Chapter Operation: Princess (Erika Route)

Today, the first snowflakes fell gently, marking the beginning of winter break. Our entire school was excited about the Ski Resort in Furano, an iconic winter gem. Even more interesting, the hotel where we were staying belonged to Emily's family, promising luxurious facilities and unmatched comfort. The bus we took wasn't just any bus; it was a moving palace, complete with karaoke facilities, TV, air conditioning, and even a restroom.

Inside the bus, cheerful laughter and karaoke songs filled the air. However, for me, Hasukawa Hayabusa, this journey was a severe test. The sensation of motion sickness from the uphill roads and endless turns made my stomach churn. The worst thoughts swirled in my head: what if the bus stopped on a steep incline, then rolled backward, hitting the fence? Nausea, dizziness, and dread mixed, creating a personal hell. Finally, after a long struggle, we arrived at the inn. As everyone scrambled out, amazed by the grandeur of Emily's hotel, I remained behind, throwing up beside the bus.

"Uh… Are you okay, dude?" Ken approached me, his expression filled with genuine concern. "I think so… UPH!" I threw up again, my whole body trembling. "You must be carsick, right?" "No, I get motion sickness from high uphill roads and continuous turns…" Finally, my stomach was empty, leaving a bitter relief.

With my bag in hand, I got off the bus, accompanied by Ken. The hotel was indeed remarkably large, perfectly situated near the resort and a vast ski area. Ken was eager to play, or rather, conquer the snowboard on the ski slopes. However, before we could unleash our energy, the teachers handed out room keys. The boys' and girls' rooms were separate, located next to each other. Our room was very spacious, adorned with warm and calming traditional Japanese interiors.

My group of guys and I immediately put down our bags and changed into our ski clothes. Ken was ready first, even pulling a snowboard out of his bag, which was full of clothes. I glanced at his bag: besides clothes, he also brought an Uzi and its ammunition. Typical him, a real gun maniac, couldn't even part with his weapon on vacation.

We all finally went to the ski area, which was already crowded with visitors. The atmosphere there was lively, full of laughter and cheers. After renting ski equipment, I put on my gloves, adjusted my hat, then pushed off with my ski poles and enjoyed sliding at high speed. It felt like freeing myself from all burdens.

In the distance, I saw Erika, the school's "princess," practicing skiing alone, a little far from the crowd. Her grace shone even in the clumsy movements of a beginner. Ken quickly slid towards Erika, intending to teach her how to snowboard. I immediately slid towards them too, curious to see the interaction between the blunt "Mr. Gunslinger" and the graceful "princess."

"Yo, what are you guys doing?" I asked as I approached. "Well, Princess wants me to teach her how to play ski," Ken said, a mischievous grin on his face. "N-no! I just asked him to accompany me!" Erika interrupted, her face flushed, protesting the nickname "Princess" Ken had given her. "Jii~," I looked at Erika speculatively, slightly amused by her reaction. "T-that's true!" Erika's face turned even redder, trying to convince me. "Hayabusa, change." Ken left, enjoying his snowboarding, leaving us alone.

Erika and I finally enjoyed our own activities. Erika slid slowly like a beginner, every movement careful. I stayed beside her, observing her every sway. Her balance was still shaky, often leaning to the right and left. There was a touching feeling seeing this fragile side of someone who always seemed perfect.

"Erika, why are you playing alone?" I asked, trying to break the silence. "I want to improve my skiing skills; I'm still not fully capable. Besides, I don't want other kids to lose the fun of skiing by waiting for me," Erika replied, her voice a little shy but full of determination. "Hmm, so you can't ski either, huh…" I teased, a faint smile on my lips. "It's not that I can't! I want to improve my skills!" Erika quickly refuted, her cheeks flushing deeper. "Alright, alright. Improve your skiing then," I said, holding back a smile, enjoying our casual interaction.

Suddenly, the clear sky turned gray. A strong snowstorm appeared from Erika's left, coming so fast we had no time to react. The storm was so strong that I lost my balance and fell. When I stood up and looked for Erika, my heart sank. I saw her sitting in the snow; it seemed her leg was cramped or bruised from falling off her ski, or something else. A clear expression of pain was on her pale face.

"Erika, are you okay?!" I asked panicked, sliding quickly towards her. "My leg seems to be cramped," Erika held her aching leg, suppressing a sob.

When I checked her leg, it was indeed cramped. It was impossible to call for help in such a heavy snowstorm; visibility was very limited, and the wind was howling. Without thinking twice, I carried her on my back, intending to return to the hotel. Before that, I tore off my sleeve and wrapped it around Erika's leg, hoping to relieve some of her pain.

