Chapter: Extra Episode –Motherly Love (I)

Monday, February 15, 2016 "University of Tokyo - Main Gate"

I stretched and yawned as I walked towards Kagami and Shigeru, who were waiting for me at the university gate.

Kagami asked with concern, "How did the interview go?"

Yawning, I replied, "Heh, it was alright. I just answered whatever the examiner asked. How about you guys?"

Shigeru, looking completely at ease, said, "The questions from the Literature Department examiners were pretty simple. In the end, they just started discussing my work, so I think I did fine."

Kagami scratched his head and grinned, "Luckily, Miyako helped me with a mock interview earlier. I had already thought through the questions the examiners might ask, so I should be fine too~."

With that, we decided to head back to the lab for a short break before returning to Kyoto in the evening.

Today was the second stage of our university entrance exams, so the three of us brothers had returned to Tokyo from Kyoto's Arashiyama early in the morning to take the exams. The girls had gone home to rest and planned to meet us at the lab in the afternoon.

"International Science Research Institute"

When the three of us entered the lab, it was completely empty, with no one in sight. Bored, I sat down on the sofa. Suddenly, my stomach growled loudly: "Grr~~," reminding me that I had skipped breakfast since we left so early in the morning. Now that it was almost noon, it was time to eat something.

Kagami, chewing on a manju, offered, "Do you want this manju?" and handed both Shigeru and me the two manjus left on the plate.

"Oh, it's a red bean manju from Kintokido." I reached out and took one, biting into it.

"I won't hold back either," Shigeru said as he grabbed the last manju, eating it with relish.

Suddenly, I noticed something different about this Kintokido manju. I asked Kagami and Shigeru, "Do you guys think there's something off about the taste?"

Both Kagami and Shigeru, still chewing, answered in unison, "Nope, I think it tastes great."

Just then, the door opened, and in walked Professor Utonium, Ken, and Peach, the two humans and one dog looking alarmed.

Professor Utonium stared at us in horror, "You ate those three manjus?!"

Nonchalantly, I replied, "Alright, alright, I'll just go to Kintokido and buy some more for you later."

Kagami laughed, "Don't be so stingy!"

Ken was equally horrified, "That's not the point! The point is, those three manjus were..."

Before Ken could finish, the three of us—Kagami, Shigeru, and I—were suddenly enveloped in a cloud of smoke. A few seconds later, the smoke cleared...

"How strange, why does everything around me look so big..." I glanced around and saw a pair of tiny hands in front of me, my electronic watch lying on the ground, and I was wrapped in a pile of clothes. I looked down at my small hands, which were so delicate that I could hardly muster any strength. When I turned around, I saw that Kagami and Shigeru had also turned into babies, their expressions full of panic and confusion. Kagami's once unruly blond hair now looked like a fluffy golden cap, while Shigeru's slightly bent body was draped in oversized clothes, making him look comically ridiculous.

Now, all three of us looked like babies, dressed in adult clothes, which made us appear even more absurd. I tried to stand up, but because of the change in my body proportions, I moved awkwardly. Each step felt like a dance, with my clothes dragging on the ground, making me look like I was wrapped in a giant blanket.

"What's happening?!" Kagami exclaimed in alarm, wobbling as he tried to stand up, clearly not accustomed to his new body.

Shigeru stood beside us, trying to steady himself, but the change in age made him equally uneasy.

I touched my small hands, still unable to believe what had happened, trying to feel the strength in my little arms, but the familiar sense of power was now completely gone. Beside me, Kagami was confusedly examining his body, while Shigeru tried to adjust the oversized clothes with his tiny hands.

"This is insane!" I tried to speak to Kagami and Shigeru, but my voice had become childish, adding to my confusion.

We three looked at the empty plate where the three manjus once were, as if searching for answers. Professor Utonium, Ken, and Peach stood nearby, looking worried and anxious, especially Professor Utonium, whose face was filled with regret and concern.

"Those three manjus were…" Ken finally completed his earlier unfinished sentence, "our latest experimental chemical substance. It can temporarily revert any living being to a younger state. We were planning to feed it to lab mice to see how it works when ingested…"

"So… we've turned into this because we ate those manjus?" Kagami asked, his voice filled with surprise and confusion.

Angrily, I flipped them the middle finger. "Damn it! We're not lab mice!"

Ken shouted back at us, "It's because you ate those manjus without permission!"

Shigeru sighed, "I really don't understand why you two crazy scientist father and son would develop something like this?"

