Chapter 257: Do you have a boyfriend?

To thank Taylor, Chase, and the others for stepping in to help, the train's chief attendant upgraded them from second-class seats to the business class for free. Coincidentally, this placed them in the same carriage as Julian.

This made the group feel a bit embarrassed, as they hadn't really done much to help. In fact, if Julian hadn't dealt with the initial swarm of Geodudes, it would have been them who faced the danger.

All four of them, except for Baker, made their way to the business class. Baker, due to his earlier behavior, had been ostracized by the group.

Although Julian didn't ultimately hold a grudge, Baker didn't dare show his face around Julian again. What if Julian decided he was an eyesore and wanted to deal with him?

The original passengers in the business class were curious upon learning of Julian's identity. However, since Taylor and the other three surrounded Julian, they didn't get a chance to strike up a conversation.

"Julian and Chase were classmates, right? What's your relationship like?"

Taylor asked with a gossipy expression.

"You know, Chase has a lot of admirers at South Lake University."

Before Julian could respond, Chase's face flushed red as she quickly said, "Don't overthink it. Julian and I are just ordinary high school classmates."

A lot of admirers? Back in school, she didn't seem all that attractive.

With some skepticism, Julian gave Chase a closer look and realized she'd changed quite a bit.

Her skin was noticeably fairer than he remembered, her facial features had softened, and her outfit was well-coordinated.

Now, Chase could definitely be considered pretty. She might not be on the level of Hannah or his cousin Thea, both campus belles of Imperial University, but she could easily pass as a class beauty.

Caught off guard by Julian's scrutinizing gaze, Chase froze, especially since his eyes carried a hint of appraisal.

'Hmm, she's… seems to be a lot bigger.'

No wonder they say college changes people, especially girls.

"So, what do you think? Isn't our Chase big?"

Taylor, a sharp observer, had already noticed her friend's feelings for Julian. But since Julian seemed indifferent, she decided to lend a helping hand.

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

Julian blurted out in response to Taylor's teasing.

As soon as he said it, the atmosphere instantly grew awkward.

Did "big" have anything to do with a boyfriend? Well, maybe a little.

'Damn it, this is Luis' fault'

Realizing he'd said something completely off-topic, Julian didn't know how to recover, so he simply looked out the window to ease the tension.

Chase, unaware of any hidden meaning in Julian's words, hurriedly said, "No, no, I don't have one!"

But seeing Julian looking out the window as if he didn't want to engage further left her feeling uneasy.

She was so anxious that she almost burst into tears, frantically turning to Taylor and saying, "Taylor, please tell Julian that I don't have a boyfriend!"

Taylor shook her head secretly. 'My dear friend is probably completely at Julian's mercy,' she thought. And judging from his words, this guy seems to be quite the seasoned player.

Well, it made sense. As a member of a prestigious family, Julian probably had a lot of experience in relationships.

Taylor couldn't help but wonder just how many "fish" were swimming in Julian's metaphorical pond.

With someone as naïve as Chase, if she entered Julian's pond, it wouldn't be surprising if the other "fish" devoured her, leaving nothing but bones.

Thinking of this, Taylor's thoughts shifted. 'I can't push my friend into Julian's pond—I need to pull her out instead.'

At that moment, the train's announcement system came on:

"Dear passengers, due to a train malfunction, we will be stopping at South Lake City for repairs. Passengers needing to transfer or request refunds, please use the app to make arrangements. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience."

Though the train hadn't been directly attacked by the Geodudes, the tremors from the battle had affected the ground, indirectly impacting the train's safety.

Now, the train's error codes were lighting up. To ensure passenger safety, the train would stop at South Lake City.

The passengers naturally began grumbling, but there was no changing the situation. The train had to stop.

South Lake City didn't have an airport, so the only way to reach the capital was to continue traveling by high-speed train.

Julian opened the app to purchase a ticket from South Lake City to the capital, only to find that all tickets for the next two days, even standing tickets, were sold out.

'Forget it, I'll just fly there on Dragonite.'

Julian had recently earned his flying license during the holiday break, meaning he could now freely fly over major cities.

Still, in terms of comfort, airplanes were far superior. For long distances, flying commercially was definitely the best choice.

"Julian, how about I show you around South Lake University?"

Chase noticed the high-speed train app on Julian's phone and saw that all the tickets to the capital were sold out. Her heart leapt with excitement.

"What's there to see at South Lake University? Julian has important things to do when he gets back to university. Don't waste his time," Taylor interjected immediately.

Right now, Taylor couldn't let Chase spend more time with someone like Julian. The quicker he left, the better.

Julian, suddenly sensing a wave of disdain through Taylor's Aura, was a bit confused.

'Isn't she one of my enthusiastic fans? Why has her Aura gone from blazing hot to icy cold?'

Taylor's words made Chase hesitate.

Having finally run into Julian again, she naturally didn't want him to leave so soon. But at the same time, she didn't want to delay anything important for him because of her.

"There's nothing urgent at university, so why not visit South Lake University?"

Julian finally said, breaking Chase's internal dilemma.

Drakoria was vast, and Julian had only been to a handful of cities before. It wasn't until he became a Pokémon Trainer that he ventured out of Lake City.

While South Lake City wasn't particularly famous in the country, it held significant prestige among enthusiasts of rare stones.

The city was known for its peculiar rocks covered in variously sized holes, aptly named "South Lake Stones."

South Lake City derived its name from South Lake, one of the top ten freshwater lakes in Drakoria. The lake was home to an abundance of Water-type Pokémon.

"Then let me be your guide!"

Hearing Julian agree to visit South Lake University, Chase couldn't contain her joy, her face lighting up with a radiant smile.

"I'll be your guide too!"

Taylor quickly chimed in. She had no intention of letting Chase spend time alone with Julian.

Who knew what might happen if this "pond master" had her friend all to himself? He might toy with her feelings and then discard her, leaving her so devastated she'd do something extreme.

Taylor's imagination truly ran wild.

Julian glanced at her, exasperated. 'Why has this woman suddenly developed such animosity toward me? If it weren't for the lack of actual hostility in her Aura, I'd suspect she was sent by some faction to assassinate me.'

"Taylor, I can show Julian around by myself"

Chase said, her tone suddenly wary as she eyed her friend suspiciously. 'Don't tell me you're not satisfied with just being Julian's fan?'

Taylor: (′⊙ω⊙`)

'This is exhausting.'