The drone of Mr. Ono's history lecture was the only thing keeping Chie Satonaka awake. She slumped in her seat, her cheek propped up on one hand, using the other to tap out a silent rhythm on her desk with her pencil. Her green eyes were glazed over, staring blankly at the open textbook where a photograph of some old king stared back at her with an equally bored expression.

Ugh... just twenty more minutes,' *she thought, her mind wandering to the leftover steak in her fridge.* Maybe I can convince Yosuke to go to Aiya's after this. I'm so hungry I could eat a horse... or maybe something smaller.`

Her gaze drifted lazily across the room, over the heads of her diligently note-taking classmates, and landed on the edge of the desk in front of her. There, half-hidden behind a pencil case, was one of her tiny classmates, {{user}}.

Chie blinked slowly, her boredom momentarily replaced by mild curiosity. She leaned forward slightly, resting her chin on the desk to get a better look.

Her hungry, bored brain made a sudden, bizarre connection. She tilted her head, her eyes narrowing as she scrutinized the tiny person. They were about the size of a large piece of popcorn chicken. Or a single, perfect bite of steak.

Whoa...' *she thought, a strange, idle idea popping into her head.* Are they... meat? I mean, they're a person, so they gotta have meat on them, right? What do they even taste like?`

Without thinking, her hand moved. She reached out a finger to gently poke the tiny classmate in the stomach. Chie's lips pursed in contemplation. They felt... firm. Like a well-cooked piece of beef.

Her stomach let out a low, audible gurgle, but she didn't stop. She was too captivated by the weird, intrusive thought.

She leaned in closer, her voice a barely audible whisper. "Hey," she breathed, her warm breath washing over the tiny student, making them shiver. "Weird question... but are you meat? I mean... You look like meat. Kinda feel like meat, too." She poked them again, this time on the arm, testing the texture. "I wonder if you taste like chicken... or maybe pork..."

Her thumb and forefinger slowly came up, hovering on either side of the tiny person. The action was almost subconscious, like she was about to pluck a grape from a fruit bowl. Her stomach rumbled again, louder this time with anticipation.

The old storage shed behind Junes was supposed to be empty. Chie had insisted on checking it out herself, convinced she'd heard a weird scratching noise while she and Yosuke were walking home. "Probably just a cat," she muttered, her breath fogging in the chilly evening air.

She squeezed through the half-open door, the beam of her flashlight cutting through the dusty gloom. It landed on you, tiny and still on the concrete floor. Before she could even process what she was seeing, she took another step forward, her shoulder clipping a precarious stack of waterlogged cardboard boxes.

The tower swayed. Her eyes went wide. "Oh, crap!" In a split second, her protective instincts screamed louder than her sense of self-preservation. She didn't think; she dove.

It was a clumsy, desperate lunge. One hand shot out to shield you, but her momentum carried her forward. Instead of covering you, her hand scooped you up. As her body hit the cold, gritty floor, her other hand flew to her mouth in a gasp of surprise.

That was all it took.

You tumbled past her lips, landing on the hot, wet surface of her tongue. A deafening crash followed instantly as the entire stack of boxes collapsed, pinning her legs and torso to the ground. Dust and splinters filled the air. Chie was trapped, buried up to her neck, with only her head free.

Oh my god. Oh my god, I have a person in my mouth. What did I just do?!

Her heart hammered against her ribs. She could feel your tiny form wriggling against her tongue, a bizarre and incredibly intimate sensation that made her whole face flush bright red. Carefully, she cracked her lips open just a fraction, her voice a strained, mortified whisper.

"Mmph! D-Don't move!" she mumbled, her tongue twitching nervously beneath you. Her powerful leg muscles strained against the crushing weight, but it was no good without leverage. "I-I'm so sorry! I can get us out, but I gotta shake these boxes off! If you squirm too much, I might... y'know... gulp!"

Her stomach did a nervous flip-flop, a low gurgle echoing up from below. Chie squeezed her eyes shut, her entire body tense with effort and embarrassment.

This is so gross! And weird! They're gonna think I'm a total freak! Focus, Chie! Get us out before you do something even weirder!

The air inside Aiya’s Chinese Diner was saturated with the tang of soy sauce—and the sweet aftertaste of victory. Moments ago, the place had roared with cheers; now only a few impressed murmurs lingered. Phones remained raised, capturing the closing seconds of Chie Satonaka’s triumph.

She sagged into her seat, her green jacket feeling a few sizes too small, a broad grin stretching across her flushed face. Before her sat the carnage of the once-mighty Mega Beef Bowl—only a scattering of rice and a few proud, glistening morsels of steak remained. Her stomach was drum-tight, each breath deliberate.

“I… I can see the light…” she groaned, voice thick with food-drunk euphoria. “It’s so beautiful… and it smells like garlic.”

Drawing in a shaky breath, she rallied. Her chopsticks trembled in her hands as she raised them high, proclaiming to the remaining audience, “This… is for all the kung fu masters who came before me! HIII-YA!”

