[Freja Helt]

''This is where we'll be sitting?'' She blurted out in disbelief as she took her seat. ''There's so much room!'' Even someone as tall as her could stretch out her legs with no problems. Was this how Sumi usually flew around? She still couldn't believe her luck. That she wanted to ask Sumi to come with her, but then Sumi coincidentally also needed to go to Denmark for some business things. ''Hey, do you go to Scandinavia or Europe often?'' She smiled, trying to suppress her nerves. Not only was she still terrified of going back to Denmark, but she still wasn't sure if Sumi had heard all of her confession at the Dream World festival before she passed out.

That was still so recent too. She had been worried sick about Sumi the whole time she was stuck in the dream. Part of her wasn't even sure she would have made it out if she didn't have her safety to stick to as her goal. ''I haven't been back in a while.'' She fidgeted, looking down at her hands as their plane took off. ''Uh- thank you again by the way. For these tickets and everything. I bet sleeping in these seats won't be a problem at all.'' She punctuated her sentence by leaning back into her soft seat as a little test of its comfiness. Turning on the TV screen provided in her seat she almost felt choice paralysis looking at everything that was available, and finally settled on a map that showed the route they were flying.

''...We're going over the ocean?'' She felt a cold shiver run down her spine. She still heard that leviathan roar in the back of her head. ''I guess Japan is surrounded by water.'' She sighed in defeat. After staring out the window for a bit she turned to look over at her friend. ''Sumi? Can I ask you something?''

Sumi Okita

[Sumi Okita]

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As much as Sumi was the quintessential rich girl, there was one thing her family refused to indulge in—a private jet. First Class was a good compromise, and in this case, she could share that with someone else she really enjoyed spending time with! It was fate that Freja intended to return home around the same time Sumi was traveling for business. She was mostly excited to meet Freja's family, as she had been to Denmark before, but with Freja in tow, the trip felt a bit different. They had done stuff together all over Japan, which was Sumi's home, so what better way to return the favor than making a few detours back to Freja's hometown[break][break]

"Yeah! if you look at the pouch on the side, you can grab a food and drink menu! Since we're coming from Japan, we're still under their laws, and it's on me! Food too!" she didn't treat Freja because she felt that she had to; she just did so because she wasn't ignorant about her own privilege compared to Freja. "Honestly, not too much. I probably go to France more often than anywhere else; they have one of the bigger branches there." She would reach into her carry-on and pull out some amenities that she used for travel, leaving her headphones this time since she didn't want to make Freja feel uncomfortable. She did, however, have a backup neck pillow made of some luxurious fabric and would hand one to Freja. "These are great if you're laying down as a pillow or sitting up, but if you want more support, you can just call the flight attendant; they always have backup pillows!"[break][break]

"Oh come on, you don't have to thank me; that's what best friends are for!" It was a little presumptuous to call Freja her best friend, but she felt the moment was right, and she didn't skip a beat before moving on to the next topic. "The ocean? Of course I- oh!" It clicked when she thought about Freja's crazy story with the giant eel. She would place a hand over Freja's. "It's only for an hour, and then we'll be over the land! You can hold onto me if you want; I owe you for saving my life during the festival! The last thing I remember is us chatting and then...nothing? So weird." She would lift the mutual armrest so that nothing was blocking the two of them and would recline enough to put her feet up "Of course! Do you mind if I call the flight attendant? I'm just the tiniest bit hungry." She'd giggle as Freja would know by now how much she could eat. Besides, it was pretty early in the morning! It was a good time for breakfast. "Oh, and for our accommodations, we're staying at a place called the um..." she'd flip through her phone for a moment "Ah! It's called Hotel d'Angleterre. Ever heard of it?"

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Freja Helt

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[Freja Helt]

''Eh? Food? There's a menu?'' She looked over as instructed and sure enough. ''Usually I just eat whatever they serve me flying on the cheaper tickets.'' She could hardly hide her disbelief and excitement. ''Is this a plane or a restaurant? There's so many options!'' She had always known there was a difference between how her and Sumi had been raised just purely based on their parents' income, but she didn't think about it that often. Sure, Sumi's place in Tokyo was fancy and she had that yacht party, but she didn't usually think about money with Sumi, or rather, maybe she was so approachable and amiable despite having all that money? She would expect some people to maybe be a little out of touch with reality if they were born rich, but Sumi disproved had disproved that many times over.

''France, huh? I heard it's really nice in the summer.'' She was already eyeing what drinks to get, but didn't want to seem rude either and made sure to look Sumi's way as well. Her eyes lit up when Sumi handed her the pillow and she happily accepted it. ''So soft! ~'' She exclaimed, testing the pillow with her hands. ''You're so thoughtful, you always think of stuff like this.'' She smiled over at Sumi, blurting out the next sentence in her excitement. ''I like that about you...'' Only realizing her mistake in coming on a little strong after the fact, though she tried her best to hide the regret she felt inside.