"Put me down, I can walk myself!" Erika whined, trying to break free, her face embarrassed. "No, your leg is cramped. This is dangerous," I said firmly, giving her no choice. "Besides, this is embarrassing!" "No one can see in this snowstorm, don't worry." I tried to comfort her, even though my own heart was filled with worry.

Not long after, my arm, whose sleeve I had sacrificed, began to go numb. The cold was piercing, and my body trembled slightly. I tried to hide it, but Erika was too perceptive.

"Ha-Hasukawa! Are you really okay!? You're trembling!" Erika worried, her voice filled with anxiety, feeling the coldness of my skin on her back. "Just don't think about it… you should just relax," I walked, enduring the cold and piercing pain. "I'm sorry, Hasukawa, if I hadn't cramped, it wouldn't be like this." "It would be even better if there was no snowstorm. Be patient, we'll be there soon." I tried to encourage her, even though every step felt heavy. "Sorry…" Erika pressed closer to my back, a small sob audible. Her guilt was so sincere, and that made me want to protect her even more.

Finally, we arrived at the hotel. Everyone was worried because only Erika and I hadn't returned. Emily immediately told her staff to take Erika to the infirmary, and I was also escorted there. After examination, it turned out my left wrist was severely bruised from a hard impact and needed eight days to heal. Erika just needed a massage and was already fine.

Fortunately, only my left hand was bruised, not my right. If my right hand had been affected, I would have had great difficulty with daily activities. After we were done, Erika's cramped leg recovered after a massage, and I was still in a little pain because my bandaged hand felt like it would shatter.

The kids decided to enjoy the onsen (natural hot spring bath) after playing in the snow. Emily stopped at the entrance to tell them something.

"Everyone, before entering this onsen, there's one thing you need to know." Emily seemed a little hesitant. "What is it, Emily?" Midori asked. "Actually…, this is… a mixed bath…" Emily said shyly, looking down. "WHAAAT!?" Everyone was shocked, cries of surprise filling the room.

A mixed bath! That means men and women together. If anything undesirable happened, it could be serious. I glanced at Ken and Kazuki; their faces already showed lewd expressions, their eyes twinkling mischievously. I could even read their minds: "I want to see Shizuka-sensei in the onsen" and "I want to see Emily's body." Oh my goodness, Kazuki and Ken, truly perverts!

Everyone went inside for the onsen bath. Fortunately, the changing rooms were separate, so there was a bit of privacy. After covering myself with a towel, Kazuki and Ken were already enjoying the onsen, their laughter echoing from inside. After I changed and covered my body with a towel, I headed for the onsen entrance. Unfortunately, I ran into Erika, and her body, covered only by a towel, was truly captivating! I couldn't tear my eyes away.

"Ah, damn," I muttered, not expecting to come out at the same time as Erika. Her flushed and slightly awkward face made her even more beautiful.

The situation became quiet for a moment. My gaze involuntarily fixated on Erika's body. Then Erika started to notice, her face annoyed, her eyes blazing.

"KYAAAA! HASUKAWA HENTAI! (Pervert!)" Erika slapped me so hard I fainted. Everything went dark.

When I woke up, I was in a corner of the onsen, feeling down, emitting a dark aura while repeatedly muttering, "I didn't mean to," to the point that anyone who saw me was terrified.

"Oi-oi, cheer up man, that's normal, you know," Ken encouraged me from beside me, trying to hold back his laughter. "You mean me seeing Erika naked and covering herself with a towel is normal?" I glanced at Ken, still with my gloomy aura. "Yup, you're a man and Erika is a woman, it's usual to see each other when you're naked," Ken gave his absurd opinion, his shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter. "Don't talk nonsense, Ken!" Erika suddenly appeared and threw a geta (wooden clog) at Ken's head until he fainted.

Huh? Erika is here? Doesn't she realize her section is separated? Oh, maybe she doesn't realize. I'd better apologize to Erika than be hated forever. It would be troublesome to be hated by a princess like her.

Before I could speak, Akechi, or rather Akane, appeared shyly from the women's changing room. Everyone stared blankly at Akane, who was also wearing a woman's towel, shyly covering her body.

