When a High School Sophomore Linked with a Black-crowned Night Heron, the World Moved by 1mm [Episode 1] Me Inside the Night Heron

Kurume City is located in the Chikugo region in the southern part of Fukuoka Prefecture. A little outside the center, where large shopping malls and movie theaters stand, the Chikugo Plain spreads out, with the Sefuri Mountains and Mino Mountains visible in the background. Transportation is well-developed, including the JR Kyushu Shinkansen and Nishitetsu trains, and buses are convenient for getting around the city, making it an ideal environment for enjoying high school life.

"I was with him on the bus to school again today..." I'll write that in my diary.

I am a second-year high school student, |Natsuki Suzakuzaka|. It might sound strange coming from me, but I've complicated my own self-consciousness, so I don't have many friends. In class, I only occasionally talk to |Kimie Ryugeji|, who lives nearby. I've never even had a boyfriend, not even in my wildest fantasies.

When I was in middle school, a rumor started that I looked like a certain celebrity. She was a young actress who had transitioned from being an idol after a photo of her at an event, posted by a fan on social media, went viral. At first, I thought our wide eyes looked similar, but since I was a fan of hers myself, I felt that "looking like my favorite idol is mentally impossible," so I decided to seal that topic away. Perhaps my attitude of not engaging when people brought it up was annoying. My classmates gradually drifted away from me. Maybe the reason I couldn't make friends even after entering high school was because I was still dragging that image around. Now, being an introvert has completely become my identity.

The time I spend at school is boring with no changes, but since I'm not in any clubs, I can do what I like after school, which is easygoing. Before sunset, gazing blankly at the scenery of the small stream near my house has become my healing.

I like the sight of the black-crowned night heron standing still, as if it had assimilated with the reed-like plants growing thick on the water's surface. Unlike other herons like the grey heron or the egret, the black-crowned night heron doesn't have a slender build; its short neck and hunched-shoulder posture make it look like a penguin, which is cute. Its beak is black and large, and although it is grey from its head to its back, it has a few long, thin white feathers, which gives it a certain coolness.

It seems that since I was a child, whenever I found a black-crowned night heron standing still in the ditch in front of my house, I would chase it to play. My father once showed me a photo he took with a digital camera.

Even when I compare it to the back view of me as a toddler just starting kindergarten trying to run after it, the black-crowned night heron spreading its wings to take flight feels much larger. It looks magnificent when it flaps its wings.

Black-crowned night herons are said to be nocturnal, but that doesn't mean they stay in their nests and sleep during the bright hours. I often see them standing still by the river waiting for prey, even during the day or in the evening.

That day, I was feeling relaxed watching the black-crowned night heron standing by the water's edge with its shoulders hunched as usual.

The moment I thought the night heron's eyes reacted to something, I shouted "Ah!" and a "splash" sound occurred almost simultaneously.

A hawk that had been aiming from the sky dived to attack the night heron, but because a black shadow entered my field of vision and I screamed "Ah!", the hawk became wary and couldn't time its strike, plunging into the river surface instead.

The hawk, having failed its hunt and landed in the water, seemed to be a poor swimmer. While floating on the water with its large wings spread, it slowly flapped its wings with effort several times, and eventually, it floated up and flew away.

The black-crowned night heron must have narrowly escaped the hawk's attack and flown off somewhere. It was already gone.

The Night Heron That Came to My House

"Natsuki, are you there?"

After returning home and relaxing in my room, I heard my mother's voice calling from the kitchen.

Our Suzakuzaka family lives in a two-story detached house in a suburban residential area.

My mother, |Shizue Suzakuzaka|, works part-time at a Co-op store until 3:00 PM, and her routine is to finish her shopping and be home before 5:00 PM.

I am called "Shi-chan" by those around me, apparently because my grandfather in the countryside was a fan of Shizue Abe when he was young and listened to her music often, so he adopted that nickname.

Since she was a singer who was active mainly in the Showa era, I don't know much about Shizue Abe. If I had to compare my mother to someone, she has a hairstyle that suits her like the actress Yuriko Ishida. Her personality is laid-back, but she is scary when she gets angry.

