AKIHIRO’S DEPARTURE

The night was cold, but the air was thick with anticipation. Naru, Kaito, and his mother, Lady Kazue, stood in front of the portal—a stone ring covered in ancient symbols that shimmered under her touch.

Akihiro stood a few steps ahead, tugging at the sleeves of his new, modern coat—one that Kaito had barely managed to force him into.

"Well, this is your moment," Kaito said, hands on his hips. "If you die, just know it wasn't for nothing."

"Thanks for the support," Akihiro muttered.

Kazue rolled her eyes, raised her hands, and began chanting the spell. The wind swirled around them, the portal trembled, and Akihiro let out a sigh.

"I really hope I end up in her world and not on some deadly planet," he said before stepping forward.

And then, he was gone.

The three remaining stood in silence, staring at the empty space where he had just been.

"Well, now we just have to wait," Kazue said, lowering her hands. "Or pray to the gods that I didn't make a mistake with the spell."

Kaito immediately raised his eyebrows.

"Wait… what?"

Kazue laughed.

"I'm joking, I'm joking… probably."

Kaito grabbed Naru's arm.

"I don't know if you've noticed, but I love your mother. You know, spiritually."

"…Excuse me?"

"You don't often meet someone so gifted in sarcasm and chaos."

"I do not approve of this friendship," Naru said flatly.

"Approved or not, it's already happening."

Kazue dusted off her kimono sleeves with a smirk.

"So, Naru… What now? Are you going to keep standing here sulking, or are we finally going to have some tea?"

Kaito immediately raised his hand.

"I vote for you two going somewhere and talking. Like, for example, your mother's house. Alone."

Naru sighed, crossing his arms and glaring at him.

"You're really committed to dragging me out of my comfort zone, aren't you?"

"Oh, absolutely," Kaito grinned.

Kazue turned and began walking toward her home.

"Come along, Naru. Spending time with me won't kill you. Or maybe it will, who knows?"

"How reassuring," Naru muttered, but followed her anyway.

Kaito stayed behind, giving them a mock salute.

"Have fun, you stubborn idiots!"

A Long-Overdue Conversation

Naru stepped inside, feeling an odd sense of familiarity.

"You know," he said, eyeing the furniture, "you could have at least changed the décor a little. It still looks the same as it did twenty years ago."

"Oh, unlike your palace?" Kazue chuckled. "Wherever you look, it's all gold detailing and unnecessary luxury."

"At least I have taste."

"Oh, of course. Taste that screams, 'Look at me, I'm important.'"

Naru sat down on the floor mat with a sigh.

"Whatever you say."

Kazue set the water to heat and brought out two cups.

"So, tell me, how much does it actually pain you to be here?"

Naru stared at her.

"It's not painful… just uncomfortable."

Kazue nodded.

"That's a fair answer. You are my son, after all. Stubborn as ever."

"And you're the same as before—a woman who always has to have the last word."

"Of course. That's a mother's right."

"That's the right of irritating people."

Kazue laughed and sat across from him, pouring their tea.

"You know, I still remember the day you cast me out of the palace."

Naru immediately averted his gaze.

"We don't have to talk about that."

"Why not? It's always nice to revisit old wounds."

"That's not my goal."

"Then is your goal to ignore the past? Because that's what you've been doing all these years."

Naru said nothing.

Kazue took a sip of tea, her expression growing more serious.

"Naru, you know I never wanted to harm you. I never wanted things to turn out the way they did."

"And yet, you let them happen."

"I had no choice."

Naru clenched his fists but didn't speak.

Memories flooded back.

Memories of the day they all betrayed him.

The day he realized he was truly alone.

Kazue watched him for a moment before continuing.

"You might still be angry at me. You might think I was weak, but know this… If I could have changed things, I would have."

Naru leaned against the table, staring into his teacup.

"But you couldn't, could you?"

"No."

Silence.

A long, heavy silence between them.

Kazue sighed and then, unexpectedly, smiled.

"But look at you now. A prince who has humbled himself enough to ask his mother for help because he's in love with a mortal girl."

Naru immediately looked up.

"I'm not—"

Kazue raised an eyebrow.

"Excuse me?"

"We are not talking about this."

"But I am."

"Well, stop."

Kazue leaned on her hand, watching him with amusement.

"You know, I think that girl has changed you more than you're willing to admit."

Naru stayed silent, but this time, he didn't look angry.

Kazue gave a satisfied nod.

"Don't worry. This time, I'm on your side."

"This time?"

"Hey, people learn from their mistakes."

"I hope so."

Kazue took another sip of tea and glanced at him over the rim of her cup.

"So, my dear prince, do we have more plans for the evening, or are we just going to drink this terrible tea I made?"

Naru looked at his cup, frowned, and immediately pushed it away.

"Yeah, it's awful."

Kazue laughed.

"And that's how you thank me for helping you?"

