A present-day city built around a mixed-scale university where giant women average 200–300 feet tall and tiny people stand around six feet. The campus is giant-first — lecture halls the size of stadiums, desks like parking structures — with tiny accommodations bolted on afterward. Giants face little consequence for what they destroy, and most tiny deaths are never registered as anything at all.
Haruto is a timid college student surviving a giant-first university one careful commute at a time. W
Straining the Seam - The Graduation Exam in the Palm of One's Hand and the Whereabouts of the Continuation Application
The night before the Harvest Festival.
The campus of Valdian General University was wrapped in the autumn night wind. The giant-sized streetlamps cast light so vast it seemed like moons to a smallfolk. Beneath that light, Haruto walked.
(Just a little further to Nami's dorm.)
On his back, he carried a smallfolk-sized backpack. Inside were the materials for tomorrow's presentation, plus cheap wine and cheese he'd bought for the after-party.
Thoom. Thoom. Thoom.
Giant footsteps echoed in the distance. Haruto reflexively stopped and pressed himself into the shadow of a building. The owner of those footsteps was a giant student out for a nighttime stroll. He didn't notice Haruto and passed on by.
(Okay. He didn't notice me.)
Haruto let out a small breath and started walking again.
Nami's dorm was a room in the giant women's dormitory on the north side of campus. To a smallfolk, the building itself towered like a mountain. At the entrance, a separate small door had been installed just for smallfolk.
"Excuse me, I'm here to see Nami Valga..."
The giant woman at the dorm reception crouched down to look at Haruto.
"Ah, you're that smallfolk boy Nami mentioned. She told me about you. Go on in — be careful."
Haruto made his way down the smallfolk corridor installed along the edge of the giant hallway. A yellow line was painted along the wall to keep smallfolk from being stepped on by giant feet. Haruto walked carefully inside that line.
When he reached Nami's door, he found a smallfolk-sized intercom near the bottom. He stretched up on his toes and pressed the button.
After a moment, the door opened.
"Oh, there you are. You're late."
Nami looked down at Haruto from inside the room. Her orange, wavy hair — reaching to her shoulders — glowed softly in the room's light. Her amber eyes were slightly upturned as always, but there was a smile on her lips. A dimple rose on her right cheek.
"S-sorry. I was walking carefully through the night and it took longer than I expected..."
Haruto said, shrinking at her feet.
"Well, as long as you're safe. Come in."
Nami lowered a smallfolk-sized ramp for him. Haruto stepped onto it and entered her room.
Inside, giant-sized furniture filled the space. The desk was like a plaza to a smallfolk, the bed like a hill. On the desk, a small workspace had been set up for smallfolk.
"Tomorrow's the big day."
Nami sat down at the desk and placed Haruto on the workspace. Her face drew close to his. Her breath gently swayed his body.
"Y-yes. I'm nervous..."
Haruto answered, looking up at her face.
"What are you getting nervous for? I'm the one who's a hundred times more nervous."
Nami placed her right hand on the desk, right beside Haruto's workspace. Her fingers were far thicker and longer than his entire body.
"Come on. One last practice. Let's do this."
She turned her palm upward and held it out in front of Haruto.
Haruto looked at that enormous palm.
(No matter how many times I see it, it's huge.)
(But it's not as scary as before.)
Haruto gently stepped onto Nami's palm. Her skin was moist and warm. Standing on it felt like standing on living ground.
"Before you move your fingers, please confirm my presence first."
Haruto said, looking up at Nami's face.
"...Are you there?"
Nami asked awkwardly. Her voice was more cautious than he could ever have imagined from her.
"I'm here."
Haruto answered.
"...Are you really there?"
"I'm really here. I'm standing right on your palm."
Nami slowly began to curl her fingers. Careful not to hurt him, her fingertips wrapped around Haruto.
"...Does this hurt?"
"It doesn't hurt. I'm fine."