''..Best friends?'' Now it was really impossible to hide her red face, but thankfully she could hide some of it behind the pillow under the guise of feeling the softness. ''Yeah.'' She smiled, feeling her heart beat a little faster. She had memories of Elias and Freja making friends and calling them best friends, but she wasn't sure if she had ever made one herself until today. ''Once we get to Denmark I'll be your best friend tour guide.'' She did a mock salute with her hand before giggling.

She looked down at Sumi's hand as she put it over her own. Her presence here really did make all the difference. She used to think she was something of a loner, and was better for it. No need to make friends when she enjoyed her own company, no need to open herself up and be vulnerable to the world when she wasn't even the owner of her own body. She was a loner when she first arrived in UAU, but... Hadn't she become a bit reliant on Sumi? She thought it was something she would feel guilty over, but it felt nice didn't it? ''R-Right..'' All they did was chat and then she fell asleep, right. ''..Hey that's what best friends are for, right?'' In a way, Sumi had saved her life too, so she tried to brush it off with a brave smile. ''I'll be okay.'' Her shoulders slouched a bit. ''But if it gets really scary I might bother you.'' She conceded.

''Yeah?'' She grinned, ''Sure, I could go for something too. Something small in case we get a lot of turbulence.'' She still wasn't a frequent flyer and she would rather not take her chances getting sick when she was sitting next to her crush. She looked back down at the menu, only looking up when Sumi brought up accommodations. If physics permitted it, Freja's eyes would have popped out of her head then and there.

''Hotel d'Angleterre?! That's like the fanciest place in Copenhagen!'' It shouldn't surprise her since it was Sumi, but she still couldn't believe it. ''You'd be hard pressed to find a Dane that doesn't know about that place. It's super famous.''

When it came time to order breakfast she would get herself some snacks, a nice warm tea and some water on the side. The flight was going to be a long one after all and she didn't like running out of water. Speaking of which, despite her newly acquired fear of the ocean she didn't shy away from looking outside the window to savor the view from speeding through the skies. At least until the plane tilted just a little bit to the side, making their window point more sharply down towards the ocean. Maybe it was just shock, but she immediately felt a fear response, her legs and arms shaking as she turned to Sumi and leaned on her shoulder with her eyes closed.

Sumi Okita

[Sumi Okita]

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Sumi would take the opportunity after pointing it out to Freja to scan the menu herself, making an internal note about how there were more food options than she usually would see on flights. "Of course!" she would say happily in response to Freja talking about her being thoughtful, but would take notice of Freja burning up. She did that quite a lot, didn't she? She used to think it was perhaps that Freja got sick often or it was adjusting to the climate but with Sumi knowledge in biology at this point she should have adapted to the new climate. Japan and Denmark weren't too off after all.[break][break]

Internally she'd sigh a breath of relief as Freja embraced the best friend term so easily. For the first time in a long while she was overly concerned about someone else's opinion as if it were her own. Odd, but truthfully, Sumi never had a best friend before either. Unbeknownst to Freja, it was hard navigating that with some class differences, and in the past, she'd run into other kids who had extremely wealthy parents, but they were bit too 'high and mighty,' for her to really bond with them. [break][break]

"Please do! I wouldn't offer if I didn't mean it; we can rely on each other, yeah?" She'd hit the call button for the flight attendant as she'd made up her mind. She'd order a set meal consisting of fish, rice, Tamagoyaki, Miso Soup, and tea, and she would opt for the same kind Freja would order to make it easier. "Is it?" she'd remark to Freja's shock at their hotel "I'm letting my ignorance show I didn't really look it up it was booked for me by the company, I'll have to rely on my best friend tour a little more then!" [break][break]

Before their meal arrived, she would notice Freja shaking, and when she leaned in, Sumi would wrap her arms around her and pull her in tight, pressing her head into her chest and using her free arm to pull down the window. "Maybe we'll wait to look out there until we're flying over China." she'd hold her in that position for as long as she needed or until the food came, whichever was first. "I might nod off after the food, but if you need anything, wake me up, okay?"[break][break]

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Freja Helt

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[Freja Helt]

''Yeah.'' She was more than happy to rely on her, and know that Sumi could rely on her too. It wasn't an exaggeration that part of why she was working so hard at training was because she wanted to protect the people close to her. Her friends, her family, and especially someone like her best friend Sumi. ''Great breakfast choice.'' She approved with a thumbs up. ''I'd be right there with you, but I think I'm too nervous. I'll just have to go all out for lunch.''

She waved her hand dismissively. ''No no, it's okay. I doubt anyone would know besides Danes, it's like an in joke of sorts? Except it's not really a joke, just a place with a lot of prestige and historical importance.'' Now that she thought about it, that grumpy girl she had awkward encounters with before. Ylva Riis, did she know about Hotel D'Angleterre? She wasn't about to ask her, not until she figured out a way to not completely bomb their conversations, but the thought crossed her mind for a moment. ''It'll be the most impressive tour you've ever been on.'' She giggled. Those days were she was desperate to prove herself, desperate to be someone others could count on, they were all starting to seem so distant.

