One

“Ken.”

“What?”

“You know, you used to be a shrimp.”

Without replying, Ken ruffled Eri’s hair. Pouting, Eri raked her strayed hair with her fingers as she recalled an incident three years ago.

----------

“Ken, come here a sec!” Eri called out to her classmate who was staring out of the window.

He dragged his feet with him and leaned against her table, still staring blankly at the sky. “What?”

Eri leaned all the way back on her chair, “They are just teasing you about your height. You might grow taller in a year or two!” She grinned with satisfaction when she saw a frown on his face and unconsciously followed his gaze out of the window.

“I’m leav-“

“Hey! I’m just kidding! I called you here for another reason.” Eri managed to stop him when he was about to turn and leave. Ken was now facing her and staring at her with the same frown.

“What?” he muttered again, impatiently.

“Show me your hands.”

“Why should I?”

Eri stretched out both hands and waved it in front of him, “Just wondering whose hands are bigger.”

“You are random.”

“No I’m not, I’m just curious!” Eri’s smile grew wider.

Ken did not answer her but he pulled out his right hand from his pocket, trying to catch Eri’s hand. Eri was still waving her hands playfully and suddenly Ken just grabbed her left hand. Her eyes widened a little from the small shock he gave. A pleasant shock that made her body froze. Her right hand was hanging in the air.

She then felt his hands releasing his grip and sliding through her fingers. That made her stared at him wide-eyed, only to find him staring intently on her hands as he tried to align his hands with hers. As his fingertips rested against her fingertips, his frown grew deeper. She frowned with him as well.

“My fingers are shorter.”

Ken turned his head a little and their eyes met. Only then, Eri realized what she was doing and quickly averted her eyes to their hands as a she tried her best to fight the blush that started to creep on her cheeks.

“Cool! Eh? But my thumb is shorter than yours!” Eri pouted a little. She tried to adjust her hands to check.

“Oy! That’s not right!” Ken grabbed her wrist and lifted it a little so that he can see properly if the bases of their palms are aligned together. He was too preoccupied with comparing the length of their fingers and failed to notice Eri’s cheeks turning pink with her head slightly lowered, partly trying to hide her blush.

“Hey! My thumb is longer than yours! My little finger too!” Eri peaked through her fringe and saw Ken grinned for the first time for that whole morning. Eri fought the urge to smile back in return, cursing silently about the infectious grin he had.

“Oy, there’s nothing to be sad about right?” Ken lowered his head to stare directly at her face, hands still resting gently on hers. With that, Eri straightened up her head and pulled her hands away from him. Ken followed her suit and tucked his hands back into the pockets.

“… and sorry for my sweaty palms.” Ken stared blankly at his shoes.

It made Eri felt a little conscious and felt her own hands getting sweaty too. “Mine was a little sweaty too…”

She mumbled mostly to herself and secretly blamed herself for being nervous around him so suddenly.

“Anyway, did you know?”

“What?”

“Length of fingers are related to height, shorty!” Eri stuck her tongue out.

“What!” Ken shouted what seemed to be his favourite word. “But my thumb and little finger are longer!”

“It’s only two out of five!”

“You-… What’s your height?”

“154cm.”

“I’m 156!”

“But you’re a guy.”

“Ugh…” Ken went back to his seat and lied down on his table, burying his face in his arms, sulking.

----------

Eri bit her lip and stared at Ken. She was only at his shoulders’ height – slightly shorter even. An idea struck Eri and she placed her right palm flat on the top of his head.

Shocked, Ken took a step away from her, “What are you doing?”

With her right hand still hovering in the air, she positioned another palm horizontally just slightly above her eyebrows as she grinned broadly, “Your growth spurt.”

“…”