-sensei grabbed her mug of coffee and gestured for me to take a seat on the high stool. I had to use the base as a step to get up, and, once again, my legs dangled above the ground.

Even with the height of the stool I immediately realized, I was still looking up at Takahashi and Sasakura-sensei.

“So how’s the second day been?” she asked. “Any observations and advice you’d like to share with me?”

I gestured to Takahashi who reached into my shrunken book bag which she was carrying and she took out my blue notebook. The standard sized notebook now was more of a pocket notebook to her. “Here you go,” Takahashi handed it to the nurse.

“I wrote down all of my thoughts and anything I could. Does that help?”

Flipping through it quickly, Sensei then closed the notebook and nodded. She then reached over and placed her hand on my head, ruffling my hair.

“Yeah. Not bad. You did a good job, so let me just go make a copy of this and I’ll give it back to you,” she said.

“Sensei, don’t treat me like a kid,” I tried to pry Sensei’s hand off, but it was able to envelop my entire head. It hurt more to fight it than to let her pat my head.

“You kind of are one right now, height-wise,” Takahashi remarked.

“Sorry, but this is commonplace during days 2 and 3,” Sensei said as she walked away to the copier. “You’re around the perfect height for it is the reason why.”

Yawn.

“I can’t argue with that,” Takahashi agreed with a yawn. “You’re a bit too short now for me to use you as a chin rest, but maybe a body pillow would work. Want to try it out?”

I glared at Takahashi, but she dismissed it since I had no way to argue with her unless I wanted to jump off the stool and be level with her stomach. Instead, I used my ultimate counter.

“I know Yae was fine with it yesterday, but I think a body pillow might make her a little jealous. You wouldn’t want that, would you?”

“You play dirty,” Takahashi pulled back. “I know the two you are a thing, which is why it bugs me you’re not dating yet. Take responsibility and take good care of her, you hear?”

“Of course I will.”

“What is this, a meet-and-greet with the in-laws?”

Sasakura-Sensei returned with my notebook. She laughed at our chat and sat down in her computer chair, taking a sip of her coffee. 

“In any case, you two, let’s talk,” she told us. “Kirishima, I don’t expect you to be able to do much after tomorrow, so Takahashi, we need to get you up to speed on all the health committee duties. I expect you’ll be helping out more in the future, so you might want to take notes like Kirishima’s been.”

“Are the next three days that bad?” Takahashi asked my question for me.

Sensei sipped her coffee. “Well, once he’s small enough, I won’t be able to read his notes until the week’s over. Also, there’s a certain aspect about Reduction that he’ll have to get used to, so I doubt he’ll be having any sway in getting time for himself.”

“Sway? What do you mean by that, Sensei?” I asked.

“You’ll figure it out,” Sensei chose not to properly answer. “In any case, because you guys are only the first class of the year going through Reduction, I want proper details on the experience. Be thorough on any observations, troubles, and concerns you have. Kirishima, when this week’s done, I’ll have you pull over-time so we can improve this for the other classes.”

I nodded. Trying to get these programs more organized was a difficult job for Sasakura-sensei which was why I was helping out. As Sensei debriefed Takahashi on everything, I steeled myself. Preparing for tomorrow was going to be a necessity because after tomorrow was when all of the arrangements we boys had to make would become necessary. 

(8) Day 2 Shoes and Pillows (108 cm>100 cm)

6 more centimeters disappeared before the day ended. At the shoe lockers, I struggled to reach my locker which was second from the top. Suddenly, I felt a shadow over me as Yae stood behind me. Turning around I met her stomach and was quickly knocked back into the locker by it slamming into me when she hopped up and forward to open it.

“Wow, Touya. Your shoes are so small now,” she was surprised when she took them out. She put them on the floor and stepping back. Seeing me rubbing the back of my head, she realized what had happened. “Wah! S-Sorry about that. I didn’t realize. Did I hurt you?”

“There was some weight behind that,” I mumbled. “Yae, maybe you want to go on a diet, no what am I saying, you need to eat more to get taller.”

“...It looks like you’re okay,” Yae realized I was fine enough to jokingly insult her. She had a question on her mind, however. “Still, how did these shoes shrink when you were wearing indoor shoes today?”

“All of my things were reduced at the same time, that includes both pairs of shoes,” I explained.

“I see. I didn’t think it’d go that far,” Yae was impressed. She then began taking off her shoes and opening her locker.

As she did, I approached my shoes that Yae had gotten for me. She was right that they were smaller because they were for my reduced size, but in comparison to Yae’s indoor shoes which were right next to them, I realized they were less than half as small as Yae’s own pair. I couldn’t even say they were fit for a primary schooler, more like a baby. This was another way I discovered Yae dwarfed me now.

This made me curious about Yae’s indoor shoes. Getting closer to them, it seemed unreal to think it belonged to a petite 160 cm girl like her. I had room to spare when I put my foot inside them. They were more like a prop for a gag.

Noticing this, Yae giggled at the sight of me. “Touya, what are you doing? I need my shoes, please.”

“Just realizing you have big feet. How do you walking these clown shoes?” I joked, taking my feet out of her indoor shoes so she could pick them up high over my head. 

