Chapter 3: — "Unexpected Popularity"

The faint chirping of birds pulled me out of a half-dream, sunlight leaking past the thin curtains.
For once, my alarm clock actually worked.

I blinked a few times and sat up slowly on the couch, still tangled in my blanket. Poyo and Mochi were sleeping nearby, one wobbling softly against the pillow, the other curled up like a tiny jelly dumpling.

“…You didn’t eat it this time,” I mumbled, staring suspiciously at the alarm clock sitting on the table, alive and mercifully intact. “Miracle of the century.”

Poyo made a soft “poyoo~” noise in response, half-asleep. Mochi just gave a quiet little wiggle, still nestled against the blanket.

I stretched my arms and checked the time. “Eight twenty…”
My brain caught up a few seconds later. “Wait... eight twenty?!”

I jumped off the couch, nearly tripping over the blanket. “I’m going to be late again!”

In the chaos of throwing on my uniform, brushing my hair, and shoving textbooks into my bag, the slimes watched quietly, their round eyes blinking curiously at my meltdown.

“I have my last prep classes this week,” I muttered to myself, fumbling with my tie. “I can’t afford to skip now… Exams are on Friday…”

When I glanced back, Poyo and Mochi were sitting by the door, well, sitting as much as slimes could. They were wiggling slightly, staring at me like two lost puppies.

I sighed. “…Don’t look at me like that.”

Poyo made a soft gurgle. Mochi tilted its body, inching closer to my shoes.

“No,” I said firmly, crouching down. “You two stay here, okay? I’ll be back after school.”

They both made tiny noises of protest. Poyo started bouncing gently, while Mochi wobbled forward and pressed against my leg.

I froze. “…You’re kidding me.”

Poyo gave another “poyo~” sound, this time longer, almost pleading. Mochi’s eyes shimmered like it was about to cry.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed in defeat. “I’m seriously going to regret this.”

After lining the inside of my tote bag with a towel, I pointed at them. “Alright. You come with me... but you stay quiet. And no moving around. Got it?”

They both wiggled excitedly. I had a bad feeling about this already.

The walk to school wasn’t long, but it felt like the longest ten minutes of my life.

Every few seconds, I could feel movement from inside the bag, tiny shifts, soft squishy sounds. I held it close, whispering, “Stop moving, you’ll make noise!”

A passing old lady gave me a curious glance. I laughed awkwardly, pretending to check my phone.

When I finally reached the school gate, the morning bell was just ringing. I slipped through the crowd of students, doing my best to look completely normal, just a tired second-year with too many books and definitely not two mysterious creatures hiding in her bag.

Inside the classroom, I placed the bag under my desk. Poyo and Mochi were quiet for once, thankfully.

The morning passed like usual. Teachers talked, students half-listened, and I did my best to take notes while glancing down occasionally, praying there wasn’t any suspicious movement under my desk.

During lunch break, I decided to sneak away from the noisy classroom and eat in the courtyard. It was always quieter there, under the big cherry blossom tree near the vending machines.

I sat down on the bench, exhaling softly. “Finally… some peace.”

I placed my bag beside me, unzipped it just a little. Two curious faces peeked out, one bright and bouncy, the other shy and hesitant.

“Hey,” I whispered. “You did good today. Didn’t make a sound.”

Poyo wiggled proudly, making a happy bubble sound. Mochi blinked up at me with sleepy eyes.

I smiled a little despite myself. “Guess I should let you get some fresh air.”

I lifted them out one by one, placing them gently on my lap. The sunlight hit their surfaces, making them glisten, soft, translucent colors shifting faintly with every movement.

“You both look like little jelly candies…” I murmured, pulling out my sandwich. “Cute, but deadly. You two nearly ruined my life this morning.”

Poyo responded with a cheerful “poyoo~,” which earned a small chuckle out of me. Mochi, as usual, stayed quiet, nestling against my arm.

It was peaceful. For about two minutes.

“...Huh?” a voice said nearby.

I froze.

A girl standing a few meters away was staring, wide-eyed, half-smiling. “Wait, what are those?”

Before I could even react, another student turned their head. Then another. And another.

Within thirty seconds, I was surrounded.

“Hey everyone, Hanae-san has something on her lap!”
“They’re so cute!”
“Are those… toys? No wait, they moved!”

In the span of seconds, a quiet lunch break turned into a full-on commotion.

