[Third Person's PoV]
Clark casually stepped off the roof of the shrine, descending slowly through the air as if gravity were merely a suggestion. His boots touched the ground with barely a sound, and he calmly made his way back inside the building, the warm glow of the interior lights welcoming him in from the growing night.
As he entered the main room, he noticed a slightly awkward atmosphere lingering in the air. Momo was visibly flustered from her earlier emotional outburst, her cheeks tinged red with embarrassment. Lala, equally sheepish, was mid-apology, the two girls fumbling over their words as they tried to make amends. Meanwhile, Krypto had curled up peacefully by Seiko's feet, seemingly unaffected by the tension in the room.
Without a word, Clark returned to his original seat, the old wooden floor creaking faintly beneath him. As he settled in, Momo turned to Lala and asked, "If you ran away from home… where exactly are you planning to stay?"
Lala scratched the back of her head, a sheepish grin forming on her face. "I'll figure something out. I can probably just live inside one of my inventions."
Clark raised an eyebrow, but Momo beat him to the punch, her expression skeptical. "You mean like the invention that exploded and almost took out the entire town not too long ago?"
"That was… a work in progress," Lala replied, her voice shrinking a bit under the weight of her own embarrassment. "Not all my inventions are like that, you know…"
Momo and Seiko exchanged a look—an unspoken agreement that neither of them was entirely convinced.
After a moment, Seiko turned to Lala with a soft smile. "Well, we have some extra space here. You're welcome to stay at the shrine for the time being, if you'd like."
"Like hell she can…" Clark muttered, leaning back in his chair with an exasperated sigh. This was spiraling into something he didn't want to get involved in.
Lala raised her hands awkwardly, her voice hesitant. "I-I wouldn't want to impose, really…"
Seiko waved her off. "Don't listen to Clark. His opinion doesn't really matter in this case. You're not imposing at all. Besides, it would only be temporary—just until you get back on your feet or figure out a more permanent solution."
Clark sat up straighter, folding his arms across his chest in protest. "Excuse me? What do you mean my opinion doesn't matter? I live here too, you know. I'd say my opinion counts for a lot."
Seiko didn't miss a beat. "Do you own this shrine?"
Clark frowned. "Well… no."
"Do you pay the bills?"
"I could, but you won't let me," he said flatly, narrowing his eyes.
"You're damn right I won't. This is a shrine, Clark. A sanctuary. We're supposed to welcome anyone who needs help. That includes alien princesses from far-off planets," she said with unwavering conviction.
Clark opened his mouth to argue further, but Seiko was already a step ahead of him.
"And besides," she added, lazily reclining in her chair, "ever since you built that fancy fortress of yours and started being a superhero full-time, you're barely even around. You show up just to crash for the night and eat whatever's in the fridge. Honestly, you're like a stray cat with heat vision."
Clark winced, dragging a hand down his face. He knew she had a point, and there wasn't much he could say to defend himself. It was clear he was losing this argument—badly.
Seiko crossed her arms and leaned forward slightly, eyes fixed on Clark. "Not to mention, I don't see why you're so against this. Need I remind you that this girl crossed galaxies—alone—just to find you, specifically."
Clark furrowed his brows, unimpressed. "What's your point?"
"My point," Seiko said, her voice steady and firm, "is that she sought you out because she was in need. And when you chose to become a hero, it became your duty to help those who needed it most, right? Well, guess what? She's standing right there—lost, far from home, in an unfamiliar world. Are you really going to turn your back on her?"
Lala lowered her head, her hands clenched in her lap. She hated this feeling—that she was a burden, unwanted and causing tension. That was never her intention.
Clark's gaze shifted toward her. "But that doesn't mean she has to stay here..." he muttered, though even he could tell how weak his argument sounded.
"Doesn't it?" Seiko countered. "She's being hunted by an unknown number of suitors who are determined to marry her against her will. Some were even bold enough to shoot her out of the sky. Tell me—where could possibly be safer than by your side? Or have you forgotten that you already made her your responsibility the moment you defended her from her own guards?"
"I really don't want to be a bother," Lala said suddenly, standing from her seat, her voice nervous. "I can find somewhere else—"
"Sit down," Seiko and Clark said in unison.
Startled, Lala immediately sat back down, her fingers fidgeting anxiously in her lap.
Clark let out a long breath, dragging a hand down his face. "Fine… I give up. I don't see how I'm supposed to win this argument anyway. You've backed me into a corner. And you're right—I'm barely home as it is, so I guess it doesn't really matter. She can stay."
"Yes!!" Momo cheered, throwing her fists up in victory.
Everyone turned to stare at her, surprised by her sudden outburst.
"What?" Momo said innocently, shrugging. "It'd be cool to have another girl around the house to talk to. Grandma's too old to relate to anything, and Clark is, well… Clark."
"Who are you calling old?" Seiko snapped.
"And what the hell is that supposed to mean?" Clark added, narrowing his eyes.
Both glared at her in unison before turning their attention back to Lala.
Seiko smiled warmly. "Looks like you're stuck with us now."
"Thank you. Truly," Lala said, bowing her head deeply in gratitude, her voice soft and sincere.
"Whatever," Clark muttered, standing up and making his way toward his room. As he walked off, he heard Seiko giving instructions behind him.
"Momo, show her to the guest room. She'll be staying there for now."
With a sigh, Clark entered his room and collapsed onto his bed, arms spread wide as he stared up at the ceiling. The day had been exhausting, and somehow, he had become the reluctant housemate of a runaway princess.
Then his phone vibrated.
He pulled it from his pocket and glanced at the screen. A message from an unknown number.
"Hello – Komi Shouko"
Clark let out a short laugh. "She actually signed her own text… how cute."
---
Meanwhile, across town, Komi was lying face down on her bed, her head buried deep in her pillow. Her legs kicked nervously behind her as she replayed the decision over and over in her mind. That one simple message had taken her the better part of the afternoon to write, delete, rewrite, and finally send. Her face was burning, her heart racing.
Then her phone buzzed.
She bolted upright with a squeak, grabbing her phone like it might disappear. The screen lit up with a response.
"Got your message :) – signed Clark Ayase"
She let out an excited gasp and immediately started rolling side to side on her bed. That is, until she rolled too far and crashed to the floor with a loud thud.
---
Back at the shrine, Clark shut his phone and placed it gently on his chest, still smirking.
"Now, Sol," he called out aloud to the hidden AI integrated into his gear, "you mind telling me what that reaction was earlier—when you heard the name Deviluke?"
Sol's voice responded, calm but serious. "Master Kal-El… There's more to this situation than what Princess Lala has revealed."
Clark sat up, eyes narrowing. "Go on."
"Princess Lala is not just the heir to a single planet. She's the daughter of Gid Lucione Deviluke—the Intergalactic Conqueror and current ruler of the known universe. Deviluke isn't just a world—it's the capital of a galactic empire. Which means…"
Clark blinked.
Sol paused for dramatic effect. "Right now, in your house, staying in your guest room… is the princess of the man who controls the entire universe."
Clark blinked again, processing that bombshell. "…Sol… I think my super-hearing is malfunctioning. Because it really sounded like you just said there's a cosmic princess of a galactic emperor sleeping under my roof."
"You heard correctly," Sol confirmed solemnly.
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