Yuki awoke to the gentle hum of her air conditioner—a welcome change from the chaos of the bazaar she'd just left behind. Instead of a creaky, old inn ceiling, she found herself beneath modern, clean lines. Her phone's alarm shattered the quiet from a cluttered desk beside a softly glowing Bluetooth speaker. "What the hell?" she muttered as she bolted upright, a surge of panic making her clutch her head. The comfortable pajamas she now wore felt like a far cry from the grimy clothes of her frantic escape from Graaswell City.
Taking in her surroundings, Yuki noted the curious blend of comfort and eccentricity in her room. Anime posters—Attack on Titan and Demon Slayer—decorated the walls, while her gaming chair and PC with their vivid RGB lights added a contemporary flair. The air conditioner's persistent buzz was at once soothing and slightly irritating. "This is my space," she whispered, though her voice trembled. Drawing back the curtains, she was greeted by a view of bustling Tokyo: cars blaring their horns and the irresistible aroma of freshly baked bread wafting up from the bakery downstairs.
Her reflection in the window confirmed her striking features—golden hair that hinted at both Californian and Japanese heritage, and large, expressive blue eyes. For a brief moment, she pinched her cheek in disbelief. "Was it all just a dream?" she wondered, as memories of Alepou's smile, the wild takoyaki stand, and the bizarre spectacle of Prince Gabriel detaining an elderly man flooded back. The taste of a punch, the warmth of an embrace—it all felt too real to be mere fantasy. A glance into her closet reassured her: there, neatly hung, was her Kamiyama International High uniform, a reminder of the ordinary life waiting for her. Then her eyes caught the date on the calendar: April 5th. "First day of school… and the exam results are out," she groaned.
Nervous energy drove her to pace the room. "How can this be?" she mused. "I was just in Graaswell City—feeling like I'd stepped into another era—and now I'm here. Was it a hallucination, a dream, or something else entirely?" Her gaze drifted to the silent Bluetooth speaker. In frustration, she picked it up and shook it as if expecting it to answer her. "Did you just send me to another damn world, or are you some kind of magical relic?" But the speaker remained mute, offering nothing but a stubborn silence. Collapsing back into her gaming chair, she stared into the dark reflection on the screen. "If it was a dream, why do I remember every single detail so vividly? Alepou, Gabriel… even that distinct takoyaki aroma…"
The rumble of her stomach finally pulled her back to reality. With a resigned sigh, Yuki stood up. "Dream or not, I've got to get moving. First day of high school is here whether I like it or not." As she brushed her teeth and got ready, flashes of Graaswell City—Alepou's laughter, the mad rush at the food stall, the bizarre prince—continued to haunt her thoughts. "Am I really losing my mind?" she wondered while donning her uniform, which now seemed alien after her recent, surreal experience.
At the doorway, she paused and hesitated. "If I step out, am I leaving that other world behind forever?" she asked herself. But determination soon overtook doubt. "If that world's real, I'll find a way back," she vowed softly. "Alepou, Gabriel… if you're out there, wait for me."
Taking a deep breath, Yuki pushed open the door and stepped into the quiet hallway. The soft sounds of morning—distant clattering dishes and the low hum of a refrigerator—welcomed her back to her apartment. The imagined bustle of Tokyo gave way to the familiar cadence of her own life. Her new day was beginning, but somewhere deep down, she knew that her adventure in Graaswell City was far from over. There was an unshakable pull, a call from another dimension that she simply couldn't ignore.