"So you're a guest? Fine by me."
"Chamomile came to Galar before. Now it's my turn."
"The law."
"Because I want to cherish my relationships. Anyway, what were you doing just now, Kaim?"
Not long before, Kaim had been talking with Nessa while he worked. Since he wasn't appearing in the show himself, she wanted to know what he was doing.
"'Cynthia' and 'Iris' are coming up soon, so we edited the video and effects for that segment. We had to make something using only the footage we already had, and the other staff seemed busy, so the quality is lower than before. Two Gym Leaders... well, that's good enough for unexpected guests."
There was no footage of Cynthia or Iris, since both had joined without prior notice. The original plan had been to project a safe background and shine lights through it, but for some reason, after Cynthia volunteered the unnecessary information that "Kaim is good at editing videos," he had been forced to work.
"That's amazing. An assistant can do that too?"
"It's partly a hobby. Don't assume every assistant can do this. Nessa, don't you have something better to do?"
"What?"
"The meeting. Are you going to perform?"
"Yes."
"Oh, just what I'd expect from a model."
"I'm not the only person who makes it possible. I can only model like this thanks to everyone's cooperation."
"True."
No one could live alone. Whatever happened, people lived with help from other people and Pokémon. Nessa certainly understood that well.
Then a ball in Kaim's bag popped open on its own. While he worked, Umbreon jumped out and landed on his lap.
"My fault."
"Ah, I haven't paid much attention to you today."
"You missed me."
"No."
Despite Umbreon sniffing at his face, Kaim kept working, while Nessa watched with a smile.
"All right, that's good! That concludes rehearsal."
The chief of staff's voice rang out, bringing rehearsal to an end.
Hearing that, Shirona took a deep breath and looked around. Iris was chatting excitedly with Caitlin, Shimi, and Nessa, seemingly unable to contain her anticipation. Kaim was talking to the staff, and the way he calmly blended in with them clearly showed his excellent communication skills and competence.
"Miss Cynthia."
When she turned at the call, Chamomile was standing there.
"Oh, Shinren. That was a good rehearsal."
"Thank you for your hard work, Miss Cynthia."
"Perhaps it's because I'm used to standing in front of people."
"As long as we can count on you. Everything was so rushed that I wondered how it would turn out, but I think the actual performance will be even better, since rehearsal went so well."
"Hearing that from a professional gives me confidence."
As expected, Cynthia had no experience with fashion shows. Even if she didn't show it, she was a little uneasy. However, when Chamomile, who stood at the forefront of the field, declared that "it'll turn out well," Cynthia felt reassured and confident.
"I considered inviting two members of the Elite Four, but it wasn't possible."
"Iris and I have such irregular schedules that I thought we wouldn't have enough time."
"Yes, but I'm delighted. Two champions came to the opening of this new Gym."
For Chamomile, having Nessa come was wonderful. Nessa was famous beyond the Galar Region, and plenty of people knew her even in the Isshu Region. In terms of fame alone, there might not have been much difference, but Shinren considered Nessa the stronger battler and respected her greatly. She was happy that Nessa, her friend, respected colleague, and worthy rival, had traveled so far to attend the Gym's opening.
"You can even be a model. You really can do anything."
"No, there are things I can't do."
"I can't imagine anything you couldn't do, Miss Shirona."
Cynthia looked a little embarrassed at being treated like some mysterious superhuman.
"Actually, I can't do housework at all."
"Really?"
"Yes. That's why I leave all the housework to Kaim."
Cynthia spoke with a wry smile.
In fact, Cynthia almost never did housework. If she tried and made a mess of it, things would only get worse, leaving Kaim with even more trouble cleaning up afterward. Kaim had told her not to do any housework.
Of course, she didn't want to tell Chamomile, whom she had only just met, quite that much, but she thought she could at least shake off the image of someone who could do anything.
"Yes, I really can't imagine that."
"I'm human too. There are things I can do and things I can't."
"Yes, of course."