"What, Akechi? Why are you wearing a towel like a woman?" Kazuki asked, surprised. "Everyone, actually…, I am a girl," Akane told the truth, her voice soft. "WHAT!? YOU'RE REALLY A WOMAN!?" Ken woke up from his faint, his yell echoing. "Yes…, my real name is Tachibana Akane," Akane stated her real name, resignedly. "Then show me your tits if you're a woman!" Ken's wild lust flared up again, his eyes gleaming lecherously. "YAMERO BAKAYARO!! (STOP IT, YOU IDIOT!!)" I hit Ken's head with a geta.

Ken successfully fainted again. Erika also returned to the girls' section to see Akechi's true identity, who turned out to be a woman in disguise. My chance to apologize to Erika was lost. Then, in the girls' section, there were 'touching' scenes. Kazuki and Kuro-sensei were even peeking from behind the divider. AAAARGH! DEMONIC TEMPTATION! DEMONIC TEMPTATION! I tried to look away, but it was so hard.

Finally, after getting out of the onsen, my body felt comfortable and warm. I calmly enjoyed a massage chair, wearing a yukata. After an onsen, a yukata is indeed the best. Then Emily appeared while I was enjoying the massage chair.

"Hayabusa-kun, how was the onsen?" Emily asked, her smile bright. "It was quite warm and nice after skiing," I replied, enjoying the electric massage chair.

After Emily left, Erika appeared from the same direction. Erika looked at my face, and I, instead, shrank and hid behind the massage chair when I saw her gaze. Erika left the spot where I was hiding, and I moved to another place. I looked at the hotel map; this hotel truly had seven floors with many rooms, including a bar, an arcade room, a gym, and many other rooms.

Then I saw a karaoke room, likely where Nanaka was. I went to the karaoke room and saw Nanaka practicing singing alone. After she finished, I entered and applauded.

"Ha-Hayabusa-kun?!" Nanaka was surprised to see me. "I figured you'd be here, so I stopped by." "Hayabusa-kun, can you sing?" "Uh… I actually like music. But if I'm asked to sing, my voice would probably sound terrible." "Just try it."

Nanaka handed me the microphone. I chose a song and sang Ai Otsuka's "Ai (Love)." Strangely, I wasn't nervous when singing it, especially when Nanaka also joined in for a duet. Our voices blended harmoniously, and the score was 95% with additional text on the TV: 'best couple'.

"You can actually sing too!" Nanaka praised me, her eyes sparkling. "Well, just a little bit," I felt embarrassed, but happy. "Your singing voice sounds similar to Akira Fuse," Nanaka added. "R-really?" I hadn't realized it myself, feeling a little awkward. "By the way, is your hand okay?" Nanaka looked at my bandaged hand. "Yeah, it's a bit better. How about we do karaoke again?" "Sure, this time I'll choose," Nanaka started getting excited to sing again.

Finally, to pass the time, I filled it with karaoke with Nanaka until I was satisfied. After that, I headed to the arcade room. I saw Kuro-sensei playing Tetris, Kazuki playing Crazy Taxi, while Ken played Silent Hill with two consoles. Oh my, this kid is such a gun maniac.

I chose the latest Wangan Midnight Maximum Tune game. Coincidentally, I already had my card, so I just had to play. As I was in the middle of a race, the words "New Challenger!!" appeared. I looked to my side, and it turned out to be Kotori, with a ready-to-duel face.

"Hehe, our duel isn't over yet, Hayabusa!" Kotori wasn't satisfied with our duel. "Oh goodness. Still want to duel?" I was overwhelmed. "Wait a minute!! Sensei too!" Kuro-sensei appeared behind me. "I want to challenge all of you now!" Ken also showed his card, his eyes sparkling with challenge.

The game was set for four rounds. The loser had to treat the others to choco banana at the bar. Clearly, during the game, the machines were played recklessly and wildly. Crashing here and there, hitting left and right, all sorts of cheating came out. And the result was, Ken, Kuro-sensei, and I lost to Kotori four rounds in a row. Haaah~~~, how embarrassing.

I decided to apologize to Erika for accidentally seeing her body in the onsen. I went to the ladies' private room and knocked on the door. Then, Otome appeared when she opened the door.

"Hayabusa-kun, what's wrong?" Otome looked at me confused. "Otome, is Erika in the room?" "No, she went out. Why?" "Nothing. Excuse me," I left Otome, disappointment creeping into my heart.

I searched for Erika wherever she went to apologize. I didn't want to be labeled a pervert, and that would be truly embarrassing for me. Anyway, I had to apologize to Erika right now, before this misunderstanding grew larger.

