My Shining Starlight

8. A New Mysterious Person Appears

Lillie... Lillie... the only word in Lucas's mind, echoing like a mantra. Lillie... the girl whose eyes twinkled brighter than the stars themselves. Lillie... the girl who smelled of heavenly vanilla. Lillie... so sweet and innocent. Lillie... the girl he asked out to the festival. Lillie... his first kiss. Lillie... his first girlfriend.

Was last night a dream? It had to be. No day could possibly be as perfect as yesterday. Surely a beautiful girl like Lillie wouldn't settle for someone like Lucas. Despite his doubts, the strong scent of vanilla—Lillie's perfume for the festival—was undeniable. His heart still melted at the delicious, sweet aroma.

Lucas smiled big, feeling his face heat up. The thought of Lillie was so invigorating. Her beautiful face made his heart sing, and her sweet voice was music to his ears. And now... she was all his. He couldn't stop smiling as he sat up and stretched, the special word echoing in his head.

Girlfriend. Lillie was Lucas's girlfriend. If he hadn't just woken up, he would've cheered and shouted at the top of his lungs in excitement. It was so hard to believe, but it was true. He had Lillie, that adorable bottle of perfection, all to himself. He could still taste her lips on his own. A residual taste, but just as delicious as he remembered. Her lips were tastier than he could've imagined. The elation he felt from finally kissing her... it was like something out of fantasy.

Yesterday was all about taking chances, and it was the most exhilarating time Lucas has ever had. The festival would've been fun on its own but sharing it with her made it so much more special. He was pleasantly surprised to discover how smart she is. Not that Lucas thought she was dumb or anything. She was clearly a sharp girl, but it was surprising how book-smart she was. She must've read more than he did, because she knew about things he'd never even heard of. Her intelligence just made her prettier, as if that was even possible. Somehow, even with perfect beauty already, she got prettier every time he saw her.

But... what now? The past few days had been about working up the courage to ask Lillie out. Now that he had her... what was next?

Pondering for a moment... maybe buying her a drink from the Pokemon Center Café would be a good start? He stood up and stretched one more time, delighted to discover almost no pain in his right leg anymore. He could put weight on it comfortably. A huge relief after being inhibited for the first few days of his journey. He gathered his things and walked out into the lobby.

"Oh! Lucas!"

Lucas perked up when he heard a distinct coy voice. He looked over to see Lillie smiling and giving a small wave.

"Oh, hi Lillie," Lucas said, immediately blushing.

Lillie approached, blushing as well.

"Um..." she mumbled before leaning in for a peck. She giggled and twirled her hair, her face growing redder. "I-I hope it's okay if I do that."

Lucas chuckled, feeling a burst of energy in his heart from Lillie's soft lips.

"O-Of course," Lucas said, blushing. "You can kiss me anytime you want."

Lillie giggled. "S-Sorry. I've never had a boyfriend before. It's all so new to me."

"I've never had a girlfriend before either," Lucas said. "But... we'll learn together."

Lillie nodded. "I'd like that. And... um... you can kiss me anytime you want too."

Lucas smirked and immediately took her up on that offer, pulling her in for a quick kiss. Her smile seemed even bigger when he pulled away.

"Hey, can I buy you a drink from the café?" Lucas asked.

Lillie perked up. "I'd love one!"

Lucas took Lillie's hand and brought her over to the café bar, sitting next to her.