My mother's husband, in other words my father, is a truck driver, and he is often away when he gets long-distance jobs. His name is Naoya Suzakuzaka. His fellow truckers call him "Ichijo".

Apparently, his boss at work gave him that nickname because the protagonist of a drama about judo that was popular in the Showa era was named "Naoya Ichijo." He has a sturdy build and a sporty faux hawk hairstyle, so even if he joked that he was good at judo, people would probably believe him. However, he has a gentle personality and cannot go against his wife (Shi-chan).

I have a younger sister who is five years my junior, named Sherbet Suzakuzaka. It is written with the characters for "ice candy" and read as "Sherbet." However, she is more often called by her nickname "Pan-chan" than her real, flashy name. She is quite mature for a sixth grader and is much more knowledgeable about fashion and gourmet food than the average high school girl. Recently, it seems she got a boyfriend before I, her older sister, did.

Shi-chan, Ichijo, and Pan-chan are all unusual nicknames, but since they seem to like them, there is no problem.

I am the only one without anything like a nickname, and today, when "Shi-chan" worriedly asked, "Natsuki, are you home?", I replied, "Yeah, I'm home."

I entered through the front door, went up the stairs, and my room is on the west side of the second floor. That said, the north side of the second floor is a restroom and a storage room, and my room is in the southwest corner. There is a balcony facing the south of the room, from which you can see the entire rural landscape and the mountains. There is also a window on the west side, but I tend to keep the curtains closed, especially in the summer, because the afternoon sun is strong. Instead, the sunset is beautiful when the weather is nice.

My mother seemed relieved to confirm I was home and became quiet. She seems to be concentrating on preparing dinner. I was lying on the rush grass rug spread out on the hardwood floor, reading manga while listening to the radio on a smartphone app. Then, there was a loud "flapping" sound from the balcony.

Surprised, I looked over and saw a large bird perched on the balcony railing.

I had an intuition.

"Huh? Could this be the night heron that was almost attacked by a hawk earlier?"

What am I doing? Talking to a night heron in normal Japanese—maybe I really am reading too much manga.

However, the night heron didn't seem scared even though I spoke out loud, and it didn't try to run away. It just shrugged its shoulders and stared at me.

I have never looked at a night heron's face this closely before. The part that would be the white of the eye in a human is not white but a deep orange, and the pupil is black, large, and round.

As I was observing it like that, I was suddenly struck by the illusion that the night heron was also observing me. No, it wasn't an illusion; this night heron really seemed to be observing me.

"Why did you come here?"

When I tried asking it, the night heron stared at me as if tilting its head.

I stared into the night heron's eyes.

The night heron staring at me.

"I am Goicchi."

It spoke! The night heron spoke! Have I gone crazy from being too much of a loner? But I felt like someone had spoken to me.

"I am Goicchi. That's what I'm called among my fellow night herons."

It wasn't my imagination.

"You can talk?"

When I asked, I got an answer.

"To be precise, I'm communicating by matching my wavelength to your brain waves."

"So, like telepathy?"

"That's what you humans seem to call it. Anyway, I'm applying the language skills and knowledge in your brain in my own way to make this conversation possible."

"You make it sound super complicated, but it's telepathy, right?"

"If that satisfies you, let's go with that."

As I was confused in my mind, thinking, "This is getting crazy...", "Goicchi" interrupted.

"Yes, yes, that's fine. That's perfectly fine."

"Wow, so it gets transmitted just by thinking it."

It seems I can converse with Goicchi in my mind without speaking out loud.

That was when it happened.

"Natsuki, can you give me a hand?"

The moment my mother called, Goicchi flapped its wings. It's only natural, I suppose, but it seems to be wary of other humans.

“Natsuki.” Thank you for saving me from the hawk, anyway. Thank you... thank you... thank you...

It seemed to have already probed my brain and learned sound effects, as it flew off while letting my inner voice echo.

I must keep this strange event to myself, but I'll write it in my diary for now.

The Incident at High School

My school, Ramonshu High School—or “Ramo-ko” for short—is known for producing famous singers and actors. Since it’s in a town of doctors, many students aim for medical school, but I suspect that’s why so many secretly dream of entering the entertainment industry.

Class 2-C is a general course, and at first glance, it seems to be filled with very average boys and girls. However, it’s a class full of unique individuals, including honor students like Kimie Tachibanadera.