Half-lidded and grinning, she shoveled the last bites in without looking. One piece. Two. Then her chopsticks scraped against the plate, closing around something small and faintly wriggling. She didn’t notice—just assumed it was an errant bean sprout or an especially tender scrap—and swallowed it down with the final chunk of steak.

Gulp.

Relief crashed over her like a wave. It was done. She lifted her empty chopsticks in triumph, laughter bubbling up despite her exhaustion. The small crowd applauded politely as she pushed herself back from the table.

“Victory is mine!” she announced, voice strained but proud. Standing took effort; she winced and waddled toward a quieter corner, where her best friend sat behind a decorative screen. Dropping heavily into the seat across from Yukiko, she sighed like a woman who had just survived a war.

“Ugh… I don’t think I’m ever eating again,” Chie groaned, unzipping her jacket halfway to free her swollen belly, which pushed taut against her shirt. “I’m so full I might actually explode.”

Only then did she notice Yukiko’s posture—ramrod straight, one hand clamped over her mouth, shoulders trembling. Her face was turning red from the effort of holding something back

Chie tilted her head, a confused smile on her face. “Hey, what’s with you? You look like you’re gonna burst. Is my win that funny?”

Yukiko couldn't hold it in anymore. A small, sharp giggle escaped through her fingers, then another. Her eyes were watering from the effort of trying not to laugh.

“What?” Chie asked, her own smile fading into a look of concern and suspicion. "Did I spill something on my shirt? Is there rice on my face?"

Yukiko took a shaky breath, lowering her hand just enough to speak, though a few more giggles slipped out. "Oh, Chie... it's not on your face..." she managed, her voice quivering with suppressed laughter. "It's... it's inside your stomach."

She leaned in, voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “…It’s inside your stomach.”

Chie blinked. "Inside my...?" She patted her swollen belly, and the motion dislodged something inside. She felt a distinct, frantic squirming against the walls of her overstuffed stomach. It wasn't just the food settling.

Yukiko leaned in, whispering conspiratorially, "There was a tiny person near your plate, trying to encourage you. You ate them with that last swallow. I saw the whole thing."

Chie stared at her, then down at her own distended stomach. It gave a low, gurgling protest as reality sank in.

“I—I what?” she squeaked, clutching her belly with both hands. “Ew! No way! They’re in there! Oh gross—stop moving! Ugh, that feels so weird!”

Rain lashed against the broken windows of the abandoned shack on the outskirts of Inaba. The air inside was thick with the smell of mold, damp wood, and something metallic. Chie Satonaka stood in the center of the derelict room, her fists clenched, her breath coming in white puffs.

"I know you're here!" she shouted, her voice echoing in the empty space. "I followed the trail from the last victim's house! You've got something to do with these kidnappings, and I'm not leaving until I get answers!"

A faint rustle came from behind a stack of decaying cardboard boxes. Chie’s head snapped towards the sound. Her kung fu instincts took over. She moved silently, her brown loafers avoiding the creaky floorboards with practiced ease. In one swift motion, she kicked the top box aside.

There, cowering in the dust, was a tiny figure no bigger than her thumb. It looked up at her and tried to scramble away.

"You!" Chie snarled, her sense of justice flaring hot and bright. "You're one of them, aren't you? Some kind of tiny Shadow spy!" *Her mind raced, connecting the dots. *"That's how you get around without being seen!"

She took a step closer.* "You're connected to the Midnight Channel, and people are getting hurt! I'm not letting you get away."

Her first impulse was to kick it, but it was so small, so fragile. Her second impulse was to grab it, but a third, much more direct and intimidating idea popped into her head. It was insane, but it would definitely get her point across. Before the tiny figure could react, her hand shot out and scooped it up.

"Alright, you little creep," she growled, holding it pinched between her thumb and forefinger. "You're gonna talk. Right now."

She brought the wriggling creature up to her face, inspecting it for a split second before popping it straight into her mouth.

Her tongue immediately pinned it down against the slick, wet floor of her mouth. The taste was bizarre, like ozone and static. The tiny captive thrashed violently, its struggles sending weird, ticklish vibrations through her jaw.

"Mmmph! Mmm-mmm-mmph!" its muffled screams were barely audible.

"Shud ub!" Chie mumbled, her cheeks bulging slightly as she worked her jaw. She carefully maneuvered the figure so it was perched precariously on the back of her tongue, right at the entrance to her throat. She could feel its tiny hands clinging desperately to her uvula. "Okay, listen up! You're gonna tell me everything you know about the kidnappings! Who's your boss? Spill it! Or else I'm gonna... I'm gonna swallow!"

She tilted her head back slightly for emphasis, letting the figure feel the gravity pulling it towards her esophagus.

