Cross Worlds: The Tale Of Two Boys Who Swapped Worlds 4 A Day In Akihabara

Meanwhile on Earth…

Yuri woke up and after stretching, he headed directly to the bathroom. There, he brushed his teeth and took a shower before heading downstairs wondering why the place is so silent. When he reached into the living room, he saw Ayumu and Azusa dressed neatly in suits.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"To work." Ayumu responded. Yuri internally face palmed himself. He was so used to his entire family working from home that he forgot. "Be a good boy and don't leave this house, don't answer to strangers, don't ―"

"Yeah, yeah and I shouldn't take the apple from the old woman dressed in rags." Yuri sighed, referring to a fairy tale.

The two parents let out a chuckle and did to Yuri what seemed to be a ritual ―ruffled his hair and kissed him on his forehead. Azusa then pointed to the microwave in the kitchen and told him that once he hears a 'ding' sound, he should eat his breakfast. But Ayumu wrote down their numbers (both cell phones and work) for him to call them should anything happen.

Yuri nodded; this was just like his parents back home.

But before they could have left, the doorbell rang. With a raised brow, Ayumu went to answer. Opening the door, he saw a teenage boy, with an all too familiar face. The boy before him had neatly combed black hair with his bangs slightly covering his eyebrows in the gentleman hairstyle. His eyes were narrow shaped with his pupils being a very bright blue. He wore a black s.h.i.+rt with green cut-off jeans and matching sneakers. He was none other than Mochizuki Takahiro, Tachibana's best friend.

"Good morning Takahiro," Ayumu greeted. "What brings you here?"

"Good morning Mr. Tachibana," Mochizuki greeted. "Have you forgotten that Tacchi and I had plans to go to Akiba today?"

Azusa and Ayumu exchanged glances. Oh right…

"Why don't you come in?" Ayumu said to the boy, Azusa opening the door wider for him to enter.

Immediately, the silver haired teen froze. He turned around to see Ayumu inviting Mochizuki into the house. Azusa then called Yuri over and the conversation that took place next, left Yuri gaping.

The two parents actually told the boy of his predicament.

In this world where there is no existence of magic, how could they tell someone something of this magnitude? Back home it would be quite believable, ―plausible rather, since there are teleportation circles used for travel.

"So that's why I couldn't get through to him on his cell phone?" He heard Mochizuki ask

.

"Yeah, Yu probably had his cell phone on him."

"This is…this is…I can't even find words to say. That Tacchi isn't my best friend?" Mochizuki looked absolutely mortified. He then waved his hand in a gesture which signalled he needed some time. He turned his face away, and neither of the Tachibana could see what expression he made. They heard some heaving, and they even saw him shaking. But throughout all this, Yuri wracked his brain to figure out who Mochizuki was.

He heard Ayumu call him Takahiro, but the only Takahiro he knew back home was a female.

It took some time before raven-haired male calmed down, and when he did, he looked to Yuri. He stared at the silver haired Prince with disbelieving eyes, as every square inch was the same exact as his best friend Tacchi.

"Takahiro," Yuri started, feeling a bit suffocated underneath the gaze. "It's true." He then raised a hand and after he did so, yellow Lightning crackled around it. "Can your Tacchi do this?"

Mochizuki stood there frozen. He gaped at the boy's hand for what seemed like forever before being snapped back to reality by Ayumu.

"You really are from another world…" Mochizuki breathed out in shock. "Tell me! What's it like!? Are there dragons!? Are there Adventurers?! Are there ―" he broke off due to Yuri placing a finger on his lips.

"If you want information on my world, I suggest you take me to this "Akiba" place you and the other Yuri were designated to go. Exchange is no robbery, right?" The Prince smirked.

Ayumu and Azusa let out sighs of relief. The sole reason for them telling Mochizuki was because they planned to transfer the Prince to his school. Since they didn't know how long how their son would be trapped in the Prince's world for, it's best that they move him somewhere where someone can keep an eye on him. After all, Yuri seems like short-tempered impulsive type. Ayumu wouldn't want an unsuspecting soul to p.i.s.s him off and he unleashes his Lightning to render them to ash.

"Deal." Mochizuki grinned.

"Takahiro, this is dangerous. I can't have ―"

"Daddy," Yuri whined and clung to the man, using his trademark pout. "We'll be fine. I promise I won't use my spatial ring or my magic. Please let me see the world." he was begging, being all pouty and using the upturned eyes tactic.