Professor Utonium stepped in to smooth things over, "After all, reversing aging is many people's dream!" Then his tone became serious, "Everyone calm down. Although it's not expected to cause any harm, the effect will last for about 20 hours."

Kagami, Shigeru, and I exchanged glances. Though the shrinking of our bodies made things very inconvenient, we knew we needed to stay calm. At least during these 20 hours, we would have to start learning how to adapt to these tiny bodies.

Ken went to the room to find some of his old clothes, and Peach went to the bathroom to grab a few clean towels.

While I was still thinking about how to deal with this, Momoko, Miyako, and Kaoru pushed open the door, smiling. "Good afternoon~~"

I instinctively greeted Momoko, "Hi!"

However, when she saw that I had shrunk into a baby, the smile on her face froze instantly, replaced by shock. Her big pink eyes widened as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"Yuzuhiko!? What happened to you?" Momoko asked in a panic, covering her mouth with both hands, her voice trembling, clearly filled with worry. She hurried over to me, kneeling down, and gently stroked my tiny hand.

Momoko's reaction was immediate and swift. She first grabbed a towel and carefully wrapped me up. Her movements were quick but very gentle, giving me a bit of comfort. The softness of the towel and Momoko's care made me relax a little at this moment.

"What's going on?!" she asked softly, cradling me in her arms. The warmth of her embrace and her body heat gave me some comfort. Momoko reassured me in a soft voice, "Don't worry, I'll figure out a way to help you!"

I felt my face start to flush. Even though I had turned into a baby, being held so intimately by Momoko still made me feel a bit shy and embarrassed.

"Momoko… is this really okay?" My voice trembled slightly, "I… I'm not used to being held like this." I tried to look calm, but my little hand unconsciously clutched Momoko's clothes, revealing my inner tension.

Momoko chuckled, "Come on, Yuzuhiko, you're just a little kid now. Are you really shy? Don't worry, I'll take good care of you!" She gently patted my back, trying to make me relax. "You see, you really look like a little baby now, but you're still my Yuzuhiko."

Momoko's words made me feel incredibly shy, my face turning even redder. I awkwardly turned my head to the side, thinking, "What does she mean by 'my Yuzuhiko'…?" But in her warm embrace, I gradually relaxed.

As for Miyako and Kagami's interaction, the two of them started showing affection right there on the spot…

When Miyako saw Kagami had shrunk into a cute baby, she first widened her eyes in surprise, then couldn't help but laugh. "Kagami, you're so cute like this!"

Kagami awkwardly chuckled, "Cute? Although it's a bit embarrassing, it's not that bad, I guess."

Miyako nodded lightly and walked over to pick up Kagami, holding him like a precious treasure. "You look like a little angel now." She leaned down and kissed Kagami lightly on the forehead.

Kagami blushed slightly but still smiled and said, "I've always been your angel, haven't I?"

Miyako's heart melted at his words, smiling, "Yes, you'll always be my little angel." With that, she quickly found a towel and gently wrapped Kagami up, to prevent him from feeling awkward being naked. Then, she fetched some of Ken's childhood clothes and carefully dressed Kagami.

Even though Kagami's body had shrunk, after putting on Ken's clothes, he grinned and said, "These clothes are really comfy, thanks, Miyako."

Miyako couldn't help but laugh, giving him a kiss on the cheek, "You're welcome, Kagami."

When Kaoru saw Shigeru shrunk into a baby, her first reaction was shock, leaving her speechless. Then she quickly regained her composure. She walked over to Shigeru, carefully examining him, her face full of dissatisfaction and confusion. "Shigeru, what kind of trouble are you getting into this time?"

Shigeru smiled helplessly, knowing that Kaoru's reaction was actually a sign of her concern. "This was an accident. I didn't expect eating a manju would turn me into this."

Kaoru sighed, although her words were reproachful, her actions were full of care. She reached out and picked up Shigeru, holding him as if he were a fragile doll, with utmost caution. "Seriously, you always make me worry."

Shigeru looked at Kaoru's serious yet gentle expression, feeling a warmth in his heart. Although he had turned into a baby, his emotions remained strong. "Kaoru, I'm sorry for making you worry."

Kaoru was slightly taken aback, then a gentle smile appeared on her face. "Fine, you're so small now, I can't expect you to take care of yourself."

She said this while quickly grabbing a towel, wrapping Shigeru up, and then taking out Ken's childhood clothes, patiently dressing him.

Shigeru was taken care of very well, looking at Kaoru, his eyes filled with gratitude. "Kaoru, thank you. Even though you can be a bit strict, I know it's because you care about me."

