Jiggling Joker and Hulking Haru (Patreon)

WARNING THIS STORY CONTAINS: Persona 5 Joker Weight Gain and Haru Muscle Growth

WORDS: 10,000

A trip to the Nebutori Inn leads to Haru and Joker having a run in with a mysterious spirit. As they return to society, the pair begin to drastically increase in size, albeit in quite different ways. Thankfully for the quickly fattening Joker, Haru's muscles seem to keep pace with his appetite, at the cost of leaving them both ignorant to the mysterious forces controlling them.

This was a story for an anonymous commissioner.

Commission Info: https://www.deviantart.com/eyebeast/journal/Commission-Info-615442807

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            The quaint inn in the countryside was a place meant for people who wanted to get away from the stresses of everyday life. Going through the corridors to see other patrons enjoying themselves gave off the feeling of rest and relaxation that was far removed from the hustle and bustle of Shibuya. Haru had come to the Nebutori Inn under the assumption that she would experience the same treatment of easing her body. She and the rest of her friends could certainly use it to recover from the many struggles of being part of the Phantom Thieves. The problem was that she just couldn’t seem to relax considering her current situation.

            Strolling through the halls in a white robe, Haru had to hope that no one recognized her head of wavy, chin length brown hair. Being the heir to Okumura Foods, the last thing she wanted was to have her vacation plans further ruined by paparazzi. The sheer stress coming from her own nerves was already doing enough damage. This state that left her incapable of fully enjoying the inn all stemmed from a decision that she had made in order to save money on the accommodations for her and the only person whose schedule was free for the weekend.

            Sliding open the traditional, wooden door, Haru found Joker just where she had left him. He had forgone his typical attire in favor of donning a white robe similar to Haru and the other guests. At first glance, it was near impossible to see the young man with short black hair and glasses as the notorious leader of the Phantom Thieves. Not having to brave Mementos or fight off fearsome creatures, he seemed content to merely sit at the table and enjoy a cup of recently delivered tea. Seeing that her companion was at least enjoying himself, Haru closed the door behind her and sat across from him.

            “Sorry about the cramped room,” Haru said, trying to keep her hands steady as she poured out her own cup of tea. “It’s one of the reasons I was able to get it so cheap.”

            “I don’t really understand why,” Joker commented, looking around the room and seeing the intricate art along the walls and the comfortable bed in the corner. “Sure it’s a little small, but that also makes it cozy. Why was it so cheap?”

            “Well… this is one of the inn’s oldest rooms,” Haru admitted. “It hasn’t been updated like the others.”

            Joker tilted his head. “This place seems fairly successful considering how many people we saw wandering around. They should have more than enough funds to remodel the room.”

            “It’s not a matter of if they can do it, it’s more that they don’t want to.” Pulling out her phone, Haru opened up an article and held it up so Joker could see. “I was doing a bit of research before we arrived. This inn goes back generations. Somewhere in the family tree was a certain woman who allegedly became one with the spirit of a Nebutori. That’s how the inn got its name.”

            Waiting until she was sure Joker had finished reading, Haru put her phone back. “Even if the story is little more than a myth, the owners maintain this room as accurate as possible to the legendary spirit’s preferences. I was told that even when they managed to install an electrical outlet here, there were odd occurrences around the inn. Because of that, they plan to keep the room as it was until the woman moves on to the other side.”

            “You’re pretty knowledgeable about this,” Joker commented. “I’m really impressed.”

            The remark brought a blush to Haru’s face that she tried to cover up by drinking from her cup. “It’s nothing really,” she said, leaning back in her seat. “That was all a part of the study material I put together to act as a tour guide when the group got here.” Unable to hold back a sigh, her smile faded away. “Shame that none of the others could join us.”

            “Don’t feel so down about it,” Joker replied. “The two of us will make the most of this weekend. Besides, that means the cramped quarters won’t be as much of a problem.”

            “Y-yeah,” Haru said, letting out a small laugh to try and keep the mood light. “They actually managed to lower the price once they thought the two of us were a couple. I know we look the part, but just because a pair of students getting ready for college want a cheap room doesn’t mean we’re up to anything strange.”

            “At least not at the moment,” Joker brought up.

            Haru nearly choked on her tea. “What?”

            “I mean like exploring Mementos or stealing people’s hearts,” he clarified.

            “Oh, um, right,” Haru replied, cleaning her mouth off with a napkin.

            A sudden chill in the room made both Haru and Joker start to shiver. Scanning the area for an open window or some other source of the draft, they simultaneously locked their gazes on a small, locked box placed on one of the cabinets. When they had first entered the inn, the owner had instructed them specifically not to open the strange container. While they had no intention of going against the innkeeper’s wishes, that didn’t prevent the box itself from slowly creaking open its lid on its own.

            Inside the mystery container was a red velvet lining and golden inlay. The luxurious craftmanship was all in favor of keeping comfortable a hand-sized, porcelain doll. The glass woman made herself stand out with her overly plump appearance and a robe that was one size too small to obscure the large belly that had been sculpted onto her. Looking over the doll made Joker and Haru believe that it was a type of shrine to the mythical spirit that inhabited the inn. They let out a collective gasp as the idol’s eyes began to move and its lips twisted into a smile.

            “My, my,” the doll said, the husky voice directed towards Haru. “I knew it was worth waiting this long for a proper host. You will do nicely.”

            An eerie glow formed around the doll as it started to shake. The lights in the room flickered on and off as the walls rumbled in unison with the cursed figure. Blinded by a gust of wind blown directly at her face, Haru was incapable of getting out of the way as an orb of light shot out towards her from the doll. Just before the energy hit her, Joker leapt in the way to shield her.