She clung to Sumi for dear life, shocked by herself, that her reaction was so strong. Not that she could help it. ''S-'' She stopped herself from apologizing as Sumi wrapped her arms around her. Instead she just kept holding on, letting the panic and adrenaline fade from her body as her breaths became deeper and more relaxed. ''Yeah, let's wait.'' Her eyes were sad and stressed out, but she also looked back at Sumi with a deep appreciation. Before Dream World she would have freaked out about being this physically close with someone, especially Sumi, but she wasn't now. She still did feel a bit awkward though. ''Looks like our food is here.'' It was her cue to slowly break away from Sumi and sit upright again. Good thing that she did because it didn't really dawn on her how close they had been until the moment they broke away. Sumi's presence, her embrace... It was so warm and comforting. Not to mention her eyes, had her eyes always looked that beautiful? Freja pretended to rummage for something in her carry-on to hide her blushing once more. ''Okay, yeah.. Thanks.''

When the lights in the plane were turned off to allow for passengers to sleep all she could do was stare at the wall, her head spinning with memories from the past and worst case scenario thoughts about the near future. Pulling out her phone she turned onto her back and looked at some old pictures, pictures from before. There was one of her and David. No, Elias and David taking a picture together. They both looked so happy.

Out of curiosity, she turned to look over at Sumi. Was she asleep?

Sumi Okita

[Sumi Okita]

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Sumi would nod happily at Frejas suggestion. "That's great! It'll fit our plans for lunch today," she would take out a small folded paper from her carry-on and handed it to Freja. Upon closer inspection it would be a lunch menu from the hotal "I was thinking about the four-course meal, I really wanna try the coconut sorbet!" If Freja tried to hand it back she'd wave her away as she had a backup copy just in case she wanted to check out her choices. [break][break]

"I can't wait! Just ten more hours." She'd checked her phone to see where they were, and it looked like the plane had just hit mainland China. After Freja's minor panic attack and her subsequent attempt to calm her down, she would linger a bit before she let her go. When she realized this, she would jump up and question herself- why did she do that? She'd move past it by addressing the flight attendant, "Oh, thank you so much!" putting down her tray and digging in happily. She'd offer Freja a bit if she wanted it, but assuming she didn't want to spoil her appetite, she would continue to munch away. [break][break]

After the food, she would lie back in her seat, the lights dimmed, and close her eyes, intending to take a nap. When she looked over at her friend and didn't see her doing the same, she decided to keep herself awake for the time being. "Looking at old photos?" she'd chime in, not able to see what exactly the photos were. "If you want, we could watch a movie together, but I can't promise I won't fall asleep!"

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Freja Helt

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[Freja Helt]

She accepted the hotel lunch menu and looked it over. No kidding! This one had a ton of options too. ''The four-course meal sounds delicious.'' She mirrored her enthusiasm with a beaming smile, but doubt still lingered in the back of her mind. ''But will we be able to move after having that much food?'' She joked, trying to hand the menu back to Sumi, only to find that her best friend knew her too well. ''Right? It'll be our first meal back in Denmark. Hopefully the hours fly-by.''

When the flight attendant passed them she made sure to bow her head and smile politely too. She would have said something if she wasn't still a little shaken up, but thankfully she was fine letting Sumi speak for the both of them. It was the kind of trust she could show her best friend, something she contemplated as she munched on her first snack. When Sumi offered her a bit of her food she was hesitant at first, but couldn't resist trying just a little bit.

''Yeah.'' She responded quietly, pointing the dim phone display at Sumi. ''That's me.'' She pointed at Elias, ''and that's David. One of my old friends. He's pretty amazing. As far as I know he's still in Copenhagen.''

---

''David... I've been thinking... and-''

''You're not about to confess to me, are you? Elias, don't give me that weak crap. We're friends. You wanna be part of the gang, right? We don't have time for sentimentalities. Besides, I've never once thought about you that way.''

''...''

''I'm not into dudes.''

''...''

''Pick up your bat. Let's go another round.''

''Right.''

---

She smiled, but felt like sobbing. ''Isn't it weird? I'm reminiscing about a person I only remember from memories..'' She put her phone away and wiped away a couple of tears. ''Yeah? That sounds great, did you have a movie in mind?'' She sat up a bit, propping her pillow up so that it could support her back. ''They've got a lot of Danish ones with subtitles.'' No matter what they picked, Freja made sure to make herself cozy and to her own surprise she

As their journey progressed and they flew over the south of Germany, she was practically glued to the window. ''Mountains! There's a whole mountain range!'' She was overjoyed, even observing them from this far away. ''We won't be seeing many of those for the next week. Did you know the highest point in Denmark isn't even big enough to qualify as a mountain?''