"Gah!" Ayumu said as he turned away his face. His son was just too cute to handle. "You can go, but not today."

"Why?" Yuri whined. "I want to see the world! Don't be so stingy!"

"I'm not being stingy! You don't have a j.a.panese cell phone or rather, a chip from a j.a.panese network in that thing. The crowds are pretty heavy today, what if you get separated from Takahiro?"

"Ku…"

"Secondly, you don't know the area. You don't know the train lines; you don't even know your address." Ayumu reasoned. "I'll let you go anywhere you want with Takahiro, but not today. Please understand."

"He's right, Yuri." Mochizuki said, using 'Yuri' instead of Tacchi. "You came here yesterday, right? I'll give you some geography lessons and stuff. We can always go next week."

The Prince couldn't argue. He knew that Ayumu was right, and gave in. He returned to the sofa and sat with a loud 'plop'. His face was downcast, but everyone present could tell that the Prince was eager to go out.

"Takahiro, please keep this boy safe and off the streets." Azusa said.

"Well, that's kinda steep. I mean, Yuri can wield electricity. If he wants, he can electrocute me and escape." He said with a chuckle.

"Thanks for the idea." Yuri joked.

"But I'll try my best." Mochizuki said to override what the Prince said.

"And I won't escape. After all, Takahiro can always teach me how to read a manga, unlike someone I know."

"I see what you're hinting at." Ayumu said with a half-smile. "Remember, I am your father now, there are places I can take you that Takahiro can't. Choose who you want to p.i.s.s off wisely."

"s.h.i.+t," he mumbled.

With that, the two parents left, but of course, Mochizuki was left in charge of everything. The poor boy didn't even know whether or not to feel psyched up about learning about another world or that he's been put on babysitting duty until the Prince gets used to the country (which he doubts is anytime soon).

"Great, now that they're gone, Takahiro," Yuri said with a smirk. "Let's go to this Akiba place."

"Yuri! We can't! You heard your father!" Mochizuki tried to reason. "If we go out and then we're found out, what do you think will happen to me?"

"Nothing." The Prince shrugged. "I mean, I can threaten to kill you with my magic if you don't do my bidding. Obviously, Daddy won't do anything to you." But then, the Prince's face darkened. "That said…" Lightning crackled all over his body as if signifying that Yuri could end him within a flash. "Let's go or else…"

Mochizuki sighed. He knew that if he tried to argue with him, he really might get electrocuted. There was something about this Yuri that Mochizuki could tell was different from his best friend.

"Your Highness," he started. "Go get dressed so that we can head to Akiba."

"Yos.h.!.+" Yuri cheered and dashed up the stairs. Mochizuki followed shortly after him, to ensure that he dresses appropriately. Like Tachibana, Mochizuki thought that Yuri's world was like those depicted in fantasy manga ―medieval like clothing and buildings, so he wanted to ensure that the Prince knew what to mix and match.

"Yuri, I'm coming to help you pick ―" He broke off as he saw what the Prince was in, although he was more stunned at the speed at which he changed. Yuri donned a red v-neck t-s.h.i.+rt and a white knee length pair of shorts. To secure his pants, there was a black belt with studs on the bands. Also, he wore a red converse to match his s.h.i.+rt. On his wrist was the watch he had arrived with from his world.

"Help me to pick what?"

"Nothing, nothing at all." Mochizuki replied.

"Well, since there's nothing left, let's go!"

The two boys left the house, and walked towards the station to catch the next train to Tokyo. However, when they reached, Mochizuki noticed the unbelievable crowd. Since it was the weekend, this was to be expected. Add to that, there were many sales occurring in Akiba today so a lot of patrons wanted a piece of that cake. Ayumu had warned them of the crowd and if he loses the Prince here, Mochizuki knew he'd be dead.

"Look, Ta―Yuri," he said. He chose to call him Yuri so as to not mistake him for his best friend, the j.a.panese Tachibana Yuri.

"Hmm?"

"Hold onto me. Anywhere is fine."

"Why?"

"You see this crowd? I can't lose you!"

"All I'd have to do is send a signal in the air and you'll come running right?"

"And if someone sees you do it, you'll be taken to be some lab rat!"

"I'll just bust myself out."

"And then they'll announce it on TV, "this boy is extremely dangerous and should be caught immediately". Your life will be over."

"Fine." Yuri succ.u.mbed and held the boy's hand, entangling their fingers together.