"This isn't help. This is torture."

"Oh, you know what real torture is? Being your parent."

Naru simply shook his head.

Maybe, just maybe, this reconciliation wasn't the worst thing that had happened to him.

Dimensional Tourist in Trouble Traveling Through Dimensions – Or How Not to Lose Your Soul in the Process

Akihiro had a bad feeling about this.

Not the "maybe I should rethink my life choices" kind of bad, but more of a "I might end up somewhere without oxygen" bad.

Traveling through dimensions wasn't exactly a common occurrence—at least not for him. The sensation of his body literally moving through centuries, spaces, and… well, whatever this was, was far from pleasant.

At one point, he felt like something was pinching his leg.

In the next, he was convinced he was completely naked.

And then, suddenly, he landed in a temple.

His arrival was less than elegant—face-first onto the stone floor.

"Welcome to the human world, Akihiro..." he mumbled to himself. "Spectacular entrance, well done."

He pushed himself off the ground and quickly scanned his surroundings. The temple was quiet, but the scent was familiar—incense, burning candles, and something that reminded him of old parchment.

"If this is the same temple…"

He didn't even get to finish the thought before the doors opened.

And, of course, who else would be there to greet him but a monk?

The old man looked at him without surprise, as if nothing unusual had just happened.

"You."

Akihiro blinked.

"Excuse me?"

"You could at least try not to look like someone who doesn't belong in this world."

Akihiro immediately glanced down at himself.

He was still wearing a blend of a modern coat and an old-style kimono. But yes—in comparison to the humans here, he did look like a character straight out of a historical drama.

"In my defense, I didn't have time to go shopping."

The monk shook his head.

"What you are doing is not wise."

"To be fair, I rarely do wise things."

The monk sighed and simply gestured towards the exit.

"Go. But remember—what is sought in one world cannot be gained without a loss in another."

Akihiro nodded, unwilling to endure any more philosophical lessons.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. Don't tempt fate. Don't open doors you don't understand. Don't kill the messengers of destiny. The classics."

The monk merely looked at him before disappearing behind the temple doors.

Exploring the Human World – Cultural Shock in Real Time

The moment Akihiro stepped out of the temple, he knew he had been noticed.

People were staring.

Some whispered.

One old man was looking at him as if he had just descended from the sky (which, technically, wasn't far from the truth).

"Okay, I get it—I look weird," he muttered to himself.

He tried to walk as naturally as possible, but it didn't help that everything around him was unfamiliar.

At some point, he spotted a large store with bright, flashing signs and the words "100 YEN SHOP."

"What is that?"

He stepped inside.

And instantly regretted it.

There were so many things… for only 100 yen?

He picked up a small plastic duck, inspecting it curiously.

"So, humans in this world buy… ducks?"

The cashier gave him a mildly disapproving look.

Akihiro quickly put the duck back and left the store.

This was going to be much harder than he had anticipated.

A Café Break – Or How to Get Even More Confused

Already overwhelmed, he decided to take a break.

He spotted a small café with an outdoor seating area and took a seat.

A waitress approached with a smile.

"Good afternoon! What would you like to order?"

Akihiro blinked.

"Uh… Water?"

"Just water?"

"Yes. Water."

The waitress nodded and left.

Akihiro crossed his arms and observed the people around him.

One man was talking into a small device attached to his ear.

"Is that… some kind of magic?"

Nearby, someone was taking a selfie with their food.

"Okay, this is definitely some sort of ritual."

Then, he saw something that shocked him the most—a man running while simultaneously drinking from a plastic bottle.

Akihiro immediately stood up.

"How?! How is that physically possible?!"

The waitress returned and gave him a puzzled look.

"Is everything alright?"

Akihiro sat back down and took his glass of water.

"Yes. I'm just… learning."

Visiting Leila's Workplace – But From a Distance

After his break, Akihiro finally made his way to the company where Leila worked.

Of course, he didn't go inside.

He simply stood across the street, observing the building.

"Alright, so she's in there somewhere… But how do I approach her without looking like a complete weirdo?"

He glanced at his outfit.

Yeah, he definitely needed a wardrobe change.

Shopping for a New Look – Operation "Stop Looking Like an Alien"

Akihiro found a clothing store.

And stepped inside.

He immediately realized this was a mistake.

A large screen inside was playing some kind of music video—girls in glittery outfits were dancing and singing about love and some kind of ice cream.

"What is happening?"

A store attendant approached him.

"How can I help you?"

Akihiro blinked.

"I need… clothes. Something that won't attract attention."

The attendant looked him up and down.

"Yeah, you definitely do."

Half an hour later, Akihiro finally walked out of the store.

His long hair was still intact, but now tied into a low ponytail.

He wore simple yet modern clothing—black trousers, a white shirt, and a blazer.

No one was staring anymore.

Perfection.

Now, he was ready to find Leila.

He headed back toward her company.