Kaoru blushed slightly at his words, turning away and pretending to organize the clothes. "Don't say that. I'll properly scold you once you're back to normal."

Shigeru smiled, knowing that Kaoru's harsh tone was her unique way of expressing care.

After Professor Utonium's explanation, the girls had a general understanding of the situation.

Ken sighed, "It's just our luck that Mom's currently at the International Space Station. We're really not good at taking care of babies."

Professor Utonium then turned to the three girls, "Can I ask you to take care of them for a day? I think they'll return to normal by tomorrow morning."

Wait a minute, this must be a joke! If it's just a brief moment of care, that's one thing, but taking care of us for a whole day?!

Before the girls could respond, we three brothers immediately interrupted.

I spoke up first, "Don't make decisions for us! Even if we look like babies, we're still high school students on the inside!"

Kagami followed, "Yeah, we don't need to be treated like babies!"

Shigeru, with a serious expression on his baby face, added, "We can handle this ourselves, really!"

However, the girls exchanged glances, seemingly having already made up their minds.

Momoko smiled at me, "Don't worry, we'll take good care of you."

Miyako nodded, "It's just one day. We'll make sure you're comfortable."

Kaoru glanced at Shigeru and coldly said, "Since you've turned into this, just accept the care honestly. We'll talk after you've recovered."

We sighed in unison, clearly unable to argue any further. We could only temporarily accept the girls' arrangements. Before leaving, the three of us secretly slipped our digital watches into our pockets when the girls weren't looking.

It was lunchtime, and Momoko and the others decided to take us out for a meal. Before we left, she unexpectedly brought out a baby stroller: "Yuzuhiko, we can use this stroller. It will be much more convenient!" Momoko's eyes sparkled with anticipation.

I quickly shook my head and said, a bit flustered, "Absolutely not! I refuse to sit in a baby stroller!"

Just imagining myself sitting in a stroller made me feel incredibly embarrassed. I couldn't accept such a situation at all!

Momoko looked at me, puzzled, "But, Yuzuhiko, your body is still quite small right now."

I widened my eyes and responded firmly, "I know my body is small, but I'm not a child! Besides, sitting in a baby stroller makes me feel like I'm being treated like a baby!"

" Shigeru, Kagami, do you need a baby stroller? It could be more convenient!" Momoko asked.

Kagami and Shigeru exchanged glances, showing a bit of hesitation.

Kagami furrowed his brow and said with a reluctant expression, "I don't want to!"

Miyako felt a bit disappointed, "Really? I think it might be quite suitable for you~"

Shigeru looked a bit impatient, staring at the baby stroller with a dissatisfied expression, "Don't joke around! I definitely don't want to sit in a baby stroller!"

Kaoru, with a playful smile, said, "Even though Shigeru's body is small, he has the mind of a 17-year-old! A baby stroller is definitely not suitable for him!"

Seeing everyone's reactions, Momoko couldn't help but laugh, "Alright, since no one wants to use the baby stroller, let's forget about it and go out!"

After we decided to abandon the stroller, Momoko, Miyako, and Kaoru decided to take a more considerate approach. Although we had clearly expressed that we didn't want to use the baby stroller, their instinct to protect and care for us made them unwilling to relax their care.

"Since you don't want to use the baby stroller, let's hold hands," Momoko said gently, with a tone of soft insistence.

Looking at Momoko's hand reaching out, I felt a bit reluctant but warmed inside. I extended my hand, and Momoko gently held my small hand. Although I had become a two-year-old child, my mind was still 17, and I felt a bit shy but very grateful for this care.

"Thank you, Momoko," I said softly, feeling a bit embarrassed but understanding her good intentions.

At this moment, Miyako also reached out and held Kagami's hand. Kagami seemed a bit uncomfortable but accepted the arrangement. His eyes showed a hint of gratitude and warmth. Miyako's hand was warm and steady, providing Kagami with a sense of security.

"Yes, this should be safer," Miyako said, her voice gentle, "Even though you're small right now, you are still very important to me, and I will take good care of you."

Meanwhile, Kaoru and Shigeru were also arranging their hand-holding.

Kaoru smiled at the small Shigeru, gently holding his hand. Although Shigeru was smaller, his eyes still revealed that firmness. Kaoru, with her warm hand holding Shigeru's small hand, comforted him, "Even though you're a little baby now, I will protect you."

Shigeru felt a bit awkward but was filled with gratitude and warmth seeing Kaoru's smile and concern. Even though his body had become smaller, this care made him feel incredibly comforted.

