Having a small body might seem like a disadvantage, but you can't deny it comes with its perks.
For example, it's much easier to slip through a crowd of hurried adults.Sure, the risk of getting stepped on still exists, but… details.
The reason I was here was simple: I needed to buy some essential items for the journey ahead.
The world of The Author's POV is technologically advanced, and the influence of mana gave birth to all kinds of wonders—artifacts, potions, magical tools…
But in my opinion, nothing beats one invention in particular: dimensional storage.
Throughout the entire story, I had always been amazed at how ridiculously convenient it was.
Carrying whatever you wanted—no weight, no bulk, no apparent limit… it was practically cheating. Absolutely mandatory.
My only concern was whether my mana leakage issue would affect how it worked.
As I walked through the sea of people, thinking about that, something caught my attention—a sweet scent, so intense that my stomach reacted before my brain did.
Before I realized it, my feet had carried me to a dessert stall.
The place was crowded, and through the display window I saw something that looked like ice cream covered in hot chocolate syrup.
As the syrup poured over the cold cream, it crystallized instantly, forming a shiny, crunchy shell.
The machine's motion—spinning and spreading the chocolate like a miniature fountain, was… hypnotizing.
— Hey, kid!
— Huh? Slurp.
The vendor's voice snapped me back to reality—and only then did I notice the thin string of drool threatening to escape my mouth.
The entire line was watching me with amused expressions.Embarrassed, I wiped my mouth and reached into my pocket for my wallet.
— Don't worry about it. Here, take this!
The man smiled and handed me a freshly made cone, motioning for me to step out of the line.
No one seemed to mind—it was just a small kindness for some random kid.And honestly… I wasn't about to complain.
Back in the crowd, I continued on my way while enjoying the ice cream.The cream was light and refreshing, with a gentle passion fruit flavor; the crystallized
topping was crunchy and perfectly sweet. Simply delicious.
I'd always had a sweet tooth, even before being transmigrated here.But what intrigued me was that I could feel this taste also belonged to the original Yuto.
And that raised a few suspicions…
It was strange… everything about this body felt eerily similar to my past self.My tastes, habits, fears… even my appearance and family ties.
Maybe I had been "assigned" the most compatible body possible—but still… too many coincidences.
And the more I thought about it, the clearer one thing became:I still needed answers.
Walking absentmindedly with the ice cream in hand, my old habit of getting lost in thought struck again.
Spacing out in the middle of a crowd—like always—is never a good idea.
Ploft.
The impact was sudden.
I felt my body bump into someone… and the cold weight of the ice cream sliding down my fingers before crashing onto the ground.
— Hey! Watch where you're g—
The irritated female voice cut off mid-sentence.
When I looked up, I saw a girl staring at me, but her gaze quickly dropped to the ground—where my ice cream lay like a small, melted monument to tragedy.
I stood there, staring at it.
My face remained perfectly still, but a traitorous tear began to form at the corner of my eye.
— N-no, no, no, don't cry! Shhh… shhh!
The girl hurriedly crouched down, making a calming gesture as if trying to defuse a bomb about to explode.
Honestly, I was mourning the ice cream.
Only then did I really take a good look at her.
Short brown hair, crystal-blue eyes, simple clothes but clearly high-quality.And then it clicked.
Emma Roshfield.
One of the heroines of the story.
I definitely hadn't expected to run into her here.
Then again, it made sense—Emma always liked strolling around city centers.Still, of all the people I could've bumped into… it had to be a main character.
That spelled trouble.
— H-here… how about I buy you another one, okay?
She forced a smile, a bead of sweat sliding down her temple.
She looked genuinely afraid that I might start crying.
This childlike appearance was really getting me into some… peculiar situations.But honestly, who was I to refuse free ice cream?
I nodded slightly, wiping my still-moist eyes, and pointed toward the stall behind me.Without realizing it, I practically dragged her along.
She seemed confused at first, but quickly understood my gestures and placed the order for me.
A few minutes later, I was holding another ice cream—better than the first one, actually.
All things considered, I came out ahead.
Emma smiled in relief. But just as she was about to say goodbye, a deep voice echoed behind her.
— Hello there, miss!
The call came suddenly, cutting through the street's bustle.
Emma instinctively turned around, her expression calm—until her eyebrows lifted upon seeing who had spoken.
The man in front of her was tall. Very tall.
Probably eighteen or nineteen years old, with an athletic build, broad shoulders, and a confidence far too excessive for someone standing on a busy sidewalk.
The type who thought he was irresistible.
Even so, his appearance was fairly average—plain features, a practiced smile, and a haircut that screamed "I spend more time at the gym than reading."
— I've been watching you from afar — he said, in a tone that tried to sound charming.
— You're beautiful. How about we grab a coffee sometime?
Emma let out a discreet sigh.
This wasn't new. Ever since she'd started being recognized as one of the great beauties of her generation, this kind of approach had become annoyingly frequent.Her angelic face and lively, cheerful aura seemed to attract every clueless guy out there.
— No, thank you. — she replied curtly, turning to leave.
She barely took two steps before feeling a firm hand land on her shoulder. The grip wasn't violent—but invasive enough to make her tense.
— Hey, wait — his voice was more insistent now.
— No need to be like that. We can just talk for a bit.
Emma took a deep breath, her expression hardening.
— Like I said… I'm not interested.
The icy tone made it clear the conversation was over. But the guy didn't seem willing to accept a "no."
— Look, you don't have to b—
He stopped.
Something was pulling his arm downward, and for a moment he thought someone was trying to pry him away.
When he looked down, confusion washed over his face.
I was hanging from his arm.
With one hand, I clung to it like it was a pull-up bar.
My feet weren't touching the ground, my body swayed slightly, and in my other hand I still held my ice cream—completely indifferent to the situation.
Silence stretched between us for a few seconds, broken only by the footsteps of the surrounding crowd.
The guy blinked, dumbfounded.
— …Huh? What are you doing, brat—
CRACK.
The sound was sharp—loud enough to make several people nearby turn their heads.It felt like snapping a branch, just with a bit more resistance.
I simply tightened my grip, twisted my wrist slightly, and felt the weight of his arm go limp.
— AAAARGH—! M-MY ARM, YOU—!
His scream tore through the air.
His face twisted in pain as he tried to pull away. I let go without resistance.
He stumbled backward, panting, his gaze darting between me and the arm hanging at an unnatural angle.
For a moment, I thought he might try to retaliate.
But a quick glance around—dozens of eyes watching, phones recording, the thick embarrassment in the air—was enough to make him swallow his pride and disappear into the crowd, muttering under his breath.
==========
Passive Skills:
[Muscle Density]
Despite your small body, your muscles possess a density ten times greater than that of an ordinary human, compressed into a compact structure.
==========
I honestly had no idea why I had this skill. It probably explained the excruciating pain I felt when I first woke up in this body… but let's be honest—it was incredibly useful.
Emma remained frozen in place, completely stunned. Her blue eyes trembled with confusion and disbelief.
— Y-you… what did you just do?
— We're even now.
Without offering any further explanation, I headed back into the crowd, my steps light, as if nothing had happened. By the time Emma blinked, I had already vanished among the people.
She stood there, motionless, the wind brushing through her short hair.
— …What's with that kid? — she muttered, still unable to make sense of it all.