Thirst for the Desert

Yue Jifei froze when she suddenly heard her name.

She sprang to her feet, drained the fruit wine in her glass, then walked over and said enticingly, "Don't tell me you've fallen for me, Dian?"

Ripples stirred in her emerald eyes, as though luring him into their depths.

"No. I'm just a little disappointed."

Dian sighed. "There was a Jigglypuff that loved drawing on sleeping people's faces, so I wanted to try it. I even borrowed a marker. I just didn't expect you to wake up."

"..."

Yue Jifei sighed too. She turned away and said listlessly, "That felt like reading an unbearably sweet, boring romance novel."

She set her glass on the table and prepared to leave.

Suddenly—

Misdreavus's eyes darted about. "Dream."

She giggled. At the same moment, Yue Jifei, who had just turned around, lost her footing and fell backward, landing squarely on Dian's lap.

"Ah."

A tiny gasp escaped her, and a blush spread across her neck.

Dian gazed at the pale gold hair before him and lost himself in it for a moment.

To his surprise, Yue Jifei covered her mouth and laughed. She leaned gently back against him. "I knew you were utterly smitten with me, Mr. Dian, but I didn't expect you to... to..."

A sweet, tempting gleam shone in her moist emerald eyes.

Buzz.

A faint vibration came from Dian's wrist. Time was up.

"Oh, what a shame."

Yue Jifei stood again and said with a smile, "Let's go. The Hoenn Great Desert."

Tilting her head, she played with a strand of pale gold hair beside her ear. "We—no, you came to this city for the Hoenn Great Desert, didn't you, Dian?"

Dian looked at the girl before him, his heart stirring. He took off his watch, set it on the table,