Izumi pushed open the glass door of the manga shop, the small bell above it jingling as he stepped inside. The familiar scent of freshly printed pages and plastic-wrapped collectibles filled the air. His eyes lit up as he scanned the shelves, immediately drawn toward the latest volume of his favorite series.
The shop wasn't too crowded, just a few customers browsing quietly. He wandered toward the manga section, flipping through the pages, when suddenly—
"I didn't expect to see you here, Izumi."
His heart nearly jumped out of his chest. He turned quickly, eyes widening as he saw Marina standing just a few feet away, smirking at him.
"You—!" He blinked, caught completely off guard. "You come here too?"
Marina tilted her head. "Of course I do. Because I love this place."
Izumi still couldn't believe it. She was always so composed, elegant, the kind of girl you'd expect to be into fancy hobbies—not manga and anime. But before he could say anything else, he noticed something strange.
From a distance, past the shelves, he heard whispers.
"Princess, be careful!"
"She's talking to a boy!"
"Could it be... her first friend outside the family?!"
"He is the same boy before."
Izumi frowned and shifted his gaze. He hadn't noticed before, but standing at the far end of the store were two massive men dressed in sleek black suits—Marina's bodyguards. And they were watching this interaction like it was the most important event of their lives.
Marina let out a small sigh. "Ignore them," she said, rubbing her temple.
Izumi raised an eyebrow. "They're your—?"
"Bodyguards," she confirmed. "They're always like this."
The two men quickly wiped away the tears welling in their eyes as they nodded enthusiastically.
"Princess is finally making a friend!" one of them whispered dramatically.
The other clasped his hands together. "Such a beautiful moment!"
Izumi sighed. "Okay, I have so many questions right now."
Marina chuckled and gestured toward a nearby aisle. "Come on, let's just talk. So, you are here for the new volumes right?"
Izumi nodded as he followed her. "Yeah, of course. Did you come here often?"
Marina smirked. "Yeah, I get here a lot. It's really quite here. So, I love it. I even own this place."
Izumi stopped in his tracks. "...Wait. What?"
She shrugged. "This shop. It's mine. My family bought it for me when I was younger."
Izumi stared at her. "You own an anime store!"
"Yes."
"You. Own. An anime store."
Marina raised an eyebrow. "Yes, Izumi. Did I stutter?"
Izumi let out a breath. "I don't even know what to say."
She chuckled. "You don't have to say anything. Just pick a series you like, and we'll talk about it."
And just like that, they launched into a discussion.
They talked about different genres, favorite characters, and the best moments in anime history. Marina was surprisingly passionate, even animated when she spoke. Izumi had seen her like this before—so casual, so enthusiastic. She wasn't the composed, untouchable girl he always saw at school. Here, she was just... Marina, the anime fan.
But then—
"Wait, wait," Marina said, holding up a hand. "You're telling me you don't watch romance anime?"
Izumi hesitated. "I mean, I've seen a few, but it's not my main thing."
Marina gave him an exaggerated look of disbelief. "You're missing out."
Izumi scoffed. "Oh, come on. Most of them are just cliché. Girl meets boy, drama happens, they confess, end of story."
Marina rolled her eyes. "That's just the basic ones! There are some really well-written ones with emotional depth. The character development, the tension—it's amazing!"
Izumi, smirking. "So you like romance anime, huh?"
Marina froze for a second. "W-Well, yeah, I guess."
Izumi leaned slightly closer, teasing. "That's unexpected."
Marina narrowed her eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Izumi shrugged. "I just didn't think someone like you would be into that kind of stuff."
Marina suddenly went quiet.
Then—
"Wait," she muttered, her face suddenly turning red.
Izumi blinked. "What?"
Marina turned to him, looking a little panicked. "We've been talking about romance anime for the past five minutes."
Izumi's mind caught up, and that's when it hit him.
They had been discussing romance anime.
Together.
Alone.
Realization set in like a ton of bricks.
Both of them immediately looked away, their faces burning with embarrassment.
"I-It's just anime!" Izumi blurted.
"Y-Yeah! Just stories! Nothing serious!" Marina quickly added.
Behind them, the bodyguards clutched their chests, overwhelmed with emotion.
"She's embarrassed!" one of them whispered.
"They're blushing! This is progress!" the other whispered back.
Marina shot them a glare, and they quickly straightened up, pretending not to have been watching.
After a moment, Marina cleared her throat. "A-Anyway, I should probably check on the store. You, um, you should pick out what you want."
Izumi nodded quickly. "Y-Yeah, good idea!"
They both awkwardly turned away, trying to act normal.
The bodyguards, however, exchanged a knowing glance.
This was their chance.
Their princess was making a true friend—maybe even something more.
And they would make sure that bond grew stronger.
No matter what.
They heat up in fire.