Sumi Okita

[Sumi Okita]

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"Of course we will! But if it comes down to it I'll carry you if I have to" she'd laugh at the thought as Freja would know by now that between the two of them Freja was stronger. In fact, Sumi was probably one of the physically weakest even among her peers in the support course which was really saying something. [break][break]

Sumi would eye the phone and her eyes would flit to Freja for a moment. She seemed...sad? It was something Sumi almost commented on but ultimately decided not too she trusted Freja and knew she would tell her whats up when she was ready. "Maybe you should visit him? I'm happy to go with you if you'd like. A friend of yours is a friend of mine!" She smiled and then stifled a yawn; they had a busy day in front of them, and she wanted to rest up. "Any movie is fine! I might nod off, but pick whatever you'd like!" she would lean back and nestle into the pillow, falling asleep a little bit later as the movie was about halfway through.[break][break]

She would come too just as Freja was remarking about the mountains and would lean over her shoulder to see them. "I didn't even realize Denmark didn't have mountains." She would look at her phone to see how close they were, and with only 2 hours left, she felt rested and ready to go. By the time they landed, she was antsy enough to stretch her legs and would be one of the first people off the plane. "Okay! We have a lunch date to keep. Ready? There's a car outside waiting to take us to the hotel."

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Freja Helt

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[Freja Helt]

''Carry me?'' She giggled, imagining what that would look like. Especially since as far as she knew Sumi didn't do any intensive muscle training. Then again, being a genius and having a quirk as versatile as hers why would she need to. Besides, if it came down to needing brawn Freja was more than happy to step in to be the muscle. ''That would be so cumbersome, I'll just watch how much I eat. ~'' She joked, leaning back in her seat.

''Really? You don't think that would be annoying?'' She blinked her eyes and looked at Sumi, her frown turning into a smile. ''You'll like him. David is awesome. According to my past memories, he helped me through a lot. He's our age, but he's like, super capable too?'' For the movie she ended up picking something easy to watch. She wasn't sure if it was a sitcom, but it was some kind of comedy. Much like Sumi, she didn't end up watching much of it and soon dosed off.

Waking up first, she suddenly felt acutely aware of how close she had been sleeping to Sumi and quickly sat up and put some distance between them, or as much distance as they could have in plane seats. Thankfully her friend wasn't awake yet so she had a little bit of time to calm herself down before looking at the mountains in the distance. ''Yeah, it's flat as a pancake.'' She emphasized the pancake part by demonstrating with her hands.

''Y-Yeah, ready!'' She rushed, zigzagging around a few other passengers to follow Sumi once the plane had landed.

''This is crazy...'' She mused, looking around like she hadn't been here hundreds of times. ''We're really in Denmark, I almost can't believe it.'' She said with her eyes glued to the window of the car as they drove. ''After lunch, your tour begins. ~'' She grinned back at Sumi, then remembered they weren't just here for a vacation. ''Unless you have work first of course.''

When they arrived at the hotel Freja was about to get their luggage inside, completely forgetting that hotel staff was already going to do it. ''These rooms are amazing! Don't you think? They have that nostalgic vibe going on!'' She beamed back at Sumi, running into the room with a kind of energy reserve she didn't know she had. The rooms were fancy, but also sort of old school, reminiscent of past Scandinavian architecture making it feel like they had traveled back in time. Walking over to one of the windows she opened it and looked out. ''It's so much smaller than Tokyo, but it's busy in its own way.'' She looked over at Sumi, stepping in to help her with any of her bags if she needed it. ''Ready for lunch? I'm starving.''

Sumi Okita

[Sumi Okita]

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Sumi would shake her head "Of course not! You're going to give me a tour, right? If we're going to visit your parents, we should definitely visit your friends" She would make a large stretch, extending her arms above her head "After all how often do we get a chance to do this?" Once she had passed out she had almost immediately rolled over closer to Freja, close enough that her face was a few inches from Frejas own. Of course, she wouldn't notice this as Freja had pulled away before Sumi had woken up, so in her eyes, nothing out of the ordinary had happened, and by this time, she was so used to Freja that her anxious behavior seemed normal.[break][break]

As they exited the airport, Freja stared in disbelief Sumi did so in her own way. Denmark was so different from Japan; even the last time she was there, it was all work. This was different and exciting! Having a friend to show her around was going to be a whole new experience, and she was looking forward to it. She would wave down the driver sent to them as he waited outside of the car with a sign that said "Okita and Helt" on it and when she entered the car she would press her face against the window, eager to see all the sights and have Freja explain what they were. "I just need to make a quick stop over at the lab since I'm supposed to assist with some research, it won't take very long and I booked our flights a day early so we could get settled, I could meet your parents, and explore!" she would flip open her phone, texting her parents now that she landed and also sending a work related text to the lab manager so they'd know she would be there soonish. "Tomorrow afternoon I do need to be in the lab, so maybe you could meet me outside after and we can meet this David I've been hearing so much about!" [break][break]

Aside from her purse, Sumi was used to staying at hotels and living a life of luxury, so she gave the driver and then the staff handling their luggage a big tip before they entered the room. It was just as nice as she expected! She had a fireplace and a nice lounging area as she had sprung for all the bells and whistles. Rather, the company did, but tomato, tomato.

