"......"

"......? ......Eek!"

(Wh-What did I just say!?)

Jin and Liko stood facing each other in silence. As Liko began to realize what she had said, the clear expression on her face vanished, replaced by a deep red blush. She let out a small squeak of embarrassment.

(That was just my inner voice, right? I didn't say it out loud; I was just thinking it...)

"Jin... I like you..."

(Ahhhhh, no way! I definitely said it! My mouth remembers saying it for real!)

"......"

(What should I do? Wait... Jin isn't reacting at all... Does that mean he didn't hear me? Yeah, I just muttered it quietly... There's a chance he didn't hear...)

"...Hearing it now is certainly unexpected."

(He heard it after all!!!)

"Um... I-I mean..."

Liko, having just realized her feelings and confessed them in front of Jin, was frantically searching for words but couldn't find any.

"...Calm down a bit."

Jin, who was initially stunned by Liko's sudden confession, regained his composure upon seeing her panic. He placed his hand on her head and gently began to pat her, careful not to mess up her hair.

"Ah..."

"Feeling calmer?"

"Y-Yeah."

"When we trained by the lake, I told you repeatedly not to lose your cool, remember?"

"B-But... that was about Pokémon battles, wasn't it?"

"Of course. But what I taught you then applies to this situation as well."

No matter the situation, maintaining one's composure is the most important thing, according to Jin. He believed that while passion could sometimes determine the outcome, it couldn't solve everything. At least for Jin and Liko, staying calm was a key strength.

"Now that you've calmed down a bit, there's something I want to tell you properly. Will you listen?"

"Go ahead..."

"Liko... I like you."

Simple words, but so clear that there was no room for misunderstanding.

"Ah! ~~~~~~!"

"...There's no need to be so surprised. Didn't I say something similar yesterday?"

"Y-Yeah... but..."

"Well, thinking back, I realized my words might have been a bit unclear. Now that I know how you feel, I wanted to make sure you understood."

(D-Don't say it out loud!)

Liko, who had just come to terms with her feelings, was now internally squirming at Jin's calm and direct words.

"Alright then... Can we move on to the next stage?"

"T-The next stage?"

Having confirmed their feelings for each other, there was only one thing that could come next.

"Liko, will you go out with me?"

"Ah! I-I..."

"Don't overthink it. If you're not ready to date someone, you can reject me outright, and if you need time to think, I'll wait. The decision is yours."

(Dating... Jin...)

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Liko, like any girl her age, was naturally interested in romance. However, with her shy personality and lack of close friends, she had always thought that dating was something distant from her.

But now, it was becoming a reality.

(...Am I really good enough?)

To Liko, Jin seemed strong in battle, kind, and far more perceptive than someone their age. Every time she thought about Jin's good qualities, she felt she wasn't worthy of him, overwhelmed by anxiety.

(...But still)

In the past, Liko might have given up at this point. But now, having realized her feelings for Jin, the mere thought of someone else taking him away made her feel a strong sense of anger and even hatred.

"...I'm really shy."

"I know that very well."

"People call me socially awkward, introverted, and say they can't figure out what I'm thinking."

(...I don't think anyone said it that harshly though.)

Jin knew well that Liko was shy, as did Ann and other students at Indigo Academy who shared this common understanding.

However, despite her limited social interactions, not a single one of her close friends spoke ill of Liko. So, most of what she said was likely just her own perception.

"You don't need to put yourself down that much."

"...I know myself best."

"Do you? But you might not realize it, Liko. You have a lot of good qualities."

"My good qualities?"

"Yeah, you might be shy, but Liko, you're kind, hardworking, and have a strong will to change yourself."

This was evident both at Sekiei Academy and during this adventure. She wasn't as weak as she thought. Jin understood this better than anyone at the academy or on the ship.

(...Jin)

"And when it really matters, you can make decisions on your own. Liko, you're stronger and more wonderful than you think."

(...He's so unfair... this makes me so happy...)

Each compliment from Jin filled Liko's heart with both embarrassment and overwhelming happiness. Her heart screamed that she shouldn't let go of this happiness.

