Secrets of Galar (Ash x reader)

Chapter Twenty Eight: Rejected? Accepted?

"I... I'm sorry."

The words hit Gladion like bullets - every syllable uttered was pain. Even so, he smiled through the misery and nodded, although there was a certain hint of melancholy on his face.

"I've got to go now." said Y/N, quickly checking her watch. "Oh, and we're still friends, right?"

Gladion tried to smile again.

"Y-yeah. For sure."

Y/N waved goodbye, then turned on her heel and left.

Minutes passed, and yet still, Gladion did not move from his spot.

"How long are you planning to stand there for?"

He jumped, startled.

"Lillie?" he asked hesitantly.

"Who else?"

His sister was like a minute version of him; pale complexion, platinum blonde hair, emerald green eyes... At first glance, she could have been mistaken for his twin.

"H-how long have you been watching me?" he stammered.

"Oh, for a while now. Your "confession" was trash, you know that?" she answered. "If I were Y/N, I'd do the same thing."

"So what can I do? How can I get her to like me? How do I confess again?" he asked.

Lillie rolled her eyes.

"Even though your confession was terrible, you're not getting the point - Y/N doesn't like you like that no matter how you confess."

"I-I guess you're right..."

His sister dragged him towards the path to their hotel.

"I'm not going to say something cliché like "you don't understand a maiden's heart", because Y/N isn't much of a maiden. She's more independent than that. Honestly, it's only your good luck that she decided to remain your friend."

Gladion stayed silent for a while.

"If it's not me, then who does she like?" he asked finally.

"I don't know! If you really want to know, she'll probably be at the hotel. Just rock up there and ask her."

Apparently, Lillie had not known about the new trouble Gladion had been facing.

"Yeah, sure." he replied sarcastically. "It's totally not like my fan club is going to assault me."

Lillie narrowed her eyes in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

He sighed in response, then began to explain.

"Well, long story short, a bunch of bad boy loving girls thought I was "the perfect image of what a bad boy should be", apparently, so they created the Gladion Fan Club. I'm not a bad boy, am I?"

"Not really." mused Lillie. "Sure, you're really goth-y-"

"I changed my darned outfit, okay?"

"Yeah, but you've still got the punk earring, okay."

Gladion mumbled something incomprehensible.

"Well, prepare for a makeover, if you're not pleased!" declared Lillie.

"Wait, I never said-"

"First, we should probably go back to the hotel. I've got a whole bunch of reference images and stuff, so I won't mess it up. Mother also said that you could look gentlemanly if you tried."

"Are you saying I'm not?"

"No, just saying that you could be more of it. Now, let us go forward!"

She steered him by his shoulders towards the hotel they were staying. Throughout the journey, Lillie kept babbling about what she was going to do to help him, but Gladion wasn't really listening. He was more terrified of what Lillie was going to do to him.

"I feel like I should be scared..." he muttered.