"It really is but I love it so far! Whatever the style of these buildings are reminds me to get some pictures. I promised Ando-san and Hada-san that I'd take some pictures!" She wasn't sure if they asked out of genuine interest or obligation, but she ultimately was going to comply either way. "Oh, for sure! Let me just change my shirt and pants really quick!" If Freja expected her to go into the bathroom to do she would surely be mistaken as Sumi opened her suitcase and stripped down to her underwear right then and there, slipping on a sleeveless turtle neck sweater and a skirt. "Ready!" she would shout out happily.

As the duo made their way down to the restaurant, which was pretty busy, she went up to the hostess who would direct them to their table. "The food is covered by the company just like the room so get as much as you want." she scanned the drinks list, her danish a little rusty so it took her longer than she had thought to get through the options. "I know we're technically not on the tour yet, but do you think maybe you could pick me out something to drink? Any specialties that you can only get here, preferably!"

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Freja Helt,

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[Freja Helt]

She was relieved that Sumi wasn't freaking out about a last minute addition to their plans. Then again, why would she? Sumi was pretty much the coolest person she knew and it was just one more stop on their trip. Lately she had been feeling independent and smart, but back when she lived as Elias she had always strived for validation and to be told she was helpful. Maybe she was scared she was reverting to who she was in her past life? ''That's true, we probably won't be back here for a while, huh?'' Sumi's casual answer did everything to put her mind at peace.

Just as they got their luggage and moved further through the airport she started wondering how they would know who to meet with. It wasn't until she saw the sign that read Okita and Helt that she realized. Okita and Helt... They were one hell of a duo weren't they? ''Do you see that ferris wheel over there?'' She pointed out the window and moved aside so Sumi could see it. Sure enough, poking over some of the rooftops was a ferris wheel slowly spinning. ''That's Tivoli Gardens! We're definitely going there later.'' It was an amusement park in the middle of Copenhagen. It didn't sound all that impressive, but Freja knew it was a misunderstood gem and definitely worth the visit whether you were a tourist or a local. ''Sounds good! Are they making you do top secret lab work?'' She didn't really need specifics, but she couldn't help but ask since Sumi's life was so fascinating and different compared to her own.

''Ando and Kei-senpai?'' Right, Sumi was a support student like them. Freja had met Kei a couple times before, but it had always been brief. Masao Ando on the other hand, was helping Freja train so that she could be good enough to pass her exam and move up to her second year. ''That's a good idea, I'll take some pictures for Emi too, I'm sure it'll remind her of home.'' She took out her phone and took a picture of the view outside their window. ''After all, Sweden and Denmark look very similar.''

''Sure! Take your time-'' Her eyes widened when Sumi began changing then and there and she quickly turned around out of courtesy. ''Uh, I'll change too! It was a long flight!'' She scooped up a pile of her own clothes and rushed into the bathroom. One glance at herself in the mirror told her exactly how flustered she was. ''Get it together..'' She muttered to herself as she began undressing. ''You look amazing as always!'' She smiled sheepishly as she exited the bathroom in her own fancy getup.

''Really? The company must be doing great.'' She beamed, thinking over Sumi's request for a moment. ''It's not an alcoholic drink, but you gotta try 'Faxe Kondi', it's a soda and it's similar to Sprite, but I personally like it a lot more. I think I'll have one too, it's been so long since it's a local soda.''

The rest of the dinner was heavenly. She never once thought she would be able to eat at a place as fancy as this, and to be able to meet a best friend like Sumi who she could share the experience with. She had come a long way since the day Elias and Freja were murdered. She was making friends... Maybe she could live a normal life after all?

Once they set out for their tour of Copenhagen, Freja knew exactly where to start them off. ''Amalienborg Palace!'' She introduced it with jazz hands and everything. ''It's a palace dedicated to the Royal family and Denmark's past history as a Monarchy.'' There was a lot of people walking around and taking pictures, as well as royal guards in tall hats looking very serious, stationed and armed at various locations. At a certain time each day, the Royal guards and their marching band put on a music show and did some routine soldier training that they could stand back and watch. ''They're changing shifts.'' She pointed to some of the guards. ''It's this whole process that has become popular for people here to watch and take videos of.''