            The next moment, Haru and Joker were crumpled on the ground. Realizing how close she was to him, Haru quickly slipped away. Recalling his act of heroism, she hurried to grab his hand and help him up. Standing up and surveying the room, everything seemed to still be in place. Even the creepy doll still sat on its perch with its permanent smile beaming towards them.

            “Let’s… just try to get some sleep,” Haru said, stepping over to carefully close the lids to obscure the figure.

            “Y-yeah,” Joker replied; feeling the same level of lethargy that made Haru so willing to ignore the strange occurrence in favor of dealing with it after getting some sleep.

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            The everyday noises of Shibuya seemed all the louder ever since Haru had returned from her trip to the Nebutori Inn. Most of the time, she was content to pass by the crowds by taking a ride in her family’s car. However, today was a rare occasion that she had decided to freely wander about the city on foot. Even stranger was her decision to do it, not as a leisurely stroll, but at the pace of a brisk jog.

            Haru wasn’t entirely sure why she had chosen this time to finally make good on her promise to herself to start exercising. Even when the Phantom Thieves were at their most active, she was content to use their outings to Mementos to get all the physical activity she needed. For the occasion of trying to get into shape, she had finally broken out the pink hoodie and jogging pants for her run around town. Only a few minutes later, she had begun to suspect that she had been possessed by some kind of spirit judging by how torturous it was to get through even half of her planned route.

            Running near a collection of restaurants, Haru was forced to stop and catch her breath. Desperately grasping for her water bottle, she attempted to empty its contents over her head to remove the sweat clinging to her hair and skin. All that came out were a few droplets cascading down her forehead to mix in with her abundant perspiration. Recalling how much water she had drank on her way through the city, she let out a sigh as she considered giving up and calling her driver to come pick her up.

            “Haru?”

            The familiar voice was like a shot of adrenaline to Haru’s weary body. Picking up her head and scanning the area brought her attention to the outside café nearby. Seated at a table by himself was Joker. Decked out in his casual clothing of pants, a jacket, and shirt, he had stopped halfway through a decadent parfait to call out to Haru. Any relief she felt at seeing him was undone by the realization of how messy her appearance was at the moment.

            “Um, hello Ren,” Haru said, nervously making her way towards him once she realized that there was no point in running. “What are you doing here?”

            “Trying this out,” Joker replied, gesturing towards the impressive collection of chocolate, fruit, and cream before him. “I always wanted to try it, but never found the time.”

            “How is it?”

            “It’s just as good as I hoped it would be,” Joker replied, taking another generous helping of the dessert to pile into his mouth. “I really should have gotten this sooner.”

            “I’m glad you’re enjoying it,” Haru said; her eyes surveying the area in search of a server to get her some water.

            “What about you?” Joker asked between bites. “What are you up to today?”

            “Er, just trying to go for a little run,” Haru admitted. “I finally decided to improve myself by starting an exercise regimen. After all that relaxation from the inn, I guess it was only right that I keep treating my body well.”

            “That’s really impressive,” Joker commented through a mouthful of parfait.

            Haru perked up a bit. “Thank you, but I’ve still got a long way to go. I barely made it this far and there’s still quite a distance before I get home.”

            “You should still be proud of every bit of progress you make,” Joker replied, finishing up the last few bites of his parfait. “Sit here for a bit and rest. Maybe one of the parfaits will help you cool down a bit. It’ll be my treat. Thinks of it as a reward for working so hard today.”

            “I really appreciate it, but that’s not necessary. You should know that I have plenty of money to spare thanks to-“

            Haru paused as another parfait was placed on the table. As glorious as it was to see the dessert in its pristine, recently created state, she was left a bit confused. “Excuse me, but I didn’t order anything,” she pointed out to the waitress.

            “That’s… actually for me,” Joker spoke up.

            Haru looked between the new parfait and the guilty look on Joker’s face. “You’re eating another one?”

            “Sorry, but I couldn’t help myself,” Joker replied. “The first one was so good, and I was already feeling hungry halfway through it.”

            “Hmm,” Haru said, tapping at her chin. “I probably should have one too then. It might help with my future plans of opening up my own café.”

            As Haru spoke with the server to get her own order in, Joker pushed aside his empty glass to dig into the new parfait. Thanking the waitress, Haru turned back to watch Joker savor the sweet taste dancing on his tongue. As a pleased hum left his lips, she swore she could hear a second voice accompanying it. Shirking it off as just the lingering effects of her dehydration, she leaned back in her seat to rest her weary legs and wait for her own opportunity to try out the delectable dessert.

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            For the first time since starting her exercise regimen, Haru finished her workout with a sense of satisfaction. This may have been due to her being able to handle a higher speed on the treadmill or that she had managed to budge the massive weight set that had once felt impossible to move at all. It also could have been the glances she got from the impressed onlookers that were unable to hide the way they were staring at her feats. However, the true fruits of her labor were shown the moment she got into the locker room to change out of her clothes.

            Stepping out of the showers, Haru stopped getting dressed as she caught sight of herself in the mirror. Most notably were the muscles around her mid-section that had been slowly overtaking any leftover baby fat she had. There was also a sense of firmness in her arms and legs that gave her an idea of the strength lurking right beneath the skin. It was amidst admiring the extra bump to her chest and butt from her daily exercising that she spotted the clock on the wall. As much as she would have liked to spend hours admiring herself, she had to rush putting her clothes on as she realized what time it was.

            Sprinting out of the gym after a quickly putting on a blouse and skirt, Haru was eager to see Joker waiting for her. Though bespectacled face smiling at her was a welcome sight, she couldn’t help noticing the little bit of pudge sticking out from his mid-section. The extra chub was easy to ignore as his shirt swung back and forth against it, but it was harder to look over the way his pants seemed a little tighter around his waist. Telling herself not to stare for too long, Haru ran over to him and slowed down to a casual stroll to match his pace.

