Pure of Heart [ON HOLD UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE]

Chapter 11: I Remember

Akemi and I walked through Ecruteak City with our hands intertwined. Even if a few days had passed since we confessed our feelings for each other at the Tin Tower, it was still comforting to know that she felt the same way about me. That I wasn't the weird one. I didn't think the relief would ever wear off.

To be honest, until I met Akemi, I had never considered that I might be gay. Sure, I had always looked at both my male and female peers in the same way, and I crushed on pop stars of both genders. Maybe that meant I was bi. I was never sure since my mind had always been too focused on studies to even think of such things.

We stopped by a cafe to grab sandwiches for lunch. As we conversed, it felt different. Closer. It wasn't like it was a date or anything, but the aura around us had changed. We sat and ate as we chit-chatted like we usually did. Mundane conversations cropped up about the weather, Pokémon species, and even the area around us. However, to me, they were far from mundane. They felt magical.

People around us must have noticed the way we talked too. They would smile at us, and some would make comments like, "How cute." And, now that I thought about it more in depth, people had looked at us like that since Goldenrod City. It made me laugh to myself a little. How long had we appeared as lesbian lovers to others?

The sandwich was delectable on my tongue. It wasn't anything special, just a turkey club. As I looked up from my sandwich, I noticed a pleased look on Akemi's face. Her cheeks were stuffed—probably resembling what I looked like at the moment too—and her eyes shined. I loved the way that they shined so much. The dark brown hues complemented the lighter shades of the deep brown.

"So," Akemi began through a mouthful of food. She swallowed before continuing. "I was thinking we hit up the Lake of Rage next. It's a cool spot to see."

"Any rare species?" I asked.

"Probably," she said while shrugging. Her jacket swished with her movements. "I'm not really sure, but it's a cool sightseeing place that you need to see while you're here."

"Alright, sounds good to me," I said. Then, I said the cheesiest thing I had ever said. "So long as I'm with you, I'm happy with wherever we go."

Akemi's cheeks grew red to match my own hot, flushed sensation. She took a sip of her water before responding. "That is the dorkiest thing I've ever heard."

I put my hands up. "I'm just saying." I really didn't know what I was doing, but I felt like I was doing something right based on her reaction.

TV shows had always made flirting look so easy. Just now, however, I realized how dumb it sounded in real life. This was a moment that would live with me for a few years, haunting my memories as a moment filled with awkward laughter and cringing.

"Well, the feeling is mutual," Akemi responded. Relief washed over me.

She stood, placing her napkin on her empty plate. "I think we should go tell my sister that we're leaving soon. She can help us refresh our supplies and see us off when we leave in a few days."

"Alright, sounds good to me," I said as I followed suit with my own napkin and plate.

The second we passed through the restaurant doors, our hands intertwined once more. It was such a minute gesture, but it filled me with warmth. I didn't know a relationship could be this rewarding, this soothing. It filled me with a fuzzy feeling, like a special brand of happiness.

As we approached Akemi's apartment building, the front door swung open. I jumped a little as Asami stood beyond the door with a smug look on her face. How did she know we were coming? There weren't any windows facing the direction we were coming from.