The Kazemia Festival's main event had begun. Class 2-3's classroom looked like a completely different place from the morning. A one-way traffic flow that Kojiro had designed. An order counter lined up by the windows. Pikachus hand-drawn by Satoshi covering an entire wall. Round cheeks, pointed ears, lightning-bolt tails—mysterious creatures grinning as they welcomed visitors. "[excited]Welcome to the Pokémon Center!" Satoshi's voice echoed all the way down the hallway. The first family of middle schoolers to enter stopped short, startled. "……Pokémon Center?" "[excited]It's a place to heal Pokémon! We have food today too!" The father stood dumbfounded. The child burst out laughing. "What's that supposed to be?" That was the signal. Ten minutes later, a line stretched down the hallway. Inside the kitchen, Kasumi squeezed ketchup onto an omelette rice while glancing at the hallway. The line kept growing. Unbelievable. The class that had such terrible atmosphere until yesterday was now moving with perfect efficiency. "[serious]Satoshi, table three's Pikachu cheek omelette rice is ready!" "[excited]Got it! You see, Pikachu's cheeks are actually pouches where it stores electricity——" "[serious]Don't explain it to the customers, just take it already!" "Oh, right!" Satoshi grabbed the plate and ran off. Kasumi couldn't help but smile wryly. (Why is this guy always like this?) Strangely, it didn't feel bad at all. Down the hallway, golden hair was swaying. "[excited]Our class's café is super awesome! You can eat Pokémon character food! Come check it out!" Hikari stood in the center of the hallway, waving both hands at passing visitors. The smile she'd honed through modeling experience was in full effect. A group of high school boys walking by whispered "cute……" as they were drawn in. "[excited]Yay, the line got longer again!" Hikari poked her face into the classroom and shouted. Classmates cheered "Yeah!" Early afternoon. Silver hair appeared in the classroom doorway. It was Kojiro. He was holding a white box. A Patisserie Kojiro paper bag. "[serious]I brought cream puffs. A gift." Satoshi's eyes lit up. "[excited]Kojiro! You came!" "[serious]I just came to check on things." Even as he said it, Kojiro surveyed the classroom. The traffic flow was working. No chaos. The class was moving as one team. (Not bad, I suppose.) Kasumi took the box. "[gentle]Thank you, Kojiro. I'll add these as a special dessert to the menu." "[serious]Do as you like." Then a familiar voice came from the hallway. "Satoshi! You've grown so much!" It was Tamae from the school store. White apron, round glasses, a 62-year-old woman peering into the classroom with narrowed eyes. Satoshi rushed over. "[excited]Tamae! You came!" "[gentle]Of course I came. You're the one who came up with this café, aren't you?" Tamae's eyes grew a little misty. "[gentle]Do you remember the first day you came to the store? You were eating a curry bread and looked so happy. And now you've——" "[excited]Tamae, I wouldn't be here without that curry bread!" He said it with complete seriousness. Tamae laughed, saying "Oh my!" as she wiped her tears. Behind her, Kasumi quietly pressed her eyes. Hikari whispered to herself, "Why am I crying?" Kojiro was looking at the ceiling. --- Afternoon. The gymnasium stage presentations began. The 400-capacity gymnasium filled with visitors. Two basketball courts' worth of floor. High ceiling with lights shining down. Class 2-3's turn came. After the class play ended, only Satoshi remained on stage. He stood before the microphone. The audience was vast. All 400 pairs of eyes were on him alone. For a moment, his legs froze. (Even in the Pokémon world, I've never stood alone in front of this many people.) But when he looked out at the audience——in the front row, three people were there. Kasumi with aqua hair. Hikari with golden hair. Kojiro with silver hair. Satoshi grinned. He gripped the microphone. "[serious]In the place I was before, I was always with Pokémon." The gymnasium fell silent. "[serious]I had a partner named Pikachu. We were always together. When I came here and didn't have him at first……I didn't understand anything. I was scared." Kasumi in the front row lowered her face slightly. "[gentle]But Kasumi was there. She called me an idiot while always staying by my side. She taught me how to use a smartphone, how to ride the train, everything about this school." Kasumi's shoulders trembled slightly. "[gentle]When Hikari came, things became fun. When Kojiro helped today, we made this café." Hikari grabbed Kojiro's arm beside her. Kojiro kept his gaze forward, completely still. "[serious]Even in a world without Pokémon——because everyone is