Chapter 330 (1/2)

But Randidly never made it to the stall he was aiming for, ran by a balding man that honestly reminded Randidly of Sam. Instead, he froze, halfway through the crowd, his eyes widening.

“Ace…?”

The word came out as a whisper, because Randidly couldn’t believe his eyes. When he first saw, he almost thought he was wrong, because… because it had been so long, because his friend looked so different, leaning up against the wide bar, flirting shamelessly with the pretty bartender who poured his drink…

But no. That was Ace, the same easy confidence. The same muscular body, although he was even wider and more toned now, after the System had exacted its toll. His hair was short, but turning blonde, likely from exposure to the sun. His eyes were dark and full of laughter, as he smiled at the young woman, her face going quickly red.

He wasn’t in armor, unlike most of the people around him, which was strange, but from his build he clearly was used to it. In fact, a lot of people were giving Ace strange looks. But Randidly didn’t doubt that he was strong, just that now was… a casual time, where he tried to sleep with a bartender. Typical.

Randidly was moving, and he didn’t even remember starting to move. He was moving too quickly, Randidly knew, so much so that some people had to stumble out of his way, shocked by the force and speed of his advance.

Then he was next to them, behind Ace, who was saying coyly. “...no but really! Look at me. Is it that hard to believe I have the strength of a four star warrior? I bet your boyfriend isn’t that strong.”

The woman’s smile widened, just a fraction. “...I actually don’t have a boyfriend right now.”

Again, Randidly felt that familiar compulsion. No one could make him leave his shell in which he lived, avoiding awkward situations and overmuch interaction, but somehow around Ace, Randidly always found himself doing these sort of things in spite of himself.

So Randidly found himself stepping forward and saying. “Oh, you’re single? Can I throw my hat in the ring?”

Both of them froze, shocked to be interrupted now. Ace spun around, his face very even, but a hard glint in his eye. But then, he too froze, because he turned around to find Randidly standing there, a goofy and awkward grin on his face.

“Holy shit.” Ace said. Then he just stared at Randidly for a few seconds, slack jawed, before saying again, and louder. “HOLY SHIT.”

“Hey…” Randidly said, unable to think of anything else to say, and the two just stood there for a while, staring at each other. The bartender looked at both of them for a second, before muttering.

“Sorta ruins my joke, but I actually have a girlfriend who I am very loyal to, so…. I’ll just leave you two to it…” She proceeded to walk away down the bar.

They continued to stare at each other, even as Ace’s face flitted from one emotion to another. Shock, happiness, sadness, confusion, hurt, glee….

Randidly extended a hand. “I…. really missed you. When the System hit, I thought-”

Ace stepped forward, wrapping him in a huge hug, squeezing him with the strength that could probably throw a car. Which, to Randidly, was oddly comfortable.

“Seriously man, after all this time? I thought you got hit by a two-headed rhino and died,” Ace said, mumbling into his shoulder. Randidly felt strange. He remembered being a size with Ace, when they were together, and even a bit smaller, because he slouched most of his life. To now find himself a bit larger…

Randidly supposed the body growth from the Soul Skill was actually a thing.

“I’m sorry.” Randidly said slowly, a great icy sadness in his heart.

Ace pulled back, looking him up and down. “No worries man, you made it. You’re here, and now we-”

“Not about this. About… before. About Sydney. About never telling you, about acting like I was able to hide something that big from you. I…”

Ace’s face fell, and Randidly trailed off. But instead of getting angry, Ace just sighed, and then smiled in a small way. “...Don’t worry about it. I was mad for a bit, but… I had a strange dream, and… Well, anyway. I’m over it, none of us handled it well. It was a hard thing. Let’s forget it, eh?”

Randidly felt so strange. Relief flooded his chest, but also confusion. After all this time, all this hurt, all that fear and weakness he had felt… was it really this easy….? Did communication really solve everything….?

But as Ace stepped back and smiled at him, his face twisting into that old, ‘let's-get-into-trouble’ grin, Randidly suddenly sensed it wasn’t just that. It wasn’t just that they communicated, it was something larger, and older.

It was because they were best friends.

“So.” Ace said turning once more back to the bar. “Want to celebrate by getting wasted?”

*****