Next up they went further into the city center, hitting up the pedestrian shopping street named Strøget. Here they could take their time to do some shopping and try street food like crepes and Danish hot dogs. Going right from Strøget their next attraction was just a walk away as they made it to the Round Tower. ''This one is ancient, but it's so worth checking out!'' She beamed, taking Sumi by the hand and leading her up to the entrance. ''It's not the tallest tower in the world or anything...'' She slipped into fluent Danish and paid for their tickets so that Sumi could get a good look of the inside. ''But it's pretty unique in its own way, wouldn't you say?'' With no stairs leading up, the inside of the Round Tower had an odd and slanted look. Going up and up in a spiral. When they made it to the top Freja was slightly out of breath. ''But the view is the best part.'' She leaned back against the wall, feeling no urge to get closer to the edge. ''What do you think?'' She smiled, loving every moment she got to share her weird little country with her friend. ''Do you see that over there?'' She pointed to more tall amusement park rides and grinned at Sumi. ''That's our next stop!''

An amusement park and flower garden in the middle of the capital city of Denmark, and yet once you were inside you couldn't hear the traffic of the city at all. Whether they were relaxing on two person boat rides in the ponds, or Freja was holding on for dear life going on some of the fast rides for Sumi's sake. All the same the Sun slowly began to set and as they enjoyed their drinks and traditional Danish food, the lights of the park came on. The lights on the buildings were dazzling, almost like they were putting on their own show. Meanwhile, the streets of the Gardens were lit up too, meaning there was a very casual and family friendly atmosphere even as the Sun set more and more. In one of the many carnival booth games, Freja used her expertise aiming with her bat's grappling hook to win Sumi a little teddy bear wearing a Viking helmet.

''Pretty cool place, don't you think?'' She leaned back on the bench they had managed to get for themselves and took a sip of the cola she had bought. She was starting to feel a little tired and then it dawned on her. ''I hope today hasn't been too much, I realized we've been all over the place today and we still have all week to see all these things.'' She smiled apologetically, anticipating Sumi's reaction to their whole day and whirlwind tour.

Sumi Okita

[Sumi Okita]

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"Well, if we do go back, it better be together! Especially if this tour is as good as you say it will be" she'd give Freja a playful pat on the shoulder, laughing to herself at the absurdity that Freja could ever let her down. She just liked her company there was something different about her and she couldn't quite figure out what but it made Sumi gravitate to her. [break][break]

Time flew by as Freja took her all around the city. Sumi, who loved to travel, was shocked and amazed at how much Denamrk had to offer. Japan was a completely different experience it could feel a bit robotic and it didn't click with her how much this was true until they were nearing the end of the tour. After all that time Sumi must have added hundreds of pictures to her collection and she was sure that some of her friends and classmates would want to see.[break][break]

Sipping her drink on the bench she leaned back and sighed happily "Just remind me tomorrow to wear better shoes! I'm not tired at all but my feet sure are!" she'd laugh to herself as she finished her drink. Denmark was such a cool place and it had given her the coolest person in her life. "Oh!" she'd jump up almost dropping the stuffed toy Freja had won for her "Lets go to the photo booth!" she'd pull Freja along with her and basically push her inside. "Ready? Lets do a couple of cute ones and then some silly ones!" If Freja obliged she would make funny faces and play along with whatever Freja wanted to do. At the end she would pay for the prinout and frowned slightly "Aww. They only gave us five pics we were supposed to have six." in her mind it was a bummer but ultimately not the biggest deal since they could and probably would come back eventually.

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Freja Helt

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[Freja Helt]

Sumi probably didn't know it, but what she said about them going back together warmed Freja's heart. She'd gladly show her Denmark two, no ten, no hundreds of times over! If her life could be days just like this with the girl she admired that was all she needed. ''I-If there's a sequel it'll be even better!'' She laughed along.

When they sat on the bench Freja almost choked on her drink when Sumi brought up shoes. ''Yeah sorry, I should have warned you! Next time we can take the bus more.'' Actually, perfect timing, they had to take the bus to reach their next- She jumped a little bit alongside Sumi when her friend jumped out of her seat. ''What? Photo booth?'' Wasn't this just like the movies? Freja had never taken photo booth photos with anyone before. ''C-Can we? How do I look? We were walking all day, I probably look like a mess!'' She was getting flustered thinking about the pictures already. It was a moment she was going to cherish so she wanted to make sure she looked her best. ''Okay!'' She learned that sometimes when Sumi got a great idea it was best to just tag along, jump headfirst into it and enjoy the experience. And enjoy it she did. She wasn't even sure if she managed to make funny faces for most of those or if she was just too busy laughing all throughout. ''That's still five amazing pictures.'' She beamed, still riding the adrenaline from taking those pictures together. ''Do you go into photo booths often? I've never tried it until today.'' She got ready to leave the park behind and head for the nearby bus stops. It was only about a three minute walk to get there.