Chamomile herself often gave people a cool impression with her appearance, but she also had unexpected sides: she was very kind and loved puns. She acted cool in response to others' expectations, but that wasn't all there was to her. Her cool appearance was part of her, not her only trait. Chamomile knew perfectly well that everyone had sides they didn't show others.
"I think that's very appealing."
"I wonder. Kaim is always scolding me."
"I find people with flaws and weaknesses more appealing than perfect people."
"Hehe, I'm glad."
"If possible, I'd like to battle you, Miss Cynthia."
"I'm sure we could have a battle you'd enjoy."
"Someday, please."
"I'd be delighted."
Cynthia took Chamomile's outstretched hand, met her eyes, and shook it firmly. Chamomile's gaze stayed fixed on Cynthia, and Cynthia sensed that she had no intention of losing, even against a champion. That look made Cynthia smile.
Nessa approached them with a fearless smile and called out.
"Miss Cynthia."
"Miss Nessa."
"No. Rather, it's an honor to share a stage with champions from other regions."
"That makes me feel much better."
"By the way, may I ask you something?"
"Hm? Yes, if it's something I can answer."
Wondering what it might be, Cynthia encouraged Nessa to ask.
Honestly, she had thought it might concern Kaim, but the words that came from Nessa's mouth were unexpected.
"Why is Kaim so bad at battling?"
Cynthia was surprised.
Nessa had spoken to Kaim earlier, so she might have heard something then, but Cynthia hadn't thought she would go out of her way to ask.
"Kaim told you he wasn't good at it?"
"Yes. Actually, I saw him battle at the mall. His instructions were excellent, and his Pokémon's movements were very refined. Hearing him say 'I'm not good at it' didn't sit right with me."
Despite his skills being comparable to a Gym Leader's, Nessa couldn't quite understand his claim that he wasn't good at battling. After all, most trainers in the world could never reach that level, no matter how hard they tried. He hadn't said he disliked it, so she assumed he enjoyed battling itself, but if he really wasn't good at it, reaching a Gym Leader's level would take tremendous effort and mental strength.
"Oh, that's what you mean."
"Ah, of course, it's about Kaim, so if you say you can't tell me, Shirona, I won't press you. But as a Gym Leader, I'm a little concerned."
"Yes, understandably."
"Kaim really is strong."
"Yes. His movements are so good, yet he says he isn't good at battling."
Both Chamomile and Nessa loved battling. Because they loved it, they had been able to keep going until they became Gym Leaders, while also working as models.
Kaim should have been the same. If he loved it, he should have been able to keep going. Yet he said he wasn't good at it. What people liked and what they were good at didn't always match, nor did what they disliked and what they were bad at. It wasn't strange to enjoy something without being good at it, but somehow, Nessa kept feeling that Kaim's claim of being "bad" didn't ring true.
"What about Kaim?"
"Nothing."
"Yes."
Cynthia spoke as she watched Kaim looking after Alice.
"Kai Mu dislikes battling because he's suffered so many defeats. Apparently, before earning all his Gym Badges, he lost to Gym Leaders many times. In the end, he still earned eight Gym Badges, but it seems the number of losses he accumulated was enough to leave Kaim dissatisfied."
"So you mean it's the result of losing over and over?"
"Perhaps."
"But what about what Kaim can do now?"
"That's because I trained him."
Cynthia's proud words convinced Chamomile and Nessa. With a champion's training, anyone could learn to perform reasonably well.
"But no matter how hard I train him or how hard Kaim works, unless he realizes 'the most important thing' himself, he won't be able to achieve anything beyond this."
"The most..."
"Important thing...?"
"It comes naturally to us. We can do it without even thinking."
Chamomile and Nessa exchanged looks and tilted their heads.
Both understood the rules of being a trainer and would surely understand if asked, but in this situation, neither knew what Cynthia meant by "the most important thing."
"That's the one thing I shouldn't tell him. If he doesn't notice it himself, there's no point."
"But you believe Kaim can find the answer himself, Miss Cynthia."
"Of course. Kaim will overcome that wall. How could a teacher not believe in her own student?"
