Chapter 17: A Stage for the Heart

The next day, the drama competition began. Mika was already backstage, but she had no idea who the second prince actor was. A mix of curiosity and anxiety swirled in her heart. The drama's writer, Sayo Kurogami, just smiled mysteriously when Mika asked her.

"I don't want to give any spoilers," Sayo said, her enigmatic smile never fading. "I just want to give a small surprise."

Mika could only sigh in resignation. Finally, it was their team's turn. The dark stage was suddenly filled with light, as if a fantasy world was about to begin.

Narrator: "Today, on the biggest stage of the university, a fairy tale drama will be performed. The beautiful Queen sleeps, waiting for her Prince to come to her rescue... But will this story go according to the script? Or will a different destiny intervene?"

Renji and Mika acted perfectly, making the female students in the audience cheer with delight. They looked like a couple from a fairy tale, a perfect match in every movement.

Scene after scene passed, until they reached the crucial moment. Mika acted as if she had been put to sleep by a poison apple. She lay weakly in the middle of the stage, waiting for the Prince to come and kiss her.

From the audience, Ayaka and Reina were already on the edge of their seats. "Yes, this is the scene we've been waiting for! The Prince and Queen's kiss! I'm going to record it!" Ayaka whispered, her phone already in her hand.

Renji approached, his knee touching the floor. He leaned down, ready to kiss the sleeping Queen. Mika's eyes were closed, and in her heart, she wished this scene would end. She didn't want to be kissed by a man who wasn't her true Prince.

Just as Renji's lips were getting closer, a voice echoed from the darkness.

"You, over there, stop! That woman belongs to me!"

Narrator: "Oh, who is this mysterious person who suddenly appeared in the middle of this drama? Is he the true Prince? Or just an intruder who came at the wrong time?"

Immediately, a spotlight shone on the side of the stage, where I was standing. My face was expressionless, but I pointed at Renji with a sharp gaze. The entire audience was shocked, including Ayaka and Reina.

"It can't be!" they both exclaimed.

Renji, who was surprised, stayed in character. "Damn you! Who are you, daring to interrupt?"

I walked forward, the spotlight following me. "Me?" I said, my voice calm but full of authority. "I am just a Prince from another world who happened to pass by! Remember that!"

Narrator: "A line that wasn't in the script! Is this an improvisation or... was it fate all along?"

The audience screamed in hysterics. The scene that was supposed to be romantic had suddenly turned into a thrilling fight. The romantic BGM was abruptly replaced by a rock song, as if the two Princes were truly fighting for Mika.

Backstage, Ayaka and Reina quickly changed costumes. They wore cloaks and dresses resembling the evil stepsisters from Cinderella. "We have to help him!" Ayaka whispered. They went on stage, acting as if they were helping Prince Renji fight me.

"Hahaha, you can't defeat me!" Ayaka cried, pretending to attack me.

"This is the end of you, foreign Prince!" Reina added, also in character.

However, I managed to defeat all three of them. I didn't know where all that strength came from. Maybe, it was my instinct that didn't want Mika to be kissed by anyone else.

Mika, who pretended to wake up, immediately grabbed my hand. "Thank you, my Prince," she said, her eyes glistening. "You truly saved me from those evil sisters and that wicked prince!"

Narrator: "It turns out, the true Prince isn't the one who arrives on a white horse. The true Prince is the one who comes with courage, saving the Queen from a destiny she didn't want."

Suddenly, another kiss landed on my cheek, making the entire audience cheer with delight. Renji, Ayaka, and Reina could only watch in resignation. The unscripted scene had stolen everyone's attention.

Narrator: "And so, the Prince from another world successfully stole the stage and the heart of the Queen. A new fairy tale has just begun."

We all smiled, bowing to the audience, who continued to cheer.

Even though all I wanted was to live a quiet life, it seems I'm about to be caught up in an even more complicated problem. And this time, the stage is the entire world.