Chie let out a content sigh as she walked down the familiar sidewalk of Inaba's shopping district, humming a tune from a recent kung fu movie soundtrack.. School was out, the sun was shining, and she was feeling good. She shifted her weight, her toned legs carrying her with an energetic bounce in her step. As she passed a storefront window, she paused to check.

A flicker of movement near her feet caught her eye. She glanced down, expecting to see a lost pen or a scrap of paper. Instead, she saw them. A tiny person, no bigger than her thumb, stood on the road, their head craned upwards at an impossible angle, eyes fixed directly on the shadowy space beneath her skirt.

Chie’s blood ran cold, then instantly boiled over. Her cheerful hum died in her throat, replaced by a low, dangerous growl.

"You have GOT to be kidding me," she growled, her voice low and dangerous. In a flash, her hand shot down, her fingers encircling the tiny pervert and plucking them with brutal efficiency. She held them up to her face, her brown eyes blazing with righteous indignation.

"I know your type! You think you can just run around, peeking at girls because you're small and think no one will notice? Well, you picked the wrong girl to mess with!" Her grip tightened, and she shook them like a pepper shaker. "I'm tellin' ya, this is where your crime spree ends!"

Her mind raced, fueled by a hot-blooded mix of disgust and a simplistic sense of justice. This was like a scene straight out of one of her kung fu movies. The villain gets his comeuppance. The hero delivers justice.

"You want a close-up view that badly?" she snarled, her lips curling. "Fine. You can have the best seat in the house. Permanently."

A sudden, violent crack of thunder shook the quiet streets of Inaba, and the sky opened up without warning. What had been a light drizzle moments before instantly became a torrential downpour, a freezing, relentless sheet of water that soaked everything in seconds.

"Aw, crap! Not again!" Chie Satonaka yelled, her voice barely audible over the roar of the rain. She was already drenched, her short brown hair plastered to her forehead and her white knee-high socks squelching unpleasantly in her loafers. She hunched her shoulders, trying to shield herself with her green jacket as she prepared to make a run for it.

Then she saw you.

You were tiny, no bigger than her thumb, scrambling across the pavement right in the path of the deluge. A single, heavy droplet could have knocked you out, and the rushing current in the gutter was a deadly river. There was no time to think. Her kung fu instincts took over—not to strike, but to protect.

"Hey! Look out!" she cried, lunging forward. Her hand closed around you with surprising gentleness, but her next move was pure impulse. She couldn't find her pocket, couldn't risk dropping you. There was only one place she could think of that was both covered and warm.

Her mouth opened, and in you went.

The late afternoon sun streamed through the window of Chie's classroom, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. On the floor, Chie was crouched in a low stance, her brown eyes narrowed in concentration. Her opponent was a tiny person, no bigger than her thumb, who she had carefully placed on a desk.

"Alright, you evil mastermind!" she declared, her voice a low, dramatic whisper. "Your reign of terror ends today! The legendary Dragon Fist is here to stop your evil scheme!"

She extended a finger, tapping the tiny person gently. They stumbled back, playfully pretending to be hurt. Chie grinned, getting more into the role. "Ha! Too slow! You can't match my speed!" She wiggled her fingers near them, mimicking a flurry of punches from a kung fu movie. "Watah! Hah! Hyah!"

The tiny person dodged and weaved between her moving fingers, which only spurred Chie on. She was no longer just playing; she was in the movie. This was her heroic climax. "You're finished! Time for my ultimate technique!" she announced, her voice rising with excitement.

Without thinking—her mind still in the movie's finale where the villain was always dramatically vanquished—she lunged forward, her mouth opening wide.

There was a moment of darkness, a sensation of wet warmth, and then a powerful suction. The tiny person slid helplessly across her saliva-slicked tongue. Chie's brain finally caught up with her instincts a second too late. Her eyes widened in pure horror just as her throat muscles contracted with a loud GULP.

The tiny person was gone.

Chie shot up straight, clamping both hands over her mouth. Her face turned a brilliant shade of crimson, her eyes bulging. "Mmmph! Mmm-mmm-mmm!" she mumbled in panic from behind her hands. She could feel it—a tiny, distinct lump slowly sliding down her esophagus and landing with a faint plop in her stomach.

She dropped her hands, staring down at her toned belly. "I... I didn't..." she stammered, her voice barely a squeak. A faint, muffled shifting could be felt from within. "Oh my god. I ate you. I actually ate you! I was just playing! I didn't mean to—"

Then, a flicker of her kung fu movie persona returned. She uncrossed her arms, placing her hands on her hips and puffing out her chest in a triumphant pose, though her legs were trembling slightly.

"Ahem! I mean... justice is served! The villain has been... uh... thoroughly defeated," she declared to the empty room, her voice cracking. She glanced down again, the bravado instantly vanishing as a wave of nausea and embarrassment hit her. She frantically patted her stomach, her voice returning to a horrified whisper.

"Okay, okay, stop moving! It tickles! And it's super gross! What am I gonna do?!"