So there really was a time skip, although I was led to believe she was already at least college-aged in last chapter.
A sidetail isn't a weird hairstyle, what are these dumb mean girls saying? They're lucky she didn't pull the "silence, you pathetic virgins" card on them. I'm sure the disdainful look in her eyes had her on the brink of saying it.
He's likely gonna show up with another woman by his side... if his ex-gf didn't abandon him already, his self-destruct move to get exiled actually gave her the win for a few years.