Nami's fingers stopped at a distance where they barely touched him. The warmth of her fingertips reached his skin.
"Can I carry you safely like this?"
"Yes. You make a fence with your fingers and place me in the center of your palm. That's the safest way to hold me."
Haruto said, checking the movement of her fingers.
The two of them repeated this simple exchange over and over.
"Are you there?"
"I'm here."
"Are you really there?"
"I'm really here."
Each time, Nami's finger movements grew a little smoother, a little more natural.
(She's really remembering.)
Haruto thought, feeling the movement of her fingers on her palm.
(This person's hands were this warm all along.)
After practice ended, Haruto placed his small hands over Nami's finger.
Her fingertip was just about the thickness his two hands could wrap around. Its surface had the moist smoothness unique to giants. Her body heat traveled from his palms up his arms.
His heart skipped.
Something jumped deep in Haruto's chest.
(Why did my heart just skip?)
(This is just practice.)
(I'm just touching her hand.)
Haruto thought his heartbeat might be loud enough for Nami to hear.
Then, Nami curled her finger.
Haruto's body was softly enveloped within her finger.
(Huh?)
(There's no force in it.)
Nami's finger wasn't squeezing him — it was just gently cradling him. As if protecting a fragile treasure.
"...Is this okay?"
Nami's voice came down from above him.
"...It's perfect."
Haruto laughed quietly inside her finger.
(Ah. I already think this person's palm is the safest place in the world.)
(I've thought so for a long time now.)
---
The day of the Harvest Festival.
The central courtyard of Valdian General University was packed with giant-sized stalls. The smell of baked sweets, the aroma of fruit wine, the cheerful laughter of giants. A smallfolk walkway had been set up at the edge of the courtyard — a token gesture at best.
Haruto was on Nami's palm.
Her fingers formed a fence around him. Just like yesterday's practice — a warm enclosure with no force in it.
"I-it's really crowded..."
Haruto said, peering through the gaps between Nami's fingers at the forest of giant legs.
"Don't move a single step from my hand. Got it?"
Nami walked while keeping watch around them. Her stride was equivalent to dozens of meters for Haruto. With every step, the scenery changed dramatically.
"Y-yes. I won't move. I can't move."
Haruto clung to her palm.
The presentation venue was a special stage set up in the center of the courtyard. Giant-sized judges' seats were lined up, with a space for presenters in front of them.
When Nami stood before the stage, the giant judges looked at her.
"Next is Nami Valga and her smallfolk partner, Haruto."
One of the judges said, glancing at the documents in hand.
"Yes. Thank you for having us."
Nami answered with a straight back.
"First, please demonstrate the safe transport method for your partner."
Nami raised her palm to chest height. Haruto bowed slightly toward the judges from atop her palm.
"First, before moving my fingers, I confirm my partner's presence."
Nami looked at Haruto in her palm, just as she had in practice.
"Are you there?"
"I'm here."
Haruto answered clearly, looking up into her eyes.
"Are you really in a safe position?"
"Yes. I'm standing on both feet in the center of your palm."
Nami slowly curled her fingers and enclosed Haruto. Her movements were even smoother than yesterday's practice.
"In this state, I transport my partner safely."
Nami walked slowly across the stage. On her palm, Haruto felt the faint vibrations but stood stable.
The judges observed Nami's movements, taking notes.
"Next, a demonstration of cooperative work. Please open this box together with your partner."
The judge placed a small giant-sized box on the stage. To Haruto, though, it was the size of a house.
Nami set Haruto down beside the box.
"Can you get inside through that gap?"
Nami pointed at the seam of the box.
"Uh, um... I can. I can, but..."
Haruto looked at the seam. It was indeed a gap a smallfolk could pass through.
"Then you undo the latch from inside. I'll open the lid from outside."
"G-got it."
Haruto ran to the seam and slipped inside. It was dark and cool within. The inside of a giant's box was like a gymnasium to a smallfolk.
(Where's the latch?)
