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Chapter 11: Eternally Little

 

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Taiyou released a sigh, and the previous tension he had seemed to melt away.

「Guys, for the time being won’t you get off me?」

「Ehhh」

「Just a little bit more」

「It’s not something that happens often」

Kazane was the only one that was unique, as she was the only one actually being held by him in a princess carry style.

Although their actions were cute, Taiyou couldn’t really see what was so special about hanging on his body, and he gradually let out an increasing number of sighs.

「Guys, it will be fine……..It’s just for the time being, alright?」

When Taiyou spoke more resolutely, the girls became obedient and they slowly seperated from him. They moved behind the scenes and was hiding behind Taiyou in silence.

That’s because they realised that since they got together, they have been playing around too much. However, even though they were playing around when Taiyou arrived, it was also true that they were slightly shaking.

The season was still early in the summer, and it was definitely not because of the cold that their bodies were shaking, anyone could tell you that.

When Taiyou came rushing over to the girls, he could tell that from their facial expressions that they were really frightened from the depths of their heart and it was not just about playing a prank on him. Because of this fact, Since Taiyou arrived he has been unable to feel relieved.

Taiyou remembered how frustrated he felt he was  before he arrived.

And he hated the fact that he could not come here sooner to help the girls.

And with that, he shifted his anger.

He turned towards the two people that made the three sisters shake in fear.

「What’s with that look on your face, you brat who are you really?」

The father of the girls had an unpleasant facial expression and challenged/questioned Taiyou.

「I’m the classmate Natsuno Taiyou. I believe I introduced myself just moments ago?」

「That’s not what I’m asking you, what is your relationship with my daughters, that’s what I’m asking you」

「What kind of relation……..」

For now he stopped his words mid way, and made a glance over his shoulder looking back at the three sisters.

When his eyes met with the three sisters, their cheeks blushed red. A picture that was worth more than a thousand words was painted, just from the reactions the girl, and without the need for anymore words, their relationship with him became obvious.

When seeing such a reaction from his girl’s, the father instantly boiled in anger.

「You scum!」

「Hayakawa-san, Please settle down for a moment」

「Huhhh? You’re telling me to calm down after seeing this?!」

「Yes, please behave yourself」

Sakura repeated such words in a flat tone of voice.

Feeling the pressure coming out from Sakura, Taiyou’s back was slightly trembling, Even more so to the person whom received the direct scolding, the father let out a meek voice “uuu” and he backed off silently.

After seeing this, Sakura smiled and turned towards Taiyou.

「Please let me ask you a single question. Natsuno-san by coming here are you planning on become a hindrance to us?」

「That will, depend on what your objectives are?」

Taiyou responded and probed her for an explanation.

Whilst watching Taiyou in silence, without a single change in her expression she began to talk again.

「You want to know our objectives? As a premise to the explanation, is Natsuno-san aware of  the  group of people  named “Eternally Little”?

「Eternal Light? are you talking about some sort of fantasy game?」

「No, they are people which exist in the real world」

Although she said they existed in the real world, Taiyou could only tilt his neck as he could not remember ever having heard of such a group before.

Suddenly, he could feel that the people behind him were nervous. It was the reaction from the three sisters. It seemed that the girls knew of such a group existing and reacted to the words “Eternally Little”.

Sakura also realised the girl’s reaction but she only let out an indifferent smile as she proceeded on with her talk.

「In regards to the limits of the female gender, there are females in this world that grow normally up to the age of ten, but then, after they go past the age of ten, their bodies wont grow past adulthood and they will remain eternally young without being able to age, I am talking about these group of people」

「Their growth, and even their ageing stops…….?」

「Yes, Both of those things stop. That process will continue until they die. And when this kind of things happen, you understand the consequences right?」

「………… Will they become a Loli-Baba? 」

Taiyou used the vocabulary he understood to process the information.

「Yes, That is another way of saying it. The more generalised name they are known by is “beautiful witches”. However that name is only for the general public who think that these girls just dress in order to look young without knowing the real reason behind it…..As I have just explained  to you, the girls whom stop growing after the age of ten and stay eternally young………These girls are what is known as the “Eternally Little”.

