She giggled again, before becoming somber once again.
“Y’know, you don’t have to confess at school. Sure, it’s the stereotypical thing, but it’s not something you have to do. Just ask him to meet you somewhere. And be honest and sincere. If your feelings are genuine and I know they are, it should be obvious. It’s true he might not believe you and be wary, but you know what you feel. And if he gets to know you, he’ll see it too.”
“But he’s always with the person he’s got his eye on, his group of friends, or working after school! I don’t wanna… be a bother, y’know? He’s always working hard…”
The French girl let out a quiet sigh, sipping at her coffee for a moment.
“I tried leaving a note in his shoe locker to invite him to talk somewhere after school one time, but he never showed up or mentioned he even got it… So I kind of just… stayed at a distance ‘cause of that.”
That had been a while ago, Rebecca never forgot it. She had kept her small crush to herself until she had the chance to talk to Rise about it after all.
“Did you seriously just say dokis out loud?” She was full on giggling at how cute Rebecca was.
“Well, I won’t pretend. If he does like someone else and rejects you, it probably will hurt. However, holding back those emotions can hurt too,” she spoke. What a hypocrite. She hadn’t confessed to Souji yet.
“In this world, there are endless possibilities. And sometimes, you just have to leap whether or not you’re caught. You just have to let yourself fall. If you shy away from everything you want in life, you’ll only be asking yourself: What if I had done that? You can’t answer that question, if you don’t try!”
“I-Isn’t that the word for it? ‘Dokis’?”
Rebecca let out a huffing noise before looking up at her schoolmate, cheeks still pink.
“I’ll try but… There are people who’re really mean to him for no reason and… What if he thinks I’m not serious because of that? Like… People are just expecting me to understand why he’s supposedly a bad person but…
I don’t. He’s kind and sweet and I don’t understand why some people treat him like he’s satan or something.”
It always made her very sad to see that as well. She didn’t know why it happened, only that it was very mean. She didn’t much like the girl in the green jacket as a result.
“Bardot-chaaan~ Honestly. Why didn’t you ask him then and there? Moving on though. Any chance you’ll see him again? You gotta ask him next time! It’s like required!”
“I don’t stand a chance… He already has his eyes on someone…”
Klonk went the girl’s forehead on the cafe table as she groaned.
“How can I possibly face him in class now? He’s just so sweet and precious…”
The girl laid a hand over own katana on her belt, unsure of whether the other needed help or not. Her voice was rather androgynous, so she wouldn’t be surprised if she was confused for a boy.
Rise’s own smile was bright in response. She was miles and miles away from both regions she called home, but kindness seemed to find its way any and everywhere. It truly warmed the girl’s heart. She cheerfully followed behind Rebecca.
As they were walking to the Pokemon Center, one of the managers greeted them both, addressing Rebecca by name, but not by her title.
“We’re all very friendly here, as you’ve probably guessed by now. Anyone around’ll help people out if they’re lost. My name’s Rebecca.”
Once they made their way to the center, she opened the door, holding it open for the other behind her.
“I suppose it should be expected. It is the league, after all. Gotta be braced for all the challenges as they come, even if all these mazes are a bit overwhelming all at once. Anyway, please do lead the way!”
“Indeed, indeed! This way!”
Rebecca gave the girl a warm smile, adjusting her headphones on her ears as she turned and led the way to the Pokemon center, boots quietly clacking on the ground.
“Ah! Was it that obvious? I am pretty lost, to be honest. Aha, this place is more confusing than I thought.”
“A little! You were looking around confused, so I didn’t want to assume. And yeah, it’s maze-like when you don’t know where you’re going, especially after something like Victory Road. Follow me to the Center, alright?”
Back in the Game 