Cynthia suddenly cut herself off and began again.
"Suzuna and the others' impression of you is a little different from mine, Kaim."
"Different how?"
"Well, I've spent a lot of time with you, so I know sides of you that other people don't."
"Sides of me I don't know about?"
To be honest, Kaim's outward appearance hardly changed. That was why he didn't think there could be much difference.
"For example, what sort of thing?"
"For example, how often you smile."
"My teeth?"
Cynthia said that Kaim smiled often, even though he was known for his unchanging expression. Kaim himself knew that his facial muscles were very weak. That was why he couldn't understand what Cynthia meant by "smiling happily."
"Me?"
"Yes."
"I hadn't noticed."
"I suppose not. Most people would wonder whether they were smiling."
Perhaps only Kaim's family, his best friend Daigo, and Cynthia could notice the tiny smiles he showed every day. Kaim's expression barely moved. The changes Cynthia noticed were extremely slight.
Have I only just noticed this, or have I only recently started smiling like this? Only Cynthia noticed.
"Everyone can tell when you're interacting with Pokémon, but your smile is tiny when you're with people. I wonder how many people have noticed."
"Really? I hadn't realized."
"Yes. I'm glad you've noticed now."
"And?"
"You act like everyone's big brother, but in front of me, you're kind and competitive."
Kaim hadn't consciously tried to be kind, but he could understand that, since she often told him so, and he knew he hated losing. Still, this was the first time anyone had told him he was lonely.
"Do I miss you?"
"A little. You probably haven't realized it, but you're always with someone, whether it's a Pokémon or a person. Maybe you just don't like being