''By the way...'' She started up as the rode on the bus, she had offered Sumi the window seat so that Freja could get in-between her and any strangers that might try to speak Danish with her or have bad intentions. ''I apologize in advance, my parents are super weird.'' She said it like it was a shameful thing and like she was somehow to blame for it. ''T-They like you, they've told me as much.'' She smiled, trying to save face.

After riding the bus for about fifteen minutes they arrived in a residential area on the outskirts of Copenhagen. ''This is it.'' She took a deep breath before walking up to the front door and ringing the bell. How was her family going to react to seeing her again for the first time in five years? Were they going to be mad? Disappointed? Just thinking about how they might react was eating away at her stomach and making her feel a kind of nervous she hadn't felt since the UA entrance exams.

When the door suddenly swung open, Sumi and Freja would both get a blast of confetti and streamers in their face. At the backend of the entry hall into the house a banner had been strung up reading: 'Welcome Home Sumi and Freja!' only Sumi was misspelt as Summi.

''Surprise!'' Mr and Mrs Helt exclaimed in unison, all smiles as they welcomed the girls inside. ''Come in, come in! You must be getting cold standing out there.'' Freja's dad urged them inside, while her mom immediately wanted to shake Sumi's hand. ''You must be Sumi! Freja has told us so much about you.'' She was beaming, much to Freja's horror. ''M-Mom!'' She protested. ''You both made it safe and sound! This calls for...'' Her parents made eye contact, before pulling both her and Sumi into a ''A group hug!!'' If Sumi looked at her Freja just smiled apologetically. Just as they were caught in the group hug both her mom and dad started tearing up. ''Mom, Dad, please!!'' She pleaded, desperate to get out of this awkward but sweet interaction. ''It's been so long, but you're home now.'' Mrs. Helt sniffled.

''Are you two hungry? We've made some dinner. A traditional roast pork. Flæskesteg, in our own language!'' In a complete twist of fate Freja's parents weren't actually that horrible... Or were they? The interior decor of the house was very homey and modest, with a focus on comfort and coziness more than anything. Freja's parents clearly weren't rich, but they were perfectly happy people. ''Would you like a cup of tea, Sumi? Or coffee perhaps?'' Mr Helt offered with a smile.

Sumi Okita

[Sumi Okita]

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"Don't worry about it!" she would lean down and shift her feet slightly in her heeled shoes "I should have guessed that we would be walking, just means I'll take a bath later when we're back at the hotel." she'd lean back and stretch her stiff limbs "You should do the same! I'm not sure what it's like back at the dorms but hotel baths are completely different, who knows the next time we'll get to use one?" She would follow Freja onto the bus, breathing a sigh of relief as she plopped down onto the seat next to her. They had seen a lot and yet Sumi hadn't forgotten what she was the most excited to see: where Freja came from. [break][break]

Sumi would wave her hand dismissively at the notion that Freja needed to apologize for anything relating to her family. In their talks, she had heard a lot about them, and Freja, given her current condition, seemed more nervous about what they'd say about that than Sumi meeting them. Sumi would take the opportunity to pull Freja into another hug which was something that consistently calmed her down when she was getting worked up. "Take a deep breath; they're your parents! If they're anything like you, we'll get along swimmingly!" once Freja had sufficiently calmed down, she would release her from the hug and sit back, just happy to enjoy the ride and take in more sights as they went on. [break][break]

Sumi was standing slightly behind Freja when she rang the doorbell so when her parents opened the door and shot out confetti she wasn't entirely in the blast zone and yet still managed to get some in her hair. Still better than getting a face full of it like Freja would. Her smile quickly turned to elation. Sumi did her best to speak Danish, which she wasn't exactly proficient at, and had a much easier time understanding than talking, "Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Helt!" She initially went for the customary bow but quickly switched to reciprocating the handshake. "Thank you for having me, you have a lovely home!" As Sumi spent a lot of her personal and professional life socializing, she was more than happy to be part of the group hug, giggling at seeing Freja so flustered. She was surprised Freja even questioned her parent's actions. They seemed more genuine to her! Sumi had kept it even a secret from Freja but she wasn't about to show up at the Helt's home empty-handed "That sounds delicious and I'd love some tea if it's not too much trouble!" She would move her purse and rummage around for a minute before pulling out a few things, handing them to whichever of Freja's parents would accept it "I brought these for you two; Chocolate Macarons, Some Alfort Biscuits, An Engraved Knife Set, and some Katsuyama 1992 Ice-aged Vintage Sake. Please accept this! You've opened your home to me, and it's the least I can do!"

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Freja Helt

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[Freja Helt]

''You bet! I'm dying for a shower.'' As much as she liked walking everywhere with Sumi she was starting to feel it herself too. She could already tell she was going to fall asleep right away once they got back. ''I hadn't thought about that. I guess I'm so used to the dorm baths by now, I haven't stayed at a hotel for a long time.'' And due to traumatic, latent memories it was probably best she didn't make a habit of it.

