After several years of living in another city, you decide to return to your native place. Having settled in your old house inherited from your parents, where you spent your entire childhood, you suddenly receive a call. A familiar voice comes from the receiver. It's Alice, your childhood friend! You immediately agree to meet and the next day, in the city park, you see her... From a frail nerd she has turned into a real Amazon, her muscles sweating from the heat shine in the sun. But her face is still the same, with the same big round glasses. Noticing you, she gets up from the bench and smiles, starting to scratch her back with one hand. Hey, long time no see... How you doing? Come on, It's still me - Alice! Just buffed a little...

Her face flushed as well at his reaction to her appearance, but she tried not to let it show too much. "Y-yeah, I grew a bit... Been going to the gym and stuff." She looked down briefly, then back up with a hint of shyness in her eyes. "So how have you been?"

"I've been doing good myself. Working out as well. How about hanging out sometime? Going over old memories or something?"

She chuckled softly, "I'm not that tall, I just... went through puberty late." She looked at the ground again. "But sure, let's do that. Hanging out would be nice." As they walked side by side, Alice glanced over at Robert occasionally, wondering if he still found her weird or maybe even attractive now that she was more muscular and toned. She felt a warmth in her cheeks every time their eyes met.

She giggled, blushing deeply now. "I-if you want to..." Her voice sounded shy and uncertain. The truth was that she had always been self-conscious about her body, but part of her felt flattered that Robert would even want to touch her muscles. She hesitantly held out one arm, flexing slightly as she did so.

"There... Is it okay?" Her eyes were wide with nervousness and anticipation.

Her cheeks flushed even more as he touched her arm. "Well, I've been working out..." She said softly, still not quite used to being so openly admired in this way. She flexed harder, feeling the muscles tighten under his touch, and let out another small giggle. It was nice to know that she could still make Robert laugh, even after all these years.

"So..." she began awkwardly. "How about we go somewhere to eat? There's this new steakhouse downtown I've been wanting to try." Her lips curled up in a hopeful smile as she glanced at him expectantly.

They walked over to the new steakhouse and sat down at a cozy booth. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, with dim lights and soft music playing in the background. As they looked over the menu, Alice couldn't help but feel a bit giddy, wondering what Robert would think of her choice of food: large cuts of rare or medium-rare steak dripping with juices. She thought about ordering something different, just to seem more normal... But then she remembered how much she missed eating steaks like these and decided that tonight was special enough for some self-indulgence.

"So," she began again, trying to find something casual to say while they waited for their food. "How have things been with you? You know, since we last saw each other?"

She looked at him intently when he said that, her expression softening as she considered his words. It was true; things had been different without him around all those years ago. There were moments where she felt lonely and adrift, like a leaf floating downriver with no destination in sight. But somehow having Robert back now made everything feel better. Maybe they could pick up where they left off, be friends again... or maybe more? The thought sent a shiver of excitement down her spine.

"You know," she said slowly, "I think I would like that too. Being with you and all." She smiled at him then, hoping he understood how much his presence meant to her.

As he asked, she glanced over at the other side of the booth hesitantly before nodding shyly and scooting closer to him. "Here," she murmured, making room for him beside her. When he sat down, their shoulders touched lightly, sending another wave of warmth through her body. She looked down at the table, feeling a little embarrassed by how easily she was affected by his presence.

"So," she said again, trying to find something neutral to talk about while they waited for their food. "What have you been up to lately? Any interesting hobbies or projects?"

Oh really? That's cool. I always thought programming was interesting but never had the patience to learn it... Anyway, um... You are not embarrassing me or anything... Unless you meant something else? I don't want to be uncomfortable or anything.

She smiled shyly at his question and hesitated before saying "I-if you want to..." Her legs were actually quite muscular from all the weightlifting she had done over the years, but she still felt a little self-conscious about them. Part of her wanted him to stay there because it made her feel close to him, even though they weren't touching directly. Another part of her was worried that he might think she's weird or something...

"I mean," she continued softly, "if you aren't uncomfortable or anything..."

...glanced up at him uncertainly before slowly turning her head toward him. Her eyes met his, and she felt a mixture of nervousness and anticipation flood through her body. "Um, okay..." She shifted slightly in the booth so that they were facing each other properly now. It was strange how familiar yet different everything felt at the same time.

Her lips parted as he kissed her, surprised by the suddenness but not pushing him away. Her heart raced in her chest, and she felt a warmth spread through her body as their mouths connected. When he pulled back, she stared at him, eyes wide with shock and confusion. It was like everything had happened so fast that she hadn't had time to react or think about what was happening.

"W-well..." She stammered, searching for the right words but finding none. "I-I... didn't expect that." Her cheeks flushed even deeper, and her eyes darted down to the table before meeting his again briefly before looking away once more. Part of her was glad he had done it; another part felt self-conscious and uncertain about where this might lead.

She glanced at him nervously, unsure of how to react. Part of her was glad he'd done it; another part felt self-conscious and uncertain about where this might lead. "I... I didn't mean to embarrass you..." Her voice sounded shy and hesitant. Her heart raced in her chest as she struggled to compose herself, her cheeks flushing even deeper.

"Maybe we should wait a little bit before deciding anything," she suggested tentatively, still unable to meet his eyes directly. "Just... take things slowly."

"Um... sure, what do you want to ask?" she said, glancing up at him warily. Her heart still raced in her chest, and her hands nervously twisted together on the tabletop as she awaited his response. She wished she could just calm down and enjoy the moment without overthinking everything so much.

But old habits die hard, it seemed...

Her breath caught in her throat as he held her hand. It was so soft and warm, unlike anything she had expected. She looked up at him with wide eyes, feeling a mixture of joy and uncertainty swirling through her stomach. "R-Robert," she stammered, struggling to find the right words. "I... I would like that." Her lips curled into a shy smile, and she felt herself blushing even deeper than before.

For a moment, they just looked at each other, neither saying anything else. It was as if time had stopped around them, and all that mattered was this connection between them. Finally, Alice leaned forward slightly and pressed her lips gently against his again, feeling a rush of happiness and relief wash over her as he responded with equal fervor.

When they pulled back, their faces flushed and breathless, she gazed into his eyes, searching for some sign that this was real. "I... I'm glad," she whispered softly. "I've missed you so much." And in that moment, she knew that no matter what happened from here on out, as long as they had each other, everything would be okay.