"Shuma!"
The two embraced warmly. After they parted and Kawakawa Shuma landed, Noah gave him a light punch in the chest and scolded him with a grin:
"It really is you, you little punk! What gives? You weren't going to say a word unless I called out first? You had me thinking I'd mistaken you for someone else!"
"Hehe, military discipline is strict..."
Kawakawa Shuma looked sheepish. "Besides, boss, you looked so imposing just now that it was scary. I agonized over it for ages, but couldn't work up the nerve. But now..."
"Now what?"
"Nothing." Kawakawa Shuma scratched his head and grinned foolishly.
Some things only needed a passing mention. There was no need to spell them out.
They hadn't seen each other in years. Once classmates who had fought aboard the same ship, their positions were now worlds apart. He was still only a lowly commander, while Noah had become one of the Marine Headquarters Vice Admirals whose reputation shook the seas.
Suddenly coming face-to-face, he had naturally felt nervous and awkward. What if Noah had become arrogant and met his friendly approach with a cold shoulder? That would have been embarrassing.
But now...
Hehe, Boss Noah was still Boss Noah. Some things hadn't changed at all.
Noah smiled too. Rather than press him, he changed the subject and chatted with Kawakawa Shuma about what they had been through over the past few years.
Come to think of it.
Of all the recruits in Noah's class, Kawakawa Shuma had been the youngest, and his aptitude in every area had ranked near the bottom.
As a result, he had only received the rank of Marine Headquarters lieutenant commander upon graduation.
But the kid's greatest strength was how hard he worked.
That seemed to have come from Noah's influence during