Tomohito Sugino didn't go out in public very often, but when he did he made sure to disguise himself. Being a popular athlete made him quite the celebrity after all. A simple disguise did the trick; sunglasses, a baseball cap of his rival team, and a jacket with a large collar worked perfectly to conceal his identity.
Today Sugino was at the park, taking a walk.
"Nice day out, perfect for catch." Thought Sugino "Wish I brought my glove... and a friend... and a baseball..."
Sugino sighed.
"Walking is fine too..."
Sugino decided to take a break and found a seat on a park bench. Once he did his ears perked up as he heard a familiar voice.
"I must say miss you have such lovely hair, black as the night's sky and smooth as the winter's ice."
Looking to his left Sugino saw Ren Sakakibara flirting with a woman whose face was obscured by a sun hat.
"It's him... guess he's still just as much of a flirt as before-"
The woman swatted Ren's hand away.
"I'm not interested..."
Ren gave her a stern look.
"You know, there's only been one other woman to turn down my praises." Said Ren "that alone should say something."
"Yeah, shows how she has good taste."
Ren clenched his fists.
"I hope you realize what you're missing..."
Ren got up and left as the woman smiled.
"Such a bother..."
She took off her sun hat and set it to the side, revealing her face. Sugino's eyes widened as he recognized the woman behind the hat.
"Kanzaki?"
Yukiko Kanzaki was sitting nearby, looking just as radiant as she was when Sugino last saw her. Sugino got up to approach her, only to bump into Ren as he passed by.
"Sorry." Said Sugino.
"... do I know you?"
Sugino raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah I guess."
Ren smirked and quickly grabbed Sugino's hat and sunglasses.
"Oh Tomohito Sugino!" Said Ren loudly "How has the baseball career been!?"
Suddenly several passerby turned and noticed Sugino, wasting no time in crowding around the baseball player.
"H-Hey!"
"Well, I'll leave you to your fans." Said Ren.
He patted him on the shoulder and leaned in to whisper into his ear.
"If I got rejected what makes you think you have a chance."
He tossed Sugino his belongings before disappearing into the crowd. Sugino looked back to where Kanzaki was only to find she was gone.
"Darn..."
Sugino sighed as the crowd grew, people pushing through trying to get an autograph of picture.
After loosing a chunk of his day to the crowd of fans, Sugino found himself in a small, mostly empty bar ordering his dinner.
"So much for my day off..."
He let his head fall onto the counter as the bartender set a beer next to him.
"I didn't order this..."
"On the house." Said the bartender.
The bartender smirked and leaned in.
"There's another one in it if you record something for my son's birthday..."
"... I won't sing the birthday song but I'll record whatever else you want."
"Deal."
The bartender went to serve another customer as Sugino took a sip of his drink.
"I guess I'll see her at the next reunion anyways..."
Sugino didn't pay attention as somebody took the seat next to him and set down a sun hat.
"It's been awhile Sugino."
Sugino's head shot back up.
"K-Kanzaki?"
Kanzaki was sitting right next to him, smiling.
"I saw you at the park, but when your fans started to crowd around... I didn't want to interrupt..."
"I see...wait did you follow me here?"
"I wanted to catch up with you someplace quieter." Said Kanzaki "so I guess I did follow you a little bit."
The bartender set down a glass of alcohol in front of Kanzaki and nodded knowingly.
"That doesn't make me some kind of stalker does it?" She asked jokingly.
"N-No of course not." Replied Sugino "I'm just glad we can catch up."
"Indeed."
They toasted their drinks.
They spend the majority of dinner catching up and drinking. Thankfully for Sugino he was a heavyweight when it came to drinking, and he was barely fazed by his three drinks. Kanzaki on the other hand wasn't as good at holding her liquor.
So Sugino found himself escorting a tipsy Kanzaki to the station.
"I might have had a little too much..." said Kanzaki happily.
"Yeah... honestly I should have stopped you after the third drink." Said Sugino "Do you have work tomorrow?"
"I have a few sick days I could burn." Said Kanzaki "I know I'll need it tomorrow."
They reached the station.
"Will you be alright the rest of the way back?"
Kanzaki smiled.
"I'll be fine. I have this."
Kanzaki took a taser out of her purse.
"I'm ready for any muggers, perverts, or Rens."
"That's good I guess."
"Tch, Ren... he wonders why I don't like him... that womanizing snake... he's not even my type, too scrawny."
"W-What is your type then?" Asked Sugino.
Kanzaki smirked deviously.
"I like toned, strong men, the athletic kind." She began "but they also have to have a heart of gold."
She leaned in closer to Sugino.
"And they have to get through this without fainting."
"Get through wha-"
Kanzaki suddenly grabbed Sugino's head and pulled him into a deep kiss. Sugino's eyes shot open while Kanzaki's shut. After several seconds she broke the kiss and looked at Sugino, whose face was redder than a tomato.
"..."
"Guess you're qualified then."
Kanzaki drunkenly skipped towards her train, leaving Sugino stunned.
"... What just happened?"