Chapter 14: Under a Crying Sky

Since the incident at the cafe, I started to open up to others, slowly. Even so, I still maintained my guard. I began ignoring Mika, not seeing her as a threat like Ayaka and Reina. However, as if fate were playing a game with us, there was always a way to bring us together.

One morning, as I arrived at the campus, I saw Mika running in a hurry. She seemed to be late. Her steps were fast and unsteady. Suddenly, she slipped on a floor wet from the drizzle.

WHOOSH!

"AAH!" she cried out.

Without a second thought, I moved forward, catching her body so she wouldn't fall. My arms wrapped around her waist, and her face was incredibly close to mine. Once again, her emerald-like eyes met my golden ones.

For the second time, Mika's heart pounded fast. She again felt that small jolt run through her body. Her face turned red, but she quickly stood up awkwardly. "Thank you, Akira-kun," she said softly.

"Be more careful next time," I mumbled, letting go of her.

"I... I will chase after Kenzaki-san! I will only serve my Prince!" Mika said to herself. She walked away quickly, as if to escape the strange feelings that kept haunting her. She didn't realize her destiny had already begun to change.

A few days later, on a filming set. The rain was coming down heavily. The crew looked panicked.

"What do we do? Kenta-kun, the Prince actor, is sick," one of the staff members said. "We can't cancel today's schedule!"

"Calm down," the producer replied. "With this heavy rain, we have no choice but to postpone."

But their prediction was wrong. The rain continued to pour the next day. The Prince actor was still weak. They had no choice but to find a replacement.

Mika's manager, overhearing the conversation, approached them. "Mr. Producer, I have an idea. I know someone who looks just like Kenta. We can use him as a replacement actor."

The producer was silent for a moment. "Great idea. Bring him here immediately!"

Mika, who heard everything, quickly suggested, "Manager, how about we ask Kenzaki-san to take the role?"

The manager nodded in agreement. "Good idea. He happens to be free."

Mika cried out happily. She imagined the kissing scene with the Prince she had always adored. All the way to Kenzaki's apartment, she kept thinking about that scene, picturing it in her mind.

Meanwhile, I was on my way to the supermarket. Yui had told me that Ayano-san and Yukari-chan would be returning from Korea. I really wanted to meet them, but the heavy rain outside made me think twice. Yui said that Kazuki-nii would be picking them up at the airport.

A few hours later, Mika's car arrived in front of Kenzaki's apartment. She saw that his car wasn't there. "Darn," she muttered. "He must be at the airport."

However, in front of her, a familiar blue car slowly entered the apartment complex. It was Kazuki-nii's car. Her heart pounded. "Finally," she mumbled to herself, "the moment I've been waiting for has finally arrived."

With a light step, she walked forward. But her steps stopped. From the car, a woman with slightly brownish-black hair got out, her belly noticeably round. Next to her, a small girl with black hair and light green eyes was walking and laughing.

"HONEY, DON'T FORGET TO BRING MY SUITCASE!" the woman called out, her voice sweet.

Mika's world seemed to crumble. She stared blankly, unable to believe what she was seeing. Her Prince, the man she had loved for so long, was married and had a family.

Kenzaki, who was carrying a suitcase, noticed Mika's presence. "Oh, Mika-chan? What are you doing here? Are you okay?"

"Honey, who are you talking to?" the woman asked, walking closer.

"Ah, you're the famous artist Mika Tanaka, aren't you? You're the one who used to be Kenzaki-san's grandfather's client, right?"

Mika could only nod. She was still curious about who this woman was.

"Mika," Kenzaki introduced, his voice full of caution. "This is Haibara Ayano, my wife. And this is my first daughter, Haibara Yukari."

Mika's world felt shattered. The person she loved, her Prince, was already married and even had a child. Little by little, tears streamed down her face, mixing with the light rain that was beginning to fall. She couldn't take it anymore. She turned and ran. Her manager chased after her, yelling, "Mika! Wait!"

I had just returned from the supermarket when I saw Mika running down the street. Her face was soaked with tears. I wanted to ask what was wrong, but she had already disappeared around the corner. I hurried to my apartment, where I saw the three of them.

"Oh, so you're Akira-kun, right? Nice to meet you, from now on I'm your sister-in-law," Ayano greeted me warmly.

"Yes, nice to meet you," I replied. "By the way, Kazuki-nii, do you know why Mika was crying? I saw her on the street."

Kazuki-nii looked at me with a hint of regret. "It's probably my fault for not telling her sooner," he muttered.

"I'm the one who should be sorry, Nii-chan," I said. "I kept trying to tell her, but... I was always interrupted."

"It's fine, Akira," Kazuki-nii cut in. He handed me an umbrella. "Take this."

"What for?"

"Go after her. Tell her everything. Explain the truth about all of this! HURRY!" Kazuki-nii said, his voice a little emotional.

The rain came down heavily. I rushed outside, looking for Mika. On the street, I met Mika's manager. "Akira-kun! Have you seen Mika-chan?" she asked in a panic.

"No. I'm looking for her too," I replied.

"Thank you, Akira. I'll search over there, and you search over here, okay?" We split up. The rain grew heavier, as if representing Mika's tears.

From inside his apartment, Kenzaki stared at the heavy rain. "Go after her, Akira," he muttered to himself. "Comfort her and become the umbrella for her sadness. You have to be the Prince she's been looking for."

He remembered his past, playing with a little Mika. Little Mika had promised to marry him when she grew up. That memory was now a bitter one.

I kept searching until my instincts led me to a park. The park that had once been the witness to me, as a chubby child, protecting a girl from bullies. That girl... was Mika.

I found Mika, crying under a very large tree. I walked closer, holding the umbrella over her.

"Akira-kun?" she said, looking at me in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"That's my question," I replied. "What are you doing here? Under a tree in a heavy rain like this? You might get struck by lightning, you know."

Under the umbrella, I told her everything. About Kazuki-nii being married, about Ayano-san and Yukari-chan, and how he would always be a Prince to her. After several attempts to comfort her, Mika finally smiled.

Just then, her manager arrived. "Mika-chan, the producer wants you back at the studio. The replacement Prince is ready," she said.

Mika looked at me. She grabbed my hand. "Akira-kun, come with me. Be that replacement actor," she said.

I was shocked. "What? To be a tree actor?"

Mika smiled. "No. You're going to be the Prince this time."

A shiver went down my spine. This was the craziest thing I had ever done. But as we walked to the car, Mika glanced at me. A sweet smile was on my face. Mika froze. That smile... it was so much like Kenzaki-nii's. And it represented a day that had suddenly become bright. She was no longer mistaken. Akira was the Prince she truly needed.

At the studio, I was immediately made up, and so was Mika. We both appeared on stage, looking like a perfect couple. The filming began. However, during the kissing scene, the director stopped it. He said that the scene would be continued later. I felt a huge sense of relief. "Thank you, Kami-sama," I whispered.

A few days later, the entire campus was buzzing. The drama they were all watching had a Prince actor who looked so much like me. Ayaka and Reina said it was just a coincidence.

I went back to my routine, reading my book as usual. But something was different. I felt shy when people greeted me. That reaction made Ayaka even more suspicious.

During the break, Mika approached Ayaka and grabbed my wrist. She didn't say anything. She just moved her face closer, and...

SMOOCH!

She kissed me on the cheek. She looked at me and smiled genuinely. "Thank you, Akira-kun."

All the students, including Ayaka and Kazuma, were stunned. They could only stare at me, shocked and in disbelief at what they had just witnessed.