Chapter 34: A Friend From The Past (3)

[Kurogane Tsubasa's POV]

This was the first time in years that I had seen Suwano. She was the same as I remembered her, though there was no trace of childishness on her face; she had become a grown-up woman, after all. But her features remained unchanged. Sullen, with a perpetual glare. Yet, those very features were what made her unique among all the women I'd ever met. That was right; she was beautiful just as she was.

And she was as beautiful as I remembered... or perhaps even more so.

As I pointed that out, Suwano's face turned red, all the way to the tips of her ears. But then, she quickly reverted to her usual expression, sullen and glaring.

"You're as much of a douchebag as ever."

Classic Suwano. I couldn't help but grin at her familiar attitude. Some things never change, and in a way, it was comforting.

"You've done a lot of growing too... but certainly not in that department."

"What do you mean by that exactly?" She said, her glare intensifying.

It was strange. Despite the years that had passed, it felt like no time had gone by at all. Suwano was still the same fiery, headstrong girl I had known in middle school, and I was still the same cocky guy she couldn't stand. Well, I wasn't that cocky in middle school, of course. It was just the way I talked. I sometimes tended to overestimate myself and thought I could do anything, which wasn't true, of course. Even though I could excel at some things with enough practice, there were still plenty of things I couldn't do. For instance, I couldn't fly a plane since I hadn't learned how.

I quickly realized that my comment about her growth, or rather, lack thereof in a certain department, wasn't the most tactful thing to say. Suwano's glare intensified, and for a moment, I thought she might punch me.

"Sorry, Suwano," I said, trying to defuse the situation. "I didn't mean it like that. It's just... I don't know, old habits die hard."

She continued to glare at me, but after a heavy sigh, her expression softened slightly. "You're still the same jerk, Kurogane."

I couldn't help but chuckle. "Yeah, I guess I am."

Suwano shook her head. "Well, whatever. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Yeah, it has," I agreed. "Three years, right?"

"Seems like a lifetime ago," she mused. Then, her expression changed into something incomprehensible as she brought up a new topic, "Seems like you've got a girlfriend now. Wow... can't believe that guy with a weird haircut and stupid-ass spectacles is now cool enough that a girl as beautiful as her found you datable. I guess you've had your high school debut, huh?"

I shot Suwano a smirk in response to her teasing tone. "Well, you know, even us 'jerks' can change, you know. And just so you're in the loop, my girlfriend actually liked my 'weird' haircut and didn't mind my old glasses." I added air quotes around 'weird' for emphasis.

Suwano rolled her eyes. "Sure thing, Kurogane. Anyway, how have you been? What brings you here?"

"Oh, you know, just having a date with my girlfriend."

At that, Suwano's expression soured. I couldn't quite figure out why she was making that face now. It used to be tough to read her expressions in the past, but now, her making these faces only made it more confusing.

"Right. Of course. What else would you be doing here if not for a date?"

"Well, speaking of which," I continued, "my girlfriend and I actually came here to the arcade. You know, the one where we used to hang out back in middle school."

Suwano's eyes widened a fraction before she quickly masked it with a neutral expression. "Oh, that place? It's been ages since I last went there. Or since I played anything worth my time, I guess... But choosing that spot for a date... Are you trying to dazzle your girlfriend with your arcade prowess?"

"Oh, you bet. She's been thoroughly impressed by my claw machine skills. I snagged her four prizes."

"Well, you've certainly left quite an impression already."

I chuckled. "Yeah, a little alley brawl doesn't exactly go unnoticed, does it?"

Suwano leaned in a bit closer, her curiosity clear. "Honestly, I never thought you knew the first thing about martial arts, let alone that you could hold your own in a fight. I mean, back then, you were pretty much the textbook nerd, always tucked away in some corner of the classroom with your nose buried in books."

She nodded in agreement, though a glint of something lingered in her eyes, perhaps a hint of nostalgia. "That's true. People do change. Some more than others. I mean, you certainly did. Physically... and maybe even mentally, in some ways."

I flashed her a grin and placed my hands on her shoulders. She flinched slightly at my touch. "Well, one thing that hasn't changed about you is your chest. But all in all, I think you've grown quite a bit, mentally."

Suwano shot me an irritated glare, pulled away, and subtly shielded her breasts from view. Her irritation flared up, and she didn't hold back in her retort. "You know, Kurogane, some things never change either. Like your ability to be a complete and utter pervert. I don't know what kind of weird transformation your girlfriend worked on you, but it hasn't improved your sense of decency."

I couldn't help but laugh at her response. Some things between us, it seemed, never changed no matter how much time had passed

Just as I was about to respond to Suwano's remark, I felt a tap on my back. Startled, I turned to see my girlfriend, Chinastu, standing there with an eerie smile on her face. It was the kind of smile that meant trouble.

"Having fun, are we?" she chimed in with an unsettling grin.