“... You’re on a roll with the insults,” Yae frowned. I watched as she put her indoor shoes in the locker above my head and grab her loafers with one hand. Instead of putting them on, however, she put her free hand on her hip and looked down at me. I immediately felt like a child in front of her as she gave me a disappointed look. “Are you done yet, Touya?”

“It’s a coping mechanism,” I was honest. “Just let me have this. You and Takahashi have been poking fun at me.”

“I guess you’re right. Fair’s fair,” Yae put down her loafers and adjusted her black thigh highs before she put her shoes on. I put mine on as well and we began to leave. I pushed myself to remain in pace with Yae as she walked.

The road home was uneventful but long. I was certain it was taking us longer to get home.

“I wonder how much different tomorrow’s going to be like,” I told Yae when we crossed the street.

I saw Yae give my whole body a once over as we walked. “I don’t know. Yesterday and today have already been surreal enough. Touya, isn’t it even stranger for you?”

“You have no idea,” I told Yae. “I’d say it’s like a dream, but getting bumped by you earlier hurt, so it definitely isn’t.”

“I still doesn’t feel real to me,” Yae laughed nervously. “It somehow feels like we’re growing further apart this week too. You’re holding back a lot more and you’ve been with Aoi-chan all day today.”

“Shrinking apart,” I corrected. I wasn’t holding back. I was just being a lot more cautious due to my smaller height. I could definitely feel my height getting less and less after having gotten used to the Reduction more. I had checked how tall I was compared to Yae’s stomach earlier and I suspected I had lost another 2 cm as we walked home. “And you’re not jealous, are you? I just got done with talking with Takahashi about not making you jealous.”

“Yes, a little,” my childhood friend bluntly admitted. She was pouting with her cheeks puffed. “Did Aoi-chan do something earlier?”

“She wanted me to be her body pillow,” Much like Yae, I told the truth. “I refused and said you’d get mad if she did. I’m glad she listened.”

“A body pillow?” Yae repeated as we passed turned the corner into our neighborhood.

“She said I was the right size for it. That girl certainly gets some crazy ideas,” I continued walking but Yae stopped. I noticed this only after I had finished speaking. “Yae?”

Looking up into Yae’s eyes, I saw her looking me up and down.

“Body pillow, huh?” she repeated again. “I sort of see that. I’m jealous Aoi-chan can so easily think about getting so touchy-feely like that.”

She clearly wanted to do it - to use me as a body pillow. Those were not the friendly eyes of my neighbor. Those were the sparkling eyes of a girl with desires.

“Um… You want to give it a shot, Yae?” I offered. A primal feeling inside me told me I’d be better off allowing it rather than ignoring or denying her.

“Eh? Can I?” Yae stepped forward but caught herself before right as her arms extended forward. She was raring to go.

“You did something similar yesterday without asking, didn’t you? You didn’t know why but you still wanted to do it, right? Looks like it’s the same today.”

“A-Ah… Right, I did, didn’t I?” Yae seemed to have tried to forget about the embarrassment.

“Doesn’t look like anyone else is around so if we make this quick, I guess it’d be fine,” I sheepishly told her, dropping my things at my feet because I knew what was going to happen. “Let me just say this first though, you’re the only one to do this and this is a one time thing, okay?”

“Yes,” she nodded. “If you’re giving me permission then I guess I’ll accept”.

“Okay then. So let me ju-” Before I could finish my sentence, Yae’s arms wrapped around me pulled me into her chest. I immediately found my feet off the ground as Yae pulled me into a tight hug. My face was smothered in her chest while my arms were locked in place by the sheer strength of her skinny arms.

That bear hug was more than what I expected from Yae. The difference in power between us was made clear because my arms could not budge and my legs dangled in the air as Yae held me tight. To think losing nearly 80 cm of my height turned me helpless against Yae’s embrace - there was nothing I could do but wait until she tired of the hug.

It was warm and soft despite how tightly I was being held. Yae’s arms kept my head from moving anywhere except for into her breasts. Though Yae was treating me as a pillow, I felt I was experiencing the real pillowy feeling. I could hear her heart while pressed against it, and the heat from her body was spreading into me.

“Mmph! Yae! Can’t breathe!” my muffled voice spoke into Yae’s right breast.

My words reached Yae but she didn’t actually hear it. Rather, she felt it as my breath and saliva on her chest. She let go, causing me to fall to the ground. I thankfully landed on my feet.

“Oof. Wonder if that’s going to leave a mark,” I wondered, realizing just how tightly Yae had been holding me. My circulation was close to being cut off. Looking up at my childhood friend, I could see a satisfied expression on her red face. “Well, how was it?”

“Aoi-chan was right. That was a good height for a hugging pillow,” Yae informed me. “Thank you, Touya. That was enjoyable.”

I wondered if it would be a good idea to put that down in the notes for Sasakura-sensei, but decided to ponder that thought later. Picking up my things, I gestured at Yae.

“Well, that was a one time thing since I’ll be smaller tomorrow. Come on, we should get going before people come by.”

“Coming, Touya.”