            “How was your workout?” Joker asked as they went along the sidewalk.

            “Feel for yourself,” Haru replied, her grin growing wider as she felt his fingers tap against her toned arm. “If I had known that I would see results this soon, I would have started exercising a long time ago.”

            “Are you sure you still want to go through with today’s plan?” Joker asked. “I’d hate for all of that hard work to be wasted on some sweets.”

            “Don’t worry about it,” Haru said, choosing not to speak of the extra pudge around her friend’s mid-section. “I’ve more than earned myself a treat for the exercises I went through today. Besides, this is crucial for fulfilling my dream.”

            Eventually, Joker and Haru managed to sift through the afternoon crowd to arrive at their destination. Entering the café and procuring a booth, the two of them placed their orders and settled in. As they were entertaining each other with conversation, Haru couldn’t help herself from frequently glancing down towards Joker’s belly bulge. The sight of the extra chub as it continuously pushed up against the table filled her with a strange feeling that she wasn’t quite sure what to do with. It was almost if there was an invisible hand constantly tugging at her; beckoning for her to feel his softness.

            Thankfully for Haru, her need to further explore this urge was pushed back by the arrival of the waitress. Placed in front of her was a bright pink soda drink with a pair of cookies sticking out of the whip cream on top to make it seem like the glass had ears. The cute beverage was cast under the shadow of the massive wedge of strawberry shortcake that had been placed in front of Joker. Leaving him with a similar drink to Haru’s, the server wished them a good meal and took her leave.

            Wasting little time, Haru picked up one of her cookies and took a bite. The soda that managed to seep into the sugary disc delighted her tongue. Allowing the flavor to properly linger in her mouth, she used her free hand to pull out a notepad. Before she swallowed her mouthful, she was sure to write down every last detail.

            “I knew this was a perfect place to start,” Haru commented as she continued to scribble down her thoughts. “This kind of combination is exactly what I want for my future menu. What about you, Ren? Are you enjoying your…”

            Haru trailed off as she realized that Joker was doing more than just taste testing. He was gobbling down chunks of cake as fast as he could move his fork. While the food didn’t stay in his mouth for long before he moved onto another helping, he was able to show his adoration for the sweet pastry by the pleased hums that left his lips. Washing down the rest of the cake by guzzling down his drink in a few gulps, he quickly moved to eat up the cookies once he had dragged them through the cake’s leftover cream.

            Joker was prevented from fully enjoying his indulgence as he noticed the way Haru was staring at him. “Sorry,” he said before popping the cookies in his mouth. “I know you brought me along to get a second opinion, but just tastes so good.”

            “No need to apologize,” Haru said, quickly sitting back in her seat. “You were just showing me how much you like the food here.”

            “It does hit the spot,” Joker said, patting his gut and not noticing the way it made Haru chew on her lip. “Is it okay if I order something else? I saw this really good looking chocolate cake on the menu. It comes with a special vanilla shake too.”

            “Of course,” Haru quickly replied, waving her arm to get a server’s attention. “Let’s keep going. We’ll get all the information we need for when I open up my own café.”

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            Upon hearing the knock at the door, Haru was sure to put her toned leg muscles to good use by running as fast as possible. Waiting for her there was a delivery man loaded down with several boxes. Peeking past the packages, the man was left dumbfounded by athletic figure she had gained through her daily exercises. Noticing this, she was more than willing to show off her sculpted arms and legs by striking a few poses. Patting herself on the back for switching over to a tank top and gym shorts to better show off the star athlete body she had gained, a whiff of the sweet things in the boxes got her back on track.

            “Thank you so much,” Haru said, effortlessly taking the packages into her arms. “I’ll be sure to send along the payment and a sizable tip shortly.”

            Waving off the delivery driver with one hand, Haru shut the door with her foot and made her way back into the house. Still grinning from both the interaction at the entrance and her precious cargo, she made her way into the dining room. Waiting for her there was Joker, ready to fulfill his duty as her taste tester.

            Even after moving up to larger sizes for his clothing, Joker was unable to completely hide the side effects of these almost daily samplings. The extra-large, black shirt was forced to pull double duty at both obscuring his chubby belly and holding back his budding man boobs. His pants were in a similar state of disarray as they emphasized the curvature of his hips and rear. Catching herself starting at his pudgy features once more, Haru shook her head to refocus her attention.

            “Sorry it took so long,” Haru said, placing the boxes in front of Joker. “Although I am glad the delivery man was able to visit so many places at once.”

            “It’s fine,” Joker commented as Haru took out the various cakes. Reaching into his pocket, he retrieved a small collection of empty candy bar wrappers. “That’s why I brought something to nibble on while I waited.”

            Haru paused for a moment. “You ate all of these just now?” she asked, receiving a nod in reply. “You know how much we’re going to have to try today. Are you sure you’ll have room for it all?”

            Joker opened his mouth to reply, only to stop himself. Rubbing his finger against the extra fat hanging around his chin, he eventually nodded his head. “You have nothing to worry about. We’ve done big samplings before.”

            “Yeah, but never this many,” Haru replied, gesturing towards the dozen cakes. “Are you sure you’re up to the task?”

            In response, Joker took a napkin from the table and tied it around his neck. “Only one way to find out.”

            Convinced by the confident smile on Joker’s face, Haru slid over the first of the desserts. With fork in hand, he dug into the carrot cake with the fervor of a starved rabbit. Driven by the taste and Haru’s expectant gaze, he managed to devour the decadent pastry at an astounding pace. Not stopping until he had chased down every dollop of icing, he looked up from the plate to see his partner with notepad at the ready.

            “Well?” Haru asked, leaning in her seat.

