The gentle afternoon breeze kept you fresh as you sat on a bench. By your side, was a small box, something you had prepared, but not for yourself
"I didn't make you wait long, did I?"
You looked at the voice on your right and found Bea herself, the stoic gym leader of Stow-on-Side, who under this tender light appeared more like a youthful student
A smile formed on your face the moment you laid eyes on her, and you patted the spot next to yours on the bench
"Not at all"
She sat down by your side and exhaled as she leaned back. Recently, she had a battle against the champion, Leon. While she put up a good fight, for her it was a call to action to train harder
And so she disappeared into the Wild Area for a couple of days
"How did the training go?"
Suddenly embarrassed, the girl looked to the side
"I...I forgot my phone in the flying taxi"
You raised a brow. That explains why she didn't answer your calls
"Oh that is awful"
She nodded
"It took me a while to realize. As you can guess, training was my only focus"
Suddenly, her stomach grumbled, causing her face to go red and her eyes to go wide. You, on the other hand, couldn't contain the laughter
"Yes, I can see that"
Bea groaned and held her stomach in an attempt to keep it from outing her again when a box floated before her. She slowly looked up at it with intrigue
"I guess it's a good thing I brought this, then"
Then, she looked at you to find your tender smile. You gestured for her to open it. Curious, she reached out and opened the box
Instantly, she was met with the smell of a delicious meal. Her favorite food, and even a slice of cake. Her eyes sparkled and even a bit of drool became visible
Flabbergasted, she turned to you
"How did you know?"
You just shrugged
"Like you said, training is your only focus, so I'm covering for you in the food department"
Unamused, she placed her hands on her waist with a narrow gaze
"It's not that bad. I can take care of myself"
But all this got her was a blank stare from you
"What was the last thing you ate?"
"...a protein bar"
You facepalmed, yet you couldn't help but smile. She was stubborn, but truth be told, you were too happy to have her back
"Another reason to get right into it"
She didn't need to be told twice, and reached onto the box to get the food and eat with glee. An adorable hum left her lips as she tasted it
Following her example, you picked your bento box and started to eat as well. Suddenly, you felt her head resting against your shoulder
When you looked down, your eyes met hers, and shortly after, a smile from her, crumbs and all
So with a smile of your own, you pulled her closer and you continued to enjoy your meals together
You were happy to have her back and frankly, she was also happy to be there with you