"Thank you, Kaoru," Shigeru said, a bit shy, "I'll try not to make you worry too much."

As we left the research room, Momoko and Miyako started calling us with slightly playful tones. They called us " Yuzuhiko-chan" and " Kagami-chan," as if addressing cute babies. This made me a bit embarrassed but filled with warmth.

Kaoru and Shigeru also joined in, with Kaoru calling the smaller Shigeru "Shigeru-chan" in a playful tone, and Shigeru responding half-jokingly, "Even though I've become smaller, I still hope to be seen as a somewhat mature baby."

Everyone's laughter and interactions made the outing a special experience. Even though we were mentally 17, the girls' playful and caring attitudes made the experience particularly sweet and memorable. Walking through the mall, although our steps became slow and cautious, the companionship made us feel incredibly warm and happy.

"Shopping Mall" "Family Restaurant"

I twitched my hand, staring at the children's meal with a mini Japanese flag. Kagami and Shigeru also had grim faces.

"Didn't we agree that we would order our own meals...?" I struggled to control my temper. I'm almost out of high school; why am I eating a children's meal!?

Momoko comforted me while happily eating an omelet rice, "What's the matter~ The children's meal looks really tasty too~" She put a mini hamburger in front of me with a warm smile.

Kaoru sat next to me, holding a toy that came with the meal, teasing Shigeru, "Look, it even comes with a toy~" She placed the toy in front of Shigeru, making his expression even more sour.

"This toy is quite interesting," Shigeru forced a smile but his expression still showed unease and embarrassment. "Even though I'm not used to it, let's just go with it."

Kagami also looked dissatisfied. Staring at the children's meal, he muttered helplessly, "Miyako, I really feel like I'm in kindergarten..." He tried to grab the food with his small hands, but obviously struggled.

Miyako smiled and gently comforted Kagami, patting his back, "Kagami, it's a bit awkward now, but this is part of our adventure. Try eating it~ Maybe there will be a surprise."

At that moment, some conversations around us caught our attention. A mother, holding a child, walked by and couldn't help but exclaim, "Oh, how cute these little ones are. Are they siblings?"

Another person commented with a slightly critical tone, "Girls these days really have no restraint, bringing children at such a young age."

Hearing this, I felt a surge of dissatisfaction. Even though I was just a baby right now, hearing such comments made my inner anger hard to suppress, glaring at those who were gossiping.

Kagami, grabbing food with his small hands, looked confused and unhappy as he heard the conversation around. His eyes scanned the group of gossipers, clearly feeling upset. Despite his current two-year-old body, Kagami tried to respond to the comments in a childish manner. He confided his feelings to Miyako:"Miyako… those people are being so unfair! They say you have no restraint, and I don't like hearing such remarks!" Kagami frowned with a hint of anger in his voice.

Seeing Kagami's distress, Miyako gently hugged him, stroking his hair to comfort him, "Kagami, don't take it to heart. I know you don't like such comments. But remember, as long as we're together, it doesn't matter what others say." She gently patted Kagami's back, trying to calm him down.

Though Kagami was somewhat reassured by Miyako's comfort, he still showed clear signs of anger. His face was marked with dissatisfaction as he looked at those who were gossiping, his eyes reflecting a determination to protect his loved ones.

Shigeru's reaction was more intense. His eyes were filled with anger. When he heard people commenting, "Girls these days really have no restraint, bringing children at such a young age," his face darkened. He tightly grasped Kaoru's hand and said in a low, angry voice:

"Kaoru, why do those people say such things? How dare they say you have no restraint! They don't know anything!"

Kaoru, recognizing Shigeru's sensitivity to the comments, immediately spoke in a soothing tone, "Shigeru, I know you don't like those comments. But we can't let their words affect our mood. What's important is the trust and understanding between us."

She gently patted Shigeru's hand, trying to ease his tension. To distract him, Kaoru took out a toy and said with a smile, "Look, this toy is quite fun. How about we play with it for a while and relax?"

With Kaoru's persuasion, Shigeru, although still a bit angry, tried to calm down. He took a deep breath, forced a slight smile, and looked at the toy Kaoru handed him. "Alright, Kaoru, I'll give it a try. But I still think those comments are really frustrating."

Kaoru, seeing him relax a bit, nodded gently, "Shigeru, your reaction shows how much you care about me. Thank you for being so concerned." Her tone carried comfort and gratitude as she continued to hold Shigeru's hand.

At that moment, Momoko suddenly laughed, "You all are just too cute." Her laughter lightened the previously tense atmosphere.