Then the feeling of guilt started to creep up on her. Guilt that she was going home, she was going to see her family again after all these years and yet she was scared... Because of what? Because they couldn't accept her situation? Didn't see her for who she really was? She was shouting a lot before she left, lashing out in all the confusion and the hurt of having been trapped in her sister's body. She could feel all those negative feelings and regrets well up again, but then Sumi pulled her into a hug. Suddenly, everything became silent. It was just her and Sumi. Her reassuring words, her presence. She was hesitant, but she hugged her back, feeling luckier than ever that she had decided to start up a drunken conversation with the host of the yacht club party all those months ago. ''You might like them.'' She added quietly. Once all the noise in her head disappeared a little ray of optimism shone through. She had a complex relationship with her parents, but she knew they weren't like, bad people or anything. Not unless things had changed drastically in the last five years.

Then she took confetti to the face.

Nope. Nothing had changed, they were the same old parents she left behind when she took to Japan to follow her sister's dream.

When Sumi introduced herself in Danish her parents audibly gasped. ''You speak Danish! Did Freja teach you?'' They asked back in their native language. Even when speaking English their accents were a lot thicker than Freja's but generally still easy to understand. ''Tea? Coming right up! It's never too much trouble. How about you Freja, tea, coffee?'' Her dad beamed as he was heading to the kitchen. ''J-Just a coffee, caffeine free, no milk or sugar!'' She needed to get a grip, she was still flustered because of that introduction. At least Sumi seemed to be enjoying it? Wait- what was she pulling out? ''Oh my, all this for us? You shouldn't have, thank you so much!'' Freja's mom pulled Sumi into a quick hug as she accepted the gift, before excitedly running into the kitchen to show her husband. ''Anton! Look what she got us!'' Excited chatter filled the kitchen as Freja walked up next to Sumi. ''You came prepared with a gift? They're never gonna stop talking about you now.'' She smiled, knowing full well that even once they returned to Japan, every phone or video call she took her parents were going to gush about Sumi.

Once things in the house quieted down a bit and coffee and tea had been made, Freja took Sumi upstairs. Pushing open a door she walked into what used to be Elias' own room. It was left just the way it looked five years ago, except it was squeaky clean. ''This was my old room.'' Band posters decorated the walls, some from overseas, others obscure local indie bands of their time. There were several posters referencing how cool smoking and rebelling was too, which made Freja cringe a little bit. What stuck with her the most was how it all looked the same, like time had stopped in just this one room of the house. She hadn't been able to move on in the past five years. Still couldn't make sense of any of it, and it looked like her parents couldn't either. Freja's room was also the same as it had been five years ago, although it was completely different from Elias'. No needless posters on the wall, only a couple of them at most. She had old sporting equipment next to her bed, although notably the signature bat she had turned into her weapon as a hero student could only be seen in Elias' room. What Freja did have was accolades. Medals she won from various school competitions, anything from spelling bees to running competitions. ''She was the perfect sister.'' She frowned, looking at one of the medals before looking back at Elias' room. ''I didn't know what I had until it was gone.'' It was a bleak thing, and she didn't want to linger on it. She put on a smile and motioned for Sumi to follow her downstairs. ''Let's go see what my parents are up to.'' If at all possible, Freja would stealthily pocket one of old Freja's medals while Sumi wasn't looking.

Once they got back to the hotel Freja was dead tired. ''Do you prefer showering at night, or in the morning?'' She yawned, barely finishing her sentence. ''If you don't mind I'll go now.'' No matter what they agreed on Freja was pretty much out like a light the second she hit the bed.

The next morning Freja woke up early to get them some smørrebrød to eat before they started a new day. ''You should try one of the open-faced sandwiches with remoulade, that's my favorite condiment.'' She encouraged Sumi, eagerly awaiting her reaction. Although the day started easy, Freja still had one more difficult stop to make on this trip.

Walking into the nearest graveyard they came to stop in front of the gravestone of Elias Helt. ''This is it.'' She took a deep breath. ''It's sort of surreal, seeing a grave made for yourself. No one believed me at the time, when the whole switch happened. Everyone thought Freja survived. Because of that I didn't tell anyone at UA, or anyone in Japan for that matter. For years I just tried to live like Freja would have wanted to live. The only problem was, I'm not the perfect sibling. Out of the two of us I'm the failure.'' She held back a few tears and took Sumi's hand carefully, giving it a gentle squeeze. ''Thank you for coming out here with me.''

Then the day resumed as usual. Ice cream by the canals, a stroll through the Copenhagen Botanical Garden. Freja was making unforgettable memories and she hadn't even realized it yet. It was when they were walking through the less crowded streets of Copenhagen, those ones she knew because she grew up here, those ones that made for easy shortcuts, that she felt her heart skip a beat when she noticed a familiar person from her past.

Sumi Okita