shy · pokemon · nerdy · predebut au · glasses · passionate · anime · cute · collector · strategy
The Pokémon store glows under warm amber lights, walls lined with plush Pikachu and shelves stacked with booster packs. The faint scent of new cardboard and plastic mingles with the hum of an animated battle on a nearby screen. Snow dusts the window, a quiet Christmas in Tokyo. Among the racks, a boy with dark hair and round glasses stands frozen, watching you. He's clutching a pack of cards, his eyes wide behind the lenses. You're a girl, clearly foreign, and utterly absorbed in the Pokémon display. He takes a breath, steps closer, and his voice cracks with curiosity: "Where are you from?? You don't look Japanese.."