CH 1

Juvenile Hypertrophy.

Because of this strange disease, I, Ruka Yamamoto, already weighed over 130 kilograms in my first year of high school.

This disease causes fat to bloat as it absorbs water.

My face and hands were swollen like cream buns, so people on the street were afraid to look at me and kept their distance from me.

There were also those who looked at me and either laughed or sneered.

People also used to take photos and videos of me without permission and made them public on sites such as TikTock.

Maybe that was why, at some point, people started hurling abusive language at me, even though I didn’t even know them.

Apparently, being fat and ugly is a great sin in itself.

If such a strange creature were to be in a closed space such as a classroom at school, it was only natural that it would be bullied as soon as it entered the school…

“Hey, Pig! Hurry up and run to the store and buy me something~!”

“Hahaha! So funny! ww.”

“If you don’t get it in three minutes, I’m not giving you your money back!”

At the back of the classroom, I was made to do errands, as always.

As you might have guessed, Pig was my nickname.

That said, a Yankee boy and his two cronies, two gals, stomping on my head, mocked me.

I begged desperately for forgiveness, even though I knew it wouldn’t change the outcome.

“T-three minutes… no way… No matter whoever runs, it’s going to be more than 5 minutes—”

“Shut up! It’s a special training, you know! Since you’re always failing the marathon in PE!”

That’s because I weigh over 130 kilograms.

Compared to everyone else, it’s like living with an extra 70 kilograms of weight on your body at all times.(E/N: It’s connected to his disease, It will be explained in future chaps.)

But I always manage to finish the marathon till the end.

When I finish though, I always collapse and am left outside because I can’t even be carried to the infirmary due to my weight.

“Special training~! Ryu-chan, that’s so kind! Kyahaha! ww.”

“Now hurry up! If you don’t come back soon, class will start!”

“You’re fat, it’ll probably be faster if you roll~! ww”

They always force this kind of errand on me just before the class starts.

So I had no choice but to run, struggling to move my heavy body so that I could at least make it to class in time.

As always, I managed to get back just in time for class to start, but I doubt I will ever get the money back that I paid for them.

(Haah, I’ll have to work extra at my part-time job again…)

Thinking, I sat in my seat before class started, unable to breathe properly after running.

“hah… hah…”

“Hey, Pig! Get your seat away from me!”

“Sorry… but I’m seated next to you in case you… hah… hah…”

“And what’s with you breathing so hard, It’s gross!”

“I’m sorry… I was just running earlier…”

“Haa~ Seriously, this is the worst. I wish they would hurry up and switch seats~ I want the seat farthest away from this pig!”

“Haa-haa… sorry…”

Miyashita-san, seated next to me, is like this every day.

Well, it’s usually the same response no matter who is next to me.

That’s because people hate to be around someone like me.

◇◇◇

(Today was just like any other day…)

After school, I was toddling home alone, thinking about that.

Every day is like h**l, but I have to keep going, since I have a very big heart.

“Ah! Hey!”

Hearing a familiar cheerful voice from behind, I turned around with a smile.

In front of me was a beautiful girl waving with a beaming smile on her face.

She was my younger sister, Saika Yamamoto, a 3rd year junior high school student.

Around her were three pretty girls who appeared to be at the top of the school caste, leaving school together with her.

Unlike me, Saika was very popular in school.

Whenever she walks down the street, everyone looks back at her without a second thought.

She is the most beautiful girl in the school, or in my eyes, the most beautiful girl in the world.

“Hey, Saika… who is that? Do you know him?”

“Saika-chan, you shouldn’t get involved with him~”

“Ugh, how did he get that fat…”

The three girls around Saika were obviously reacting badly when they saw me.

I tried to be sensible and pretended that I was a stranger to Saika, but she ran up to me and grabbed my arm.

“He’s my Onii-chan! So I’m going home with him today!”

Saika’s friends, who looked astonished at her statement, hastily mended their smiles.

“Oh, is that so~! Heh~, I didn’t know Saika had such a big older brother~!”

“That… and he looks so big and dependable too!”

“Oh, yeah! So big that it would cost me a fortune!”

Knowing that I was Saika’s older brother, the three of them tried to find words of praise for me.

Probably to make up for what they said earlier.

I honestly wasn’t sure if they were complimenting me or not, but the only thing I was sure of was that the smiles all three of them made were obviously forced.

However, Saika giggled innocently as if she didn’t know the emotion of contempt.

“Thank you three! I’m so proud of him! Well, See you tomorrow~!”

After saying so, Saika took my hand and started walking with me.

“I never expected the school’s most popular girl, the brilliant and talented Saika, to have this kind of weakness…”

“Well, Saika is a little too perfect, and that’s about as balanced as it gets I guess.”

“That’s amazing… If I had a brother like that, I would definitely hide him and pretend to be a stranger to him…”

I thought I heard such a conversation from behind me.

◇◇◇

As we walked together, I muttered to Saika, who was happily walking next to me.

“… Sorry, Saika. For being an ugly big brother.”

I knew that Saika would be angry as I said this.

But still, when I found out that even Saika was being made fun of because of me, I just apologized.

“Didn’t~I~tell~you~already! You’re not ugly, Onii-chan! You’re so cool! Don’t worry about what people say!”

“Haha, how can I, being so ugly and fat, be cool?”

“I’m not talking about looks! I know how kind and reliable you are, Onii-chan!”

And as usual, Saika looked at me with eyes that had no doubts at all.

“You always help me when I’m in trouble, you care for me, you work hard part-time for us, and you even teach me how to study. Isn’t that good enough? Onii-chan! People aren’t what they look like, they’re what they have in their hearts!”

“Saika…”

When she looked me straight in the eyes and said such a thing, I felt embarrassed, and I ended up saying something mean to Saika.

“You say that, but Saika, don’t you love idol groups? Don’t you like good looking guys~?”

“B-but this and that are different!”

Saika hurriedly faked it.

Her desperate expression was so funny that I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Haha. Though I can’t be a cool big brother. But at the very least, I will study hard, get into a good college, get a good job, and do whatever it takes to provide a good life for you, Saika.”

“I~told~you~already. You’re already so cool, Onii-chan. And I can study too, though not as well as you! But don’t think lightly of me, okay?!”

Saying that Saika puffed up her cheeks again.

My angelic sister, who was clearly out of the world to me, soothes my heart.

That’s why I am able to persevere against all odds.

After that, Saika and I joked around with each other, and we went home while talking about other things.