Illusions of Heart; Touko x N

Chapter Nine: Mixed Emotions and Possible Kidnapping?

I didn't understand anything. Nothing at all. Life was one, big, complete mystery to me. Yeah, I know. I kissed Touya. In fact, yeah, I did kiss him first, but I can't tell you why. I have no clue why. I still wonder why. That's why I am out in the middle of the city, in the middle of the night. Actually, not the middle of the city. The backyard of the Pokemon Center, over by the battlegrounds for trainers to use, on a freezing cold bench. I was almost literally freezing my butt off, but I needed to think. Did I love Touya? Did I love N? There was just so much to process. I was stupid. I shouldn't have kissed Touya. What was I thinking? Did I actually want to kiss him, or was it pity? A thanks? Whatever it was, it was real. There was something there and I had given him something to go after, and now? Now, I had to encounter that. I knew one thing though: I had set myself up to an inevitable failure.

I stood up from the bench with a sigh. My breath clearly visible under the bright street lamp. I figured it was time for me to head back inside, but a well-known voice caught my attention.

"You aren't planning to run away again, are you?" A scowl took my face as the blunt words hit me.

"What right do you have, Cheren?" I turned to face him.

"Plenty. Touya is my best friend, and I will stand up for him at all costs," I saw honesty and good intention, and reluctantly did not continue the argument.

"Well, I'm not running away, thank you very much. I'm pretty sure I've learned my lesson there."

"Good."

"Good," I mocked him. He narrowed his eyes, but sat himself down on the bench right next to where I was just sitting.

"Aren't you going to join me?" I plopped down on the bench with a noisy thud in reply, a simple sign of my annoyance. Cheren ignored it. "So Touya told you what happened?"

"Yeah, but wait. How would you know? I was with Touya all of yesterday, and unless he called you while he was sittin' on the toilet-"

"Bianca told me you met a man named N. I had to explain why meeting N was not such a good occurrence to have happened."

"When did you guys get to Nimbasa?" I strived to evade the speak of N.

"We started travelling here as soon as I told Touya where you where at. I'm surprised Bianca didn't tell you," he admitted.

"Well, it doesn't matter. You're here and that's that. Does Touya know you're here?"

"He knew we were on our way here, but he doesn't know we got here already. Bianca and I actually just got here about an hour ago. She's inside sleeping. I couldn't sleep."

"Cheren? Couldn't sleep? Something doesn't add up here," I teased.

"Ha-ha, you are so funny, Touko." His sarcastic tone didn't take me by surprise, and I remembered where Cheren and I left off last time. I decided it was time for me to soften up.

"Hey, I'm real sorry, Cheren," I changed the air of our conversation, "about everything. I shouldn't have gotten upset with you before, I know you were just trying to defend Touya."

"Wow, look at that, Touko." I tilted my head confused, "you actually apologized without any selfish goal or reason. You really have learned something from this, haven't you?" I chucked. I'm not sure why I chuckled, but I can tell you I was both really agitated and really embarrassed by his words. I knew what he had said to be true, but like always, his placing of words was a bit straightforward and candid for my taste.

"Yeah, maybe I have, but-I don't know," I paused. "I did something real stupid tonight."

"Oh my Arceus, did you do the do with Touya!?" Cheren hollered.