            “Very rich and moist,” Joker answered, sliding his tongue along the fork to collect any leftover crumbs. “Although, not as good as the one we got from the bakery last week.”

            “I’ll keep that in mind,” Haru said, scribbling down his critique. “Let’s move on to the next one.”

            From there, things proceeded as usual for the pair’s sampling sessions. Joker would eat his way through a new cake and in exchange provide notes for Haru to improve her own baking. They had repeated the process multiple times before to great success. Entranced by the thought of how much her skills would improve from this insight, Haru began to focus more on her notes rather than what was happening to her partner.

            The clang of metal hitting the floor made Haru look up from her notepad. She started to get up to pick up the dropped fork, only to stop herself as she noticed something in her peripheral vision. No longer burdened by the limitation of wielding a utensil, Joker had moved onto to using his hands alone to stuff cake in his mouth. Lips slathered in various crumbs and icing; he made a complete glutton of himself as he went through a pair of cakes in record time. Getting closer, Haru could see a strange frenzy in his eyes that made it seem like he was possessed.

            “Ren?” Haru asked, placing her hand on his shoulder.

            The question made Joker stop with cake still hanging on his tongue. Surveying the mess he had made of the cakes and the front of his shirt, he let the lump of sugar slide down his throat. Swallowing the mass made the chub around his waist further muffin top over his jeans and his belly undo part of his zipper. Distraught by the splatter of icing across his pudgy chest, he turned towards Haru for answers.

            “I… guess you really liked them,” Haru said, a small laugh helping to ease the situation.

            Joker started to return the gesture, only to lower his head. “I’m sorry. I got so obsessed with stuffing my face that I forgot to get my thoughts together.”

            “It’s fine, really,” Haru insisted. “At the very least, we can chalk all of these down as being good. Come on, let’s go to the living room and go over what we have.”

            Joker clenched his fingers together. “I don’t think I can do that,” he said, placing his palm on his gut. “It only hit me now just how full I am. Do you think you could… help me digest?”

            “Oh,” Haru said, understanding what he meant. “Um, sure. Give me a second.”

            Squatting down to be level with Joker’s mid-section, Haru pulled the hem of his shirt. Upon revealing his pushed out belly button, she proceeded to rub circles very slowly around it with her finger. The gentle massage helped to ease Joker’s burden based on the relaxed breaths that he let out. While Haru was glad to help her friend out, there was no denying that her body was having a reaction to the feeling of soft flesh on her fingers. Once more suppressing these urges behind the inner declaration that she was just doing this to return the favor of a friend, she continued to massage his stomach.

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            The path to Leblanc was a route etched into Haru’s mind. However, her route to get there was slowed down by an issue that was becoming more frequent with each passing day. As she walked, she could see people out of the corner of her eyes speaking to one another in whispers. Unable to hear exactly what they were talking about; her mind was left to fill in the blanks with the same assumptions that had been plaguing her for several weeks now.

            Haru paused for a moment as she heard the strain of fabric around her biceps. Finding a secluded spot in the narrow walkway, she tried to fix up her black tank top to ensure it properly fit around her broadened shoulders and thick pectorals. Attempts to pull the shirt into place served to further emphasize the six-pack abs she had once adored. However, the muscular mid-section had become difficult to properly appreciate thanks to the sudden boost in height she had received.

            Squatting down and feeling her buttocks stretch her shorts, Haru slid her hand along the length of her muscular calves. The act wasn’t to ease any sores or pains; her daily workout routines made sure that even a full marathon wouldn’t leave her body with aches. This ritual of hers was more so that she could pay attention to just how much her figure was still changing. Sliding along her muscular legs, the soft skin that used to surround them felt like a far off memory.

            “Come on,” Haru said to herself, picking herself back up. “You’re not going to help anyone by just standing here. Let’s get moving.”

            Psyching herself up by using her dexterous hands to give herself a light slap to the face, Haru continued on her path. Weaving between the people gawking at her figure, she managed to make her way over to Leblanc. The smell of coffee coming from inside gave her a much needed sense of relaxation. Hoping to find comfort in the company of friends, she stepped inside.

            Haru froze as she saw Joker sitting at the counter. The jingle of the door opening didn’t draw his attention away from the plate of curry he was currently scarfing through. As he ate, drops of meat and rice would occasionally spill from his mouth and along his two chins. The missed morsels would add to the splatter of stains covering the shirt currently stretched around his sagging pecs before sliding across his doughy gut.

            Though Haru wanted to say something, she remained silent as she watched Joker continue to stuff his face. Even after seeing his ravenous appetite during multiple taste testing sessions, she never seemed to get over the strange allure of his gluttonous behavior. Chewing on her lips, she couldn’t stop herself from staring at the way his chunky rear was barely balanced on the stool he was sitting on.

            It was only after Joker reached out a pudgy hand to place his recently cleaned plate atop a pile of six others did he manage to notice Haru. “Hello,” he said with a wave.

            “Oh, um, hi Ren,” Haru replied, trying to make herself look presentable. “I hope I’m not too late.”

            “You’re just in time, actually.”

            Hearing the familiar voice, Haru looked away from Joker to finally notice the other people in the café. Sitting around a booth were the rest of the Phantom Thieves. While Ryuji, Yusuke, Ann, and Futaba were still picking away at their much smaller plates of curry, Makoto was standing up. The stern expression on Makoto’s face glanced between Joker and Haru’s modified forms, only to be overtaken by a worried sigh.

            “We need to talk,” Makoto said, the rest of the group nodding in agreement.

            “About what?” Haru asked.

            “Yeah, you were pretty adamant about waiting until we were all here,” Joker spoke up.

            “That’s because we need to talk to both of you,” Ann replied. Turning towards Ryuji, she gave him a nudge with her elbow.

