A Changed Man?

So, that initial hangout blossomed into the seed of a new friendship. One that your highschool self never would have believed. After having gotten a feel for this new, nice version of him, you finally asked Kaori if she wanted to come with you to meet him. As usual, you reminded her over and over that she could refuse if she didn’t feel up to it.

“Him? Is it okay that I’m kind of curious what he’s like now? You did say he was different now…”

The moment they were back in each other’s presence, you immediately regretted your decision. The way they behaved seemed to totally shift. It was as if proximity made them both revert back in time.

So long as she had you as her anchor, Kaori could be pretty bubbly around people. She didn’t care as much about being judged as she had once. The moment they became acquainted, she spent the entire dinner with her eyes lowered and head slightly bowed. A quiet, deferential pose she used to take to avoid antagonizing her tormentors. She rarely spoke, unless called on by one of you. When she did speak, it was in a whimpering whisper.

Meanwhile, the sharper edges of this “new and improved” version of him seemed to come out around her. He never totally returned to bully behavior. However, his jokes became meaner and his smile grew a little darker. It was like his old self was peaking above the hedges of his changed behavior.{if Romantic = false}

You were pretty concerned with her shift in demeanor, so you planned to talk to her about it later. Yet, when you returned home, you found her in perfectly high spirits. She was even excited about the next time the three of you would meet up.

None of it made any sense to you. Kaori had to reassure that she was alright. She had been quiet at dinner because she was working through some old defense mechanisms. Once she got used to seeing him again, she’d be fine. You really didn’t need to protect her this time.{endif}