Momo Ayase was NOT a jealous person, nor had she ever been. No way, no how. As far as she was concerned, there was nothing for her to feel jealous about in her life anyway.
When Kouki and the pygmies attacked Okarun and Aira, there was nothing that made her uncomfortable. When the pygmyies had the two of them pinned down in some rather... suggestive positions, there was no feeling in her stomach of a knife-twisting. She didn’t squirm uncomfortably when Aira was on top of Okarun while trying to defend him. That was beneath her.
Sure, she may have... reacted negatively to certain things. When Aira accused Okarun of talking to her bosom, she may have... used her powers to smack the boy with a chair. But that was purely to make sure he wasn’t having any impure thoughts. It was an act of sisterhood. Even if it was with that skank Shiratori. Sisterhood, not jealousy.
What did she have to be jealous about?
There was no pang of heartache when Vamola held on to Okaruns’s shoulders or uniform when they walked the hallways together.
There was no feeling of bile rising in her throat when Okarun would take extra time to explain something to the alien either. No, anything like that was all in Momo’s head.
Okarun had confessed to HER. Not Aira, not Vamola, her.
She wasn’t afraid being six inches tall would ruin things between them. Why would she be afraid? She was tough. Tough girls like her weren’t afraid. Especially over something stupid, like a boy.
She didn’t worry that being stuck the size of a doll would squash any chance of them being together. That Okarun would get sick of waiting for her to return to normal and confess to someone else. That she’d never be able to walk side by side with her ever-growing group of weirdos and misfits again because she had to ride in someone’s pocket.
Why would she bother being afraid? That’s dumb, and Momo wasn’t dumb.
As she sat on Vamola’s notebook in class, her mind drifted off to the boy sitting next to her. Okarun. It didn’t seem that long ago that she was his only friend, and now suddenly it seemed like the whole school was in good graces with him. Just because he was suddenly in great shape, everyone thought he was cool. Well, no matter. She knew he was the coolest nerd way before anyone else in the school did. Besides, she knew he was cool for the right reasons. Not because his cursed form looked like a vampire, like the class rep. Not because some girls paid attention to him, like Kinta. No, Momo knew Okarun was cool because he was brave when it counted. Because he could list off cryptids as easily as he breathed. Because he always made sure everyone in the group was looked out for, even without his powers. Because he always came through when it mattered. She knew how cool Okarun was, way more than any of these other classmates.
She looked over at him. Him and his perfectly messy, stupid curly hair. Him and those big, dumb, brown doe eyes that just looked bigger through his round glasses. What gave him the right to make her heart race every time they made eye contact, anyway? Where did this nerd get off making her fall for him, anyway? It was pretty fucking rude, if you asked her. What a turd!
He looked over at her and smiled and there was absolutely no way that it made her heart pound against her chest like a drum. Not a chance the heat rushed to her cheeks and made her flush. No way, she wasn’t some giddy little schoolgirl that got flustered just because the boy she liked gave her some attention.
She looked down at her miniscule notes and realized she had stopped paying attention some time ago. It was whatever, Okarun would let her copy his notes later. Why was she even thinking about all this?
Miss Ayase... um... about my confession.
She shut her eyes and squeezed.
You know what she really wasn’t afraid of?
What she would do when she finally did return to her normal size.
When she finally got back to normal. She absolutely was not afraid of being face to face with Okarun again and confronting that he...
That he...
Momo swallowed hard and shook her head.
That he loved her.
She didn’t know what she would do. That was okay. She wasn’t afraid. Afraid that she’d melt on the spot if she ever heard Okarun say those words again. Afraid she’d lose control of herself and fall into his arms in a heap.
Afraid she’d be too chicken to say the words back to him.
“Get a grip, Momo,” she said to herself, quietly. “You’re being lame.”
The bell rang, snapping her from her thoughts. She stood up and gave Vamola a smile. The cheerful alien returned it and scooped Momo up to put in her breast pocket. “Momo!” She said once the rest of the students in the class dissipated. “Ready to go to the clubroom?”See AlsoEtsuko and Post-War Japan: Trauma and Cultural Identity in A Pale View of Hills10 Magical Girl Anime Series You Cannot Afford to MissYou Were Experienced, I Was Not: Our Dating Story (Anime)Yuichi Nakamura:"Rurouni Kenshin" - Weakness, anger, and sadness that hint at the humanity of the "strongest" Hiko Seijuro - MANTANWEB（まんたんウェブ）
“Definitely,” Momo said.