I found Erika in the lobby. She was relaxing, drinking tea alone while enjoying the view outside the window, the falling snow creating a peaceful atmosphere. I walked slowly towards Erika and faced her. For some reason, I was a bit afraid to apologize to her, fearing her rejection.

"What's wrong, Hasukawa?" Erika asked, her voice soft, but her eyes still held a hint of annoyance. "Um, Erika… I… I'm really sorry!! I didn't mean to just now!" I apologized with a deep bow, feeling my cheeks flush. "You really didn't mean to?" Erika looked at me, her eyes softening slightly, trying to read the sincerity on my face. "I truly didn't mean to, please forgive me!" I bowed again, pleading for forgiveness. "Alright, I forgive you. Besides, I also hurt your left hand," Erika said shyly, a faint smile on her lips, showing her concern. "Ah, no, it's nothing," I held my bandaged hand, feeling a slight ache. "If you need anything, I can help you, Hayabusa-kun," Erika offered sincerely, her eyes sparkling. "Arigato gozaimasu!! (Thank you very much!!)" I bowed to Erika, then I realized she had called me by my first name. There was a strange tremor in my heart. "Erika, did you just call my first name?" "Um, I've become interested in you, Hayabusa-kun," Erika smiled, her cheeks flushing deeper, our gazes meeting.

Finally, Erika forgave me. I could breathe a sigh of relief and calm down. A weight lifted from my chest. Then Emily and her friends came to the lobby to invite Erika and me to enjoy dinner. The food provided was Western-style, luxurious and tempting.

In front of me was a well-done steak, and to my right and left were salads, soup, and several slices of bread. I began to pick up my fork with my right hand and cut the meat with a special meat knife. Fortunately, the meat was easy to cut, so I didn't have to struggle with my bruised left hand.

I saw Ken next to me. He ate quite fast, even ordering five more plates of steak, four bowls of salad, and three more soups. I didn't even realize there was such a glutton next to me. Midori, on the other hand, teased Kuro-sensei by feeding him because Shizuka-sensei was next to Kuro-sensei. Heh~~, are they cousins or husband and wife? Goodness, their behavior always makes me shake my head.

After dinner, everyone went about their own activities. I myself still didn't know what else to do. Finally, I decided to enjoy the open-air onsen again in peace, without any interruptions from others and alone. I wanted to reflect on today's events, especially Erika's words.

Fortunately, the onsen wasn't used that day and the water was still hot. I could enjoy it calmly while looking at the fairly bright sky and the lightly falling snow. I also looked at my hand, which had been hit by the snowmobile; it was quite swollen and blue. Pain came occasionally, but for some reason, thoughts of Erika made me forget it for a moment.

"Still hurts, huh?" A voice appeared next to me. My heart pounded. "Ah, a little, because I was careless and got hit by a snowmobile," I replied, a bit startled. I tried to look next to me and saw Erika, also soaking in the onsen. I immediately closed my eyes rather than be slapped again.

"Why did you close your eyes?" Erika asked, her voice amused. "I don't want to be slapped, I've learned my lesson," I still kept my eyes closed, afraid. "Come on, just open your eyes. I won't slap you." There was an amused and slightly teasing tone in her voice. "O… Okay," I slowly opened my eyes, glancing at her cautiously. "Here, let me see your bruised hand for a moment."

I gave my swollen hand to Erika. She held my swollen hand and gently stroked it. I felt Erika's hand stroking my bruise, her hand was very soft, like silk. Her touch sent waves of warmth spreading throughout my body.

"Hayabusa-kun, thank you," she whispered. "It's nothing, as long as you're safe, that's all that matters," I said, feeling the warmth of her touch, and also the happiness that began to creep into my heart. "After all, you've helped me twice, during the school festival and now, and I shouldn't have slapped you," Erika's face began to flush, looking down slightly, guilt clearly visible. "It's fine, besides, your slap made me realize that looking at a woman's chest is wrong," I tried to lighten the mood, though I was still replaying the scene in my mind. "Um…, Hayabusa-kun…" Erika called, her voice almost a whisper, breaking the silence. "Hai? (Yes?)" I looked at Erika, my heart pounding, waiting for what she would say. "I… I… suki desu (I like you)," Erika said quickly, her face as red as a tomato, then quickly turned and fled from the onsen, leaving me stunned. I stood frozen, feeling my erratic heartbeat. Her words echoed in my ears, suki desu. A confession so sincere, so surprising. I was speechless and could only continue soaking, a faint smile slowly forming on my lips. This wasn't a dream, it was real.