From those words, Chamomile sensed the extraordinary trust between the two.
"Hehe, what a wonderful bond of trust. It makes my head spin."
"Someday, I'd like to battle Kaim."
"He won't lose easily. He's my student."
From Cynthia's elegant smile, Chamomile sensed an almost numbing presence. She felt a seasoned strength, different from Alice's innocent aura.
Appearing amid dazzling sound and light, Chamomile announced the start of the show.
Kaim watched from the side of the stage, trying not to get in the way of the rushing staff.
"Amazing."
A woman called out to Kaim as he stood there in a daze.
When he turned toward the voice, Cynthia stood there in white. Her outfit left her shoulders bare, with lace covering her neck. She wore white casual trousers, and she had changed into white high heels.
"Yes, it really is beautiful."
Kaim answered calmly.
"It's wonderful. I've never seen a fashion show before. I didn't expect to see one from so close."
"Because I've never been in love."
"I never thought I'd be appearing in one."
"Yes."
"Is that so?"
"Because you're beautiful."
At his calmly spoken words, her eyes widened for a moment, but she soon smiled, brought over a folding chair, and sat beside Kaim.
"Oh, is that what you mean?"
"It's true. At least, I think so."
"You've said something that makes me happy."
Kaim remained calm, without even his ears turning red. An innocent reaction would have been nice, but as his teacher, Cynthia was happy to feel that he had grown enough to respond with such maturity. Thinking that, she stroked her neck, which felt exposed now that she had removed her collar.
Then Kaim suddenly removed his bracelet and held it out to Cynthia.
"Hm?"
Kaim tilted his head and placed the bracelet in Cynthia's hand.
"White goes well with your outfit. I'll lend it to you."
"Are you sure?"
"You were touching your neck just now. You can't wear your necklace right now, so make do with this."
She looked back and forth between the bracelet in her hand and Kaim.
Kaim himself was tapping at his smartphone as though nothing had happened. From his perspective, it seemed to be no big deal.
Hikari said so too, but perhaps I'm easy to read?
Having had several people see through her thoughts, Shirona thought that to herself. Of course, it wasn't that Cynthia was particularly easy to read. Hikari was simply very good at sensing others' feelings, while Kaim was exceptionally sensitive specifically to "Cynthia."
In any case, since it was a welcome gesture toward Shirona, she obediently put on the bracelet.
"It's almost time for the real thing, isn't it? Is it okay for you to be slacking off here?"
Kaim voiced something that concerned Cynthia.
The show was progressing steadily, and Chamomile and Nessa were now standing before the audience onstage in contrasting outfits.
"It's fine. I've finished everything I need to do. All that's left is to change quickly."
"I thought you'd be wearing something."
"Yes. I'm a model now."
"True."
"Do you dislike having so many people look at me?"
That was what worried Cynthia. In Shallow Wave Town, although he hadn't disliked her showing herself to everyone in a swimsuit, his feelings had been complicated. This time it wasn't swimwear, but she would still draw many people's attention. Cynthia had decided to appear in this fashion show herself, so Kaim's wishes hadn't been taken into account. She worried that Kaim, whose possessiveness was unexpectedly strong, might be upset.
However, Cynthia's worry proved needless.
"No."
"Oh, really? Was the swimsuit the problem after all?"
"No, that's not it. Here, most people see you as 'the champion.' So hardly anyone looks at you that way. That's all."
In Narrow Wave Town, almost no one regarded Cynthia as a "Champion." They saw her only as a "woman." Kaim hated that.
Here, however, Shirona had been introduced as the Champion of the Sinnoh Region before she even appeared. Most of the gazes directed her way were therefore filled with respect and admiration.
"Is that so?"
"You tend to pay attention to the little details. But I'm proud that all sorts of people get to see Cynthia."
"Fufu, I'm glad."
"Cynthia!"
I heard a staff member calling for Cynthia.
"Look, it's your turn."
"Yes, I'm coming."
"Oh, right. There's one more thing before we go."
"What is it?"
Kaim leaned close to Cynthia's ear and spoke.