As if on instinct, Vamola grabbed Okarun by the shoulder and the two exited the class. If she ever did feel jealous about Okarun and Vamola, she’d feel pretty shitty about it. The alien girl was practically a sister to her, living in her house and all. But of course, she wasn’t jealous, so it wasn’t an issue.
“What a day,” Okarun sighed. “I don’t know why, but it felt like it would never end.”
Once in the hallway, Momo ignored the twisting in her stomach as Aira almost immediately grabbed Okarun’s arm. “There you guys are!” She beamed. “Come on, let’s get going!”-------The shed that had become their club space had grown on them all. It seemed to barely fit them all, especially with the addition of Kouki, but it felt right for all of them. So far, Kinta’s surveillance hairclip hadn’t caught anything with the mysterious person who had been blackmailing the pianist, but it had only been two days.
From her spot on the table, she looked over as Okarun was talking with Jiji and Kinta about training with Seiko when she returned from... whatever weird mission she had been on. Momo wasn’t really sure where her grandma was and when she would be back, but this was nothing new. Granny was always coming and going in her work as a spirit medium, and Momo had gotten used to that years ago.
“I wonder if you’ll get one of those super cool bats like she has,” Jiji wondered aloud.
Okarun adjusted his glasses. “Hard to say. That’s even if she agrees to train me in the first place. I don’t know the first thing about being a spirit medium or how you guys use your chi or anything like that.”
Aira plopped down next to him. “Well whatever happens, I’ll be there to protect you, Takakura!” She beamed.
Jiji piped in, “Hey, we all will!”
“I would make sure no harm ever befalls my Private First Class!” Kinta huffed with an air of indignance.
Rin and Keiko, being a little shyer than the others, just nodded along.
Momo smiled, though it felt bittersweet. It was... good to see this amount of friend’s and support for Okarun. But sometimes... just, sometimes, she missed the days it was the two of them against the world. Aliens, yokai, whatever the universe threw at them, just her and her Okarun.
She winced.
Not... HER Okarun. Just Okarun.
“Miss Ayase?”
Momo blinks and looks up at the boy in question. He’s looking down at her, adjusting his glasses. “Are you alright? You’ve been pretty quiet today.”
On instinct, she replies with a grin. “Yeah, I just didn’t sleep great last night.”
“Oh. I’m sorry to hear that,” he gives her a sympathetic smile that definitely does not give her butterflies in her stomach.
“Nah, I’m fine.” She waves her hand to assure him.
The club splits up after awhile to go home. Vamola once again puts Momo in her breast pocket. Okarun comes with them, to see if Seiko has returned to see if they can talk about training him. Momo doesn’t mind. After all, Okarun was at her house more often than his own house at this point.
“... so you really only ever hear about Bigfoot in North America, but, recently, there have been similar sasquatch sightings in the Eastern Hemisphere. I wouldn’t be shocked if we ran into a Bigfoot of our own in the near future,” he explained to both Vamola and Momo. “I think there was an article about it in my latest magazine. I’ll have to bring it tomorrow.”
The shrine is still empty by the time the three of them arrive home. Okarun lets out a sigh of disappointment; training would have to wait another day, at least. “Maybe I should just head home,” he bemoans, slouching forward a little more than normal.
“Nah, stay,” Momo says before she can even think about it. She quickly adds in, “I need to copy your notes from class. I kinda spaced out.”
“Tch. Miss Ayase, that’s so irresponsible,” he scolds. “Why are you going to class if you aren’t even paying attention?”
“Hey, well excuse me for not being a big nerd like you!” She huffs.
Vamola frowns as she sets Momo down on the table. “Momo! Be nice!”See Also2025 Manga List, Read 2025 Manga List Online
Momo just rolls her eyes. She glances up at Okarun and sees him already digging his notebook out of his backpack.
He opened the notebook for her and set it next to her on the table.
“Thanks Okarun,” she said, quietly.
“It’s fine, it’s fine,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I just hope we can get you back to your class soon. Miko and Muko have been asking me where you are and eventually telling them you’re sick is going to start being unbelievable.”
“I’m sure granny will be back soon. She’s usually only gone a couple of days to a week at most, and she said this was a good lead on getting me back to normal,” the small girl replied.
