Chapter No:- 09

"Here, take it!"

"Give it back."

"Just take it back."

　Ah, this dream again.

　I was often teased since I was young because I was shorter than the people around me.

"Look, the nursery school is over there."

"Okay, well, do you understand what I'm saying?"

"Maybe it's a little early for you?"

　Because of my short stature, I am looked down upon both physically and mentally.

　I always had to look up. We were the same age, but in different positions. I had no equal.

"If you're this small, your parents must be just as small."

"It's a little family! It's a little family!"

　Because I'm small, even my family makes fun of me.

　But I didn't have the guts to say anything back.

　It had become normal for me to hold on to the bottom of my clothes and endure the pain.

　I endured, I endured, I endured, and I continued to endure.

　I started to hate going to school. I would get a little dizzy when I tried to open the front door. It became normal for me to force myself to eat breakfast and then vomit at school.

　I became afraid to go to sleep. I couldn't stop thinking about them after coming to my house.

　It's not like I was subjected to any severe violence or anything like that.

　However, the small but clear sadistic acts they showed me every day were wearing down my heart.

　I couldn't talk to my parents about it. I didn't want to worry them. The teachers only gave them a light warning and didn't get angry. I think they just thought it was just a kid's joke.

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　So I chose to endure.

　But when I was in my third year, someone came along to help me.

　Her name was Shi-chan. She was tall, and because girls grow faster, she was taller than most boys.

　After she protected me, she squatted down and got up to my eye level and started talking to me.

　I was so happy about that. I could hear the voices I usually hear from above from the front. It was such a simple thing and I was so happy.

　After that, Shi-chan started spending more time with me.

　Although the teasing hasn't completely stopped, it has decreased.

　I started looking forward to going to school. I couldn't wait for tomorrow to come.

　That lifestyle came to an end after about two years.

　Shi-chan is moving.

　I didn't want her to go. I wanted her to stay with me forever. I wanted to hang out with her more. I wanted to thank her.

　All of that is no longer possible.

　I became very depressed and the teasing started again.

　It seems our parents exchanged contact information and we had the opportunity to call each other several times.

　But it made me sad to think that we could only meet on the phone.

　Eventually I got tired of making phone calls.

　I know I did something wrong. But it's painful. I might never be able to meet her in person again and express my gratitude. I don't want to do that anymore.

　Since she moved away, I've started having dreams like this one, but she doesn't appear in them.

　I think this is a warning to me.

　A warning to myself for cutting ties with her and getting sad on my own, even though she helped me.

　That's why no one can help me.

"……hehe"

　I can hear someone's voice. They must be making fun of me.

"……Hey"

　Please be quiet. Don't come into my dreams.

"Aoi!"

　――――――――――――――――――――――

　Today, as always, we had the chance to admire Aoi's sleeping face.

　Well, I do it almost every day and I never get bored of it.

　So let's enjoy his cute sleeping face again today.

"Aoi?"

　Something was wrong with him. He was taking shallow breaths and sweating profusely. He was groaning occasionally and looked like he was in pain. Tears were streaming from his eyes.

　This is clearly an abnormal situation.

"Aoi!"

　I immediately went to the side of the bed and decided to wake Aoi up. At this point, I didn't care if he found out that I had broken into his room. I didn't want to see Aoi in pain.

"Aoi! Wake up!"

　Aoi has always been a deep sleeper and doesn't wake up easily. Usually I'd just think, "Oh well," but that's not the case now.

　I shook him by the shoulders and called his name over and over again.

"……yeah"

"Aoi! Are you okay?"

"Shhh, chan?"

　Aoi was still not fully awake, but he managed to wake up for the time being.

"Aoi, what's wrong? Did you have a scary dream?"

　I tried my best to ask Aoi as gently as possible.

　I squatted down next to the bed and made eye contact with Aoi. When I talk to Aoi, I try to be at eye level as much as possible. I just wanted to see his cute face, but I felt I had to do so now.

"...I was dreaming."

"dream?"

"Yeah, it was a dream before Shi-chan helped me."

　Aoi and I met in the third grade of elementary school. We weren't in the same class until then, so I didn't even know that there was a boy named Aoi.

"……yes"

　When I was in the third grade, at first I stepped in between the bullies because he was being bullied and wanted to help him.

　After chasing away the bullies, I called out to Aoi.

　"Are you okay?"

　"Um, well, uh, thank you."

　There I met an angel.

　Feeling the violence of cuteness all over my body, I couldn't help but hug him.

　At that time, I was the kind of child who could be described as an active girl, so I had no qualms about hugging him.

　...By the way, at that time I thought Aoi was a really cute boy.

　Before I knew it, I was hugging Aoi.

　I strokes his head and speaks gently and slowly, as if soothing a child.

"It's okay, it's okay."

　Aoi silently accepted it.

　Aoi's body, which is a size smaller than me, fit perfectly.

　His body is small and trembling, and it's impossible to tell just how much he is carrying in that tiny body.

　After a while, the sobbing stopped and the sound of regular breathing was heard instead.

　After some hesitation, I decided to sleep with Aoi.

"I'll never let you be alone again"

　With that decision in mind, I went to sleep.