here, it's fun. This is my home." Patter patter patter—— Applause spread through the gymnasium. Like a wave, from one end to the other. Kasumi covered her mouth with both hands. Silencing her voice, but her shoulders shook. She was crying. Sobbing. In the front row. Hikari beside her whispered "This is bad……" with red eyes. Kojiro suddenly turned his face away. Toward the window. His fingertip gently touched the corner of his eye. "[sarcastic]……Why am I" Too quiet for anyone but Hikari to hear. --- The presentation ended. Dusk painted the school building walls orange. The noise of the Kazemia Festival was fading into the distance. Kasumi was in a quiet spot behind the school building where few people came. She leaned her back against the fence, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. Her eyes were red. It was obvious she'd been crying. Footsteps approached. "[gentle]Kasumi, were you crying?" Kasumi's head snapped up. "[angry]I wasn't crying! Idiot! I just got something in my eye!" "……But your eyes are completely red" "[angry]A lot of stuff got in them!!" Satoshi was quiet for a while. Then slowly, he stood directly in front of Kasumi. His expression was serious. Not his usual spaced-out look. "[serious]When you were cold to me, I was really sad." Kasumi stopped moving. "[serious]Sadder than when I was separated from Pokémon. That's when I realized." Sadder than when separated from Pokémon. Something stirred deep in Kasumi's chest. Satoshi didn't look away. His gaze was straight, pure, clumsy. "[gentle]I like you the most, Kasumi. Not like a friend or anything like that. I can't explain it well, but——I can't be without you." It was quiet. In the orange light, there were only two of them. Kasumi froze for a moment. The next instant—— "[crying]Idiot!! You're late!! How long did you make me wait!!" She shouted and threw herself at Satoshi's chest. Satoshi's body went rigid for a moment. It had never happened in the Pokémon world. He didn't know about things like this. But——he moved his arms. Awkwardly, but surely, he held Kasumi close. Both their faces were bright red. Not just from the sunset. --- A little distance away, in the shade of some bushes, Hikari was crouching. She'd seen it. All of it. She clenched her fist. Bit her back teeth. Then—— "[laughing]Well……I guess it can't be helped!" She laughed it out loud. She knew there was genuine emotion deep in her chest. But Hikari was the kind of girl who could send that emotion flying into the sky along with her smile. "……Hikari" Kojiro stood quietly beside her. When he'd arrived was unclear. "[surprised]Kojiro! You were here?" "[serious]……I was watching." He answered briefly. In his hand was the Patisserie Kojiro paper bag. Cream puffs remained. Hikari stood up and peered at Kojiro's face. "[gentle]Kojiro, you got any cream puffs left? Let's stress eat." Kojiro opened the bag. "[serious]It's not stress eating. It's a taste test." "[laughing]I'll go with that." The two sat down on a bench side by side. The sunset sank beyond the Kazemia hills. Kojiro took a bite of a cream puff. His own shop's flavor. A taste he knew. And yet, today it felt somehow different. After a while, Kojiro whispered softly. "[whispers]……I think, maybe. I always wanted to support Kasumi's love." Hikari glanced at Kojiro sideways. "[gentle]Was that love for Satoshi? Or was it friendship?" Kojiro paused for a moment. "[serious]……I'm thinking about it now." Hikari laughed. "[laughing]Yeah, me too." They laughed together. Eating cream puffs, watching the sunset. Then. "[excited]Hikari! Kojiro! Do we still have cream puffs from the Pokémon-style café? Let's all eat together!" Satoshi poked his face around the corner of the building. Kasumi stood half a step behind him, her face red, arms crossed. Hikari and Kojiro exchanged glances. "[angry]Idiot!! Stay with her right now!!" "[excited]But wouldn't it taste better if we all ate together!?" "[laughing]That's fine! Let's eat as four!" She agreed loudly. Kojiro held up the bag. "[serious]There's enough." He stood smoothly. Kasumi said "Honestly……" but her mouth was smiling. Four people lined up in the sunset of the Kazemia Festival. Each holding a cream puff, no one saying anything. But everyone was smiling. This is my home——the words Satoshi had spoken on stage earlier were now complete as a picture in this place. Orange light wrapped around the four of them. The sun sank beyond the Kazemia hills. From somewhere, the sound of festival cleanup drifted over. Satoshi chewed his cream puff while watching the edge of the blue sky darken. He thought he would remember this day forever——the day he held someone for the first time in a world without Pokémon.