Finally, I finished soaking because the onsen was about to close. I returned to my room, where all the kids were relaxing and chatting, drinking sake. Ken, on the other hand, was drinking beer instead of sake, saying that sake wasn't strong enough for him, feeling like drinking water.

I finally joined them, chatting and enjoying the warm, sweet sake. The kids' faces were also starting to turn red from drinking too much sake. I saw that the bottle count had reached eight bottles of sake, O.M.G.! These kids are really good at drinking sake, huh? But fortunately, no one was severely drunk to the point of uncontrollable anger, running around the hotel like little kids, or even worse, stripping off their yukatas and wandering the hotel corridors like mental hospital patients. It would truly be embarrassing if anyone did that. As the conversation grew livelier, Kazuki started talking about the girls at school.

"Hey-hey!! Who do you guys think is the hottest girl in our school?!" Kazuki started getting drunk, his laughter boisterous. "I think Shizuka-sensei is the top!! She's so HOT!!" Ken answered drunkenly, his eyes wide. "I choose~~… Zzz… zzz… zzz…," Kuro-sensei was drunk on the futon, already asleep. "Hayabusa~, who do you like, huh~?!" Kazuki's breath smelled of sake, his question piercing. "Who I like, huh~~? What are you talking about~~!?" I wasn't drunk yet, trying to evade. "Girls~!! Girl- HACK!" Kazuki started throwing up. "EH!! Don't throw up here!" I ran from Kazuki, disgusted.

After everyone had fallen asleep due to sake, I was still awake, sitting in a chair and enjoying the view outside. This time I looked at my left arm and removed the bandage; the bruise had subsided a bit, though it was still blue. Perhaps it was also thanks to Erika's massage in the onsen that time, which helped my bruised hand subside a little, or perhaps it was also due to the happiness I felt.

Then things got crazy; everyone started talking nonsense and acting drunk. From shouting out their crushes to other chaotic remarks, I ended up going somewhere a bit far from them, drinking sake, rather than having to deal with the insane chaos. I needed peace, and thoughts of Erika filled my mind.

The next morning, I woke up before the kids who were still hungover from sake. This time, the situation was like being hit by a tornado; some were even close to kicking the TV in the corner of the room. I got out of bed and looked at my bandaged hand; the bruise had miraculously disappeared quickly. Before the kids woke up, I left the room and went to the onsen.

At the onsen, there were already other kids inside. I joined them and enjoyed the warmth of the onsen. Then the kids from my room also came in because there was still space. The onsen almost became crowded because so many people joined in. After finishing, I got out of the onsen, followed by the other kids.

As soon as I reached the dining area, some kids were already eating there. Then I got my food and sat down first. Before eating, I saw Erika bringing her food next to me, followed by Ken and Otome.

"Hasukawa-kun, may I sit here?" Erika asked, her cheeks still slightly flushed, her eyes full of hope. "Ah, please do," I continued eating, trying to look relaxed. "Please, Princess," Ken offered a seat to Erika, his grin uncontrollable.

Suddenly, the kids around us became envious after Ken offered Erika a seat. Without me directly noticing, Erika actually sat next to me, her face flushed and shy, an aura of happiness emanating from her. Suddenly, Ken and Otome, who were watching in front of me, had faces like they were watching a show, as if we were on stage.

"What!?" I started to get confused, feeling curious stares from all around. "Erika wants to tell you something," Otome replied with a mischievous smile, her eyes twinkling. "Come on, speak up, Princess," Ken couldn't wait, urging Erika. "U-um, Mr. Bushido-kun…" Erika began to speak, her voice trembling, looking nervous. "Hm?" I took a sip of my drink, waiting for her, my heart pounding. "I… I… suki desu (I like you), Hayabusa-kun! I want to be your girlfriend!" Erika said it quickly, closing her eyes tightly, waiting for my reaction. The atmosphere suddenly went silent, only the sound of my heart beating could be heard. I choked on my drink. The words "suki desu" and "your girlfriend" echoed in my ears, repeating like an echo. Ken and Otome smiled broadly, eagerly awaiting my answer. Erika's face was flushed crimson, her hands trembling in her lap, waiting for my decision. "Erika… I…" I took a deep breath, gathering all my courage. "I… like you too." Erika's eyes immediately opened wide, a mix of surprise and happiness on her face. Her smile bloomed, far brighter than the morning sun, illuminating the entire room. Ken and Otome quietly cheered, happy to see us finally honest with our feelings. Erika reached for my hand under the table, her grip soft but meaningful, a bond that had just formed.

