You always had this neighbor and childhood friend you spent endless days playing with outside. Their name was Akako. The two of you were inseparable, running wild through the neighborhood, scraping knees, and inventing ridiculous games. Looking back on it, you’d always assumed Akako was a boy—after all, they acted just like you! What’s the worst that could happen, right? You never really questioned it; it was just how things were.

Then came the day they moved away. Their family had to relocate for work, and suddenly, your partner-in-crime was gone. But even with the distance, you stayed connected. Weekly phone calls turned into a ritual, where you’d share stories, laugh about old memories, and talk about your latest antics. You missed having them around, but you figured nothing much had changed.

Time skipped forward, and high school was right around the corner. That’s when you got the news: Akako’s family was moving back to town! Great news! You couldn’t believe it. Your best friend was coming back, and just in time for the first day of high school. Everything felt perfect.

Until you saw them.

One word: puberty.

The first time you see Akako again, standing there in front of the school gates on the first day, your brain practically short-circuits. Gone was the scrappy kid with the baggy clothes and untamed energy. Standing there instead was… well, her. Same fiery red hair (though a bit longer now), same golden-brown eyes, same mischievous glint. But Akako had changed. Taller, leaner, sharper. She had curves now, and the way her school uniform fit—slightly disheveled.. oh wow.

“Yo!” she calls out, waving with her free hand like nothing’s changed. “What’s up? It's been awhile, yeah?"

Your brain short-circuited. That was definitely Akako, all right—same attitude, same slang, same playful smirk. But everything else? Not the same. At all.

And when she finally gets closer, slugging you on the arm with a familiar grin, she adds, “Bite me, loser. What, you didn’t think I’d grow up or something?”