            “Fine, I’ll say it,” Ryuji replied, rubbing at the sore spot on his side. “You two have been acting weird ever since you got back from the inn.”

            “Specifically, your drastic change in both body and behaviors,” Yusuke clarified.

            “What’s so strange about it?” Joker asked. “I’ve just been helping Haru out with planning her café.”

            “I’m not sure that eating yourself into a blob is helping much in the long run,” Futaba pointed out.

            “Stop that,” Haru fumed, standing between Joker and the others. “Just because he’s put on a little weight, it doesn’t mean that you should be so mean to him about it.”

            “You’re included in this too,” Makoto spoke up.

            Clenching her fingers, Haru narrowed her gaze towards Makoto. “You have a problem with these?” she asked, slapping a hand against her bicep. “What you’re looking at is the results of my hard work and exercise.”

            “That’s not how that works,” Ann pointed out. “I’ve seen plenty of models go through drastic boy improvement methods, but none of them have been this effective.”

“I’m with her,” Ryuji added. “Even top class runners don’t have legs like that. It’s not natural.”

            “So what?” Haru said, stomping her foot into the ground. “Maybe everyone else just lacks the right motivation. I on the other hand intend to keep getting stronger and building up my baking skills. If you all are going to keep trying to put me down, they I’m more than willing to show you what my muscles can-“

            Haru was stopped as she felt a pudgy hand on her shoulder. Turning around, she was met with the concerned look of Joker. Easing up her muscles, she took a deep breath and headed towards the door.

            “Where are you going?” Futaba asked.

            “For a walk,” Haru replied. “Joker, would you like to join me?”

            Though Joker hesitated for a moment, he eventually began to waddle after Haru. Closing the door on the rest of the group, he had to hurry to catch up to her. Noticing how winded he was from the small walk, she was more than willing to lend a hand to support him.

            “It’ll be okay,” Haru said, not holding herself back as she pressed her fingers into his belly fat. “They just don’t understand. Come on, there’s a bakery nearby that I’ve been wanting to try. It’ll be just the thing we need to forget about this.”

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            Rather than a need to exercise or show off her body, Haru was running through the streets of Shibuya to get rid of her pent up rage. Yet again, the other Phantom Thieves had called to try and warn her about the rate her body was changing. Each attempt they made to convince her of this seemed to only strengthen her resolve to keep pushing forward. If her closest friends weren’t going to be supportive of her new way of life, then she figured she didn’t need them. The only things she wanted by her side were Joker and her marvelous, muscular form.

            Not willing to stop for anything, Haru used her broad shoulders to push through a group of street punks on the sidewalk. Upon hearing the guys call out a series of unflattering names, she turned on her heels. The group stopped as they bore witness to her rock hard, eight-packs and bulged out muscles. Each stomp of her feet tightened her calves and made her pair of overburdened gym shorts hug closer to her toned buttocks. A few of the men were daring enough to glance at the way her tank top hugged the bulged out pectorals that gave her chest a sizable boost. However, all of them were sent running once they say the menacing glare she gave them; speaking without words what exactly she would do to them with her world class, body builder-like figure would do them if they so much as speak to her.

            “For once, I’d like to finish my set without anyone interrupting me,” Haru said to herself as she watched the punks run off. “Even at the gym this morning, those wimps tried to hog the weights. Not my fault that they can’t multi-task. Maybe next time I’ll lift up the dumbbell with only one leg while I do pull ups to make up for it.”

            Keeping her train of thought on how to further improve her physique, Haru seemed to lose track of exactly where she was going. Fueled by the incessant need to keep getting stronger, she only managed to stop once her parched throat practically begged her to drink something. Clenching the bottle on her hip, she lifted it up to her face and gave it a harsh squeeze. Letting the water flow down her body to make her muscles glisten, she moved on to sucking up every drop to regain her stamina.

            Wiping her mouth clean, Haru became aware of a familiar aroma of meat coming from nearby. Realizing that she had arrived at a Big Bang Burger, the various growls coming from her mid-section reminded her that all she had eaten that morning was a protein shake. Aware enough to know that she couldn’t exercise if she passed out from hunger, she begrudgingly stepped inside of the shop. She told herself that even if what she ate wasn’t the healthiest of meals, it would be trivial for her to work off the extra calories with a few more laps around the block.

            Haru’s direct path towards the order counter was halted by her seeing something out of the corner of her eye. Maneuvering her bulky form around, she confirmed that she was looking at a massive mound of burgers. Next to the pile was an equally intimidating collection of fries and shakes. The collection of drinks was made smaller as a pudgy hand reached out from behind the pile to replace one with an empty cup. Without even needing to see, Haru could figure out who it was based on the sound of ravenous eating that graced her ears.

            Sure enough, walking over to the other end of the table revealed the gluttonous eater to be Joker. With his wide rear balanced upon two chairs, his usual, trance-like eating state kept him from noticing Haru. Equally enamored by his display, she was content to merely stand there and watch as he shoved food into his mouth.

            The grease around Joker’s lips would occasionally drip down onto his black shirt to make the fabric grow tighter around his meaty moobs. As the bespectacled, obese man reached over to grab another shake, Haru’s vision focused in on the sight of his belly folds slipping out from beneath the hem of his shirt. The sight of his fat muffin topping over his jeans was the breaking point for her own restraints. Unable to resist any longer, she hurried over to him. Squatting down, she made her presence known by grabbing a handful of his belly fat and letting her fingers sink in.

            Pausing for a moment, Joker swallowed the lump of food in his mouth. “Hello, Haru.”

            “How did you know it was me?” she asked in return, greeting his chubby face with a wide grin.

            “You’ve done that enough for me to know it by touch alone,” Joker said, gesturing towards the chair opposite of him. Waiting just long enough for her to sit down, he grabbed a handful of fries and resumed eating. “So, what brings you out here?”