Mochizuki flinched away. "Don't hold my hand like that! People will think otherwise! What if we run into your or my cla.s.smates?!"

Yuri frowned. "You just told me to hold onto anywhere and now you're b.i.t.c.hing about it? Make up your d.a.m.n mind!"

"I'll just hold your wrist."

"Fine. As long as we get to Akiba, I don't care what you hold onto."

"That phrasing is…off."

"By the way, where's this 'Akiba' located?" Yuri said to change the subject.

"First, Akiba is just a nickname. The city's real name is Akihabara. And it's located in the Tokyo area."

Yuri gaped. "Huh? Then it's just like Yamato City and Kanagawa then."

"What are you talking about?"

"When I first came here, I was told that I was in Yamato City, Kanagawa. In my world, there also exists Yamato City, but Kanagawa isn't a prefecture but the capital city of my country."

"Woah,"

"Tokyo and Akihabara are cities in another country called Shoei. Tokyo, being the capital."

"Well, at least your world got some things right." Mochizuki joked. "Tokyo is the capital of j.a.pan, and Shoei doesn't exist. The closest to that would be a school that wears an abominable sports jersey." The raven-haired boy then smirked. "I see someone's in need of a geography lesson."

Yuri let out a groan. "Tell me about it."

While waiting on the train, Mochizuki learnt about Yuri's world. The Prince showed him his phone and Kei which left the boy floored. Mochizuki wanted to see Yuri use a magic spell but he decided to leave that for another time and when they aren't in a crowded place.

The raven haired teen was actually beaming, as this info goes against the majority of the fiction written here. He wasn't all that surprised since it was fiction, but to hear this calibre of information, the boy felt like he was in heaven. Add to that, he was fuming that Tachibana was currently living in that world and had no means of contacting him. He knows that the boy would have spilled everything to him.

In another minute, the train arrived and the people boarded it. However, due to it pa.s.sing through other cities before making it here, the seats were all full and there were some people already standing. Mochizuki chose to enter the train as one of the last people as he wanted both he and Yuri to be close to the door.

When inside, Yuri was extremely uncomfortable. He had his back against the door with Mochizuki in front of him; both of his hands were pressed against the door to use as a brace.

"You know, the trains in my Kingdom are just as packed as this." Yuri murmured. "But I've never experienced it."

"As expected of a Prince." Mochizuki said with a chuckle.

"My status has nothing to do with it." Yuri countered. "It's just that anytime my friends and I take the train, it'll be outside the rush hours."

"I see. But what's a Prince doing taking the trains? h.e.l.l, taking public transportation in general?"

"Well, the people don't know that I'm a Prince. To them, I'm just one of the many pretty boys in the country."

"Why don't they know?"

"Dad wants us to feel for ourselves the emotions of the people and things like that without filters. A perk of that, we'll be able to choose the right girls to marry. Plus, I don't want to marry some gold-digging b.i.t.c.h."

Mochizuki shuddered. This Yuri is frightening. "I see."

After a few more stops, their train had finally reached their destination. But, as soon as the doors flew open, the crowd rushed out, pus.h.i.+ng and shoving the two boys all over the place. Mochizuki felt Yuri slipping from his grasp, but tried to s.n.a.t.c.h his wrist back. However, another surge of people came out of nowhere and pushed Mochizuki forwards, closer to the stairs.

"Yuri!" he shouted. But the Prince didn't answer. More like, the Prince didn't hear. "Oh s.h.i.+t." Mochizuki started to fret. He looked around quickly, hoping to spot Yuri's bright hair. Sadly, no such luck.

Just then, he heard screaming and frantic chatter. Looking in the direction, he saw a ball of Lightning hovering. With a sigh of relief, he dashed towards it, thinking that this may be Yuri's way of showing his location. When he pushed and shoved and made his way to the ball, he saw Yuri standing by the pillar with a frightened look on his face.

"Yuri, you aren't scared are you?" Mochizuki asked.

"Tsch, as if." Yuri scoffed. "I just didn't want to become a lab rat. I have to blend in with the foolish ma.s.ses."

"Yet, you still did that." Mochizuki said, pointing his thumb into the air. But by now, the ball had disappeared.

"Well, no one saw me do it. All I did was channel some Lightning along the pillar and then have it acc.u.mulate into a ball in the air."

"Thank G.o.d." Mochizuki sighed in relief. He then grabbed the boy's wrist and headed up the stairs to leave the underground subway. But what weighed on Mochizuki's mind was a way to not lose the Prince. But that thought was quickly pushed away when he heard Yuri let out a gasp of surprise.