Vamola got out the stationary she had made for Momo, and Momo got to work copying Okarun’s notes. “This girl is going to get some snacks!” Vamola piped in cheerfully. “Do you two want anything?”
“I’m fine,” Okarun declined.
“Just find a grain of rice for me or something,” Momo said. “I’ll be full off of it anyway.”
Vamola nodded and skipped off to the kitchen, leaving Okarun and Momo alone. The two sat in silence, the sound of Momo scratching away to copy the notes being the only sound in the room.
“Miss Ayase?” The boy asked after a few moments.
“What’s up?”
“Are you sure nothing’s wrong?”
She winced. She looked up to see those big, beautiful, stupid eyes boring into her. At this size, it felt like he was looking through her practically. He was so much more perceptive than he used to be at first.
“I’ve had a lot on my mind,” she admitted. “Just, you know...”
She trailed off on purpose.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
A surge of emotions welled up in her chest. How was he so infuriatingly perfect, so good at picking up on when something was wrong with her? It made her blood boil and her knees weak all at the same time.
“Just... things about being stuck this size,” Momo explained. It wasn’t technically a lie. Being this small sucked. “There’s a lot of things I miss, and it’s getting frustrating wanting to eat but barely being able to eat anything. And these doll clothes are itchy as shit.”
“That does sound pretty frustrating,” Okarun conceded. “I’m sure your grandma will be back soon with something to help you.”
“Not fast enough,” she grumbled.
“Let me know if there’s anything I can do to make you more comfortable,” Okarun said, kneeling down next to the table.
She nodded, fighting the creeping blush that was rushing up her cheeks.
Before she could think of anything, Vamola called from the kitchen. “Takakura! Can you come help with this?”
Sighing as he got up again after just sitting down, Okarun yelled back, “coming!” He gave Momo another smile as he rushed off to the kitchen.
Momo plopped down on her ass.
She couldn't do it anymore.
She’d been denying it all day, and quite frankly, it was exhausting.
She was jealous. Jealous that the other girls got to be around Okarun normally right now. Jealous of how close he and Aira had been. Jealous of Vamola for always holding on to him.
She was afraid. Afraid she’d never be able to get back to normal. Afraid she’d never be able to walk side by side with her friends. Afraid she’d never be able to really go out with Okarun because how could he date someone the size of a candy bar?
But even if she was able to return to her size...
She was afraid of telling him that she loved him too.
She couldn’t deny it anymore. Not to herself, at least.
She loved him.
Like, a ridiculously stupid amount. He was usually the first thing on her mind in the morning and the last thing on her mind when she went to sleep. He was the first person she called out too when stuck in the cursed board game. She loved him so much it was, quite frankly, embarrassing.
She had dated before, had boyfriends before. But never had told anyone that she loved them.
She’d never been in love before.
And it scared the hell out of her.
Momo Ayase liked to be in control, and being in love had never made her feel less in control of herself than ever. Every time the two held hands, looked each other in the eyes, or lingered around each other a little too long, it wreaked havoc on her emotional state.
She loved him so much that sometimes when he was gone, she ached. How dumb was that? Just to ache at someone's absence? What was wrong with her?
But at the end of the day, she knew she loved Okarun. No matter how lame it made her feel to be head over heels like some cheesy rom com, she had to admit to herself she loved him.
The thought of telling him that?
Terrifying.
“Miss Ayase?”
She looked up to see Okarun and Vamola were back, kneeling down at the table next to her. Okarun delicately placed a grain of rice next to her. “You looked like you were spacing out,” Okarun continued.
“Yeah, a little bit. Hey Okarun?”
“Yes?”
“Why don’t you stay with Vamola and I tonight? We can listen to that unexplained mysteries podcast you’re always going on about.” Momo suggested.
She snorted with laughter as his eyes lit up. “O-Okay!” He exclaimed, “Let me just call home and let them know real quick.”
“Sleepover!” Vamola clapped her hands together excitedly.
Taking out his ancient phone, he excused himself to the front of the house to make a call. Momo smiled at his retreating back.
It felt good to admit these things to herself. Even if she didn’t know what to do, lying to herself wasn’t getting her anywhere.
And she’d tackle these fears as they came along. She might not have known how she would respond to Okarun’s proper confession, but...
She couldn’t shake the feeling it’d all work out.