Everyone had quickly left the school's courtyard, and as usual, Tsuzuri was left behind. Finally she reached her decision.
The tall high school girl outstretched her long arm towards the tiny city. Its inhabitants cries were a mix of rejoicing over their apparent savior and fear over what she could do to them.
Tsuzuri picked up the small dish. Bringing it closer to her eyes, she began making out smaller details. The city looked to be in relatively fine condition. But no lights were on in any of the buildings, and there were hundreds or potentially thousands of imperceptibly small dots running around the streets. Were they people? Did the miniature city have actual, living people it it? Tsuzuri wasn't sure. She wanted to go to the science lab immediately and get a magnifying glass, but knew she couldn't skip class.
Speaking of which, she was already late.
Having their whole city and surrounding area held up by a single girl's black leather glove almost seemed like a biblical tale, thought the tiny residents. Their sky was filled with the somewhat distant, blank stare of said girl. Her unwavering eyes didn't seem to host any malice, they seemed more... indifferent.
Tsuzuri took one last look at the petri dish and dumped it in her skirt's pocket.
The people inside had their entire world flip upside down for a moment. Earthquakes caused by this girl girl made unsteady buildings collapse, pipes burst, and dangerous equipment go off. Luckily Tsuzuri's movements and stride were quite steady, causing minimal damage overall. The citizens mourned the dozens of needless deaths, but still held out hope this girl was taking them to safety.
The inside of the girl's skirt pocket had little light, causing a near blackout for the city. People had to rely on candles and what little electronics still had batteries left for light. The city was slightly tilted about 20 degrees inside the cloth encasement, which made some navigation even more of an uphill battle.
Tsuzuri entered the class, not even attempting to sneak in while the teacher's back was turned.
"Yugiri-san, you're late again." the teacher announced.
"Yes. I was... outside..." the tardy girl said quietly, glancing down at her pocket.
"Be that as it may, you have an obligation to return to class when the bell rings."
"There was this thing... outside... It was interesting... Do you want to see it?" Tsuzuri genuinely asked.
She was serious too, there wasn't a hint of sarcasm in her voice or usual blank expression.
The teacher seemed almost offended at the offer. "N-no, I don't need to see it. If you think it's important I recommend you head to the teacher's office after class to discuss it further. Now, we've already wasted enough time here. Get to your seat so we may resume class."
Tsuzuri complied and sat down at her desk. Other girls giggled at this interaction, whispering murmurs about how weird their classmate was.
"She was probably staring at bugs again."
*sigh* "Another waste of time thanks to the freak."
"Don't let her look at you, she'll put a curse on you!"
These were the usual comments she heard about her, but Tsuzuri never let them get her down. She returned her limited focus to her teacher's lecture. Minutes passed, and Tsuzuri's notebook filled with meticulously crafted notes. Twenty minutes later, halfway through the period, the tall girl remembered her special find buried in her skirt's pocket. She reached her hand inside and pulled out the petri dish. Placing it on her desk in front of her and a book to cover it from the prying eyes of her peers and teacher, Tsuzuri absentmindedly spent the rest of the class period staring at the mesmerizing little dots running around inside.
"She's back! She's staring at us!"
"Goddess! Queen! Save us from the purgatory!"
"Take us to a hospital! The government!"
"Why is she just staring at us without doing anything?"
The people's questions filled the air, and the bustling movement came to a halt as they all awaited their giantess' next move.
Tsuzuri noticed this lack of movement and became curious. The little dots weren't walking around anymore, and cars weren't going anywhere. She had a feeling everyone inside looking at her, but it was impossible to tell.
"Is she stupid?"
"Hey lady you gonna help us or what?"
"Come on you stupid broad don't just stare at us like we're insects!"
The mood of the speck-sized society shifted negatively. Panic once again set in, and no one knew what to expect. Many had now fully given up hope of ever getting help.
For the rest of class, Tsuzuri stared into the dish. She liked tiny things, she liked seeing the details no one else cared to. People often made fun of her height, but she found herself more often than not close to the ground, observing the things below everyone's feet that they didn't notice.
Finally, the bell rang, and class was dismissed. The teacher and other students left the room, leaving only Tsuzuri behind. Today, Tsuzuri had school idol practice with her friends, but she wanted to go to the science lab first. Being a school idol was still a new thing for her, and she wasn't sure she could actually do it, but for now it would have to wait.
Placing the petri dish back into her pocket, much to the chagrin of its inhabitants, the high school girl made her way to the science lab. Her walking was a little less precise this time, leading to the dish bouncing against the girl's thigh repeatedly.
Dozens of more needless deaths occurred as the citizens finally decided to build shelters from these frequent quakes.
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