"Amazing! This is Akiba!?"

"Yes Your Highness, feast your eyes on one of j.a.pan's most visited cities."

"Wow, the Akihabara in my world looks nothing like this!"

All around, Yuri could see tall colourful buildings with many attractive signs. As he and Mochizuki walked along the sidewalks, the Prince was in awe of the city's uniqueness. On both sides of the streets, there were many patrons as well as people dressed in clothing that the Prince could tell was not a usual thing. One type he could identify was the maids, they were distinct but there were others that stuck out like a sore thumb.

He saw one male dressed in an orange and black jumpsuit, with what seemed to be a metal plate attached to a dark cloth on his forehead. He had blond hair; Yuri didn't know whether or not it was dyed.

"That guy, why is he dressed like that?" Yuri asked.

"It's called cosplay. People dress up like characters from anime and manga all the time."

"Oh. And what's his story?"

"The one in the jumpsuit?"

"Yeah,"

Mochizuki groaned. "He's the main character with a nine-tailed beast sealed inside him by his father to protect their village. The father died in the process, but the blond boy wants to be the number one ninja in his village. That said, he went through all the layers of h.e.l.l to achieve that dream."

"Nine-tailed beast? Ninja? Interesting. I want to read it."

"Good luck reading off seven hundred chapters plus the sequel."

"I take that back."

Mochizuki laughed at the boy's swift response. The two continued their walk; Yuri was absolutely mesmerized by the city's lights. They pa.s.sed by many electronics shops and many cosplay cafés which were no less than eye-catching. After they rounded a corner, Yuri noticed one building that stood out the most.

This building boasted six floors with tinted windows. On the sides, there were five orange signs which seemed to take the shape of the staircases on the inside. On these orange signs were the words Sega.

"Takahiro, what's that building?" Yuri asked.

"Oh, that's the Sega building. It's like the mecca of all things electronic." Mochizuki replied. "It has plenty of video games, anime, manga, you name it."

"So can we go inside? I want to see."

"But remember, we're strapped for time. Who knows when your father may drop in to check up on us?"

"Alright, just the first floor. Please?"

Mochizuki sighed. "Sure, let's go."

Gripping the Prince's wrist firmly, Mochizuki moved off towards the building. They crossed the street at the appropriate time, and swiftly made their way inside. Yuri was awed. On the first floor, there were many aisles of shelves which had stored a variety of things. To the left, Yuri saw a shelf full of stuffed toys, which were surprisingly cute. In a way, they reminded him of Kei, only bigger and made of sponges (probably).

"Interesting." Yuri said as he pressed his face against the gla.s.s. "Look, this one has a handcuff! Is he supposed to be a police?"

"Not necessarily." Mochizuki said. But seeing that stuffed animal, gave the boy an idea. They then looked to the right where there were gla.s.s shelves with small boxed figurines; a picture of an anime girl and what seemed to be her friends adorned the cover of the box.

After minutes of looking around, they left the building.

Continuing on the street, Yuri's eyes were all over the place, getting distracted by all sorts of things. With a tug, Mochizuki pulled him into another store, which housed a myriad of costumes.

"Why are we here?" Yuri asked as they walked towards the counter and cas.h.i.+er.

"I'm going to buy us a friends.h.i.+p bracelet." Mochizuki replied with a grin.

"Really?" Yuri asked. "Is it necessary?"

"Yes, I don't want to lose you." By now, they reached the cas.h.i.+er and the poor guy managed to hear the wrong part of their conversation.

"You worry too much." Yuri said.

"More like, I don't worry enough. Your Dad will kill me if anything should happen to you, won't he?"

"And as I said, you'll get off the hook."

Mochizuki didn't answer, instead he pointed at one of the goods which hung on a wall behind the cas.h.i.+er. Yuri had already left to look around the store, so he didn't see what Mochizuki had just bought. After making the purchase, the teen sauntered over to where the boy was and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"I've got it. Now gimme your wrist."

Yuri extended his left arm and within a swift motion felt a cold sensation. Looking at the 'bracelet' Yuri glared at Mochizuki.

"This is a handcuff."

"I know. This way, you'll never be separated from me." The raven-haired boy then placed the other handcuff on his right wrist. He then smirked at the Prince, and the two headed out once again.

The cas.h.i.+er only looked on with a smile, "Young love."

Once outside, Yuri asked, "Where do we go next?"