The uniform for female students at “Ramo-ko” is the sailor suit, which has become much rarer lately. Since I have long, straight black hair, combined with the image of the sailor suit, I’m often thought to be a gentle and modest person. This is convenient for a gloomy girl who isn't good at talking. In my case, the skirt length is about 10 centimeters above the knee, a safe length that is neither modest nor flashy. I’ll keep my grades to myself.

On the other hand, Kimie Tachibanadera has a short bob haircut. Her uniform skirt is precisely aligned to the middle of her kneecaps. When I asked her, she said she prioritizes being able to move actively for both her hairstyle and skirt length. Even though she doesn't go to cram school, she keeps her grades at the top of the grade, is fluent in English, and seems to like math, physics, and chemistry. From the perspective of someone like me who is allergic to science, it’s unbelievable to see her effortlessly writing complex formulas on the blackboard that make me want to ask, “Are you Galileo!?” She’s in the tennis club, so she rarely walks home with me since I’m in the “go-home club,” but she talks to me during breaks and such.

I used to hang out a lot with Kimie, who lives in the same neighborhood. She is one of the few people who knew me before I became a gloomy loner. I confided in her alone about why I became this way—that “it’s painful to look like my favorite idol.” Instead of being dumbfounded and calling me self-conscious, she was a good friend who accepted the feelings of a troubled girl. Moreover, it’s just like Kimie to be considerate enough not to talk to me too often so that people don’t start weird rumors.

“Natsuki. Want to go to the cafeteria together?”

When lunch break started, Kimie called out to me.

“Yeah, let’s go. I’m in the mood for the B-set and udon.”

“Whoa, that much! You’re going to be so full~”

We walked to the cafeteria, laughing and giggling together.

I ignored her warning and bought meal tickets for the B-set and shrimp tempura udon, while Kimie bought one for the A-set.

The B-set was a hearty menu featuring tandoori chicken as the main dish, along with cheese naan, salad, and miso soup. The A-set was mackerel simmered in miso that looked delicious and well-seasoned, sautéed spinach and ham, kenchin-jiru soup, and white rice.

The cafeteria lady checked our tickets and lined up each dish on our trays.

But... I have no memory from the moment I held the tray.

“Natsuki! Natsuki!! What’s wrong! Hey, Natsuki!”

Hearing Kimie’s shouting and feeling her shaking my shoulders, I came back to my senses as if my consciousness had been called back.

Looking at it, the school cafeteria table was scattered with the remains of a meal, and my sailor uniform was covered in sauce and soup.

According to Kimie, my hands were already shaking and I looked strange when I went to hand over my meal ticket.

"You were scary! You were staring intently while holding your tray, and the moment you sat at the table, you started devouring your food."

"I don't think you chewed at all. You stuffed a large piece of tandoori chicken into your mouth just like that, and swallowed it whole while your throat bulged."

"You even swallowed the udon and shrimp tempura together, and then dumped the salad and naan into your miso soup and shoveled it all down."

Perhaps relieved that I had returned to my senses, Kimie rattled it all off in one breath.

Being as smart as she is, her memory and descriptive skills are impressive. However, I have absolutely no recollection of it.

Kimie continued.

"Just when I thought you were finally done eating, you reached for my tray without a moment's hesitation."

"I thought Natsuki would definitely regret it if she started eating someone else's food, so I desperately stopped you with all my might."

Then, as if she had finished saying everything, she let out a "Haaah" sigh and went limp.

A crowd had formed in the cafeteria, surrounding the two of us.

Still in a daze and unsteady on my feet, I let Kimie lead me to the infirmary, clinging to her for support.

The school nurse is an Amazoness.

"What's wrong?"

Homare Nanjo spoke without even turning around.

She is our high school's nurse, the so-called infirmary teacher. It seems Kimie was taken care of by her when she hurt her leg in club activities, but this was my first time.

When Kimie explained the situation, saying, "She ate too much in the cafeteria and felt sick, so I was worried and brought her here," Nurse Nanjo turned around and bluntly pointed out, "Natsuhime Suzakuzaka. Why don't you speak for yourself?"

