AH, THEIR FRIENDSHIP

Leyla was so happy that she was literally skipping beside Akihiro as they walked through the office hallway. She had him under her arm, pulling him closer than necessary, but honestly – she didn't care.

He was here.

Real.

And that was all she needed.

"Miss Leyla," she heard a soft whisper from behind her.

"That must be her boyfriend…"

"He looks like a model…"

"No, he's too elegant, he's probably some rich guy."

Leyla barely managed to hold back a smile.

Then she changed her mind.

In one swift motion, she wrapped both arms around Akihiro, resting her head on his shoulder and dramatically sighed.

"Oh, yes, he's mine," she said louder than necessary.

Akihiro froze in shock.

"Excuse me?!"

Leyla just smiled and kept pulling him toward the exit.

"Let them think whatever they want. At least now I have someone with me!"

"Princess, your husband is going to kill me," he mumbled with a smile.

"Only if he finds out."

"…He always finds out."

The walk to her apartment was filled with her excited chatter and Akihiro's occasional comments about the "hustle" of the human world and the fact that he would need a manual to understand pedestrian crossings.

"So, red light – we stop. Green – we walk."

"That's right."

"And people actually wait for the red light? How does nobody force them?"

"This isn't your world, we don't do that here."

"Hm. Boring."

They finally arrived at her apartment.

Akihiro entered and… paused.

He looked around, crossed his arms, and slowly nodded.

"Well… this is… certainly… a room."

"Did you just call my apartment 'a room'?"

"Can I lie to you?"

Leyla crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.

"Maybe it's not a palace, but it's my home. And it's very… functional."

Akihiro sat on her two-seater sofa, looking around the room.

"Yeah. Functional. If the function includes minimalism and… saving on square meters."

Leyla threw a pillow straight at his head.

"Shut up and be happy you have somewhere to sleep."

"Oh, you think I'm going to sleep? Princess, we have serious plans to make."

"I know, I know."

She went to the kitchen and opened the fridge.

"Do you want something to eat? Drink?"

"Depends… do you have sake?"

"No, but I have… orange juice?"

Akihiro sighed as though they had just told him he had to walk a thousand kilometers.

"Wonderful. Let's toast with… fruit juice."

Leyla laughed and threw him the tetrapack.

He lazily sat on the couch, sipping juice directly from the box.

"Okay, princess, let's talk about the plan. How are we going to get you back?"

Leyla sat beside him, rested her head on her arm, and sighed thoughtfully.

"First, tell me how you even got here?"

Akihiro made a theatrical gesture with his hand.

"With the help of your dear mother-in-law, of course."

Leyla choked.

"MY WHAT?!"

Akihiro laughed.

"Yeah, your mother-in-law. Naru's mother. The woman who hadn't seen him in years, and now, because of you, she agreed to break all laws and open a portal that could destroy her."

Leyla blinked.

"…Okay, this sounds like a story I must hear."

Akihiro shrugged.

"Let's shorten it – Naru was ready to swallow his pride and beg her for help. I was willing to risk my life. And now, here we are."

Leyla looked at him with a mix of admiration and shock.

"You literally went through hell to bring me back?"

"Well… technically, just through a dimensional rift, but yeah. You could say that."

Leyla laughed, then hugged him tightly.

"Thank you, Akihiro, you know I love you."

He made a shocked face.

"Wait… did you just get emotionally real?"

Leyla pushed him.

"Too much?"

"A little. But I appreciate the effort."

They laughed, then returned to the serious topic.

"Alright, what now?" Leyla asked.

Akihiro nodded.

"Tomorrow we'll sneak into the temple and find a way to activate the portal. Of course, we'll need help from someone on the inside. Do you still have contact with that monk?"

Leyla went silent.

Akihiro raised an eyebrow.

"Princess?"

"Well… not exactly. But if he's still there, he'll probably want to help me."

Akihiro nodded.

"Okay. Then we rest tonight, and tomorrow, we move into action."

Leyla sighed and leaned against the back of the sofa.

"I can't wait to go back…"

Akihiro looked at her and smiled gently.

"Naru's waiting for you. And trust me – he'll be over the moon when he sees you."

Leyla laughed, and for the first time in a long while, her heart was filled with hope.