There was no helping it. After five years of wandering in search of a solution, Florges had become highly socialized in her thinking and behavior. To understand scientific research materials, she had also tried learning to read, write, and study.
Was there a distance between her and Shen Qi because she was more like a human woman than a Pokémon?
"Why would you think that, madam?"
"Because... because..." Florges answered in all seriousness. "Sir, you clearly don't like young human women. You'd rather go to a drinks shop for juice with Dodo than ask a girl out..."
"Pfft-"
Shen Qi failed to hold in his mouthful of warm water and sprayed it far out, where it turned into white mist in the cold air.
"What are you even saying?!"
The atmosphere in which he had been about to confess his feelings to Florges vanished completely.
"Is... isn't it obvious?"
Through racing, Shen Qi had met plenty of male and female drivers.
Shan Sheng, Wude, Lao Fu, Lt. Surge, and so on... then there were Wen Jiu and Koji, his junior at Pokémon High School.
As for female drivers, even just counting the widely acknowledged beauties, there were Ayaka, Lisia, and Lizao. The only one he had ever invited out to eat was Lisia, and even that had been a group meal with Lao Fu and the others.
"Uh, how can you count Lizao? How many lives would I need to drink with her?"
"In short, sir, you simply turn a blind eye to pretty young female drivers."
"That's going a bit far. If we're talking about beautiful female drivers, I've met up with Li Yizi a few times."
"Does... does she count as a driver?"
Faced with Florges's remark, Shen Qi found himself unable to argue for a moment.
"Anyway,