I’M BACK
Leyla was sitting at her desk, staring at the computer screen, but the words in front of her made no sense.
A few months ago, contracts like these were her passion. Managing cases, negotiating, proving she was the best in the room—that drove her.
But now?
Now it seemed like none of that mattered.
Naru.
His name haunted her mind.
There wasn't a moment in the day when she didn't think about him.
Every morning, she woke up with a sense of loss, every day she tried to pretend that everything was fine, and every night she fell asleep hoping that somehow, she would dream of him.
But dreaming wasn't enough.
She wanted him here.
In the real world.
With her.
She sighed deeply and pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to concentrate.
Then, the intercom buzzed.
"Miss Leyla?"
It was the receptionist's voice.
"Yes?"
"You have an urgent client. They say they need to see you right away regarding a contract error."
Leyla sighed.
"Which client?"
"I don't know, they wouldn't say their name. But they insist on seeing only you."
She felt a slight wave of irritation.
"Alright, send them up."
The door opened, but Lejla didn't look up.
"Please, sit," she said mechanically, flipping through the papers in front of her.
A few seconds passed in silence.
And then…
"Good afternoon, Princess."
Leyla froze her hand on the paper.
She didn't move.
Her mind couldn't immediately register what she had just heard.
The voice…
It was familiar.
No. Impossible.
She suddenly looked up.
Akihiro was standing in front of her, leaning on the doorframe, with his usual calm smile on his face.
His long hair was tied in a low ponytail, and he was wearing a modern suit that made him completely unrecognizable—at least to anyone who didn't know where he was from.
But Leyla knew.
She knew.
Her lips parted in shock, but not a word came out.
"You haven't changed at all," he said with a smile. "Except that you look like you haven't slept in days. And maybe you're a bit more… depressed?"
She took a step toward him, slowly, uncertainly.
Her eyes scanned him as if he might disappear any moment if she blinked.
As if he wasn't real.
"You… you're here…"
Her voice was broken, barely audible.
Akihiro shrugged.
"Yes. Can I come in, or are you planning on keeping me at the door?"
Leyla still acted like her brain refused to process what she was seeing.
And then…
Her legs simply gave way.
She fell to her knees.
Uncontrollably.
Without thinking.
Tears flooded her eyes, tears she could no longer hold back.
She didn't even want to.
All the emotions she had held back—pain, sadness, hope, fear—all of it exploded from her in that moment.
Akihiro kneeled beside her, without a word, without any jest.
He just embraced her.
His hands were warm and strong, and for the first time since returning to the human world, she felt safe.
"I came for you," he whispered.
Leyla buried her face in his shoulder, trembling with sobs.
"I thought… I thought I'd never be able to come back…"
"Stupid princess," he said, but his tone was gentle. "Of course, you'll come back. The prince is crazy without you. Honestly, we've all lost our minds without you."
Leyla weakly smiled through her tears.
"Naru… he…"
"He looks like a walking disaster. He's destroyed half the palace. Everyone's praying to the gods we bring you back before he burns something down. Or someone."
Leyla jerked and looked at him, laughter and tears mixed on her face.
"Really?"
"Princess," Akihiro said with a dramatic sigh, "just because I love you as a friend doesn't mean I'm going to lie to you. Your husband is chaos."
Leyla rubbed her eyes, but the smile never left her face.
"How did you even… how did you get here?"
"A long story. Involves your mother-in-law, a secret portal, and probably a lifelong curse. But don't worry, it was worth it."
Leyla shook her head, still in disbelief.
"I can't believe you're real…"
Akihiro gently touched her cheek.
"Princess. We'll take you home."
Another tear slid down her cheek, but this time—it wasn't a tear of sadness.
It was a tear of hope.
It was a tear of reunion.
It was a tear of return.