I let out an exasperated sigh as I watched Hayami tear into one of the girls over on the other side of the gym. I seemed to dodge her wrath by sake of being fairly popular in the school, but I still felt very annoyed watching that rich bitch turn on one of the meek.
"You're pathetic, you know?!" Hayami called out as she expertly launched a volleyball at one of her underclassmen. "If you were any less pathetic, I wouldn't have to treat you like garbage!"
"S-Shut up!" The girl stuttered out, her voice quivering. Her face was red, and she looked at Hayami like she could kill her right in that moment.
Hayami seemed to love that she was getting to the girl like this. "What, you want to hit me for that? With that fat, piggish face and body of yours? You think I'd be scared?" She jeered, her pigtails flowing through the air behind her.
It seemed to be a critical hit. The bullied girl covered her face, and ran out of the gym mid-match, sobbing into her hand. Their team was now down a member, one spot left completely open. Hayami let out a sadistic laugh, bombing a volleyball directly into the other team's side. With nobody in the spot she targeted, it easily soared over the net and hit the gym floor with a thud. The match was over.
"I win again! Truly, can anyone beat Hayami?!" she announced, bouncing in place with glee.
But I didn't want to watch her gloat. Instead, my mind wandered over to the girl who had abandoned her match and disappeared from the gym. I stood up from the bleachers, and excused myself. I didn't care that I would get an absentee notice from my teacher for ditching class; I just had a compulsion to find the girl. I looked all over for her, until finally I heard soft weeping coming from the bottom of the stairwell at the far end of the school. I followed the noise down the stairs, and found the girl hiding in the corner of the stairwell, sobbing quietly.
I wasn't sure how to start this conversation, but I was determined to bring her comfort. In all honesty, I had seen her around school before, but she seemed so distant from everyone that I never got to talk to her. She simply kept to herself so much.
"Are you okay?" I asked quietly, trying not to make any sudden moves that would startle her.
The girl looked up at me, and tried to compose her expression before nodding.
"Hey..." I sat down next to her, putting a hand on her shoulder and squeezing slightly. "Hayami is just a rotten bully. Nobody likes her, it's just that nobody tells her that because of her rich family."
She sniffled. "Y-Yeah..."
"Want to talk for awhile? What's your name?"
The girl sniffled again, and shook her head. "N-No... I-I'm fine..." She looked away, then spoke up again. "My name's Yui... You probably don't want to talk to me. I'm the grossest person in school. Hayami's right about me."
I had to quickly rebuff her assertion. "That's not true! You're perfectly cute, okay?"
She turned back towards me with a bitter expression while lifting her close-fitting white shirt, pointing at her tender, chubby stomach. "Look! I'm fat! I don't even look human anymore!"
I held off a response, taking in her tummy. It wasn't gross as she asserted it was, in fact... it looked quite adorable. It was plump, but not too much. And her skin was smooth and supple, with a soft pink tone to it, unlike Hayami's thin 'perfect' figure. Sweat from vigorous activity in the gym glistened on her smooth skin, providing some extra appeal and a smell that mixed with her perfume to fill the area with pleasant aromas.
I gently took her hands, and stared deep into her eyes. "You couldn't be more wrong. I don't just like your tummy, I think it's amazing."
"W-Wha?" she mumbled, her sorrows being interrupted by shock. She looked back at me almost quizzically, nonverbally demanding an explanation.
I smiled reassuringly, preparing my final attack. An explosion of philosophical content in vocal form, focused on the divinity of the midriff. "Listen up, Yui. Men don't want perfection. Only a tasteless fool would be attracted to Hayami's body because of the gross person behind it. What men truly find perfect is in imperfection, like that astounding tummy of yours, and your beautiful, innocent eyes. Those are qualities I'd find myself defending to the death."
Her eyes widened, and she stared at me in pure surprise. She was too dumbfounded to form a response. "W-Wait a minute, I think you— I don't—"
"Don't you get it? Yui, your body is amazing. I'd love nothing more than to hug your curves and kiss your neck, and worship every inch of your body. That's why I'm here right now, to tell you that your body isn't disgusting, it's the stuff of dreams."
Her face quickly turned red. "You... like me...?"
I nodded firmly. "Yes, I absolutely do. You're so cute, and I don't hate your tummy. I'll defend its perfection until my dying breath. When Hayami says something trashy about it, it simply makes me want to cherish it all the more. So please, believe me when I say that your body is perfect."
She surrendered a weak smile, her mind hopefully at peace. Then, she lifted her shirt a little more, and looked away again to hide her embarrassment. "I-If you want to touch it, go ahead."
I wasn't going to miss an opportunity like this. I slowly reached out and grabbed a squishy flab of cute tummy, feeling the warmth of her body beneath it. My fingers traced her soft skin, and she shivered. I pulled her shirt up a little further, exposing more of her belly, causing her to squirm a little bit. I continued my soft rubbing, occasionally giving squeezes that made her jump a bit. I was so glad to make her happy, and at the same time gain access to this heavenly moment.