A strange noise caused Shō to jolt awake, Shō looked down at his chest standing on the top front of him was a what Shō could only assume was a Borrower, but it wasn't one he knew, they wore a mask so Shō couldn't see most of their face the only thing he could see of it was their piercing eyes staring down at him, they wore a black cape and a dark red kimono and blue pants, they held a brown wooden staff that glowed bright gold.
Shō stared down wide-eyed at them, he was about to ask who they were but before he could they raised their staff, a bright golden light shot threw the dark room and covered Shō, he felt dizzy and his vision started to blur until he closed his eyes giving in the darkness.
~🏡~
The next morning Arrietty woke up, she was laying on a soft purple silk bed it was the most comfortable place she had ever slept in, it was a bit strange to see nice furniture instead of plants though.
Arrietty stood up and walked over to her backpack, she pulled out her red dress that fell to her mid-thighs she slipped it on and flattened it out with her hands, she pushed the sleeves to her elbows before she sat at the small white vanity and looked into the mirror that was in front of her, she brushed her hair pulling it into a loose ponytail, she stood up and walked over to the bed and put on her knee-high brown leather boots.
Once she was dressed she slipped out of the dollhouse and slid down the rope, Arrietty walked out to the back porch, she looked at the meadow in front of her, it was so beautiful in the early morning sunlight, the trees blew in the warm wind and the flowers were bright colors, she missed this place so much.
"Arrietty? What are you doing out here?" Spiller's voice asked for behind her breaking her out of her trance.
"I'm just looking at the meadow, it's beautiful isn't it," Arrietty replied.
"Yes it is, but we can't stay here you know that right?" Spiller said.
"Why not?" Arrietty asked she didn't understand why everyone didn't want her to stay.
"Because we're Borrowers, we're not meant to be around Beans," Spiller replied.
"But, I..." Arrietty paused, she didn't think that Spiller would understand if she said that she liked Shō as more than just a friend then he would think she had gone crazy.
"Arrietty, you and Shō can't be together, you're a Borrower and he's a Bean," Spiller said understanding what she meant.
"I don't care if we're different, I still care about him... you wouldn't understand," Arrietty replied.
Spiller stayed quiet for a moment before he spoke up, "I do understand... I knew a Bean once she was beautiful, I cared about her but I could never be with her, so I just watched her live her life from the shadows my heartbreaking every time I saw her, that's why I don't want to get close to a Bean, and I don't want you to go through what I did, we can't be together and you can't be with Shō, he's not a Borrower, it's just the way things are."
"But... I love him," Arrietty said before she could stop herself.
"Arrietty?" Shō said from behind her, he didn't know what else to do especially since Arrietty had just said that she loved him.
Arrietty turned around to face him but when she did she was surprised by what she saw, his dark brown eyes met hers, "Shō? How are you so small?"
"I don't know, it was so strange last night I saw another Borrower, I think they did this," Shō replied.
Arrietty smiled brightly, she had never heard of a Borrower that could change someone's size before but she had imagined what it would be like if she and Shō were the same size so much over the past five years that she was too overjoyed to think about the mysterious Borrower, or what she did next for that matter.
Arrietty wrapped her arms around Shō pulling him close to her, a smile spread over Shō's face, Arrietty smiled too before she kissed him gently, a bright red blush crept over both of their faces.
"Sorry," Arrietty mumbled when they pulled away, she didn't know if he felt the same about her that she felt about him.
But Shō just smiled before he kissed her again.
"What we going to do now, I definitely can't leave you not like this," Arrietty said.
"I don't know," Shō replied.
"Maybe your parents will let you stay now, you could talk to them," Spiller said.
"That's a good idea," Arrietty replied before she kissed Shō's cheek and ran off to find her parents.
Shō smiled as he watched her but it soon faded away, as she left from his sight.
"What's wrong aren't you happy to be the same size as Arrietty?" Spiller asked a little jealous that they could be together now and he couldn't be with Yuri the girl that he liked.
"No, I am... it's just that..." Shō pulled the pill bottle out of his pocket, it didn't have that many left, "I'm almost out."
"Can't you get more?" Spiller asked concerned, if Shō ran out then he knew something bad would happen to him and Arrietty would be alone again.
"Yes I could, but not at this size the pharmacist would have a heart attack if they saw me at this size," Shō replied.
They were both quiet for a moment before Shō spoke up, "please don't tell Arrietty about this, I don't want to upset her."
Spiller nodded, "don't worry I won't, we'll think of something."
Shō nodded his head before they both walked into the house and headed towards the kitchen.
