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“You’ve gained weight.”
The statement came out of nowhere in the quiet morning, the first words spoken since they woke up. Reo looked over at Nagi, the other girl still laying on her bed in her sleepwear, despite breakfast already having started. Reo herself was in the middle of changing, standing in just her underwear as she decided what sport set that matched her mood.
“You’re calling me fat now? Jeez Nagi, you really do have no manners.”
Reo just rolled her eyes, as she pulled her chosen sports bra over her head. Had the comment been from anyone else she would properly have taken offense, but this was Nagi. She had always been like this, so blunt but earnest with every thing she said. At this point Reo had learned to just find it endearing. And it’s not like she could deny it, her clothes did fit a little tighter than before.
“No. You’re not fat. Just… Bigger than when I first saw you. It looks good.”
Nagi said so casually, like any compliment from her didn’t immediately make heat flood to Reo’s cheeks. Trying to be casual, Reo turned her back away from the other, her eyes glued to her dresser as she picked out her pants.
“I am. I was told I had to if I wanted to play football on this level.”
Now finished changing, she turned back towards Nagi. She was sitting now, looking at Reo with those big eyes of hers while pinching her lips with her fingers, a tell tale sign she was thinking about something.
“They ordered you to gain weight?”
Nagi finally said, as she looked Reo’s body over, her brows furrowing ever so slightly. Her gaze wasn’t subtle, and Reo couldn’t help instinctively crossing her arms over her stomach, an action that just deepened Nagi’s frown.
“Yeah. My BMI was too low, they told me it was risky. That’s why I got bigger portions during the first selection.”
It was a little embarrassing to admit, but Reo couldn’t see a reason to hide it. Everyone else had gotten small portions of their earned food, and Reo had gotten nearly double that. She told everyone it must have been due to her higher rank and number of goals, but in reality it was a purposeful decision made by Ego, to make sure she at least maintained during the heavy training.
“The extra portions you gave to me?”
Oh yeah, Reo had forgotten about that part. All the food she gave to Nagi, piling her plates high with extra in the guise of worrying about her. Of course she did worry, but she couldn’t deny that it was an extremely purposeful action.
Reo felt something in her stomach tighten as she thought back to those days, and about how much distress the whole weight gain situation has put her in. But if she could tell anyone, it could be Nagi.
“You caught me. I guess I was just… A little unsure about gaining at first. I was so used to being the pretty slim girl. I had worked hard for it too.”
She tried her hardest not to cringe as the words left her mouth. Somehow it felt like an admission of guilt to something much darker than fit for a morning chat. Something that shouldn’t be spoken into existence. Yet Nagi continued to look at her as before, with just a small confused frown that hadn’t left her face since their conversation started.
“Worked hard to be too thin? I don’t get you Reo.”
The words were so plain, Reo wanted to burst out laughing. It did sound ridiculous spelt out like that.
“Of course you don’t. And that’s just a good thing.”
Reo chuckled, Nagi’s confused face making this conversation much easier than it should be. Still the knot in her stomach didn’t loosen. The constant awareness of her body was something she knew would never completely go away, even now when she liked herself bigger. It was something she would just have to deal with for a long time. She really was happy Nagi didn’t understand that feeling.
“I was just… Everyone expected me to be perfect, and that included my body and food habits. Eating small portions of healthy food and looking like a model, that was what I was going for. But I didn’t realise how much I focused on it before I was told to eat more.”
Nagi looked at her again, this time staying quiet, but Reo could see the thoughts flying through her head. Some sort of understanding flashed in Nagi’s eyes, as she scanned Reo yet again. It did nothing to calm Reo’s nerves.
Reo was about to say something else, ready to head to breakfast and leave all this behind, when Nagi stood up from her spot on the bed. Reo didn’t even get to react before strong arms wrapped around her, her face landing in the crook of Nagi’s neck.
“Reo is so silly… You look good. Please don’t think like that anymore.”
The words came out as a whine as Nagi burrowed her face in Reo’s hair. She sounded almost childlike with such a request. It made Reo chuckle again, even as the subject matter made her skin crawl. She looked up at the taller girl that held her, meeting her eyes.
“Don’t worry Nagi, I’ll keep being healthy! I like this body better anyway, I have a lot more energy.”
Reo used her happy tone, giving Nagi a squeeze before stepping away from the hug. She was indeed happy with her new physique and much better mentally, but she also had to stop this conversation now before she actually thought too much about it. She wasn’t planning on crying today.
Nagi just looked at her for a few seconds and then she went to her dresser, changing so they could head to breakfast. Reo sighed in relief at the conversation being over, feeling herself starting to relax as she waited for the other. Of course no good thing ever lasted.
“I’m bigger than you are.”
Reo snapped her head towards Nagi. The other was standing in her sweatpants and sports bra, holding her stomach fat with her hands as she looked at Reo, and every bad feeling Reo had felt came back tenfold.
“You’re not big Nagi! Don’t say that!”
She snapped, her voice coming out faster than she had intended. This wasn’t supposed to happen. She could never dream of making anyone compare themselves to her, especially not Nagi. Nagi didn’t at all react to her outburst.
“I didn’t say I was big, just bigger than you. Stop worrying.”
Nagi finally let go of her stomach, looking at the dresser as she picked a shirt. Reo immediately felt herself unwind again, the other’s unbothered attitude calming her down just a bit. Realistically she knew she didn’t have to worry too much about Nagi, the woman was way too unbothered to overthink something like her body, but then again nobody suspected Reo would either.
“I don’t worry anymore, my treasure. I like myself, bigger thighs included.”
She gave Nagi a genuine smile this time, trying to lighten the mood. The other finished getting dressed and they started walking towards the kitchen. Nagi very shamelessly looked at Reo’s legs and then her own, scrunching her nose at what she found.
“Your thighs? Your thighs are sticks compared to mine.”
Before Reo could answer, Nagi poked her chest with a finger, making Reo jump in place. A high pitched squeak came out of her, as she swatted Nagi’s hand away.
“What was that for?”
“That’s where most of your new weight went to.”
Nagi then had the audacity to try to poke her again, even as she tried to dodge it. Nagi gave up with a huff, looking at Reo like she was the weird one for not letting her poke her chest. Reo just gave her a light shove as an answer.
“I think you’re the first person who has ever said my boobs look big.”
“I didn’t say they were big, just bigger than before. They’re still small.”
An offended gasp followed by another shove, this time hard enough to make Nagi stumble. Nagi again had that typical innocent expression on her face, acting like she didn’t say anything slightly offensive. And of course it wasn’t made any better when she opened her mouth.
“I didn’t mean it in a bad way. Small is very pret-”
“Oh just stop talking!”