Haruto ran around the interior, searching for the latch. Then he spotted a small smallfolk-sized lever attached to the inner wall.
(There it is.)
Haruto ran to the lever and pulled with all his might, both hands gripping it.
Clack.
The latch came undone.
"It's open! Nami, lift the lid!"
Haruto shouted from inside the box.
"Got it!"
Nami lifted the lid. Light poured in, brightening Haruto's vision.
"This is cooperative work with a smallfolk. I couldn't have undone this latch on my own."
Nami explained to the judges.
The judges nodded, murmuring approval.
That was when it happened.
One of the judges suddenly leaned in to peer at Nami's hands.
"Ah—"
Haruto felt a giant's shadow fall over him.
(I'm going to be stepped on—)
In that instant, Nami's hand covered him.
Her palm gently cupped over him.
(Huh?)
(It's dark.)
(But it's warm.)
Haruto curled up small beneath Nami's palm. The warmth of her skin enveloped his whole body. Outside sounds seemed distant.
(I'm not scared.)
(This is the safest place.)
Haruto quietly closed his eyes beneath her palm.
(I'm protected.)
(This person's palm is, right now, the safest place in the world for me.)
"Sorry — was I too close?"
The judge's voice came from above Nami's palm.
"...Yes. My partner is a smallfolk. Sudden approaches are dangerous."
Nami's voice was slightly stiff.
"My apologies. I'll be careful."
The judge stepped back.
Nami slowly raised her hand.
Light returned to Haruto's vision.
"...Were you okay?"
Nami asked quietly, looking at him.
"I'm fine. Actually, being protected made me feel safe."
Haruto smiled from her palm.
Nami looked momentarily surprised. Then she gave a small laugh.
"...You really are a strange one."
"I get that a lot."
The presentation was a success.
The judges rated Nami's management skills highly.
"Excellent. Communication with your partner and safety measures are both beyond reproach."
Nami bowed deeply to the judges.
Haruto also bowed as best he could from her palm.
(We did it.)
(It was a success.)
(I did it properly with Nami.)
A warm feeling spread through Haruto's chest.
---
It happened right after the presentation ended.
"Nami! Great work!"
Giant students who appeared to be Nami's friends rushed over to her all at once.
"H-hey, you guys!"
Nami instinctively pulled the hand carrying Haruto to her chest.
"That was amazing! You coordinated so well with the smallfolk!"
"He's so cute! Can I touch him?"
One of the giant students reached toward Haruto.
"No! You guys, don't touch him!"
Nami leaned back, shielding Haruto.
Just then, another group of giants ran past them.
Thoom! Thoom! Thoom!
Footsteps like an earthquake. Giant laughter. The crowd pushed Nami along.
"Hey, stop pushing!"
Nami staggered, shoved by the crowd.
In that instant, Haruto slipped from her hand.
"Huh—"
His body was flung into the air.
(I'm falling—)
The ground rushed up at terrifying speed.
Thud.
Haruto hit the courtyard ground. Fortunately, it was grass. The impact hurt, but nothing was broken.
"O-ow..."
Haruto stayed flat on the ground and looked around.
Giant feet.
His surroundings were filled with giants' feet. One wrong move and he'd be crushed.
(Where's Nami?)
Haruto desperately searched for her.
But all he could see between the giant legs were countless giant bodies. Nami's orange hair was buried in the crowd, invisible.
(Bad.)
(At this rate, someone's going to step on me.)
Haruto crawled toward a nearby stall and took refuge underneath. The space beneath a giant's stall was a perfect hiding spot for a smallfolk.
(I should be safe here.)
Haruto hid in the shadow of a stall post and held his breath.
That was when it happened.
"Haruto—!!"
Nami's voice rang across the courtyard.
It was a scream. A voice close to a shriek, desperate.
"Haruto! Where are you?! Haruto!!"
Nami had stopped in the crowd, looking around. Her face was pa
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