            “Just getting my exercise in,” Haru replied, picking up a few fries herself to satisfy her hunger.

            “Didn’t you already do that this morning?” he asked before taking a deep slurp from his cup to finish it off.

            “Yeah, but I needed to de-stress,” she replied as she watched Joker grab another shake. “Makoto and the others have to learn to back off and let us live how we want to.”

            Joker paused to wipe off the grease from his face. “They’re worried about us,” he stated.

            “Well, that’s their problem,” she replied as she crossed her arms. “So what if you’re fat and I’m muscular? If that’s what we want to be like, then they should know to stay out of our business.”

            Tapping his pudgy fingers against the table, Joker took a deep breath that made his sagging pecs quiver. “Maybe they’re right.”

            “Excuse me?” Haru asked, leaning across the table. “Are you saying there’s something wrong with this?” she added, holding up her arm to flex her muscles.

            “As much as I have been enjoying it,” Joker began, clenching his fingers to avoid his own temptation to touch her well-built bod, “you must have realized that there is something unnatural about how our bodies have been changing.”

            Standing up, Haru showed no worries about who was watching as she continued to pose. “Are you saying you hate your soft, pillowy body? You have a funny way of showing it when I get my hands on you.”

            “I’m not saying I don’t enjoy this either,” he replied, in the process pushing his fat folds up against the table. “However, I do think we should look into what caused this in the first place.”

            “Whatever,” Haru said, continuing to flex. “So what if we stand out? I don’t care. We’ll use our impressive bodies to better advertise the café when it-“

            A loud, ripping noise made Haru freeze. On reaction she turned towards Joker to see if he once more needed a change of clothes. While his attire was a little undersized for his obese form, the fabric remained intact. As she pondered the source, taking a step forward created another tearing sound as her tank top began to slip off of her chest. Quickly sitting back down, she pressed the shirt against her chest to prevent it from falling off. Only now noticing the way people were staring at her, she swallowed her pride and faced Joker.

            “What do you think we should do?” she asked.

            “I have an idea,” Joker said, attempting to ease her worries by reaching out with his pudgy fingers to grasp her hand.

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            For the first time in a while, Haru was ashamed to show off her body. Walking through the halls of the inn once more, she tugged the robe draped around her a little tighter every time she passed by another couple. The nervous reaction only served to further emphasize the bulk of her muscles as the fabric became taut against her. The cleavage window alone created by her bulged out chest would have been enough to make her former self want to shut herself in her room for the rest of the evening. Thankfully enough, what little bit of self-confidence lingered inside of her imposing figure was enough to get her to keep shuffling forward.

      Haru stopped attempting to hide her toned buttocks from an older couple when her ears picked up a familiar stomping noise. A large, fuzzy white blob rounded the corner; nearly knocking over a group of college women in the process. Upon closer inspection, Haru recognized the set of heaving man tits and doughty belly that were being barely held back by the undersized robe. Careful not to knock any of the paintings off the wall with his chunky rear, Joker waddled his way over to her. Any calmness brought to Haru by the sight of his chubby face was immediately undone as she saw the thing hidden underneath his blubbery arm.

            “Did the owners see you?” Haru asked in a hushed whisper.

            “I don’t think so,” Joker replied, shuffling around his bulk to better hide the small, wooden box he had taken from the room. “Then again, they don’t seem to suspect us of anything other than just being a weird couple.”

            “It still feels wrong tricking them like that,” Haru said, following Joker down the corridor. “Thankfully we look different enough from the last time we were here that they buy our newlywed story. They even gave us a discount on the room.”

            “More importantly, they gave us access to the private-“

            Joker nearly bit his own tongue as he came to a jarring halt. Try as he might to pull forward, the entryway seemed determined to hang on to his luscious love handles. While Haru herself could understand the appeal of wanting to pinch and grab at his soft body, now wasn’t the time.

            “Don’t worry Ren, I’ve got you,” Haru said, taking her place behind Joker. “There’s no need to panic. Say the word and I’ll put my muscles to work.”

            Joker let out a sigh. “It’s fine. Not like this is the first time this has happened. I’m ready whenever you are.”

            Flexing her muscles, Haru let out a primal grunt as she began to push. As large as Joker’s body was, her strength proved more than enough to gradually inch him forward. The progress of the procedure was slowed thanks to Haru’s own urges coming up again. Even with the important task ahead of her, she couldn’t resist letting her hands linger a bit longer than they needed to on Joker’s rump. Only being satisfied after grabbing a handful of his ass fat, she gave one last good shove to free him from the doorway.

            Stumbling forward, Joker began to lose his balance. Haru was quick to assist by rushing over to grab his arm. Pulling him back into a standing state avoided any major tumbles, but still left his body to be harassed by frantic jiggling. The leftover tremors of his near tumble further strained his robe to allow more of his fat to peek out. Rather than be discouraged by his sizable cleavage being shown off, he merely shrugged and put his glasses into one of the lockers located in the changing room.

            “You’re sure this will work?” Haru asked, more concerned about what they were about to do rather than the fact she was stripping in front of Joker.

            “Best I can tell from what you’ve researched about the inn,” Joker answered, having a little trouble unsticking the robe from his back flab. “This has to be the place. Other than that room, this is where the Nebutori spirit spent most of her time when she was alive.”

            “That’s assuming that this strange phenomenon isn’t just our own fault,” Haru said, stepping up to help Joker fully undress. “For all we know that thing we saw could have been a hallucination from eating some bad food.”

            “It’s not any stranger than what we’ve seen before,” Joker replied, wisely stepping ahead of Haru on the off chance he would get stuck again.