"Well, I just planned on showing you around. I can always make my purchases another day."

"Okay, I see."

Just then, they pa.s.sed by a bookstore and something caught the Prince's eyes. Knowing that they won't be separated, without a word to Mochizuki, Yuri dashed inside the book store, forcibly hauling the raven-haired teen with him. The Prince's eyes lit up with joy as he dashed towards a stack of books on display.

"Takahiro," the Prince said. "Look at this one!"

"You already have that at home."

"Really?"

"Did you not take notice of Tacchi's bookshelves?"

"Yes I did, but I didn't get to look through them all. How come he has so much anyway?"

"Tachibansan owns a publis.h.i.+ng house. Of course his son is going to have tons of books to read."

"You're lying." Yuri gasped.

"Of course not." Mochizuki chuckled.

"Then what are we doing here?! If I can get free books, then I don't need to be here!"

"Right you are Your Highness." Mochizuki joked. Quickly, the two exited the bookstore, and continued their adventure in Akihabara. Mochizuki took the Prince to all sorts of places, electronics stores, game arcades, anime stores and so forth. The Prince was enthralled by all this, especially whenever they came across a cosplayer, attracting customers for a particular store.

But in all this, he found out one horrid thing ―his world was pretty boring.

It was a fact that Sekai's technology far surpa.s.ses Earth's, but the amount of recreational activities these people have is astounding. Earth has numerous amounts of manga to read, while in his world, they only have novels. Earth has anime, Sekai doesn't. Earth has cosplay and cute maids walking around in the streets, Sekai doesn't. Maids are only found in the upper cla.s.s homes, and some of these maids are robots. Earth has so many video games to choose from, Sekai doesn't even have one.

Yuri was sorely disappointed that his world had nothing of this calibre. Due to the constant threat of the Youma, people in his world are more concerned about combating these creatures instead of creating anime and the like.

Mah, I hope Earth's Yuri can bring some flavour to the Kingdom. The Prince thought.

After extensive walking and shopping, the boys settled in a maid café. The two boys were welcomed like real Masters of a house. But being their first time at this café, they had received a card which was called 'Majesty Card'. Yuri was totally unaffected by this, since he was a Prince by default. A maid led them to their table after which they sat down and Mochizuki ordered for them both.

"Oi, Yuri, how are you still so calm?"

"Huh?" The Prince responded. "Am I supposed to be drooling at those maids?" He asked when he saw other males looking like love-struck idiots.

"Well, yeah. There are beautiful girls in maid clothing adding the honorific –sama to your name, how is that not making you drooling?!" Mochizuki said.

"This is my daily life. I have maids and butlers, bodyguards and all that stuff. There are some maids who even dress me. This is nothing new to me." Yuri shrugged.

"Oh right," Mochizuki sighed in defeat. "d.a.m.n you."

Yuri then smirked playfully. "How come you aren't turned on by this?"

Mochizuki shrugged. "I've been to other maid cafés before." Was his excuse.

"Heeh?" Yuri leaned forwards to the table, resting his chin on his right palm. "So what was your first experience like?"

"I got a nosebleed." Mochizuki said shyly.

"You pervert." The Prince joked.

But the mood changed within an instant. "I've been wondering," Mochizuki began. "Is that watch real gold?"

"Yup! And diamonds too!" Yuri perked. "It was a gift for my birthday last year! Daddy likes to be extravagant."

"Can I see it?"

"Sure." Yuri extended his arm towards the boy and allowed him to examine it. Mochizuki was truly intrigued by it, but when he saw the watch face, he let out a gasp of shock.

"Why are there only eight hours here?"

"Because there are sixteen hours in a day." Yuri answered in a matter-of-factly.

"Eh?! Only sixteen?!"

"What do you mean by 'only'? The hours are long as h.e.l.l."

"How can ― how many minutes are in an hour?"

"One hundred and fifty."

"s.h.i.+t! We have twenty-four hours but there are only sixty minutes per hour."

"Twenty-four hours but only sixty minutes…" Yuri said as he tapped his chin. "…I bet your days fly off before you can get started."

"You said it." Mochizuki sighed. "So, tell me more about your world. If you have such technology, how do you travel? I know you have trains and such, but do you travel to other countries? Or do you guys siege?"

"Yes we travel." Yuri said. "And no, we don't siege anywhere unless we're p.i.s.sed off."

"Oh. How do you design your aeroplanes?"

"What's an aeroplane?"