She must be nearly 180 centimeters tall. Her long, slender, supple arms and her fingertips, with their beautifully polished nails emitting a natural glow, are striking. Her translucent white fingers are slightly pink, suggesting good circulation. Moreover, each one exudes a presence as if it had a will of its own, leaving no room for error. Even through her lab coat, one can imagine her well-defined proportions—she has the toned, beautiful legs of an athlete, yet she is curvy in all the right places.

The rumor surrounding Homare Nanjo, that "she came to be called 'Amazoness' by the students before anyone knew it, due to her attractive looks and the overwhelming aura she exudes," must be true.

Deep inside me, a girl who admits to being overly self-conscious and complicated, the passion for my 'fave' that I thought I had sealed away began to peek out, and a sense of rivalry welled up.

'I don't even remember it myself. According to Kimie, I practically swallowed the B-set meal and the shrimp tempura udon whole.'

'It seems I even tried to reach for Kimie's portion, and I was saved because she stopped me with all her might.'

I recounted exactly what I had heard in a crisp, clear voice.

The Amazoness glared at me.

'Wahahahaha. A girl who looks like she'll be a challenge has appeared for the first time in a while.'

'So, how are you feeling now?'

The Amazoness laughed heartily as she asked, so I was drawn into answering honestly.

'Well, I don't feel like I overate, my stomach doesn't hurt, and I seem to be fine now.'

'What do you think? Um... Tachibanadera Kimie-san from the tennis club, right?'

This time, Kimie answered honestly.

'I can't believe she's fine after that abnormal appetite and the way she ate. She swallowed a huge tandoori chicken whole without chewing.'

'I see. As a friend, you must be worried.'

The Amazoness crossed her arms in thought and then made a suggestion.

'Then, I'll contact the doctor at the hospital that serves as our school physician, so you should consult with your parents and get checked out just in case.'

'Oh, okay...'

I thought getting an examination would be a hassle, but I couldn't refuse, partly for the sake of Kimie, who was worried about me, and mostly because I didn't want to be glared at by the Amazoness any further.

Deepening the bond with Goicchi during the examination

When I got home and told my mother about what happened at school, wrapping it in soft language, she was still extremely worried and told me to get checked out.

'Since the school nurse said so, you should get a stomach camera examination.'

My mother contacted the hospital and booked an appointment for a gastroscopy. Since they use anesthesia, she said she would come with me.

St. Darm Hospital performs health checkups and comprehensive medical examinations, and their gastroenterology department is particularly well-regarded for gastroscopy. This time, they said they would use the method of injecting an anesthetic via an IV drip and inserting an endoscope through the mouth while I am asleep.

Once I was laid on the bed, the specialists and nurses started preparing the IV drip and asked, "Can you hear the music?" Since Southern All Stars songs were playing, I was about to answer, "Yes. You like Southern, don't you..." when I was overcome by sleepiness. "Anesthesia is amazing. I fell asleep so quickly..." I thought as my consciousness faded away.

"Natsuki, Natsuki..."

Someone is calling me in my dream.

"It's me, it's Goicchi."

"Huh? Goicchi! You! You did something to me, didn't you!?"

I had a sneaking suspicion that the incident at the school cafeteria was Goicchi's fault. I had been thinking I needed to confirm it somehow, so meeting in a dream was a stroke of luck.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know humans ate such delicious things, so I couldn't suppress the impulse."

Hearing Goicchi apologize so remorsefully, I felt even more shocked.

"So that means, swallowing the tandoori chicken whole and eating the udon and shrimp tempura all at once—that was Goicchi's appetite exploding, regardless of my own will?"

"That's right. I make sure to eat my fill whenever I have a chance to catch prey. In the natural world, you never know when you'll be able to get your next meal."

"Wait, wait, wait! This is my body, so don't go taking over my brain and making me go wild without permission! Thanks to you, I ended up having to get this gastroscopy."

"I am truly sorry. I will be careful from now on."

"From now on? Do you intend to keep peeking into my brain forever!?"

"It's not a matter of intending to peek. My brain and Natsuki's brain are linked. You could say our 'souls' are connected to each other."

"No way, no way, no way! If it were telepathy, that might be dreamy, but having our souls connected is physically impossible for me!"