            “I guess you have a point,” Haru relented, watching with both gratitude and slight disappointment as he managed to get through the doorway without her assistance.

            Walking out into the open air yard, a mist could be seen rising up from the waters to drift into the moonlit, night sky. The place deemed the couple’s spring was a place usually reserved for people’s honeymoons and anniversaries. The cozy little grotto of rocks surrounding the warm water was also the place where it seemed the most likely that the spirit could be contacted again.

            Stepping towards the pool, Haru dismissed the steam with a single wave of her muscular arm. The reflection given off by the reflection of the water’s surface was almost as clear as a mirror in the way it showed off her physique. As many times as she had gazed upon herself in her bedroom, there was a certain eeriness to her muscular form she felt. Going across her abs, hardened calves, and a pair of bulged out pecs that nearly eclipsed her breasts, she began to wonder if she would ever return to normal even after this ritual was finished.

            Haru’s reflection was distorted by ripples going across the water’s surface. She found the source of the disturbance as she watched Joker attempt to sink one of his pudgy toes into the spring. Gingerly easing himself into the water, he tried to avoid splashing out too much of it in the process. Try as he might, the furthest he could lower himself still left his upper half on display. With the pool’s surface just below the peak of his fatty rear, he surrendered to have his flabby pecs and belly on display as he swiveled around to help Haru in.

            A small laugh left Haru’s lips.

            Joker replied with his own giggle. “What was that about?”

            “Nothing,” she said, accepting his hand to enter the water. “It’s just weird considering how much I’ve had to help you since you’ve gotten so big.”

            “I appreciate it, really,” Joker commented, continuing to hold her hand as she treaded water next to him, “but I’m not completely helpless. I’ll stand with you through this.”

            “You’re right,” Haru said, glancing over at the box they had left at the water’s edge. “Let’s put an end to this.”

            Grabbing the cursed object, Haru looked towards Joker. Seeing the determination in his eyes, she puffed up her chest to take advantage of the strength pumping in her veins. Before she could have a chance to regret it, she dunked the box below the surface. A few seconds passed, leaving the two of them to wonder if all they had accomplished was destroying an antique.

They were proven wrong as bubbles began to stream up from where they had placed the box. The intense shivers became powerful enough to even overwhelm Haru to force her to let go. Left to freely float along the water’s surface, the box opened up to reveal the idol once more. Erupting into a fountain of light, the statue began to change into a spectral figure that was nearly as fat as Joker himself. As the spirit finally took the form of the fabled woman the pair had seen in a painting in the inn’s lobby, what stood out immediately to Haru was the link of energy connecting her to Joker’s gut.

            “Well, well,” the ghost said, moving her eyes across Joker’s body. “It’s so good to see you again. Especially in such a plump and plush body. I’ve really outdone myself.”

            “So you’re the one responsible for this,” Haru accused.

            “Of course I am,” the Nebutori replied, seeming quite proud of herself. “Although, I would also appreciate a thank you for the work I did on your body as well.”

            A wave of the spirit’s hand allowed Haru to notice a second chain hanging off of the Nebutori’s body. Following the links, she realized that she also had a spectral connection to the woman. Now with more questions than ever, she looked towards the ghost for answers only to be more confused as a flick of the chain made her muscles twitch.

            “Why are you doing this?” Joker asked, shuddering a bit as the spirit floated towards him.

            “Because I love to eat, it’s as simple as that,” the Nebutori replied, hovering her hands over his belly. “I can’t do it anymore since I’m a spirit, so every so often I link myself to one of the guests to enjoy tasting things again. Typically my chains don’t reach outside of the inn, but you’re different.”

            Floating herself higher, the ghost came close enough for her chins to be compared to Joker’s multiple rows. “I found an untapped potential to make a complete glutton of yourself. I was saving this powerful connection for a single guest. Seeing you up close, I’m more certain than ever that I made the right decision. Because of you, I was able to enjoy so many delicious treats. The modern world is truly a paradise for hedonists.”

            Sinking lower, the Nebutori tried to grasp Joker’s moobs with her ghostly hands, only to have them pass right through. “Shame I can’t feel this soft flesh myself, but at least I can enjoy watching its every jiggle.” Looking away from Joker, she turned to face an absolutely livid Haru. “You must know what I’m talking about, right? I saw how much you enjoyed getting to feel him up every chance you got.”

            Absolutely fuming, Haru stomped through the water to get close to the spirit. “If that was your goal, then why did you change my body?”

            “Because, I knew your little friend here would need a helper,” the Nebutori replied. “Someone that could both supply him with food and help his blobby body out of tough spots. So, every time his body increased in weight, I took the liberty of pumping up your muscle mass to keep up with him.”

            Despite her aggressive nature, Haru still flinched as the Nebutori got up close to her face. “Isn’t it fantastic?” the spirit asked. “Both of you get to enjoy opposite ends of the body type spectrum. All the while I get to reap the benefits. Aren’t you glad that you stayed in my room that night?”

            A loud splash from Joker slamming his pudgy fist into the water got the spirit’s attention once more. “It doesn’t matter whether we like it or not,” Joker began. “You’re still taking control of us without our permission. We came here to stop you from interfering with our lives any further.”

            A sneer formed on the spirit’s face. “So ungrateful,” she said, floating up higher into the air. “Even after I went to the trouble of holding myself back.”

            “Doesn’t look like it to me,” Haru commented, holding up her arm to flex her biceps.

            The Nebutori’s annoyance shifted into a malicious smile that sent a shudder through the muscular girl’s body. “If that’s the case, then allow me to show the true extent of my abilities. You obviously don’t understand just how much your boyfriend here has been eating.” Holding up her arms, the Nebutori’s hands began to glow. “I hope you enjoy life on the larger side.”