(I can't hold it back anymore...)

"Y-You won't say later that this wasn't what you wanted?"

"I won't say that. I promise."

(I feel like I've really become the heroine of a story...)

"I'll say it again. Liko, I like you. Will you go out with me?"

Even though it felt like overkill, Liko's answer was already decided.

"...Yes, please."

***

"Emergency repairs are reaching their limit..."

When Jin and Liko arrived on the deck, all the Rising Volt Tacklers' crew members were already gathered. Among them, the mechanic Orla, who seemed to have worked through the night, had dark circles under her eyes and was slumped weakly on her partner Metagross.

"Whoa... Is Orla-san alright?"

"She probably pulled an all-nighter."

(...I feel a bit guilty.)

Since Orla started working after dinner and stayed up all night, it meant she was diligently working while Jin was almost confessing to Liko on the wing deck. Jin couldn't have known that, but he couldn't help but feel a bit apologetic.

"I plugged one hole, but another would open up. It's been like a game of whack-a-mole."

"Today, we really need to gather the necessary materials."

"Holes?"

"The bags inside the balloon."

When Roy looked puzzled, Jin, who had been watching the conversation from near the door, joined in and stepped into the circle with Liko.

"Oh! You two finally made it."

"You guys are late."

"We got caught up talking about a lot of things! Right, Jin?"

"Hmm? Well, yeah, we did talk about a lot."

"Huh?"

Friede and Roy seemed to sense a slight difference in the demeanor of the two who arrived later than the others, but they couldn't quite figure it out.

"Hmm?"

"...Oh?"

However, two people reacted differently from the oblivious men: Mollie and Orla. Mollie had an amused look in her eyes, while Orla, who had been looking exhausted with dark circles under her eyes, now seemed almost glowing with interest.

"...Anyway, we need to repair quickly, or the bottom of the ship might be in serious trouble."

"That's serious. How about asking the Pokémon on the island to help?"

"Hmm... The Pokémon on the island..."

(...That might not be a bad idea.)

During an adventure, it's common for Pokémon trainers to overcome difficulties with the help of Pokémon. Usually, trainers solve problems with the Pokémon they have caught, but it's not rare to enlist the help of Pokémon they've befriended locally.

"Roy, do you have any ideas?"

"Well... maybe my grandfather knows something."

"Alright! After breakfast, we'll go visit him. What about the rest of the crew?"

Since they were going to Roy's home, Roy would naturally be involved. Also, it would make sense for Roy's caught Pokémon, Fuecoco, and the ship's caption, Friede, to be included.

"Then, Jin, Liko, let's go together—"

"Wait a moment!"

Mollie and Orla interrupted Friede's suggestion at the same time.

"What's wrong? Is there a problem?"

"Well, yeah. We need people to operate the ship. We need one of either Jin or Liko to stay behind."

"Eh? But neither of them has learned about the ship yet..."

"Don't worry about it. We won't ask them to do anything too complicated."

Mollie and Orla were convincing Friede with a look as sharp and determined as a bird Pokémon hunting a bug Pokémon, making it clear that they weren't going to let this opportunity slip away.

It seemed that the intuition of women had reacted to Jin and Liko's behavior.

(That look... I know it! It's the same as when Ann teases me!)

Liko also realized that her intuition had been correct. Once captured, there was no avoiding being interrogated thoroughly.

"Well, I'll go with Roy and the others!"

"Eh?"

"I don't know much about the Pokémon from the Kanto region yet, so I'd like to take this opportunity to learn more!"

(Please! Jin to cover for me!)

Liko quickly sent a look to Jin.

(...I see. Leave it to me.)

Understanding what Liko was implying, Jin nodded in agreement.

"Ah, of course, that's fine."

"Thank you! Then, I'll leave it to you!"

However, Liko was unaware of Jin's mischievous expression the moment he looked away.

(Phew... This should be fine... It'll be alright, right?)

In conclusion, it was far from fine. Liko hadn't yet realized that her boyfriend enjoyed seeing her troubled reactions and flustered behavior.

A few hours later, she would come to regret her decision and her misjudgment.

// END