「So such people actually exist?」

「Yes. another unconventional name they are known by is the “Old Maidens” however because it is rarely mentioned, it is possible to just forget about this term」

「So what’s the deal with these so called “Eternally Little” people anyways?」

「These girls at one stage used to lived in an uninhabited area……This is because they would be persecuted as witches,  their outward appearance was perpetually at the age of ten,  and it wasn’t strange that they were forced to live in secluded areas」

「…….Well, if it was an age where the superstition was regarded highly, that would be the case I suppose 」

「Yes, That is exactly right. In this modern age, medical science has proceeded enough to able to clarify the cause of the girls being unable to age, and they hypothesized that it was due to a genetic mutation」

「In other words, its a disease?」

「Its a disease that makes you unable to age」

She stopped talking momentarily and grinned so that only one side of her mouth was raised.

「And, this is the important part. Being unable to age……In other words, being able to be perpetually young and beautiful has become an extremely desirable thing for women all around the globe」

「Well that is probably true」

「In the olden days people would fear the strange appearance of the girls, however now that the cause of it has been identified with modern science, people are instead trying to unlock the answer to achieving perpetual youth, a research team has been created just for this purpose. Furthermore—–」

Sakura shifted her gaze to the girls who were standing behind Taiyou.

「The girls behind you, are perhaps the key to making a huge breakthrough in this branch of research」

「What do you mean?」

「You don’t understand? Even though they are identical triplets that came from the same chromosome……And although they possess the same genes—–」

「——For some unknown reason, their height is considerably different from each other」

Taiyou finishes Sakura’s sentence. He finally understood, what Sakura was trying to convey to him.

Sakura looks at Taiyou like he was a student whom was able to answer correctly when asked a question.

「That’s how it is」

「In other words, you want to use their bodies as a science experiment」

「What a bad way to put it, It’s more like we are trying to help achieve the dreams of the general public and are collaborating for that purpose」

「No matter how you try to gloss things over, the meaning stays the same」

「That’s such a negative attitude」

「Of course」

「Taiyou-san…..」

He could hear one of the girls speaking from behind. He didn’t know who it was that spoke, but the feelings they tried to convey got through to him.

「Did you think that I would let things stand…….If your intentions were to play around with the girl’s bodies and use them for your own gains?」

「Don’t you understand the situation? These girl’s have the unlimited potential of the human race within them. although it may not be as much as eternal life…… however it is still incredibly useful for those women who wish to keep their youthful looks」

「That’s a shame but, Since I am a guy I don’t have those kinds of thoughts, and neither am I interested in such things」

「Then let me rephrase it. Allowed me to clarify the mechanics of how this can be applied, for a women, they will be able to retain their youth and beauty for a very long time.  And for the men, being able to see their lovers perpetually young is an advantage in itself and cannot really be disregarded as irrelevant」(Illustration: Sakura’s Justification)

「I understand, It is an amazing thing」

「Isn’t it?」

the girls behind him all held their breath.

「However, no matter how good it sounds, the methods used to obtain such a result still requires you to experiment on them, is this correct?」

「……Yes, that is true」

“And so what if we have to experiment on them” that’s the kind of facial expression Sakura had.

「For me, more so than the conversation we just had, I have a problem that is right in front of my eyes right now」

「And, what problem could it be?」

「Trying to kidnap women and take them away against their will, and as a man watching this, this has become my problem」

「This has become pointless hasn’t it」

「Well, that’s how this is」

「Although you display a very gentlemanly, dignified and beautiful scene, In most cases, these kind of people may not come out obtaining benefits. On the contrary, most of these types of men actually become harmed/injured instead」

「In that time, as a man, I will be able to endure the hardships」

「Did you learn such principle’s from your parents?」

「If I had to say it was from something, It was from the game I used to play」

Sakura’s face stiffened when she heard the jesting statement Taiyou made.

Although it was the cold hard truth, for the other party, they felt as if he was just joking around.

「Is that so?」

Sakura had a slight smile on her face, however it was a different kind of smile from the one displayed previously.

It was an expression which signified, a failure in the negotiations.

「You fools, what have you been talking about since a while ago?」

Suddenly, the father of the girls butted in the conversation.

「I am the father of those girls. And all I am doing is taking my daughters back home」

「You……..Did you sell your daughters?」

「Huhhhh?」

The father glared at him. Taiyou recognised how despicable the father was, and he gave him a look of pure digust.

「You brat!  What’s with those disrespectful eyes!」

Whilst shouting, the father threw a fist right at Taiyou.

Taiyou who had crossed over the boundaries of just being merely angry had instead become calm, he catches the fist thrown at him by the father, he put a bit of strength in his grip and squeezed.

「It, it hurts!!!」

The father gave a shriek/scream.

That fist, was about to follow the same fate as the apple in which he bought from the super market.

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