Crap. Crap. Crap!
The instant Haru said, "Maybe I should check under the bed or in the closet," Cynthia felt her blood run as cold as an Avalugg's hide.
Under the bed was fine—she wasn't hiding there anyway. But if Haru actually opened the closet door… she was done for.
If she really got caught red-handed like this, how could she possibly explain it?
Claim she was just passing by Caitlin's room and accidentally picked the lock to check on things?
Or come clean and tell the truth—everything—to Haru and Caitlin?
Yeah, neither sounded like a winning option.
As his footsteps grew increasingly distinct, the pounding of Cynthia's heart accelerated accordingly.
Finally, she heard him stop right in front of the closet. One step away.
In her panic, she grabbed a random piece of fabric nearby and threw it over her head.
Sure, her outfit was a dead giveaway, but at least he wouldn't see her face, right?
The plan was simple: the second Haru opened that door, she'd bolt—mask on, pride off—and sprint straight out of the room!
Yes, perfect plan. Foolproof plan.
Or it would have been, if Caitlin hadn't suddenly spoken up.
"Haru," she said, her tone sharp but low, "don't you think that's going a bit too far?"
"I mean, rummaging through a girl's wardrobe without permission… that's crossing a line, don't you think?"
Her voice wasn't loud, but there was no mistaking the irritation in it.
"…Right."
Haru froze mid-motion. He glanced at the closet door, then at Caitlin, whose breath came just a bit quicker than usual.
"…You're right. My bad. That was out of line."
To be fair, checking Caitlin's room was one thing. But opening her closet? Yeah, that was definitely creeping into 'no boundaries' territory.
And if he did find something in there, what then? She'd probably Teleport him into the nearest volcano.
He sighed inwardly. This was just his stupid curiosity acting up again. Always trying to find something funny to mess with Sabrina about. Otherwise, he'd never have done something so dumb.
Inside the closet, Cynthia finally loosened up her cramped shoulders.
Phew. Safe.
That was way too close. Just a few more seconds and she'd have been finished. Guess Lady Luck hadn't completely abandoned her today.
Now that the coast was clear, though… maybe she could use this chance to listen in.
Who knew? She might even hear something interesting.
Grinning to herself, Cynthia gently set the fabric she'd grabbed back down and pressed her ear against the closet door.
The room was dim, so she hadn't even noticed what exactly she'd pulled over her face earlier—but that didn't matter now.
Meanwhile, Caitlin herself exhaled in relief. Thank Arceus he'd stopped.
Her closet was not fit for human eyes right now—half her lingerie collection was in there. And some of those sets were… bold. Lace, sheer panels—let's just say not rated for general audiences.
And that wasn't even mentioning a few other things she definitely didn't want a guy finding.
Anyway, Haru had backed off, so crisis averted.
Soon, both of them sat down across from each other at the small table by the window.
Seeing that Caitlin's expression still hadn't softened, Haru broke the silence first.
"All right. You said you wanted to talk about Cynthia, right?"
"Go ahead. Just make it quick—I've got to meet up with Lugia later."
"I won't take long," Caitlin replied calmly, her golden hair catching the afternoon light. Her eyes, though, had turned serious.
"Because I've only got one question."
She took a breath.
"You're the one who turned Cynthia from a normal girl into a horny pervert, aren't you?"
Haru blinked.
Well, that escalated fast.
Honry pervert? Cynthia? That was… a new one.
Granted, compared to people like Lusamine—or even Misty on caffeine—Cynthia didn't exactly fit the "pervert" label. At worst, she was "Peak Great Pervert Perfection."
But Haru wasn't the only one caught off guard.
Because technically, there were three living beings in the room—Haru, Caitlin, and the two eavesdroppers hiding under the bed and in the closet.
Under the bed, Lillie froze in shock. In the closet, Cynthia's mind short-circuited.
What in the world? I (Cynthia) am a horny pervert?
Even Lillie's eyes sparkled with admiration. So that's the Champion of Sinnoh? I've got so much to learn!
As for Mewtwo, floating silently in the corner, she didn't particularly care. In fact, the label intrigued her—mostly because she still wasn't sure what "maniac" even meant.
Back at the table, Haru pinched the bridge of his nose, forcing a calm voice.
"Putting aside just how wrong that term is… even if Cynthia really were a horny pervert, what makes you think I'm the one responsible?"
He shouldn't have said that. Because at those words, Caitlin's composure finally snapped.
"Oh please! Don't play dumb! You and Cynthia disappear together every night, don't you? And you two do all kinds of… activities, right?" Her face flushed scarlet, but she pushed on. "You're the only possible culprit! It's not like she just woke up one day and decided to become—like that!"
"She acts like she's—" Caitlin hesitated, "—addicted to something."
Even saying that made her cheeks glow brighter. She might be a psychic prodigy, but she was still a maiden after all.
