Today was a sunny day, perfect for a date. The sun shone high in the sky without a single cloud to cover it. The temperature was ideal—not too cold, not too hot. In short, it felt like a day made specifically for a date.
Akira and Lala walked hand in hand, enjoying everything Sainan had to offer. Even though they had seen these same places dozens of times before, going out alone on a date, talking about mundane things, made those familiar sights feel completely new. No kings, no assassins, no heirs, not even princesses—right now, they were simply a couple enjoying each other's company.
The hours passed, and Akira and Lala had a wonderful time. Even though their date was just a simple walk, something many might consider boring—preferring instead a movie theater, a shopping mall, or even an amusement park, as Akira himself had initially thought—the truth was that it wasn't boring at all. For them, as long as they were together, it didn't matter what kind of date they had or where they went. Just being in each other's presence made everything feel special.
They wandered through Sainan, admiring the scenery and nearby parks. They entered a few shops just for fun, and later sat down together at a café, sharing coffee while laughing and talking about everyday things. For one day, they forgot who they were—a future king and a princess, a future empress. Today, they were simply Akira and Lala, a couple enjoying a peaceful, carefree day together.
Before they realized it, the hours had passed, and it was already afternoon. Deciding to take a break, they went to grab something to eat—a light snack to satisfy their hunger. After thinking it over, Akira decided to take Lala to the same café Mikado had taken him to the first time—that peculiar café.
When they entered, Lala was immediately amazed. Almost everyone present had features that were clearly not human, while those who appeared human didn't seem bothered at all, as if everything around them was completely normal.
They took a seat, and after ordering two slices of cake and two orange juices, they began to talk.
"So you're saying this is a café where aliens can blend in completely unnoticed?"
"That's right. This is what they call a themed café. Anyone can come here in costume, so normal humans just assume they're wearing outfits or accessories. No one would ever imagine that those 'costumes' are actually real."
Akira thought it had been a great idea to bring her here. The atmosphere was pleasant, the background music was relaxing, and both the service and food were top quality. It was the perfect place to spend some time together.
"That's amazing. I didn't know places like this existed on Earth… I should ask Zastin and my father if there are more places like this. Maybe on our next date, we could visit them."
"That's actually a great idea."
As they continued their conversation, Haruka—who had been following them since morning—listened carefully, her body filled with envy.
She had been watching them the entire time. Seeing them hold hands, flirt constantly… they had even shared an ice cream together. Haruka watched all of it with envy, wishing she could be in their place. But… whose place did she want? Akira's or Lala's?
Strangely, her envy wasn't directed only at Akira—it was also directed at Lala.
She envied both of them.
She understood why she felt envious of Akira, but… why did she feel that way about Lala? Did she also want to flirt with Akira? To hold him, to share moments like that?
No… that couldn't be right. She liked women, not men.
But as the day went on and she witnessed more and more of their happiness, she finally realized something she could no longer deny.
Just as Lala had once said…
She had started to like Akira.
It was already a reality.
She didn't understand how it was possible for her to like a man—but denying it would be foolish.
The strangest part wasn't that she had begun to like him.
It was that nothing else had changed.
Other men still didn't attract her at all.
That remained the same.
But Akira… was different.
What was it about him that made someone like her start falling for a man? Someone who, since childhood, had never been interested in men?
Haruka couldn't understand it.
But she couldn't deny it either.
As she watched them flirt, she remembered what she had learned that night—the truth about Akira, Lala, and the others. Lala was a princess, and Akira, as her fiancé, would eventually become the king of the galaxy. That meant that one day, he would stand above all beings, ruling over countless planets and races.
At that moment, a thought crossed her mind.
If she liked Akira…
Why not accept it?
Why not marry him?
If she did, she could stay with Lala and the others forever—admiring them, enjoying their presence… maybe even something more.
It would be a win in every sense.
She would marry the only man she was attracted to—a powerful and wealthy man—and at the same time, she would be able to stay close to Lala and the others.
Even if yuri wasn't possible…
She could still admire them.
Like admiring a beautiful landscape.
A landscape you couldn't touch—but one that delighted the eyes.
"That's not a bad idea… in fact, it's a very good idea."
At that moment, Akira and Lala were already heading toward the café, so she continued following them.
"Even if I don't like the idea of being in love with a man… if I marry Akira… wouldn't everything work out perfectly? I'd be with the only man I'm attracted to, and since I'd be part of his harem, I could admire the other girls. Who knows… maybe I could even enjoy the view in a large bath. Even if I can't touch, just admiring doesn't hurt anyone… right?"
For the first time in her life, Haruka was thinking with her head instead of her instincts.
And she reached a conclusion.
A very good one.
A solution that could bring her happiness—or at least part of it.
"Even if a polyamorous relationship would be nice… that's impossible, so I'll just enjoy the view. I guess that'll be enough. Besides, some of the girls I've been with before said sex with men can be just as pleasurable as sex between women… it can't be that bad, right?"
She had made up her mind.
But there was a problem.
She knew Akira wouldn't accept her.
She had spent enough time around him at school to understand something important—Akira hated yuri within his harem. He despised it. Even during sex, his women didn't touch each other. And to begin with, none of them were attracted to other women, so it wasn't an issue for them.
Yes, they had talked about it once—but only briefly, before Nana, completely flustered, covered her sister's mouth in embarrassment and anger. From that, Haruka had concluded that Nana was the kind of tsundere who didn't like talking about her private life—which was understandable.
Because of that conversation, Haruka knew all of this.
Thanks to a small slip from Lala.
"That's a problem… I can't just stop liking women… can I?"
That was something she had been born with.
How could someone change their sexual orientation just like that?
It was nearly impossible.
"And it's not like he's going to believe that I like him… especially after all the times I tried to get close to Lala and the others. He'll just think it's another one of my tricks—or a joke. What should I do to make him believe me? I mean, it's not like I'm lying… but he won't accept someone like me. Not knowing how much he hates yuri."
It was a dilemma.
A nearly impossible one.
"Maybe I could ask Momo… She once told me that if I ever fell in love with Akira, I could ask her for advice. At the time, I thought it was a joke—an insult. But now… maybe I should be honest with her and ask for help."
{Note: many of you may still hate this character, but you can't deny her development. From trying to separate them to falling in love with Akira and wanting to join his harem. Now she's no longer trying to interfere—she just wants to stay by Akira and Lala's side and maybe admire the other girls. Still, I know many of you won't be convinced yet and might leave negative comments or even consider dropping the fic… so I'll keep developing her character until you stop hating her and accept her place in the harem. With that said, let's continue with the final lines of the chapter.}
Although Haruka's idea wasn't bad, she chose not to act on it.
Her feelings for Akira were still developing, and she didn't know whether they would grow stronger or fade away. She didn't want to rush things. The best option was to wait. Only if her feelings deepened—only if she truly fell in love—would she consider asking Momo for help.
For now…
Waiting was the best choice.
And so, with that decision, Haruka continued following Akira and Lala into the café, sitting as close to them as possible while straining her ears to listen to their conversation.
{Note: in the next chapter, Akira and Lala will take full focus, so don't worry about Haruka continuing to appear. This was just an update on her character—how she has evolved. In the next chapter, we'll return fully to Akira's point of view. Also, Haruka won't appear in any of the upcoming dates, so don't worry about that. To be honest, I only included her here because this was Lala's date—the girl she's in love with—and I wanted you to see how her feelings for Akira are slowly developing. Could I have stretched this over ten chapters like many fics do? Sure. But I believe changing someone's orientation isn't something simple—it's a slow process that needs proper development. That's why she still has a long way to go. I just hope you understand why I'm doing this.}