"Even if you say that, there's nothing we can do. I can link brain waves, but I don't know how to reverse it."

"I don't want that! What are you going to do about this! Don't mess up my life!"

Since we were talking inside my brain, it felt like a dream and didn't seem real, but if I had been awake, I surely would have been crying and screaming.

Without caring about my feelings, Goitchi tries to push things forward.

“That's right. I want Natsuki to experience the appeal of brain-linking even more.”

“How?”

“Look into my eyes and imagine the sensation of being drawn in.”

Half in desperation, I stared into Goitchi's round, beady eyes.

Then, I felt a sense of lightness. It was natural since I was in a dream, but it felt a bit different from that.

“Whoa! What is this? What's happening?”

“Welcome inside me, Natsuki.”

No sooner had Goitchi said that than I doubted my own eyes.

“I'm flying! I'm flying through the sky!!!!”

I felt like I was soaring through the sky as a bird, and the scenery spreading out below was full of places I recognized.

“That's my high school. I can see the grounds too! Oh, that's my house, and the Koya River.”

“How is it? This is the world seen through true 'bird's-eye' vision.”

“Amazing! But, it's not really me flying, is it?”

“That's right, I'm the one actually flying, but by Natsuki linking to my brain, you can feel as if you are flying yourself.”

“Hey, can we fly higher?”

“We night herons don't fly very high, and we don't go very far. You never know what might happen, you see.”

“I see, hawks and things are after you, right?”

“It's hard to say, but humans aren't to be trusted either...”

As we exchanged those words and enjoyed the flight, I felt a sudden jolt.

I could feel my consciousness drifting away from Goicchi.

“It seems you’ve woken up.”

The doctor’s voice confirmed that my consciousness had returned to my own body.

The endoscopy was over, and the anesthesia seemed to have worn off.

When I received the explanation of the test results with my mother, I was told there were no abnormalities in my stomach.

“However, there is something that concerns me...”

The doctor spoke vaguely, saying, “This matter could potentially involve sensitive issues, so please let me hold onto this for now,” sounding indecisive.

“If I don’t understand Natsuki-san’s daily life and personality, I might cause a misunderstanding.”

“I will consult with Nanjo-san, the school nurse, so please give me some time.”

That is what he said.

Both my mother and I left St. Darm Hospital feeling uneasy.

“Well, since they said there’s nothing wrong with your stomach, I’m relieved for now.”

My mother said that to cheer me up, but a flicker of anxiety crossed my mind.

“I wonder if they noticed about Goicchi.”

Thinking to myself, I pulled myself together, telling myself, “Well, what will be, will be.”

I don’t usually show much interest in “famous quotes by great people,” but the line “If you’re going to worry, worry after it happens” from my favorite manga, *Space Brothers*, is one that really resonated with me.

In this case, it’s nonsense to worry about “what if I’m questioned” before I even know if the Goicchi matter has been discovered. I told myself to “worry” only when it actually comes to light.

However, my premonition wasn’t entirely wrong, and I ended up being told something outrageous.

The day after my endoscopy, I visited the high school infirmary during lunch break. The one who called me was the “Amazoness,” Ayuki Nanjo.

“Suzakuzaka Natsuhime-san. You can guess the reason why I asked you to come today, right?”

The Amazoness asked with a slightly softer demeanor than last time.

"The results of your gastric endoscopy were normal, but I understand that the doctor at St. Darm Hospital had something they wanted to discuss with you, Dr. Nanjo..."

I answered only about the examination, and naturally, I didn't mention anything about Goicchi.

"Do you know what I'm called?"

"Um... well... how should I put it..."

As I mumbled, Dr. Nanjo began to talk about her nickname.

"Did you know that my nickname comes from the 'Amazoness,' a tribe of brave female warriors from Greek mythology, or as they are said to have actually existed on the Black Sea coast of Turkey?"

"Oh, no, I hadn't heard it in that much detail."

"Even though I'm called an Amazoness now, there have been times when I felt like my heart was going to break, too."

This was different from what I had imagined. I never expected the Amazoness to start opening up like this.

To be continued =>

All episodes of "A High School Sophomore Girl Linked with a Black-Crowned Night Heron and the World Moved by 1mm" are collected in this magazine.