"…How do you even know that?" Haru asked slowly, giving her a sideways look. "Did Cynthia tell you?"
"Anyway," he continued, "even if we did do those things, so what? It's not like I forced her."
If anything, he thought privately, I've been the one on defense this whole time.
He sighed again. "Fine. If you really need someone to blame, then sure—blame me. I don't mind. But if that's all, I've got places to be."
He stood up, ready to leave.
But his casual tone only made Caitlin bristle even more.
"Don't joke around! There's no way she'd agree to that on her own. You must've used some kind of… psychic conditioning, right?"
"I know her, Haru. She'd never just—just fall like that!"
Inside the closet, Cynthia fell silent.
Was she… being too distant with Caitlin lately?
Ever since she and Haru had started… whatever this was… she'd barely reached out to her friend.
No wonder Caitlin noticed something off. This wasn't on anyone else—it was on her.
Cynthia sighed quietly, shifting her cramped legs. She'd been in this position way too long; her muscles were starting to ache.
But… she really shouldn't have moved.
The moment Cynthia shifted, disaster struck.
Caitlin's closet didn't just contain clothes. It also held a few personal items she'd set aside for later—like her toiletries for the evening.
And among those items… was a certain bright yellow rubber Psyduck.
The instant Cynthia's elbow pressed against it—
"SQUEEAK!"
The sound wasn't very loud, but in the dead quiet of Caitlin's room, it might as well have been an explosion.
"...?"
Haru froze mid-sentence, his head snapping toward the sound.
Then his gaze slowly shifted to Caitlin.
He didn't say a word. He didn't have to. That look alone said it all:
Oh? So that's why you were so eager to stop me earlier. What exactly are you hiding in there, Miss Psychic Queen?
"..."
And Caitlin, for once, had no idea what was going on.
She hadn't hidden anyone in her room! The reason she stopped Haru was simple—she didn't want him to see her private stuff.
So why on earth had her rubber Psyduck just made a noise from inside the closet?!
Was her room haunted? No—no time to think about that.
What mattered was this: if something really was hiding in that closet, Haru was going to open it. And if he did…
He'd see those books.
Those illustrated novels she definitely shouldn't own—especially the ones starring, uh, Haru and Cynthia.
If Haru found them, she'd die of embarrassment on the spot.
Unless… she pinned the blame on whoever was in there.
Yes! That was it! If there really was a thief in the closet, she could just claim all those books belonged to the intruder.
Most of them featured Haru and Cynthia anyway—barely any with her. Totally plausible.
Her mind was racing a mile a minute, survival instincts in overdrive.
Okay, think! You can still spin this. Say the thief stole the books, not you. Say she planted them here! Maybe even the… props. Yeah, all of it! You're innocent, pure, and perfectly respectable. The villain takes the fall. Problem solved!
While Caitlin mentally drafted her alibi, Haru finally spoke.
"So… are you going to open it, or should I?"
Caitlin's lips twitched.
"Don't worry," Haru added, almost too casually. "Mew's already sealed the room with Psychic. Whatever's hiding in there isn't going anywhere."
"..."
The blonde's expression froze before she forced a smile.
"All right. I'll open it. I'd like to see which idiot had the nerve to sneak into my room."
She stood up, stepping toward the closet.
Inside, Cynthia wanted to cry.
She'd almost made it. If only she'd stayed still! Now there was no running, not with Mew's Psychic barrier in place.
What could she even do? Summon Garchomp and blast her way out? That would just confirm her identity instantly! Everyone in Sinnoh knew her signature partner was Garchomp.
She held her breath, her heart racing like a Rapidash at full gallop.
Caitlin hesitated for just a moment longer. For Cynthia, it felt like waiting for a judge to swing the axe.
A death-row prisoner of her own stupidity.
Still, she couldn't help but cling to one last sliver of hope.
And then—
Light flooded the closet.
Both Haru and Caitlin froze, staring.
"Cynthia?!" they blurted out at the exact same time.
Sure enough, there she was—curled up awkwardly, facing the back wall, head buried in her arms.
Even without seeing her face, the hair, the clothes, the silhouette—there was no mistaking it.
It was the Champion of Sinnoh herself.
Caitlin, oddly enough, felt a wave of relief.
No secret books in sight. Thank Arceus. Things hadn't hit rock bottom yet.
"What are you doing sneaking into my room, Cynthia?" Sabrina asked carefully.
Cynthia didn't answer.
"Fine," Caitlin sighed. "Then let's just say it plainly."
Her expression softened—but her tone turned fierce.
"I will save you from Haru's corruption. No matter what kind of dirty tricks he's used, no matter what it costs me, I'll bring you back to normal!"
A long pause. Then, from inside the closet, a muffled voice finally answered:
"…So, what, you're going to take my place? Or… join in?"