In the quiet library, the scent of paper tickled my nose.
A treasure trove of knowledge. A wonderful space to gain information or cultivate refinement. There I stood, holding the professor's ID card while blankly looking around.
"...Ah."
I rummaged through the oversized coat pocket that didn't fit my body. It was a paper with a list of books to borrow. With the card in hand, I looked around and made my way to where the librarian was.
The brown-haired librarian was pushing a cart, shelving returned books. I approached her and carefully spoke.
"Excuse me, I'm here on the professor's behalf. Could you help me find these?"
"Urr, running errands again today?"
"Yes."
When I discreetly handed over the paper, the librarian accepted it with a smile. After parking her cart in the corner, she found the books listed on the paper one by one.
My body swayed significantly each time the librarian handed me another book.
The clothes were already too big and slightly heavy on me, and now with books weighing down my arms, it was becoming quite a burden.
"Isn't that heavy? I'll carry them to the checkout counter for you."
"This much... is fine. Thank you for finding them."
So textbooks are all this heavy. I could only guess since I had no idea what these books were even used for.
After checking out the books with the professor's ID card, I headed to the laboratory, struggling under their weight.
On my way back, someone began walking beside me. Glancing sideways, I saw it was a girl with black hair. What was unusual was that she wasn't wearing the common uniform.
In the Academy, those who didn't wear uniforms were probably just professors... but I wasn't sure. Guessing someone's age by appearance was already difficult, but in this world, it was especially challenging.
"Excuse me, could I help you with those?"
After we'd been eyeing each other for a while, she was the one who spoke first.
Since I was small and looked young, people seemed to want to help when they saw me like this. The librarian was the same, so probably similar feelings.
"...No, I'm fine."
I politely declined with a shake of my head. While help would certainly be nice, considering I'd be running errands for the professor in the future, it would be better to get used to it and build up my strength.
Like subtle training, I suppose. Though if only my forearms get stronger, it might be a bit sad.
Before I could take more than a few steps, she took two of the books I was carrying. Startled, I watched as the books moved away from my arms.
A girl with black hair reaching her waist and mysterious red eyes held my books, grinning.
"These are heavy indeed. Where are you headed?"
"You really don't need to help..."
"I actually have something I'd like to ask you too...!"
One good turn deserves another. She seemed to want answers in exchange for her help. Honestly, that wasn't unreasonable, so I tilted my head curiously.
Her red gaze briefly looked me up and down.
"Are you an Academy student...? Your uniform looks unfamiliar..."
"No? I'm not a student."
"Th-then are you a professor?!"
I heard a startled "hik" sound.
Since there weren't many types of people in the Academy, she seemed to have concluded that if I wasn't a student, I must be a professor.
"No... I'm just the professor's errand runner."
Strictly speaking, I was closer to being property, but there was no need to explain that much to someone I'd just met, so I left it at that. I thought there might be a moment of silence, but I heard a slightly bitter laugh from beside me.
"Ah... Actually, I got accepted to the Academy, but I haven't received my student ID yet, so I can't borrow books. When I saw you, Senior, I thought there might be a way, so I followed you."
"...I'm not a senior. I haven't even enrolled in the Academy."
I wondered if the professor was busy because of the entrance ceremony. Various thoughts crossed my mind, but honestly, it wasn't really my concern. I just stayed by her side and occasionally served as a specimen for Demon God research.
"Hmm."
She seemed at a loss for words after finding out her chosen form of address was incorrect. As the atmosphere grew slightly awkward, I quietly spoke up.
"Should we go back and ask?"
"Huh? Ask what?"
"I thought we could ask the professor if you could borrow a book."
"That would be great, if possible..."
Seeing that she didn't decline, I nodded. Well, asking once shouldn't be a problem, so I turned back.
We entered the building with the laboratory and went up a few floors. After getting off the elevator and walking down the corridor a bit, we arrived quickly. Having the soon-to-be student help me made the journey feel shorter.
"Professor, I brought the books."
After knocking and entering, I saw the professor rise at the sound of my voice. My owner, Professor Yuria.
Beautiful blonde hair with waves. The flowing movement that could be in a shampoo commercial caught my eye. As the professor approached to take the books I'd brought, she stared at the single book in my arms.
"...Huh? I asked for three books?"
She looked surprised that I only had one. I glanced back at the door I'd entered through. There stood the prospective student who had come with me.
"Well, someone helped me..."
"Ah, hello! I'm Karen, enrolling this year!"
So her name was Karen.
"Oh, you helped our Urr. Thank you. You're an incoming student? There's still some time until the entrance ceremony, what brings you to the Academy?"
"Well... I came to see if I could borrow books from the library, but I couldn't because I don't have my student ID yet... I was about to leave when I met your assistant here..."
I was impressed how quickly her form of address changed from "senior" to "assistant." Is this what happens when you have social experience?
No, that's not it.
I promised to ask about borrowing books for Karen, so I should help her a bit.
"Professor."
"Yes?"
"She wants to borrow a book, so I brought her to see if you could help."
"With less than a month left, couldn't you just wait for your student ID...? As an accepted student, you can already enter the library. You could study there."
The professor was trying to persuade me, not Karen, to somehow refuse.
Due to our height difference of about 20 centimeters, I ended up looking up at her.
Well, nothing to be done then. If she says no, I can't force her. When the professor says no, I just have to accept it.
As I was about to speak after exchanging glances, the professor put her hand to her forehead as if she had a headache.
"...Fine, fine. I'll help. Take my ID card and borrow one more book. But promise to return it on time, no late fees, okay?"
"Th-thank you so much!"
Karen bowed at a 90-degree angle at the professor's words.
I discreetly showed the professor the ID card I had kept in my coat pocket. Seeing it, she gave a bitter smile as if she couldn't help it and returned to her desk.
As I was turning to leave, my body suddenly felt lighter, and then something caught my foot.
My body was already leaning forward, but my feet couldn't move a few centimeters further and got stuck.
"Eek!"
I fell flat with a thud. The impact was strong enough to make my body ache.
"Urr!"
The professor, who was returning to her place, rushed back to me.
Karen wasn't there, probably having gone ahead to catch the elevator. That was fortunate. There was only one reason why I kept falling like this.
"Belt..."
"I told you I'd buy you new clothes, why do you insist on these oversized ones..."
As I knelt and slowly tried to get up, the professor put her hands under my armpits and pulled me straight up.
"N-no..."
"Hurry and put it back on."
My skirt had fallen helplessly because the belt had come undone. That's why I fell, but the professor stood me up straight despite knowing this.
I twisted the corners of my mouth. Did she really need to see someone else's underwear in the lab to be satisfied? It would be better to pretend not to see than to help like this.
Groaning, I pulled up my skirt, and the professor, watching me, sighed.
"Should we go get you new clothes tomorrow? You keep falling because these clothes are too big."
The professor asked with what sounded like a mother's concerned voice as she watched me struggling with the skirt.
Wearing properly fitting clothes would certainly be more comfortable, but what would happen when I returned to my original form? While oversized clothes are fine when I'm small, wearing small clothes when I'm big would obviously result in an involuntary exposure show.
So I shook my head.
I didn't know when that time might come, and the thought of it happening in a crowded place was horrifying.
I didn't want to be floating around the internet under the title "Outdoor Exposure Urr."
"You're so stubborn."
The professor shook her head as if she couldn't win this argument.
After all, the reason my body had shrunk was because the professor had killed me multiple times, so there was no way she could win.