Growing Up

I never knew that...

Growing up would change someone so much...

"Hiyo Hiyo! I challenge you!" grinned, pointing her wooden sword at the boy who was practicing silently.

" , I've already said that, I. Want. To. Practice." Hyoshi sneered, waving his sword with a heavy silence.

"Please Hiyo! Please?"

+++

and Hiyoshi Wakashi were childhood friends. Their grandparents were both starters of their respective dojos, and had been allies for a long time.

Hiyoshi was introduced to when he was 5, he remembered. And they had been rivals since then, challenging one another until 's family moved to Kyoto 5 years later.

This time, they returned to visit and Hiyoshi had been complaining throughout the week about why the family should come here. Grandpa Hiyoshi patted Hiyoshi on the shoulder, “They’re old family friends, Wakashi.”

+++

Hiyoshi sighed, recalling this and tilted her head curiously.

“Fine,” he finally gave in and attacked with one quick, neat movement.

shifted her whole body out of the way, avoiding the hit rather successfully.

She stuck her tongue out, “I’m not that easy to beat! I practiced too!”

Hiyoshi smirked.

With a swift turn, he caught by her waist, flipped and tossed her on the ground.

+++

Having his sword on ’s neck, the girl was nailed on the ground.

“…”

He gazed into those big brown eyes.

“…”

“…She’s quite… pretty.” was the first thought Hiyoshi had.

“… and she has changed so much, just after 4 years…”

+++

The he knew four years ago wasn’t like that. She had short hair, short figure, and short eyelashes.

But now, she had the features of a girl.

He looked through the soft brown hair which covered her eyes. Those eyelashes were so long. She had a heart-faced face, a petite nose and red, luscious lips. He blinked, not believing what he was seeing.

+++

“Heh, I lost again!” grinned sheepishly. She had never been able to beat Hiyoshi anyway.

“So, do I get a prize for winning?”

“Hm… let me think…”

“…”

Hiyoshi removed his sword from ’s neck and pulled her up and into his arms, and proceeded to wrap his arms around her thin waist. “This is a good enough prize for me.”

“Wakashi!” exclaimed, pushing the boy away with all her might.

It wasn’t that she didn’t like him. She liked him a lot, so much that she had begged for her mother to visit ever since they left Tokyo. -kaasan had been shocked at her attachment to the Hiyoshi dojo, not knowing that it was young Wakashi-chan that she was so closely bonded to.

+++

Seeing that the look on ’s face wasn’t of annoyance or anger, but of embarrassment, Hiyoshi grinned and extended his left hand to cup her face. “ , you’ve grown up.” Hiyoshi smiled a smile that he never smiled before, a warm and tender smile.

“Wa… kashi…” mused, captivated by that smile.

Hiyoshi took the chance to grab her back into his chest. He dropped his sword and draped his other hand around ’s shoulders and snuggled her.

“You’ve grown up so much.”

“So have you, Wakashi.” touched Hiyoshi’s strong shoulders, firm and tough.

+++

The two edged nearer to each other and moved into a warm embrace and kissed.

They joined their lips, engaging in a tender kiss.

had never felt such warmth from Hiyoshi before.

And Hiyoshi had never realized how much he had missed until now.

“I love you…” Hiyoshi said through their kiss.

“Um, me too…” responded lovingly.

+++

“They’ve grown up eh…” Grandpa Hiyoshi and Grandpa peeked from the screens.

“Our plan worked!” The two elders said, grinning at each other while congratulating each other with a cup of warm tea.

Growing up is a mystical and wonderful process…

//Summer. 20th Nov ’04.