Mochizuki paled. He can't be serious? "An aeroplane is like a metal bird that carries people from one area to the next. A broader definition, it takes people from one country to the next."

"Oh, you mean those ancient flying vehicle with the fixed wings?"

"Yeah." Ancient? But then, he had an idea. Taking out his phone, he searched for a picture of an aeroplane and showed it to the Prince. His reaction, however, was rather bland.

"We don't have those anymore."

"Then how do you get around?"

"Traverse from city to city we use trains and buses and even taxis." The Prince said. "But from country to country we use teleportation circles."

"That isn't free right?"

"Of course not. Our teleportation circles are public transportation; naturally it'll incur a cost per usage."

"How does it work?" Mochizuki wanted to ask about how much it costs as well, but he didn't since Yuri's world more than likely uses a different currency.

"Well, pa.s.sengers go to a terminal with their tickets for a designated place and then they'll be transported. There are different terminals for different places, but some would need a transfer." Yuri said. "For example, in Kanagawa in my world, there's a teleportation circle directly from there to Tokyo in Shoei and vice-versa. However, there is none directly from Kanagawa to Sapporo City all the way up North. So, pa.s.sengers would have to teleport to Yamagata and then use Yamagata's circle to get up to Sapporo."

"Hmm, that's similar to transfer flights out here. Some countries don't have a straight flight to certain areas so they essentially do the same thing as your world."

"Heeh, really?"

"But why do you have teleportation circles and not some super aeroplane?"

"It was created to prevent deaths during these long travels."

"Deaths?"

"In my world, there are creatures that suddenly appear we call Youma. These creatures can appear in the sky, beneath the earth and sea or in any forest ―anywhere really. Except for cities because barriers were built to ward them off." Yuri explained. "So, to prevent people from being harmed when travelling, we use these teleportation circles so that people can arrive safely at their destination." He then added, "Plus, there are wild beasts out there too, you know. Wouldn't want to be flying and we come across some migrating dragons or worse, a fight between those creatures."

"Woah, that's pretty cool." Mochizuki nodded. "So, these teleportation terminals, don't they get packed with people along with their luggage and all?"

"We have Inter-spatial devices." He answered as he waved his thumb. "They can be a ring, necklace, anklet, earring, purse, bag, et cetera. But the rings are the most popular, so people are seen heading in the terminals with no luggage so to speak. But, there is a scanner in the terminals which tells security what they have in the rings to prevent smuggling."

"I see. But these Inter-spatial devices, how do they work?"

"Depending on the storage capacity, they're able to store anything the user wants. By holding your hand over the item you want, it's automatically absorbed in the ring. For the purses and bags, you have to put the item in there." Yuri then laughed. "Only the Military's devices are big enough to store cars and huge a.s.s weapons. But these devices cannot be worn by people since they're bigger than our limbs."

"Oh…" Mochizuki was beaming. "Inter-spatial devices…that's really cool! I wouldn't have to carry a bag to school anymore if I had one of those things!"

"They're cool now." Yuri said laughed. "Back in the day when they were just being introduced, people stole like crazy. It was almost as though 'Thief' had become the main occupation. And because of that, crime rates soared to catastrophic levels and the police and military were stressed out."

"Why?"

"Well, spatial devices allow you store anything in them. All you have to do is wave your finger over the item, if you use a ring. It leaves no fingerprint, no DNA, nothing. Obviously, people are going to steal."

"So how did they combat this?"

"Like the terminals, stores are equipped with a scanner. So when you enter the store and before you leave, the security scans it, and if you don't have a receipt for the item, you know what happens." The Prince answered with a shrug. "For some other stores, people have to leave their devices before entering the establishment."

"But what if others try to take it?"

Yuri laughed. "Obviously people aren't just going to leave their devices out for the world to take. When you leave your device, you get a number that corresponds with it. But it's your bad luck if you lose it."

"Your world is pretty awesome!"

"Takahiro, I think you're glossing over something important. My world is dangerous; there are Youma in my world. They're monsters that are good for destruction."

"But you guys have magic and cool weapons right? So what's the big deal?"

"The big deal is that sometimes these creatures are more than we can handle. Either they come in ma.s.sive waves or there's that one which is too powerful."

"d.a.m.n, so don't you guys have bombs or guns or missiles?"

"What are those?"

Mochizuki sighed. For someone who comes from an advanced society, he was surprised that Yuri's world didn't have some of the things here. Once again, he searched for the weapons he just listed and showed them to the Prince. But, the Prince could only shake his head.