            Shimmering lights began to channel their way through the chains connected to Haru and Joker. A tingling sensation danced across Haru’s muscles that reminded her of the feeling she felt during her countless sessions at the gym. Clarity struck as she realized that that was when the spirit was discreetly pumping up her muscles. However, there was no subtlety this time, only a pure display of power.

            Haru’s already impressive biceps swelled to staggering proportions as her limbs grew thick enough to mimic a tree trunk. A sizable boost in her height left her bulging leg muscles on full display as she rose out of the water. The increased mass of her shoulders combined with a set of swollen pecs that were wider than a car meant that it was near impossible for her to see anything below her waist. Straining her hulking form to get an idea of what was going on, she did manage to see what had become of Joker.

            The already sizable young man’s body began to fill up the spring at a rapid pace. His belly was just barely able to keep up in order to hold up his moobs as they grew to resemble a set of wrecking balls. Overcoming the size of a car, his ass cheeks pushed out of the water to hang off the edge of the pool. Though he tried to physically pull off the chain causing this extreme growth, his flab-laden arms didn’t have any chance of reaching out to the spectral tether. With his blubbery legs pinned beneath his blobby body, the expression on his fattening face was one of distress. The single, husky plea he managed to push from his lips was the last kick Haru needed to bring this to an end.

            Releasing a roar fitting for her hulking body, Haru began to charge towards the Nebutori. The ghost merely laughed, unconcerned with any attempts to physically damage her. Unfortunately for the spirit, she failed to realize that Haru wasn’t going for her, but rather the box floating along the surface. Grasping the cursed crate between her fingers, all it took was a single clench of her fingers to reduce it to splinters.

            “No,” the Nebutoris said, watching the shards of her statue drop into the water. “No, this isn’t happening. I don’t want to go. There’s still so much that I want to-“

            The Nebutori’s begging was cut off as her body dissipated into a beacon of light. Her disappearance coincided with the chains connecting her to her victims evaporating. Staring down at her fingers, Haru waited for the moment that she would return to normal. Glancing over at Joker’s immobile form, she tried to see any sign of it shrinking down. One minute passed and then another. Then one hour passed, followed by a second. As the night went on, Joker and Haru stayed with one another, waiting for the moment that they would wake up from this strange dream.

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            The long period of time since the last time he had been called over to the Okumura residence had made the delivery man worried about one of his best customers. When the call came in for an order that far exceeded any previous ones, he was the first to volunteer for the task. Making his way up the stairs to the entrance, he instructed the other workers to let him go first. Eager to see Haru’s fit body once more, he rang the doorbell.

            A small quake coming from inside the house made the delivery pause for a moment. As the sensation grew closer, he could pick up what sounded like an elephant stomping through the abode. His attempt to peek in through a window was stopped by the front door being torn off its hinges. Watching his coworkers scatter to avoid getting his by the makeshift cannonball, the turned back to watch the giant woman emerge from the house.

            The delivery man stared up in awe as he beheld the behemoth that was Haru. Her towering, 10-foot tall physique nearly matched the broadness of her body thanks to her plethora of bulging, veiny muscles. Grabbing onto the entryway with her hands, she gingerly pushed herself through to avoid knocking over what remained of the door with her shoulders. Fully revealed, she reached behind her back to ensure the bikini fastened around her swollen chest was properly in place to avoid any slips. Snapping the fabric around her waist to ensure her thong was doing its job as well, she squatted down on her bulky legs to loom over the delivery man.

            “Sorry, still getting used to having so much strength,” Haru said, following up with a nervous laugh as she dragged her fingers through her curly hair. As she reached out towards the delivery man, he flinched at the thought that she was going to eat him. Instead, she merely took his clipboard, signed her name, and handed it back. “There we go. Just leave all the food at the entrance. I can take care of the rest myself from here.”

            Dropping off the order, the delivery man and the rest of his crew took their leave. Faced with the staggering number of boxes, Haru casually hoisted up the majority of them in one go. Carefully maneuvering through the entrance, she made a mental note to hasten the order to widen the doorway to avoid this constant issue. Strolling through the hall with nearly a ton of food in her arms, she added to her list of things to renovate as she noticed the countless cracks in the walls from where she had accidentally bumped into them. However, her first priority was making sure that her special guest was well taken care of.

            Dropping off the boxes of food in the master bedroom, Haru looked toward the pair of king-sized mattresses she had hauled in just for Joker. The makeshift bedding was just barely enough to hold him up; with the sides of his massive rear left to hang off of the sides. Still, the cushioning proved more than enough to keep him and his plethora of fat rolls comfortable for hours on end. Arriving just in time to watch him scrape up the last bit of food she had balanced atop his massive pecs, she stomped her way over to meet him face to face.

            “How are you holding up?” Haru asked.

            “I’m fine,” Joker replied as he struggled to lick up the last bit of chocolate clinging to his plump cheeks. “That cake you gave me managed to hold me for a few minutes at least.”

            Reaching to him, Haru took on the task by wiping away the icing along his face and down his rows of chins. “I hope you’re hungry. Everything smelled pretty good when I was bringing it in.”

            “I’m more than ready,” Joker said with a grin. “Did you manage to get the order in for the doughnuts?”

            “Yup, six dozen of them,” Haru replied, pulling out the boxes in question. “They should keep us on track for putting the café menu together. It might be a while before they can figure out a way to reverse our conditions, but we might as well make the most of it.”

            With doughnuts in hand, Haru flopped down onto Joker’s body. With muscle and fat pressing against one another, she shuffled up his form to rest her bulged out pecs against his moobs. Taking a moment to revel in the feeling of his soft body, she pulled out a handful of doughnuts and brought them up to his mouth. “Open up and say ah,” she said, watching with adoration as her lovable blob ate up every last bite.