I blinked, surrounded by half the courtyard’s population. Students leaned over benches, crouched close, and circled around me as if I’d just announced free snacks.

“W–wait—! Back up a little!” I said, holding up my hands.

Of course, no one listened.

Poyo was sitting proudly on my lap, wiggling like a performer on stage. Mochi had retreated to my shoulder, staring nervously at the crowd.

“Whoa, it blinked!”
“It’s so squishy... can I touch it?”
“Hey, is that one shy? Look at the little one hiding!”

“Stop! Stop poking them!” I hissed, swatting gently at the air as a few curious fingers reached out. “They’re not toys!”

“They’re real?” someone gasped.

“Of course they’re real!” I snapped, then immediately regretted it. “I mean... they’re, uh… experimental… biology projects.”

“Eh?!”

Half the crowd gasped. I could practically hear rumors beginning to form like storm clouds.

“Biology projects?!”
“She brought living slimes to school?!”
“Is she in the science club?”

I buried my face in my hands. “I hate my life.”

Meanwhile, Poyo seemed absolutely thrilled. It puffed itself up slightly, bouncing as students cooed in adoration. Mochi, on the other hand, flattened against my shoulder and gave a soft, uncomfortable wiggle, like it wanted to vanish.

“Hey, this one’s kinda nervous,” a boy said, leaning in. “Don’t worry, little guy—”

“Don’t touch it,” I warned, glaring up at him.

He froze. “Y-yes, ma’am.”

Good.

Poyo gave a sudden, squeaky “poyuu!,” almost like a tiny sneeze, and jiggled in surprise.
The sound was so ridiculously cute that half the courtyard melted on the spot.
A wave of “Awww!” rippled through the crowd, followed by laughter and a few students clutching their chests like they’d just taken critical damage.

Meanwhile Poyo continued to enjoy having company around, and was yelling "Poyo!" each time.

I sighed. “You’re enjoying this way too much…”

Mochi, in contrast, burrowed slightly into my collar. I could feel it trembling faintly. My irritation softened a bit. “Hey… it’s okay. They’ll stop soon.”

Of course, they didn’t.

Before long, one of the teachers spotted the commotion through the staff room window.

“Hanae!” came a sharp voice from across the courtyard.

I froze mid-sentence.

The teacher, Sato-sensei, marched toward me, looking equal parts furious and confused. “What in the world is going on here?!”

The crowd instantly dispersed like guilty pigeons.

I awkwardly held up my bag, with both slimes perched guiltily on my lap. “Uh… surprise… show-and-tell?”

Sensei pinched the bridge of his nose. “Bring those… things... to the science lab. Now.”

The next thirty minutes were a blur of explanations, failed excuses, and teachers scolding me while Poyo gleefully bounced in the sink, in the science lab.

In the end, it wasn’t about what they were, everyone knew they were some kind of living slime. The problem was simple:
No pets or living creatures were allowed on school grounds.

I got off with a stern warning and a note that would “go on record if this happens again.”
Honestly, it felt more like a slap on the wrist than anything, but still… it stung.

As I walked home that afternoon, my tote bag felt unusually heavy.
Inside, Poyo was humming contently, while Mochi sat curled up in the corner, silent.

“…You two are lucky I didn’t get suspended,” I muttered under my breath. “Seriously, what am I going to do with you?”

Poyo made a tiny happy noise, completely unbothered. Mochi pressed softly against my hand, like it was apologizing.

My irritation eased a little. “Yeah, yeah… just don’t pull that again, okay?”

When we got home, I dropped my bag by the couch and collapsed next to it.

“I’m never doing that again,” I mumbled into the cushion.

Poyo hopped onto the coffee table, puffing up proudly like a champion who’d just won a tournament. Mochi slowly followed, glancing around nervously before nestling beside it.

I stared at them for a moment, one shining with excitement, the other small and still—and sighed softly.

“…You really liked it, huh?”

Poyo wiggled happily.

“And you… didn’t.”

Mochi gave a faint nod, or something close to it.

I smiled faintly. “Guess you’re more like me than I thought.”

For a long moment, the room was quiet. Just the soft hum of evening, the faint sound of the city outside, and two little creatures shimmering in the last traces of sunlight.

I leaned back against the couch, feeling the day’s exhaustion settle in.

“Tomorrow,” I murmured, closing my eyes, “You guys are staying home.”

A soft “poyo~” and a tiny squeak from Mochi was answered in unison.

Somehow, it didn’t sound so bad.