"You don't have these things? How come?" Mochizuki asked in shock.

"I don't know." Yuri shrugged. "I guess it's because we have magic, we didn't think about these things."

"That sounds plausible."

Yuri then smirked. "But I have a feeling that your Yuri might spice things up a bit."

"What do you mean?"

The Prince shrugged. "If your Yuri is the least bit like me, then he's not going to sit around being bored. I mean, I was constantly experimenting with chemicals in the labs to alleviate my boredom sometimes."

"Wait, you like science?"

"Of course! Well, I only like it because it gives me the little freedom that I don't have. Being a Prince, my future occupation was already decided long before my great-great grandfather was born. I can mix whichever chemicals I want, whenever I want without anyone breathing down my neck saying that 'You're the next head of the army and blah'." The Prince then grinned. "I just love the way you can make Nitrogen Tri Iodide from the reaction iodine and concentrated ammonia solution!"

"Ah, the explosiveness and shock sensitive properties are just to die for!" Mochizuki cooed. "Gawd!"

The two boys ended up shrieking which caused people to stare at them with confusion. Quickly, they turned their faces to the window, to hide.

"To think that we're both science nerds." Mochizuki chuckled. "Tacchi didn't like science one bit. I often tried to scam him into coming with me to my Dad's lab but failed every time."

"Naa, Takahiro," Yuri started. "It seems like we can become best friends. Introduce me to this father of yours."

"When we get the time. Plus, you have martial arts and since Tacchi had signed up for volleyball last week, you'll have do it too."

"Martial arts? Volleyball? What are those?"

Mochizuki sighed. "Martial arts is originally a traditional codified system of combat practiced for self-defense and all sorts of reasons. Now it's being used as a form of entertainment as well."

"Oh. We don't have martial arts."

"Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously." Yuri nodded. "Now, what's volleyball?"

It's a sport."

"What's a sport?" The Prince asked. "But s.h.i.+t, does this mean I have to do volleyball too since your Tacchi signed up?"

"Yeah, you have to." Mochizuki said. "A sport is a compet.i.tive game done for entertainment. Some sports are more individualistic, while others are done in a team."

"We don't have any sport in my world. People are too busy trying to defend against Youma." But then Mochizuki saw the Prince chew on his right thumb nail. "s.h.i.+t! I want to experiment!" Yuri started his repulsive whining. "Back in my world, I could only do science as an extrcurricular activity!"

"Oi, oi, calm down." Mochizuki tried to soothe by rubbing the boy's back. "You can be in more than one club, but it's just that volleyball takes a lot of time. There's training, practice matches, tournaments and training camps that lasts for days…"

"I'll make it work. All I need to do is figure out how to play this d.a.m.n sport, right?"

"I can help you with that. It's my sporting specialty."

"Great! So, when are you going to start?"

"It's the weekend. We only have the rest of the day, and I have to meet with Ito and Sato tomorrow..."

"What about during the week at club time?"

Mochizuki sighed. "We don't go to the same school."

"What?"

"Yeah, Tacchi's school recruited him for their martial arts program."

"Don't you know martial arts too?"

"Yeah, I was recruited by my brother's school."

"Well s.h.i.+t."

"But don't worry, maybe I can let you tag along with me to meet Ito and Sato."

"What are you going to be doing?"

"Ito-senpai broke his fingers in a match, so Sato-senpai and I are just making sure that he doesn't get rusty."

"Ito? Sato? Are you talking about Kohaku and Mamoru?"

"Yeah? You know them?"

"Do I? They basically live at my house."

"Great! Since they are regulars on the team, they can help me teach you!"

"Won't it be too…?"

"Don't worry, Sato-senpai has a flexible mind; Ito-senpai will just kick the knowledge into you or something."

"I don't want to be kicked by her." Yuri said folding his arms and s.h.i.+vering. Well, he attempted to fold his arms but due to the handcuff, he couldn't. "Kohaku is s.h.i.+tting scary, you know?"

"Her? Ito-senpai isn't a female."

"What? She's male over here?! That's disturbing!" Yuri said twisting his face in disgust.

"Oh no, I think the female Ito is disturbing."

"Let me tell you something, she's one of the hottest girls in school. I have a picture." Yuri took out his phone and instructed Kei to find Kohaku's picture. When the small AI found it, Mochizuki let out a gasp of shock and horror. Kohaku was indeed beautiful, and h.e.l.la feminine. She had the right amount of fat in the right places, had a nice body, nice hair…everything.

