After class ended, the students in Seirei Private Academy began gathering their things, chatting amongst themselves as the bell rang. Alisa Mikhailovna Kujou, the diligent and reserved Student Council Treasurer, was gathering her notes from the desk when something slipped out of her notebook.

A photo fluttered onto the floor, and before she could react, Masachika Kuze, a fellow classmate with a mischievous smile, had already bent down and picked it up.

"Hey, Alisa," Masachika called, holding the photo up to his face with an amused expression. "Who's this boy? He's pretty cute."

Alisa's face instantly flushed crimson, her eyes widening in shock. Without thinking, she swiftly grabbed the photo from his hand, clutching it tightly against her chest as if to protect it from the prying eyes. "Give it back!" she snapped, her tone sharper than usual.

Masachika raised an eyebrow. "What's the big deal? It's just a photo. You don't have to hide it like that."

Alisa's heart was racing, and she was struggling to keep her composure. The words she wanted to say were bubbling up, but she couldn't quite contain them. Her temper flared, and before she realized it, she was speaking in her native tongue, Russian.

"Ты что, с ума сошел? Почему ты забираешь мои вещи?" she snapped angrily in Russian.

Masachika blinked, completely lost. "What... did you just say?"

Alisa realized too late that she had spoken in Russian and quickly bit her lip, her cheeks burning brighter. She quickly crossed her arms, trying to regain her usual composed demeanor, but the embarrassment lingered. "I said... you shouldn't go through other people's things," she muttered in Japanese, still refusing to make eye contact.

Masachika looked at her in confusion. "You're... really upset about this, huh? I didn't mean anything by it."

Alisa glared at him, still clutching the photo protectively. "I wasn't upset! It's none of your business," she insisted, though her voice was betraying her, sounding a little defensive.

Her Russian slip-up had thrown Masachika off, and he just shook his head with a smirk. "I guess I'll just take your word for it... but, come on, you've got a secret crush on this guy, right? It's pretty obvious."

Alisa's face turned even redder at that, and she quickly turned to leave, her footsteps quick and flustered. "You don't know anything!" she exclaimed, refusing to give him the satisfaction of an answer.

As she hurried down the hallway, she could hear Masachika chuckling behind her. "Alright, alright, I'll leave it alone. But you can't hide everything forever, Alisa!"

Alisa sighed heavily. "Idiot..."

Moments later...

Alisa was walking quickly down the hallway, her footsteps echoing as she tried to escape Masachika, who was still following her with an air of persistence. He wasn't giving up easily, and it seemed like no matter how fast she walked, he wasn't far behind.

"Come on, Alisa, just tell me! Who is he?" Masachika called out, trying to keep pace with her, his voice light but teasing. "You don't have to act like you're hiding some big secret. You're just making it more obvious!"

Alisa's frustration was mounting. Her usual calm composure was quickly slipping away, and it didn't help that Masachika was being so persistent. With a sharp sigh, she spun around abruptly to face him, her cheeks flushed in irritation.

"Ты снова что ли? Не отстанешь, да?" she snapped in rapid Russian, her eyes narrowing in frustration.

Masachika raised his hands in mock surrender, though there was still a playful glint in his eyes. "Hey, hey, I didn't mean to make you mad, Alisa. I'm just curious," he said, his tone a little more calm now, though he still seemed fixated on the mystery. "It must be important to you. He's the guy in the photo, right?"

Alisa glared at him, her mind racing. She didn't want to answer, but Masachika was relentless, and she could see that he wasn't going to leave it alone anytime soon. She couldn't keep up this façade forever, and her patience was wearing thin.

With a long, exasperated sigh, she lowered her head and muttered, "His name is Ash Ketchum…"

Masachika blinked, caught off guard by the sudden revelation. He had expected her to be defensive or evasive again, but now she had actually told him. The name, though, didn't ring any immediate bells. He tilted his head, thinking hard.

"Ash Ketchum?" Masachika repeated slowly in confusion. "Who is that? Never heard of him."

Alisa's blush deepened, and she looked away, slightly uncomfortable. "He's... he's just someone I admire. He's a Pokémon Trainer... a really strong one."

Masachika still looked puzzled, scratching his chin as if trying to piece something together. The name Ash Ketchum was stirring something in the back of his mind, but he couldn't quite place it. He thought for a moment longer, until suddenly, a flicker of recognition hit him.

"Wait a minute…" he murmured, his eyes widening slightly. "Ash Ketchum… the one who just became the Pokémon World Champion recently, right?"

Alisa stiffened, her eyes now wide with surprise. "W-what? How do you know that?" she stammered.

Masachika shrugged, a slight grin forming on his face. "I remember hearing something about a kid named Ash Ketchum winning a big tournament or something. It made the news... but that's... really him? This is the guy you like?"

Alisa let out a defeated sigh, her shoulders slumping slightly as her cheeks burned with embarrassment. "I don't like him, okay? It's just... he's inspiring, and he's always so kind to everyone. I just... admire him," she muttered, almost in a whisper now.

Masachika raised an eyebrow. "Hmm... well, I get it now. Seems like he's someone who'd make an impression. If he's as great as you say he is... I guess it makes sense you'd keep a photo of him, huh?"

Alisa crossed her arms, trying to suppress the embarrassment that still lingered. "I didn't expect you to understand," she grumbled.

Masachika chuckled, clearly enjoying the little moment. "Well, you've got a pretty big secret there, Alisa. But hey, don't worry. I'm not going to tell anyone about it." He gave her a knowing look. "But you know, if you ever want to tell me more about this Ash guy, I'm all ears."

Alisa let out a frustrated sigh, but despite herself, she couldn't help but feel a little relieved. At least Masachika wasn't pressing her too hard now. "Fine. But don't go around telling people, okay?" she said, still slightly red.

"I won't. But if I ever meet him, I'll have to ask him how he managed to get someone like you interested in him," Masachika teased, and Alisa rolled her eyes.

"Idiot..." she muttered under her breath.