"Shirona, you're the most beautiful person here."
Cynthia looked a little surprised at Kaim's words, but she soon smiled.
"Thank you. That makes me happy."
"Let's go."
"Yes, I'm coming."
Keeping Kaim's words in her heart, Shirona walked toward the person who had called her.
She had no idea what the audience would think. Even so, hearing those words from the person who mattered most to her made Cynthia feel as though she could do anything.
When Cynthia appeared in the show, she was even more beautiful than ever. The beauty she displayed alongside her Pokémon captivated even audience members who knew little about her.
Not only her first outfit, but also her black slit dress, the fur coat draped over her shoulders, and her red dress won the audience's hearts.
Kaim simply watched, his expression calm.
Night
After the show ended, Cochran arrived to pick us up at just the right time, and we were on our way back to the Villa in Sazanami Town.
Iris, Caitlin, Shikimi, and Kaim were all asleep now, perhaps from exhaustion. Apart from Cochran, only Cynthia remained awake.
"Sorry for the trouble of coming to pick me up."
Cochran smiled at Cynthia's words.
"I don't mind. Lady Caitlin told me you might be late."
"It's amazing how calmly you handle all this."
"I was worried."
I didn't know whether he was so capable because Caitlin overworked him, whether he had always been gifted, or whether it was both. In any case, it reminded me that Cochran was an excellent butler.
"Lady Cynthia, you said this was your first Fashion Show. How was it?"
Cochran's question brought back Cynthia's memories of a few hours earlier.
She had captivated the audience on a glittering stage, wearing outfits she would not normally wear alongside her Pokémon. Having never experienced anything like it before, Cynthia found it refreshing.
"I really, really enjoyed it. I'm so grateful to Miss Shinren, Miss Rurina, and Little Alice for giving me this experience."
"It sounds like you had a wonderful experience. It's important to experience all sorts of things while you're young."
"Yes. I want to try all kinds of things from now on."
"That's a good idea. But Lady Cynthia, wasn't your first time tiring? I'll wake you when we arrive, so feel free to sleep."
"I'm fine. Of course, doing something for the first time was tiring, but I had so much fun that I'm wide awake."
"Is that so? What a lovely memory."
"Yes. And..."
Shirona put her arm around Kaim, who was sleeping beside her with his head bowed, and stroked his head beneath his crescent-shaped hat as she spoke.
"I want to remember what happened today. I was able to make memories with all kinds of people, not just Kaim."
Today, she had made so many memories thanks to so many people, not least Kaim. To treasure them properly in her heart, Shirona wanted to recall those memories of her own free will, rather than in a dream.
"I see. Today really was a wonderful day."
"Yes. I loved it."
Cynthia spoke as she gazed at Kaim's sleeping face.
In the space filled with nothing but the sound of the car and soft breathing, Cynthia rested her hand on the sleeping Kaim's.
Cynthia turned her gaze toward the window and felt Kaim, who should have been fast asleep, gently take her hand.
Cynthia's face reflected in the window looked a little distorted.
The sound of the waves woke Kaim.
The sunlight rising above the horizon lit up Kaim's room. When I opened my eyes, Cynthia's face was right in front of me.
After returning from the Fashion Show yesterday, I had taken a bath and gone to sleep. I remembered that much, but I didn't remember letting Cynthia into my room. Did I sneak in, or was I just half asleep and couldn't remember?
I woke up and looked outside, my mind still groggy. The sun had only just risen, and it was still a little dark.
Cynthia and Little Black were sleeping quietly on the bed, showing no sign of waking.
Careful not to make a sound, he slipped out of bed, took off his sweatshirt, changed into workout clothes, and quietly left the room.
"Good morning. You're up early."
I went downstairs and found Cochran beginning to prepare breakfast.
"Good morning. You're up early too, Mr. Cochran."
"It's part of my daily routine. I've been in the habit of getting up early since I was a child."
"...Is that so?"
"Hasn't Cynthia gone to sleep yet?"
"Yes, she's still asleep?"
Before you continue