"She's a package." Mochizuki said in awe. "She's your girlfriend or something?"

"Nope!" Yuri denied proudly. "She's exclusively and strictly Mamoru's. I'm still searching for someone who loves science as much as I do."

"No…" Mochizuki gasped at the information. "Just imagining those two together is making me cringe! Dude! You didn't have to tell me that! I just can't imagine Ito-senpai and Sato-senpai together! No way!" he shrieked in disgust. But then he addressed the other part of Yuri's sentence. "Good luck with that. In this world, those girls are rare species."

Yuri gave Mochizuki a smug look after which he chuckled. "They complement each other. But don't worry about me. I have a feeling that the one I'm looking for might be closer than I think. She could right out this window."

"Uh, huh." Mochizuki said without knowing what the Prince meant.

Soon, their sundaes arrived and the two boys ate. The Prince looked like he was in heaven with every spoonful he ate, but Mochizuki let him be. Asking him whether or not he had this in his world would probably cause another headache.

…

…

"Oh s.h.i.+t! The time!" Mochizuki screeched as he stood up. "We have to get back!"

"Eh? Really?" The Prince asked with a pout. "But I'm having fun! I don't want to go back to that matchbox!"

"Matchbox!? Tacchi's house is one of the biggest on the avenue and you call it a matchbox?!"

"Come back to me with that argument when you've lived in a castle for sixteen years."

"Tsch, fine." Mochizuki said in defeat. "But really, we have to go back. Think about it, Mr. Tachibana can take you anywhere you want, like a beach or a hotel or even another country. If you p.i.s.s him off now, he may never do it."

"Why didn't you say so before?! Let's go!"

The Prince shot up and attempted to head to the exit. Mochizuki halted the boy in time, and called over a maid. He paid for their desserts and then the two left, ignoring the 'when will you be home, Master?' coming from the maids present.

Yuri dashed down the street, with Mochizuki struggling to keep up. The Prince was fast, far too fast for his age; h.e.l.l he was too fast for a human being. Mochizuki's feet tripped over everything, and he was unable to gain back his footing.

"Prince! Slow down!" he wailed.

Yuri came to an abrupt halt. "What? Can't keep up?"

"No! That was way too fast."

"Really? I can go faster, you know?"

"Don't! We'll draw attention that we don't need."

"But you said we need to get home fast."

"We can take a bus to the station and wait there."

"Tsch, I don't have the time for that." Yuri harrumphed. "Where's the closest dark and secluded area?"

"There's a narrow s.p.a.ce between the buildings over there." Mochizuki said as he pointed in the direction. "What are you planning?"

"You wanted to see magic up close, right? Well, you're just about to get a first-hand experience."

With that, Yuri bent down and gestured for Mochizuki to get on his back, before das.h.i.+ng off once again. It was somewhat uncomfortable since their hands were still handcuffed together. But the Prince didn't care. The future of his travels and his only means of getting free books was at stake.

Yuri slowed down upon reaching the area Mochizuki pointed out. After couple seconds, Mochizuki showed him the 'narrow s.p.a.ce' and the Prince let out a sigh. The s.p.a.ce was between one small store called 'Pocari Sweat' and 'Card World Akiba'. But it seemed as though not everyone can enter as there was a door there.

"Like I care." The Prince snarled. The silverette jumped over, and landed safely on the other side. Without hitch, a magic circle formed at his feet, and the Prince jumped upwards into the air only to land on another one. He kept doing this until he was high enough not to be seen, but still low enough for Mochizuki to tell where they were.

Under the direction of Mochizuki, the Prince hopped from magic circle to magic circle, enjoying the bird's eye view of the city as well. When they had left out of Akiba's airs.p.a.ce, the Prince sped up. The circles were laid out in the air and as such, Yuri only hopped on them since Mochizuki had already indicated to him the direction he should head in.

So, within some minutes, they had arrived back home, the Prince busting the cuffs with brute force, frightening Mochizuki. Yuri only replied that he was stronger than he looked.

Mochizuki only slumped in the sofa looking half dead. It was a scary experience, this entire day. First he lost the Prince for a brief moment (which nearly gave him a heart attack), and on their way back, he was carried over Yuri's shoulder as he jumped on his magic circles in the air. Suppose he had fallen?

But he's learnt a valuable lesson. Never take out the Prince without giving him geography lessons first.