After finishing breakfast and packing our things, we all finally returned to Nishizawa, feeling sore and tired, but also overflowing with happiness.

"Everyone!! Good job, now go home and rest!" Kotori said, her voice cheerful. "YEAH—!" Everyone shouted in unison. "Hayabusa-kun, Ken-kun. Good job," Otome praised. "Ah, same here. Oh right, Hayabusa," Ken called me, a mischievous grin still on his face. "Hm?" I replied. "Princess wants you to escort her to her home," Ken said with a meaningful smile, glancing at Erika. "Uh, Setsuko's house, right?" I replied, confused, still not fully understanding. "Nope, now she's living alone in an apartment," Ken replied, deliberately surprising me. "Oh… HE!?" I seemed to have misheard, my eyes wide. "Don't be stupid, just go, man!" Ken pushed me towards Erika, who was already smiling shyly, waiting for me. "Alright, Erika," I called her, a mix of awkwardness and joy. "Ha-Hasukawa-kun?" Erika was startled, but her face lit up, her smile so sweet. "Ken said you need an escort to your apartment?" I asked, feeling a little awkward but happy, trying to sound casual. "Ah-A… L-let's go!! You don't want a girl to be alone at night, do you?" Erika said, and she was already walking ahead, shy but enthusiastic, my heart warming. "Wow-wow." I followed Erika, unable to hide my smile, a new chapter had begun.

Finally, we arrived at Erika's apartment. Its location was quite close to the school and also near my house. The building consisted of five blocks, and there was also a car parking area. The apartment building looked elegant, reflecting Erika's lifestyle.

"This is far enough," Erika said, stopping at the building entrance. "Really? But your bag is quite heavy to carry up," I was still carrying Erika's bag, offering to escort her to her unit. "It's fine, it's close to my apartment anyway," Erika said, a little shy. "Okay then, good night," I turned around, a little disappointed that our time together had to end. "Hasukawa-kun, wait!" Erika called, her voice holding her breath. "Hm?" I looked at Erika, my heart pounding, waiting. She stood on tiptoes, her face very close to mine, then quickly kissed my cheek. A soft and warm touch, like a blooming flower on my skin. "Thank you… and… see you tomorrow, my boyfriend," she whispered shyly, then immediately ran into her apartment with flushed cheeks, leaving me stunned. I stood silent for a moment, the soft touch on my cheek still lingering, and the whisper of "my boyfriend" made my heart flutter warmly, filling my entire chest with happiness. I touched my cheek, a wide smile I rarely saw on my face was now clearly visible. Tonight, I went home with a heart full of happiness, looking forward to tomorrow with her, the day our love story would begin.

Epilogue: The Story of the Prince and Princess in European Lands

Several years later, in a magnificent ancient castle in the heart of Europe, lived a man and a woman whose story was like a fairytale. Hayabusa, once the cold and restrained "Mr. Bushido," now stood tall as a prince, with a smile always gracing his lips. Beside him, Erika, the graceful "princess," was now his wife, the queen of his heart.

After graduating from high school, Hayabusa decided to follow Erika to Europe. With full support from his family and blessings from Erika's family, they started a new life there. Hayabusa, with his discipline and diligence, learned European languages and culture, while Erika continued her studies in arts and management.

Their life in Europe was like a fairytale come true. They lived in a luxurious residence inherited by Erika's family, surrounded by beautiful gardens and stunning views of the Alps. Their days were filled with adventures, romantic trips to historic cities, and warm evenings in front of the fireplace. Hayabusa, with his martial arts skills, often became Erika's personal bodyguard at formal events, always protecting the princess with the loyalty of a knight.

Erika, with her beauty and grace, often attended important social events, always accompanied by Hayabusa. This couple became the talk of the town, known as the perfect pair, a prince and princess from the East who found true love in the West.

One afternoon, on a balcony overlooking a snowy valley, Erika leaned against Hayabusa's chest. Thin snow fell, blanketing the scenery like a white carpet.

"Thank you, Hayabusa-kun," Erika whispered, caressing her husband's cheek. "I never imagined life could be this happy."

Hayabusa gently kissed Erika's forehead. "Me too, hime. You are my world. You softened my heart and brought me this happiness."

They looked at each other, their eyes radiating eternal love. Their story is proof that true love knows no boundaries, and that even a "Mr. Bushido" can find his own fairytale, becoming a prince for a princess he always protected. They lived happily ever after, in the dreamland they created together, like a prince and princess in a story that would never end.