Logan stood quietly at the riverside, his throat trembling faintly, his gaze falling upon the flawless contours of her jade-like figure.
"You…"
He opened his mouth slightly, almost subconsciously turning his eyes away. His heart was betraying him, pounding wildly in his chest. For someone like him, a man who had lived through much, who had been taught by many "mentors," and even had practical experience—he shouldn't have been flustered like some naïve schoolboy. Yet the fault was not his. It was hers. The girl was far too beautiful, far too pure. It was a beauty so dazzling that for a moment, Logan simply couldn't breathe.
Sabrina didn't count, Green and Caitlin had still been clothed, but Erika… Erika was different. She was the most beautiful of them all—the most stunning figure Logan had seen across two lifetimes. Her beauty was so overwhelming that it could leave even the most seasoned man stumbling, hands and feet clumsy.
His years of discipline made him instinctively avert his gaze, but the instincts of a man betrayed him, keeping his head only half-turned, so that his peripheral vision still caught the exquisite scene before him. The contradiction in his actions made the moment almost comical.
Yet soon enough, Logan forced himself to calm. Drawing in a deep breath, he lifted his head again, turning back boldly to meet Erika's eyes as she stood there in the stream.
And in that moment, he saw it—her lovely face blossoming with two faint blushes. She wasn't nearly as composed as she pretended to be. In truth, her heart was trembling just as much as his.
"What… exactly are you doing?"
Logan finally managed to say something—something that sounded almost absurd, even laughable. His pulse thundered, his body longed to move toward her, to reach out and hold her, but his reason held him back. He knew Erika. She was sly, clever, and sharp. If he lunged at her now, what if she slipped away at the last moment, mocking him as a shameless pervert?
No—Logan had lived long enough to know better. Men could easily be condemned for "crossing the line." If a woman initiated, society called it romance. If a man overstepped, it was scandal. Such was the world.
"Logan… someone as clever as you, can't you already guess?"
Erika tilted her head ever so slightly. She lifted her snow-white wrist, brushing back the wet strands clinging to her ear. The water that had splashed onto her skin trickled downward slowly, making her appear even more alluring.
She had noticed the way Logan turned away and then secretly glanced back. To her, he looked like a pure, awkward boy—shy and curious at his first glimpse of a woman's body.
If only she knew the truth, Logan would probably be laughing inside.
"Why are you doing this?" Logan asked at last, genuine doubt in his voice. With her beauty and her identity, Erika would never lack admirers. By all rights, she should have been more reserved, more distant—not the kind of girl to tempt someone this way.
If Logan had pursued her actively, it might have made sense. But in these past two months, despite living side by side with her every single day, despite her stunning presence, Logan had thrown himself into training. He had focused solely on strengthening himself and his Pokémon. Admiration, yes—but never pursuit.
"Does one really need a reason to like someone?"
Erika's voice was calm, though beneath it she struggled. Her face maintained a faint smile, but inside she trembled—shyness mixing with the sensation of being touched by Logan's gaze.
"Of course one doesn't need a reason," Logan answered. "But I still find it strange. From the very beginning, when we first met, you were already… approaching me. I know I'm not entirely without charm, but I'm not so extraordinary that you should go this far."
"…For someone of your status, it doesn't make sense."
Logan wasn't some dense boy who couldn't read signals. From the first time Erika leaned close, he had noticed her intent. The way she'd pulled him into crowded places, showing off their closeness as if flaunting affection. The subtle teasing in her words.
When a girl truly let go of her restraint, her initiative could be overwhelming—far more aggressive than any man imagined. For an ordinary man, it would be impossible to resist.
But that same initiative was dangerous. In the wrong hands, with the wrong man, it could be a trap for her.
"Precisely because of my identity," Erika sighed softly, her lips curving into a bitter smile. "That's why I must."
"My personality isn't outgoing. I don't enjoy being with others. And my title as a Gym Leader—it makes people respect me, but it also makes them afraid to approach me. If I don't take the first step… then I'll miss everything."
The words revealed everything—her intelligence, her decisiveness, her self-awareness. Erika knew her weaknesses and acted to correct them instead of being bound by them. That alone set her apart. Even without her beauty or her noble position, this kind of spirit would shine. Combined with her other gifts, she became someone almost untouchable.
"Then… why me?" Logan pressed quietly.
Erika's cheeks flared red. She glared at him with shameful frustration. "Hasn't anyone told you before? That sometimes the things you say are incredibly annoying? How can you ask a girl something that makes her feel so shy?!"
Logan only shrugged. Quite a few people had said so—men and women alike. It wasn't thoughtlessness, but rather his nature: always teasing, always provoking.
"You're an exceptional man. Or boy, perhaps I should say…" Erika's voice lowered. "Don't sell yourself short. In all my life—not that long, only a little over ten years—but still, you are the most exceptional man I've ever met. Just as boys fall for beautiful girls, when a girl finds a man who makes her heart race, and has the power to pursue him… why shouldn't she?"
Her words radiated confidence. She was not the type to doubt herself. And she had every reason not to.
"You don't think I'm that kind of woman, do you?" she asked suddenly, her face burning. "I know this might make you misunderstand, but… I've never dated. I've never had a boyfriend. I've hardly even spoken to boys before. So you don't need to worry."
Her heart raced with embarrassment. Why was she doing this? Why was she laying herself bare like this? Wasn't this shameless, throwing herself forward, practically advertising herself like some product? What if he misunderstood? What if he rejected her?
There was time. She could have waited. Let things grow slowly, naturally. Yet deep down, she feared—if she let this moment slip, she might never have another chance with him.
This man was too unpredictable. Too untouchable.
So, if she had to be bold—then she, the elder in years, would be the one to take the first step.
From appearances, she was only two years older than Logan.
But if she realized that Logan was deliberately drawing her out, teasing her into saying these flustered words—she might very well have strangled him on the spot.
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