"Indeed, our current appearance is quite amusing, like kindergarten kids." Kagami, hearing Momoko's laughter, though still a bit dissatisfied, couldn't help but show a wry smile.

"Yeah," I agreed, feeling my mood gradually lighten. "Even though we look like children, we are all adults and know what we are doing."

Momoko nodded with a tender smile, "Yes, you're all adults, but seeing you like this makes me want to take care of you." She gently patted my head, "So don't pay too much attention

I sighed, still somewhat unwilling to accept the situation, but I had to admit that what Momoko said made sense. "Alright, I'll try not to let it bother me."

Shigeru nodded as well, "Me too. No matter what they say, I only care about what you all think of me."

When Kaoru, Miyako, and Momoko heard our words, their faces lit up with smiles of relief. Despite our bodies being smaller, the bond and understanding between us kept us united and warm in this seemingly awkward situation.

"Let's continue enjoying our lunch. After all, this kind of situation doesn't happen every day," Miyako said with a smile, trying to lighten the mood.

We all smiled at each other and decided to temporarily set aside our discomfort, focusing on enjoying this strange but heartwarming time. Even though we now looked like a bunch of little babies, we knew that our feelings for each other hadn't changed.

Suddenly, the girls' belts all went off at the same time. Momoko immediately opened the compact and a video feed showed Professor Utonium's anxious voice: "This is bad! Fuzzy Lumpkins, the Gangreen Gang, Princess Morbucks, and Sedusa are causing havoc on the streets of Tokyo. Girls, it's time to move out!"

Momoko didn't give us a chance to refuse and said firmly, "You three stay here!"

I tried to express my dissatisfaction, but Momoko's gaze was resolute. Miyako gave us a reassuring smile, her tone gentle but firm, "We'll be back soon!"

Kaoru, full of energy, said, "Let's go!"

The girls quickly ran to a secluded corner of the mall and disappeared in front of us. Clearly, the girls had transformed, but we, the boys shrunk to two-year-olds, weren't about to stay here easily.

Kagami, Shigeru, and I exchanged determined glances. Even though our bodies were now two years old, our minds were still seventeen. We immediately took action. First, I quickly freed myself from the child's seat and helped Kagami and Shigeru get out of their seats as well. Our goal was to assist the girls.

However, due to our small size, our speed was significantly slower than normal. During our run, we encountered many obstacles, and the time kept dragging on. By the time we finally found a secluded spot to transform, ten minutes had already passed!

As we were about to transform, Professor Utonium's voice came from the watch, tinged with urgency: "No! Even if you transform now, you'll still be just like regular kids!"

I snapped back at him, "I don't care about that!"

No sooner had I finished speaking than we had completed our transformation. However, when we looked back, we found that while our outfits fit our current size, they still looked ill-fitting.

We had just begun to doubt Professor Utonium's warning, but in the next moment, Boomer, Butch, and I understood immediately. Although we had transformed, we couldn't use our usual weapons, like my kendama or Boomer's katana, and our special abilities (fire, thunder, wind) were unusable. Worst of all, our strength was almost equivalent to that of a normal child, and our flying speed was slower than a butterfly!

"We need to hurry!" I struggled in mid-air, and despite our best efforts, our flying speed was still far from expected.

Butch sighed, "This speed is just too slow!"

Boomer pointed into the distance, "Look, they're over there!"

Finally, we barely reached the vicinity of the battlefield. We tried to locate the girls from above, and the sight before us left us stunned.

Blossom was surrounded by Princess Morbucks and Sedusa, and her yo-yo attacks were being neutralized one by one. Faced with Sedusa's flying kicks and Princess Morbucks's punches, she was clearly in a tough battle.

Bubbles was being overpowered by Fuzzy Lumpkins's strength, and all the bubbles she blew were being popped. Buttercup was surrounded by the Gangreen Gang. Even though she was very strong, facing all five at once made it difficult to gain an advantage.

I clenched my fists, feeling frustrated with my current situation: "Damn it! Isn't there anything we can use as a weapon?!"

Boomer, equally exasperated, said, "If I could use my katana, those guys would be nothing!"

Butch suddenly seemed to notice something and said to Boomer and me, "Check your pockets; you should have something too!"

Boomer and I checked our pockets and indeed found an object. I never expected to find something in our pockets at a time when we couldn't use our weapons.

I shouted to Boomer and Butch, "Let's go!"

The two immediately understood and rushed towards Bubbles and Buttercup, while I struggled to fly towards Blossom!